will they guarantee a HA reservation?

[jnrrt]

Hi, we are joining DVC, and I understand that all room requests are just requests and not guaranteed, but will they guarantee HA? I can't see how they wouldn't, what would you do if not when you got there?

Thanks.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Requests for Medical reasons are always guarenteed.

If there are no handicap rooms left when you make your booking, you will be advised of this. In any case, it is very, very unlikely that there would be no HA rooms available.

Just once, I have had a problem, caused by 'central reservations' not passing my booking to the hotel, so the front desk had no idea I had a booking, let alone that I had a confirmed booking for a HA room.

When I bought into the Disney Vacation Club I was told that there is one week that there are NO HA rooms available at Boardwalk Villas, because of a 'disability' charity that books every HA room available at BWV for the week on the day that bookings open.

Andrew

 

[SueM in MN]

We have been members of DVC at OKW for over 10 years.
Welcome Home to you!
Member Services handles all special needs requests for DVC members (or anyone staying at DVC using points). If you actually need a Handicapped Accessible room, we have been told those are guaranteed (because, as you noted, if you need that level of accessibility, you will not be able to stay without it). If, by accident they have overbooked HA rooms, they will find one for you at another resort (that is what we have been told and it is not likely to happen).
Other medical requests, like first floor or non-smoking for medical reasons, are not guaranteed. But, those requests are filled before the general requests for the same thing. Whatever request is most important to you should be listed first (because they assume that is why you listed it first). They will try to fill at least that request. The more requests someone has, the more difficult it is to find a room that fits all those requests. In 10 years of staying at DVC resorts, we have always gotten at least our first request.

 

[jnrrt]

Thanks for the replies! That makes sense - I couldn't see how they could not guarantee HA if you need it. I assumed they would block it out when booking or something.

My dad will also need non-smoking since a smoking room would cause real respiratory distress. Would a doctor's letter stating this be enough to also guaratee this request?

 

[SueM in MN]

My dad will also need non-smoking since a smoking room would cause real respiratory distress. Would a doctor's letter stating this be enough to also guaratee this request?

A doctor's letter would not be any more than just him stating it.
Since many more rooms are smoking than are non-smoking, the chance of him getting a smoking room (even without medical need) is not very great.
The bigger problem I have heard of is getting a non-smoking room that has been smoked in because it was assigned to a smoker.

He should put non-smoking as his first request (after HA, which is a room category, not exactly a request). and make sure they list it as a "Medcial Need" .