What area should I request at OKW....mom has mobility issues

[DVCJones]

Hello,

We have plans in April to stay at OKW. I understand that I cannot request a villa near the HH. These are reserved for owners of that resort. (I own at SSR)

My mom has hip and heel issues and plans to rent an ECV for the parks but she will have to walk around the resort. Being as close to the HH would be helpful to her. What section would you request and why?

Personally, I don't care where *I* stay, but I want to make this trip as enjoyable as I can for her.

Thank you!

 

[RobDoc]

I would request a ground floor villa so she won't need to deal with stairs at all. You *can* request a HH villa but they will likely already be reserved for this April. There are a number of buildings near HH that are not included in that category. HH includes Buildings 11-14, 23-26 - but Buildings 62-64, 15-18 and 27-29 are also close to the HH area. 62-64 also have elevators.

I would explain your needs to MS and ask them to assist with the request.

Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

First I highly recommend renting an ECV from an offsite company so that your mother has it for the whole trip - especially since staying at OKW. Maybe that's what is planned but it sounds more like she's planning on just renting at the parks. It will be less expensive from offsite and locations won't be quite as important at the resort.

Second - for a request at OKW you should request a building with an elevator due to medical reasons. Typical request would be building with an elevator or 1st floor due to medical reasons but you could try just the elevator building. There are only 3 buildings that have elevators and they are all close to HH. At least one is even closer than some of the buildings in the HH category.

 

[bumbershoot]

First I highly recommend renting an ECV from an offsite company so that your mother has it for the whole trip - especially since staying at OKW. Maybe that's what is planned but it sounds more like she's planning on just renting at the parks. It will be less expensive from offsite and locations won't be quite as important at the resort.

Absolutely.


My aunt has knee problems and uses a cane, and REFUSES to use any sort of wheels. Even getting to and from the disney bus transportation, she hurt. It can take ages for someone with a problematic joint to walk from the bus dropoff to the gates of the park. And that's not fun for anyone. Oh how I wish my aunt would have just gotten a wheelchair or an ECV; she would have been able to be happy in the parks, instead of just hurting the whole time.

So I encourage your mom to get an offsite ECV rental, to make the time outside of the parks that much easier.


We requested, and got, a 1st floor room because of my aunt's knee.

 

[DisneyHotDog]

I agree with the previous post that you should explain your special needs to the reservationist, take the first floor, and I would still stay as close to the HH as possible because that is where you will find yourself walking to most often.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Request a first floor villa for medical reasons and ask to be close to a bus stop. There are 5 bus stops at OKW, and any one of them will get you anywhere in the resort you need to go without walking.

I also second the idea of an off site ECV rental. I needed to use one of those for a couple of trips in the past, and I could not have done the parks without it. Each time, OKW put us in a first floor villa so we could easily drive it right into the unit to charge it.

 

[johde]

If you want near HH, you could try waitlisting for it. HH area is a booking category like boardwalk view at BWV; or 2 bedroom, 2 queen beds at BCV. They are not reserved for members of that resort but were probably reserved by OKW members. If the room opens up, any member can reserve it.

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you want near HH, you could try waitlisting for it. HH area is a booking category like boardwalk view at BWV; or 2 bedroom, 2 queen beds at BCV. They are not reserved for members of that resort but were probably reserved by OKW members. If the room opens up, any member can reserve it.

While all that is true, it is NOT going to give you a better chance of getting a first floor villa unless you request that need. There are also some disadvantages to the HH booking category. For example: There will not be a door from the hallway/laundry into the master bath toilet area. That means any guests staying in the living room will have to go right through the bedroom area of the master to get to the bathroom. That is NOT convenient for either those in the living room OR those in the master!

 

[DVCJones]

Thank you all for your responses. I have already requested a first floor room for her. I may call back and request one of the sections posted above. I like the idea of a section with an elevator...then it wouldn't matter what floor AND we would be close to the HH. That sounds like an easier request to grant. I have reserved 2 studios for our party of 8, so in addition with the mobility issues, I'm trying to keep us close to each other too.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you all for your responses. I have already requested a first floor room for her. I may call back and request one of the sections posted above. I like the idea of a section with an elevator...then it wouldn't matter what floor AND we would be close to the HH. That sounds like an easier request to grant. I have reserved 2 studios for our party of 8, so in addition with the mobility issues, I'm trying to keep us close to each other too.

Thanks again!!!

Studios are at the ends of the buildings. So you might be on opposite ends, one above the other or completely differnent buildings and sections.

 

[DVCJones]

Studios are at the ends of the buildings. So you might be on opposite ends, one above the other or completely differnent buildings and sections.

I wouldn't mind if we were on a different floor or on opposite ends...a little distance may be a good thing

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I have mixed feelings regarding offsite rental of the scooter. My parents both require scooters when we are at Disney, and we have always rented them offsite for the entire trip. They are the perfect choice when we stay at BWV. However, from BWV, minimal bus transportation is required. My folks can take a boat to Disney Studios, can just scooter over to Epcot, and scooter through Epcot to the monorail to get to MK. The one time we went to Animal Kingdom with their scooters, we took the bus... and therein lies the problem. My dad and mom were visibly humiliated by the process of strapping in their scooters on the bus. The folks sitting in those bus seats had to get up and stand and everybody else on the bus stared at them as the driver put the scooters in their assigned locations. After we returned to BWV (i.e., a second bus ride with the scooters), both of my parents swore they would never again ride a bus with their scooter. If we were staying at a resort like OKW, where a bus was required to get virtually anywhere, then we would definitely choose to wait until getting to the parks to rent the scooters.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I...My dad and mom were visibly humiliated by the process of strapping in their scooters on the bus. The folks sitting in those bus seats had to get up and stand and everybody else on the bus stared at them as the driver put the scooters in their assigned locations. After we returned to BWV (i.e., a second bus ride with the scooters), both of my parents swore they would never again ride a bus with their scooter. If we were staying at a resort like OKW, where a bus was required to get virtually anywhere, then we would definitely choose to wait until getting to the parks to rent the scooters.

