What Happens When Timeshare Vacation Goes to the Dogs

In June, The Timeshare Authority updated you on the new pet resort opening at Orlando’s Walt Disney World. (See: Disney Offers Pet Resort with Special Pricing for Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Owners). Pet-friendly timeshares and pet boarding accommodations are important to travelers. According to the 2009-2010 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association there are 77.5 million dog owners in the US alone, accounting for 39 percent of all American households.

For most pet owners, Fido or Fluffy is a beloved family member who creates a conundrum when it comes time for travel or a timeshare vacation. Do you plan your vacations only at pet-friendly timeshares? Do you board your pet, hire a pet sitter or maybe even stay home because you can’t come up with an acceptable solution?

Orlando’s Disney World Resort is making it easier than ever to enjoy a guilt-free vacation, fully confident that your pet is nearby and is receiving the very best of care. And for Disney timeshare owners, members of the Disney Vacation Club, the solution is especially sweet as they receive special discounts.

Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Members Receive Discounts

Disney’s new Best Friends Pet Resort will be able to accommodate up to 270 dogs, 30 cats, and other animals including hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, and potbellied pigs. Not accepted for boarding will be snakes, lizards and turtles. Here are few of the tail-wagging details to update you on just how very ‘luxurious’ these accommodations for your pet really are.

Add-on pet services, in addition to outdoor playtime are available, including doggy playgroups, Frisbee or ball play, walking trails, a water park area, and snuggling for your dog while someone reads stories aloud—like a bedtime story being read to the family dog. Dogs also have the option, for a fee, to view movies or to vacation in one of the 226-square foot luxury suites that feature a private play yard and a personal pet concierge. Upgrades for felines include two and four-story kitty condos.

While basic pricing starts at $37 nightly, Disney timeshare owners receive discounts as part of their membership benefits in the Disney Vacation Club.