Magic Kingdom and pit bulls

Huh, I didn't realize the dog thing was getting to be an issue. On my past two trips (April 2016 and December 2017), I saw three dogs total (except I think I remember some security dogs too, but they're obviously on the job).

There was an older couple staying at CSR when we were there in 2016 who had a beautiful pair of golden retrievers. They were diabetic alert dogs. The older one was a seasoned vet, and the younger one was in training to take the older one's place. They were gorgeous dogs. Perfectly clean and groomed, and so mannerly. We stayed business class at the resort, and the dogs were in the lounge with their people in the morning for breakfast. We saw them again in the trip in the World Showcase, and they were as good as gold.

In December, we saw a huge Newfoundland in the boat ahead of us riding Pirates of the Caribbean! That's definitely the only time I've seen a dog on a ride, and I don't know what kind of therapy or support he was offering, but he probably needed therapy himself after that experience, LOL. I mean, the drop in that ride is insignificant to a human sitting in a boat, but probably a bit scary for a dog I would think.

Anyway, I am a dog (and animal in general) lover, so the only thing that goes through my head when I see one is "Look! Doggie! <3" And one of my dogs is part pittie and I've known other sweet pit bulls, so I wouldn't think of them any differently than the goldens or the Newfie.

That said, my dogs are like my children, but their butts go to the pet resort here at home when "Mama" goes to Disney World. I love them, but they have no business at WDW. One of them is neurotic and would be a nervous wreck the entire time, and the other one would spend the days dragging me around, trying to chase the birds, ducks, and squirrels, and begging everyone for a bite of whatever they're eating. At night, he'd bark at every thump and bump he heard in the hotel.

As long as the dogs are behaved, I have no issue with them. I do think about things though like allergies, or small children who are frightened of dogs. That Newfie on Pirates was a formidable beast. I could understand if people in the boat with him were a bit uncomfortable. If he had panicked at some point during that ride, things could have gotten really bad.
 
Here, here...to dog lovers, as well as others, who understand that the breed doesn't define a problem.

Also, kudos to those who love their pet dogs enough to find more suitable places for them to be while the family enjoys a park day. Hot pavement, throngs of people, and unfamiliar noises can all contribute to a day in hell for a dog. My Buddy is too precious for me to ever want to subject him to that.

That said, he would graciously work in a nice "Character Greeting" spot, and provide endless photo ops for anyone wishing a picture taken with "Air Bud". Buddy has an endless appetite for human affection, particularly from small children and will lovely curl his neck around hugs, and snuggle as close as possible. I miss him so much when we travel that I always have to visit AK's Affection Section for some fur therapy.

Be warned, if you check into a WDW resort with your dog, you may find me stalking you. Just let me talk to and maybe pet your pooch and all will be fine!
 
What do the service animals do while their owners are on the ride? Surely they aren't taking animals on Rock n Roller Coaster and the like.

We went on the Mine Train and there was a dog in line with us. The dog was crated (not sure where the crate came from) and was in the crate when the owner's got off the ride. It was in the exit line. There were even toys in the crate for the dog while it waited. We saw at least 20 dogs a day when we were there earlier this month. Some of them being carried in purses.
 
We went on the Mine Train and there was a dog in line with us. The dog was crated (not sure where the crate came from) and was in the crate when the owner's got off the ride. It was in the exit line. There were even toys in the crate for the dog while it waited. We saw at least 20 dogs a day when we were there earlier this month. Some of them being carried in purses.
:rolleyes2
 


No dog in a purse or crate is a working dog. Also if you do see a working dog never.. I mean NEVER go up and try to pet them. These dogs serve a purpose and even the slight distraction can get there owner killed. ( They need to sense if they are gonna pass out and more ). Like I have posted above it is pretty easy to spot a real support dog verse a pet. They need to make sure they denie pets.
 
The woman that takes her 3-5 tie-dyed poodles wearing sneakers is equally bad. They're always at Epcot for Illuminations and react poorly. She keeps the smaller ones in a covered stroller, while she walks the two full-sized ones next to her - but they always freak out when Illuminations starts. I'm shocked that one of them hasn't bit someone because they're so freaked out.
 
In December, we saw a huge Newfoundland in the boat ahead of us riding Pirates of the Caribbean! That's definitely the only time I've seen a dog on a ride, and I don't know what kind of therapy or support he was offering, but he probably needed therapy himself after that experience, LOL. I mean, the drop in that ride is insignificant to a human sitting in a boat, but probably a bit scary for a dog I would think.
I went with a friend who has epilepsy, and she took her dog on the dark rides with her. He didn't seem bothered by Pirates, and that ride has strobe effects/a camera, so she wanted him with her when she rode it. He's a pretty small dog though (he looks a lot like Bolt!) and seemed totally unfazed by the rides he went on. Other rides he went in the crate that Disney provides (like for 7DMT) and some of them we took turns holding him (I skipped BTM and sat outside the queue with him while she rode it).
 


The problem is that under the pretext of being service animals and under the guise of helping people who need extra help, large numbers of non-service dogs are now being brought into the parks. Some guests do not feel safe being around so many other people's pets. As the OP noted, the situation is making some guests feel uncomfortable and unsafe. There is an assumption that all the animals are service dogs, even when some of them are clearly not. People with disabilities have rights, and the general public also has a right to a safe and non-threatening environment.

This, YES, YES< a thousand time YES!
 
How is there so much disparity in the amount of animals that are spotted at the parks? My 2 most recent visits were April 2016 and Oct 2017, and I only saw 1 animal, at either visit, and it was very obviously a seeing eye dog. Either I was very unobservant or there has been a groundswell of dogs appearing in the past 6 months.
 
