Dialysis patient with question about renting points

[DoryDorito]

As I suggested before, stay away from CBR. Even I had I problem with the mold. Just eww. Seriously, look into AoA. It looks amazing and I want to stay there so forgive my push. .

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Start here:

Special Reservations line: (407) 939-7807 Call them, explain your situation, and ask about a VIP cleaning. They can put on brand new bedding, clean the carpets, change the air filter etc.

I suggest calling during regular business hours. Good luck .

However, that does not address... the rooms next door, the halls, the parks etc.

The problem is that hotel rooms don't live in "bubbles" and are effected by the overall hotel environment. So.. your room may not have mold, but it's in the duct work... cleaning the filter is only some improvement.

And ALL of Disney's Moderate and Value resorts ARE a motel environnment. None of them actually are hotels using the old defnintions (A motel is a hotel where you park your car outside the door... AKA as a Disney Moderate or Value LOL!) Of course Saratoga and Old Key West meet that standard also.

You might check a hotel in the Hilton Chain. They have started this "hypo allergic" room thing where they claim to deep clean the rooms and have them set up to keep them "free" of things that create allegies. Might be a good fit.

Now while the OP didn't ask about this.... "the next flight home" needs to be researched before you book too. Here's the deal. It's going to cost (A LOT) whcih in the overall scheme of things is not really material IMHO, but you need to be aware of it. You also need to be aware of the flight schedule and the very REAL possiblity that the "next flight home" could well be sold out. Flights today are PACKED and I often can't even change to a flight I want regardless of the price because "there are no seats"

I knew the OP was going to be upset by my post. I have a friend with OCD and she no longer travels with her family because she was unable to get over the "it's not clean" problem. OP may not be to that extreme, but if she is it is unlikely that ANY hotel will meet the standard. SORRY if that sounds harsh, but it may be a fact that has to be faced.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Honestly? For me personally I couldn't care less if you are OCD or not. However, for you it CAN very well make the difference. If your OCD is driving you too far with the cleaning aspect, that is no picknick but a totally different story than an actual medical need to go to such lengths. In the latter, the parks would not be a viable option, let alone a hotelroom one can control the situation.

I'll just stay factual; there is no guarantee you can avoid mold and alikes in any hotelroom. While at any and all WDW resorts it is higly unlikely, there is no such thing as a sure bet. But again; a room can be easily become a controlled environnement. Public areas; no such thing. You might nog even have considered it, but there are enough places around the parks -and resorts!- that have carpets. Carpets that can get thousands of people over them weekly. Open areas where you can not perfectly control the total surface of the carpets 24/7. Carpet is not the only place mold can be found. Especially with hotelrooms (read; bathrooms) but also basically any wall and ceiling of any and all indoor areas of the park.

As in all in life and health, there always is a balance. The balance that will make or break. Going back to where I started my posting; if it were the case (some) OCD might also be in play here, it can easily negatively impact being able to factually know the proper balance. With this being hardly but an unknown medical subject, I once again am one of those going "go see the doctor". Unless getting their licence for free at a disney ride they are very much aware of the risks of molds, mildews and what not in both own homes, public spaces, hotel rooms and what more. If they give the green light then obviously the medical balance is such that staying at a hotelroom is considered medically safe. If you then go beyond that in the "but what if", that is the OCD talking. Requiring a total different approach and treatment.


For the special cleaning; just requesting "special cleaning" can be pretty mute. One would have to be more specific as to why requesting something so it has the best chance of being properly addressed (for as far as even possible). Remember when going this route that it can impact when you will be able to get your room, it will impact location, results in it being more of a problem to ask for a switch if when checking the room out you don't like location etc because they will have to specifically assign you the room first, then clean etc. When an absolute and big medical need, I have one motto; "never make yourself dependable on others when it comes to your health unless you have no other option whatsoever". Translating it to room control; before crashing down first do your own cleaning routine on the room by someone without the medical need.

 

[tjkraz]

All DVC villas at WDW are at least 3 years old. The last resort to open "new" was Bay Lake Tower in August 2009.

