Need help ASAP re: HA options at BLT

[jekjones1558]

The 7 month window opens for me tomorrow. I was checking availability tonight and noticed 3 different HA options. "Florida" will not work for us (low toilet). I know what a roll-in shower would be (we don't need this but that is often all that is available in many resorts). What about the HA rooms at BLT that have the tub option? Do they also still have the separate shower in the master? Is the only difference in the master bath the presence of the grab bars at the tub? Our only real requirement is a high toilet with grab bars. The roll-in shower is actually not good for us because the floor gets slippery and DH's ability to balance isn't too good.
TIA for assistance.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

What size room?

 

[jekjones1558]

What size room?

1 bedroom.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

For future reference I've kept my eye on the BLT reports for HA rooms since my DSis uses a power wheelchair. I've never seen a report of an accessible room that was not in the xx12 (1BR) or xx14 (studio) numbering although I could have missed or people just haven't reported. There are various configs (and at least some of the HA studios have both a tub and a walk in shower!) but here's the pictures of what I think may be the HA 1BR with the tub and they don't show a separate shower....

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33548562&postcount=9

As promised, here is the pictures of some of the handicap features in the one bedroom.

Master Bath Toilet and Shower/Tub

Kitchen

Also the Island is shorter and doesn't have the stools or over hanging counter.

If you look at this post you can find links to photos of a few of the HA rooms that people have posted pictures for.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33152565&postcount=1

Perhaps someone will pop in who knows positively.

edit - (here's a link to another reported description of a 1BR HA room - probably the tub option. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43412987&postcount=1

 

[jekjones1558]

Thanks, Kat. I guess that we will have to decide whether the risk of a slippery floor is better than the difficulty stepping over the edge of the tub to take a shower. I don't know why the separate shower was eliminated from the tub-option rooms unless maybe there is so much extra space used for wheelchair maneuvering. I looked through all of the photos posted to HA 1 and 2 bedroom units and couldn't see a separate master shower in any of them.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I do think I read a report where the person felt DVC did finally manage to build a roll-in shower at BLT that doesn't flood the whole bathroom. True or not? Or just a lucky person? I don't know. Nothing like a potential worse safety hazard in a room where you really need to have the optimum situation.

 

[rlovew]

The pictures on the thread of the bathroom look just like the studio we stayed in this week 7228 (standard view). The tub and toilet were both shorter than normal and the bathroom sink was in the kitchen but the door to the bathroom had a lock on it.

 

[jekjones1558]

The pictures on the thread of the bathroom look just like the studio we stayed in this week 7228 (standard view). The tub and toilet were both shorter than normal and the bathroom sink was in the kitchen but the door to the bathroom had a lock on it.

If it had the low toilet then it must be the "Florida" type HA unit and that would be a disaster for DH.

 

[BCV23]

Jean, I can't help about accessible rooms without the rollin shower but I can tell you that the accessible dedicated two bedroom we had with rollin shower had both the jetted tub and a separate rollin shower in the master bedroom. I would be surprised if the one BR didn't have the same arrangement. I think that picture is of a studio.

 

[jekjones1558]

So confusing. Our April/May trip is already booked in a BWV HA 1 bedroom. I think I am just going to keep what we have for now and try to see a HA room at BLT when I am at WDW in a couple of weeks. It may be tough because I am sure that BLT is fully booked. If we don't end up being able to switch to BLT, it will be nice to be next to Epcot for F&G. Thanks, everyone, for your help.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Jean, I can't help about accessible rooms without the rollin shower but I can tell you that the accessible dedicated two bedroom we had with rollin shower had both the jetted tub and a separate rollin shower in the master bedroom. I would be surprised if the one BR didn't have the same arrangement. I think that picture is of a studio.

The kitchen pictures showing the rest of the room would indicate it's a 1BR.

If it had the low toilet then it must be the "Florida" type HA unit and that would be a disaster for DH.

AKV had an elevated toilet seat one time when we had a room with a low toilet and had my mother along who used a wheelchair and also needed a high toilet seat. I don't know if that's also possible at BLT but we've also gotten assistance at other resorts such as a handheld shower at VWL and a portable shower seat there as well. I think my DSis got a transfer bench - or at least a shower seat at SSR. In a pinch one of the medical rental places could get a raised seat delivered pretty fast which is what we usually did for mom rather than book a specific HA room after we realized the dilemma at AKV and didn't want to risk a resort not having one available. And then we never had to worry about what type of room we'd get either since she did not need a roll in shower and could step into the walk in. It cut out the worry of what we'd get.

What I've found from research is that there are several different combos of HA rooms at BLT but if you book a room with a raised toilet they should provide that.

 

[BCV23]

The kitchen pictures showing the rest of the room would indicate it's a 1BR.

Absolutely the kitchen is from a one or two bedroom. I just was talking about the tub photo. I couldn't tell from your post if the photos were of the same villa. The toilet/water closet in the photo is like that we had in the master bedroom portion of our 2 BR dedicated. Our tub in the master bedroom was just like the tub in a regular one BR at BLT (we've had that when our DD was not with us). Large/jetted and facing the bedroom.

It could also be that the tub photo is of the second bathroom in the one BR....the one off the entry.

 

[jekjones1558]

The kitchen pictures showing the rest of the room would indicate it's a 1BR.



AKV had an elevated toilet seat one time when we had a room with a low toilet and had my mother along who used a wheelchair and also needed a high toilet seat. I don't know if that's also possible at BLT but we've also gotten assistance at other resorts such as a handheld shower at VWL and a portable shower seat there as well. I think my DSis got a transfer bench - or at least a shower seat at SSR. In a pinch one of the medical rental places could get a raised seat delivered pretty fast which is what we usually did for mom rather than book a specific HA room after we realized the dilemma at AKV and didn't want to risk a resort not having one available. And then we never had to worry about what type of room we'd get either since she did not need a roll in shower and could step into the walk in. It cut out the worry of what we'd get.

