Due to abuse, GAC harder to get

[MsMin]

Wow. My Mom has just been diagnosed with a lung disorder and is potentially looking at a lung transplant. I am still hoping she will be able to come with us to WDW this May (we are staying at Poly) and am trying to think of everything to do to make the trip go more smoothly for her. She is currently on oxygen 24/7 and can't walk very far. Should we apply for the GAC? She may not need it since we plan to rent a scooter from an outside co. so she'll have it at all times. She can sit and wait in line with us w/o a problem and can probably even stand in line if she is not climbing stairs or exerting herself. But a lot can change in a few months. Any suggestions would be appreciated. She has lots of capable family to dote on her, but want her not to feel like a burden, which she would never be.

We didn't have a problem with my dad w/o the GAC b/c they see the scooter and obvious he needs assistance. I think the problem comes in more often with children b/c with some cases of autism the child can look more like a poorly disciplined child rather than a child with autism.
Many of these children can have a major melt down and the rest of your day is practically ruined. It's just not black and white b/c there are so many factors that go into this. The time of day, the crowds, external stimuli, experience and fatigue are major factors. With more experience you can learn these things but who wants to blow a day if you only have 4 or 5 days there? It's just not automatic for anyone dealing with a child with PPD or autism. Yes, it's possible with many children who are mildly affected and a few with children who are moderate but I doubt few if any can make it with severe autism. The problem is that it is a continuum and not 3 distinct levels so while one child at one level can manage (with a parent that his very in touch with their child's needs-- I'm not saying it doesn't take skill) another child at the same level can have difficulty with a parent that is equally as skilled. Remember too that children have different triggers.
As far as adults having a problem Disney may consider that if you are not sick enough for a w/c then you can handle the line. With the exception of course of some adults with CP or developmental issues.
Seriously though I don't think it's the kids with autism that is the problem.

[thumperbug]

after reading these blogs I now know why the CM at MK was not so pleasant when I requested a GAC card for my son. I had contacted WDW prior to my trip to explain the situation with my 5 yr old. He had developed a skin condition that resulted in open raw sores on his feet and while he was able to get out of his stroller, walking for anything more then a short period of time was painful. All I wanted to be able to do was let the little guy stay in his stroller as long as possible before getting on a ride to help with the pain on his feet. There were many times he couldn't even put anything on his feet.
When I asked the cast member for the GAC she gave me an attitude, wanted details of what the situation was and then reluctantly gave me a card. I walked out of there feeling like a criminal. I only used the GAC twice as the card says you MUST use fast pass on attractions that offer it. So we did. One of the two times we used the card, the CM at the attraction were not that friendly despite the fact that not only did I have the card but I had to carry my son onto the ride. At the same attraction I also saw CM not allow guests who were on scooters into the HC entrance as they did not have a GAC and did not believe that they needed the scooters. I guess this all goes back to the wheelchair abuse (which I still see done)

[Here we go again...]

Thumperbug, this is exactly why you were given a hard time.
It is a shame because, as you said, you just needed to be able to take the stroller as far as you could. It does not sould like you were trying to beat the system. It would be very hard to carry a 5 year old through a line.

Since they have had so many doctors that will write a note for anything, they are getting to where they are doubting many of the reasons.

I am glad to hear that you were able to get it and I hope you enjoyed your day.

[wilshade]

I took 4 developmentally disabled guys to WDW back in December. Without getting into specifics, in addition to their developmental disabilities, they each had several medical issues as well. One of them required a wheelchair.

I was fully prepared to get them through the regular lines and had prepped my staff for it.

We went to Epcot on our first day and I went up to Guest Relations outside the entrance to the park and asked for a "Guests with Disabilities Guide" so that I could manage our day.

I did not ask for a GAC and did not even mention it. However, the manager (at least I think that is what she was) saw my guys and without hesitation, she wrote out a GAC for us.

We used it only when it was absolutely necessary. I will not get into specifics, but my guys have varying tolerances (medical and otherwise) for certain things and I used the GAC to help me better manage those situations.

I have made several trips to WDW with our folks in one-on-one trips as well as group adventures. I have learned to lean on the Cast Members. Just letting them do their jobs, helps me to do mine more than I could ever hope for.

