OKW Grand Villa accessibility questions

[MulanMom]

We had been OKW DVC owners for years. We sold, in part, due to financial reasons as well as having a rather unique situation which we encounter at OKW but not at other resorts. In the excitement of planning for Dec 2020 trip and renting DVC, I was thrilled that we were able to rent an OKW grand villa even though we were originally trying for BLT 2 BDR. I knew it would be a challenge to find an OKW GV with ground floor or elevator access. I just read on another thread that the only way to obtain is by going the accessible route. Which has circled us back to the original issue with OKW accessible rooms.

My DH's disability is mostly mobility (has MD). He has his own ECV, which we drive into the room/villa to charge. With accessible rooms we've been presented, there is a roll in shower. That is not something that is good for my DH at this time. He wears leg braces, has awful balance when they are on and worse when they are off, and it's treacherous to have him walk on wet tiles. Are there any grand villas available that are 1st floor/elevator accessible without the roll in shower?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

Is there a way to work around the roll-in shower issue? Is it an issue that the showers leak out into the surrounding bathroom area (my experience)? Can you just put towels down, both on the floor when showering and to wipe up any excess water? Would shower shoes help?

 

[MulanMom]

Is there a way to work around the roll-in shower issue? Is it an issue that the showers leak out into the surrounding bathroom area (my experience)? Can you just put towels down, both on the floor when showering and to wipe up any excess water? Would shower shoes help?

Unfortunately, no to question if there's a workaround. Yes, it is an issue with the shower moisture leaking out into the surrounding bathroom area. The towels on the floor may make it a little less treacherous, but he can't maintain balance well, especially with leg braces off. He's fine with walk in showers and grab bars.

 

[SueM in MN]

OKW has only a few Grand Villas that don‘t require walking up a flight of stairs.
There is only one on the first floor - it’s room 4815.
There are 2 in building 63; those are entered from second floor, but building 63 has elevators.
Because those are the only Grand Villas that can be reached without stairs, they are set up to be accessible. (Only the first floor of those villas are accessible).
They have a roll in shower, with a shower bench in the master bedroom. There is also a smaller hallway bathroom with a stand up shower, but it’s not a roll in shower, is small and doesn’t have grab bars.

This video shows the layout and room arrangement of room 4815.

It has been renovated since then. We only stayed in 4815 before renovation, but we have stayed several times in the renovated one and two bedroom villas with roll in showers. They have been improved a lot, with a soft bumper that effectively keeps the water inside the shower. The seat has also been improved, along with the handheld shower head.
If you get a roll in shower, I’d suggest using the shower seat.

 

[mamabunny]

We had been OKW DVC owners for years. We sold, in part, due to financial reasons as well as having a rather unique situation which we encounter at OKW but not at other resorts. In the excitement of planning for Dec 2020 trip and renting DVC, I was thrilled that we were able to rent an OKW grand villa even though we were originally trying for BLT 2 BDR. I knew it would be a challenge to find an OKW GV with ground floor or elevator access. I just read on another thread that the only way to obtain is by going the accessible route. Which has circled us back to the original issue with OKW accessible rooms.

My DH's disability is mostly mobility (has MD). He has his own ECV, which we drive into the room/villa to charge. With accessible rooms we've been presented, there is a roll in shower. That is not something that is good for my DH at this time. He wears leg braces, has awful balance when they are on and worse when they are off, and it's treacherous to have him walk on wet tiles. Are there any grand villas available that are 1st floor/elevator accessible without the roll in shower?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

I know that you said below this that towels on the floor are not necessarily helpful, but I do find that I am much safer walking on towels than bare slippery tile floors. Additionally, when I travel, I now take along this stuff: Non-Slip Liner (click on the 18 inch by 5 feet to get the bigger size) and I lay it out to make non-slip mats on the floor of the bathroom and shower. It's lightweight and can be transported rolled up or folded, or even just drop shipped by Amazon directly to the hotel.

I found that I can wash them in the washing machine in a lingerie bag when we get home and hang them to dry so that I can reuse them. Placing a towel on top of the non-slip makes *me* feel safest.

Additionally, my family members will build "towel dams" across the opening of the roll-in shower to help keep water from running out across the floor. Once we explain to housekeeping why we need so many towels, typically they are great about keeping us stocked up.

I know it's not perfect, and it's not what you want, but I wanted you to have that as an option in your back pocket, just in case you ever need it!

 

[MulanMom]

Thank you, Sue M and MamaBunny. Good information to know.

