Staying at Orange Lake - Where to request for a handicapped child

Hi Everyone!

I'm interested in the mixed reviews posted about Orange Lake. All the reports my friends have given me that have visited have been very good!

We are going to Orange Lake Oct 19-26 and we were assigned West Village. I called Orange Lake directly, and they said that we could actually be placed in West, North, or East Villages through an RCI Exchange. We have two two-bedroom units, one through an exchange and one bonus vacation. They said they would place us as close as possible to one another. They also said that we could call two weeks prior to alert them that we have a handicapped child and they would do their best to accommodate us.

Which village would be best for a child that has low vision? My son is dual-sensory impaired (deaf-blind) and has low muscle tone. A villa with no steps would be ideal. We would like to be close to a zero entry pool if possible.

Also, are the rennovations complete at the west village?

We are owners at two different properties in Hawaii and at two Royal Resorts properties in Mexico. The Royal Resorts newest and oldest properties are equally nice (their oldest resort just turned 30!), and I love the quaint, established feeling of their two oldest properties. They all have maintained Gold Crown/Five Star ratings year after year. It sounds to me like Orange Lake is much the same. I look forward to finding out for myself!

The North Village has handicapped units on the end of many of the apartment groups.Click on the web site for Orange Lake and see if the configuration of the units is shown. The only pool ,aside from kiddie pools, that might be considered zero entry would seem to be Splash Lagoon in the North Village, and River Island. I'm sure you do not leave your son unattended so the Lazy River Tube ride at River Island would be fantastic for him and relaxing for you.I would call to make sure River Island and Splash Lagoon are open at the time of your visit.Sometimes the weather is unpredictable at that time. West Village is still under construction, but it is a huge area and many places are not affected.I have owned at Orange Lake since 1983.My family loves it.You will not be disappointed

I was speaking with some one at Orange Lake yesterday about an internal exchange,and asked about the pools. I was told the pools are open all year round and that they are heated when the weather becomes cooler.I still recommend the pools at Splash Lagoon and the pool at River Island for your son. River Island would be my first choice because in addition to the tube ride, they also have all zero point access,if I remember correctly. They have areas to sit and places to eat right in the immediate area.I probably sound like a representative but I assure you I am not. .We absolutely love it. All of the Villages at Orange lake have handicapped units.I still recommend the North or East Villages for what you need.

maureen218 wrote:

I was speaking with some one at Orange Lake yesterday about an internal exchange,and asked about the pools. I was told the pools are open all year round and that they are heated when the weather becomes cooler.I still recommend the pools at Splash Lagoon and the pool at River Island for your son. River Island would be my first choice because in addition to the tube ride, they also have all zero point access,if I remember correctly. They have areas to sit and places to eat right in the immediate area.I probably sound like a representative but I assure you I am not. .We absolutely love it. All of the Villages at Orange lake have handicapped units.I still recommend the North or East Villages for what you need.

Thanks for the tips, Maureen. We are looking forward to our trip, and appreciate you sharing the information regarding units for my son. I was told by a rep at Orange Lake to call a couple weeks ahead of time, so I will do so and request North or East Village if possible.

Is there much difference in the units amongst the different villages?

Shannon

The West and North Villages are very different from the East Village and River Island.The West Village is mostly villas grouped in sets of four. However, there is a section of the West Village called Tennis units which are high rise buildings.If you have a choice, avoid these as they are not close to the type of pool that you need. The North Village consists of groups of condos that are similar to the West Village except that they have two stories in the middle of the groupings and a single unit on each end.I believe the handicapped units are located on the ends.This area is where Splash Lagoon is located. The East Village is all six story buildings.The East,and North Villages are close to each other as well as close to River Island.If you have a Choice,my suggestion to you would be the North Village,because of the unit room sizes and configuration. The North Village was completed after the West Village so they made changes in the layout of the condo,yet still retained the appeal of a low rise unit.

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FYI...the West Village pool has been rebuilt, and it now is a "zero point access" or "beach entry" pool, like the ones at the other villages.

It re-opened in late 2009 or 2010 I believe.

In my experience as an owner at the resort me and my wife has learnt a thing or two about beating the system.. And we befriended one of the employees there to get more insight on what's going on. The result is we discover how to increase our point to VIP levels at a fraction of the cost not to mention we learnt how to bring in any resale into the vacation point system which is really worth wild.. Anyways we dont mind sharing this information for free. Just as long as you promise to share with others..

Jan126...I have been an owner since 1989. I love Orange Lake, and live in the west village. I am very interested in knowing the methods you have learned about the timeshares from your friend. How to increase my points to VIP, and bring in resales for vacation points really interests me.

Hi there! We will be staying in the West Village at Orange Lake in 3 weeks. We have a 2 bedroom unit, and I am not really clear on the layout and setup. Are the units in West like single houses with individual driveways, or are they multi-unit, multi-level set ups? We have a toddler, and I am concerned about returning tired and with her possible asleep from the parks and what we will navigate trying to get into our home away from home. We asked for first floor, near the pool and near parking. I would just like to know more about what to expect. From the hundreds of reviews, all I keep getting is how great Orange Lake is, aside from the need for numchucks for the sales reps (kidding) ;)

I would appreciate any insight on the layout, views and tips for a successful trip. We have enough to worry about with a high maintenance toddler at the massive Disney complex! Thank you!