DVC for handicap access

[shovan]

We are serouisly thinking of buying a DVC timeshare, probably at the Beach Club Villas. Has anyone out there had any problems with availability with respect to rooms with roll in showers? Any other thoughts, pro or con are welcomed.

 

[JimC]

Welcome to the DIS

You should have no troubles unless you book late in high season. When you make your reservation request a H/C accessible for medical reasons. Explain what your ADA needs are. There are diffierent types of H/C accessible rooms available so it is helpful for them to understand what you need to enjoy your stay.

 

[SueM in MN]

when you get your resservation confirmation sheet, make sure it says something similar to "Accessible room guaranteed".

 

[BCV23]

As to availability, you will need to book as early as possible just as you would for any BCV reservation. If I understand correctly, the accessible rooms are in the same pool as all other rooms. First, there has to be a room available....any room. Then Memeber Services will contact Special Requests to try for your specific needs.

 

[BroganMc]

Hmm, I just booked for an accessible roll-in shower room for Dec 7-11. No studios available anywhere (Saratoga Springs only has 3 accessible studios?!). There was a one bedroom accessible for BCV but only for 3 of the 4 nights. I opted for Saratoga and the wait list just so we wouldn't have to move.

I am a tad disappointed there isn't more studio accessibility. To get what we need we have to double the point cost we would have ordinarily used. It's only two of us traveling.

 

[dianeschlicht]

There would probably be more accessibility of these rooms if they didn't keep giving them away to people who don't need and don't want them.

 

[JimMIA]

We took Grandma to WDW last December (VERY busy season for DVC). She has mobility difficulties, but doesn't really need accessible showers, so we requested ground floor, non-smoking, both medical necessity.

Nothing was guaranteed, but we got both.

 

[BroganMc]

There would probably be more accessibility of these rooms if they didn't keep giving them away to people who don't need and don't want them.

Don't they hold back these rooms for the special needs requests then open the availability to the general population if not claimed by a certain (late) date? That is the sensible practice.

I've had rheumatoid arthritis all my life, and while I've managed in a non-accessible room before I really need that roll-in shower now. There's just no way I can get into a bathtub anymore these days. And a couple days without a shower is my limit before I want to crawl out of my skin. I could manage a step-entry shower (with assistance) but bathtubs are wastes of space for me. And the studios all just come with tubs.

Supposedly Saratoga only has 3 studio units with roll-ins. That seems awfully low to me for such a big resort. I'm so spoiled at Marriott. I've yet to have a problem getting an accesible studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom or even 3-bedroom even just within a couple weeks of travel. If only Marriott had the free shuttle service to Disney, it would be absolutely perfect.

 

[crisi]

They do their best to match handicapped rooms with people who need them. But I'd guess its really rare when they have the exact match of people who need them with rooms. More often than not, there are more rooms than people, and because DVC operates at such a high capacity, abled bodied people get the roll in shower. A lot of people really don't like being in a HC - particularly a studio when you have small kids (they need baths - showing doesn't tend to appeal to a two year old).

I'm sure there are cases where due to availablity and capacity, an abled bodied person gets put in the last HCA room on Saturday afternoon - planning to stay a week - and the person wanting that room checks in Sunday morning - with no HCA room available and no one vacating a HCA room for two or three days.

If DVC ran at a lower capacity, they could do more juggling with this, but the system was designed to run nearly full all the time.

 

[BroganMc]

If DVC ran at a lower capacity, they could do more juggling with this, but the system was designed to run nearly full all the time.

I could understand putting a nondisabled guest in an accessible room if I was looking for availability at less than 90 days out, but 7 months?!

My luck I think it is just a matter of everyone with a disability is planning to go when I am (Dec 7 - 11). Saratoga had plenty of regular studios available for that time, but all the handicap ones were claimed.

It happens sometimes. Just look at the rolling queue for Small World sometime.

Everything has a compromise. The price of not wearing out my legs, always having a seat, and being able to cruise through the parks on my own personal ride, is that I'll have to wait in line extra for a bathroom or ride. Only thing I hate is when my disability prevents me from adapting to some things. I'd love to ride Snow White or Peter Pan like I do Pooh, but the ride vehicle either has a step up I can't manage or no stopping for loading.

As for accomodations, I'd love to just use a minimal amount of points for a studio, but the bathtub means I can't bathe. I could manage with the one bedroom shower unit (with help) but I'll have to pay twice the points.

 

[TCPluto]

There would probably be more accessibility of these rooms if they didn't keep giving them away to people who don't need and don't want them.

Was this type of comment really necessary?

 

[crisi]

I could understand putting a nondisabled guest in an accessible room if I was looking for availability at less than 90 days out, but 7 months?!

