Medical request ignored at CBR

[spiceycat]

I am so sorry that your request weren't meet.

I didn't even make any request until we got there - first floor (mother has problems with steps) and near a bus stop.

got building 16 Martinique. It was nice. the lobby wasn't far. but believe me at 83 anything is far. I think I got a good location because I did ask for and received a wheelchair. Otherwise mother couldn't have made it around the resort much less the parks. She tried the first day to walk to the food court. Well guess what we didn't go to the parks that day.

of course when we stayed at OKW there was this guy that looked in his 60's he was 93!!! His wife was much younger - but he looked GREAT!~~

 

[Lewisc]

That comment was directed to another poster who requested that a room be available at 1:00, prior to normal check in. I don't think, but don't know for sure, that requests like that don't fall under the ADA. I think it's rude to complain if you're not getting a courtesy.

My post was also directed more to guests who need a HA room. The limited number of HA rooms makes other room selections problematic.

I think Disney would do a better job if they found out exactly what you needed. They limited availability of rooms by adding other requests. Paying for a water view reduced the number of rooms available to you.

Lewis
I am wondering if you are saying I am rude for making a complaint?
I was VERY specific when I called ... I did not need HA. I needed a room close to the bus stop and close to Old Port Royale.
I have quite a few conditions, but the ones that

 

[safetymom]

If you needed to be near old Port Royale you should have paid the extra and stayed in a preferred location. That way you would have been there and it wouldn't have been a request.

I am sorry to hear you had problems on your vacation.

 

[meandtheguys2]

If you needed to be near old Port Royale you should have paid the extra and stayed in a preferred location. That way you would have been there and it wouldn't have been a request.

I am sorry to hear you had problems on your vacation.

She had worked with Special Services and paid for a Water view, what else was she supposed to do? Unless I missed something, her bases should have been covered. The folks here might know about room choices, but what about the average tourist. I think they should be able to count on the "experts" at Disney o fulfil a simple medical related room request. This wasn't some yahoo who had read room 2004 has the best of everything, and demanding that particular room.

 

[heavenleigh412]

It was a medical request, and I DID pay extra...
I am glad you make it sound so simple, but it wasn't...
I didn't make demands, I didn't flip out because I didn't like the view...
I am upset because I spent my time at the resort passing out on the grounds... I hardly call that not enjoying my vacation!
The people at Disney could have made this easy, and they didn't.
The point here is that Disney needs to train the Special Services department to be able to deal with disabled people.

 

[fran99999]

I dont think its a disney thing as much as a CBR thing.
I went there last Sept after making my reservation 9 months out. I was told there were no preferred rooms. OK I made the reservation. I also specifically told them I would need 2 first floor/non smoking connecting rooms. I was bringing 3 children with my DH and myself thats 5 people ie 2 rooms. I needed first floor as I use an EVC and non smoking because both myself and my children have very bad asthma ( that is why we go in off months, its worse in the heat)

Well imagine my surprise and that of the bell person when we got to my building and they were on the 2nd floor. My confirmation stated very clearly ground floor/EVCuser
Nonsmoking medical reasons.

Back to the desk we went as it wasnt possible for me to get up to my room to call. They said ok they have a room for me in Building # and the other room will be in Building #. I asked them which room they prefered the 3 unsupervised children all under 12 would be best in. Well the CM got all huffy and went to the back office for the upteenth time to return with that is the best we can do. You will have to split up the kids between the rooms and have an adult in each room. YA RIGHT.

I asked to speak to the manager. The CM came back and said the manager told him this was the best he could do. I demanded to see the manager in person. The "Manager" came out( i doubt this was the actual manager no name tag). I asked him to please call the other disney hotels and please find us the 2 rooms that met our needs and confirmation information. I was not however willing to stay in a Value resort as they dont offer the other amenities that a moderate and up do not offer. I also said that I would be willing to pay the extra for preferred rooms as I had actually requested these but was told they were not available during the booking process.
The "manager" went to the back room and amazingly came back with 2 ground floor, non smoking connecting rooms.

