Best Mod Resort for child in Wheelchair

[tigger2on]

So has anyone stayed in a moderate resort with an individual in a wheelchair? If so, where did you stay and what was your opinion on accessibility.
Thanks

 

[autumnblue]

I have stayed at POR-RS with a wheelchair and didn't have any real problems that I remember, I have also stayed at CBR and POR-FQ and don't recall many access barriers. Keep in mind that none of the moderate resorts have a zero entry pool. Also there are two types of accessible rooms some have roll-in showers others only have grab bars, make sure you let reservations know which one you need.

If the zero entry pool is important to you keep your eyes open for deals at AKL. I have been told however that rooms with roll-ins only have one king bed.


Autumnblue

 

[jdremann]

We stayed at the CBR a few years ago (king bed, roll-in shower, roll-away bed) on the first floor and had no real trouble. We were close to a bus stop but far from the main building and main pool. It was a little cramped with the wheelchair trying to get around with the roll-away bed. Keep in mind that CBR has the largest rooms of the moderates. Our next visit we then stayed at the Dolphin using one of the special sale rates. The Dolphin has larger rooms and was more conveniently located (still 1 king, roll-in shower, and roll-away bed). Much better room access. Quick and easy to get to everything around the Swan & Dolphin (the pool is not zero entry either) plus easier access to Epcot, MGM and Boardwalk. If you can get a good rate, try for the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[SueM in MN]

We've never stayed at Swan and Dolphin, so I can't give an opinion there. We have stayed at CBR, and PO-Riverside and New Orleans. The rooms at CBR are the biggest moderates and most of the pathsways are wide and not too bumpy or steep. It is a large and spread out resort, though. Some people like PO- New Orleans because it is a smaller resort. But it does share buses with Riverside. The food court closed there a few years ago and I'm not sure if it is open again or not. Riverside is a large resort and some people have problems with the bumpy, wooden sidewalks, some of which are kind of steep at bridge areas. One of the things that I remember is that not all of the doors into and out of the main building (check-in and food court) have ramps. Some had steps only and you had to look around for the door with the ramp.

 

[dclfun]

I prefer Coronado Springs, and cannot stay at PO-R due to the layout of the bathrooms. The bathrooms at Coronado are more spacious, all "one room" and have a sliding door. At CBR, there is no automatic door into the Old Port Royale building, which makes travelling solo very difficult. ---Kathy

 

[maduusa]

We stayed at Carribbean Beach 2 years ago. We bought a package, and there were four of us, so we got two adjoining rooms at no extra charge. One had a king bed and roll-in shower and one had 2 double beds. It was the first vacation we have been on that the kids didn't have to take sleeping bags and camp out on the floor or on cots. We requested a room close to the food court, and we were only a building away.


chel

 

[pumpkinboy]

We have a redheaded 6 yr old who is wheelchair bound. We do not recommend PO unless you can be assured you will be at the first bus stop in the complex. We were there last January, and had to wait thru four buses before one had room for our son's wheelchair (Not Acceptible). I know that CBR also has multiple bus stops, but do not know anything about CSR.

I would be inclined to see if you can't get a deal at the wonderful Animal Kingdom Lodge (my favourite in the whole of WDW!). Since it is only one stop, you are assured of being the first ones on every time. The Zero-entry pool and water wheelchair were wonderfully liberating for our son too. And the theming of the resort is just magnificent (and story time at the firepit on the Savannah was a great favourite too). We had a non-HA room, which tho a little tight sometimes, was perfectly fine for us. Notably, we noticed a number of ECVs charging in the hallway every morning, so I am guessing that AKL is one of the more wheelchair accessible resorts.

Another cost effective plan might be to rent points on the DVC rent-trade board (here at WDWinfo), and get a room at BWV or BCV (walking distance to Epcot and MGM!) for a very reasonable price. VWL is also a good possibility thru DVC, and OKW has more spacious rooms, but suffers from the multiple bus stop problem. Since you are planning well in advance, you have a decent chance of getting your first choice. And the nice thing about DVC rooms is the kitchen facilities, obviating the need to rent a fridge, and giving you a little more flexibility in the eating department. This is especially important if anyone has any special dietary requirements. Renting DVC points can put pretty luxurious room within the price range of the moderates, maybe lower.

Good luck

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
VWL is also a good possibility thru DVC, and OKW has more spacious rooms, but suffers from the multiple bus stop problem. Since you are planning well in advance, you have a decent chance of getting your first choice. And the nice thing about DVC rooms is the kitchen facilities, obviating the need to rent a fridge, and giving you a little more flexibility in the eating department. This is especially important if anyone has any special dietary requirements. Renting DVC points can put pretty luxurious room within the price range of the moderates, maybe lower.

Good luck[/COLOR]

We have been DVC members for over 10 years, with OKW as our home resort. Even though there are multiple bus stops there, we have never had a problem getting on the bus. I think because the arrangement where you can park right outside your room, there may be more people who bring their cars and don't use the buses. Also, the one and 2 bedroom villas there are particularly huge, with lots of room for driving a wheelchair. We have also stayed in a 2 bedroom at VWL and at BC. They were not wheelchair accessible rooms, so I can't say if those are any larger, but we found the space to be pretty tight in the regular rooms with a wheelchair (narrow adult manual chair). And if the couch in the living room is open into a bed, it's not possible to get by it to go into the second bedroom.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by SueM in MN
We have been DVC members for over 10 years, with OKW as our home resort. Even though there are multiple bus stops there, we have never had a problem getting on the bus. I think because the arrangement where you can park right outside your room, there may be more people who bring their cars and don't use the buses.

Thx for the info Sue. Once again you prove to be an invaluable resource here. I am glad to hear that OKW works well for the wheeled members of our families. Since the point costs of rooms there are relatively low, we will need to try it out when we want to stretch our points. We bought at BWV purely for location, bcs we can walk to the wonderful dining option in Epcot and head to the Food & Wine Festival in the fall. We also liked it bcs some of the Grand Villas are all on one level; I think BW is the only one of the DVC resorts where you can get a GV without stairs.

So Tigger2on, put OKW as a primary choice if you choose to go the DVC route. Friends tell me it is a beautifully themed resort, and much more relaxed than many of the other WDW resorts. It might even pay for you to look into buying into DVC, since you seem to be a frequent WDW visitor. There are some good deals in the resale market, or the new SSR might appeal. And if you go more often than once every 3 yrs, it pays for itself quickly (my calculation was 5-7 yrs).