So many of us have a furry friend in the house who we treat like family. Someone that we hate to leave behind while heading to our favorite vacation destination, Walt Disney World. Our dog. For me, my little French/English bulldog mix, Captain Jack Sparrow, or just Jack is fine. We live so close to the Parks, but hardly ever do “stay-cations” because we have Jack to worry about. There is Best Friends Pet Care/Hotel on Disney property, which we have used in a pinch, they’re great as they allow us to bring and use best lick mat for dogs which serves as a good entertainment for them. But, what if there’s another solution? Recently, we stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground, in one of their amazing cabins, and Jack got to go with us! The campgrounds at Disney are perfect for traveling with your fur baby, and your pooch even gets a welcome gift when you check in! Yes, I was super excited that Jack got a present, which included two Disney dog bowls, a Pluto mat for the floor, a collar tag and clip on waste bags for easy clean up. All of these great items came in a Disney drawstring bag, which made it even better!
The cabins at Fort Wilderness are really nice, it’s more “glamping” than camping. If you bring your pooch, Disney insists that you not skip Mousekeeping, and let the cabins get cleaned daily during your stay. Also, you of course have to use those little waste bags that they nicely give you at check in, so that you clean up after your dog outside as well. The grounds have a dog park plus nice trails to walk or bike, so it’s a great place to take your pet.
Truthfully, we saw SO many other people at Fort Wilderness who had dogs with them. The first evening, we took Jack for a ride on the golf cart to go watch the water pageant by the shore. There were a lot of people walking the grounds with their dogs, lots of dogs enjoying their rides on the golf carts, it was so nice. I should have gotten him a first visit button for his leash. Kidding…. sort of. It was just a great experience.
I know there were a lot of mixed opinions about Disney allowing guests to bring their pets to certain parts of the “World.” After bringing our dog to Disney with us, I have to say, it was totally worth it. There was an extra fee to bring Jack with us, but it’s really no different than putting him at the pet hotel on property. Having Jack with us was a relief, I didn’t have to worry about him, and he enjoyed being out and about. Even on the golf cart. Disney does a great job accommodating pets at the campground, so if you’ve ever thought about bringing your pup with you, I say do it. Give Fort Wilderness a try! Some great memories were made and it’s something I’d definitely do again!
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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