Disney does use a rotating system of room refurbishments at all resorts. Carpets, wall coverings and "soft goods" (bedspreads, drapes, etc.) are replaced periodically. But once a give room is more than a couple months old, there's really no way of guaranteeing whether one is better than another.

Value and Moderate resorts are more motel-like (outside corridors, etc.) than most Deluxe and DVC resorts. But I wouldn't use that to conclude that DVCs are better in your situation. You've got a wide variety of people coming-and-going at every Disney resort. Many are traveling internationally, bringing over possessions, foodstuffs and germs from other countries and cultures.

I won't tell you whether to make the trip or not. Use whatever resources you have available to assist in that determination. But I don't know that I would automatically assume Deluxe / DVC resorts are a better match than lower-priced options. They see the same variety of guests...same wear-and-tear, etc.

I'm not familiar with the VIP cleaning but it's worth investigating. Disney does try to accommodate all guests with specific medical needs. Just make sure you re-confirm everything upon arrival and check-out the room carefully before getting settled in.

But folks make a good point about the theme park impact, too. Bear in mind that the parks will be populated with tens-of-thousands of strangers--again from all corners of the world. You will all be touching the same door handles, guard rails, ride restraints, etc.

Good luck.

 

[sweetb]

I knew the OP was going to be upset by my post. I have a friend with OCD and she no longer travels with her family because she was unable to get over the "it's not clean" problem. OP may not be to that extreme, but if she is it is unlikely that ANY hotel will meet the standard. SORRY if that sounds harsh, but it may be a fact that has to be faced.

You can reply to me directly as I am reading this thread. My issue is that you are condescending and as you put it, I should check in with my doctor instead of checking into Disney. God willing you never get sick, especially at such a young age as I with young children so you never have to think about the things I have to think about when going on a vacation with your family. But I totally believe in Karma so I'll leave it at that.

Oh and I spoke to the person at my dialysis center who coordinates trips and told her of some of the comments I have gotten here. We both had a good laugh. She has been working at the center a long time and has never had an issue with a person being called back from being away and not getting there in time. I'm not going to Hawaii after all. And if I did want to go to Hawaii, I could be placed on the hold list.

I am not asking anyone about park germs, flights, whether or not I'm allowed to travel. As I said, I've been doing this a long time. I think I got it covered. Thanks. No info about one resort being cleaner than others? That's fine, I'll figure it out for myself. When I searched for "cleanest disney resort" on this website I got a LOT of links pop up. So I'm not the first with this question. And again, reading about some resorts being older and not as clean on this website is what prompted me to even ask.

 

[sweetb]

Honestly? For me personally I couldn't care less if you are OCD or not. However, for you it CAN very well make the difference. If your OCD is driving you too far with the cleaning aspect, that is no picknick but a totally different story than an actual medical need to go to such lengths. In the latter, the parks would not be a viable option, let alone a hotelroom one can control the situation.

I'll just stay factual; there is no guarantee you can avoid mold and alikes in any hotelroom. While at any and all WDW resorts it is higly unlikely, there is no such thing as a sure bet. But again; a room can be easily become a controlled environnement. Public areas; no such thing. You might nog even have considered it, but there are enough places around the parks -and resorts!- that have carpets. Carpets that can get thousands of people over them weekly. Open areas where you can not perfectly control the total surface of the carpets 24/7. Carpet is not the only place mold can be found. Especially with hotelrooms (read; bathrooms) but also basically any wall and ceiling of any and all indoor areas of the park.

As in all in life and health, there always is a balance. The balance that will make or break. Going back to where I started my posting; if it were the case (some) OCD might also be in play here, it can easily negatively impact being able to factually know the proper balance. With this being hardly but an unknown medical subject, I once again am one of those going "go see the doctor". Unless getting their licence for free at a disney ride they are very much aware of the risks of molds, mildews and what not in both own homes, public spaces, hotel rooms and what more. If they give the green light then obviously the medical balance is such that staying at a hotelroom is considered medically safe. If you then go beyond that in the "but what if", that is the OCD talking. Requiring a total different approach and treatment.

