Reviews of Best Friends Pet Care
Reviewed by georgiadisneymom Review Date: 01/04/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We used Best Friends Pet Care this past summer for the first time. Naturally we were a little hesitant because our Beagle is handicapped and only has three legs. We wanted to make sure she would be taken care of properly, but had nothing at all to worry about. The staff contacted us several times prior to checking in, as we had to be on a wait list for the type of kennel room that we wanted. When it became available, the cast member immediately contacted us to make sure we still wanted to put her in that type of room. She stayed in a Vacation Villa and we were very pleased with the cleanliness of the villa. We were pleased with how she was treated by the cast members, and even received a report card on how she did each day while boarding there. She enjoyed the outside dog park and walk, and we enjoyed being able to go over to see her whenever we wanted to. It is no problem to get into the area to see her, and cast members make sure that only those allowed to visit your dog are let into the area. All in all, our dog had a wonderful stay and we would definitely use Best Friends Pet Care again!
Pros:
close to most resorts, very clean, cast members friendlyCons:
noneReviewed by WingsAt46 Review Date: 03/09/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Oh, if only Best Friends were everywhere. I had the worst experience with Sand Lake kennel and while walking my dog one day, another dog-walker suggested Disney as a place to board my dog in the future. He said, you know how Disney is, perfect, so I tried out Best Friends. This place is the answer to my prayer!! My husband and I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, just across the street from Best Friends where we boarded our 2 dogs, a lab and a Brasilian vida lota, in a vacation villa. At night when it was cool, we came to walk them on their grounds. It was quite a pleasant experience for all of us! I would recommend this place for anyone who loves their pet and wants the peace of mind knowing they are cared for by animal lovers.
Pros:
the grounds to walk dogs, the villas, the amenities, the photo sent to my e-mailCons:
noneReviewed by elsaandannasmom Review Date: 03/24/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was a wonderful boarding facility. It was close to the resort , so we were able to visit our pets twice a day. The staff was helpful , and wonderful with our pets. Will use this facility again .
Pros:
close to resortsCons:
noneReviewed by FlamingoGirl Review Date: 07/20/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We camped but did not want to leave the furkids in the "Mobile Mansion" all day alone. We contracted for Doggie Day Care. We called and asked a lot of questions about size of the different options. We looked at all the options, the pictures and the sizes we were given over the phone. We made a decision and called back and contracted for the days we would be in the park all day. We asked if we could bring them in the day we arrived and do the paperwork ahead of time and see the facilities. We took the dogs on Sun after we arrived and completed the paperwork, got a tour of the facility, and let the dogs play on the playground. We got all our questions answered and observed the furkids interact with the staff. The next morning, we took them in and dropped them off with no problems. At night we would stop and pick them up. They let us take them out and play in the yard with them before we went back to the trailer in the evening.
It worked out well for us. I knew that they were being taken care of and getting potty breaks, fed, played with and walked. One of our furkids is very fearful of thunder/fireworks/etc. I took his ThunderJacket and he didn't need it. The building is very sound and you can't hear the fireworks in the building. I knew that they were well taken care of when on the second day we left them, they were laying down, watching tv and didn't even notice us standing by the door to pick them up until we called them. They were content and happy. Loved the daily pictures of them in our e-mail. We had them groomed on their last day and they looked beautiful. Thanks to Best Friends and their Amazing, Loving Staff!
Pros:
Great CareCons:
NoneReviewed by cmoranski Review Date: 10/12/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
Sammyboy and Dash spent three days here. They seemed happy and well taken care of. They were given a report card of how they did and they ate, played, and did the usual dog things. We liked the staff. They were good with the dogs. Very nice clean atmosphere.