The woman that takes her 3-5 tie-dyed poodles wearing sneakers is equally bad. They're always at Epcot for Illuminations and react poorly. She keeps the smaller ones in a covered stroller, while she walks the two full-sized ones next to her - but they always freak out when Illuminations starts. I'm shocked that one of them hasn't bit someone because they're so freaked out.

OMG the stories I have of this woman from when I worked in Fantasyland.
 
The woman that takes her 3-5 tie-dyed poodles wearing sneakers is equally bad. They're always at Epcot for Illuminations and react poorly. She keeps the smaller ones in a covered stroller, while she walks the two full-sized ones next to her - but they always freak out when Illuminations starts. I'm shocked that one of them hasn't bit someone because they're so freaked out.
Say what, now? LOL!
Those poor dogs. Not gonna lie, though, I'm going to be looking for them from now on. The heck??
 
While I completely agree that ONLY registered service animals should be allowed in certain places, I do understand the need for Emotional Support Animals if they are behaved and trained.

There are some people that do extensive training with their pets and are very easily controlled in any environment.

I do not agree with those that just think they should be able to take their dog everywhere. Granted, the dog that was seen with the prong collar, was he behaved? That may be the only way for him to be controlled?

I do not agree with the title of this post in regards to pit bulls. I am a HUGE pit advocate having worked with organizations to raise funds and awareness of the breed and do not agree when they get categorized. I own a pit myself and she is the sweetest dog you would ever meet. I agree that yes, there are some nasty pits but there are also some nasty poodles, shepherds or other such dogs. There are dogs of every breed that may attack for no reason.

I also agree that there are way too many people using their dogs for so-called support/service animals and unfortunately, they will ruin it for those that actually need it.
 
Service and working dogs are amazing creatures who can open up the world for their people. They can protect and rescue us, and help us overcome the trauma of an emergency as well. The dogs, as well as their trainers and handlers deserve a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation.

As with everything, there are always a few who feel entitled to bend to rules to get their own way, but I would always err on the side of caution and assume that a dog brought into a theme park or such place is playing a part in helping their human enjoy an experience that would otherwise be more difficult. Us humans are a frail bunch and we can be burdened with a lot of deeply hidden conditions. We wouldn't kick away a crutch just because someone painted it pink with sparkles, and appeared to have 2 legs...

I haven't noticed any increased dog presence in the parks from my first visit in 1994 through my last, in Nov 2017, and I am ALWAYS looking for them. During that first visit, it actually bothered me to spend a whole day without ever even seeing a dog. About 10 days in, we went to walk around downtown Celebration. We met a gentleman walking his beautiful Rottweiler and I was almost reduced to tears of joy. He was kind enough to let me cover myself in dog fur and a bit of drool before moving along. I do better now, but will happily watch service dogs and security dogs at every opportunity. If possible, I chat with the people about their dog, but never touch the dog at work.
 
We met a gentleman walking his beautiful Rottweiler and I was almost reduced to tears of joy. He was kind enough to let me cover myself in dog fur and a bit of drool before moving along.
This quote made me smile! I am the same way when away from my babies for a few days. You need those puppy licks to just keep you going!
 
It's possible to like dogs :dogdance:; respect and admire genuine, trained service dogs ::yes::::yes::; and have allergies and phobias that put you way beyond just discomfort if around UNtrained dogs in crowds and enclosed spaces. The problem is there's no point in having laws/rules if you don't also have systems to support and enforce them fairly. That's what Disney (and the airlines) need to do and need to be allowed to do. I can imagine most people who have their trained service dogs with them would also prefer that people with untrained dogs were turned away. So, the current system really humors those inconsiderate, rule-breakers.

I would hate for any blind or epileptic individuals (for example) to be without their dogs (or to feel uncomfortable having their dogs with them) - that's not the answer.

I also hate for people to be put in difficult (potentially traumatic) situations around untrained pets (which includes some emotional support animals) - pets which aren't supposed to be there anyway.


In the short-term, I like the idea of staff who can recognise the difference between pets that genuinely should be allowed in the parks and those that have 3 tie-dyed pooches :bitelip::rotfl: and shouldn't be there! In the long-term, it would be nice if legislation (?) supported only genuine cases.
 
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So what exactly is the pet policy?

Pet dogs are allowed in some of the resorts (for a fee).

No dogs other than service dogs are allowed in the theme parks. I believe that emotional support dogs are also not allowed in the theme parks (someone correct me if I’m wrong).
 
IMO one of the issues is they can’t/won’t ask for proof so if I bring my dog who is clearly a pet but I say it’s a service animal they let me in. I mean obviously these people are either lying or aren’t being asked.

This is an issue with a lot of policies at Disney and other places. Example if I take my child at 4 and lie and say she is under 3 they don’t ask for proof, but then if they ask someone who’s kid is under 2 the child’s age that person gets upset. It’s a no win for the companies.

IMO in the current environment they are between a rock and a hard place, if they start asking for proof people will be pissed, are they legally even allowed to ask?!? (and if they are legit service animals they should be annoyed), they don’t ask for proof and people including me are annoyed seeing pets in the park and people abusing the policies. I don’t like seeing pets at the parks, for a ton of reasons including how is that fun for them? Someone tel me? My dog wouldn’t enjoy it that’s for sure!

However as I said in an earlier post when someone is seriously injured and not until then will we see a policy change. (again my opinion)
 
The woman that takes her 3-5 tie-dyed poodles wearing sneakers is equally bad. They're always at Epcot for Illuminations and react poorly. She keeps the smaller ones in a covered stroller, while she walks the two full-sized ones next to her - but they always freak out when Illuminations starts. I'm shocked that one of them hasn't bit someone because they're so freaked out.

I saw these dogs in Epcot.
 

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