I have a few things to share from our recent trip but decided to put them in different threads since the topics aren't related. I thought I'd share about our room since the villas at AKLodge are fairly new. I do have photos but have no idea how to post them...sorry!
Room- AKLodge DVC one bedroom villa-fully accessible/roll in shower: There were some issues with the layout and I was fortunate enough to have a CM who was interested in input. I got to meet with the interior designer who was quite helpful in assuring me that my comments were useful and would be used for Kidani Village ( the new part of AKL/DVC). Nothing spoiled our stay but there were safety issues and comfort issues that really needed attention.
In the fully accessible villa the kitchen counter and stools have been removed and the placement of appliances changed giving a w/c user much more access. Unfortunately the cabinets holding dishes, etc. were still at a height that could only be used by someone standing. The sliding patio door in the living room area leading out onto the porch for viewing the savannah had a huge lip, so I couldn't bring my chair outside. In the bedroom area there was a swinging door to the balcony however due to furniture placement I couldn't get through the room to get to the balcony. The width of the porch wasn't wide enough either so I had to sit in the "doorway" and keep the sliding door open.
The attached bedroom with king bed was quite small with large furniture and it was nearly impossible to get a w/c between the bed and the armoire. Once inside the room the door wouldn't shut ( it caught on the nightstand) and they were already aware of this problem. The bathroom was separated into two distinct areas and had two sliding pocket doors, one leading into the vanity area and another beyond that into the room with toilet/roll-in shower. There was no whirlpool tub in this villa as there would be in a non-accessible one bedroom villa so everyone in my family had to use the roll in shower. We ended up using the kitchen sink for my 10 month old grandson. It was VERY dark in the toilet/shower area with the only light source being IN the shower. If someone has low vision this is a safety issue- exacerbated by the use of very dark paint and nothing on the walls to reflect light. There were also NO towel racks in either area. There were grab bars around the toilet that houskeeping had used to hang the towels since there wasn't anything else. The towels covered the TP holder and if you were trying to use the grab bars with towels on them your only recourse would be to put towels on the floor ( where you might not be able to get them from later) or to be unsafe in holding the grab bars with towels on top of them. The mirror in the vanity area is placed for someone standing so I could only see the top of my head and there was no other mirror to use.
My ideas:
1.Remove the heavy posts/footboards in the king bedroom to allow more space and to prevent damage to furniture. Widen the doorway a bit to allow access by a w/c ( mine scraped the doorway since the angle was too hard to maneuver). Install a pocket sliding door vs. the swinging door to allow more space for a w/c. Lower the bed- it was way too high for someone who needs to transfer from a w/c.
3. Place a floor to ceiling mirror in the vanity area or a swing out mirror mounted on the vanity stand so someone can actually see themselves in a mirror.
4. Place some cabinets lower in the kitchen so that it can be requested to have plates/cups moved lower in case someone is travelling solo or doesn't have assistance at the time they're trying to use those items.
5. Add more lighting to the bathroom and something decorative. The room was dark, dark, dark with nothing but maroon paint on the walls.
6. Add towel bars in both the bathroom and vanity area.
All in all, pretty easy fixes and hopefully Kidani, since not yet built, can be done correctly to start with w/o a retrofit. I just wish they'd have consulted with someone who actually uses a w/c before these mistakes were made.
The villa itself was gorgeous! We had a fantastic savannah view and saw plenty of zebras, giraffes, ankole cattle, etc. At night they were so close that you could hear them chewing. There is so much to do at the Lodge that you could easily have a vacation there without ever going to the theme parks. I went back to rest every afternoon and had something to look forward to at the resort vs. wishing I had the stamina to stay out and about with my family. The CM's there are wonderful and I esp. enjoyed the CM's from Africa who really made me feel immersed in an experience and who shared stories of their culture and country. Hands down this is my favorite resort and I'm thrilled that DVC is part of it so I can use my points to visit more often.
Kathy
Room- AKLodge DVC one bedroom villa-fully accessible/roll in shower: There were some issues with the layout and I was fortunate enough to have a CM who was interested in input. I got to meet with the interior designer who was quite helpful in assuring me that my comments were useful and would be used for Kidani Village ( the new part of AKL/DVC). Nothing spoiled our stay but there were safety issues and comfort issues that really needed attention.
In the fully accessible villa the kitchen counter and stools have been removed and the placement of appliances changed giving a w/c user much more access. Unfortunately the cabinets holding dishes, etc. were still at a height that could only be used by someone standing. The sliding patio door in the living room area leading out onto the porch for viewing the savannah had a huge lip, so I couldn't bring my chair outside. In the bedroom area there was a swinging door to the balcony however due to furniture placement I couldn't get through the room to get to the balcony. The width of the porch wasn't wide enough either so I had to sit in the "doorway" and keep the sliding door open.
The attached bedroom with king bed was quite small with large furniture and it was nearly impossible to get a w/c between the bed and the armoire. Once inside the room the door wouldn't shut ( it caught on the nightstand) and they were already aware of this problem. The bathroom was separated into two distinct areas and had two sliding pocket doors, one leading into the vanity area and another beyond that into the room with toilet/roll-in shower. There was no whirlpool tub in this villa as there would be in a non-accessible one bedroom villa so everyone in my family had to use the roll in shower. We ended up using the kitchen sink for my 10 month old grandson. It was VERY dark in the toilet/shower area with the only light source being IN the shower. If someone has low vision this is a safety issue- exacerbated by the use of very dark paint and nothing on the walls to reflect light. There were also NO towel racks in either area. There were grab bars around the toilet that houskeeping had used to hang the towels since there wasn't anything else. The towels covered the TP holder and if you were trying to use the grab bars with towels on them your only recourse would be to put towels on the floor ( where you might not be able to get them from later) or to be unsafe in holding the grab bars with towels on top of them. The mirror in the vanity area is placed for someone standing so I could only see the top of my head and there was no other mirror to use.
My ideas:
1.Remove the heavy posts/footboards in the king bedroom to allow more space and to prevent damage to furniture. Widen the doorway a bit to allow access by a w/c ( mine scraped the doorway since the angle was too hard to maneuver). Install a pocket sliding door vs. the swinging door to allow more space for a w/c. Lower the bed- it was way too high for someone who needs to transfer from a w/c.
3. Place a floor to ceiling mirror in the vanity area or a swing out mirror mounted on the vanity stand so someone can actually see themselves in a mirror.
4. Place some cabinets lower in the kitchen so that it can be requested to have plates/cups moved lower in case someone is travelling solo or doesn't have assistance at the time they're trying to use those items.
5. Add more lighting to the bathroom and something decorative. The room was dark, dark, dark with nothing but maroon paint on the walls.
6. Add towel bars in both the bathroom and vanity area.
All in all, pretty easy fixes and hopefully Kidani, since not yet built, can be done correctly to start with w/o a retrofit. I just wish they'd have consulted with someone who actually uses a w/c before these mistakes were made.
The villa itself was gorgeous! We had a fantastic savannah view and saw plenty of zebras, giraffes, ankole cattle, etc. At night they were so close that you could hear them chewing. There is so much to do at the Lodge that you could easily have a vacation there without ever going to the theme parks. I went back to rest every afternoon and had something to look forward to at the resort vs. wishing I had the stamina to stay out and about with my family. The CM's there are wonderful and I esp. enjoyed the CM's from Africa who really made me feel immersed in an experience and who shared stories of their culture and country. Hands down this is my favorite resort and I'm thrilled that DVC is part of it so I can use my points to visit more often.
Kathy