Pros:
friendly cast, clean facilityCons:
noneReviewed by JEZeimer Review Date: 10/14/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We use Best Friends every year. It is a HUGE upgrade from the old kennels offered at the Magic Kingdom. Our rescue dog is not a social dog with others. Best Friends has been great with walking him separately and helping us to safety when we come to visit. We use the Vacation Villas. Our first visit we used the regular indoor kennels and found that our dog was very stressed as it resembled the rescue kennel. He didn't eat/drink much and lost some hair so the return trip we used the Vacation Villas. He LOVED it. He had his t.v. and turn down service. The isolation from other dogs helped with his stress. No problem with eating/drinking this trip. The outside area has two portions - one private walk area, and then the large dog park. We've found that it's busy at certain times of the day but we had no problem adjusting our schedule and finding private time to let our dog roam free in the park area alone. They provide baggies for pick up - it's very clean.
The Vacation Villa is a good size. Charlie is about 100 lbs and he has plenty of room to stretch - loves his dog movies on the t.v. and quiet time keeps him relaxed. It's easy to get to the villa and then it's a straight shot out to the walking area. The air conditioning is really nice and keeps him very cool - it's actually cooler in the villas than in the VIP suites.
If I had to provide one suggestion, it would be nice to have a separate entrance for check in vs. walking visitors. It gets quite busy in the reception area during peak times and for those that just want to walk back and walk their dog, it can be a long wait. It's also very hard to keep your dog separate when it's that busy.
Pros:
Great Service and Wonderful AccommodationsCons:
Separate entrance neededReviewed by pchefmary1 Review Date: 02/27/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our pup, Echo has stayed at Best Friends at least 5 times in the past 3 years and each time has been a great experience. Last stay was Dec. '15 and have 2 more booked so far this year. Stays have ranged from 3-10 nights and he is well cared for each day. The resort is extremely clean and the staff is always friendly and loving toward the animals (even as pup pulls them down the hall). I've never heard a lot of barking and think it's well insulated from the fireworks (which Echo is not a fan of). They put on his thundershirt nightly for comfort and provide toys and treats for me. It is great to be able to check in throughout the vacation and spend time with pup in the dog park- which has plenty of space to run (we bring a ball), water spurts, and shade. They offer special add ons and grooming. Echo has never smelled like "kennel" when leaving, but have used the service before. It's located directly across from Port Orleans which was great place to stay close to pup for pop in visits. I have nothing but glowing reviews for Best Friends and know Echo is looking forward to his stay over Spring Break.
Pros:
Extremely clean and friendly!Cons:
noneReviewed by nrymut Review Date: 09/22/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
I boarded here for the first time as family were visiting WDW with a puggle. This is more of a dog spa than a kennel. Very happy with the boarding experience here and would not hesitate to board again. And I am very particular about kennels.
Pros:
Attentive staff, spotless, comfortableCons:
NoneReviewed by RTRSMS2016 Review Date: 04/05/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our Harry is our only (cat) boy and as non-parents to people children, I'm a fusspot when it comes to pet kennels. I was SO anxious the first time he stayed and I shouldn't have bothered worrying at all. Harry was fine, they sent a lovely picture of him, and I called to check on him. They are SO incredibly helpful, especially Barbara, and I have zero negative comments. Harry has stayed twice now and he's just fine. I call once a day to ck on him and they call, of course, if there's a problem (there hasn't been any problems either). They will let you know if he is hiding, playing , eating, using his cat box, etc. You can get special treats for your pet including special play time, treat, and extra photos.
Pros:
Super pet (and people) friendly staff!Cons:
None!Reviewed by MommysCastle Review Date: 06/14/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
We are AP so we frequent Disney at least 4 or 5 times a year. Our 8 lb, 6 yr old Shitzhu comes with us (we drive from NJ). As AP we get discounts on her stay, but if you stay on property you get a discount too. Their times of business are pretty flexible and they treat Abbey with top care! We often get pics of her when we are on vacation. She is given lots of love by the staff. They even sent us an email yesterday for our trip in 10 days, letting us know about a recent outbreak of canine flu and what we can do to prevent it before our stay.
