Best Resort to minimize walking distance to enter Parks

[kb mkcp]

I have reservations for the Poly 2/26 - 3/2. I specifically picked that hotel because it is on the monorail line and I thought that would help decrease some walking getting to and from the parks. My Uncle, who is 75, will be with us and I don't want him to get worn out before we get in the parks. (He said he Will NOT use a wheelchair). When I booked I was unaware of the Monorail changes that are currently in effect, and that, with the construction no longer makes it as appealing. Any recommendations for an alternative resort that is not on the monorail line and may require less walking?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

As far as monorail--I thought the schedule was (somewhat) back to normal with no midday shutdown any longer. So monorail resort may still work for you.

Keep in mind that GF and Poly also have boat to MK (which allows skipping of that big ramps for the monorail).

I cannot think of any other resort scenario that would mitigate walking distance to a transportation point. Bus resorts don't necessarily have a convenient spot at all the parks. Driving to any park would at least allow proximity to a tram which will take guests as close as possible to park entrance (or TTC access for MK).

I would hope he would reconsider a mobility aid. The walking due to transportation will be nothing compared to the walking required in a park. Any mitigation on the transportation end will not have much impact on his stamina for the day in comparison. I speak from experience with a parent who had issues at for several trips in her late 30s before we has a family protest when she was 43. She was disabled by this point and her suffering was no longer worth it. Her enjoyment of the parks increased so much when she finally toured per her needs.

I know that it is unlikely your family member will change his mind, so I do wish you the best and hopefully something on the monorail line will work.

 

[emldrl]

I would think the Contemporary would be a good option. It is very compact, so not as much walking around the resort (if you stay in the tower), the monorail runs through it (so cool), there is the boat dock, so you would only need the buses for two parks. I don't know how far the bus stop is yet, but I wouldn't think it would be a super long walk.

Another option would be a preferred room at a value or moderate. They are closest to the main building and bus stop, so that could be an option. POR and CBR have five person rooms, and CSR has suites. ASMu and AoA have family suites. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Hisgirl]

I took my parents last fall when they were 83. They are very active and walk a mile at the gym three times a week. They both used electric scooters and both said there was NO WAY they could have toured without them. Epcot alone is typically a 7 mile+ day and magic kingdom about 4. Most older folks do not walk this kind of distance and need a little help that an electric scooter can give.

Try to run this idea by the gentleman. We stayed at GF and the monorail worked out great.

 

[Kimberle]

I find the CR (tower) is the best resort. Since it is up and down, you can visit the shops, restaurants, etc. with little walking. You can hop the monorail to both the MK and Epcot.

 

[arcticdisneylovers]

Another vote for CR MK view - one of the main reasons we stay there is how little walking to room and around resort. Also love how convenient the monorail is and the short walk to MK. Checking in again Jan 23rd and can't wait

 

[RustManFan]

When the time comes that I can't walk I ain't going! Plenty of other places I wish to visit "some day" besides DL or WDW anyway!

 

[Grumpy92]

My 80 year old father would not let us get a wheelchair for him at the park and he had hip issues. So I understand your concern. We tried to minimize the walking as much as possible.

If you want to be close to MK then definitely the MK resorts (WL, CR, Poly)
If you can stay in the tower at CR or main bldg of WL it is much easier. The Poly has lots of out bldgs where the rooms are and then you go to the Ceromonial House for the monorail. All three resorts have boats that go to MK. Buses to the other parks are available at the resorts.

Now if you want to be close to EC and HS then I would suggest BW or BC/YC. There is a Boat to the two parks and buses to MK or AK.

Make sure you note on your hotel reservation that you have a family member who has trouble walking distances. This was very helpful for room location.

 

[emldrl]

When the time comes that I can't walk I ain't going! Plenty of other places I wish to visit "some day" besides DL or WDW anyway!

I'm genuinely happy for you that you are healthy and able to walk at Disney. Some of us, however, are not so lucky. While doing extensive research for our trip, mobility concerns are a big part of the equation. Finding a compact resort without a lot of walking involved can be tricky, which is one of the many reasons I am excited about CR. OP, if your uncle won't relent on an ECV, maybe just have the info for rental companies handy, just in case. ECV or not, there are several resort options with less walking than others, but my first recommendation is CR. Good luck!

 

[KonaKaiTom]

I would highly recommend the WL. Although not on monorail, it does have its own launch that goes back and forth to the MK as well as another that loops between the CR, FW and WL.