[pamlvt]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site, but not WDW. I have a few questions.
My 21 yr old daughter also has a knee injury (as someone mentioned earlier) and will be having her 2nd surgery 3 days after our trip in May. Our doctor suggested a wheelchair because of the obvious pain and inability to walk and stand for long periods and also to try to minimize the swelling that will most likely occur from a trip to Disney.
He is going to give us a note to rent a wheelchair and we thought that we might be able to skip a long line or two, but that is apparently not the case, right?
QUESTIONS:
1) Can she stay in the wheelchair for some lines and then just walk onto the ride?
2) Where will the wheelchair be afterwards?

I agree that the line skipping is out of control but I also think that there should be a policy where those who have members of their party who truely can't stand in line (and my daughter doesn't really fit that situation completely) should be able to do something like the baby-switch. One member of the party can wait with the person who is unable to stand in line, and the rest traverse the line...maybe have a special wristband or card and create an area where you can get into the line nearer to the attraction.
Thanks in advance for your help.

[wilshade]

She can stay in the wheel chair for most of the lines and even a good many of the rides themselves.

Even without the GAC there ae things you can do to make your lives easier.

1). Get a "Guests with Disabilities Guide" at Guest Relations at each park or even at the Guest Relations desk of your hotel. It will tell you everything you need to know about wheelchair access to lines and attractions. It will tell you what attractions she can simply roll onto and which ones require a transfer.

Even if she does have to transfer, the CMs will take care of the chair and will may even get it for you at the completion of the ride.

2). At the first park you go to, purchase wheelchair rental tickets for each day of your stay. You'll get a coupon for each day and it will make things much easier.

3). Dont "expect" to skip lines, but CMs may provide opportunities to get you undercover and out of the sun or rain. Never be afraid to ask a CM anything.

4). CMs at shows and outdoor events such as parades and the High School Musical show, etc, will most likely render assistance as soon as they see you and direct you to an area they have reserved for wheelchairs and companions.

5). There are usually "courtesy wheelchairs" located next to the bus stops at the parks. If you see one, grab it and just see the rental agent once you get into the park to rent it for the day. The reverse is true on the way out. Also ask the CMs about what you may need to do if you want to keep the chair for use at your resort hotel.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Just make sure you get that "Guest with Disabilities Guide" at each park. That is the single best thing you can do.

[alaMode]

Hi!
You can have the guides mailed to you. I called the general info WDW number (I got it here on Intercot) and spoke to a CM. I told him my son has CP and I wanted to know what kind of assistance was available at each park so that I could plan his first trip to WDW accordingly. He was super nice and explained a lot of the assistance available and then offered to mail the guides to us.

About 2 weeks later I received a guide (it's more of a brochure) for each park.

I keep them with my other planning stuff--they really are helpful!

PS--When we did finally get to WDW we went to Guest Services to get a birthday button and we were offered a GAC as well. With the GAC my son was able to stay in his special needs stroller right up until he got on a ride and the stroller was waiting for him when he got off. This made things so easy for him!

Tess
poly 07
poly 08--22 days and counnting!

[Here we go again...]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site, but not WDW. I have a few questions.
My 21 yr old daughter also has a knee injury (as someone mentioned earlier) and will be having her 2nd surgery 3 days after our trip in May. Our doctor suggested a wheelchair because of the obvious pain and inability to walk and stand for long periods and also to try to minimize the swelling that will most likely occur from a trip to Disney.
He is going to give us a note to rent a wheelchair and we thought that we might be able to skip a long line or two, but that is apparently not the case, right?
QUESTIONS:
1) Can she stay in the wheelchair for some lines and then just walk onto the ride?
2) Where will the wheelchair be afterwards?

I agree that the line skipping is out of control but I also think that there should be a policy where those who have members of their party who truely can't stand in line (and my daughter doesn't really fit that situation completely) should be able to do something like the baby-switch. One member of the party can wait with the person who is unable to stand in line, and the rest traverse the line...maybe have a special wristband or card and create an area where you can get into the line nearer to the attraction.
Thanks in advance for your help.

This is the exact situation my friend was in and she could not get a card.

You will need to rent a wheelchair while you are there. You will not need the doctors excuse to rent the chair. They are first come first serve, so get there early or rent from an off site rental (see our sponsor) for the entire trip.

Once in the wheelchair you will be directed where to go if the chair will not go through the regular line. There are a few of the older rides that will allow you to go to the front of the ride, but there are not many any more.

If there is a fast pass line you will have to get a fast pass for the ride.

If your DD will be having surgery that soon after the trip, take it easy. There are lots of rides that I love that I have had to give up because they are too hard on my knees.
Good luck.

