Another GAC question, sorry

[VileVixen]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I will be going to WDW in October with my parents (really excited!)
Never thought I would need to think about the GAC card, but I was recently Honorably discharged from the USAF for a torn Achilles tendon and a small tear in my ACL (same leg, at least).

Should I get a GAC? I'm still mobile, just super painful for me after 8+ hours. I feel like a jerk for even asking about it, and no way am I going to get a wheelchair when I'm going with my 50+ parents. Any thoughts?

 

[clanmcculloch]

What is it that you'd like the GAC to accomplish? I'm not trying to be snarky. Guest Relations will need to know what kind of problem you expect to encounter. Their response to stamina issues is to get a mobility device. Do you need some kind of help beyond how long you'll be able to walk?

There is no GAC to shorten distances. If you can't handle stairs then you can get a GAC to avoid stairs. If distances are the problem then really the only solutions are to either get a mobility device or to follow a more moderate day. Most people are sore after 8 hours in the parks. Honestly, with a good touring plan you won't need that long of a day anyway. On my favourite touring plan site easywdw.com people on the forums stress that 8 hours away from your resort in a day is the max you want to do if you don't want to physically and mentally exhaust yourself and that includes travel time and dining.

My 13yo can't walk any kind of distance without pain. We had to get her a wheelchair for our most recent DL trip. There's no way to avoid the distances. If she was able to walk even 6 hours before the pain set in we'd just keep our park days to that length (actually our days are shorter than that anyway because of our autistic 15yo) but these days she can't even walk around a mall without pain so a mobility device was necessary.

no way am I going to get a wheelchair when I'm going with my 50+ parents

I don't understand this sentiment. You were hurt I assume defending our country in some capacity which is extremely honourable. Your statement suggest shame. There's no reason for this. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You deserve it. Heck, your loved ones deserve for you to be able to participate in their vacation with you being in as little pain as possible.

 

[VileVixen]

Thank you for the advice. I really didn't know what the GAC entailed, just knew it was an option that wasn't a wheelchair, lol.

I think I'll just tough it out, I won't do any damage to myself.

Anyone who's going in mid-October, if you see a short chunky girl in combat boots and a knee brace, say hi

 

[SueM in MN]

Check out post 6 in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, which is about GACs.
You can find that thread near the top of the board or follow the link in my signature.

There are changes coming to GACs, probably by October. The most likely change, and one I'm reading about occurring already, is return times. The guests come to an attraction, show the GAC and are given a time to return, which would be similar to the time posted for the Standby (regular line).

Keep in mind that GACs seldom shorten the distance walked and much of the distance walked will be out of lines. We kept track on our last trip and did at least 5 miles a day, usually more. And we were not pushing it because we had a DD in a wheelchair, 2 pretty sedentary people and my 80 + yr old mother in law!

Many people walk a lot more, 9-12 miles per day are not that unusual.

If you can get to the parks early, there tends to be shorter waits and you can see a lot more in a shorter time. Many people use websites like www.easywdw.com and www.touringplans.com to help figure out the best park to go to for the day nd which areas will be the least wait.
Fastpass also helps to shorten your wait in line. By the time you go, Fastpast Plus may have totally rolled out (it is in testing phases right now). That is another way to reserve a retun time and avoid standing in line.

 

[VileVixen]

I don't understand this sentiment.

What I meant was, if my 50+ year old parents can do it, so can I. My dad hurt his knee a few years ago, slipped on ice, and he gets around fine. I can't justify getting myself a chair if he doesn't need one.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

And honestly that's the kind of mentality that will probably make you hurt yourself worse. I'm not trying to be a jerk...but don't you think it'd be silly that if you were in severe pain and had a way to mitigate it at your disposal that you'd say no? Going through the parks in pain when you don't have to is ridiculous.

 

[clanmcculloch]

What I meant was, if my 50+ year old parents can do it, so can I. My dad hurt his knee a few years ago, slipped on ice, and he gets around fine. I can't justify getting myself a chair if he doesn't need one.

My 13 year old daughter used a wheelchair while her 62 year old father walked around Disneyland last month. He had knee surgery a few years ago as well as hernia surgery a couple years ago. She needed a wheelchair. He didn't.

You are an individual as is your father. You both have individual needs. Age is irrelevant to need.

Since one of your injuries is an achilles tendon tear, your statment that you won't do damage could be wrong. You COULD do some serious damage. I assume you're in physical therapy? If you are then discuss the amount of walking with your PT to see if it's a good idea or not to do that kind of walking. Make it clear you're talking about 7-9 miles per day repeated daily for however long your trip will be.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I will be going to WDW in October with my parents (really excited!)
Never thought I would need to think about the GAC card, but I was recently Honorably discharged from the USAF for a torn Achilles tendon and a small tear in my ACL (same leg, at least).