Now tell me they just became available at 7pm at night. I think not. OH and this building was much closer to Port royal than the other room. But still not preferred, which was fine with me as I didnt pay the extra fee for preferred.

I think CBR's room assigner just puts you anywhere without looking at the requests and if you do get your requests its by chance only.

As you may have guessed I will NEVER suggest or stay at CBR. ( sorry long)

 

[safetymom]

There is a difference at CBR between paying for a water view and a preferred location. Both cost extra but they are not the same thing. Reservations should have explained this when you booked the room.

 

[heavenleigh412]

well they did not, they also said there was no problem with my medical requests AND my water view even though I offered to give up the water view as the medical requests were more important.
There is also no option for preferred location at CBR.... only options are standard or water view or king bed.

 

[heavenleigh412]

Safetymom,
I realize you are a moderator here, and I am just a member, but I must say you are making me feel like being disabled and requesting help for it was a crime I committed.
I never claimed to be an expert on booking at CBR, in fact it was the first time I have ever stayed there. My only expectation was that they would do what they said they could do for me, otherwise I would have booked elsewhere.
I never asked for compensation, in fact I want none... I just want to be able to book a reservation, and be able to enjoy my time at Disney as much as anyone else with no undo hardship.
I have always sent letters when we experienced wonderful things at Disney and thanked them for the things they do above and beyond what we ever expected.
Why should I not send a letter when the treatment was less than what we have come to expect?
The room that we received (Aruba 5226) was so far from a bus stop, it was ridiculous... it felt almost like being punished for making a medical request.
My daughter was SCARED to go back to the room after a park, because she knew that I would pass out on the walk to the room. That is undo hardship not just on me, but on an 11 year old girl. I had really hoped for a bit of compassion, and some encouragement when I brought it up(especially from a moderator) Shouldn't everyone be entitled to the best Disney vacation possible, even if they are disabled?
I find it amazing that posts I have seen here on the Dis boards involve people complaining that they did not get the view they wanted, but my MEDICAL request encountered negativity.

 

[bopper]

Couldn't you take the bus to the main area and then request them to transport you to your room via golf cart? If they gave you a hard time then you would say that you asked for a room near the bus stop but they did not give you one as promised.

 

[safetymom]

I am not making judgements about you or any one else. I was just stating that there is a difference at CBR between water view and preferred locations. CBR is the only moderate that has the extra charge for a preferred location.

I agree that WDW didn't take care of your needs. But for others when requesting a rrom at CBR a water view room could be in Trinidad South. Paying for a preferred village at CBR will get you Martinique or Trinidad North. Both villages being the closest to a bus stop and Old Port Royale.

 

[safetymom]

heavenleigh412, I also never stated that you should not send a letter. If you had issues you have the right to tell WDW. I also send letters when I receive good or bad service.

For anyone having issues during a stay at a hotel the best way is to deal with it while you are there. You are right to be frustrated.

I was just trying to point out that there is different views and bed choices at CBR that cost more. I hope you receive some satisfaction on this matter.

 

[heavenleigh412]

A preferred location was not an option given to me though (which I pointed out a few times before)
I was offered a standard view, a water view, or a king sized bed.
Preferred location wasn't offered when I booked, and it wasn't offered when I called Special Services and asked if I should give up my water view. I have only seen it offered for deluxes, so I didn't even ask for it at CBR.
I think CBR is a beautiful hotel, but I no longer think it is a good choice for the disabled (or at least not people who are disabled like me)
The invisible disability issue is one I guess we will be fighting for a long time to come!
I have plenty of time to get an answer and do some more research into what hotel would work best for me when we go back 12/06.
I am hoping their response will include an answer as to how to get the best accomodations for my particular condition, and be able to thoroughly enjoy all aspects of my vacation!

 

[Lewisc]

If I was cynical I'd say you were given two connecting rooms that were blocked for someone else. It's also possible one of the rooms was closed for maintenance and they finished early, or just scheduled whatever needed to be done later.

Now tell me they just became available at 7pm at night. I think not. OH and this building was much closer to Port royal than the other room. But still not preferred, which was fine with me as I didnt pay the extra fee for preferred.

