Questions about HA rooms at ALL DVC resorts

[Muushka]

I have only stayed at one studio HA room (at BCV). I was wondering how their room compares to other HA rooms at other DVC resorts? This was a description of the irritating aspects of our HA room at BCV:

• the bed was extremely low and the mattress slid all over the bed
• no storage in the room, about half of what we had in a studio at VWL (our only other studio experience)
• large bathroom, but absolutely NO storage shelves or drawers
• we did have a tub though, on the plus side for those with kiddos

In addition, I wonder if these complaints (well, I guess the major one about the bathroom storage, probably can't do much about the bed) could be addressed by someone, either the hotel or the DVD management?

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm not sure how your room compared. However, someone who's at BCV now, and was initially assigned to #325 described that HA room, and it sounded virtually the same as the one we got at VWL. The lack of bathroom storage was the same in ours as you mentioned, low bed too, but I didn't notice the mattress slide around and our studio had no tub. Also, in the kitchenette, the microwave was on the main counter, there was no higher shelf, so there was limited counter space in the kitchenette. And one oddity in our HA unit (which I was wondering-why?) was that there was no light switch by the bed. So there was no way to get into bed and then turn out the lights. That seemed very odd!

 

[Chuck S]

The beds are low to facilitate transfers from wheelchairs to beds and back. Most HA studios, at least at OKW, have a roll in shower, no tub. Undercounter storage is limited or non-existent to allow the foot pedals of wheelchairs room to make turns. Microwaves are on the counters, otherwise wheelchair bound folks could not reach them, the same for shelves up above sinks, etc. Non-ambulatory folks could not reach them. I've heard reports that here are no closets to hang clothes, though I think the HA studios we've been in at OKW had a closet, I'm not sure...it's been a long time since we've been in a HA studio. It think there was counter top space in the OKW bathroom, though.

 

[Muushka]

That explains a lot, thanks! I wonder if there is anything we can do when we get one of these rooms to make it easier to stay in it? I don't think I will be able to convince my husband to stay in one again if we get stuck with one. But it does sound like they will swich you, which would be fine. Thanks to you both .

 

[karrit2000]

I had a Studio at OKW:
The refrigerator was in the bed area shoved between the bed & the window to the deck.
No storage in the Bathroom.
Roll-in Shower
Super High Toilet.
Low bar in closet, no good for hanging long items.
Also had a Studio at BWV but got moved after 1 night so this is what I remember about it:
Sliding door for Bathroom that was very difficult to close, very heavy.
The room was a weird shape so it seemed larger than a normal studio, kind of a wedge shape.
The bathroom was very big overall with a Roll-in shower.

Overall not my choice which is why I always specify "Not a Handicap Room" when I make my reservations.

 

[rigsby25]

Has anyone every stayed at a HA grand villa at OKW? We have 10 people going down but only 1 is in a wheelchair. We are giving that couple the master bedroom. Do they assume that the handicapped person is the only person staying in the villa? What modifications can I expect?

 

[Muushka]

Yes it does seem that they assume that handicapped person is the only person staying in the villa. I think that they should have some portable carts for the bathroom with no storage, not sure what could be done in the kitchen.

Can't help you with the GV. Maybe someone who has stayed in one will chime in.

 

[RobDoc]

Has anyone every stayed at a HA grand villa at OKW? We have 10 people going down but only 1 is in a wheelchair. We are giving that couple the master bedroom. Do they assume that the handicapped person is the only person staying in the villa? What modifications can I expect?

The Master BR will be HCA, the upstairs bedrooms are not accessible and are furnished the same as other villas. The 2nd floor is accessed only by stairs. The kitchen will also accommodate someone confined to a wheelchair. Building 48 has the only GV with ground floor access and building 63 has elevator access to the first floor of the GVs. All other buildings are not accessible since the first floor of the GV is accessed thru the second floor of the buildings.

SSR does have access to the 2nd floor using the elevator- there is an exterior door at the top of the 2nd floor in all SSR GV's so those rooms can are accessible by those in a wheelchair or otherwise mobility impaired.

BWV has single floor GV's available in addition to the typical 2 story villas.

VB has no Beach Cottages that are accessible, but they do have the ability to offer 3BR villas with elevator access- these are a 2BR with access to an additional studio.

HH has no accessible GV's.

BCV and VWL have no GVs at all.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We had an HA studio at Hilton Head last summer. I quickly got over my initial disappointment and (slight) anger with the situation.

Kitchenette----Microwave was on the countertop rather than the shelf.
No storage under the sink.
Bathroom------Roll in shower.
No storage under the sink. In fact, both the bathroom and kitchenette sinks had these weird slanted wooden things going from edge of counter to the wall underneath. I guess to allow a wheelchair to wheel up to it?
Safety bar by the toilet.
Shower head was mounted very high, I almost couldn't reach it. So I wondered how someone in a wheelchair would manage.

I did have to put a towel on the floor to catch water from the shower, but other than that, not as much of a nuisance as I thought it would be.

The rest of the room looked normal to us. The bed was not low, there was ample storage with the entertainment unit.
I thought the entryway was larger than what it appears in the pictures, the room itself felt quite large as well.
I wouldn't shy away from HA at HH if we were assigned to one again.

 

[boatboatboat]

when we stay at a HH studio we always ask at check in if they have a HA room. Many times they have given us that room.......... we like it.

My wife and I are not wheelchair bound, we just enjoy the extra room a HA studio has.

 

[Poohs Pal]

We stayed in a HC GV at SSR and only the downstairs bedroom and bath were HC. Yes that bathrooms does lack storage but we were their out of necessity so we just dealt with it,this should be improved upon. The extra bathroom(off the kitchen) was much larger than the photo's I've seen of the non HC bathroom. It did have a shower with plenty of storage, no tub and the shower wasn't HC. A mobilty impaired individual would do ok with this shower as long as they didn't require a wheeled shower chair. The kitchen had the roll under sink. Everything else seemed to be the same. The only problem we had with the whole unit was the door to the balcony didn't have a knob to re-enter into the villa. If someone went outside they'd better not shut the door or they were out there until someone heard them knocking .We had more closet space then any of us could ever use and let me tell you 4 women 1 baby girl and my adult son who has a ton of stuff and HC equipment we must take. Oh yeah their was also 2 other men and they even had space without having to beg .We had 2 double closets in the LR, 1 in the hallway to the MBR and the typical closets in the bedrooms upstairs. Susan