I don't even have OCD but people jumped on it. I said OCD clean because of my health issues. I have a low immune system. I have read HERE on this very website about some places being older, the carpets having a moldy smell, the room not being cleaned well enough, blood smears, sticky substances on furniture. Yes, any hotel can have such issues on a bad day. However there are SOME resorts that are better than others. Isn't that why they rate hotels on various levels and publish it for folks consideration? For some people, the highest priority is the pool, for others it's the level of cleanliness. I could not find out this information on typical hotels websites which is why I came here. In fact that is not even why I came to this particular section of the Dis website. I came here initially to ask about the AKV's because I found that renting points is cheaper than renting a regular room and because it's a villa, it would have more room for my mother and two kids. I had never heard anything bad about the cleanliness of the rooms there either.

After I was told that renting points for a resort would need to be done well in advance, I then asked about other disney resorts that were super clean. But obviously I need to go somewhere else for that.

You all realize that I do not live in a bubble at home right? I go to the grocery store, I use public bathrooms when I have to while taking precautions, I volunteer in my kids classrooms, I take them to sports and wash their dirty clothes, we go to the zoo and theme parks here. I have to do the very same things all of you do. Going to a park in the open air is much different than sleeping in a room where the blankets and sheets are not mine. Or where I am walking around with bare feet and bathing in a shower that other people have used.

And as I have said, my dialysis nurses are the ones that convinced me to go on this vacation since I was a bit scared of having dialysis far away from home because of it being a new place, and new nurses. So I'm finally excited to go and came to the dis for help and I get people trying to convince me in every way possible to not take my kids to Disney and for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

 

[bumbershoot]

sweetb, I didn't see anyone attacking you. What I did see was people who have had *different experiences* than you, transplant-wise, about being able to travel. And people who were curious.

My friend who was on the liver transplant list could NOT travel. She had to be inside an HOUR from UW Medical Center, in case she was called. She had an experience that was 100% different from the more lax policy your kidney transplant list has. So when I read that you could go that far away, I was pretty shocked. And your link says that you can talk with the nurses about being put on hold on the list (so your perfect kidney could come up and you would miss it, someone else would get it, because of your trip) or talking to them about how far away you are going. Which isn't quite as liberal as the words you described it with were. The weekend my friend got her first (and only!) call, she had to be there asap, in the middle of the night. They had two donors-whose-time-had-come come into the center, and the surgeons were working for about a day and a half with all those surgeries, which had to start the moment the recipients were cleared. If my friend had been in CA (same distance-ish from NJ to FL) she couldn't have gotten back in time for all the tests to be run, and someone else on the list would have been called. (thankfully that first call to her was THE one, she was healthy enough, the liver was perfect, and she's been rockin' that transplant for, wow, 4 years now?)

Others on here have mentioned (not so in depth) that they have experiences very different from yours, and that's not attacking.



The VIP cleaning is being suggested to you, but in case you missed it, someone earlier mentioned that they clean the carpet that same day, so the carpet will be damp when you check in. And that can cause problems.

As for new construction, I once had a very random, very scary, very WEIRD lung thing happen in the middle of the night in a brand new Westin. I think it was the offgassing of the carpet, the furniture, the bed, the everything, because the place reeked of newness upon checkin. I was overwhelmed in the middle of the night, and nearly went to the hospital. So new hotels aren't perfect either, though if you don't have *chemical* sensitivities, that might not be your issue.


I saw an opportunity here to educate people on traveling dialysis, etc. Also on why your transplant center policies are so different from other centers.

 

[sweetb]

Nooooooo, my transplant center is not different than any other center. A plane ride to Disney is about three hours. PLENTY of time to get back for a kidney. I said if I wanted to go to HAWAII that would be different and I could be placed on hold. But that is not where I am going. They encourage you to live your life just like anyone else. Did you read the link I attached that was meant to inform?! A liver transplant is very different than a kidney transplant. People waiting for livers will die without a transplant. Folks waiting for a kidney are kept alive by a machine. Yes, some folks on dialysis die before transplant but that is typically older people. I have lived in two different states while on dialysis and throughout the years I have been to four centers, all of which encourage travel, as I mentioned about the posters all over the center about cruises, beach vacations and the like.

