How the Rich skip the lines at Disney - rent a disabled tour guide.

[Spacedog1975]

Now that there are 3 forum entries on this article, I'll weigh in with my 2¢.

I don't know the validity of the article, and have no direct personal experience of the "convenience" of disabled access for Disney attractions. I do know one family that travelled with someone using a wheelchair, and they FELT that their wait times were shorter. This was nearly 15 years ago though, and I can't imagine that anything from 15 years ago will ever be an accurate gauge for what to expect today.

I will say this generally about ADA and ADA access:

I think it is of crucial importance to have adequate access for people needing it. I think everyone should have the ability to get to anything they want and without too much frustration on their part. Nobody wants to be in a wheelchair or have any disability. I imagine if you'd ask anyone with a disability if they'd prefer to give up their so-called perks in exchange for living without their disability, they'd be thrilled to.

I am frustrated that there are abuses of ADA access. This is true whether or not people are using disabled people to piggyback on their access, or if they are reprenting themselves as disabled when they are not. I know for a fact that the latter exists. There are people who get HC placards for otherwise phantom or non qualifying symptoms. ADA access should be available for people who NEED it - not for people who want to take advantage of it.

 

[dairylives]

For someone who brags about her wealth, the woman in the article sure isn't ashamed of being a cheapo to the point of breaking the rules. the REAL "1%" wouldn't need to cut corners for this stuff and pay up for real VIP tours.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

As was mentioned here - and in other threads on this topic - the NY Post is pretty much not worth the paper it is printed on and has a ton of inaccuracies it in all the time (i.e., "Bag Men")

While I am sure there are some people that would do this and brag about it, to me it is just sad that they would derive self worth from something like this

 

[dadddio]

For someone who brags about her wealth, the woman in the article sure isn't ashamed of being a cheapo to the point of breaking the rules. the REAL "1%" wouldn't need to cut corners for this stuff and pay up for real VIP tours.

What rules were broken?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The pass given to Make a Wish families is a GAC. The majority of GAC stamps are alternate entrance ones, which allow for FP queues if the attraction has one.

As many of us CM's are saying, this is just another reason will may see the end of the GAC soon.

Agreed!..........I was not clear...........Make a wish card is called a GAC.

There has been a lot of talk about changing the GAC rules or as you indicate,it maybe be eliminated, which I feel would be a injustice to the folks that really need one!


To take advantage of the GAC or to plainly break and misuse these rules is really a display of poor manners and a total lack of class and character.

Shame on them!


AKK

 

[insureman]

The tour company they are speaking of seems like a legitimate company that these people have obviously taken advantage of and in the process are ruining that company's reputation. There are two sides two every story and the Post failed to investigate their side.

 

[smallblackstars]

Is this actually for real??? How disgusting! My friends had this kind of access to rides just over 5 years ago because their 4 year old daughter was dying from leukemia when they were there. She died 7 months after coming back and I am pretty sure they would have paid all the money in the world to NOT be in those shorter queues. The fact that people are taking advantage of this is horrible! But I guess if you do something like this you can go home happy with your perfectly healthy family and not give a second thought to those that truly deserve slightly shorter wait times and the fact you were so disgusting as to stoop to such a low, all for the sake of a couple of hours. Really? What's wrong with people these days?

 

[River Country]

This is BS!!!!!! Whats next no Handicapped parking spaces either. My mother has had 2 knee replacements and has walking issues, she has a permanent disabled person parking permit, still works FT, but has issues walking around in WDW. THE GAC makes it so much easier for us as a family because it takes us longer to move from attraction to attraction, because she certainly isnt running at RD to grab a FP from TSM. I go at off peak times May and December so the lines arent bad and i can honestly say i do not think the GAC makes the wait any shorter with the exception of maybe TSM and Soarin. Anyway it really is sad that there are people like this out there.

 

[ChipnDale79]

What rules were broken?

Please tell me that you don't think this is ok....

 

[Spacedog1975]

This is BS!!!!!! Whats next no Handicapped parking spaces either. My mother has had 2 knee replacements and has walking issues, she has a permanent disabled person parking permit, still works FT, but has issues walking around in WDW. THE GAC makes it so much easier for us as a family because it takes us longer to move from attraction to attraction, because she certainly isnt running at RD to grab a FP from TSM. I go at off peak times May and December so the lines arent bad and i can honestly say i do not think the GAC makes the wait any shorter with the exception of maybe TSM and Soarin. Anyway it really is sad that there are people like this out there.

I don't honestly know that Disney will reduce access for people who actually need it. This whole thread is speculative about a specious article in the first place. I wouldn't spend any time worrying.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Please tell me that you don't think this is ok....

I can't speak for intent, though I would guess that prior statements indicate they have no problem with it. I can speak to this:

There is a difference between illegal and unethical, and they don't always meet. Same with "rules". Just because you aren't running afoul of the rules does not mean that you are being ethical or fair.