[pink]

This makes me really nervous that they're becoming more strict with giving out the GAC. On one of our trips but younger brother started having a meltdown on a line and a lady also on line was kind enough to tell us about the GAC. If she never told us about the pass we would have never came back to WDW because it was so unmangable without it. I guess a doctors note is mandatory next time.

[Toodle]

We were in Epcot this past week and went to get some information about Guest Assistance Cards because I was recently in a car accident and when I get fatigued I have difficulty standing and walking. The guy at Guest Relations who waited on us was downright rude about the GAC and announced to the entire room that since almost every attraction line in Epcot was wheelchair accessible he suggested that I rent a wheelchair.
He gave us quite a lecture about how the GAC doesn't allow you to bypass the lines nor does it grant you special access to attractions.
I hadn't even asked for a GAC, just some information.
It was embarassing. We weren't asking for special access to attractions. We went to Epcot to see the Flower Power concerts and didn't even care what attractions we were able to go to. We were just looking for information.
We saw a lot more people in wheelchairs especially the push type so they must being more discriminating about who gets a GAC and who doesn't.

[disneygirlie11]

My dad had a stroke and has MS so he uses a wheelchair b/c he can't walk without assistance. Is there somewhere we can park the wheelchair and he can wait in line? He can walk through line holding the railing if it's not a long wait.

[Here we go again...]

Most rides have a wheelchair line that he can stay in the line right up to the ride. If not, a CM will direct you on where to go to get in an alternate entrance.

[Here we go again...]

We were in Epcot this past week and went to get some information about Guest Assistance Cards because I was recently in a car accident and when I get fatigued I have difficulty standing and walking. The guy at Guest Relations who waited on us was downright rude about the GAC and announced to the entire room that since almost every attraction line in Epcot was wheelchair accessible he suggested that I rent a wheelchair.
He gave us quite a lecture about how the GAC doesn't allow you to bypass the lines nor does it grant you special access to attractions.
I hadn't even asked for a GAC, just some information.
It was embarassing. We weren't asking for special access to attractions. We went to Epcot to see the Flower Power concerts and didn't even care what attractions we were able to go to. We were just looking for information.
We saw a lot more people in wheelchairs especially the push type so they must being more discriminating about who gets a GAC and who doesn't.

This is exactally the way the person I was with was treated. It was as if they were announcing it to the whole room to get rid of everyone coming in for the GAC.
You see so many push whelchairs because the scooters are not only very expensive in the parks, but they run out early in the morning.
I always make sure that I bring my Handicap License with me when I go. That way they can see that I have a legitimate reason. I am one of those people that if you see me you would never guess that I have a disablity... except that I can not keep my mouth shut sometimes.. does that count?
For others that have a temporary injury Disney has pretty much turned to the "get a wheelchair" answer.

I don't care what anyone says or thinks, wheelchairs are NOT fun. They cause me more pain many days than if I would walk. Sitting can get very exhausting, especially if you are leaning forward to control a scooter.
Since people can't see the chair down low they tend to trip over you or stop short. I spend my day moving an inch or so at a time. When I see a clear path and move faster I get dirty looks like I am a speed racer. If only they knew that it took me 10 minutes to get to where they were able to walk in 3.

[Von-Drake]

We were in Disney from April 11 - April 16. Our first day in the parks was April 12th. We went to Guest Relations at MK and I told the CM my son has autism and started to pull out the letter from our Dr.'s office. He politely told me that he did not need to read it, and filled out a GAC for the length of our stay. I can tell you that the GAC for an autistic child is wonderful. The GAC acted as if it was a Dream FastPass, they just directed us to the fastpass line. It was very crowded and the Fast Pass lines were still pretty long, but sometimes, by the time we got to the ride, I could tell my son was just about to start "stimming" and did sometimes. If we can keep him engaged in conversation or focused on something while in line, we usually make out pretty good. But when he loses that focus and begins to hear all the other conversations going on (from different people in line around him) and some in foreign languages, he begins to "stim" and causes difficulty in line. But back to the point, I was very surprised to hear the CM not even ask to see the letter. Even more interesting, while in line to see a character and talking to a CM just casually, our son's condition came up and she asked to see the pass and told us that ours was stamped in black, but should be stamped in green. Just from curiosity we stopped by Guest Relations on the way out of Animal Kingdom, and she Guest Relations CM assured us we had the right one. Then she started to ask me if I remember the other CM's name, where she was working, what time she told us this, and all other detailed questions. It was almost kind of creepy.

[Hayden's Dad]

downright rude about the GAC and announced to the entire room that since almost every attraction line in Epcot was wheelchair accessible he suggested that I rent a wheelchair.