The reason I'm feeling attacked is because people who do NOT have kidney disease are trying to tell me I shouldn't be going on vacation at all. And I never asked for anyone's opinion on that so why does it keep coming up? Go ahead and search for dialysis on this very website and you will see MANY people who have gone to disney while on dialysis. But see that was not my question, so now I will ask...why does it keep coming up? And it's not even coming up in a caring sort of way but in a condescending way. Does anyone think I do not understand the disease I have had for 23 years???

 

[sweetb]

And if we really want to educate which is what this turned into I guess? You can register with hospitals all over the country for a kidney transplant. Yes, that means if I live in New Jersey, I can register for a kidney in any other state and yes that requires a plane ride to get there. Many folks do that to greaten their chances of getting a kidney sooner. I chose not to do that because I am single and need family support and sometimes you need to be in the hospital longer if the kidney doesn't take right away. But yes, my clinic encourages that too.

So can we put an end to the whole traveling thing?

And another tidbit, I got called six times for a kidney and was told to "be ready" and then got the call about two hours later saying sorry, someone else was a better match. When you are on the transplant list, they take bloodwork once a month while you are at dialysis and they send it to the transplant clinic so your updated blood is already in their hands. No testing is needed. When my call finally came, they called me at two in the morning and said to be ready. Then they called me an hour later saying it was mine but to take my time. They told me to take a shower and I had to wait for my parents to drive an hour and a half to my college to pick me up and then about an hour and a half drive to the transplant hospital. THEN after I got there I waited hours, upon hours before they even started the surgery. It truly is not what people think. A person has to be brain dead in order to donate their organs and they are being kept alive on a machine. They test that person and they do not open them up and take out the organs until they are ready. Sometimes that means waiting for a person to make it to the hospital. The organ is kept on ice and can survive outside the body for a period of time.

 

[tjkraz]

No info about one resort being cleaner than others? That's fine, I'll figure it out for myself. When I searched for "cleanest disney resort" on this website I got a LOT of links pop up. So I'm not the first with this question. And again, reading about some resorts being older and not as clean on this website is what prompted me to even ask.

I hope you will take everything you read with a grain of salt. Age is only one very small part of the equation. The Contemporary Tower is 40 years old and I assure you some rooms there will look better than 4-year old Bay Lake Tower.

Every room will age differently. Rehab schedules vary from one room to the next--you can't even generalize about individual resorts. And housekeepers are only human, meaning that things can easily be missed if short staffed, falling behind, guest departed late, etc.

There are people posting in this forum who have taken multiple trips per year for the last 20 years and they will be the first ones to tell you that you cannot make any generalizations regarding the quality of a single resort. With Disney it always comes down to "hope for the best, and deal with problems when/if they occur."

Good luck.

 

[csharpwv]

Sorry you have experienced so much ignorance in response from a community that associates to inform, gossip, and chit chat.

At the end of the line, here are a few things to consider:

You want to go in October, that is a great time of year to go because to lower prices, smaller crowds, and better weather. It can still be pricey, crowded, and hot.... but October is a great month! If you are planning to go THIS October, you need to book ASAP! HAHAHA

Next.... It is Florida...
Florida is hot, humid, and very.... very moldy. So it really doesn't matter what resort, on or off property - it is not only likely that the will be mold present in any room... it is practically a guarantee. People often times think that you can see all mold, well - it's not true. There can be hold inside the shower head that you can't see. It can be in the carpets, inside the phone, and in mattresses. So, what DOES matter is that you take all reasonable precautions due to your health... and having done this once already in your short life... you know what your risk factors are - so don't listen to anyone but your care team!

Next, I would start with your home dialysis center and let them first find the Orlando area center with the best hours that fit your needs, and plan your stay around that location. The WDW resort is huge, and you could easily find your hotel based on the location of the dialysis center so your trip 'home' each night will be fast and without much traffic.

