Resort transportation

[MarieS]

I am looking into resorts for our 2007 trip. Can anyone comment on bus/boat transportation with wheelchairs for the Wilderness Lodge, Carribean Beach or Contemporary Resorts?
I know the Contemporary would be the easiest with the monorail, but it may be out of our budget.
Thanks for your input!

 

[disneynutt1225]

We stayed at the WL in February with my mother who uses a wheelchair. We relied exclusively on the boat and bus transportation. It was fine! The bus drivers are really quite efficient (or at least, the ones we ran into were) and the travel time wasn't that bad.

 

[Scornelius]

We just got back from our Honeymoon at the Caribbean Resort, and there was a family in the same building who had 2 members in wheelchairs. They were always loaded onto the buses first, and when I spoke to them, they sang the praises of the transportation system, and Disney World in general for how accomadating they are. I don't think you'll have any trouble! Have fun!
Sonia

 

[SueM in MN]

There is a post in the disABILITIES FAQs thread about buses. The questions were answered for me by some bus drivers who are DIS posters.
We have been going to WDW with a DD using a wheelchair for about 17 years (DD was 2 and 1/2 when she got her first wheelchair, so I'm not really so old LOL).
Anyway, we have lots of experience with the buses and find them to be very good.

We have stayed at WL and the boats there may or may not be accessible because of water levels that are discussed in this thread.

The monorails are very accessible from the Contemporary, but be aware that if you go to MK or the TTC, the monorail stations there have a long steep ramp to get up to the monorail station. The station at Epcot has a long, winding ramp that is less steep, but it also has an elevator. If you don't see it, ask a CM.
People have also reported walking from Contemporary (depending on where your room is located).

 

[MarieS]

Thanks for the quick replies! I have read the bus FAQ, but guess I just want reassurance from people who have dealt with this. Last year we stayed at Carribean Beach, but we had our own van and had no problems getting back and forth. Our next trip we will need to fly so I am trying to pick a resort that will be the easiest/most convenient in terms of transportaion for the boys wheelchairs and still fit with our budget.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the quick replies! I have read the bus FAQ, but guess I just want reassurance from people who have dealt with this.

I understand. It's always a comfort to hear kind of firsthand in response to your own question instead of always have a 'canned' answer.

All the stuff in the disABILITIES FAQs is what I call the distilled knowledge of the DIS Boards.
It's part our own experiences traveling with a DD with multiple disabilities and experience we have traveling with others in our family with various disabilities,
part DIS posters experiences from this and other boards,
part things I've read on other sites,
part things people have PM'd me, and
part stuff CMs have told or written to me.

One of the other things about the FAQs is that they do get edited as things change. I wish I had more time to make them better, but for now, at least I know they are as accurate as possible.