Help with Elderly Parent and DAS and DVC

[Barbara Lease]

Thank you all again! We called and were able to get the room switched.

I was aware of the ECV for GF to MK boat, and sadly we will have to make it work with the monorail.

I am just excited I will get to take my mother as this may be our last time at WDW together. I am wishing for some happy memories and maybe a little pixie dust, too (although I never bank on the latter).

Thank you all for your help and words of wisdom!

 

[RoseGold]

Thank you all again! We called and were able to get the room switched.

You should be able to see this in your MDE if it is actually booked as an accessible room. It will show the category of accessibility in the title of the room.

Example:

Resort Studio – Theme Park View, Wheelchair Accessible with Tub and Hearing Accessibility​

or

Resort Studio – Lagoon View, Florida Special Accessible Room and Hearing Accessibility​

All of these categories have different accessibility features that might not be obvious.

If you can't see it in MDE, they may have just asked for it in the notes in the DVC chat. Don't be surprised if it can't be filled. It's unclear to me how many VGF2 accessible rooms there are, I actually haven't even seen a pic of one yet. It has to line up with your view and your dates, and you might not get it.

 

[Barbara Lease]

You should be able to see this in your MDE if it is actually booked as an accessible room. It will show the category of accessibility in the title of the room.

Example:

Resort Studio – Theme Park View, Wheelchair Accessible with Tub and Hearing Accessibility​

or

Resort Studio – Lagoon View, Florida Special Accessible Room and Hearing Accessibility​

All of these categories have different accessibility features that might not be obvious.

If you can't see it in MDE, they may have just asked for it in the notes in the DVC chat. Don't be surprised if it can't be filled. It's unclear to me how many VGF2 accessible rooms there are, I actually haven't even seen a pic of one yet. It has to line up with your view and your dates, and you might not get it.

"Room Type: RstStdo-Std WChrAcc RollIn HearAcc 2Q DyBd" is what is being shown. I am asking for a standard view, and it's June, so I am not sure. Hopefully they will accomodate.

 

[Her Dotness]

Don’t know that anyone has mentioned it but the boats between GF and MK cannot accommodate an ECV since they have steps.

That was the case until post-pandemic or maybe 2019, don't recall precisely.

Now, as SteveMouse mentioned, the boat sizes usually alternate between the old small ones and the larger that can take big strollers, powerchairs and scooters.

If there's a small one docked when you approach, ask if the larger one will be coming soon.

If not, look to the right as you face the dock, and you'll see the sign marking the start of the walkway to the GF.

There is a walking path you can use or the monorail.

The new MK to GF path is lovely--wide, beautifully paved and landscaped.

We walked (me) and rolled (DH) from MK to the TTC just for the satisfaction of doing something we'd thought for years would be soooo cool. Only took about 45 minutes at a brisk but not wearing pace. Pretty fun, actually.

 

[RoseGold]

"Room Type: RstStdo-Std WChrAcc RollIn HearAcc 2Q DyBd" is what is being shown. I am asking for a standard view, and it's June, so I am not sure. Hopefully they will accomodate.

That's a standard view with a roll in shower, perfect! You won't be able to change categories, but this one is perfect.

If you can find a walkthrough of a standard, roll in shower room on Youtube, there's a good chance it's your exact room, there won't be many.

 

[Her Dotness]

"Room Type: RstStdo-Std WChrAcc RollIn HearAcc 2Q DyBd" is what is being shown. I am asking for a standard view, and it's June, so I am not sure. Hopefully they will accomodate.

That's precisely what I hoped you might get, because that room type will help your mom in the bathroom soooooo much.

I hope for you both that the shower is like those in VGF1 with a solid bench with handheld and a rainfall overhead. So easy to wash hair with those rainfall showerheads.

ETA: I checked YouTube for a BPK roll-in video. No luck. There aren't many accessible villa video tours. DH and I are strictly 1br people, or we'd do a BPK one. Gonna be back in BPK before next May, RoseGold? J/K

 

[RoseGold]

DH and I are strictly 1br people, or we'd do a BPK one. Gonna be back in BPK before next May, RoseGold? J/K

I will, and once with the chair. But we are in VGF1/BW, which is a whole different story for obvious reasons... Really not looking forward to the one elevator situation at BW. We carry the stroller up the stairs for that horrible elevator situation, but obviously that isn't going to work with the chair. Hoping ground floor will help.

In my last two trips, I generally didn't see an accessible boat to MK and Poly/GF. Poly/GF are now sharing the route which is annoying. WL does have accessible boats, so they exist and it is possible. The boat is fairly large, but it's not accessible. I did see one accessible boat once, late after the fireworks, but that could have been a fluke or the WL boat or who knows. I wouldn't bet on the boat being accessible from VGF. The boat was annoying and slow anyway and every single time I should have taken the monorail.

 

[Barbara Lease]

That's a standard view with a roll in shower, perfect! You won't be able to change categories, but this one is perfect.

If you can find a walkthrough of a standard, roll in shower room on Youtube, there's a good chance it's your exact room, there won't be many.

Yeee, thanks!

 

[Barbara Lease]

I will, and once with the chair. But we are in VGF1/BW, which is a whole different story for obvious reasons... Really not looking forward to the one elevator situation at BW. We carry the stroller up the stairs for that horrible elevator situation, but obviously that isn't going to work with the chair. Hoping ground floor will help.