What I've found from research is that there are several different combos of HA rooms at BLT but if you book a room with a raised toilet they should provide that.

Without going into details let me just say that the toilet extenders do not work for DH, which is why we must have a high toilet. I am always worried when we stay at resorts other than BWV because we were supposed to have a high toilet unit at OKW one year but they gave us a low one. We were able to switch the next day but that one night was not a good one. There is only one HA BW view one bedroom at BWV so we always know exactly what we are getting. It is not an ideal room because it has the high solid wall on the balcony so DH can only really see for a few minutes at a time while standing with a cane. I can't imagine what knucklehead architect designed a high wall balcony for a HA room.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Absolutely the kitchen is from a one or two bedroom. I just was talking about the tub photo. I couldn't tell from your post if the photos were of the same villa. The toilet/water closet in the photo is like that we had in the master bedroom portion of our 2 BR dedicated. Our tub in the master bedroom was just like the tub in a regular one BR at BLT (we've had that when our DD was not with us). Large/jetted and facing the bedroom.

It could also be that the tub photo is of the second bathroom in the one BR....the one off the entry.

It wasn't our room so I can't say positively but it seemed to indicate it was the master. At the end of my post I aso linked a report of another HA 1BR and stated they were surprised that the "shower" in the Master was a tub just like in the second bathroom so it seems to confirm the post with the pictures. Odd but apparently one of the HA set ups at BLT.

Without going into details let me just say that the toilet extenders do not work for DH, which is why we must have a high toilet. I am always worried when we stay at resorts other than BWV because we were supposed to have a high toilet unit at OKW one year but they gave us a low one. We were able to switch the next day but that one night was not a good one. There is only one HA BW view one bedroom at BWV so we always know exactly what we are getting. It is not an ideal room because it has the high solid wall on the balcony so DH can only really see for a few minutes at a time while standing with a cane. I can't imagine what knucklehead architect designed a high wall balcony for a HA room.

I know that HA 1BR! We've received it and then the 1BR just down from it that isn't HA but has the same wall. We had my mom along and had requested to be close to the elevators due to medical reasons and apparently on one of the trips no one else had reserved the HA room. Needless to say she did not see much of the Boardwalk action unless she stood up to take a quick look - having that solid wall for the HA rooms was not really thinking ahead.

 

[DenLo]

Maybe you should write to Member Satisfaction and ask them which rooms have an elevated toilet seat. dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com In fact, I would ask them for that information at all of the DVC resorts that you are not sure about. The other option is to rent (from a medical supplier) a 3 in 1 toilet seat like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Medline-Steel-3-in-1-Commode/7983655. The seats are adjustable to the height needed for the user. The bucket is removed for use with the toilet.

 

[jekjones1558]

Maybe you should write to Member Satisfaction and ask them which rooms have an elevated toilet seat. dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com In fact, I would ask them for that information at all of the DVC resorts that you are not sure about. The other option is to rent (from a medical supplier) a 3 in 1 toilet seat like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Medline-Steel-3-in-1-Commode/7983655. The seats are adjustable to the height needed for the user. The bucket is removed for use with the toilet.

Your suggestion about writing to Member Satisfaction is excellent!
We actually have a frame, without the bucket, that we disassemble and store with our Owner's Lockers. It fits over the toilet. DH also needs the stability of the raised toilet however.

 

[BCV23]

Kathy, it certainly sounds like that one BR has no separate shower as you said. In one of your links, I noticed another one BR which was described in the same way. I suppose it is to make sure there are grab bars in the tub/shower combo but you would think that they could have made the bathroom off the entry that way and constructed the master bathroom in the typical fashion with just the extra grab bar by the jetted tub and a separate shower. Maybe the hall bath isn't spacious enough for that though as I think about it.

Our two bedroom dedicated had the rollin shower in the master. Special services made sure that MS reiterated that to us which was good of them. In our case, it is our daughter who needs the roll in. So she slept in the second BR but showered in the master bath.

Jean, good luck. Denise has a great suggestion. Hope you are able to get some answers.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Kathy, it certainly sounds like that one BR has no separate shower as you said. In one of your links, I noticed another one BR which was described in the same way. I suppose it is to make sure there are grab bars in the tub/shower combo but you would think that they could have made the bathroom off the entry that way and constructed the master bathroom in the typical fashion with just the extra grab bar by the jetted tub and a separate shower. Maybe the hall bath isn't spacious enough for that though as I think about it.

Our two bedroom dedicated had the rollin shower in the master. Special services made sure that MS reiterated that to us which was good of them. In our case, it is our daughter who needs the roll in. So she slept in the second BR but showered in the master bath.

Jean, good luck. Denise has a great suggestion. Hope you are able to get some answers.

I don't really understand only having a tub with grab bars and them completely eliminating the shower. And then having some of the HA studios with both a tub and a walk in or roll in shower? Like some other aspects of BLT it seems like the designer just wanted to be creative and differ from the norm which is tough because it leaves uncertainty over what you'll get. It would have been a good idea to have the living room bath be set up as is shown for the master tub but I think your right that there wouldn't be enough room for a wheelchair. I'd bet that on the inside C rooms they could have taken some room from the laundry and done a nice HA tub set up like that there.

This thread has reminded me that I did want to measure the "standard" toilet heights at the new resorts. OKW toilets seem mini height compared to the newer resorts but gotta measure to be certain. Just something that both DH and I noticed after a stay where we had one night at OKW and then moved to AKV.