It isn't availability when you book, its availability when you show up. If the resort is 100% booked for studios - all studios - during your stay (which isn't uncommon) and on Saturday night the studio left open in a HCA, that is where the last person checking in will get put - whether they need it or not. There simply isn't another room to stick them in. If the next day, no one moves out of the HCA rooms, but people move out of the NHCA rooms, there is no where to put someone who needs one except a NHCA room. Disney room assigners work to try and make sure this doesn't happen, but when the resort is running at 100% capacity (or nearly), and people check in and out every day - the only way to make sure it doesn't happen is to guarentee the category. Which Disney has not done.

I believe that if you post over to the DISabilities board, they may have more advice to making sure (or at least more sure) you get the HCA room you request.

 

[BCV23]

Crisi, it really doesn't work that way form our experience and from what we've been told.

We need a rollin shower when our DD with cerebral palsy travels with us. When I call, the Member Service CM checks on availability for the room size we have requested. If there is a room (any room), she/he then calls Special Requests to block an accessible room. This is done rather seamlessly but it has always happened that way for us. The actual room is blocked at that point and you will get it. No surprises at checkin. They don't tell you the room number though. So it IS harder for those who have special needs to get what they need. You are essentially dealing with two inventories.

If you just deal with Member Services and make a request as I think JimMIA did, then I don't think the room is blocked but the resort will do its best for you.

Good luck, BroganMC. Are you on the waitlist? BTW, we couldn't get one night for the next trip with our daughter at about 9 months out. But as I recall, that was general resort availability. I'm hoping our waitlist comes through.

 

[BroganMc]

When I call, the Member Service CM checks on availability for the room size we have requested. If there is a room (any room), she/he then calls Special Requests to block an accessible room. This is done rather seamlessly but it has always happened that way for us.

Good luck, BroganMC. Are you on the waitlist? BTW, we couldn't get one night for the next trip with our daughter at about 9 months out. But as I recall, that was general resort availability. I'm hoping our waitlist comes through.

That is precisely what happened for us. I just bought DVC last week, as a matter of fact, so I was eager and anxious to discover for myself how it would work.

I have arthritis and several joint contractures so my mobility is severely limited but my creativity greatly enhanced, if you get my meaning. A roll-in shower is a must if I have any desire of bathing independently and/or staying for more than 2 nights. (You can only do so much with a sink and wash cloth.) If I had it my way all ADA rooms would have showers instead of tubs, but I understand there are those who need tubs for their kids. (It's just when those kids get too big to lift I wonder about.)

Anyhoo, I figured I'd have a harder time since I was dealing with a fraction of available inventory and inventory was already taxed according to these boards. My DVC Guide didn't have a clue about it. (Isn't that the way it is with all ABs? ) On the grand tour he proudly showed off the walk-in shower units of the one bedroom and said it was handicap accessible. Yeah, with a 4 inch step and very narrow door. But I'm used to this from other timeshare tours at Marriott. (Marriott, btw, has absolutely excellent accessibility in their Orlando resorts, despite the tour. Notify them one month prior to check in and they have exactly what you need, no problem. Plus free wireless internet - love that perk.)

After exploring my options with MS and sending my rep on a 45 min quest for availability of various resorts for my time, I ended up with a confirmed reservation for my travel. I'm not staying at my first choice resort (VWL) or even in the room config I wanted (studio vs. pricier 1 bedroom), but I'm warming to my choice... 1 bedroom at Saratoga Springs. I'm traveling with 2 other adults and proximity to DTD would be a plus for us. We wanted to enjoy the Christmas decorations and closeness to the parks too, so I put us on waitlist for the Saratoga studio (save points), BCV (close to EPCOT and monorail), and VWL (beautiful decorations) but with an all or nothing stipulation (all 4 days or none) with confirmed accessibility to limit hopping and disappointment.

MS has been great at noting all my requests and keeping up with them. When we've been disconnected, they've even called me back to update me. And they've made numerous calls to Special Needs as well as the hotels themselves to check on the exact accessibility of certain units.

I just hope this is a freak time (Dec 7 - 11) as far as availability is concerned and not the norm. I'd hate to work this hard every time I make a DVC ressie. It makes getting CRT ressies easy.

(Seriously. CRT requires setting an alarm, speed dialing and 5 minutes worth of making and confirming a request. Accessible accomodations with DVC requires setting a calendar alarm, calling, launching into a 5 minute or longer schpeil about your exact needs, educating a MS rep, then waiting on hold while they talk to special needs. I spent 2 hours the first day on hold, clarifying requests and ensuring I got what we needed and wanted.)