One more question, if you don't mind. If we are placed in a GV with a 2nd floor entrance, is it safe to keep an ECV on the ground floor outside?

 

[mamabunny]

Thank you, Sue M and MamaBunny. Good information to know.

One more question, if you don't mind. If we are placed in a GV with a 2nd floor entrance, is it safe to keep an ECV on the ground floor outside?

Short answer: No.

Here's why: First of all, you need to take it inside your room/villa every night to charge it fully for the next day's adventures!

But also, if you leave it outside, unattended, you could find that someone has unplugged it overnight - leaving the rider without enough battery to make a full day. That's the best case.

The worst case scenario? Anyone can release the brake, and push it away - bored teenagers, CMs who think it's been abandoned, or the neighbor whose door you parked outside/across from are all possibilities. (Remember that other people may have personal devices that they need to get in/out of their rooms, and so leaving one outside can make travel through that area difficult for others as well)

When you rent an ECV, you are responsible for it for the entire length of the rental - so it needs to be indoors, in your room with you all. You will have more than enough space in an OKW Villa - I promise. We just stayed in a Villa at Boulder Ridge, and there was *plenty* of room to charge my personal device every night.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I know that you said below this that towels on the floor are not necessarily helpful, but I do find that I am much safer walking on towels than bare slippery tile floors. Additionally, when I travel, I now take along this stuff: Non-Slip Liner (click on the 18 inch by 5 feet to get the bigger size) and I lay it out to make non-slip mats on the floor of the bathroom and shower. It's lightweight and can be transported rolled up or folded, or even just drop shipped by Amazon directly to the hotel.

Great to know about, thanks.

At OKW, I thought there was a first floor accessible grand villa in Building 42? I remembered being in that building over it. Am I remembering wrong?

 

[SueM in MN]

Great to know about, thanks.

At OKW, I thought there was a first floor accessible grand villa in Building 42? I remembered being in that building over it. Am I remembering wrong?

You are remembering wrong.
There is only one Grand Villa that starts on first floor and it is in building 48. I remember it because we stayed there with a large number of family on the trip when my daughter got engaged.
The video shows the first floor Grand Villa and shows the room number - 4815.

 

[MulanMom]

Short answer: No.

Here's why: First of all, you need to take it inside your room/villa every night to charge it fully for the next day's adventures!

But also, if you leave it outside, unattended, you could find that someone has unplugged it overnight - leaving the rider without enough battery to make a full day. That's the best case.

The worst case scenario? Anyone can release the brake, and push it away - bored teenagers, CMs who think it's been abandoned, or the neighbor whose door you parked outside/across from are all possibilities. (Remember that other people may have personal devices that they need to get in/out of their rooms, and so leaving one outside can make travel through that area difficult for others as well)

When you rent an ECV, you are responsible for it for the entire length of the rental - so it needs to be indoors, in your room with you all. You will have more than enough space in an OKW Villa - I promise. We just stayed in a Villa at Boulder Ridge, and there was *plenty* of room to charge my personal device every night.

I appreciate your advice but we are not new to OKW or to using ECVs. We've used them on Disney trips for the last 15 years and have been bringing our own for the last 10. I believe when OKW gave us a 2nd floor room in a fully booked resort a few years back, there was the alternative of keeping it at Hospitality House. I can't remember what we actually did and just trying to plan for the possibility of having a 2nd floor entry.

Thanks!

 

[SueM in MN]

We had figured out quite a few years ago how to take a shower in the roll in showers without getting a lot of water on the floor.
We actually found the biggest issue was that they were using the short shower curtains that belong in the studio tub shower combinations. The roll in showers are supposed to have long shower curtains. Requesting a long shower curtain helps a lot.

During the renovation, they also made some improvements to the showers that help keep water inside the shower. We’ve found those changes, along with the longer shower curtains, keep almost all the water inside the shower.
This is the roll in shower from a renovated 2 bedroom unit.
The little curb that I drew a blue arrow toward looks hard, but it’s actually a a medium firmness vinyl that compressed as you step on it or roll over it. The curb keeps most of the water inside.
We kind of fan the shower curtain to the outside and end up without much water in front of the shower. The new tile is also less slippery than the old tile.

Sitting on the shower seat before starting the shower and while drying off would give a lot less chance of slipping.

 

[Simba's Mom]

You are remembering wrong.
There is only one Grand Villa that starts on first floor and it is in building 48. I remember it because we stayed there with a large number of family on the trip when my daughter got engaged.
The video shows the first floor Grand Villa and shows the room number - 4815.

Thanks. Somehow that doesn't surprise me that I remembered wrong.