Article: Is Disney Dissing the Disabled?

[KGK]

And still no one has chimed in on how their child functions in the real world not Disney world. If your child can't wait in any line for more than 5 seconds then how are you able to leave your house? If you can't loop the Starbucks 8 times in a row to get them their drink what happens? Please someone answer this I really want to know?

You wouldn't believe them anyway....

 

[ChoppityChops]

This thread is full of fantastically dumb and ignorant comments. From both "sides" of this argument.

How about "we'll see what happens, and if there are still issues I hope Disney will make adjustments as needed based on feedback from the community, addressing both the abuse issues, as well as the need for equal access."

see? It's easy.

 

[OneLittleSpark1]

And still no one has chimed in on how their child functions in the real world not Disney world. If your child can't wait in any line for more than 5 seconds then how are you able to leave your house? If you can't loop the Starbucks 8 times in a row to get them their drink what happens? Please someone answer this I really want to know?

Oh but they have. They make adjustments...that they just can't possibly make at WDW.

 

[Objectivity]

I do not understand how the pro GAC people do not understand our position. It's because of this quote right here. Come on people, use your brains. This is ridiculous.

You're right about this one. But you're acting like people who rip off the system are the same as those who don't. Most people don't deserve the scorn you're giving them. You're brush is too broad.

 

[camandjacksmom]

You wouldn't believe them anyway....

Why do you say that? You don't even know me! I truly want an answer! All I've heard is walk a mile in our shoes. Well tell me about it how do you handle these melt downs in daily life!

 

[OurBigTrip]

You're right about this one. But you're acting like people who rip off the system are the same as those who don't. Most people don't deserve the scorn you're giving them. You're brush is too broad.

Anyone that is letting their child ride more than once while other children are waiting is abusing the system.

 

[Objectivity]

Oh but they have. They make adjustments...that they just can't possibly make at WDW.

I think they've said they make numerous adjustments... From not staying in the park as long as other families to walking their child through the entire vacation weeks and months in advance. Unfortunately, the adjustment you apparently really want is from them to not be exposed to their issues.

 

[karice2]

Don't you think your child is special? I thought all parents did.

Wow, with the Unicorn Snowflake comments. It's really nice to call disabled children names.

Please don't attack this person for my comment. I said Unicorn Snowflake. It was an attempt to interject levity into a very tensioned thread. Unicorn Snowflake is a term that is commonly used to describe how every kid is the most awesome kid on the planet. They are more unique than any other kid and possess magical powers of awesomeness.

I don't have children and I was not implying that only disabled children were Unicorn Snowflakes. I was implying that everyone thinks their kid is a Unicorn Snowflake.

I don't think any children are particularly special. I am not the kind of person that would even think my kid is. People aren't special just for being people. If that was the case, we would be Special and not People.

 

[KGK]

Why do you say that? You don't even know me! I truly want an answer! All I've heard is walk a mile in our shoes. Well tell me about it how do you handle these melt downs in daily life!

Read the last 19 pages. Asked and answered.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I think they've said they make numerous adjustments... From not staying in the park as long as other families to walking their child through the entire vacation weeks and months in advance. Unfortunately, the adjustment you apparently really want is from them to not be exposed to their issues.

No one has said or implied that. What we have said is that their kids are no more deserving of front of the line access and multiple rides than any other child.

They're being accommodated - they don't have to wait in the lines. But that's not enough - they want even more special treatment.

Their kids are no more special than any other kids (or adults) in the parks.

 

[Robbi]

Who has bashed kids with autism?

Who has blamed their parents for their disabilities?

I don't blame parents for their disability, I blame parents (and not just parents of autistic children) for abusing an accommodation so much that Disney had to change it. I do blame many of the parents of autistic children for throwing such a hissy fit because they were going to lose their privileged status that it seems that Disney will now back down, and allow the continued abuses of the GAC while simply calling it something else.

Unicorn Snowflake is not bashing-ok.
Disney approached Autism Speaks to get their input on the new system.

Hey gang, once we've solved this do you think we could move to something less important say like world hunger or North Korea or maybe the Mid-East. Seems to me those will be easy to handle compared to this.

As long as the Middle East and North Korea are not trying to get a GAC, it's all good. See, world peace is easy.

 

[camandjacksmom]

I think they've said they make numerous adjustments... From not staying in the park as long as other families to walking their child through the entire vacation weeks and months in advance. Unfortunately, the adjustment you apparently really want is from them to not be exposed to their issues.

The original question is not what they do to get ready for the parks but how do they live life in the non Disney world. How do they function with waits back home? What accommodations do they make? Why can't these accommodations be made for disney

 

[Objectivity]

Anyone that is letting their child ride more than once while other children are waiting is abusing the system.

I would say most people who let their child ride more than once while other children are waiting is abusing the system.

I think there are a few specific cases where it is necessary and there are medical diagnoses to support that. I have no problem with those children getting what they need. The difficulty is doing that while ensuring others dont take advantage.

 

[camandjacksmom]

Read the last 19 pages. Asked and answered.

That was my first comment in this thread and your comment was very judge mental of me. You cry people don't understand then tell me help me to understand because I truly don't see how they function in normal day to day life if a child can't wait more than 5 seconds for anything

 

[OurBigTrip]

Unicorn Snowflake is not bashing-ok.
Disney approached Autism Speaks to get their input on the new system.

