How to request/receive proper hotel accomodations?

[LynJ]

My kiddo is hearing impaired. It is progressive. She does well with a hearing aid, but we have a bed shaker alarm clock at home for her, because she can't hear alarms, etc., when she's not wearing a hearing aid.

Last year at Wilderness Lodge we requested a hearing- accessible room (bed shaker and light up fire alarm). I discussed her needs specifically with the disability guest services line. When we arrived, we were assigned to a wheelchair room, and the front desk had no idea about hearing accessibility.

We relinquished the wheelchair room ( I've spent time in a chair before and don't want to take away something that someone else needs). Kiddo, for now, is too young to be left alone in the room. When she's older, however, I want to know that she'll be awakened by the smoke alarm if her dad and I duck out for a drink, etc., and it goes off.

For anyone with a non- wheelchair accessibility need, have you had better luck with hotel accommodations? How should I go about clarifying her needs? And to whom?

 

[wilkeliza]

My kiddo is hearing impaired. It is progressive. She does well with a hearing aid, but we have a bed shaker alarm clock at home for her, because she can't hear alarms, etc., when she's not wearing a hearing aid.

Last year at Wilderness Lodge we requested a hearing- accessible room (bed shaker and light up fire alarm). I discussed her needs specifically with the disability guest services line. When we arrived, we were assigned to a wheelchair room, and the front desk had no idea about hearing accessibility.

We relinquished the wheelchair room ( I've spent time in a chair before and don't want to take away something that someone else needs). Kiddo, for now, is too young to be left alone in the room. When she's older, however, I want to know that she'll be awakened by the smoke alarm if her dad and I duck out for a drink, etc., and it goes off.

For anyone with a non- wheelchair accessibility need, have you had better luck with hotel accommodations? How should I go about clarifying her needs? And to whom?

According to the official website any room can be fitted with the bed shaker, door knock, and phone alert system. Here is the official website https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/hearing-impaired-services/

I would call before arrival and note that you do not need a wheelchair room. You just need the current standard room fitted with the commincation kit for hearing imparid.

I'm sad to hear that you did not get the accomidations you needed on your last trip as it seems there must have been a miscomunication. The wheelchair room was not the proper accomidation and would not have given your daughter or you what was needed for a magical vacation. If it happens next time you go make sure you stand your ground that they will give the advertised accomidation so that you daughter is safe not only in the room alone but if something were to happen to you and your husband she would need to know to get out in case of a fire.

 

[lanejudy]

I assume you want to book a "hearing accessible" room. It may or may not be wheelchair accessible or "Florida accessible" (which is handrails but not a roll-in shower). The room descriptions are available online; this is what I found:

• Visual Alarm
• Visual Door Knock/Doorbell Alert
• Visual Telephone Call Alert
• Telephone with Volume Control
• Electrical Outlet Near Telephone Jack
• TTY Available Upon Request at Check-In
• These features are guaranteed and do not require an extra charge.

If you require more/different accommodations, that may be available on request. But I recommend booking the "hearing accessible" room. You can book online yourself, there is no longer need to call to book accessible rooms. That might help to assure you that you are getting the room-type you need.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[LynJ]

I assume you want to book a "hearing accessible" room. It may or may not be wheelchair accessible or "Florida accessible" (which is handrails but not a roll-in shower). The room descriptions are available online; this is what I found:

• Visual Alarm
• Visual Door Knock/Doorbell Alert
• Visual Telephone Call Alert
• Telephone with Volume Control
• Electrical Outlet Near Telephone Jack
• TTY Available Upon Request at Check-In
• These features are guaranteed and do not require an extra charge.

If you require more/different accommodations, that may be available on request. But I recommend booking the "hearing accessible" room. You can book online yourself, there is no longer need to call to book accessible rooms. That might help to assure you that you are getting the room-type you need.

Enjoy your vacation!

Last year we still had to call, and I specifically requested hearing accessible. Unfortunately it didn't work. This year we have a cheaptickets.com reservation, so it's not hearing- specific either. In the future I may have to just book through Disney and choose the hearing- accessible category, even though cheaptickets saved us about $500

 

[lanejudy]

Accessible rooms (all types) are a separate bookable category, not a request; that room is then pulled from inventory and reserved specifically for you. I honestly can't say what is or is not available through cheaptickets -- often those sites have a block of rooms they make available, in which case this situation cheaptickets either A) did not have an accessible room in their block or B) any accessible rooms they had in the block are already booked. Since I believe cheaptickets is considered a TA, I don't know if you can contact WDW directly and get the reservation switched to an available hearing accessible room, or if you will have to ask cheaptickets to do this for you.

That would be my first preference -- to book the specific hearing accessible room. They come in various types -- king bed, 2 queens, different views, combined with other H/A needs, etc., depending on what resort you are at.

Second preference, which may work since you indicate your child is young and would not be alone in the room anyway -- is to follow what wilkeliza posted: have cheaptickets put a request on your reservation for the item(s) you want/need. Based on that link, I think the phrasing to use is "Room Communication Kit" for the hearing impaired. However, requests are not guaranteed and if enough other guests have asked for the same equipment in their standard booked room, it may not be available when you arrive. That's why booking the specific hearing accessible room would be my first preference.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

 

[LynJ]

Accessible rooms (all types) are a separate bookable category, not a request; that room is then pulled from inventory and reserved specifically for you. I honestly can't say what is or is not available through cheaptickets -- often those sites have a block of rooms they make available, in which case this situation cheaptickets either A) did not have an accessible room in their block or B) any accessible rooms they had in the block are already booked. Since I believe cheaptickets is considered a TA, I don't know if you can contact WDW directly and get the reservation switched to an available hearing accessible room, or if you will have to ask cheaptickets to do this for you.

That would be my first preference -- to book the specific hearing accessible room. They come in various types -- king bed, 2 queens, different views, combined with other H/A needs, etc., depending on what resort you are at.

Second preference, which may work since you indicate your child is young and would not be alone in the room anyway -- is to follow what wilkeliza posted: have cheaptickets put a request on your reservation for the item(s) you want/need. Based on that link, I think the phrasing to use is "Room Communication Kit" for the hearing impaired. However, requests are not guaranteed and if enough other guests have asked for the same equipment in their standard booked room, it may not be available when you arrive. That's why booking the specific hearing accessible room would be my first preference.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

Thanks so much! I didn't realize it was a separate bookable category. That would probably explain our trouble. We were already booked on a bounce back package when our daughter was diagnosed. We tried to change the room by phone, and something apparently was lost in translation, with us ending up in a wheelchair room. In the future, I'll know to book it as a separate category. Thanks so much for all of your help. We're a little over a year into this journey and still learning.

 

[tobikaye]

Here is a screen shot from POFQ showing the hearing accessible category. You still have to check mark the "accessible rooms" when searching on the WDW site.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

According to the official website any room can be fitted with the bed shaker, door knock, and phone alert system

1) You ask for these when you check-in at the Front Desk.
2) There is a special computer program the CM calls up and it has MANY special requests available.
3) They simply check the item(s) they need and it goes to either Housekeeping or Maintenance.
4) However, they is no guarantee WHEN the items get delivered/installed/fixed.