BWV Studio - to request accessible or not?

[GuardMusic]

My elderly mother technically doesn't have mobility issues, but due to poor sight and balance issues, climbing in/out of a traditional tub is unsafe. (She has twice fallen at MK in daylight.) I've tried looking on the Room sticky on this forum, but can't find what I'm looking for regarding the bathroom configurations.

She always wants to stay at BWV. All I could find online were dated photos of an accessible studio (we don't need larger). While the walk-in shower is perfect, if the bathroom is the same, having only one sink with no storage and inside the bathroom proper is an almost insurmountable challenge for us trying to get ready at the same time. On previous trips either one of us is in the shower while the other is doing hair/makeup at the sink area, or we are both sharing the large sink area. Unless these bathrooms have been reconfigured, I don't know how we would manage this.

Also, I would feel guilty requesting an accessible room since she doesn't use a wheelchair. Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[mamabunny]

She *needs* the roll-in/walk-in shower, correct?

It's not safe for her to try and step into and out of the tub.

I would expect her to request a roll-in/walk-in shower room. It doesn't matter whether she uses a wheelchair or not - what matters is that she needs that particular type of accommodations.

It's not a perfect room - I understand. I frequently travel to WDW with our adult daughter, and we have to stay in roll-in shower rooms due to my limitations. It's tough because the configuration does make it difficult for two ladies to get ready at once; we now travel with a small mirror and a folding easel - one of us will set up shop on the table in the room for hair and makeup, while the other takes the bathroom vanity. It's not perfect, but it works!

Book the room that offers the best, *safest* accommodation for your Mom - and have a lovely trip!

 

[GranJan]

If someone has balance issues, the roll in showers may actually be more problem. Getting to the shower bench on wet floor is dangerous. Sometimes roll in showers get the bathroom floor wet which may not be noticed by someone with vision problems. As my condition slowly worsened & I was constantly learning how to work things out, I booked a roll in shower room when I was using a walker. I hated the roll in shower. Using the walker on a wet floor was difficult. In my opinion, roll in showers are best for those that have equipment to actually roll in, not someone who has difficulty walking trying to get around on wet floor. My preference is the HA rooms with tubs. I've used tub chairs provided by the resort but they weren't really what I needed. I use a shower bench that extends over the side of the tub so I can just sit down & swing my legs over the side of the tub. They're called transfer shower chairs. You can rent one for your trip. I bought one that comes apart & fits in a large suitcase so I always have my own. If she can stand a little, she might be fine in a regular room since she could use the bench to get in the tub & sit on it if she needed to but stand to rinse off with the regular shower head. If she needs the grab bars & adjustable shower head then a HA room would be best. I think most resorts have HA rooms with roll in showers or tubs & you choose which you want if it's available. The HA rooms do have some disadvantages & I preferred regular rooms until I got to the point I needed the grab bars.

 

[mamabunny]

@GranJan - the wet floor in any bathroom can be overcome by laying down dry bath towels; in fact, I typically lay down a bath towel in the bottom of any hotel shower other than WDW, simply because I have found that often the shower floors in hotels are so slippery. It's now become standard operating practice for our family. We often request extra towels at check-in, and if we stay more than a couple of days, we will ask housekeeping for more.

I used to travel with a rubber bath mat, and a length of the non-slip "fabric" that people use a drawer liner, but found out that simply laying down a bath towel offers me the same protection, and with less weight and bulk in my luggage. My own shower at home has been floored with "pool tile" that has a sandy, "grippy" texture, and I have grab bars everywhere.

Everyone's mobility issues are different - where you might fear walking in and out of the roll-in showers, I cannot maneuver in and out of a bathtub to stand for a shower without a rather complex and bulky sliding bath bench, no matter how many grab bars are present, and I require the assistance of an attendant to do so. Sitting down in the tub (without a lift present) is completely out of the question; I would never be able to stand again, and would (no fooling) have to call the Fire Department to rescue me. I can, however, independently maneuver in and out of the roll-in shower.

So, if the OP's Mom is better served by a roll-in shower, then that's what she should use.

 

[GranJan]

@GranJan - the wet floor in any bathroom can be overcome by laying down dry bath towels; in fact, I typically lay down a bath towel in the bottom of any hotel shower other than WDW, simply because I have found that often the shower floors in hotels are so slippery. It's now become standard operating practice for our family. We often request extra towels at check-in, and if we stay more than a couple of days, we will ask housekeeping for more.

I used to travel with a rubber bath mat, and a length of the non-slip "fabric" that people use a drawer liner, but found out that simply laying down a bath towel offers me the same protection, and with less weight and bulk in my luggage. My own shower at home has been floored with "pool tile" that has a sandy, "grippy" texture, and I have grab bars everywhere.

