pay the price of preferred room if handicapped

[krisann22]

Hello

Its been a few years since I've been to Disney world. Back then you could ask for a room close to the lobby or bus stop and get it at regular price. Now I see that those rooms are called preferred rooms and they are charged more. Do people who are handicap and can only use the rooms closer to the lobby have to pay the extra charge? Thanks Kris

 

[geek+nerd]

To be honest with you, if you have a mobility disability that would require you to be close to the lobby, there is no way you are making it around Disney World without a mobility device. And if you have a mobility device, you wouldn’t necessarily need to be close to the lobby.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, you would have to pay the regular (or sometimes general public discounted) room rate. There is no "break" for guests wanting close rooms for mobility or any other disability reason.I

The prices you see for Preferred locations à the regular prices for those rooms.

 

[krisann22]

To be honest with you, if you have a mobility disability that would require you to be close to the lobby, there is no way you are making it around Disney World without a mobility device. And if you have a mobility device, you wouldn’t necessarily need to be close to the lobby.

I will be renting wheelchair/scooter at the parks just not for around the hotel.

 

[Nan 66]

I would rent a scooter for your entire stay.My husband has issues and we always rent from an outside vender.The scooter is waiting at the resort and we also book preferred . It makes all the difference .

 

[SueM in MN]

I will be renting wheelchair/scooter at the parks just not for around the hotel.

As others already mentioned, there is no discount or special access to the Preferred rooms because of disability. They actually changed to ‘Preferred Rooms‘ being a booking category long time ago. So many people were requesting it for various reasons that there were many more requests than could be met.

If you are concerned about walking distances, you probably need to consider renting a wheelchair/ECV from a company that can deliver it your resort so you can use it both at the park and resort.
Even if you pay for a Preferred room, some are farther away from bus stops and facilities than others, so may not be what you consider close enough.
If your resort has more than one bus stop and you don’t choose to pay extra for Preferred, you can request close to a bus stop in the non-Preferred area.
No guarantee you will get it though, but if you are close to a bus stop, in a multi-stop resort, you can probably use the bus to get around the resort or there will be an internal bus.

 

[lanejudy]

Are you needing a wheelchair accessible room? Or will a regular room do (an ECV will fit in either, main difference is an accessible bathroom with room to manuever a wheelchair)? Depending on the resort, "preferred" rooms are generally those closer to the lobby/transportation/dining. There are wheelchair accessible rooms in pretty much all categories, spread throughout the resort.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I will be renting wheelchair/scooter at the parks just not for around the hotel.

If you are concerned about walking around the hotel, then I would definitely consider renting from a company that can deliver a scooter for your length of stay. The walk from the buses to the gate at the parks is NOT short, and you are going to have to stand through security/ bag check to get into the park to rent something. You also run the risk of scooters being sold out by the time you get to the park which does happen a good bit.

 

[siren0119]

I will be renting wheelchair/scooter at the parks just not for around the hotel.

If you want to be guaranteed to have a scooter or wheelchair when you go to the parks, you are much better off renting from an outside company and having it for the length of your stay. The parks have limited supplies of scooters and wheelchairs.

 

[geek+nerd]

If you are concerned about walking around the hotel, then I would definitely consider renting from a company that can deliver a scooter for your length of stay. The walk from the buses to the gate at the parks is NOT short, and you are going to have to stand through security/ bag check to get into the park to rent something. You also run the risk of scooters being sold out by the time you get to the park which does happen a good bit.

Agreed. Additionally, it is significantly cheaper to rent off site than in the parks.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Agreed. Additionally, it is significantly cheaper to rent off site than in the parks.

That's true, I didn't even think about cost as a factor. I am saving $150 vs renting in the parks for a 7 day rental.

 

[Bjkandma]

It may be cheaper for you to rent an ecv (I sugges t this), or a wheelchair for the length of your stay. The walk to and from the rental locations in the park, from parking lots (even with using Disney transportation), is long.

renting in park currently costs $50 per day, plus a $20 deposit. You can find outside vendors a lot cheaper and based on length of stay, the savings will add up.

as previously stated, you will pay the regular price for a preferred room.

 

[Bete]

It sounds like you may be afraid of handling a scooter from your resort with Disney transportation to and from the parks. If you are going with others they may be able to get the scooter on and off the buses or whatever mode for you. It does take getting use to if you need to do it by yourself. Each time it gets a little easier as you get to do it. If you are driving by vehicle to the park then you have to dismantle the scooter and get it into the vehicle and then put it together once you reach the park. This is not easy but it's doable. Obviously, you need a vehicle that fits a scooter.

You need to remember there's a limited supply of scooters available for rent at the parks. This is especially important if you go at a popular peak times or later in the day if you are not an early riser. There's a waiting list you can get on but that could take hours. Also, you have to wait in line each day to rent one at the park and that takes away your park time. In addition, it's more expensive to rent a park scooter.

 

[Lilsia]

As others have said, if walking any kind of distance is an issue for you, rent an ECV for your trip. Often times, the walk from the bus stop to the entrance of the parks is farther then what you would walk from your room to the bus stops. Especially at HS now.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I would defintely recommend getting an ECV from an outside vendor. Last trip I went on was the first that I had any sort of mobility issues. I have health issues (fibro) but it's never limited me at WDW until my last trip. I had some medication ineractions that caused a major flare and I was wheelchair bound the entire trip. We just rented at the parks and getting to and from the busses and back to the room at night was difficult to say the least.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

As others have said, if walking any kind of distance is an issue for you, rent an ECV for your trip. Often times, the walk from the bus stop to the entrance of the parks is farther then what you would walk from your room to the bus stops. Especially at HS now.

Absolutely! And if you park hop, or are traveling during a busy season, you aren’t guaranteed an ECV at the parks.

I would defintely recommend getting an ECV from an outside vendor. Last trip I went on was the first that I had any sort of mobility issues. I have health issues (fibro) but it's never limited me at WDW until my last trip. I had some medication ineractions that caused a major flare and I was wheelchair bound the entire trip. We just rented at the parks and getting to and from the busses and back to the room at night was difficult to say the least.

I’m so sorry to hear this @5kidsmommy. It definitely adds to the argument that if a person plans beforehand to use an ECV their entire trip (which you didn’t- and I’m glad you were able to rent a chair each day), that they shouldn’t rely on park scooters. You will save money, and pain/frustration (going to/from bus stops and around your resort) if you rent a scooter for your entire stay. Plus, the park ECVs are absolute behemoths!! They are harder to maneuver and are slow. Scooters from outside vendors will be smaller/more maneuverable and probably a little faster. I could’ve run laps around my mom during our last trip (she was in a park ECV & I was in my electric wheelchair)!

 

[DisneyOma]

There are also very few places to sit and rest at the bus stops or outside the gates. The resort bus stops have benches, but they are not near the queues - not an issue if you are going at an off time, but you may have a hard time getting on a bus and getting a seat if you are not in the queue to begin with.