special needs room reservation procedure

[KPeveler]

I am writing an article on Disney for Spoonies (those of us with invisible illnesses), and I wanted to make sure I have the procedure correct for reserving a HA room or other special needs room...

1. Call Disney or make a reservation online. You can request and handicapped accessible room or other special need, but it is not guaranteed at this time.

2. Call the Disney Special Services number (which i still have to find) and choose the correct option to have your need (HA room, first floor, etc) put on your reservation.

3. Check your paper reservation when it arrives to make sure it says what you need.

4. Call closer to your trip to confirm all this.

My disability has progressed to the point i need the HA room with roll in shower now, so I need to follow this procedure myself, and want to make sure i have it right!

 

[mechurchlady]

I looked up spoonies and finally found the site. That is sort of my mantra now. I love the story about spoons and have held it ot my heart for a long time. Some people do not understand what it is like to not have a warehouse full of spoons. Big hugs to you for reuniting me with that story.

Idiotic idea removed.

 

[SueM in MN]

I looked up spoonies and finally found the site. That is sort of my mantra now. I love the story about spoons and have held it ot my heart for a long time. Some people do not understand what it is like to not have a warehouse full of spoons. Big hugs to you for reuniting me with that story.

Your list sounds right but I would add.

5. Check online to see where your room is located. Check online to see if others have stayed in that room or building for any problems such as noise, odours, or long hike to everything.

They won't tell you where your room is located until you check in. If it's not ready at the time you check in they usually won't actually tell you the number. They usually will give you keys but have you call back later to find out the room number.
The reason they do this so people are not expecting a particular room and can't get it because it is out of service or not available for some other reason.

If you check in the disABILITES FAQs thread, one of the posts is about resorts and accomodations and covers this. You will find the phone number there.

 

[McCall]

I have always found the best way to book it was to call on the phone and tell the reservations agent you need an accessible room and exactly what accomodations, she then calls special services and makes sure they have what you need for your dates and they block it then, while you are on the phone. Special needs are the only things guaranteed, things like King bed, certain floor or bldg. etc are requests that they try to meet but don't guarantee. I have always found this plan to work best with fewest chances for error.

 

[dclfun]

Actually you no longer call the special services phone # at any point. The res agent you speak with to make your ressie will put you on hold, contact sp. svcs, and confirm the room type you need, if it is available. There's no need for a separate phone call nor will it help you in any way. I agree to verify that notes are on the ressie to indicate a spcial needs room. As Sue mentioned, you will not be able to find out your room # or even building in advance.---Kathy

 

[KPeveler]

ok, excellent! that is even easier.

thanks for the help

 

[Talking Hands]

Actually you no longer call the special services phone # at any point. The res agent you speak with to make your ressie will put you on hold, contact sp. svcs, and confirm the room type you need, if it is available. There's no need for a separate phone call nor will it help you in any way. I agree to verify that notes are on the ressie to indicate a spcial needs room. As Sue mentioned, you will not be able to find out your room # or even building in advance.---Kathy

And you will have hassles when you arrive at the resort because they will claim that you never requested a handicapped room. THis has happened to me the last few trips. At CBR they even refused to place me in a handicapped room claiming none were available. THis system they are currently using sucks.

 

[Piper]

Or they will downgrade your already paid preferred reservation--put you on the third floor (even though you requested first because you are travelling alone and couldn't get down stairs in case of a fire)--and put you far away from the food court and busses-----all because they "need to keep the cheerleaders and Argintina tour groups together."

 

[KPeveler]

Well I will be on my honeymoon on my next trip, and have other requests other than the roll in shower - so i may be calling special reservations anyway. I need a VIP cleaning and NO down in the room, so they should have to do this to a certain room earlier in the day anyway...

Thanks for the advice everyone...

 

[McCall]

And you will have hassles when you arrive at the resort because they will claim that you never requested a handicapped room. THis has happened to me the last few trips. At CBR they even refused to place me in a handicapped room claiming none were available. THis system they are currently using sucks.

If you booked a HC room they are required to fill that requirement even if they have to move you to a different hotel and transport you to do it. It is the law, I was just discussing this the other day with a Disney Executive in charge of such matters. I would of course have my confirmation with it clearly stated on there however. so you don't have my word against yours kind of thing.

Now obviously it may be up to you to be the one insisting and going up the food chain to get them to do what is required, but it is required. Now of course too the place they want to rebook you too may be better or worse than the hotel you booked.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Actually you no longer call the special services phone # at any point. The res agent you speak with to make your ressie will put you on hold, contact sp. svcs, and confirm the room type you need, if it is available. There's no need for a separate phone call nor will it help you in any way..---Kathy

I hope this is not how it is required now. If so, then all the stress I was finally freed from (1981 until 2 yrs ago) when booking a Disney resort will return. Used to be that I was stressed from the time we booked until we arrived and at check-in we went through the long drawn out process of finding a room that met our somehwat unique needs (other needs are relatively easy to meet, HC room etc).

The last several trips I spoke directly with Special Needs and came to know a couple of the CM's - they have been beyond wonderful and each visit has been stress free in the planning. They work with us with some unique needs. If I can no longer speak with them directly...well...will not likely be doing any WDW trips.

Geesh, I'm stressed just thinking about not having them work with with anymore! ...sigh...

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't think that the Special Needs Department will actually make[/] a reservation. For that, you need to work through the regular reservation system abd they will call Special Needs to check on availability and bkock a room Once you are in the system, you can still call them at the number listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. I called that number in October to ask if this was OK and got the answer that it was. That department is also in charge of contacting people if more information is needed from them (ie the Internet reservations)

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Oh, did not mean to imply they made the reservation - we speak with them afterward. Usually a day or so later I call them directly.

As long as I still work directly with the CM's that have been so helpful (unless they leave, of course) we will be fine.

None of the other options work - not speaking with an initial CM or allowing SN to call back (unless I request someone by name and they always call back asap). It is nice to have built a relationship with a couple of the special needs CM's. They are fabulous!

Sorry - did not mean to sound as though we don't know the ropes.

 

[KPeveler]

I want to call and check after i make my reservation, and make sure a HA room WITH a roll in shower is blocked. I always like double checking these things. also, i want to have anything down (pillows or blankets) removed from the room...

i assume all HA rooms with roll in showers are on the first floor at moderate hotels like POFQ? I cannot evacuate down stairs anymore...

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Not sure all the HA rooms with roll in showers are on the first floor at FQ, so be sure to have a first floor HA room blocked!

We've been in HA rooms on the top floor in most resorts where we've stayed, since we prefer not have a 1st fl room location.

 

[KPeveler]

if that was the only option, i could probly do it, but in general i cannot go down stairs quickly or safely... thanks for the info

 

[McCall]

I know the last HC room I stayed in at Port Orleans Riverside was on the second floor and I used the elevator to get my scooter to it.

 

[dclfun]

I've never gotten to a resort and found that my needs were not accommodated. I always check my confirmation which will state that I have a special needs room with roll in shower. Those rooms are blocked at the time of booking. I figure if I'm making a ressie and am then told the resort has what I requested, and I have it in writing on my confirmation, then I'm not going to worry. We had a challenge one time at CS with a room that reeked of smoke ( this was before the no smoking policy). We called to request a room change and none were available there with roll in shower. Without a moment of hesitation we were moved to AKLodge along with friends who were travelling with us in another room at CS since they were there to also help me. I felt they really responded to get me the room type I needed even though it involved a comp upgrade. We were freely offered the room/resort change too without even having to ask.---Kathy

 

[Piper]

I made my ressie and the person went through special services. I was told that I would have to spend one night at Music and then switch to Movies for the next two. I was also told that I had to book a preferred room to get my needs met. I did so. Then I called two weeks out to verify that I had a room with extra grab bars, raised seat, on the ground floor for medical reasons. I told them I was travelling alone. I still had to argue and wait the entire day at Movies for a room that met my needs. And I was downgraded from preferred to regular. I was told when I called that the room had been blocked.......but evidently tour groups can "unblock" a room!

 

[SueM in MN]

And I was downgraded from preferred to regular. I was told when I called that the room had been blocked.......but evidently tour groups can "unblock" a room!

Something wrong happened there.
If you paid for preferred, you should not have been downgraded.

As long as Special Needs is called, they do block a specific room at the time your reservation is made. One of the reasons they don't tell you at that time what room is blocked for you is that things can change. The room can go out of service for some reason. This happened to us at OKW - we were told they had no 2 bedroom villas with roll in showers left when we arrived. The manager checked and checked and finally found us one. When we went to take a shower the next morning, we found why the room was 'not available' when we arrived. The fold down seat in the shower would not stay up. Since we were in the room, they rigged up something, but that room should have been out of service.