A few years ago, we had our Disneyland Paris holiday planned, but unfortunately couldn’t find anyone to care for our dog, as our regular dogsitter was unavailable. We thought about cancelling our trip or even me going by myself, as it was the opening weekend of Halloween at Disneyland Paris. In the end, we decided to go and take the dog with us. Something we won’t do again!
Where to leave your dog during the day
One of the things you need to consider is where your dog will stay when you are in the parks. We booked an apartment without a cleaning service and left our dog there for a few hours. This was ok as we brought his dog bed, but he was pretty anxious when we left, and we often found him under the bed when we returned.
Disneyland Paris also has a dog care centre where you can leave your dog during the day. Your dog will stay in a kennel based on their size. They will get food and water, but you need to go back to walk your dog as often as they need.
The staff is sweet for the animals, and the service is excellent, but the care centre is nothing more than a supervised crate. We just couldn’t leave our dog there; it’s not that it’s terrible; our dog is just spoiled.
Where to stay with your dog at Disneyland Paris?
Dogs are prohibited in Disney Hotels, so you must find other accommodations.
One option is Disney Davy Crockett Ranch, a Disney-run holiday park about ten minutes from the parks. Here you can stay in your private cabin; in some, you can even bring your dogs. You must add this to your booking, as not all places are pet friendly.
During the day, you can leave your dog in the cabin while you enjoy the parks. However, you will need a car to get to the holiday park as there is no shuttle bus or other transportation.
Another option is the apartment I was talking about earlier. We stayed at Hi-Park by Adagio, a 10-minute walk from the Disney Parks.
We love staying at this accommodation, and it’s closer to the parks than most Disney hotels. Still, we were afraid someone from the staff would come into our apartment to clean or to fix something without us knowing, and we wouldn’t want our dog to attack them because he was scared. This gave us anxiety, and my husband decided to get back to the apartment while I stayed for the opening of the Halloween season.
Finally, you can also book an apartment or villa at Villages Nature Paris, an eco-resort ten minutes from the parks. This resort has a (paid) shuttle bus to the Disney Parks and dog-friendly accommodations where you can leave your dog while you go to the parks.
Bringing your dog to the parks
You can’t bring your pets to Disneyland Paris, so it’s best to leave them at home or at the accommodations above. If you need a dog for medical reasons, you can bring it, even in the parks and Disney Hotels, but you will need proof that it’s an actual guide or support dog.
The dog can’t come on any of the rides and can only relieve itself at specified locations. Of course, you will need to pick up after your dog, just like outside the parks.
Other things to keep in mind
France is pretty strict on what breeds are allowed in the country. Any breed known for aggression, even if yours is super sweet, won’t be allowed into the country, even if the dog breed is allowed in your country.
You will also have to check if your travel insurance covers your dog. Accidents can happen, dogs can get sick, and you don’t want surprises when going to the vet. Also, check whether you are covered in case the dog breaks something or injures someone. Also, ensure your dog has all the necessary vaccinations, and bring their passport.
Finally, just like travelling with little ones, you must bring a lot of stuff. We had a crate, dog bed, toys, food, bowls, and a leash, which took up some space in our car.
Why we won’t bring our dog to Disneyland Paris anymore
The only time we took our dog was out of necessity. Sure, we could have cancelled our trip, or I could have gone by myself, but we thought the dog would be fine in the apartment in his own bed. But he wasn’t. He was stressed, and we found him under our bed every time we returned to the apartment.
He was pretty happy when we were there and loved walking in a new environment. But while he is fantastic at staying home alone, he wasn’t at the apartment. He didn’t bark or cry; he was just sad and nervous, and we felt it wasn’t worth it to stress him out so much for a day in the parks.
We decided to leave the next day and take him home. And last year, when I had to travel to Disneyland Paris while our dogsitter was away, I went alone. It wasn’t fun, it would have been great to bring my husband, as he is also part of the MagicalChaos team, but we didn’t want our dogs (we added another one in the meantime) to go through all the stress.
What is your experience with bringing your dog to Disneyland Paris? Let me know in the comments below.
