Resort recommendation for a couple and a wheelchair question??

[NightAngelX]

Hi!! DH and I are planning our first trip to Disney World. My first trip there EVER and his first time staying on site. (i'm sooo excited!) Value hotels are probably in our budget most though my husband thinks we should 'splurge' for a moderate or deluxe hotel. They all seem so nice I can't decide. We'd like a king bed and I'm noticing that's not a choice at the deluxe hotels.

Also Dh would prefer the monorail while I don't care how we get around.

Also on an unrelated topic Dh might need a wheelchair and it says resorts have a limited number of these. Are they free if your resort has them? Is it easy to get a wheelchair or electronic wheel chair around on the buses and/or monorail? Dh just has arthritis all over (only 36 though) so walking around alot is not his friend.

On another note I just signed up for a Disney Visa. So I am not booking until I get that card. But do Disney Visa people get any additional discounts at any certain resorts??

 

[minnie mum]

If you have never been onsite before, then take a long look on the WDW site to check out the various resort levels, individual resorts that appeal to you, and especially their pricing. Every resort page has a tab for room types and pricing. This will help you in determining your budget which in turn will help you select which level of resort you can afford. This forum has threads specific to each resort with photos and reviews that can be helpful.

Your DH has excellent taste, but all of the monorail resorts are the most expensive of the deluxes. I'm pretty sure that the values don't have king beds, but the moderates do. And I'm pretty sure that most of the deluxes do too (standard rooms frequently have 2 queen or 1 king). Look at the room descriptions for the specific resort under the 'room types and pricing' page. If you need a handicapped accessible room, each resort will have them, you just need to request it.

As for the wheelchair. Don't use the ones at the resort. There is no charge for them but: They are not guaranteed to have one when you need one and they tend to be in really bad shape. You are much, much better off renting one for the time you will be at WDW from an outside agency. They will deliver the manual wheelchair or ECV (scooter) to the resort so that it is waiting for you when you arrive, and will pick it up when you leave. It will be in first rate shape and will be yours 24/7. You can find details about this on the disABILITIES board (further down the main forum page).

I strongly, strongly recommend that you get a scooter rather than a power wheelchair. Power chairs are very difficult to use unless you have one at home, and many agencies will not rent them to persons who do not already use one. WDW buses and the monorail can accommodate both ECVs and wheelchairs. Your DH should take some time to practice using the scooter around the resort before attempting to use it in the parks.

Wheelchairs and ECVs are also available for rent by the day at each of the parks. They cannot be removed from the parks, however, so you would not have the use of one at the resort.

If you are hoping for a discount, take a look on the WDW site. Under "Tickets and Packages" click on 'special offers'.

HTH.

 

[NightAngelX]

Thanks minnie! I've been looking through the site alot the past few days and so many great options it's hard to choose. My DH has expensive taste in most things, I didn't expect this to be any different. lol
I will definitely check out the disAbilities board. i was reading on mousesavers about an outside company but i was worried about dealing with it all the time. I know it will be easiest for him. A wheel chair would be more economical but then I'm stuck pushing him around so who knows. I will see what that board says. thanks for the tip!

As for deals the only one I am seeing now is the 15-30% off rooms after August 15th (which is when we plan to go). I found out about the Visa card there too. I am waiting until my Visa arrives before booking so I have a week or two to plan. I'm just excited.

 

[plutolovr]

Just to correct...ALL resorts have King-sized beds, however, they are a request at the Value and Deluxe levels and a bookable category at the Moderate level. The Polynesian only has king beds in the honeymoon suites.

 

[disnut8]

All Disney resorts have king sized beds. As a PP stated, you can book them (and pay extra for them) at the moderates, at the values and the deluxes, they are a request only.

I would highly recommend renting a device from an outside company as another PP said, the ones from the resort are extremely limited and there is no guarantee at all you will get one and if you do, you probably won't have it for your entire time. Get one from offsite, it will be delivered to your resort and will be picked up after you leave. Yes, you have to pay for it but you will have it 24/7.

As for where to book, if your husband has upscale tastes, I would recommend the Polynesian. You can take the boat or the monorail to Magic Kingdom and it's a quick walk (push/drive) over to the TTC for the monorail to Epcot.

Or, you can do any of the Epcot resorts which would give you excellent access to both Epcot and the Studios. It's not on the monorail, though.

But really, rent that device from offsite. He might not need/want it all the time and it will cost some money but honestly, it's about comfort.

 

[dzorn]

Thanks minnie! I've been looking through the site alot the past few days and so many great options it's hard to choose. My DH has expensive taste in most things, I didn't expect this to be any different. lol
I will definitely check out the disAbilities board. i was reading on mousesavers about an outside company but i was worried about dealing with it all the time. I know it will be easiest for him. A wheel chair would be more economical but then I'm stuck pushing him around so who knows. I will see what that board says. thanks for the tip!

As for deals the only one I am seeing now is the 15-30% off rooms after August 15th (which is when we plan to go). I found out about the Visa card there too. I am waiting until my Visa arrives before booking so I have a week or two to plan. I'm just excited.

If you are not use to pushing a wheel chair around note WDW is hillier than you would think.

Denise in MI

 

[POOHsie]

If you are not use to pushing a wheel chair around note WDW is hillier than you would think.

Denise in MI

... and the heat can feel like you're standing in front of an open oven door. And it will be so humid that you will feel sweaty, even before you start pushing a full-grown man in a wheelchair. Seriously, rent a scooter!

Here's a link to disAbilities FAQ. Post #2 talks about rental equipment. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713

 

[carrie1626]

From past experiemce with my in her 70's, mom in a wheelchair I can tell you PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER is MY MOM'S FAVORITE.




