Wilderness Lodge

[leopardspot]

Is it true that handicap rooms only allow 2 people, and if your party is larger they will give you an extra room for free? I have heard that I have to make reservations througha special number?

 

[dclfun]

I can't recall how many guests the accessible rooms at Wilderness Lodge will accomodate, but if you have special needs then you do need to be transferred to the special services department at reservations. You would call the same number. Basically your party size is accomodated with the same pricing that a non-disabled party size would be able to get at each resort, with each resort being different due to the layout, etc. It's better not to ask for a "free room", but rather state how many guests are in your party and if you need an accessible room, roll in shower, etc. ---Kathy

 

[videogal1]

Originally posted by leopardspot
Is it true that handicap rooms only allow 2 people, and if your party is larger they will give you an extra room for free? I have heard that I have to make reservations througha special number?

It has something to do with the fact that all the accessible rooms have king-size beds...an interesting situation if you are disabled and traveling with an attendant or companion or relative that you don't necessarily wish to sleep with.....ahem.

 

[Lou-Ann]

I would imagine this has to do with the fact that the rooms are smaller than other Deluxe rooma and a wheel chair would not fit comfortably with two queen beds. There is very little room to walk in there let alona to have a chair of any kind.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A few years ago I was at the Contemporary staying on 12 (the "Tower Club" level). There was a room very close to the elevators being gutted. I asked the concierge about it. He said that the room was being converted to accessible.

The reason it had to be gutted was the bathroom had to be enlarged from standard to allow for a wheelchair and possibly an attendant in at the same time. Since the total room size cannot change, the bedroom portion was smaller.

It does seem that they cannot keep two doubles (in the value or moderates) or two queens (in the deluxe) in the smaller living area as well as allowing room to maneuver (and park) a chair (especially if it is a power chair). This appears to be why they only have one king in the accessible rooms.

It does, at least, seem logical.

Mike

 

[BillSears]

Just an FYI. There are rooms in POR and POFQ that have 2 double beds and a roll in shower. They've done this by placing the door between the sink area and the bedroom area. Closing off the entire sink, toilet and roll in shower in one area. I also think that the Poly has rooms what are accesable with 2 beds in it although I don't think that room had a roll in shower(it's been 13 years).

I've stayed in the POR and the Poly rooms and they worked out fine for me. I'll be staying in POFQ at the end of May and I was offered either a roll in shower or a tub. I prefer tubs so I chose that one. It should be a room with 2 double beds with a sliding door seperarating the the sink etc area and the bed area.

So if it's possible for Disney to make the rooms accesable with 2 beds it should be possible to do so at WL. I just wish they had planned on it from the beginning. For right now I'll just pick a resort that suits my needs and stay away from the WL.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's the phone number for WDW Resort Special Reservations:
(407) 939-7807
(407) 939-7670 [TTY]

They are the "special number" that you are transferrred to if you call the regular number. They can help with choosing accomidations that meet your needs and also with getting equipment that you need.

One thing to be aware of for WL:
The direct transportation to MK is by boat. Because of the changing water levels in Bay Lake, it is sometimes not possible to take the boat with a wheelchair or ecv. If the water level is too high, the boat is too high compared to the dock and you won't be able to roll on. If the water level is low, the boat will be too low. They have ramps, but sometimes the water level is too extreme to use a ramp.
If you are not able to take the boat, you can take a bus to the TTC and from there to where you want to go, but it's an extra step to get to MK.

 

[dclfun]

The way the bathrooms are laid out at POR and POFQ make them inaccessible to me and the moderates with the king bed are the only ones that have an "appropriate" bathroom. I found all this out the hard way as I had assumed ( always a bad idea) that the layouts in the moderates would all be similar. If you have a special need such as inability to transfer, need something at a certain height, can only transfer from left to right ( my issue since I'm attached to a ventilator and feeding pump whose tubes go with me), then be sure to let someone know those things so you don't end up spending your first day making arrangements to be relocated. WL as well as YC, BC, and BW ( aside from the villas) all have bathrooms I can't utilize. ---Kathy

 

[pugdog]

when we stayed at allstar sports with 3 people in a king handicapped room they gave a roll away at no extra cost