In my last two trips, I generally didn't see an accessible boat to MK and Poly/GF. Poly/GF are now sharing the route which is annoying. WL does have accessible boats, so they exist and it is possible. The boat is fairly large, but it's not accessible. I did see one accessible boat once, late after the fireworks, but that could have been a fluke or the WL boat or who knows. I wouldn't bet on the boat being accessible from VGF. The boat was annoying and slow anyway and every single time I should have taken the monorail.

Question - what is BPK and BW acronyms for? I would think BW would be Boardwalk.

 

[RoseGold]

Question - what is BPK and BW acronyms for? I would think BW would be Boardwalk.

BW is Boardwalk. BPK is Big Pine Key, which is the particular building the DVC GF "resort" rooms are in.

 

[Barbara Lease]

BW is Boardwalk. BPK is Big Pine Key, which is the particular building the DVC GF "resort" rooms are in.

haha! Thanks!

 

[SteveMouse]

A suggestion or two: you may not want to roll over to the MK on the path. It’s lovely, but does consume some battery. Taking it back to the hotel may be a bit happier, in terms of knowing exactly where electricity is.

On a warm summer‘s evening, the breeze on the lagoon my be more cooling than the heat of the monorail.

 

[Barbara Lease]

A suggestion or two: you may not want to roll over to the MK on the path. It’s lovely, but does consume some battery. Taking it back to the hotel may be a bit happier, in terms of knowing exactly where electricity is.

On a warm summer‘s evening, the breeze on the lagoon my be more cooling than the heat of the monorail.

I was thinking the same thing about the battery. Thank you!

 

[SueM in MN]

"Room Type: RstStdo-Std WChrAcc RollIn HearAcc 2Q DyBd" is what is being shown. I am asking for a standard view, and it's June, so I am not sure. Hopefully they will accomodate.

ALL DVC resorts have accessible rooms. Some of the resorts with a smaller total number of rooms only have a couple with roll in showers - there is a formula in the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulatory guidelines that list the type and number required.

Accessible rooms are a booking category and are guaranteed. If the room that was reserved for you is not available for some reason at check in, the resort is responsible to find an alternative that will work for your needs.

 

[AprilsZoo]

While the PP line is ECV accessible, what you saw is actually rare. They generally cannot stop the moving walkway (it's one of the few rides where they cannot). My understanding is that they cannot do it because there are parts of the ride where the boats are suspended in the air and, if the boats stopped, a passenger could try to climb out. Obviously, they can stop in an emergency, but not to let people on. I've seen reports that early morning/late night can sometimes get the walkway stopped (presumably because there aren't other riders on it that my be stopped suspended in the air).

The entire ride is suspended at DL and they stop it there all the time.

 

[SueM in MN]

The entire ride is suspended at DL and they stop it there all the time.

Peter Pan at DL doesn’t have a moving walkway and stops for every guest to load and unload. The boats are also farther apart and the stopping at load/unload is part of normal operation. It doesn’t make much of an impact and the boats inside the attraction don‘t normally come to a stop.
The boats at WDW are closer together and if the moving walkway slows or stops, all the boats in the attraction do too.

 

[AprilsZoo]

Peter Pan at DL doesn’t have a moving walkway and stops for every guest to load and unload. The boats are also farther apart and the stopping at load/unload is part of normal operation. It doesn’t make much of an impact and the boats inside the attraction don‘t normally come to a stop.
The boats at WDW are closer together and if the moving walkway slows or stops, all the boats in the attraction do too.

True… I should've said stopped. They did use to have the moving walkway, until relatively recently, and I guess I still picture it that way in my head.

I’ll have to look up when they changed it… had to be less than 10 years ago.

 

[SueM in MN]

True… I should've said stopped. They did use to have the moving walkway, until relatively recently, and I guess I still picture it that way in my head.

I’ll have to look up when they changed it… had to be less than 10 years ago.

This video of the Disneyland Peter Pan shows all boats stopping to load and unload, with no moving walkway. It says it was filmed in 2011. At various points in the film, you can see guests getting on and off as the person filming is waiting in line.

 

[Her Dotness]

I will, and once with the chair.

Was just figuring it might take longer than that for you to recover from your BPK construction nightmare stay. You're clearly made of sturdier stuff than most.

In my last two trips, I generally didn't see an accessible boat to MK and Poly/GF. Poly/GF are now sharing the route which is annoying. WL does have accessible boats, so they exist and it is possible.

Maybe we just lucked out last fall and rolled up to the MK/GF dock when it was the larger boat DH can roll right onto, though occasionally with an "Everybody please move to the other side of the boat."

We just ask if the larger boat will come next or can they request one. The skippers are always happy to radio for one.

I think it was 2019 trip that they began running smaller, seats-only alternating with larger, roll-onboard boats on the MK-GF-Poly route.

We enjoy the leisurely pace of the boats but appreciate not everyone does.

 

[RoseGold]

You're clearly made of sturdier stuff than most.

I canceled my next VGF2 booking and moved it to VGF1. And I like the VGF2 layout and location better. Modern reports from VGF2 are much better.