Best location for a short January visit with 83 YO mother?

[CrabbyPatty]

I'm pondering taking my 83-yr-old mother on a short trip to WDW and am researching some options. An earlier thread I did on the DIS Resort board had some good suggestions about trying to get a hotel in the Boardwalk area.

We're interested in doing MK, Epcot and DHS only and being in the Boardwalk area would allow easy access to Epcot and DHS, and MK via the monorail.

I'm thinking mid-January for a brief trip - probably arriving Wednesday afternoon, doing parks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, departing Sunday. It looks like renting DVC points might be a good option for us. Are the Boardwalk Villas hard to get? How far in advance should I be looking to book? Thank you so much for your help.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

Bump - anyone?

 

[disneynutz]

BWV is a good choice, we had our 90 year old with us and she loved it. Don't over do it and think about getting a ECV.

Bill

 

[es45]

I agree that BWV would be great.

This past January, we stayed at WLV with our mothers (ages 77 and 68) for a short trip and they loved it. Not sure how active your 83-year-old mom is, but ours needed a resort day between parks.

Have a great trip!

 

[spiceycat]

okay the monrail is not close to the Epcot resorts.

it is close to front of Epcot which can be 20 minute walk or longer depending upon the other guests. also since you are in EPcot -then you definitely need a park hopper.

Mother did not like BWV. Which surprised me - she loves CR - and to me BWV has a lot in common with CR. they are both high activity places.
It has no restuarants inside it. all the restuarant are along the BW. So you have to go outside the resort to eat. Unless you order room service.

BCV does not have any restuarants inside it but does have walkways (with roofs) so you don't get wet in the rain. So does VWL.

BLT has the skywalk to CR - now you can get wet with it - because it only has a few windows - so we can appreciate the views.

now if you are only eating in your villa/studio - then this is not a big deal.

 

[CarolMN]

Be sure to ask for a room near the elevators. There can be a LOT of walking at the BWV just to get to and from your room.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

Thanks for the info - I appreciate it! Yup, close to elevators was on my list, and we'll probably try to eat quite a bit in the studio - bagels, toast, snacks - and maybe a breakfast at Cape May or dinner at Akershus. DD and I will have APs, but I think we'll try to get park hoppers for my mother, so we can go through Epcot on our way to the monorail to MK, and I think we'll try to visit the parks in segments - i.e. morning at DHS, rest at BWV, Epcot in the afternoon, etc.

My mother doesn't feel confident with operating a ECV so we may just try to rent a wheelchair for our stay. She can walk short distances and get in and out of the car, but can't walk any amount of time on her own.

I've been trying to read up on BWV and DVC in general. Are BWV studios difficult to get? We are thinking January but aren't at the point where we can definitely make some plans and nail it down.

I really appreciate the information!

 

[disneynutz]

My mother doesn't feel confident with operating a ECV so we may just try to rent a wheelchair for our stay. She can walk short distances and get in and out of the car, but can't walk any amount of time on her own.

Take her to Walmart and let her practice on their ECV. Keep the speed on slow and walk with her next to the controls. Using a ECV is much easier than pushing a wheelchair.

Bill

 

[DisDaydreamer]

BWV is a good choice, we had our 90 year old with us and she loved it. Don't over do it and think about getting a ECV.

Bill

We took my MIL last year to VWL and got an ECV. She had never used one and it was a disaster. Even when she got comfortable driving she still had to focus on where she was driving rather than taking in the views. We switched to a wheel chair and pushed her around. It was MUCH better.

 

[Pig Pen]

Generally January is a slow time. You can go to the DVC reservation availability thread. We have had limited luck getting BWV at 7 months. Standard and boardwalk views are the most popular. If you don't mind the pool/garden view, you may have a better chance.

Personally, I would investigate VWL. The DVC building is smaller and is close to the bus stop.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

We took my MIL last year to VWL and got an ECV. She had never used one and it was a disaster. Even when she got comfortable driving she still had to focus on where she was driving rather than taking in the views.

That pretty much describes my mother as well. She's not what I call an "adapter" and that's why a wheelchair might be easier - for me - in the long run!

The view at BWV is no problem - whatever is easier to get. I'll check out the pictures for the Villas at Wilderness Lodge as well - thanks!

 

[DisDaydreamer]

That pretty much describes my mother as well. She's not what I call an "adapter" and that's why a wheelchair might be easier - for me - in the long run!

The view at BWV is no problem - whatever is easier to get. I'll check out the pictures for the Villas at Wilderness Lodge as well - thanks!

We really thought we were doing the right thing. MIL, before the trip, kept saying "I'll be fine walking".... we knew that wasn't going to work. In the beginning there was a lot of close calls around the resort. When we got to WDW it was almost paralyzing for her. So as not to make her feel bad I suggested that I noticed that she couldn't enjoy the views with that situation and recommended the wheel chair. She agreed. I was the main pusher and as it turned out rider and driver kind of create a special connection if you are positive and are listening. It worked out very well.

Good Luck to you all.

 

[Muhlenberg]

BLT works well with elderly parents. We haven't done an ECV...but a consideration is how crowded the parks are, and the fact that there could be "people dodging" involved. A wheelchair would be better with that.

It's best to go at your mother's pace, and know ahead of time that you may not do much at all, and that's ok. It's all about watching THEM enjoy themselves. Character meals are great for that, too!

Enjoy!