Handicapped Accessible 1BR and Jacuzzi Tubs?

[robinb]

In a recent review of AKV's Concierge the OP said that she was assigned a HA 1BR and that it did not have a jacuzzi tub. She didn't request the HA unit, but was assigned it by luck. As there are only 5 2BR units on the 6th floor, you have a 1-in-5 chance of getting this room if you book a 1BR or 2BR. I know that the tub is one of my favorite things about the 1 and 2 BR units and I would be sorely disappointed myself if it was not there.

My question is ... do all DVC Handicapped Accessible 1-3BRs lack the jacuzzi tub? Or did they remove it from the AKV 1-2BRs because the smaller unit size?

FWIW, we were assigned a HA studio at BWV last week and it was fine. We "paid" for a standard view and was assigned a unit that looked over the Leaping Libations two doors off the lobby. I was happy with the upgrade even though I lost some storage space.

 

[blizzard]

At OKW the HA units certainly DO have the jacuzzi tub (and the big one, not those little units they put in all the other DVC's!)

 

[Chuck S]

As far as I know, all other DVCs have a jacuzzi in the HA units, 1 bedroom and larger. The Jambo HouseAKVs were retrofitted, and apparently didn't have room. It will be interesting to see if this "design flaw" carries through to Kidani Village.

 

[BroganMc]

The 1bedrooms at SSR I've stayed in all had the jacuzzi as well as a roll-in shower. I was surprised to learn AKV concierge rooms didn't. But I presume this was a size issue related to retrofitting existing space. I wouldn't start worrying it would be repeated elsewhere.

 

[zorro77]

You might want to ask on the disability board site back near the top. I am sure they can answer your questions.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have been in the roll in shower 1, 2 bedroom and GV at OKW. They all have the same jacuzzis as are in the non-accessible units. I have not been in the GV at SSR, but the 1 and 2 bedroom units have jacuzzis. This is a picture of the jacuzzi in a 2 bedroom SSR accessible room with a roll in shower. You can see the grab bars that were added to help with getting into the tub. Otherwise, it's the same as non-accessible SSR jacuzzis.

BCV, VWL and BWV have the same arrangement as SSR.

 

[robinb]

Thanks everyone! I guess it's just because AKV was short on space. I certainly hope that they don't carry it over to Kidani Village.

I don't mind having a roll-in shower, a lower microwave, no storage in the bathroom or any of the other adjustments which make a villa HA. But no jacuzzi! That's too much! I'll have to specifically request a non-HA unit when booking at AKV. That's a bummer since we were planning to stay there next summer with my in-laws and a HA location and a non-tub shower would be perfect for them.

 

[BroganMc]

That's a bummer since we were planning to stay there next summer with my in-laws and a HA location and a non-tub shower would be perfect for them.

Well the way it sounds you could book a HA two-bedroom and get both. I find that the HA lockoff rooms at SSR usually have only one HA bathroom & bedroom. It could be the studio or 1bedroom portion. Just depends how the room was configured.

And from what people are telling me the non-HA rooms (studios & 1bedrooms alike) all have a tub. 1bedrooms don't have a separate shower either, just a tub.

Special Needs would know what the room configurations are. When you book get MS to ask for exactly what you need.

 

[SueM in MN]

Special Needs would know what the room configurations are. When you book get MS to ask for exactly what you need.

People think of roll in showers and fully wheelchair accessible when they think of handicapped accessible. NOT all handicapped rooms are fully wheelchair accessible. Some are and have the roll in shower, but some have raised seat toilets and bathtubs with grab bars.
The ADA requires hotels/resorts to have a certain number of handicapped accessible rooms/units (based on the total number of rooms in the hotel), but only about 1 out of every 5 handicapped rooms is required to be fully wheelchair accessible.

All the room requests for handicapped accessible rooms go thru the Special Needs Department. MS used to handle those, but it's been done thru Special Needs for a while now; usually MS puts you on hold while they talk to Special Needs, but you can call directly too (the phone number is in the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the disABILITIES Board).
An additional note, the confirmation used to include the words "Wheelchair accessible unit reserved" or something similar to that. Those words are no longer on the confirmation slip; at least were not on our last 3 trips. When I called MS and Special Needs, the information is in their computers, but not printed on the confirmation. The answer we have been given is that Special Needs has a separate reservation system and they can't 'move' that information over to the area of the reservation in MS system where it will print out. I have expressed (I guess you could say) displeasure about this and have talked to Supervisors in both MS and Special Needs about how distressing this is for someone who needs to know they have a certain type of room. They basically have said, we know it is upsetting, but the information is in the computer, just not printed out.

 

[robinb]

I specifically want to stay at AKV. Would I be able to call the Special Needs number above to find out if all the AKV HA 1 & 2 BRs lack jacuzzi tubs? Roll-in showers in the studio side are just fine.

 

[SueM in MN]

I specifically want to stay at AKV. Would I be able to call the Special Needs number above to find out if all the AKV HA 1 & 2 BRs lack jacuzzi tubs? Roll-in showers in the studio side are just fine.

You could try.
They should know; from what I've been told at least, they have some kind of a master list of what the accomodations are in each room so that they don't put someone who needs a roll in shower, for example, into a room that doesn't have one.
I'd just call and say that you would like to stay at AKV, but need to know before booking whether what you are looking for even exists.