Next, I would highly encourage you to use a travel agent who will be your advocate in rescheduling should the need arise - that way you can take care of what YOU need to take care of, and that is YOU - not spending an hour on the phone with Disney to manage an last minute travel plan change. They will also help you find the best resort that fits your needs, not only in terms of your vacation needs, but also in finding the resort that fits your need to relax and not stress out.

There are 22,000 hotel rooms on Disney property - there are tons of options!

Next would be an option - you can still rent points for last minute reservations. There are DVC owners that have points about to expire all the time, you just have to find a service that will connect you with last minute points. However, know that your resort choice will be extremely limited - likely either Saratoga Spring or Old Key West - with Saratoga being the most likely. Knowing through the entire process that you may have to scramble at the last minute could save you a lot of money, BUT is last minute stress worth the savings.

Biggest advice I have for you is to take every possible step to not over exert yourself. It's Disney - people go in to the vacation promising to pace themselves, but when their party goes crazy and starts running through the parks like mad... the urge to keep up is very strong, but you can't afford to be exhausted.

Finally - plan, plan, plan, plan, and.... plan. Proper planning prevents poor park touring! HAHAHA Know the attractions that you 'must' experience, and do those first.

Now on to what resort to choose....
ALL of the Value Resorts are exterior entry/exterior corridor - with the exception of the Art of Animation which actually is a Value Plus resort, not a 'Value' resort.

ALL of the Moderate Resorts have exterior entry - BUT many of the Moderate rooms have been completely renovated in recent years... and months. The Royal Rooms at Port Orleans are the newest rooms on property that have been renovated from stem to stern, and some of those are still under construction I think.

If you want an interior entry/corridor hotel it is going to be either Art of Animation or a Deluxe Resort.

Something to remember about Animal Kingdom Lodge in particular is that the halls are very very very long - we were in one of the last buildings it the walk from the front door was well over 600 steps. So if you go for Animal Kingdom Lodge, request a room close to the lobby.

Wilderness Lodge is great because it is close to the MK - just a boat ride away!

The Contemporary, Poly, and the Grand are all great because they are on the monorail line with easy access to MK and Epcot.

The Epcot resort area is a great because you are a boat or walk away from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

The Swan and Dolphin are kind of a pain due to parking and resort fees. If you book them, keep an eye on their prices they change a lot!

There are so many resort options, there has to be one to fit your needs!

Finally, don't worry about the mean spirited comments you received!

 

[Chuck S]

There are people posting in this forum who have taken multiple trips per year for the last 20 years and they will be the first ones to tell you that you cannot make any generalizations regarding the quality of a single resort. With Disney it always comes down to "hope for the best, and deal with problems when/if they occur."

Good luck.

Exactly, and truthfully, it is rare for any Orlando area resort that I have stayed in, onsite or offsite, to be as clean as those in a lower traffic area. All of the Orlando/Kissimee hotels and motels, onsite and offsite, have lots of guests and their cleanliness level reflects that.

And you also can't generalize about specific Disney resorts. I've been to Disney about 40 times in the last 20 years, and have had clean, and not so clean, rooms at all the resorts I've stayed in, regardless of how "new" a resort it is, or whether it is a Value, Deluxe or DVC Villa.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

You can reply to me directly as I am reading this thread. My issue is that you are condescending and as you put it, I should check in with my doctor instead of checking into Disney. God willing you never get sick, especially at such a young age as I with young children so you never have to think about the things I have to think about when going on a vacation with your family. But I totally believe in Karma so I'll leave it at that.

*shakes head*. Come on, you should know better than to intentionally go down this road.


You keep repeating things, but I really think you are having a bit too much focus on the negative and with that lost sight of all those trying to help, willing to understand or already knowing the ins and outs. Can be a choice, but hardly the reason I -and I suspect knowing this part of the board many- post on here. Unlike you, me and many others, a lot more folks luckily have NO clue what for instance kidney failure, transplantation and the likes can be like. Which results in 2 options; reacting negatively or not reacting negatively. You could've ignored it, you could've had many other options not in the least education. A much better option with a group that most of which are open and willing to help. It might be me, but I can't remember even just one poster saying you should not go. All I can remember are some posters that state "talk to your doctor" and some asking questions. Not that nutty, IMHO.