 

[ChipnDale79]

There is a difference between illegal and unethical, and they don't always meet. Same with "rules". Just because you aren't running afoul of the rules does not mean that you are being ethical or fair.

100% agree.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I can't speak for intent, though I would guess that prior statements indicate they have no problem with it. I can speak to this:

There is a difference between illegal and unethical, and they don't always meet. Same with "rules". Just because you aren't running afoul of the rules does not mean that you are being ethical or fair.

I totally agree!

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD do something!

AKK

 

[dairylives]

What rules were broken?

Ethics, for one. But circumventing the traditional tour structure raises a lot of red flags, rule-wise. Its like when you go to the grocery store and there are free samples. While they are indeed free samples, if you were to take the entire tray for yourself, you would probably be called out on it, and be considered "breaking the rules" even though there aren't any specific rules set in place. There are understood rules that one can encounter in life; a lot that don't necessarily NEED to be posted on signs or in official literature, its just common sense.

 

[Lewisc]

I apologize if this was posted in any of the other threads.

From Dream Tours site:
http://www.dreamtoursflorida.com/vip-tours/
Due to inaccurate press and slander, Dream Tours is not offering VIP tours at this time. Our focus has primarily always been providing magical vacations for adults with special needs and helping their dreams to come true.

From the NY Post article:
Ryan Clement runs Dream Tours Florida with girlfriend Jacie Christiano, whom the rich Manhattan mom indicated was her family’s guide.

A working phone number for Christiano couldn’t be found, and Clement refused to put The Post through to her. A message left on Facebook was not immediately returned by Christiano.

Clement denied that his gal pal uses her disability to bypass lines. He said she has an auto-immune disorder and acknowledged that she uses a scooter on the job.

The first question is if Jacie needs the scooter or if it's a "prop".

Next question is if anything wrong is being done. There has been a rumor that the non-Disney private guides don't just use the normal strategies we use. Make good use of fast passes. Go to popular attractions when the lines tend to be short. Rumor is they have some helpful CMs who generate extra FPs for them or who let them enter the FP lane with a valid FP. Not a reach to think a CM may let a group with a person in a scooter skip the regular line, even when the attraction has ques large enough. Despite the rule we've seen it happen.

There is also the possibility Jacie, and her boyfriend, are good at embellishing their results. Distract their group so they don't see the estimated waiting time sign at Small World. Does a first time guest know what a 2 1/2 hour line at Small World looks like. Good thing you hired me. Instead of waiting 2 1/2 hours we'll be boarding the next boat that can accommodate our needs.

 

[Lewisc]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/15/us/disney-skipping-lines/index.html

Disney is investigating.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/disney_probes_sleazy_riders_BsFgeKjl2ugf7PvqQAAiaO

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/15/us/disney-skipping-lines/index.html

Disney is investigating.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/disney_probes_sleazy_riders_BsFgeKjl2ugf7PvqQAAiaO

GOOD!

 

[Dizznee Freak]

This is one that really infuriates me. My wife has Progressive MS and is relegated to a wheelchair. We have 4 children ages (14,12,7 and 2) when we go to DW we always see the alternate acess area for wheelchairs being abused by normal very capable of walking families. My children enter with us because we dont want them to be separated. But when I see grown adults all clammering to follow their disabled family member when they could just as easy get in the regular line it makes me mad. I have seen the look CM's give these groups as well, it is like they are thinking the same thing. We are going next summer and have been talking about just using FP to get around all of the drama.

 

[Spacedog1975]

This is one that really infuriates me. My wife has Progressive MS and is relegated to a wheelchair. We have 4 children ages (14,12,7 and 2) when we go to DW we always see the alternate acess area for wheelchairs being abused by normal very capable of walking families. My children enter with us because we dont want them to be separated. But when I see grown adults all clammering to follow their disabled family member when they could just as easy get in the regular line it makes me mad. I have seen the look CM's give these groups as well, it is like they are thinking the same thing. We are going next summer and have been talking about just using FP to get around all of the drama.

Depending on how this is happening, I might also be frustrated. This said, I have been to Disney 5 times, 3 of those times with my niece, nephew, sister, brother in law, and mother. While I've never required any special access considerations, I would not want to be seperated from my party if they were being diverted for any reason.

I'll reiterate though that ADA style access should not be abused by anyone. Abuse is not fair to those who play by the rules and get in the regular lines,a nd it is especailly not fair to people who actually require the access.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

Depending on how this is happening, I might also be frustrated. This said, I have been to Disney 5 times, 3 of those times with my niece, nephew, sister, brother in law, and mother. While I've never required any special access considerations, I would not want to be seperated from my party if they were being diverted for any reason.

I'll reiterate though that ADA style access should not be abused by anyone. Abuse is not fair to those who play by the rules and get in the regular lines,a nd it is especailly not fair to people who actually require the access.

I totally agree. I just get frustrated by those that just (In my Opinion) abuse the privilege. My wife most of the time refuses to even go to the ADA entrance and goes through the line. She only uses the alternate entrance when she is getting tired or overheated.