Should I get a GAC? I'm still mobile, just super painful for me after 8+ hours. I feel like a jerk for even asking about it, and no way am I going to get a wheelchair when I'm going with my 50+ parents. Any thoughts?

for mobility and stamina issues the answer from Disney is get a WC or ECV.

a GAC would only be useful if you were mobile but could not do stairs for instance

 

[Mrsjvb]

What I meant was, if my 50+ year old parents can do it, so can I. My dad hurt his knee a few years ago, slipped on ice, and he gets around fine. I can't justify getting myself a chair if he doesn't need one.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR FATHER and his injuries and issues ARE NOT YOURS.

if you need a chair or ECV then GET ONE.

 

[niftywench]

First of all, THANK YOU for your service!!!

I am going on my first trip since going though a spinal fusion and being diagnosed with a muscular-skeletal disorder which causes me a LOT of foot pain. I have struggled for weeks on should i rent an ECV or not, and i felt so bad about it, ashamed. I ended up going to a new physical therapist that gave me a ton of advice for my trip. the first thing she did was get me into proper walking shoes, and for this punk rock converse sneaks girl i was SO not into it...but wow. i have been practicing a lot of walking this past month and it's been amazing!
I'm not saying "go get new shoes" but maybe a PT or OT can help you find some relief on your trip. Good luck!!

 

[KGK]

Get the scooter. Most companies have veteran discounts. You aren't the first veteran to need a scooter in the parks. I've never had a problem using Apple.

There's a ton of walking. And sometimes waiting. I walk with a limp and constant hip pain (one jump too many from a 130). But walking is not as much of an issue as just standing - waiting. So I got a scooter for the waiting. Of course using it in lieu of walking made the days even better!

You may get looks from some idiots. Most people are unbelievably nice and non-judgmental. So you, like many others including me, need to get over your own mental toughness and do what's right for yourself. You are not admitting defeat, you are using all the tools available to accomplish the mission of having fun at WDW.

Aim High

 

[SueM in MN]

Get the scooter. Most companies have veteran discounts. You aren't the first veteran to need a scooter in the parks. I've never had a problem using Apple.

There's a ton of walking. And sometimes waiting. I walk with a limp and constant hip pain (one jump too many from a 130). But walking is not as much of an issue as just standing - waiting. So I got a scooter for the waiting. Of course using it in lieu of walking made the days even better!

You may get looks from some idiots. Most people are unbelievably nice and non-judgmental. So you, like many others including me, need to get over your own mental toughness and do what's right for yourself. You are not admitting defeat, you are using all the tools available to accomplish the mission of having fun at WDW.

Aim High

Very good words for everyone to keep in mind

Thank you and the OP for your service and keep on using whatever tools are needed to accomplish the mission.

 

[DaisyD]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I will be going to WDW in October with my parents (really excited!)
Never thought I would need to think about the GAC card, but I was recently Honorably discharged from the USAF for a torn Achilles tendon and a small tear in my ACL (same leg, at least).

Should I get a GAC? I'm still mobile, just super painful for me after 8+ hours. I feel like a jerk for even asking about it, and no way am I going to get a wheelchair when I'm going with my 50+ parents. Any thoughts?

You can go to entrance of the park and tell them what you need. My mom gets a gac because she cannot stand forever and she wont use an ECV a lot. She can walk but she has issues standing long. So the GAC allows her alternative entrance meaning fast passlines. We still get our own fastpasses but this helps greatly when she is really dragging. Good luck!

 

[Gracie09]

You can go to entrance of the park and tell them what you need. My mom gets a gac because she cannot stand forever and she wont use an ECV a lot. She can walk but she has issues standing long. So the GAC allows her alternative entrance meaning fast passlines. We still get our own fastpasses but this helps greatly when she is really dragging. Good luck!

Getting in through fastpass does not always happen and shouldn't be expected. When dh had his alternate entrance it was that an alternate waiting area. He did not get on sooner.

Get an ecv. You don't have to use it all the time but it will be there when you need it.

 

[tinkerpea]

Getting in through fastpass does not always happen and shouldn't be expected. When dh had his alternate entrance it was that an alternate waiting area. He did not get on sooner.

Get an ecv. You don't have to use it all the time but it will be there when you need it.

And what happened at all the places that there was no alternate waiting area?
I dont know of many rides that have alternate areas.

 

[SueM in MN]

And what happened at all the places that there was no alternate waiting area?
I dont know of many rides that have alternate areas.

Here are a few, but there are quite a few more.
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor - the waiting area is to the right side of the picture

Circle of Life Movie at The Land

It's Tough to Be A Bug - very dark for taking pictures. The waiting area is to the left, in back of a rope that you can see as a yellowish line

Small World when the handicapped line is longer than the wait in the regular line.

Small World with a similar wait to the Standby line

Also, there are a considerable number of attractions where all guests will need to stand for a period of time. A GAC won't change that.
There is a list of those attractions in post 22 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713&page=2

REMINDER TO POSTERS: different GACs are given for different needs and things change, so there is no guarantee that what happened to one guest using a GAC will happen to another guest.

The same guest can even find their GAC is handled differently if they come back to the same attraction at a different time, even on the same day.

CMs have said that GACs are going to be changing soon, probably in early October. Some guests using GACs are already reporting that they are being given a return time similar to the standby time. GACs were not intended to shorten wait time and can't be counted on to do that.