I'll repeat it again as allready stated many times before; WDW resorts all have a same level of housekeeping. There are differences during your stay when staying through points or cash, but the turn overs before you check in? Pretty much all the same, whether we're talking about a value, moderate, deluxe or DVC.

Somehow I can see where some folks might get a bit lost when not perfectly into the subject. In no time we've gone from insurance, possible, must be great for kids to OCD to no OCD but others faults because they do not understand but never used the term to a general question about cleanliness to now............ worries about reading some things online.

Internet is great but it does come with having these stories about each and all resort, hotel etc. There being these stories about WDW owned and operated ones isn't that weird when you look at the high numbers of guests. People who are unhappy will be a lot more active on internet than those happy. Combine the 2 and it can soon paint a totally different picture. Yet, these stories are still the exception. If it were not be and the norm would be mold or worse, the boards would've bursting by the seems. Even more so the DVC-boards where people do buy into decades of commitment and rightfully so would not take such a situation without speaking up big time.

It is a shame (and much more) things sometimes are not up to par and any incidence is one to many. But it is more alike the "my grandma lived to be 101 and smoked a package of sigaretes a day since she was 11th, drunk 20 oz of whiskey a day since she was 16" and concluding from that grandma was thus portraying healthy behaviour and shows the recepy for a long life. It's the big exception you can't judge the situation on.

Also been posted multiple times before but when for whatever reason feeling others do not understand a need, you can very simply move to the disABILITIES part of the DIS. It deals with all disney"products" and needs/medical questions and even has a subforum for all non disney questions regarding needs and/or health. Much more productive move then keep going in circles (by whomever created). Very knowledgable folks on there, empathy is a common thing and some almost literally don't do anything else than helping others. They are also realistic though and do also ask questions when thinking they (might be) are needed to provide the right directions.

Having said that; I am done in this thread. I understand the medical situation and emotions that can sometimes come along but I have crossed the point of where I still find it worthwhile to invest time and energy when apparently it is not possible to see the true intentions posting with.

Have a great trip.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Nooooooo, my transplant center is not different than any other center. A plane ride to Disney is about three hours. PLENTY of time to get back for a kidney. I said if I wanted to go to HAWAII that would be different and I could be placed on hold. But that is not where I am going. They encourage you to live your life just like anyone else. Did you read the link I attached that was meant to inform?! A liver transplant is very different than a kidney transplant. People waiting for livers will die without a transplant. Folks waiting for a kidney are kept alive by a machine. Yes, some folks on dialysis die before transplant but that is typically older people. I have lived in two different states while on dialysis and throughout the years I have been to four centers, all of which encourage travel, as I mentioned about the posters all over the center about cruises, beach vacations and the like.

The reason I'm feeling attacked is because people who do NOT have kidney disease are trying to tell me I shouldn't be going on vacation at all. And I never asked for anyone's opinion on that so why does it keep coming up? Go ahead and search for dialysis on this very website and you will see MANY people who have gone to disney while on dialysis. But see that was not my question, so now I will ask...why does it keep coming up? And it's not even coming up in a caring sort of way but in a condescending way. Does anyone think I do not understand the disease I have had for 23 years???

No one is attacking you except yourself. Seriously no one has said "your are wrong" we have pointed out things to think about.

But I think what we were all suppose to do was go "OH HOW GREAT and you can get a cheap hotel at Disney that's immaculent and you will be able to get on a flight IMMEDIATELY after the transplant center calls" So when they call and you can't get on a plane then what will you do? That's not an attack it's something you need to think about and plan for.

It's not an attack to point out things to consider. I think that perhaps message boards might not be a good place for you. You can't take every post as a personal attack, it's way to much work


OP doesn't really want advice she seems to want something else, but I can't figure out what it is. Responses to the question of "what is clean" have been ignored while she whines about attacks. She says she's OCD and then claims that's not an issue......
Moving on.

