The Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore Estate

              I love being able to see into other people’s homes, especially at dusk when inside lights are on and the inside of the home has soft lights on and it feels so warm, cozy and inviting.  Maybe that weird, but this was the ultimate look into someone’s home!  Completed in 1895 after 6 years of construction, George and Edith Vanderbilt (yes, as in the Vanderbilt’s and Vanderbilt University) opened the doors to family and friends.  George Vanderbilt decided on Ashville NC after a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains with his mother and thought it would be perfect for his country home (the ultimate country cabin…haha).  This house once sat on 125,000 acres, currently it is now on about 8000 acre of awe inspiring views.  It is a 250-room chateau, including 35 bedrooms, 65 fireplaces and 43 bathrooms, this is quite something considering most homes didn’t even have indoor bathrooms (even better, no one had to share)!  The gardens were designed by the same man that designed Central Park in NY.  Much of the land had been cleared by the previous owners and George was advised to replant the trees and cover most of his estate in a forest.  Carl Schenck was hired to oversee the planting of over 2 million trees and also founded the first forestry school in the US while undertaking the project.  They also employed over 400 employees who worked in the dairy barn and throughout the estate.  In 1930 Cornelia Cecil, the only child of the Vanderbilt’s opened the doors to the public and it has been evolving ever since.  Eventually the dairy barn closed and 1971 was replaced with the Biltmore vineyard followed by the Biltmore winery.  The Inn on Biltmore Estate was open in 2001 followed by the development of the Antler Hill Village in 2012 and a 2^nd hotel the Village Hotel opened in 2015. It is still owned and operated by the family!  The are so many incredible and fascinating stories and facts about the estate and I would encourage a visit to find out more!

The Biltmore Estate:

There is almost a Disney Resort-ease in the respect of being able to park and then access the entire estate and even downtown Ashville with their shuttles with zero entry lifts.  It is important to note however, that complimentary shuttles are only available to those who have accommodations at one of the Biltmore properties (The Inn, Village Hotel or Cottage).  If you do not stay on property, a vehicle is required to get around to the different areas of the Estate, but there are parking options in each location which I will review later in the post. 

The Biltmore House:

              The only accessible floors are the first and second.  Because the basement and the 3^rd floor are not wheelchair accessible, tickets are offered at a reduced price.  There is a rest area on the 2^nd floor Living Hall where visitors are able to watch a video tour of those 2 areas of the house.  There are also attendants all throughout the house that can point you in the right direction.  It is also worth noting that periodically the audio tour is changed which changes the route of the house tour.  I was advised by an employee that some tour routes are easier than others for those in wheelchairs/scooters.  If you are flexible on dates it may be worth calling prior to going to see if the current tour is a preferable one. For those who have hearing loss or are deaf can either get a printed transcript of the audio tour and films shown at the house or get a Neckloop Telecoil Coupler at the front desk of the Biltmore House.  Those who would like a Sign Language Interpreter can call 800-411-3812 or email the Biltmore at least 7 days prior to visit.  Audio Guides are available complimentary to those with low vision or are blind.

There is also dining and shopping located at the Biltmore House all of which are accessible.  Shopping includes:  A Christmas past (Christmas chachkis), Bookbinders (books about the Vanderbilt family and that period in history), Carriage House (more period chachkis), Confectionery (yummy treats), Toymakers (yeah, toys).  Dining includes:  Stable Café (Appalachian comfort food in the old horse stable, not sure how I felt about the old feeding troughs on the wall…haha), The Bake Shop (coffee and baked goods), the courtyard Market (hot dogs, salads, snacks, drinks), and The Biltmore Dairy Bar (ice cream, milkshakes, drinks).

The Biltmore Gardens:

              The Biltmore Gardens includes many different sections; some are more accessible than others.  The Walled Garden is considered accessible and is paved.  Other sections of the Gardens are not paved and may have debris on the paths, speaking with a Biltmore attendant would be important before venturing out beyond the Walled Garden area.  There is a shuttle that will transport from the Biltmore house to the Conservatory which is where the Walled Gardens can be accessed and enjoyed. Currently this shuttle is offered from April through October.  There is one dining place located in this area, the Conservatory Café (light snacks and drinks, think food cart) and one shop, A Gardener’s Place (books, gifts, plants, other gardening items).

Antler Hill Village and Winery:

              This is a very fun area of the Estate with numerous eating spots including; Village Social (seafood and regional favs), Cedric’s Tavern(pub food and craft beer), Bistro (farm to table), The Creamery (I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!), Smokehouse (BBQ) and The Kitchen Café (sandwiches, coffee, yogurt, baked goods) which is located in the Village Inn Lobby.  Shops include The Barn Door (arts and crafts), Antler Hill Outfitters (clothing and accessories), Traditions (home accents), and Wine Shop (you got it, wine and lots of other must have souvenirs).  There is complimentary wine tasting at the Biltmore winery along with tours.  The Village Green and Bandstand has live music, yoga on Sunday mornings and even Santa pays a visit around Christmas time!  All of these areas are easily accessible with paved paths throughout the village.  The Village Hotel is also located in this area of the estate.  With its convenience of location to all of these attractions, it is a great place to consider staying.  The pool is also accessible if the weather calls for a dip. 

