Treehouse Villas - Handicap - hard to get?

[SueM in MN]

When I made our 2nd week reservation for June at 7 months out we could have had 3 nights in a HA Treehouse so the availability was there, just not enough nights for us. I would have loved to stay there but 3 resorts in one trip was just too much for us to manage so we have chosen to spend the whole second week at Kidani instead.

It seems to me it would be a relatively simple thing for Disney to add ramps to more (even all?) of the Treehouse Villas which would work fine for those who don't need a fully accessible setup but just can't manage stairs. This would free up the fully accessible units for those who really need those adaptations.

I agree and here's a website with great pictures that makes the case that ramps on more of the treehouses would enhance the experience by making guests feel more removed from the ground. I expect people without disabilities would probably complain about the distance. It would be great though for those with stair problems who don't need anything else.
http://www.critiquethis.us/2009/09/04/ada-ramps-gone-wild-disney-treehouse-villas/

 

[Mom B]

I think if you can't get the HA treehouse you need at the 7 month window, there is hope if you waitlist for it. We reserved the last 2 nights of our trip at SSR in a regular HA 2 BR villa online, then waitlisted for the same nights in a HA treehouse. I was somewhat shocked and amazed that the waitlist DID come through and we were automatically booked into the HA treehouse a couple of months later. (I'm not sure of the exact date it changed but I think it was probably at about 5 months?) After reading this thread, I just checked to make sure that the reservation says it is wheelchair accessible and it definitely does. I suppose you don't know for sure until you get there and check in but I'm thinking it looks good so far...at least we have it in writing!

 

[peemagg]

My MIL is paralyzed from the ribs down. So, if she had to have a Handicap Accessible room, would it be just a request? She needs a ramp, bed rails, accessible bathroom. Showers aren't a bid deal, because she needs a special set up anyways.
It has been 2 1/2 years and she used to go to Disney at least every other year. She hasn't even asked to go since. We want to encourage her to visit, but not if she is just going to be on a waiting list. It seems like Disney may have accommodations for people like her.

For your Mom, she would need to have a handicapped accessible room slotted for her. This is not as hard (I believe) in all other resorts as in the Tree House Villas. There are only 4 of those that are handicapped accessible. All other resorts have more rooms that she could use.

When you make a reservation for her, make sure that you stress that the room is "medically necessary", not a request. Requests can't be guaranteed, but Medically necessary must be guaranteed, if there is a room available in the category you are wanting.

 

[Schmeck]

When I made our 2nd week reservation for June at 7 months out we could have had 3 nights in a HA Treehouse so the availability was there, just not enough nights for us. I would have loved to stay there but 3 resorts in one trip was just too much for us to manage so we have chosen to spend the whole second week at Kidani instead.

It seems to me it would be a relatively simple thing for Disney to add ramps to more (even all?) of the Treehouse Villas which would work fine for those who don't need a fully accessible setup but just can't manage stairs. This would free up the fully accessible units for those who really need those adaptations.

I disagree - those ramps are huge, and very intrusive-looking, taking away the charm of being in a treehouse. I understand the need by law for a few of them, but they'd have to change the name to 'Rampland' if they did it to all of the units. There'd be no trees left, and they'd be encroaching on some of the wetlands as well.