I suggest this hotel as everything is in one building so the resort is fairly compact. It is priced at the lower end of a deluxe but offers all the same amenities, and frankly, the boat ride back and forth is one of our favorite parts of the trip. We are split staying GF/FW in 2 months and we look forward to the boat ride back from MK as part of unwinding from the day. We only chose FW because my youngest niece is finally old enough to drive a golf cart and she begged for that option.

Tom

 

[Marthasor]

I have reservations for the Poly 2/26 - 3/2. I specifically picked that hotel because it is on the monorail line and I thought that would help decrease some walking getting to and from the parks. My Uncle, who is 75, will be with us and I don't want him to get worn out before we get in the parks. (He said he Will NOT use a wheelchair). When I booked I was unaware of the Monorail changes that are currently in effect, and that, with the construction no longer makes it as appealing. Any recommendations for an alternative resort that is not on the monorail line and may require less walking?

The monorail is running normally now. From the WDW website, "The Walt Disney World Monorail System operates from one hour prior to earliest park opening until one hour after latest park closing." We were there two weeks ago and no maintenance was being done. That being said, I was also at the Poly two weeks ago to eat at Kona and there is absolutely no way I would spend money to stay there right now. It is a mess!

I agree with the CR Tower suggestions. As others have mentioned, it's very compact and you could even request a room close to the elevator to make it even more convenient for your uncle. No other resort on WDW property would cut down on walking as much as a CR Tower room would. You can take the elevator right to the 4th floor and be next to the escalator to the monorail to access MK and EP or take it to the first floor for a fairly short walk to the buses to DHS and AK. CR gets my vote on this one!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's a tough one. There is no resort out there that won't involve some walking regarding some park. As noted if you take the monorail, at least at Epcot there are all these ramps you have to traverse, unless you can get them to allow your uncle to use the elevator. the MK ramp isn't so bad. If you are going to AK or DHS it's going to all depend on what bus stop they go to and let you out. The bus might be dispatched to a different resort after dropping you off, so you can't count on them always pulling up to the stop that corresponds to your resort upon arrival at the park.

If it needs to be a monorail resort then I agree with Contemporary Tower as a good compromise. Choosing that resort will definitely cut the need to do a lot of walking at the hotel to a minimum.

 

[thisismyusername]

How much of a distance do you think your uncle can handle? Further, do you plan to visit all of the parks?

I think there are a couple of different considerations to take into account: Boat transportation to the MK is really the best option to drop him off closest to the entrance. But if you visit Epcot, you'd be using the monorail, which means making a switch at the TTC, and then being dropped off at the monorail station, which is about as long of a walk from the platform down to the entrance as it is from the bus drop off zone (maybe even longer when you consider switching monorails).

For Hollywood Studios, the closest drop off point is by boat.

For Epcot, the closest drop off point would be by boat in World Showcase.

For Animal Kingdom, it's by bus (for all resorts).

Therefore, I think if you're looking for the best way to get him to the majority of the parks (HS/Epcot), I'd look at an Epcot resort and use boats to get to both HS and Epcot, and use the bus for the remaining two parks. Both Boardwalk and Yacht Club are pick-up/drop off points for the boat, and both have launches a short distance from the lobby. YC might have a slight edge for me over BW only because the boat ramp AND the bus depot are the closest to the lobby. BW would also require going down steps or an elevator from the lobby to get outside to the boat ramp (which is also downhill and not nearly as wide or sturdy as the YC boat launch); also the distance from the BW lobby to their bus depot is further than YC.

If you're looking for the best way to get him to the MK, then I think I'd look at resorts that offer boat service to the MK, which would be WL, FW, Poly, GF and CR. The monorail pick up/drop off point is just about as far as the bus depot for the MK. And being on the monorail line doesn't offer a distinct less-walking advantage to get to Epcot over resorts that use bus service to the front entrance to the park.

 

[kb mkcp]

Thank you for all the ideas. I changed our reservations to Wilderness Lodge. I have not stayed at this resort so I am looking forward to it.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Thank you for all the ideas. I changed our reservations to Wilderness Lodge. I have not stayed at this resort so I am looking forward to it.

I was one of the original proponents of Wilderness Lodge. You will love it there. Everything is in one building. The grounds are beautiful. One of my favorite restaurants -- Artist Point -- is there (it is pricey, but it is one of our "splurge" parts of the trip. With Ferry service to the MK you won't have too far to walk (the ferry landings are slightly closer than the bus stops.

Enjoy the trip.

Tom

 

[ncdj2013]

Aside from the resort there is no way to avoid a huge amount of walking. Last year at WDW I had achilles tendonitis and had to be very efficient with my touring plan to keep the walking as low as possible. Despite that we went at least 4-5 miles a day.