Contemporary - Tower - Theme Park View - Florida Special Accessible

[Poohsmommi]

Hi, I'm confused with this description, and I'm not having much luck with internet searches. Will this room be wheelchair friendly? I noticed some specifically say wheelchair accessible, and then the one I booked says Florida Special Accessible with Hearing Option. Will the shower accommodate a wheelchair?

 

[wilkeliza]

Hi, I'm confused with this description, and I'm not having much luck with internet searches. Will this room be wheelchair friendly? I noticed some specifically say wheelchair accessible, and then the one I booked says Florida Special Accessible with Hearing Option. Will the shower accommodate a wheelchair?

Just a quick search says that the Florida Accessible rooms are actually more friendly to those in wheelchairs. Instead of just "accommodating" wheelchair users these rooms are specially designed with lower counter tops, ramps, drawers, etc that are all designed to offer a better experience to those in wheelchairs. It sounds like that is the case since you are booked at Baylake tower and that is where these specialty rooms are.

 

[lanejudy]

The "Florida Special" accessible rooms are an odd-name for sure! They are NOT necessarily wheelchair accessible -- for example, it will have a tub rather than a roll-in shower. The room description should tell you, but I believe basically what makes it "accessible" are grab bars by the toilet, lower toilet height and an open-frame bed. This is more for people who need some assistance (grab bars) but will be walking around their hotel room, there may not be clearance to maneuver a wheelchair around the room. If you need that, you want to look for one that states "wheelchair accessible."

@wilkeliza where did you find your information? On a WDW site, or a more general search?

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Poohsmommi]

We are not booked in Bay Lake Tower. We have a room booked in the main tower.

 

[Poohsmommi]

Thank you Judy. I have searched all over, and was not having any luck!!

 

[lanejudy]

I agree it can be confusing. This is the actual description from WDW's website:

Florida special accessible room with option for hearing accessibility. 2 double beds, 1 daybed.

2 Double Beds and 1 Day Bed
Sleeps up to 5 Adults

• Grab Bars at Toilet
• Open Bed Frame
• Lower Toilet Height
• Portable Raised Toilet Seat Available

Optional Communication Features for Guests With Hearing Disabilities Include:

• Visual Alarm
• Visual Door Knock/Doorbell Alert
• Visual Telephone Call Alert
• Telephone With Volume Control
• Electrical Outlet Near Telephone Jack
• TTY Available Upon Request at Check-In

These features are guaranteed and do not require an extra charge.​

And this is the description for a wheelchair accessible room (note "roll-in shower" is stated in the name of the room-type and not in the additional description):

Wheelchair accessible with roll-in shower and option for hearing accessibility. 2 double beds, 1 daybed.

2 Double Beds and 1 Day Bed
Sleeps up to 5 Adults

• Wheelchair-Accessible Route in Room
• Grab Bars at Toilet and in Shower

Optional Communication Features for Guests with Hearing Disabilities Include:

• Visual Alarm
• Visual Door Knock/Doorbell Alert
• Visual Telephone Call Alert
• Telephone with Volume Control
• Electrical Outlet Near Telephone Jack
• TTY Available Upon Request at Check-In

These features are guaranteed and do not require an extra charge.​

ETA: and there is a 3rd type of accessible room (apparently not available in TPV) that is also wheelchair accessible but with a tub:

Wheelchair accessible with tub and option for hearing accessibility. 2 double beds, 1 day bed.

2 Double Beds and 1 Day Bed
Sleeps up to 5 Adults

• Wheelchair-Accessible Route in Room
• Grab Bars at Toilet and Tub

Optional Communication Features for Guests with Hearing Disabilities Include:

• Visual Alarm
• Visual Door Knock/Doorbell Alert
• Visual Telephone Call Alert
• Telephone with Volume Control
• Electrical Outlet Near Telephone Jack
• TTY Available Upon Request at Check-In

These features are guaranteed and do not require an extra charge.​

Wheelchair accessible rooms should always indicate "wheelchair accessible" somewhere in the description. Depending on the various views offered at any given resort, each accessible room type may not be available in all bookable categories (i.e., theme park view, garden view, etc.) but each type is available spread throughout the resorts in various buildings and room types.

 

[wilkeliza]

The "Florida Special" accessible rooms are an odd-name for sure! They are NOT necessarily wheelchair accessible -- for example, it will have a tub rather than a roll-in shower. The room description should tell you, but I believe basically what makes it "accessible" are grab bars by the toilet, lower toilet height and an open-frame bed. This is more for people who need some assistance (grab bars) but will be walking around their hotel room, there may not be clearance to maneuver a wheelchair around the room. If you need that, you want to look for one that states "wheelchair accessible."

@wilkeliza where did you find your information? On a WDW site, or a more general search?

Enjoy your vacation!

Touringplans said that Florida assistance was a distinction for a few at Contemporary but that you could check your room number on their report to find exactly what accommodations they have in each room.

 

[lanejudy]

Ah, interesting. Not sure how accurate that is. "Florida Special" is available at any/all WDW resorts, not just the Contemporary. I believe it has something to do with an additional type of room required by FL law. But it definitely is less wheelchair friendly than the other accessible types which specify wheelchair accessible.

 

[wilkeliza]

Ah, interesting. Not sure how accurate that is. "Florida Special" is available at any/all WDW resorts, not just the Contemporary. I believe it has something to do with an additional type of room required by FL law. But it definitely is less wheelchair friendly than the other accessible types which specify wheelchair accessible.

Thanks for the clarification. I wonder if their room descriptions are accurate from people who have stayed there. I'll make sure from now on to only pull form the official website. That isn't good that it is less wheelchair friendly.

 

[SueM in MN]

Ah, interesting. Not sure how accurate that is. "Florida Special" is available at any/all WDW resorts, not just the Contemporary. I believe it has something to do with an additional type of room required by FL law. But it definitely is less wheelchair friendly than the other accessible types which specify wheelchair accessible.

This is correct. From what I understand, it is a separate category of accessibility that is written into Florida law (where it gets its name).

 

[mamabunny]

Touringplans said that Florida assistance was a distinction for a few at Contemporary but that you could check your room number on their report to find exactly what accommodations they have in each room.

Remember to use Touring Plans with a grain of salt - they do an AWESOME job of trying to keep everything accurate, but we have hit a few rooms where they were "off" on the room description (either showing as H/C and not being accessible or vice-versa) after Resort remodels.

The Resort layout pages they maintain are an amazing resource - just be sure to remember to always double-check your room description in your Reservation to make sure it matches what you need.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Touringplans said that Florida assistance was a distinction for a few at Contemporary but that you could check your room number on their report to find exactly what accommodations they have in each room.

we have found Touring Plans is often wrong when it comes to rooms and categories. We have seen many mistakes on TP when it comes to HCA rooms. We also see errors regarding room locations saying a room is a preferred location when it is actually a standard location and vice versa. I don't ever trust TP when it comes to anything that can create a problem with my trip.

 

[Alabamamouse]

We have stayed in a Florida accessible room, in the contemporary tower, facing the park. I'll preface this by our daughter was 5, so we have a pediatric size wheelchair. The bathroom layout is different from the usual contemporary bathrooms. It is one large room, instead of having a separate toilet area. There is a tub, not a roll in shower. The toilet had grab bars. We have not stayed in a generic accessible room at the contemporary. We had no issues with our wheelchair, but, again, pediatric size.