OKW-GV Which building to request?

[mickeywho?]

This is our first trip down to OKW and I've been looking over the map to figure out what to ask for (yes, i know it's only a request!)
My parents will be there with us and my mom has knee issues - is there a GV on the main floor?
We'd love to be close to the main pool, hh, etc. I see that building 25 may be the nearest for this option - is there a lot of noise from the road? parking issues from other guests?
My brother and sister are smokers - the rest of us are non-smokers... they won't smoke around us so they don't want us to get a smoking-room. Are there smoking areas around the resort for them?
TIA!

 

[RobDoc]

The only GV with ground floor access is in building 48. All of the other GVs have access to the main floor on the 2nd story of the building. Building 63 does have elevator access to the main floor of the GVs. No buildings have elevator access to the upper floors. The OKW GVs all have the master BR on the main floor and the other 2 BRs are accessed by stairs. BWV has GVs all on one level (and also has 2 level GVs) and the ones at SSR are all on 2 levels - but they do offer elevator access to the second floor rooms as well as the main floor.

If your need is for medical reasons, be sure to let MS know that as soon as possible since there are so few accessible GVs at any of the resorts.

Good luck!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is your going to be using an ECV in the parks with her "knee issues"? If so, she will either need to have a handicapped GV or a GV in building 63 (elevator building). If she is capable of walking at all (my DH has very bad knees), the steps on the outside of the OKW villas are arthritis friendly, because they are low rise, and DH has little trouble with them. If she is unable to walk enough for the parks or to climb the low riser stairs, then I would suggest you call MS back and request a handicapped accessible unit for medical reasons and rent her an ECV. That way she will be able to drive the ECV right into the unit. If by chance you can't get a handicapped unit (there are only 2 or 3 GVs that are), she can still use the ECV, but will have to park and charge the battery at HH and will also have to climb the stairs to the GV.

 

[SueM in MN]

If she is unable to walk enough for the parks or to climb the low riser stairs, then I would suggest you call MS back and request a handicapped accessible unit for medical reasons and rent her an ECV. That way she will be able to drive the ECV right into the unit. If by chance you can't get a handicapped unit (there are only 2 or 3 GVs that are), she can still use the ECV, but will have to park and charge the battery at HH and will also have to climb the stairs to the GV.

I agree that the stairs are very 'arthritis friendly'. We stayed in a wheelchair accessible 2 story OKW GV in March. As was mentioned, the second story was not accessible, but we had 1 person with knee and hip problems and one with knee problems and neither of them felt the steps were difficult or painful to climb.

The only way to guarantee first floor access or one of the elevator buildings for a GV at OKW is to reserve a handicapped GV. There are so few of them available and the only way to get one is to reserve one. If you have a medical request for one and someone else has reserved one, there won't be one to meet your request.

For studios, 1 and 2 bedrooms, a medical request is usually adequate since those are filled first before other requests for the same thing and there are many first floor studios, 1 and 2 bedrooms.

But, it's a whole 'nother story when you are talking about OKW GVs.
Here are some threads that address the OKW GV situation:
Room Request for Medical Needs.
Situation which occured at SSR.[/QUOTE]

 

[mickeywho?]

Thanks for your help. I don't think my mom will be using a ECV so hearing that the outside stairs are lowrise will definitely help. I would imagine those are the stairs she'd be using most often going back and forth to the room. I won't ask for accessible unit for that reason. She'll only be going upstairs in the room going to bed at night so that is less of an issue.

Any advice on my other questions?

We'd love to be close to the main pool, hh, etc. I see that building 25 may be the nearest for this option - is there a lot of noise from the road? parking issues from other guests?
My brother and sister are smokers - the rest of us are non-smokers... they won't smoke around us so they don't want us to get a smoking-room. Are there smoking areas around the resort for them?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I wouldn't request a specific building. Instead, request "near HH". That will give the front desk several choices, and increases your chance of getting the elevator building, since it is near HH. BTW, we have also stayed in the GV at building 15, and loved the location. We liked building 22 also, but it was a bit far to the bus stop.

 

[SueM in MN]

I wouldn't request a specific building. Instead, request "near HH". That will give the front desk several choices, and increases your chance of getting the elevator building, since it is near HH. BTW, we have also stayed in the GV at building 15, and loved the location. We liked building 22 also, but it was a bit far to the bus stop.

If you request a specific building, they don't know why you wanted it. Was it for the view, the location, close to bus stop, close to HH?
If a villa of the size you need is not available in that building, they will just assign based on what they think you might want.

 

[Mich Mouse]

What does HH stand for? Is it hospitality house?

 

[SueM in MN]

What does HH stand for? Is it hospitality house?

yes