Walt Disney World's Best Friends Pet Care Resort

Jun 25, 2010
Debra Peterson

Pet Resort Offers Dog Boarding & Doggy Daycare - Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Best Friends Pet Care Resort, the new luxury pet vacation option at Walt Disney World, offers daycare, boarding, grooming services for cats and dogs.

As of Aug. 27, 2010 Walt Disney World guests who travel with their pets will be able to treat them to a pampered pet vacation at the Best Friends Pet Care Resort on Disney property. The facility, which offers day kennelling, boarding and grooming services, along with several amenities, serves Disney guests who own dogs, cats, and small animals referred to as “pocket pets.” The resort will replace the current Walt Disney World kennels.

Best Friends Pet Care, founded in 1991, is the leading boarding and grooming service in the United States. It operates more than 40 full-service pet care centers in 19 states. The Walt Disney World Best Friends Pet Care Resort can accommodate 270 dogs and 30 cats, and provides daytime and overnight boarding, doggy day care, and a grooming salon.

Disney Provides a Luxury Pet Vacation with Dog and Cat Boarding

Best Friends Pet Care Resort offers pets a variety of housing options, activity areas, and services in its 50,000 square foot facility. The resort offers 17,000 square feet of air- conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas. Central to the facility is including a private dog park open only to Pet Care Resort clients and their dogs.

The facility has staff on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to take care of the overnight pets boarding there as well as to handle any emergencies. The Pet Care Resort’s operating hours are based in Disney World theme-park hours, roughly one hour prior to the earliest park opening to one hour after the latest park closing. Several staff members are veterinary technicians and all are trained in pet first aid.

Dogs and Cats Enjoy Luxury Amenities at Pet Resort

Best Friends Pet Care Resort offers a range of high-end amenities that make the facility particularly attractive to dog and their owners. Housing options for dogs include air-conditioned rooms, 48-square-foot indoor-outdoor suites, and VIP suites that provide pets with televisions, raised bedding, and private outdoor yards.

The private dog park offers a fenced walking trail with different play areas, including a 3,300 square-foot area covered in artificial turf, 4,500 square-feet area which provides shade trees, and a 1,300 square-foot "canines only" water park. Pet owners will have plenty of spots from which to relax while their dogs enjoy the grounds.

The needs of other pets have not been overlooked, however. Cats may relax in the separate "Kitty City" pavilion, an area separate from dogs, and may stay in either two- and four-room condos. “Pocket pets” – such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets – also have their own boarding areas.

As with resorts for Disney’s human guests, the Best Friends Pet Care Resort also offers luxury options. Pets may be pampered at a grooming salon, receiving baths or haircuts. Dogs may romp in play groups and doggy day camp, exploring two 1,100-square-foot “camp rooms” that open onto an outdoor play-yard

There are plenty of a la carte activities for extra-special treatment, ranging from one-on-one playtime or cuddle time to special treats to bedtime stories. Dogs and may enjoy, for instance, food nibbles – Ice Cream Treats for dogs, Tuna on a Ritz for cats– as well as bottled water on premium/orthopedic bedding.

Making Reservations for Pet Care Resort

Advance reservations are strongly recommended for the pet resort. Both Disney resort and off-site guests are welcome to board their pets at the site, and the resort also offers daycare only options for guests who stay off-property.

To stay at the resort, Disney’s four-legged guests must have up-to-date vaccinations and owners need to supply documentation. Dogs must have current records for Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella. Cats should have records for Rabies and FVRCP.

Best Friends Pet Care Resort is located across from the Port Orleans Resort at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway. Interested guests can visit Walt Disney World Best Friend Pet Care to learn about pricing or for more information or call 877-4-WDW-PETS to make reservations.

Walt Disney World guests who travel with their pets might also be interested in these related articles: