The stupid doors at Pop.

[chaoslobster]

So. Are there any rooms at Pop Century or Art of Animation that are actually wheelchair accessible? The measurement of the bathroom doesn't really matter if the door to the room weighs more than me and my chair combined and has no button to open it. I'm traveling alone, as I have for a decade, and this year for the first time I'll be unable to get off my scooter to throw myself against a heavy door and slowly and painfully shove it inch by inch til I can squeeze in and flop into my chair right inside. Opening the door from inside is even worse. But I can't afford to stay at a fancy resort. Any ideas?

 

[gap2368]

think all the door are the same I have been to all of the all stars PoP conarodo springs AKL and Old Key west and as I recall the doors felt the same to me ( the door leading out of the room,) the door leading to the bath room were all easy for me to open ( I mostly stay at all start sports)

 

[DisneyOma]

Have you tried opening it backwards? By that, I mean, wheel up so the door is at your back, open it over your shoulder, and then push back to get in.

I do agree that the doors are heavy. In the morning it hurts my wrist to open the door.

 

[chaoslobster]

I use a scooter outside the room, but even if not, there's just no way I'd be able to force the door open while seated. I can barely push myself around inside the room in a wheelchair because I have very little upper body strength and even less mobility. The problem is I'm five feet tall and 90 lbs, and my arthritis worsens every year. I've had both hips, both knees and one shoulder fully replaced, plus an ankle fusion. I don't do many rides anymore and almost never get off my scooter once I leave my room, but it's never stopped me enjoying 10 days a year at WDW.

Traditionally getting the door open is accomplished standing up, by throwing my full weight against the door with my butt and pushing back one step at a time. Once inside I get around very slowly using a cane if possible, or I have my chair sitting just inside the door in case I absolutely can't stay on my feet, which happens sometimes after a long day. The room is not that big and I can get myself from the bed to the toilet so I don't have a problem except that damn door. I'm worried that this year I literally won't be able to manage it. That I'll be trapped in the room every morning and stuck outside at night til I beg someone to help me.

I don't understand how a room can be handicapped accessible if it's not possible for someone in a wheelchair without use of their legs to go into or leave the room unassisted.

 

[gap2368]

I would e mail Disney about this

1 you can not be the only one in fact I can remember someone else having a hard time with the door they wanted the automatic closer taken off so the door could be opened easer

2 if enough people complain or let Disney know there is a problem they may come up with some thing

I would ask for the automotive closing device to be taken off

 

[happymommy]

I just wanted to say I'm so sorry that this hasn't been dealt with. It would be nice for a few rooms to have some sort of button to open the door!

My DD uses a chair at Disney, but only part time. It is quite an ordeal to get in and out of the room for us, and she can walk! We tend to deal with it as best we can, and fold up the wheelchair once in the room to slide it next to the bed by the window. I can't imagine how hard this could be. The doors are heavy!

If you get a solution, I'm sure many others here would love to get your feedback!

 

[BillSears]

...I don't understand how a room can be handicapped accessible if it's not possible for someone in a wheelchair without use of their legs to go into or leave the room unassisted.

As a wheelchair user, paraplegic who can't feel/move anything below my ribcage, I never noticed the doors where hard to open. So it does work for some of us.

I've also heard about having the springs removed from the door if you need it. Head down to the front desk and talk to someone there about it. The front desk people have always been very good about helping me out with a lower bed when I need it, I'm sure they can help with the door too.

 

[I Love Pluto]

The personnel at Pop are wonderful people! I agree - talk to your front desk. They will help!

 

[chaoslobster]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to go ahead with the trip and see what happens - the reason I'm worried is because my ankle fusion was a month ago and I'm still in a cast and won't be able to walk for another 6weeks. My surgeon anticipates I ought to be capable of walking short distances with my cane by September, but if I wait until then to see how it goes, it'll be too late to get reservations during Food & Wine festival.

I appreciate the tip about having someone remove the springs from the room door. I'll definitely ask for that, I never even realized it was an option. I guess I just assumed the door fought me because it's heavy and therefore naturally disinclined to move, not because it's designed to swing shut. What an idiot.

I have to admit I'm curious about how you get the doors open, Bill. If I don't brace myself securely the Pop door will actually start to push me backwards once I've opened it a foot or two, instead of me continuing to push it open further. I can't wear flip flops because of that, or my feet slide right back along the ground because the door's heavier than I am. If I were sitting in a chair there's no way I'd get it open. I might be able to push it a few inches open providing the chair didn't start to slide, but I'd need both arms to do it, and once I let go the door to wheel myself inside, it'd close before I even got my hands down to take the brake off.

If you pop back into this thread, would you mind explaining how you get through the door? Curious minds want to know!

 

[gap2368]

there was a thread on here less then a year ago about someone asking for th springs ( the thing that makes the doors close ) and it was hard for them I think it took them a few days and a few calls I am not trying to say do not go but you may have to push a little for it to get done

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to go ahead with the trip and see what happens - the reason I'm worried is because my ankle fusion was a month ago and I'm still in a cast and won't be able to walk for another 6weeks. My surgeon anticipates I ought to be capable of walking short distances with my cane by September, but if I wait until then to see how it goes, it'll be too late to get reservations during Food & Wine festival.

I appreciate the tip about having someone remove the springs from the room door. I'll definitely ask for that, I never even realized it was an option. I guess I just assumed the door fought me because it's heavy and therefore naturally disinclined to move, not because it's designed to swing shut. What an idiot.

I have to admit I'm curious about how you get the doors open, Bill. If I don't brace myself securely the Pop door will actually start to push me backwards once I've opened it a foot or two, instead of me continuing to push it open further. I can't wear flip flops because of that, or my feet slide right back along the ground because the door's heavier than I am. If I were sitting in a chair there's no way I'd get it open. I might be able to push it a few inches open providing the chair didn't start to slide, but I'd need both arms to do it, and once I let go the door to wheel myself inside, it'd close before I even got my hands down to take the brake off.

If you pop back into this thread, would you mind explaining how you get through the door? Curious minds want to know!

if you decide to see about having strings removed remember to go to desk not call as you call does not go to desk

 

[chaoslobster]

Well... if worse comes to worst, and I absolutely can't manage the door myself, the other option is to bother the front desk twice a day and have them send someone to come and let me out of my room in the morning and back in at night. I assume it'd be easier for them to adjust the door.

I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. As long as I can stand up and walk even a couple feet, I should be able to open the door. It's incredibly difficult but possible, I've been doing it for years. And my surgeon tells me I should be on my feet by then. I just don't want to have to cancel if he's wrong. The door is the only thing that would cause a major issue if it turns out I'm chair bound the entire time.

 

[BillSears]

I have to admit I'm curious about how you get the doors open, Bill. If I don't brace myself securely the Pop door will actually start to push me backwards once I've opened it a foot or two, instead of me continuing to push it open further. I can't wear flip flops because of that, or my feet slide right back along the ground because the door's heavier than I am. If I were sitting in a chair there's no way I'd get it open. I might be able to push it a few inches open providing the chair didn't start to slide, but I'd need both arms to do it, and once I let go the door to wheel myself inside, it'd close before I even got my hands down to take the brake off.

If you pop back into this thread, would you mind explaining how you get through the door? Curious minds want to know!

I'd be happy to. From the outside I roll up to the door and lean forward just a little bit. My left arm comes up to unlock with my magic band and my right hand goes to the handle to open it. Once the handle is depressed I give a nice big push to the door with my right hand. That opens it up about halfway and gives me enough time to put both hands on my wheels. Then I just push forward catching the door on my toes, it sounds bad but the door really isn't moving that fast when I contact it plus I usually wear sneakers that have a bit of rubber on the tips and I can't feel it so it seems fine. Then it's just push the wheelchair and the door opens as I move forward. When I reach the end I usually grab the door with the hand on that side while pushing the wheelchair on the other side, that means the door doesn't scrape the side of my chair or hand. That gets me all the way into the room and past the door.

For going out I move my chair until my front footplates are up against the wall next to the door. Then I grab the door handle with one hand an the other on a wheel. I give a nice big pull on the door and it opens almost all of the way. I grab the other wheel and move into the doorway. As the door closes I place one hand up against it so it doesn't bump into me. Then I sort of lean my shoulder/side of my arm into it as I push out with both hands.

It all seems second nature for me but I've been opening heavy doors from a wheelchair for almost 40 years. The only time I have trouble with doors is when someone wants to "help" me. They almost always end up standing in the doorway while they hold open the door.

BTW, I'm guessing here but it looks like you don't have footrests? Maybe that's why you find it harder, you don't have anything to push open the door.

 

[BabyFu18]

So do the doors at the Disney resorts not have a button to push to open them on the handicap accessible rooms? I've been in hotels before that have a button to open the door and some that do not, however I've never been in a handicap room at Disney. We have a HA room booked this year and I was hoping there would be an automatic door button for those rooms, luckly I am traveling with others who can help me into the room though, but I can see it being difficult if traveling alone.

 

[chaoslobster]

That pretty much explains it! (laughs). If you can shove the door halfway open with a single push using one hand... yes, I imagine that would make it easier. I have the upper body strength of your average toddler, made worse because my hands are clawed into a half-fist position so it's impossible for me to place my palms flat against the door and push. I have to use the outside of my hand or the knuckle, which is seriously painful and I have popped a knuckle out of joint before trying to support my full weight on my hands to transfer from my bed to a commode. That kind of sucked.

You're right about the foot rests. I only use the chair inside the room and I'm not really strong enough to push myself around using my arms, so I don't bother with the foot rests; I don't even bring them. I have full use of my legs, it's just that rheumatoid arthritis and 20 years of prednisone have done a number on my entire muscoskeletal structure. I've had joints replaced one at a time as they break down. Right now the weak link is my right ankle, the one that hasn't had any repairs done. I haven't been up and walking for 10 months now so I really don't know if it's going to support my weight when I'm finally allowed to try it, and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten how to balance upright...

Well. I'll have at least a month of intensive PT before I leave. It'll work itself out, and if it doesn't, I'm going anyway.

Babyfu: The doors at the value resorts don't have buttons, nope. Every other aspect of the room is accessible as long as you can get in there to begin with, and if you're in a chair and don't have both arms and serious upper body strength like Bill, good luck. I don't know about other resorts except that the Polynesian does have the button but I could never afford that.

 

[BillSears]

I don't think I've ever stayed at a hotel where the room door had a button to open it. On the other hand I tend to avoid using the button for an automatic door. It's just too slow so I'd rather open it myself.

 

[BillSears]

Yea chaoslobster, different needs for different people. I've got good upper body strength but everything below my ribcage is totally gone. So for me the door is no problem but the higher beds they sometimes have is a problem. Now I check the room as soon as I can and if it has a higher bed I go and ask for a different room or for them to change the bedding. Last month I was assigned the exact room I had in 2014 but they had changed the bedding between trips so it was now too high. They debated whether to change the room or the bedding and eventually decided to go with a room change.

Good luck with your recovery. PT is a pain but sometimes it really helps.

 

[Kaytie]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to go ahead with the trip and see what happens - the reason I'm worried is because my ankle fusion was a month ago and I'm still in a cast and won't be able to walk for another 6weeks. My surgeon anticipates I ought to be capable of walking short distances with my cane by September, but if I wait until then to see how it goes, it'll be too late to get reservations during Food & Wine festival.

Try using the cane for leverage/propping the door open.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Moderates don't have buttons to open the doors either...
I like Bill, find them more of a nuisance. I didn't find POP's doors to be all that heavy IMHO.

 

[Nanajo1]

If you do get the "springs" released the door does not automatically close and lock. You should check the door and pull it closed.