The Inn:

              I did not go into the Inn so I am unable to speak personally about this Hotel or the restaurants  (The Dining Room; estate raised and local ingredients and Library Lounge; artisan salads and gourmet sandwiches)and shops (Marble Lion; apparel and luxury items and Cottage Door; children’s items, gourmet snacks, newspapers, magazines).  I would love to explore this part of the Estate next time and if you are able to visit and have any info to add I would love to hear it as I’m sure others would too!

Parking:

There are basically 3 options when it comes to parking and visiting the different areas of the estate. 

1.        As a guest of the Biltmore Estate properties there is a complimentary ADA accessible shuttle that can transport you from your hotel to the different areas of the grounds as well as complimentary transport to downtown Ashville starting at 3 pm.  The shuttle downtown does need to be reserved but the others do not.  The drivers are great and full of great stories and trivia. It was probably my favorite part of the whole visit!

2.        For those who are not overnight guests, there is ADA parking close to Deerpark where the horse stables are, the Antler Hill Village and Winery where the Village Inn and various shops, restaurants and winery are located, and there is also a park and ride which provides a shuttle with zero-entry lifts that transport from the parking lot to the front of the Biltmore House.  

3.       Another option is to reserve a Biltmore Express Shuttle which is $15 per person, kids are free, and it will provide transport around the estate.

Travel Tip

         The Biltmore is host to many special activities and event such as concerts, 4^th of July fireworks, craft demonstrations, always check prior to see if you would like to coordinate your visit with one of these events!  Starting May 24^th, the Biltmore Gardens will showcase 800 feet of handcrafted model train and rail.

For further information or if you have additional questions that I did not address, Guest services can be reached at 800-411-3812, website is www.biltmore.com, and of course , there is an App!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Disney World
      I was just reminiscing and writing about our family trip to Disney and the idea to start this blog entered my brain.  Because the idea was after the trip,  this first post is lacking a lot of specific detail.  I would love to go back and pay more attention and ask more questions regarding accessibility, but this was a brief write up on suggestions and observations that I sent to the travel agency that I worked with.  Disney has really considered and anticipated so much for a variety of disabilities and they really set the bar high for other travel destinations!  There is so much information on their website, app, and through Disney agents, these were just some personal observations.

Lodging:

      If at all possible, staying at a resort that has everything in one building would be preferable.  Port Orleans was so fun and the bus stop was very close to the rooms, but going to the lobby, on site restaurants and other resort amenities was a bit of a because they were so spread out.  We got caught in the rain and we are a bit slow moving, at least we were nice and cooled off when we got to our room!  I know there are many considerations when picking a resort, budget, availability etc, if there is a choice this would be a consideration.


Restaurants:

              We greatly enjoyed the character meals, but the buffet can be difficult from a scooter/wheelchair. Some things are hard to reach and it’s a bit cramped in the restaurants since they are trying to accommodate so many people.  It was easier for someone else to make a plate of food at the buffet.  I would just bring this to a client’s attention in case that may bother them.  I also noticed it is important to tell the restaurants as soon as you check in for a reservation that someone in your party is in a scooter.  At one restaurant they tried to seat us at a high top table, and another restaurant had to shuffle us around a couple times due to not being able to transfer out of a scooter.  I would just advise clients that when they check in for their reservations to make it known someone is in a scooter so that they can prepare or adjust their table selections.  


Activities:

              All of the shows are fantastic for those in scooters and they have seating for the family members right with them.  The safari at Animal Kingdom also was able to accommodate someone who is unable to transfer.  I am sure there are more things that I would love to investigate further and of course they tell you on the app which rides are accessible, which require a transfer out of a wheelchair and which do not.  In regards to tackling the parks, I would recommend being strategic with picking fast pass rides by park route.  What we found helpful was just tackling one section of the park at a time, especially with Magic Kingdom, we were there all day but could only get to about 2-3 areas of the park.  Focusing on one section at a time is helpful and maximizes what you can see when you can't hustle around the park.  If booking a meal reservation or suggesting eating somewhere outside of the park, I would recommend doing it prior to entering the park for the day or after.  Leaving the park midday to go to an outside restaurant took a bit off time both leaving and getting back because we had to wait on transport.   It is definitely easy, but you lose some time in the park.   It also may be great for someone who would prefer to go in the morning, take a long break and go back later in the day.  Again, it all comes down to personal preference.

Transportation:

Disney is exceptional with transportation, the bus system, boat transport and monorail are all super easy on those in scooter/wheelchairs.   They also make sure to prioritize those needing assistance and their family members as well. 

For further information or if you have additional questions that I did not address call guest services at 407.939.5277 or disneyworld.disney.go.com.  And of course, check out their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and their App.