 

[sweetb]

Wow, I am done too. This is the most insane thing I have heard in my life. The fact that I should and I quote "check in with my doctor instead of check in to Disney" was said once, and then several times after that in other ways. Go back and look folks! I explained nicely once and then again that I CAN travel and be on the list and then I got pretty mad when that topic came again and I was told that MY transplant clinic is different than the rest of the country. People were telling me things they thought were true about transplantation when they didn't even know anything about it - after I explained. I don't expect folks to know anything about transplants that is why I didn't ASK about that but I got incorrect information given to me again and again! I mean yikes!

I came here to ask about points and then I got my answer and simply asked about a cleaner Disney resort. That's it. I used the term OCD clean to explain that I want a cleaner/possibly newer hotel because of my health issues. I didn't say I HAVE OCD.

I guess you have very strict rules here on what you can and can not ask about. So I'm done.

 

[sweetb]

Exactly, and truthfully, it is rare for any Orlando area resort that I have stayed in, onsite or offsite, to be as clean as those in a lower traffic area. All of the Orlando/Kissimee hotels and motels, onsite and offsite, have lots of guests and their cleanliness level reflects that.

And you also can't generalize about specific Disney resorts. I've been to Disney about 40 times in the last 20 years, and have had clean, and not so clean, rooms at all the resorts I've stayed in, regardless of how "new" a resort it is, or whether it is a Value, Deluxe or DVC Villa.

__________________

Ok, that is all I wanted to know.

 

[sweetb]

Sorry you have experienced so much ignorance in response from a community that associates to inform, gossip, and chit chat.

At the end of the line, here are a few things to consider:

You want to go in October, that is a great time of year to go because to lower prices, smaller crowds, and better weather. It can still be pricey, crowded, and hot.... but October is a great month! If you are planning to go THIS October, you need to book ASAP! HAHAHA

Next.... It is Florida...
Florida is hot, humid, and very.... very moldy. So it really doesn't matter what resort, on or off property - it is not only likely that the will be mold present in any room... it is practically a guarantee. People often times think that you can see all mold, well - it's not true. There can be hold inside the shower head that you can't see. It can be in the carpets, inside the phone, and in mattresses. So, what DOES matter is that you take all reasonable precautions due to your health... and having done this once already in your short life... you know what your risk factors are - so don't listen to anyone but your care team!

Next, I would start with your home dialysis center and let them first find the Orlando area center with the best hours that fit your needs, and plan your stay around that location. The WDW resort is huge, and you could easily find your hotel based on the location of the dialysis center so your trip 'home' each night will be fast and without much traffic.

Next, I would highly encourage you to use a travel agent who will be your advocate in rescheduling should the need arise - that way you can take care of what YOU need to take care of, and that is YOU - not spending an hour on the phone with Disney to manage an last minute travel plan change. They will also help you find the best resort that fits your needs, not only in terms of your vacation needs, but also in finding the resort that fits your need to relax and not stress out.

There are 22,000 hotel rooms on Disney property - there are tons of options!

Next would be an option - you can still rent points for last minute reservations. There are DVC owners that have points about to expire all the time, you just have to find a service that will connect you with last minute points. However, know that your resort choice will be extremely limited - likely either Saratoga Spring or Old Key West - with Saratoga being the most likely. Knowing through the entire process that you may have to scramble at the last minute could save you a lot of money, BUT is last minute stress worth the savings.

Biggest advice I have for you is to take every possible step to not over exert yourself. It's Disney - people go in to the vacation promising to pace themselves, but when their party goes crazy and starts running through the parks like mad... the urge to keep up is very strong, but you can't afford to be exhausted.

Finally - plan, plan, plan, plan, and.... plan. Proper planning prevents poor park touring! HAHAHA Know the attractions that you 'must' experience, and do those first.

Now on to what resort to choose....
ALL of the Value Resorts are exterior entry/exterior corridor - with the exception of the Art of Animation which actually is a Value Plus resort, not a 'Value' resort.

