Which Resort/building/room is closest to Transport?

[HermanTriplets+1]

Will be travelling with a friend who has lung problems and can't walk fast/can't do any hills. We will be 3 adults, and are considering: Coronado Springs Junior Suite; Grand Floridian Outer Building; Poly; or Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View/Bunk Bed room.
Can anyone help me with where these rooms might be located with regards to monorail or bus transportation? We won't have a car.
Thank You!

 

[minnie mum]

I think that if you have a group member with severe endurance restrictions such as you have described, that you have to be concerned with a lot more than just the distance to the nearest bus/monorail stop. You have to also look at how they are going to manage the rest of their day as well- like walking to and from different areas of the resort (restaurants/pools), from the monorails/bus stop to the parks, inside the parks etc.

I would recommend that this guest seriously consider renting an ECV from an outside agency (they deliver to the resorts and are waiting for your arrival) so that walking distances will be completely irrelevant for them. Then you just have to select the resort that appeals the most to you, and transportation doesn't have to be a main consideration.

 

[Missytara]

Ditto; Great answer!

The resorts will be the least of your worries; it is the parks that you need to be concerned about.

All of those rooms you mentioned could potentially be as close or as far from transportation. They are scattered throughout one or more sections of the resort.

Once you look at the need for an ECV for the parks, then the resort becomes a moot point.

 

[Lynne M]

Agreed. The distance from your room to the bus stop at any of the resorts you mention may well be less than the distance from the bus or monorail station at a theme park to the park entrance. I don't know if you've been to WDW before, but the parks are vast in size. The average WDW theme park visitor walks something like 6 miles a day.

If walking from the outer building of GF to the main building (where the monorail station is located) is likely to be a problem, I would strongly recommend renting an ECV or wheelchair from an outside company. I've heard good things about Walker Mobility, and they'll bring the ECV right to your resort, and pick it up at the end of your stay.

But do check out our disABILITIES board for recommendations on ECV rental companies, and lots of other help in traveling with someone who has difficulty walking long distances.

 

[pamkat1820]

We did not have a good experience with putting in a request to be closer because of mobility issues. We even called and spoke with the appropriate department. My grandmother is handicap can not walk long distance she is 82. We requested a close location at POR RR they placed us in Furthest building. We went back to the desk and said we will wait for a closer room they placed us even further in PP in the back right corner. We even asked if we should get a note from a dr so she could be closer when we made the request. They said over the phone oh don't worry we will totally do our best to place u as close as possible. We even asked if we could pay for a better view to be closer because RR don't have a preferred category they told us not to worry. Did not happen in our case.

I hope u have better luck

 

[Robbi]

I wouldn't choose GF for a couple of reasons. It will be a trek to the buses and there is construction on the new GF DVC. The construction takes away from the GF experience, IMO.
Renting an ECV as others have suggested would be money well spent.

 

[HermanTriplets+1]

Thanks all - you're right - ECV is sounding like the way to go... we'll see how her endurance is closer to when we go.