Blog - Page 2 of 7 - DisAnswers = Disney Answers

Are the Disneyland Hotels Pet Friendly?

Disney Answer: No

Unfortunately (or fortunately), the three Disneyland Resort Hotels, the Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and Disney’s Paradise Pier, are NOT pet friendly. They do not allow pets of any kinds in the rooms, other than trained service animals. If you are planning on bringing a service animal with you to stay at one of the three Disneyland Hotels, you must notify Disney in advance.

Service Animals are also allowed in the parks, but are not allowed in certain areas and on certain rides.

Disneyland also operates the Disneyland Kennel Club, located to the right hand side of the main entrance to Disneyland. The current cost is $20 per day per animal, but overnight boarding is not allowed. Kennels are available for your pets on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted.

Can you park at the Grand Floridian?

Disney Answer: It depends

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has a large parking lot just like any other Disney resort. Whether you can park there depends on why you want to park there:

Can you Park at the Grand Floridian?

Grand Floridian Guest – YES – If you are staying at the Grand Floridian, you can park there for free during your entire stay. At check in, you will receive a parking pass for your car, just show it each time you enter and exit the resort.
Grand Floridian Dining Reservation – YES – If you have a dining or other reservation at the Grand Floridian, you are allowed to park at the resort for a limited time, usually three hours. Please note, they do tow cars that are there for longer than three hours, and nothing can ruin a Disney vacation faster than spending a day and a bunch of cash to get your car back.
Theme Park Parking – NO – As mentioned above, if you are dining at the resort, you can stay there for three hours (but you have to have a dining reservation), otherwise, there is no theme park parking at the resort at all. You will need to park at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Basically, if you have a reason to be at the resort, you will have access to parking (even if for a limited time). If you are tying to park closer to the Magic Kingdom and away from the crowds, don’t bother.

How Much are Castaway Cay Cabanas?

Disney Answer: Expensive!

Located on Disney private island, Castaway Cay, Disney has built 24 cabanas that are available for rent. These are daily rentals that give you access to your private cabana for your day on Castaway Cay. Each cabana features cushioned chairs, chaise lounges, a fridge, lockable storage unit and a fresh water shower. You also receive non-stop non-alcoholic beverages, fruit and other snacks, suntan lotion and fluffy towels. You can also order other cold beverages right from your cabana and have them charged to your stateroom. 20 of the cabanas are located on the far side of the family beach, while 4 of them are located on Serenity Bay (adult only).

Currently, the cabanas are $549 plus tax for the family beach cabanas that fit 6 ($50 more between April 22 and September 24, 2017). For the smaller 4 person cabanas on Serenity Bay, they run $399 plus tax for the day.

Please note, the cabanas are nearly impossible to book, even though there are 24 of them. On most Disney Cruises, the cabanas are booked up right around the time platinum Castaway Club members can check in, which is 120 days before the ship sails. So, unless you are a platinum member, or you are staying in concierge, it is very unlikely that you will be able to book a cabana. However, it is worth trying as soon as you can check-in online, and remember to check back frequently, guests do cancel their cabana reservations from time to time.

Can I go on the Disney Cruise while pregnant?

Disney Answer: YES (kind of)

If you are thinking about going on a Disney Cruise, and are pregnant or thinking you may be pregnant by the time the cruise rolls around, make sure you are fully aware of the Disney Cruise policies regarding pregnancy. Disney Cruise will allow you to cruise while pregnant, up to a certain point. Currently, this is the policy:

Women who have entered their 24th week of pregnancy as of their embarkation date or who will enter their 24th week of pregnancy during the cruise will be refused passage due to safety concerns. Neither a doctor’s medical statement nor a waiver of liability will be accepted. In addition, Disney Cruise Line cannot be held responsible or liable for any complications relating to pregnancy at any stage.

Disney Cruise will not question you on how pregnant you are, unless you appear to be more than 24 weeks. If you are pregnant at all, make sure to get a note from your doctor that clearly states how far along you will be when the cruise starts, just so there are not any questions. There have been situations in the past few years where Disney has denied passage to guests who were further along than 24 weeks. Do not let this happen to you!

Can you walk from Caribbean Beach to Epcot?

Disney Answer: No

While the entrance to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is only a hundred yards or so away from the back side of Epcot, there is no way to walk from Caribbean Beach to Epcot directly.

If it were a dire emergency and you needed to walk, you could make it. Across Buena Vista Drive from the Caribbean Beach, there is a sidewalk that starts just west of the RCID Emergency Services building. That sidewalk will take you past the Speedway gas station and goes to Epcot Resorts Blvd. Once across Epcot Resorts Blvd, the sidewalk forks, and one path will take you into the parking lot for the Boardwalk Inn. From there, you can walk to the Boardwalk Inn, down to the Boardwalk and into Epcot. Taking this walk is dangerous, as there is going to be a lengthy area where this is no sidewalk and you will have to cross Buena Vista Drive in an area where there are no crosswalks and the lights are not made for pedestrians.

So, while you technically can walk from Caribbean Beach to Epcot, there is no safe way that you can do it.

Are Disney Springs and Downtown Disney the same thing?

Disney Answer: Yes

Welcome to Disney Springs—a truly amazing place featuring an eclectic mix of unique boutiques, one-of-a-kind eateries and jaw-dropping entertainment that will have you wondering where the day went.

Disney Springs has actually had several different names over the years, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, Walt Disney World Village, Disney Village Market Place, Downtown Disney, and of course, Disney Springs. In 2013, Walt Disney World announced that Downtown Disney would be expanded and rebranded into Disney Springs. On September 29, 2015, Walt Disney World officially dropped the Downtown Disney name and Disney Springs was born. The new Disney Springs is now almost twice the size of the old Downtown Disney, and features 150 new tenants, two new parking structures and a much improved bus terminal. Disney even found a way to instal an exit ramp on I-4 that goes directly into Disney Springs.

Please note: Downtown Disney still exists, but at Disneyland. The Downtown Disney District is Disneyland’s pedestrian outdoor shopping area located between the Disneyland Hotel and the theme parks, and is quite a bit smaller than Disney Springs.