Contemporary Accessibility

[Glittercat]

Hello! The last time my family and I stayed in POFQ in a non accessible room with my manual chair, and it was rough as far as getting about on wheels went. This time we're planning far ahead, will get an accessible room hopefully with tub as it need it for pain relief and we're hoping to stay at the Contemporary! Have you stayed there with a wheelchair? Would you recommend it to others? How was the monorail with a chair? Thank you so much for any advice!

 

[mamabunny]

Hey Glittercat!

Was just at POFQ in Feb, but used a room with a roll-in shower. I took my personal ECV, and we used the monorail quite a bit on this trip, just due to how our planning worked out.

There will be an HA line to board the monorail; be sure to use that and a CM will have a ramp to cover the gap between the car and the load platform. Remember to set your brakes regardless of if you decide to "back in" or ride "sideways", as it will help when the monorail takes a curve! CM's will set the ramp again when you are exiting. (It looks just like the portable ramps they use for ECVs on the boats, if you have ever seen those.)

Have not stayed at Contemporary - I have to confess to being a wee bit jealous! It's one of my (very few) "bucket list" items at WDW now!

 

[mamabunny]

OH and I forgot to add - Some of the ramps up to the monorail stations themselves can be SUPER crazy! Easy to walk, but tough to roll up! I think most of the stations but one or two have elevator access now - someone correct me if I'm wrong? Sue?

 

[SueM in MN]

The monorail at AK and Ticket and Transportstion Center do not have elevators.

 

[Glittercat]

@mamabunny cute name by the way! How was your stay at POFQ?! I found the people there really nice, we just had some issues with transportation, and vowed next time to stay closer to the magic. Do you prefer rooms with roll in showers? What is your favorite resort so far? If it is on your wish list I very much hope you get a chance to stay at Contemporary! *pixie dust!*

This trip is mixed for me as my mother was going to go with us this time when we originally planned it a few years ago. In the midst of her cancer though she made me promise to take my family back in her memory. She passed and I've been in a mourning period for a long time, and just did not want to go. Some time has passed now we're ready for that trip finally.

We're not 100% set on Contemporary but love the new look of the rooms! Poly is being considered as well as Boardwalk and Beach Club. The truth is we're a silly playful family that is used to me being in a wheelchair so we'll have fun no matter where we stay. Still, the Contemporary has the prettiest rooms (at last from photos online) in my opinion. lol.

 

[Alabamamouse]

We have stayed in a Florida accessible room at the Contemporary, as well as a non accessible room. The accessible room does not have the bathroom division, that is, a separate toilet area from the sink and tub, so there is more room to maneuver. It did not have the roll in shower, just a tub. Our daughter is five, so her chair is small, so either room has worked for us and we didn't need the shower. I like the resort best as far as overall ease with the wheelchair. It's pretty compact and it's easy to ride the monorail, but we have only stayed at one other resort, which limits our experience.

 

[Glittercat]

@Alabamamouse thank you so much for sharing your experience! My wheelchair is fairly small, though much much larger than your daughters, and I need to have a bathtub to reduce swelling and for pain relief. Did you find the monorail worked well for you and your family? Again thank you very much!

 

[Alabamamouse]

I find the monorail easier than the buses. The attendants will pull out a ramp for you to get on and off. They have some system to signal your stop and will ask your destination when your board. Unlike the buses, you don't have to wait to be tied down, making loading faster.

 

[Glittercat]

@Alabamamouse oh neat! That is great news that they don't have to do the whole lock down your wheels with straps thing, that is always a stressful part of dealing with the busses there. Though most CM's are pretty terrific souls, I just felt bad every time I needed help.

 

[mamabunny]

@Glittercat Thanks for the compliment, and the pixie dust!

@Alabamamouse is right - and one further tip - just remember to set your brakes firmly, especially if you don't ride perpendicular (90 degrees, or facing the doors) to the direction that the monorail is traveling. LOL, you'll be rolling all over the place!

We love POFQ for lots of reasons - and overall, it really is my favorite (so far) of all the resorts, simply because of it's smaller size, and more intimate feel. We have so many great memories associated with POFQ; every time our family plans a trip to WDW we *swear* we will stay at a different resort... and then we still somehow wind up at POFQ because... We love the trip to DTD/Disney Springs on the river, and... we love the pool... and we love the walk over to POR... and the memories of this and that, and when we were there and it rained for the whole trip, but we still had fun, and... you get the idea. LOL

I have to say, the roll in showers make a huge difference for me, but I'm absolutely a spoiled rotten egg; when we remodeled our home several years ago, we put in two zero-entry (roll in) showers and one walk in with a huge built in bench, and then we also have a lovely, extra deep soaking tub. We were caring for my Mom at the time, and since we were doing a full-on remodel, we made the entire house ADA compliant.

My Mom passed in 2011; we were fortunate to be able to have her with us for her last four years, and we literally loved her away. Our family has a long tradition of "sending kisses to heaven" by hugging and kissing (and whispering "I Love You!") to a balloon in the favorite color of the person we are sending it to. Then, we snip off the "tail" as close to the balloon as possible, and set it free. We watch it float up in to the sky, waving goodbye, and shouting "We love you!" until we can't see it anymore. The first time we went back to WDW (truly my Mom's favorite place to vacation with us) after she passed, we bought a balloon, and just at dusk, as all the lights on Main Street started to really glow and twinkle, we sent it to Mom from her favorite spot.

I was glad I brought tissues; we were all kind of weepy for a bit... but then, as we were sitting there, in that special spot, with all of our memories, we started to tell stories about her. Stories about how funny she was, about how much fun she had bringing our daughter to WDW for her first time, about how she loved MK so much, she never cared to go to any other park. And as we told those stories, and laughed, and cried a bit more, it was like we had a special little memorial "moment" just for her, in this place that is so important to our entire family.

Now, whenever we pass that spot, we all stop, and smile, and look up.

There are as many ways to remember our loved ones as there are snowflakes. I know that your next trip will be extra special, because you will be carrying your Mom's memories and wishes with you. Bring tissues, and remember her with love, and smiles - and make those new memories!

(((hugs)))

 

[Glittercat]

@mamabunny the reply I posted never showed up! I'm so sorry! *blush* I'll try again...
Your tradition for honoring loved ones is absolutely beautiful, and that you did that for your mom is extra special.

For our 1st family trip it WDW my mom didn't want to go, but after hearing about EPCOT and AK she kind of thought she would go with us. Then well, T-cell lymphoma happened, I cancelled the trip back, and just did not think about Disney anymore. In her last months she made me promise that I would use some of the money she was leaving me and take my husband and kids back to Disney World. It hurt and was beautiful at the same time.

I'm taking her ashes in the memorial pendant with us to EPCOT but not MK, as she did not think she would like that park. She'll be with me in spirit though, as she is every day.

Big hugs to you @mambunny