Booked 2 bed villa at OKW for first week in February...

[srr1933]

This is our first time staying at a resort on Disney Property. Any helpful tips on this resort? Should I have requested a certain room or area? I did not make any special requests. I did forget to tell them my mom has trouble walking and doesn't do well with stairs. I should probably call back and ask for ground floor. Or do I wait closer to my stay before I do this? Anything else I need to know?

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[outahere]

This is our first time staying at a resort on Disney Property. Any helpful tips on this resort? Should I have requested a certain room or area? I did not make any special requests. I did forget to tell them my mom has trouble walking and doesn't do well with stairs. I should probably call back and ask for ground floor. Or do I wait closer to my stay before I do this? Anything else I need to know?

Thanks,
Sandy

We've stayed at OKW a couple of times and really enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Most (if not all) of the buildings at OKW are three floors and the steps can be a real killer, especially carrying luggage or after a long, hot day in the parks. I would definitely call and put the first floor request on your reservation.

 

[Pakey]

Is your mom going to have a scooter? Very few buildings at OKW have elevators. Are you going to have a car? This resort is very spread out and there will be quite a bit of walking. The good news is that there aren't long hallways to navigate; if you have a car your walks will be fairly short.

 

[srr1933]

No, she doesn't have s scooter. She can walk short distances but not very far. She has a very hard time with more than a short flight of stairs. We will have a car. We are now wondering if we should change it to 2 rooms at the poly. Any input as to which of these would be better suited? Overall, we'll save money with the 2 bed villa but convenience is definitely a factor here.

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[Deb & Bill]

No, she doesn't have s scooter. She can walk short distances but not very far. She has a very hard time with more than a short flight of stairs. We will have a car. We are now wondering if we should change it to 2 rooms at the poly. Any input as to which of these would be better suited? Overall, we'll save money with the 2 bed villa but convenience is definitely a factor here.

Thanks,
Sandy

OKW has multiple buildings with only stairs, no elevators. And there are five bus stops on the property. You might be right next to the bus stop and you might be quite a few steps away from it. How is she going to get around the parks without a scooter or wheelchair? That will be your bigger problem.

Change your reservation to the Polynesian and rent her a scooter or push her in a wheelchair if she cannot walk any type of distance. Or change your vacation to one with less walking.

 

[Pakey]

No, she doesn't have s scooter. She can walk short distances but not very far. She has a very hard time with more than a short flight of stairs. We will have a car. We are now wondering if we should change it to 2 rooms at the poly. Any input as to which of these would be better suited? Overall, we'll save money with the 2 bed villa but convenience is definitely a factor here.

Thanks,
Sandy

If you are wanting to use the amenities at the resort; pool, restaurants, store, etc. OKW is not going to be a good fit for someone with such serious mobility issues. Everything is going to be a long walk. Also, you do run the risk of not getting a ground floor villa even with a request. That might be a huge risk for you to take. If it were me, I'd probably switch the the Poly.

 

[bumbershoot]

We will have a car. We are now wondering if we should change it to 2 rooms at the poly.

But why?

With the car you can often park right in front of your building. There are HA spaces so if your mom has a placard she could bring that.

Every time we've done online checkin for OKW there has been a spot to request ground floor, and although this might be outdated there's also been a spot to indicate why (difficulty with stairs I believe is what I've listed, when my aunt stays with us). We've gotten exactly what we needed each time.

You can put in the request now, then reiterate it during online checkin.

 

[srr1933]

I'm not sure what we'll do about the parks. We'll probably end up renting a scooter for the park. My aunt (her sister, retired CM) lives nearby so she'll more than likely spend some time with her and not visit the parks daily. If she can't do the parks, she just won't. We'll still take the kids while she hangs out at the resort or with her sister.

I'm looking into the poly now. Can anyone explain just how much more convenient the poly is? The CM I spoke with on the phone said there was no comparison. I just wish I could wrap my head around the differences. Does being on the monorail make that much difference? Our kids are 12,9, and 3.

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm not sure what we'll do about the parks. We'll probably end up renting a scooter for the park. My aunt (her sister, retired CM) lives nearby so she'll more than likely spend some time with her and not visit the parks daily. If she can't do the parks, she just won't. We'll still take the kids while she hangs out at the resort or with her sister.

I'm looking into the poly now. Can anyone explain just how much more convenient the poly is? The CM I spoke with on the phone said there was no comparison. I just wish I could wrap my head around the differences. Does being on the monorail make that much difference? Our kids are 12,9, and 3.

Thanks,
Sandy

The Polynesian longhouses are multiple buildings on the property. So she is stil going to need to walk from the main building to your longhouse. And if walking is a problem, you need to have something to assist her 24/7, not just at the parks. And if she gets to the parks and can't rent a scooter, won't that be a problem? They run out sometimes.

The Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary both are single buildings with corridors from the elevator banks close to the MK. But the standard rooms at WL only sleep four and you have five in your group (your three year old counts towards room occupancy).

Yacht Club and Beach Club (plus BWInn) also have rooms that sleep five and are one main building.

You really can't get around walking at WDW anywhere unless you have a wheelchair or scooter.