best Resort for guest in wheel chair

[GeorgePA]

Can anyone give me any advice on what resort is best for a first ime travler with a mobillity disabillity. We will be traveling at he end of April going into the first week of May? thanks for your help in advance.

 

[pixie08]

I was wondering the same thing as I will be traveling w/ my brother who is in a motorized wheelchair next year! We were thinking something on the monorail CT or POLY? The monorail has always been his favorite transportation around the world..he is weary of the buses but we have never used them before! Any advice would be great!

 

[kandeebunny]

I have quite a bit of experience in this.

I prefer the monorail resorts when using my ECV as boarding and getting off are SO much easier. ECV's + Busses are a bit more difficult to maneuver as theres lots of turns to get in to your "space" plus they have to strap the chair in etc. It takes longer and is just a pain, plus you are last on last off.

With a normal wheelchair I don't mind the busses as much most because I find them easier to maneuver.

Another option is WL with the Boat to the MK again boats are easier to load on and off of then the busses.

I would choose either a monorail resort or a boat resort (WL, BW, BC, YC, Swan or Dolophin) I would avoid the value resorts as if you have to charge an ECV there is very little room left.

 

[spiceycat]

depends upon you - all the resorts have handicapped rooms and the buses all have the elevators that will pick up a wheelchair.

I would go with what park you are planning on staying at - if MK -then the Polyn - it has easy access to both MK and Epcot. (monrail)

if Studios I would go with BW it has easy access to both Epcot and Studios - it has boats - now at times the water level kepts the boats from accepting wheelchairs - so have the rest of your party prepare to walk to Epcot or Studios.

Epcot - either BW or Polyn - I love BC - but it is kinda far to the Studios.

if you main park will be AK - it doesn't matter - stay where you like and can afford to.

there is a disabilties board that should be more help.

 

[ErinASB]

We took my mobility challenged grandfather with us on our last trip and acutally stayed at CBR and did great. We rented an ECV from Walker Mobility and it went everywhere with us. In fact, we couldn't have done without it. At CBR, we had a ground floor room and he could zip in and out. We didn't have a bit of trouble with the buses (didn't rent a car), the boats or the monorail. WDW is very accomodating.
Erin

 

[ducklite]

It all depends on where you'll spend the most time. If it's all adults, my guess is that you're talking Epcot and maybe MGM. In that case the BWI, BC, or YC might be the best choices, as they are "walking" distance to Epcot and MGM.

If you're planning on a lot of MK time, then perhaps the GF in the Main Building would be the best choice if it's in the budget. If not, the GF or POlynesian would both be good choices.

Anne

Anne

 

[cinderella_belle]

I've actually had relatives in wheelchairs my last two trips and stayed at both the Yacht and Beach Club, We had no difficulty. We used the boats and Monorails with ease.

Have a great trip!

 

[suevee]

I know this was not the question, but I think the best park for a wheelchair is Epcot. I know they were wonderful there with my mother who has multiple physical problems. So, any resort with easy access to Epcot would be my choice, either monorail or Boardwalk resorts.

 

[pugdog]

Each resort has it's pluses and minuses. BW and co. are nice because you can either walk or take the boat to MGM and EPCOT. POR is nice because you can take a boat to DTD. And then there is also WL and FW where a boat is also available to MK.
The one thing with the boats is they all have signs telling you that they might not be able to board you depending on the water level. but in the 15 years we have been using them we have never had a problem with this.
Power wc are alot easier to get on the ECV;s are though.
As far as the buses go Kandeebunny is wrong in saying you are last on and off. you are always the first on the bus and depending on the stop you are going to and how many people there are you ussally are last but not always.
Plus all of the new buses coming no longer have lifts in them. All of the new ones are ramped and are easier to get in to the wc spot to be straped down.
Pick the resort that is in your budget and what sounds nice to you. We have stayed in everything form AS to all of the mods and BW. with BW being our fav just because we love EPCOT so much and we can just walk there.

 

[Tinkbell]

I took my grandma to AKL and she used a wheelchair. If you will be using the bus system, I would go with AKL. They do not share the bus with any other resort so the bus was never very crowded. It was easy to get her on the bus. The handicapped room was very nice as well.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

One other thing to consider. ....Swimming Pools

The Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Animal Kingdom Lodge all have zero level entry swimming pools. If you have mobility difficulties, you transfer to the waterproof wheelchairs provided and someone pushes you into the water, just like at the beach, until the water is deep enough to float off.

Most (all?) of the other resorts have at least one pool with what I call 'bump' steps where you bump out of the water on your backside, one step at a time up onto a platform that is the same height as a wheelchair.

Andrew

 

[SueM in MN]

One other thing to consider. ....Swimming Pools

The Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Animal Kingdom Lodge all have zero level entry swimming pools. If you have mobility difficulties, you transfer to the waterproof wheelchairs provided and someone pushes you into the water, just like at the beach, until the water is deep enough to float off.