ALL of the Moderate Resorts have exterior entry - BUT many of the Moderate rooms have been completely renovated in recent years... and months. The Royal Rooms at Port Orleans are the newest rooms on property that have been renovated from stem to stern, and some of those are still under construction I think.

If you want an interior entry/corridor hotel it is going to be either Art of Animation or a Deluxe Resort.

Something to remember about Animal Kingdom Lodge in particular is that the halls are very very very long - we were in one of the last buildings it the walk from the front door was well over 600 steps. So if you go for Animal Kingdom Lodge, request a room close to the lobby.

Wilderness Lodge is great because it is close to the MK - just a boat ride away!

The Contemporary, Poly, and the Grand are all great because they are on the monorail line with easy access to MK and Epcot.

The Epcot resort area is a great because you are a boat or walk away from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

The Swan and Dolphin are kind of a pain due to parking and resort fees. If you book them, keep an eye on their prices they change a lot!

There are so many resort options, there has to be one to fit your needs!

Finally, don't worry about the mean spirited comments you received!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is all great information and I appreciate the time you took to write all of that! THAT is the information I was looking for. Thanks to all of the others who also took the time to help me without the digs. I did take notes on all of the good tips like asking a hotel to do a deep clean before we arrive. Again, thanks to all who listened to what I was trying to say! Appreciate it. As for the negative stuff, I have a lot more to worry about in my life than someone going off on me behind a keyboard. Oh and I have gone to the disabilities forum for other questions but again, I came here for the question about the points and then it did go off topic a bit. I will have to go back to disabilities!

 

[DoryDorito]

sweetb, I didn't see anyone attacking you. What I did see was people who have had *different experiences* than you, transplant-wise, about being able to travel. And people who were curious.

My friend who was on the liver transplant list could NOT travel. She had to be inside an HOUR from UW Medical Center, in case she was called. She had an experience that was 100% different from the more lax policy your kidney transplant list has. So when I read that you could go that far away, I was pretty shocked. And your link says that you can talk with the nurses about being put on hold on the list (so your perfect kidney could come up and you would miss it, someone else would get it, because of your trip) or talking to them about how far away you are going. Which isn't quite as liberal as the words you described it with were. The weekend my friend got her first (and only!) call, she had to be there asap, in the middle of the night. They had two donors-whose-time-had-come come into the center, and the surgeons were working for about a day and a half with all those surgeries, which had to start the moment the recipients were cleared. If my friend had been in CA (same distance-ish from NJ to FL) she couldn't have gotten back in time for all the tests to be run, and someone else on the list would have been called. (thankfully that first call to her was THE one, she was healthy enough, the liver was perfect, and she's been rockin' that transplant for, wow, 4 years now?)

Others on here have mentioned (not so in depth) that they have experiences very different from yours, and that's not attacking.

The VIP cleaning is being suggested to you, but in case you missed it, someone earlier mentioned that they clean the carpet that same day, so the carpet will be damp when you check in. And that can cause problems.

As for new construction, I once had a very random, very scary, very WEIRD lung thing happen in the middle of the night in a brand new Westin. I think it was the offgassing of the carpet, the furniture, the bed, the everything, because the place reeked of newness upon checkin. I was overwhelmed in the middle of the night, and nearly went to the hospital. So new hotels aren't perfect either, though if you don't have *chemical* sensitivities, that might not be your issue.

I saw an opportunity here to educate people on traveling dialysis, etc. Also on why your transplant center policies are so different from other centers.

I'll second this. Maybe things are different in Seattle? Swedish recommends staying close to home for a potential kidney. I'm wondering if policies vary by region?

Great point about the newness of a resort. It's actually something I think about when traveling with my kids. All of those chemicals. Ick.

 

[DoryDorito]

Did you like the looks of art of animation?

 

[sweetb]

Art of Animation looks super cute and I did price that out online but it was pretty expensive and I was surprised. It wasn't as much as say AKL but a lot more than the other values. But I guess since they are suites, they will be more money.