The resort is small, compared to the other on property resorts. Every visit my mom has had there (3 times) she has been in a building next to the food court, which means close to bus stops too. My mom did have rental vehicles all 3 times and the room was extremely close to the handicap parking. Even if DH isn't handicapped per se, it's a compact enough resort to cut down on your walking. I would just request a room next to the main bldg.

 

[Think Pink Tink]

My mom is disabled and the first year we went she wasn't as bad as she is now so we decided we would show up at the Contemporary and see if we could find a wheelchair at the resort. She could manage getting around slowly walking and we thought we'd just call a rental place when we got there if the resort didn't have any available.

We got VERY lucky because there was a wheelchair right in the lobby when we walked in and we asked a cast member if we could use it. We had it the rest of the week, took it on the monorail, into the parks etc. Then when we left we just left it in the lobby.

I will say it was VERY VERY hard pushing her in the heat and those HILLS to get to the monorail...UGH. My mom is tiny, about 110 pounds and my husband, my father and myself took turns pushing her and it was definately a work out.

 

[NightAngelX]

Yeah I think we're definitely going to get him an ECV. Even his best days become his worst when he has to walk or stand for any long period of time. It will be an extra 30-40 dollars a day but I think it will be worth it for both of our enjoyment.

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[mickeye]

Does your husband use an ECV scooter at home? If he doesn't and you get one to use down there and have it all week (meaning it will be waiting at the hotel for you) please be prepared to be responsible for it the entire week. I am a part time scooter user in my life. I only need them for long distances in WDW and at home, but this need at home has given me experience with them. If he has no experience and rents the ones in the park, he should have no problem, because Disney ECVs have a slower speed and your husband won't have to deal with loading and unloading them on the buses). If he rents one from a supplier from an outside company, he could have problems because he isn't used to them. The outside scooters have faster speeds and can hurt people, knock things over in shops, and most important he will have to know how to parallel park it on the buses which is not easy at all. I'm just offering this as friendly advice. I've seen people get run down (often their own fault because they jump in front of the ECV and then stop dead in front of it-they don't stop that fast), displays of merchandise get knocked over (sometimes the isles aren't wide enough), and even people who turn them too fast and the rider and scooter actually fell over sideways and had to be lifted off of the ground. Which ever your husband uses, the Disney ECV in the Parks or the outside company rentals, I hope he has no problems like those I've mentioned. Have a great vacation and enjoy yourselves.

 

[smiths02]

Yeah I think we're definitely going to get him an ECV. Even his best days become his worst when he has to walk or stand for any long period of time. It will be an extra 30-40 dollars a day but I think it will be worth it for both of our enjoyment.

Thanks for all the responses!

When we went with my MIL...she got tired in Epcot (she is not disabled just older and very out of shape) so we rented a regular wheelchair at the park for the day. My DH struggled to push her in the early June heat (my DH was a fit-war veteran and law enforcement-29 year old)..he was able to do it but I would recommend the ECV for extended use

 

[spiceycat]

don't underestimate the ones that Disney has - when mother needed one for years - we only used the ones from WDW.

now if you need a scooter definitely go with the offsite ones - Disney are expensive.

would go with Pop Century - it has king beds, it is a value and it is definitely one of the flatness of the Disney resorts. It is very popular with others who need a wc or scooter. So that say the older buses will only allow 2 - the newer buses will allow 3. Either get out early - or be prepared to wait for a bus or possible 2. Pop is better than most - if they see you are waiting - so that means no seating down in the shade on those benches - but standing in the line - they will send a bus.

make sure he practices with the scooter in one of the parking lots at Pop - before he tries the thing at the parks or even getting on the bus. they are difficult to work.

you will not have a problem getting a king bed at Pop.

would also recommend BLT - because of the monorail at CR - that makes it a little easier - now the problem the cm has to put down a flat sheet (okay not really a flat metal sheet) so he can get in and off. No a problem if the CM is paying attention - he will then call ahead to where you are going and tell them - so when you stop they are waiting for you. Now if he forgets to call, they won't be expecting you and that may be a problem. What I do is give the CM a few minutes (okay less than that) before I find someone. You don't want to wait too long - because unless someone knows you are on - the monorail can leave again.

you would need a 1-bedroom at BLT to get a king bed - so expensive.

 

[NightAngelX]

Does your husband use an ECV scooter at home?

No he does not. He has used one in the past at Walmart but its rare I get him to use one. We do use the handicap parking thing we have though because he knows walking long distances bother him. I figure if we get one from an outside company he can practice with it a bit first and since he CAN walk just fine perhaps we can leave it outside of shops and he can just walk in the stores. Since we are driving there I already said we should take our car when we just go to eat but take bus and his ECV when we are touring the park. So I think/hope we'll be okay.

He also currently does not need an accessible room either (though a few years ago he would have, he was using a walker then). So that should open up some options too I hope.

Thanks for all the hotel recommendations. I found a really great deal at Animal Kingdom Lodge standard view. It's more expensive than I wanted to spend but quite the deal for a deluxe (185/night), so I think we're leaning towards staying there but we haven't made reservations yet.

 

[disnut8]

He also currently does not need an accessible room either (though a few years ago he would have, he was using a walker then). So that should open up some options too I hope.

Thanks for all the hotel recommendations. I found a really great deal at Animal Kingdom Lodge standard view. It's more expensive than I wanted to spend but quite the deal for a deluxe (185/night), so I think we're leaning towards staying there but we haven't made reservations yet.

I would highly suggest getting the accessible room anyway. Where will you park the scooter? My dad is in a wheelchair (my stepmother pushes him everywhere) and the one request I made for our family trip was a handicapped accessible room. My stepmother said it was a life saver for them. You can say you don't need everything but it's something to request. Also, you might want to request a first floor room to make it easier so you don't have to wait for the elevators.