Like I said, parents throwing hissy fits.

If you saw the video of Matt Asner backpedaling and saying that Autism Speaks had nothing to do with DAS as it was originally announced, you would see that Autism Speaks was NOT on board with DAS.

It was only after all the "but my kid can't wait and has to ride 10 times" brigade started whining that Disney responded with the new policy.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I would say most people who let their child ride more than once while other children are waiting is abusing the system.

I think there are a few specific cases where it is necessary and there are medical diagnoses to support that. I have no problem with those children getting what they need. The difficulty is doing that while ensuring others dont take advantage.

BS. There is no "need" to ride multiple times. No kid is going to get sick, be injured or die if they can't ride multiple times.


Will they be unhappy? Yes, no doubt. But it's still a want, not a need.

 

[karice2]

Hate to tell you but if you stay onsite at Universal, you can ride as many times as you like.

This comment was another injection of levity. She asked if she could be my BFF because of a previous comment. I stated that I don't give FOTL passes and I don't allow multiple rides.

The comment was directed at me allowing multiple rides on my person based on the previous 16 pages.

I get why the hackles may be raised but it was an innocuous comment not related to the policy currently being debated.

 

[Vidia2]

Who has bashed kids with autism?

Who has blamed their parents for their disabilities?

I don't blame parents for their disability, I blame parents (and not just parents of autistic children) for abusing an accommodation so much that Disney had to change it. I do blame many of the parents of autistic children for throwing such a hissy fit because they were going to lose their privileged status that it seems that Disney will now back down, and allow the continued abuses of the GAC while simply calling it something else.

I don't think Disney has backed down. If you read the statement on their website it says something along the lines of talking to GS about any particular need that you might have that isn't covered by the statement. I've been reading all along that they intended to make exceptions for some issues.

I think a lot of the hissy-fit throwing was in response to change which is hard. Not saying change is harder for me than for you but autism takes it's toll and sometimes we over-react because we're used to every single thing in life having the potential to bring about a meltdown that can last for months. Before you jump on me, I'm personally okay with the new system but I can see how it could cause a lot of problems for some children or even adults with autism. They will hopefully talk to GS and get their accommodations met. They can go in front of me, I don't care. I see lots of people who I believe should go in front of us in the parks and elsewhere.

As for blaming parents, there have been a few posters who've suggested that kids with autism should just be taught to wait their turn while usually saying that they have some special qualifications that make them more knowledgeable about autism than the parents. If you don't understand how this is blaming the parents then I don't know what to say. This is beating a dead horse. There is nothing that anyone can say to convince the anti-GAC crowd that this is a part of autism - not always, but almost.

If you are blaming the parents of kids with autism for ruining the system, you think, then are we over-reacting to being blamed?

There are a lot of people who find ways to get extra fastpasses, etc. This certainly isn't limited to any one group. I think to say that any one group is responsible for causing Disney to change the system would be inaccurate. A lot of people abused the system and I don't think it's inaccurate at all to say that parents of children with autism are getting more than their fair share of blame. I think we're being blamed for using the system at all, as if autism (again with this) is not a real disability or that it's just a matter of parents not making them wait in line.

 

[Vidia2]

BS. There is no "need" to ride multiple times. No kid is going to get sick, be injured or die if they can't ride multiple times.


Will they be unhappy? Yes, no doubt. But it's still a want, not a need.

Riding a ride multiple times would fall under the definition of perseverative behavior which is one of the symptoms of autism usually. This may not manifest itself with rides at an amusement park but sometimes it does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseveration

 

[camandjacksmom]

I don't think Disney has backed down. If you read the statement on their website it says something along the lines of talking to GS about any particular need that you might have that isn't covered by the statement. I've been reading all along that they intended to make exceptions for some issues.

I think a lot of the hissy-fit throwing was in response to change which is hard. Not saying change is harder for me than for you but autism takes it's toll and sometimes we over-react because we're used to every single thing in life having the potential to bring about a meltdown that can last for months. Before you jump on me, I'm personally okay with the new system but I can see how it could cause a lot of problems for some children or even adults with autism. They will hopefully talk to GS and get their accommodations met. They can go in front of me, I don't care. I see lots of people who I believe should go in front of us in the parks and elsewhere.

As for blaming parents, there have been a few posters who've suggested that kids with autism should just be taught to wait their turn while usually saying that they have some special qualifications that make them more knowledgeable about autism than the parents. If you don't understand how this is blaming the parents then I don't know what to say. This is beating a dead horse. Their is nothing that anyone can say to convince the anti-GAC crowd that this is a part of autism - not always, but almost.

If you are blaming the parents of kids with autism for ruining the system, you think, then are we over-reacting to being blamed?

There are a lot of people who find ways to get extra fastpasses, etc. This certainly isn't limited to any one group. I think to say that any one group is responsible for causing Disney to change the system would be inaccurate. A lot of people abused the system and I don't think it's inaccurate at all to say that parents of children with autism are getting more than their fair share of blame. I think we're being blamed for using the system at all, as if autism (again with this) is not a real disability or that it's just a matter of parents not making them wait in line.

I think your right about alot of what you said here. It's just comments like I've already figured out how to cheat the system by using old room keys so my child can still ride the ride 8 times in a row and I don't give a flip that you have to wait that keep fueling the debate here. There are cheaters on both sides which makes this change difficult on all involved.