Those seats have signs posted over them that the people sitting in the seats will have to give them up to others needing them for medical reasons. No reason at all for your parents to feel humiliated. I'd just blame the others for being stupid and unable to read.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Those seats have signs posted over them that the people sitting in the seats will have to give them up to others needing them for medical reasons. No reason at all for your parents to feel humiliated. I'd just blame the others for being stupid and unable to read.

You're right. There's no way to know why folks stared with aggravated looks during the process... maybe they didn't read the sign, or maybe they felt like they should not be inconvenienced after paying so much for their vacation, or maybe they had a bad day because their kids were cranky, or any number of reasons. And, certainly, I stared back at the offenders with daggers when I realized the effect it was having on my parents. The situation was also exacerbated by the fact that both of my parents had just started having the health issues that necessitated the scooters about the time of our trip. In a perfect world, those who had mobility issues would not be embarrassed during the process. Unfortunately, even WDW is not a perfect World.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with D&B. Those seats are there for that purpose. If they don't use them, someone else in need will. If you have a need, why be embarassed about it?

 

[mickey&minniealways]

I have mixed feelings regarding offsite rental of the scooter. My parents both require scooters when we are at Disney, and we have always rented them offsite for the entire trip. They are the perfect choice when we stay at BWV. However, from BWV, minimal bus transportation is required. My folks can take a boat to Disney Studios, can just scooter over to Epcot, and scooter through Epcot to the monorail to get to MK. The one time we went to Animal Kingdom with their scooters, we took the bus... and therein lies the problem. My dad and mom were visibly humiliated by the process of strapping in their scooters on the bus. The folks sitting in those bus seats had to get up and stand and everybody else on the bus stared at them as the driver put the scooters in their assigned locations. After we returned to BWV (i.e., a second bus ride with the scooters), both of my parents swore they would never again ride a bus with their scooter. If we were staying at a resort like OKW, where a bus was required to get virtually anywhere, then we would definitely choose to wait until getting to the parks to rent the scooters.

Be careful what you ask for you might just get it. We love WDW as do friends of ours. When they went a couple of years ago he had his 80 year old mother with them. She did not want to rent one from an outside company. The got to the MK on the first day and they had none available. The waited 2 hours before they found one. 3 hours the next day. They called an outside rental company at the end of the second day so it was ready for them in the am. When we went the following year FIL came with us and he needed one. We rented it before he even got there. We stayed at OKW. It was delivered to the HH. I drove it from there to our villa #53. He was thrilled and it made manageing the parks so much easier.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Be careful what you ask for you might just get it. We love WDW as do friends of ours. When they went a couple of years ago he had his 80 year old mother with them. She did not want to rent one from an outside company. The got to the MK on the first day and they had none available. The waited 2 hours before they found one. 3 hours the next day. They called an outside rental company at the end of the second day so it was ready for them in the am. When we went the following year FIL came with us and he needed one. We rented it before he even got there. We stayed at OKW. It was delivered to the HH. I drove it from there to our villa #53. He was thrilled and it made manageing the parks so much easier.

Wow... I'm feeling somewhat attacked simply for sharing *my parents* reaction to being in scooters on the bus. (I hope I misread...) I am not wishing bad luck on anyone (or myself) nor am I criticizing anyone for having a scooter on the bus. For *my parents* it has proven more comfortable to just stay at a closer resort where bus transport can be avoided altogether. The OP will certainly know her mom well enough to judge which option will be the most comfortable choice. I always feel that more viewpoints are better than less when weighing options, so I shared our experience.

 

[wood8176]

Pardon my confusion, How do you find out the "booking categories"? I can't see anywhere in my member guide that says "near HH" is a separate category. I do see the different views for Boardwalk, being separate, but not any at OKW regarding HH. Is this something that insiders know from experience?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Pardon my confusion, How do you find out the "booking categories"? I can't see anywhere in my member guide that says "near HH" is a separate category. I do see the different views for Boardwalk, being separate, but not any at OKW regarding HH. Is this something that insiders know from experience?

It doesn't require any difference in points for HH area or non-HH area. They just divided it up into two booking areas.

A mistake in my opinion, though, because it make it harder to book when there are a few room left in HH area, but not long enough for your stay.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Wow... I'm feeling somewhat attacked simply for sharing *my parents* reaction to being in scooters on the bus. (I hope I misread...) I am not wishing bad luck on anyone (or myself) nor am I criticizing anyone for having a scooter on the bus. For *my parents* it has proven more comfortable to just stay at a closer resort where bus transport can be avoided altogether. The OP will certainly know her mom well enough to judge which option will be the most comfortable choice. I always feel that more viewpoints are better than less when weighing options, so I shared our experience.

I do feel sorry for your parents because some louts treated them so poorly. When we brought my mother we borrowed a wheelchair from the resort and told her it would be easier for her. She didn't want to use it, but we made sure she did. I'm certain she felt like a true invalid because of the wheelchair, but it sure made it easier for her. In the end, she was glad she had it.