What grand villa is the most accessible?

[GeckoLeaf]

We're starting to plan out a WDW trip for 2025. Current plan is for six adults, so we'd like to splurge and go for a three bedroom grand villa. Two of the six have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, with one having a port and the other having pretty severe joint issues in their knees, hips, and lower back. A few of the grand villas seem out of the picture like Saratoga Springs Treehouses. I noticed however that there seems to be an accessible option for most of the grand villas; including the Kidani villas, which is interesting because they seem to usually be two floors.

If anyone has more information about what the level of accessibility is in the various grand villas that would be amazing. Points in particular we'd like to know are:

. Are accessible villas in resorts that are usually two floors one level?
. Is the full villa accessible, or only one bedroom/bathroom?
. For the bathroom situation, are there any villas that have a shower ledge in multiple/all bathrooms?
. If you've stayed in a grand villa and are disabled, what was your personal pros/cons of the villa you stayed at?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We stayed in an accessible GV at OKW. I have a neurologic condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, which means, for me, I can hardly walk more than 1-2 steps without a walker. The GV was two story, and since I can't do stairs, I was only on the first floor. The Master Bath was accessible with a slight lip going into the shower, but that lip was made of hollow latex, like a bicycle inner tube, so it easily "squished" down, and it was only about an inch high. None of the other bathrooms were accessible.

 

[Evita_W]

Honestly, in our experience, even the "accessible" Grand Villas don't tend to be truly accessible.
In general, you will get:

• A smaller refrigerator, so that the height is considered accessible.
• A washer/dryer that is a single unit that is a front loader and takes about 6 hours to dry anything
• Possibly a walk in/roll in shower depending on location
• Grab rails in one bathroom
• Generally will be a two story unit (Riviera is often a single level though)

In our experience, you are better off getting two two bedrooms or a two bedroom and a one bedroom or whatever configuration works for your party and request connecting rooms if possible, you may even be able to get both rooms connecting and accessible. For whatever reason even the washers and dryers in the accessible rooms that aren't Grand Villas are better. And as a bonus, you will often get this for fewer points than a Grand Villa. And you can specify if you want a roll-in shower.

Please note this is based off of Grand Villa Stays at Grand Californian and Animal Kingdom Lodge, as well as seeing "accessible" Grand Villas at Old Key West, Boardwalk and Grand Floridian.

Do note though that some resorts will have an outside entrance on the second level, so you could in theory go out the first floor to the elevator and back in on the second floor to access the second floor of the grand villa.

 

[GeckoLeaf]

We stayed in an accessible GV at OKW. I have a neurologic condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, which means, for me, I can hardly walk more than 1-2 steps without a walker. The GV was two story, and since I can't do stairs, I was only on the first floor. The Master Bath was accessible with a slight lip going into the shower, but that lip was made of hollow latex, like a bicycle inner tube, so it easily "squished" down, and it was only about an inch high. None of the other bathrooms were accessible.

This is good to know. Since it's one member of two separate couples we'll need to figure something out with multiple accessible rooms

 

[Evita_W]

This is good to know. Since it's one member of two separate couples we'll need to figure something out with multiple accessible rooms

You likely would be better off booking multiple accessible rooms than a grand villa then.

 

[SueM in MN]

We stayed in the accessible Grand Villa at OKW in building 48. This is the only Grand Villa at OKW where the first floor is a direct roll in from the outside. There are other accessible OKW Grand Villas, but they are entered from the second floor of the building; those few buildings at OKW have elevators to get up to the 2nd floor.
The main/master bedroom and bath are on the first floor and are accessible with a roll in shower. The shower has a soft 'bumper lip', but it compresses down to nothing when rolled or stepped on. So, there is nothing to step over to get into the shower.
The other bathroom on that floor is not accessible and is not large enough to get a wheelchair inside. The second floor includes the other bedrooms and bath, which are not accessible. The GV in building 48 has no way to get to the 2nd floor other than the stairs.

The kitchen is accessible. Unlike some other resorts, all the OKW accessible 1 bedroom and up units include full size side by side refrigerato/freezers with automatic ice makers and in door water and ice. They also include regular washers & dryers, not combination washer/dryer.

 

[SueM in MN]

I didn't see if you mentioned whether or not you were a DVC member. If you are not, the chance of getting a Grand Villa is pretty much zero. Even if you are, there are few and they are in demand, so not easy to get.
Getting two 2 bedrooms or a one bedroom and 2 bedroom would probably be much easier to get, especially if you need 2 accessible bathrooms. As far as I'm aware, there are no 2 bedroom villas that connect with other 2 bedrooms

 

[Groot]

A few of the grand villas seem out of the picture like Saratoga Springs Treehouses.

There are at least two treehouses that I know of that are accessible, one has a tub, the other has a roll-in shower. Instead of stairs, they have a long ramp to get into. (Kind of a deal breaker if they are in standard manual wheelchairs and someone pushes them or get tired after a while pushing themselves.)

 

[SueM in MN]

There are at least two treehouses that I know of that are accessible, one has a tub, the other has a roll-in shower. Instead of stairs, they have a long ramp to get into. (Kind of a deal breaker if they are in standard manual wheelchairs and someone pushes them or get tired after a while pushing themselves.)

According to this link from AllEars, there are actually 4 total.
I've not been in them, but have seen from the outside and have seen the pictures from AllEars. The ramps are switchback ramps with a ramp, followed by a flat resting space, then another bit of ramp. I would not necessarily a dealbreaker for pushing a manual chair up.