Photo by Disney

The hottest pet travel news this week is from the happiest place on earth: A new Best Friends Pet Resort, located near Disneyworld (in Lake Buena Vista, across from the Port Orleans Resort) and meant to board dogs and other pets accompanying visitors to the Magic Kingdom, is now taking reservations for stays starting on August 27, 2010. The new facility is enormous (over 50,000 square feet, including “17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas, and an expansive private dog park”) and will offer both day care and overnight boarding. The amenities have to be read to be believed; I’ll just mention that they include ice cream treats, orthopedic bedding, and bedtime stories. Please note that this facility will ultimately replace the five kennels that are currently open at Disneyworld.

Elsewhere in the U.S., The Philly Dog reported that Red Hook Café, located near Philadelphia’s South Street, is dog-friendly; Ours for a Lifetime posted a fun article, with lots of pictures, about dog-friendly things to do in beautiful Healdsburg, CA; and Brad Kauffman posted a useful article about dog-friendly beaches (and nearby hotels) in the Charleston, SC area. One state away, CLT Blog wrote a post about dog-friendly summer getaway ideas within driving distance of Charlotte, NC. Chatting with a new friend at TBEX, the travel bloggers’ conference held last week in NYC, I learned about a beautiful — and dog-friendly — hotel in Manhattan’s East Village. The Cooper Square Hotel, in addition to welcoming dogs, has a library for lounging and quiet reading, and a terrific Italian restaurant (Faustina’s).

Elsewhere in the world, HotelsIreland Blog posted an article about dog-friendly vacation accommodations around Ireland, and My Dog: Life with Penny reported that Yarra Bend Park, near Melbourne, Australia, now has features that make it a dog-friendly place to relax. Leila Coe, the blogger behind And a Small Dog and a travel agent focusing on travelers with dogs, listed the many places around the world she’s taken her dog Bodie. I knew she’d traveled a lot with him, but it’s inspirational to see her list, and to think about arranging a trip of your own to Amsterdam, perhaps, or Barcelona. Check it out!

While you’re doing all this traveling, keep safety in mind. FindAVet.us posted an article listing what a good first aid kit for your dog should include, and Take Paws‘ Rod Burkert, guest-posting on Will My Dog Hate Me?, wrote a really useful article describing the car restraints he’s used for his two big dogs in the Go Pet Friendly SUV, and in the Winnebago he and his wife Amy are driving around the country.