I think CBR's room assigner just puts you anywhere without looking at the requests and if you do get your requests its by chance only.

As you may have guessed I will NEVER suggest or stay at CBR. ( sorry long)

 

[spiceycat]

I know you won't believe this - but believe me if I hadn't seem it I won't believe it.

WDW resort have early evening maids. they do the extra that some guess want. but they also clean the rooms up for check in.

so yes these rooms could have just come up.

heavenleigh412

I am so sorry that you didn't get the room you NEEDED. I would definitely complaint to guest services. I would have complainted loudly to the manager. I agree with fran - I think this is a problem with CBR and they need to fix it. WIth your problems even Pop Century would have been better.

there are few other WDW resorts are spread out as CBR. So trying to get around it is a pain.

I can't understand why you were not offered a wheelchair???? they are free. I think your daughter would rather push your around in one - than go through the panic attack she probably had when you were down.

 

[heavenleigh412]

My daughter would have happily pushed me around in a wheelchair ... she did it at the parks!
One was not offered to me, and I didn't know I could even ask for one at the hotel.
I suppose I could have researched this, but I still don't think I would have requested one in advance, because I thought I had taken care of my needs, and would hate to take a wheelchair someone could use more than I could.

 

[SueM in MN]

Paying for a preferred village at CBR will get you Martinique or Trinidad North. Both villages being the closest to a bus stop and Old Port Royale.

That was what I was trying to say on (I think it was) page 2.
I think the history of that is because most people had "close to Old Port Royale" as their first request, so they made it an "extra cost choice" rather than disappoint the many people who could not get their request (since there are few buildings that met the definition of "close").

They may not have offered preferred location to the OP because they were none left. Some things they probably should have mentioned were that if you were close to a bus stop, you could get on the bus and go to Old Port Royale. I'll be interested to hear what the response to the OP is.

For future reference, check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board. It has information about getting wheelchairs or ecvs (at the parks or from an outside rental company) and loans of wheelchairs at the resorts.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

the only remote reason i can see why this happened is because they're really booked right about now. but i would have complained to the hotel manager i mean if you have medical problems then there's no excuse to why you shouldn't have been accomadated.

 

[dclfun]

I"ve heard of multiple problems with getting medical requests met at the resorts lately and can't imagine the distress the OP went through just trying to get to/from her room. It's not just CBR - I've read on these boards of similar problems at other resorts. There is an obligation to meet a medical request and if the resort at which a person has booked, paid, and indicated that request cannot meet it, then it's not unreasonable to be moved to another resort of comparable accomodations ( ie to another moderate in this case or bump up to a deluxe if that's all there is). When I couldn't get a manager at POFQ to understand why someone in a wheelchair who is unable to transfer cannot use a non w/c accessible bathroom then I called special services directly from my resort room to see where I could be moved. I didn't like having to get so upset but I was there to enjoy my vacation and what I was given at the resort where I booked wasn't appropriate at all and I was told there was no other room to move to w/in that resort. I just wish the OP had gotten her issue resolved right then and there but unfortunately she is left with the only recourse available...writing a letter. I hope it serves as another wake up call to both reservations and resort managers regarding special need requests. Kathy

 

[Lewisc]

Many of us are convinced many able-bodied guests used to rent wheelchairs to bypass ques in the theme parks.

Many of us are convinced many of the SW pre-boarders are abusing pre-boarding. It's a miracle how the same guests who have difficulties boarding the plane are in perfect health when leaving.

Disney isn't really allowed to ask for a doctors note or question a guest, nor should the be allowed to. I wonder if the number of guests asking for close rooms with reasons like, having difficult walking, is making it more difficult to meet the more legitimate requests of guests with specific medical problems. Disney isn't really able to differentiate guests with medical problems and with guests who want a close room and who know how to word the request.

Some of the hotels have a reservable category for the buildings close to the main building. I am amazed that Disney doesn't insist that guests who need close rooms reserve that category of rooms. Posters on this thread have already said they would have done that if it was suggested.