Everyone's mobility issues are different - where you might fear walking in and out of the roll-in showers, I cannot maneuver in and out of a bathtub to stand for a shower without a rather complex and bulky sliding bath bench, no matter how many grab bars are present, and I require the assistance of an attendant to do so. Sitting down in the tub (without a lift present) is completely out of the question; I would never be able to stand again, and would (no fooling) have to call the Fire Department to rescue me. I can, however, independently maneuver in and out of the roll-in shower.

So, if the OP's Mom is better served by a roll-in shower, then that's what she should use.

I recommended the use of a transfer bench. I did NOT suggest that she try to climb in & out of the tub nor stand up in the tub nor sit down in the tub. I am not able to do any of those things either, but I still prefer a HA tub room over a roll in shower room but ONLY with the use of a transfer shower bench. The one I have is not complex. My husband just has to remove the legs to fit it in a suitcase that also gets used to pack lots of other items that would require an extra suitcase anyway or you can rent a bench. We considered that but renting once pays for one. I just wanted to mention to the OP that there are other types of HA rooms that may meet her mothers needs as well or better than the roll in shower room. It seemed the OP was concerned that other aspects of the room may not be as suitable for them as a regular room may be. What works for one may not work for another & others may feel that traveling with a shower chair is too much trouble & don't want to have to rent one. It's what works for me & thought it might work for her mother. I wasn't implying that she shouldn't book whatever type of room that meets their needs. I just know that it took lots of trial & error for me to find out what works best for me & just thought I'd share some other options with the OP so she can decide what would best meet her mothers needs.

 

[GuardMusic]

OP here! Thanks to all for these insights. My mom currently has a shower stool in a shower that has just a 3-4" lip/curb. I had no knowledge of a transfer bench as some referenced above. I think this might be a great option!

Since moving into assisted living and "losing" her condo and car, she really wants to visit Disney and is voluntarily working hard at optional daily exercise classes! Holidays are her fave, so it looks like we'll do WDW in Dec. 2018, and since that seems like a long time to wait, I'm looking at DCL (she's done 2x) in May. There are very few HA staterooms on board and I didn't want to take up one that maybe we didn't really, so this transfer bench (provided by DCL) may solve our issue on land & sea! Thanks all!

 

[noreen99]

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[SueM in MN]

The 2 pictures here are BWV standard studio. They are from the Disney website, which has pictures of all room types.
The current layout of the BWV studios includes a sink in the kitchenette, which is the picture with microwave above it.
The bathroom is divided into an area open to the room with a sink, which is directly across from the kitchenett.
The toilet and tub/shower are in a separate room.
As GranJan mentioned, there are accessible rooms with tubs. Those tubs have grab bars. You can possibly get a simple shower bench from Disney. If you need something more than that - like a transfer shower chair or a chair with a back, it is better to rent one.
I also caution people to check the bolts if you borrow one from Disney. We have had ones where the bolts are loose enough to be dangerous.

 

[SueM in MN]

The wheelchair accessible BWV studios have the kitchenette sink, but it is lowered for access from a wheelchair and the microwave is on the counter.
The actual bathroom in those villas has a sink with a smaller countertop in the bathroom next to the shower.

 

[GranJan1]

View attachment 275037 View attachment 275038 The wheelchair accessible BWV studios have the kitchenette sink, but it is lowered for access from a wheelchair and the microwave is on the counter.
The actual bathroom in those villas has a sink with a smaller countertop in the bathroom next to the shower.

Sue, do you know if these photos were before or after the recent refurb? We just stayed in a BWV roll-in shower studio & it looked nothing like the photo. It looked old, had blue tile with flowers & broken shower bench & no hand held sprayer.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sue, do you know if these photos were before or after the recent refurb? We just stayed in a BWV roll-in shower studio & it looked nothing like the photo. It looked old, had blue tile with flowers & broken shower bench & no hand held sprayer.

The photos were pulled from the Disney website just before I posted them. I believe the refurb at BWV has all been completed and the pictures do match what I have read about the refurb.
From what I have seen, Disney doesn’t change their pictures until the refurb is completed (so people will be pleasantly surprised rather than see a refurbished room and get one that’s not).

 

[GranJan1]

The photos were pulled from the Disney website just before I posted them. I believe the refurb at BWV has all been completed and the pictures do match what I have read about the refurb.
From what I have seen, Disney doesn’t change their pictures until the refurb is completed (so people will be pleasantly surprised rather than see a refurbished room and get one that’s not).

. If those are photos of the refurb, apparently some of the showers in HA studios were not touched in the refurb. We just stayed in one last week & it was in bad shape. I thought the blue flowered tile didn’t go with the paint colors at all. I wish I had taken a picture. Wonder why they didn’t refurb all the showers?

 

[SueM in MN]

Maybe they are not done.