Handi Rooms ???

E

Evltwin

Guest
My DM will be using an ECV and we requested first floor at OKW for medical reasons. The confirmation came with a "medically challenged" notation. Does this mean she will get a handicap room? I have heard that they do not have a regular shower and there is no whirlpool tub. Is this true? I know she is looking forward to that tub! Should I call and change the request and carry the ECV up the stairs if we get a second/third floor unit?
Thanks
Evltwin
 
No. Call CRO and ask for the special needs person. Tell them exactly what your needs are. First floor room with a tub. Emphasize that you do not want a roll in shower and it is not a safe option for your Mom.

Lisa
 
We are members at OKW since 1993 and always just reserve a regular first floor room. The one who uses a wheelchair is my DD who is not very large and doesn't require the other wheelchair accesibility.

The wording they have always used on our reservations was "Request first floor for Medical Reasons" or some very similar wording. The reason they use that is to be able to tell who needs first floor and who is just requesting it for some other reason. They fill the medical requests for certain room locations/types before they fill the general requests. It's possible that they changed the wording on their code for some reason.
The one time we did try a totally wheelchair accessible room, it was noted on our reservation that we had a wheelchair accessible unit. I don't recall for sure how you got in, but I'm almost positive there still was a whirlpool tub; it just was arranged to have steps and a rail or something. The shower in the wheelchair accesible rooms is just a tiled area without a door and a wheelchair or shower chair can be rolled right in. The slope of the floor is supposed to keep the water in the shower (notice I said "supposed to").
The shower is not in the same room as the whirlpool in the regular rooms or the handicapped rooms. The whirlpool tub is in a large room with just the whirlpool and a sink that are open to the master bedroom. The toilet, shower and another sink are in a separate room beyond that.
I suggest you call to make sure, but my hunch is they just re-worded the "These people have a medical need for the first floor" language. If you are renting thru DVC or are a member of DVC, you can just use the member services number. If you are renting in another way, then use Resort Special Reservations at (407) 939-7807 (voice) or (407) 939-7670 (TTY).
 
Thanks, I think I'll call and make sure what "medically challenged" means.
 
If you are a DVC member &/or made your reservations through DVC Member Services, then I wold suggest contacting them directly. You can either call or email them. Have fun!
 
We have stayed in an OKW handicap 2-br when staying with my brother who uses a ECV. While it did have roll-in showers in both baths, there was still a whirlpool tub in the master bath. I know others have complained about using the roll-in showers, but DH and I didn't have any problem with them - they are actually larger.

Something to keep in mind - how wide is your ECV? Often the doors are wider into handicap rooms than into 'regular' rooms.
 
Thanks, Mary Ellen. I remembered the whirlpool still being there. I don't remember a problem with the roll in showers at OKW (probably because the bathrooms are very large compared to any of the other WDW resorts). We did have a problem at (what used to be) Dixie Landings. When we gave DD a shower there, it splashed a lot and we ended up with water all over.
OKW is probably the best place for someone with mobility problems. If you have a car, you can park almost right outside your door. Even the regular rooms have a lot of space for moving around and enough room to turn around in each room. They are quite a bit bigger than the comparable rooms in the other DVC resorts.
 


We just got back from staying in a 2 bedroom at the OKW last week. I only requested to be in a room on the first floor in a building with an elevator. They gave us a studio handi-room connected to a handi-1 bedroom. Not sure why they did this but it was OK with us. The studio bathroon just had the roll in shower but the bathroom in the 1 bedroom had a roll in shower plus a very large whirlpool tub!!! I really didn't notice any other differences for being a hani-room. Any other questions?
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top