And in the meantime, my creativity is in overdrive trying to figure out how I could use the studio bathtub with a rented transfer bench or a regular one bedroom with help climbing that 4 inch step. It's just I've been traveling with Marriott the last 5 years so I've really gotten used to their easy accessibility requests. Disney could learn a thing or two from them.

 

[castleri]

BroganMc: You might want to check with MS or the hotel directly about shower chairs. A friend reserved a GV at OKW for April this year and although they could not get him one with WC accessability they offered to provide a chair for the shower. If you had the shower chair in the tub you might be able to use it to transfer also- especially in a studio at OKW as the bathrooms there are much bigger than at other DVC resort studios. As you said creativity can do wonders. Good luck with you planning and Welcome to DVC. May you enjoy many happy years of fantastic trips.

 

[BCV23]

castleri is right. They will provide a transfer bench...is that the same as a shower chair? We tried one for our daughter at the Polynesian some years back.

Brogan, I hope you have better luck in the future. We've had great luck most of the time. According to these boards, early Dec is a popular time for DVCers.

I hear you about creativity.

I hope you enjoy your SSR home.

 

[crisi]

Crisi, it really doesn't work that way form our experience and from what we've been told.

We need a rollin shower when our DD with cerebral palsy travels with us. When I call, the Member Service CM checks on availability for the room size we have requested. If there is a room (any room), she/he then calls Special Requests to block an accessible room. This is done rather seamlessly but it has always happened that way for us. The actual room is blocked at that point and you will get it. No surprises at checkin. They don't tell you the room number though. So it IS harder for those who have special needs to get what they need. You are essentially dealing with two inventories.

If you just deal with Member Services and make a request as I think JimMIA did, then I don't think the room is blocked but the resort will do its best for you.

Good luck, BroganMC. Are you on the waitlist? BTW, we couldn't get one night for the next trip with our daughter at about 9 months out. But as I recall, that was general resort availability. I'm hoping our waitlist comes through.

Thank you - its the Special Requests information I didn't have - hence my suggestion to go over to DISablities. Yes, if you work with Special Requests - or make sure MS does, the room will be blocked if possible. If they need to leave it empty the night before, that will happen. However, even working with Special Requests, Disney can not make more HCA rooms appear any more than they can make more non-smoking rooms appear.

BroganMC, early December is a REALLY popular time for DVCers - perhaps the most popular time overall, and at VWL in particular. Many people book that time right at the eleven month window at their home resort - particularly if they have a real need for something - a Grand Villa, a Standard View room at BWV, and now, apparently, HCA rooms.

 

[BCV23]

Except that there are FAR more nonsmoking rooms than accessible rooms, Crisi.

This was the first time we ran out of luck at BCV and really happened because we changed our plans. But we have had trouble getting what we wanted at other WDW resorts. It is just a much smaller inventory.

 

[BroganMc]

BroganMc: You might want to check with MS or the hotel directly about shower chairs. A friend reserved a GV at OKW for April this year and although they could not get him one with WC accessability they offered to provide a chair for the shower. If you had the shower chair in the tub you might be able to use it to transfer also- especially in a studio at OKW as the bathrooms there are much bigger than at other DVC resort studios. As you said creativity can do wonders. Good luck with you planning and Welcome to DVC. May you enjoy many happy years of fantastic trips.

A shower chair and transfer bench are two different things. It all comes down to width. Transfer benchs are as wide as two seats and allow you to place two legs of the bench outside the tub and two inside. If you tried that with a regular shower chair the seat would be over the tub edge. Might as well turn the shower head to spray out into the middle of the bathroom floor.

MS might have a transfer bench on loan. In truth, this is my first trip to DVC since purchasing, well actually ever. I stayed once at All Star Sports about 8 years ago in a regular room (my idiot brother made the ressies and he never knows how to get appropriate accessibility for me or anyone). After putting the money into DVC I want to be impressed with my stay as I was with Marriott (my preview visit 5 years ago sold me before the presentation). Next time I'll consider compromising (on the roll-in shower) to save points or get other resorts.

This was the first time we ran out of luck at BCV and really happened because we changed our plans. But we have had trouble getting what we wanted at other WDW resorts. It is just a much smaller inventory.

I'd like to one day stay at the other DVC resorts in April/May and Sept/Oct, so I'm hoping this hunt for accessibility is not as hard then. I have flexibility in when I travel so I general chose off peak times. I wouldn't even dare try planning an Easter or Christmas vacation in Disney.

 

[crisi]

Except that there are FAR more nonsmoking rooms than accessible rooms, Crisi.

If the non-smokers have their way, there will be far more accessible rooms than amoking rooms.

BroganMc,

October is really busy at the Epcot resorts because of Food and Wine. Your best bet is always to book your home resort (not sure what that is), and switch at seven months. That's good advice for anyone, whatever their needs.