Hi, everyone, I'm new to this site and I could not find the answer to my question anywhere online. I'm going to Disney World in late June 2013, and there are two people in my party that may require guest assistance cards. I'm traveling with my 16 year old daughter, my 8 year old son, and my mother, who just turned 81. My son has ADHD and has needed a guest assistance card in the past because it is simply impossible to wait in lines with him. However, I'm not sure if my mother should get a GAC as well. She is in very good shape for her age and does not have a problem walking short distances, but I'm worried about how she will keep up at the parks. I was thinking about renting a wheelchair or ECV at the park, just so she wouldn't tire herself out too quickly. We don't really need the wheelchair entrance though, because she is fine with walking short distances. My two questions are:
1) Will we need to get her a GAC?
2) Is there a way that we can park the wheelchair or ECV (like in the stroller area?) so that we can wait in the queue together? Like I said, we don't need the wheelchair entrances.
Thanks!
If she is 81 and in good shape in general, she may surprise you and do very well.
If you are thinking of renting something for her, it's important to find out whether or not she would be comfortable using an ECV. Some people are and some are not, especially if they don't drive.
A wheelchair or ECV could be parked in the stroller parking area at any attraction and she can just walk into the attraction. Many people use a wheelchair or ECV to get to a general area, then park it and walk to the attractions and shops in that area before picking it up to go to the next area.
If she wants to use it in line, there is no GAC required for that - the CMs can see the wheelchair or ECV and will route you to the correct place.
Most lines at WDW are Mainstreamed, which means they are wheelchair accessible in the main line and there is no 'wheelchair entrance'. Guests with wheelchairs and
ECVs wait in the same line as everyone else.
Some attractions are not ECV accessible, but all are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding (excrpt the attractions where guests must be ambulatory). So, she would have the option of using a wheelchair in line or parking it.
Advantages of an ECV include independence - she could go where she wants to go without worrying about anyone pushing her. A disadvantage is that someone driving an ECV needs to be attentive and alert to everything going on around them and ready to stop suddenly. People tend to step out Into your path very suddenly. That can be mentally tiring and some people just are not comfortable with operating a moving device under those circumstances.
You would need to either use WDW transportation or take the ECV apart and stow it in your vehicle.
The disadvantage of a wheelchair is that someone needs to push it, but between you and your daughter, you should be able to switch off.
Advantages of a wheelchair are that the person pushing it needs to be attentive, but they stop more quickly than an ECV - you just stop pushing.
She could also get out of it and push it herself if she wants go walk.
If you use buses, you could fold it and hold it on the bus like people do strollers.
You may also want to consider a rollators; that is a walker with wheels and a fold down seat. It provides support and a place to sit when needed, but the person using it will still be walking. Rollators can be taken into lines without a GAC like a wheelchair or ECV or parked with the strollers.
Post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQ is about renting mobility devices, like ECVs and wheelchairs. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.
Post one of that thread is an index that tells which post has what information. There is a post about rollators that might be helpful to you.
Post 6 is about GAC (Guest Assistance Cards).
For your son, you will find that going early to the parks will let you see the most attractions with the shortest waits - even if you are going at a busy time like Christmas or Soring break. You can also use Fastpass to avoid waits.
Many people use a touring plan like
www.touringplans.com or
www.easywdw.com
Even if you don't follow the plan exactly, those can can tell you the best park and area of the park to be in to avoid crowds and waits.
Many people find those things - getting to the park early and using a touring plan site - are more helpful to them than a GAC and can eliminate or decreae the times they need to use a GAC. Even with a GAC, it is helpful to be in the least busy park because it will be easier to get around and there will be shorter waits for things like transportation, restaurants and bathrooms where a GAC is not helpful.