What Seniors Want Inside Guest Rooms at Disney – Part 1

A hotel room is a hotel room, even guest rooms at Disney theme parks and resorts, right?

Us seniors typically want a different type of experience when we go to Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, any of the other 4 Disney resorts around the world, and even on Disney Cruises.

Just ask us; we’ll tell you.

Are you curious what over 10,000 Disney luvin’ seniors had to say? We asked them ‘what one thing they would want to improve the experience of seniors at Disney Parks’? If you are, you can watch the most popular video on the Nancy and Dan Travel To Disney YouTube channel for older adults and seniors called Improving The Disney Parks Experience For Adults & Seniors.

Yet, what about guest rooms at Disney that do not have the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) designation? What do seniors have to say about these accommodations?

Let’s Ask Disney Luvin’ Seniors What They Want

Well, we asked the now over 72,000 members of the original Disney for Seniors online community this simple question:

“What is important to you, a senior, when YOU stay in a hotel room, Disney or non-Disney, on a Disney resort vacation?”

We received so many responses! Nancy and I decided to take some specific actions to hopefully help the experience of seniors at Disney:

1. Create a checklist of sorts which could be used to evaluate how specific guest rooms at Disney parks and resorts would meet the most common wants and needs of seniors.
2. Document what the online community of Disney luvin’ Seniors had to say. This would allow other seniors to review this input in the future when looking for accommodations at a Disney resort for themselves.

From the input received, we are presently fine tuning a checklist which we will use from time to time when staying in or touring at different guest rooms at Disney resorts to provide feedback to members of the Disney for Seniors online community……and even to those who are not members (but why you would not want to be a member? we have lots of fun).

This Part 1 of a 2 part series will document the most common responses provided by seniors which dealt with the type of convenience items they want while staying in accommodations during their time at a Disney resort.. This is regardless if the hotel or resort is owned by Disney. Part 2 will outline items mentioned by seniors which have to do with safety concerns while staying at guest rooms at Disney resorts. Spoiler Alert: There was one safety concern which really stood out.

We Are Not Talking About ADA Accommodations

As the Tom Cruise character in one of my favorite movies, A Few Good Men, said in the courtroom scene to the character played by Jack Nicholson, we want to be ‘crystal‘ that we are not talking about ADA accommodations. ADA accommodations have a specific set of standars and guidelines.

What we are referring to in this Part 1 and also in Part 2, are for non-ADA designated accommodations at Disney resorts (whether the property is owned by Disney or not).

Some Givens for Guest Rooms at Disney Resorts

Among the responses received from the online community of Disney luvin’ seniors were the following items. We do not consider these an option. For most seniors, as it should be for adults of any age, each of them is a given. It is a non-starter if the hotel or resort accommodation does not include these. There may be workarounds for the other items mentioned by the seniors. Yet if these are not present the accommodation would not even be considered.

Therefore, these were the ‘givens’ that must exist for the room to be considered acceptable for all seniors:

• Safety
• Cleanliness
• Quiet
• No Stairs / Elevator
• For many, first floor room location

Here are just a few of the comments from those who indicated these items were non-negotiable items for any type of accommodation for them at a Disney resort:

• “First and foremost safety is my top priority no matter where I stay! Second is peace and quiet. (Rude loud people make me angry) third is cleanliness
• “I [must] feel safe not only in my room, but on the property especially when walking my dog at night
• “Elevator — even if I can do stairs, and I still can — getting luggage up to or down from a room on stairs is tough
• “Quiet room — I’m a light sleeper so any major noise outside my room disturbs my sleep. If I can hear it over my little fan, it’s annoying
• “First floor accommodations in the hotels that do not have elevators.

Top 10 (plus ties) Convenience Items Seniors Want in Rooms at Disney

The following list contains the most frequently mentioned items seniors want when on vacation at a Disney resort inside their accommodations. And do not be mislead by the use of the word ‘convenience’. These are more than ‘nice to have’ items. These are items which make or break the experience for many seniors’ stay.

The categorization between a convenience vs a safety related item is subjective.

The percentage on the left indicates the percentage of seniors who responded that mentioned that specific convenience item:

• 9%
  • Microwave
• 8%
  • Bathtub
  • Good Coffee Maker
  • Space to Drive in a Scooter
• 5%
  • Mini Refridgerator and Microwave at Counter Level
• 4%
  • Separate Kettle for Making Hot Tea or Oatmeal
  • Step Stool For High Beds
  • At Least 2 Comfortable Chairs
• 3%
  • No Pets in the Room
  • Brighter Lights in Bathroom
  • Makeup Mirror
  • Table and at least 2 Chairs
  • Adults Only Section of Resort for Quiet
  • Extra Towels Already in Room
  • Onsite Breakfast (free or not)
  • Onsite Parking
  • Higher Beds

Let’s go through some of these;

In Room Meal, Snack or Beverage Preparation in Guest Rooms at Disney

Notice that a true refridgerator was not included in the above list. That is because for some seniors it is a safety issue. Some seniors (and non-seniors) need to store medication in a cold refridgerator. Therefore, the refridgerator issue is included in the Part 2 of this 2 part series which focuses on safety issues.

Most of the food or beverage items on the list are common in guest accommodations at Disney. Yet, the quality of the coffee maker item is near and dear to my heart.

And, as a hot tea drinker myself, and as Nancy wanting hot oatmeal for breakfast at times, wanting a kettle to boil water is understandable. Using the microwave to boil water is just not the same.

Bathtub or Shower?

The listing of a bathtub was a surprise to me. The majority of seniors who responded indicated they wanted a walk in shower at the expense of the bathtub. This is especially if there is no grab or safety bar to use to sit down into the bathtub or rise to leave the bathtub. [Most bathtubs in guest rooms at Disney do not have grab bars. This will be discussed in Part 2 article] Yet, not all seniors felt this way. Some adults, seniors or otherwise, simply do not take showers.

The extra towels already in the guest rooms at Disney, without having to ask for them, was not a surprise; it’s one of the things that Nancy and I check when we first enter a guest room.

Step Stool for a Bed That is Too High

There was a lot of discussion about bed height in the Disney for Seniors community. For myself, from a safety perspective, I am concerned if the bed in the room is so high that my feet cannot touch the ground when sitting on the bed. I would be concerned if at night, in the dark, when my knee is acting up, the bed is so high that my feet could not touch the ground and I would be forced to use a step stool.

That sounds kind of dagerous to me. Yet, some seniors said they would be OK with that.

Chairs, and a Table Please for Guest Rooms at Disney

Also mentioned was the need for chairs in the guest rooms at Disney. This was mentioned not as a place to put one’s luggage.

Rather, the table and chairs were mentioned as needed to relax with a beverage, snack or meal in the room. Chairs were mentioned for help in getting dresses / undressed.

What Convenience Items Do You Want in Your Rooms at Disney?

Now it’s your turn. What convenience items do you want when staying in guest rooms on your Disney vacation that did not make the list? Let us know in the comments.

In Part 2 we will look at the top items in guest rooms at Disney resorts, whether owned by Disney or not, which have a direct impact on senior safety.

Are you curious how a senior reviews a guest room at a Disney owned resort at Walt Disney World? Here is a link to A Senior’s Perspective – Exploring Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Gran Destino Tower Room.