DVC Medical Necesssity Requests

[Nanajo1]

I know there have been postings reguarding requests I wanted to share this experience. I also posted on the disABILITY board.
I learned a lesson this past trip. If you book through Member Services and request a first floor room for medical necessity you can be bumped by a request made through special services. OKW did not have my first floor/elevator GV available for me. I booked my room eleven months ahead stating I used an ECV and needed first floor access. I have done this for 6 years and never had a problem before.Apparently special services got a request for a accessible GV and they trump MS. I will address my situation with MS but wanted to let folks know. The remedy is a long story I'll post later.
BTW my confirmation stated "First Floor/Elevator Building for Medical Necessity."

 

[Dean]

Book a HC room and you will be set. Otherwise it's a request.

 

[Cruelladeville]

One difficulty with booking a handicapped GV is that OKW has no handicapped assessible GV's other than the one's in the buildings with elevators. As far as I know, they aren't called "handicapped", are they?

 

[SueM in MN]

One difficulty with booking a handicapped GV is that OKW has no handicapped assessible GV's other than the one's in the buildings with elevators. As far as I know, they aren't called "handicapped", are they?

From what I know, there are 2 wheelchair accessible/handicapped GVs.
We booked one for March 2006 and at first were just listed as a "medical Request".
My DH called and said we needed to have one that was on the first floor or in an elevator building because DD can't get out of her wheelchair and we will also have someone using an ECV. She asked if we needed a fully wheelchair accessible GV (NOTE: Just the first floor is accessible). DH said we did not need the full wheelchair accessibility, but would not be able to get up any stairs. He asked if there was any way to guarantee it and was told there was not, but that "Medical Requests" are filled before other requests.

I knew that wheelchair accessible GVs are a rare commodity, so I called back a few days later and re-booked it as a Handicapped accessible (guaranteed) GV, because if we don't get one of thosee, we won't be able to stay there. The CM I got said that the other CM should have realized that with a wheelchair, an ECV and one of the people not able to walk, they should have TOLD us to book the handicapped room in the first place.

It probably doesn't make much difference for a studio, 1 or 2 bedroom because there are many of those on the first floor. But for GV, you really need to book a handicapped room if you can't get up stairs.

 

[Merilyn]

I know there are at least three villas that are handicapped because we have stayed in three. One is toward the back of OKW on the ground floor and there are 2 in the elevator building. We always have them guarantee it when we make our reservations. We have never had any trouble at any of the DVC locations. Just make sure they call and get a guarantee. Only the first floor is handicapped but that has always been find for us. At BWV, the whole GV was on one floor in the handicappedone but they all may be for all I know. Sorry about the trouble. Did you get it taken care of for your trip?

 

[SueM in MN]

I know there are at least three villas that are handicapped because we have stayed in three. One is toward the back of OKW on the ground floor and there are 2 in the elevator building. We always have them guarantee it when we make our reservations. We have never had any trouble at any of the DVC locations. Just make sure they call and get a guarantee. Only the first floor is handicapped but that has always been find for us. At BWV, the whole GV was on one floor in the handicappedone but they all may be for all I know. Sorry about the trouble. Did you get it taken care of for your trip?

Thanks for the information about 3.
From what I have heard from people who stayed at BWV in a wheelchair accessible GV, not all are on one floor. I don't know how many are.

 

[dianeschlicht]

How can anything trump owners? I don't get it. If you are unable to use stairs, what did you do? We will have an ECV this trip for our son's fiance' who broke her back a couple of years ago, but she is able to use stairs, so we will leave the ECV at HH if we don't get a first floor unit. Please let us know how this all got resolved.