I think I would have had to ask for a manager. Of all places in WDW at Guest Relations they shouldn't be rude.

I keep reading these posts and I get concerned about our trip in May. We usued the GAC for Hayden last year in May and in Nov, and it made things so much nicer. I am thinking about taking the GAC we had last November and showing them what we had last time and ask for the same thing again. We are getting a letter from our doctor, but to be honest I am not real sure what it needs to say.

It is a real shame that so many people have abused this privledge that they have had to become so strict.

[MsMin]

I wonder if some of it depends on the capacity of the parks?? I can see that if the parks are packed they may be a little more selective when distributing the passes just because it defeats the purpose if the alternate entrance is just as packed as the stand-by.
Knowing Disney and their excellence in queuing it wouldn't surprise me if they had a limited # they could distribute in a given time.
I'm sure they get flack and whining all day long but it's their job to be nice about it.

[Von-Drake]

I am thinking about taking the GAC we had last November and showing them what we had last time and ask for the same thing again.

That is probably a good idea. The letter we had from our doctor just stated our son's autism diagnosis with about a 4 sentence explanation of how so many different indistinguishable sounds is a trigger for him to "stim" or become very confused and upset. Even with the pass we did have a few breakdowns, some of the worst came at meal times, when the rooms were very crowded and again so many conversations and sounds going on, we could not get him to focus on his food.

[Toodle]

I have now spoken to a supervisor who was very nice and explained Disney is happy to give out GACs to anyone who requires assistance. Different GACs (they are stamped differently) allow for different assistance based on the person's needs. If you require assistance with walking or standing or fatigue because of a physical disability they suggest that you get a wheelchair and they give you a GAC. The GAC does not allow you access to fast pass line nor to the front of the line unless the line is not accessible to those in wheelchairs. If the line is not accessible they allow you to enter in a different location. That is why they suggest a wheelchair. This seems like a sensible, responsible way for Disney to accomodate people with disabilities.
While we were at Epcot we saw the CMs direct adults in wheelchairs to the regular line.
However, Disney is much more generous with GACs for children (as I think they should be). Children with Autism as well as other disabiilties get a different kind of pass that does allow them special access to attractions so they do not have to wait in long lines (hopefully to help avoid meltdowns). I think that they also do this for children in wheelchairs - even stroller wheelchairs. So, if I had a child with a disability that prevented the child from waiting in long lines, I would definitely ask for a GAC.
Disney is not allowed to ask you for a doctor's note (it is against ADA). They are only allowed to ask you what kind of assistance you require.
I also think (and, do not know this for sure) when the CMs see a family with a child that obviously needs assistance they automatically allow them to by pass the regular line.
I wish the CM that I had dealt with at Epcot had been willing to explain all of this to me instead of acting as if I was trying to get something that I wasn't entitled to. I didn't even want a GAC, just some info about it. I hope this info helps some of you. Jeal

[WDW1985]

The way I see it, outside of the Make A Wish kids and Give the Kid's the World, everyone should have to wait their turn for an attraction. This does not necessarily mean they have to wait in the line. They should have to wait at another entrance (i.e. the wheelchair entrance). Someone in their party that can wait in the line queue goes there. When they get up to their turn, the rest of the party joins them at the front from the other entrance. However, if this means going to the front of the lines, then this is a disservice to everyone else.

Great point and CMs will do this, but it's not consistent like it should be. There are also some strict codes (Fire code or OSHA reg) that Disney or any other Theme park must abide by and having wheelchairs in the main line doesn't sound like a good or fair idea for the person in the chair. GAC should be maintained, made better for those using it, and harder to abuse so that those who truly need it get the help they need.

WDW1985

[ltam16]

We are currently traveling with mil and fil. Both are using wheelchairs because it is too much walking. Fil is 80 and has trouble with his knees and mil is 75. We went 2 years ago and used wheelchair with just fil and got a gac. It was like a fast pass. For older attractions especially. But even for some newer ones.

This time around we were not going to get a GAC because of everything I had been reading here. However, on our first day many cm's at rides said that we should get one. So, we did. I am glad now, because we are pushing 2 wheelchairs and have 2 kids. It is a lot. And while I realize the GAC is for the person in the wheelchair, it is helpful for the pushers too! I don't think people relize how difficult it is to push thru the crowdsand it is not flat terrain!

I don't feel like we are abusing it though. We have gotten fast passes for most of the major rides and waited on other lines if my inlaws weren't riding the ride.