Andrew, do you know how deep the water is at those pools?
We stayed at SSR in July, which also had a zero entry pool, but the depth is only about 3 feet, which seemed to me to be much too shallow to float off

Most (all?) of the other resorts have at least one pool with what I call 'bump' steps where you bump out of the water on your backside, one step at a time up onto a platform that is the same height as a wheelchair.

I believe all of them do have at least one "bump" step entrance pool. As they renovated or added pools, they added the steps.

Pugdog is right about the bus; ecvs/wheelchairs are loaded first (it's too hard to load them when the bus is full. No room for manouvering).

For the boats, although it's possible for the water level to be too high or low at any of the resorts, the only ones that I know of having problems are the WL boats. We have been there when they were not accessible.

 

[BCV23]

Our favorite resort for accessibility is the Polynesian. Most of the rooms (maybe all now) are in Rapa Nui which has a parking lot directly in front of it. The rooms are very large with 2 queens and a daybed. There is still plenty of room left over for a power chair and our daughter's Quickie or walker.

This longhouse is a very short walk to the TTC where you can catch the ferry to the MK or the monorail to Epcot. It is also very easy to get to the GCH and its restaurants and monorail access to MK. You do need to take a bus or drive to MGM or AK.

We've also had beautiful accessible rooms at the GF. An advantage of these rooms is a touchpad for the door.

Sue, at both the GF and Polynesian I think the water depth is more than 36". I'm guessing more like 45 or 48. I don't usually swim these days so I'll try to remember to ask my DH and DS1.

 

[franw]

I would also vote for the Poly as they were wonderful to my parents when we took my dad there for a special trip. The beds are lower and the bathrooms are handicap equipped. Room service was great.

Look for the elevator to take you to the monorail at Epcot as we didn't know it was there and almost killed ourselves pushing the wheelchair up the ramp.

The staff at the Poly was so kind to them. My mom was going to go get a cup of coffee and a CM insisted on going to get it for her. She got rides on carts wherever she went.

The parking lot right outside the front door was great as was access to both the TTC to get to Epcot and the monorail to MK and to the CR and the GF.

There is a special forum for handicap guests you will find very helpful.

WDW is the best tourist spot in the world for people with special needs. The CMs will do anything in their power to make your stay as easy as possible.

 

[pugdog]

something else that you should do when you are waiting for the bus is to wait next to the curb where the bAck door will be. That way the driver will see you first and make sure that you are loaded first. if you wait in the regular line and they don't see you you might not get loaded depending on how many people are on and the driver. and if your at the resort waiting for a specific bus to whereever just shake your head yes or no or point at the bus you need so the driver knows.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sue, at both the GF and Polynesian I think the water depth is more than 36". I'm guessing more like 45 or 48. I don't usually swim these days so I'll try to remember to ask my DH and DS1.

Thanks. That would work much better.

 

[BCV23]

Sue, my husband, oldest son and his fiancee all think that the volcano pool at the Polynesian has a depth of around 4.5 feet at its deepest. In talking further with my DH, he says that it is graduated so some parts are probably only around 3 feet (besides the obvious slope of zero entry). The deepest areas are near the waterfall. The "quiet" pool at the Polynesian is still perhaps six feet deep at the South end with a graduated depth. That pool is not zero entry though.

The quiet pool at the GF he remembers as rather shallow throughout. The zero entry pool he thinks is pretty much like the Polynesian although when I first asked him his overall impression was around 3 feet. We've only had three stays at the GF though and two of them were in very cold weather.

Although I don't swim so much these days, I spend a fair amount of time watching DS2 in the Polynesian volcano pool. He is 5 feet tall and in the center area of the pool that he seems to prefer, the water is about up to his chest.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I have quite a bit of experience in this.

I prefer the monorail resorts when using my ECV as boarding and getting off are SO much easier. ECV's + Busses are a bit more difficult to maneuver as theres lots of turns to get in to your "space" plus they have to strap the chair in etc. It takes longer and is just a pain, plus you are last on last off.

With a normal wheelchair I don't mind the busses as much most because I find them easier to maneuver.

Another option is WL with the Boat to the MK again boats are easier to load on and off of then the busses.

I would choose either a monorail resort or a boat resort (WL, BW, BC, YC, Swan or Dolophin) I would avoid the value resorts as if you have to charge an ECV there is very little room left.

I don't know which busses you were on but I've always been first on first off.

 

[BCV23]

We haven't taken the buses often but I thought we were always first on, last off?

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Andrew, do you know how deep the water is at those (Animal Kingdon, Polynesian, Grand Floridian Zero entry) pools?

Sorry, I haven't actually been into any of them yet. From my photos, Polynesian looks shallow.

I must admit that 'float off' is just my assumption.

I will check this out next visit.

Andrew