 

[Nanajo1]

After much key punching by the front desk staff I finally asked if there were any first floor/elevator 2BR available. So we used 2 2 BR for three nights until 4815 a first floor HA GV was open. Tatiana the manager said they would comp us one GV night. I will call MS today to try and sort this all out. I'm not looking forward to it.
BTW I have composed a letter to send to the DVC rep but of course I cannot find the contact name and address, snail mail and e-mail. I would appreciate someone giving it to me.
Thanks

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's the address in the DVC mailing for Member Services:
Disney Vacation Club
Att: Member Services
200 Celebration Place
Celebration, FL 34747

The email address listed is:
members@disneyvacationclub.com

The only phone numbers listed are the regular numbers.
There is also a fax:
(407)938-4151

They give the same address for Member Administration

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm glad you got some compensation, but what a disappointment when you planned this trip 11 months out.

 

[AMcaptured]

Send your letter to Jim Lewis and not the director of member satisfaction.

I have found the most success having problems resolved by going straight to the top and not dealing with just another middle manager.

I think this is DVC's biggest downfalls, its inability to guarantee specific requests like no smoking and handicapped accessible rooms, esp when they are reserved 11 months in advance.

 

[Nanajo1]

Thanks Sue. I thought there was a name. I think it used to be Jackie Ledere.
I wanted to direct my concerns to an individual not the generic DVC e-mail.

 

[lisareniff]

If you book through Member Services and request a first floor room for medical necessity you can be bumped by a request made through special services. "

Excuse my ingorance ... what is special services?

 

[SueM in MN]

Excuse my ingorance ... what is special services?

They are the people who make special arrangements for handicapped accessible rooms.
My understanding from talking to MS is that MS takes care of the "For Medical Reasons" requests for people staying on points; which are basically still requests, and not guaranteed, but are filled before other requests.

You still have to deal with MS if you are asking for a guaranteed Handicaped room (because MS has the inventory), but apparently Special Services is the the place that actually blocks that room for the member.
Special Services deals with special needs at the other resorts (CRO)

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks Sue. I thought there was a name. I think it used to be Jackie Ledere.
I wanted to direct my concerns to an individual not the generic DVC e-mail.

I think it's Jackie , but some other last name that started with an L. The snail mail address is the same (it just said to put the person as your "Attention to").
If you don't get an answer, you can probably find it by searching posts in this forum for Jackie.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks Sue. I thought there was a name. I think it used to be Jackie Ledere.
I wanted to direct my concerns to an individual not the generic DVC e-mail.

I found the name you were looking for, although I don't know if she is still in the position:
Jackie Leuders

 

[chris1gill]

You know, this is the one reason I do not book at OKW, I am so afraid we won't get something on the first floor & then we'd be out of luck

But, having said that, I am CERTAIN that I once made a reservation for OKW & they put me on hold while they called Special Services to block my wheelchair accessible room... I am absolutely certain of it... maybe my CM just knew that's what had to happen to guarantee the wheelchair room, I don't know, but from now on, keep that in mind when booking at OKW....

 

[SueM in MN]

They will guarantee a wheelchair room. We have a reservation for a wheelchair accessible GV for March 2006, guaranteed.

They won't guarantee first floor (non-handicapped room) for medical reasons. For a studio, one or two bedroom, the not having a guarantee doesn't really matter that much because there are lots of rooms on the first floor. There are few GVs that are accessible without using stairs, though, so that's where the problem comes.

 

[Ali and boyz]

Our SSR Booking states ACCESSIBLE VACATION HOME CONFIRMED . Does that mean we will be okay. our son is totally wheelchair bound so we wouldn't be able to stay if we didn't get a roll-in shower etc.

I get confused between handicapped room and accessible room

 

[SueM in MN]

Our SSR Booking states ACCESSIBLE VACATION HOME CONFIRMED . Does that mean we will be okay. our son is totally wheelchair bound so we wouldn't be able to stay if we didn't get a roll-in shower etc.

I get confused between handicapped room and accessible room

Usually when they say "Accessible" they mean totally accessible. You could call to verify, but I'm pretty sure you will get the roll in shower room if it says accessible.