Can the visually impaired sit in the front of shows?

[adoptivemomx2]

My DD9 is visually impaired and it's not correctable with glasses or contacts. We plan on getting her a Guest Assistance Card for this and her cerebral palsy which causes her to fatigue quickly. My question is whether we might be able to get seating for shows at the front or towards the front of shows so she can see. Or will we need to time our entry into shows to be at the front of the line so we can pick the seats we need?

We don't want anyone to think we are taking advantage, but when I watch youtube videos of the shows taken by someone seated in the middle ot back of the audience, I know she won't be able to see a thing.

 

[Mrsjvb]

yeap. should be no issue no matter what time you arrive although you may want to snag a CM at the beginning of the line.. some lines for shows have alternate entrances for these kinds of issues( with the wheelchairs and ECVs)

 

[clanmcculloch]

I think the biggest issue you might encounter is that you have dual needs. Is she able to walk short distances and manage stairs? Some shows will require this in order to get to the front. I don't see you having trouble getting a GAC for vision impairment to allow you to sit up close but you do have to be able to get to the seats. I'm not familiar with which theatres this will be an issue but a couple I can think of would be Indiana Jones (DHS), Beauty and the Beast (DHS) and Fantasmic! (DHS). At Philharmagic, the accessible seats are at the back though at least there aren't any stairs so if she can at least transfer then she should be able to sit up front.

I think one of the stickies on this board goes through the accessible seating and theatre configurations. I'd take a look through that and figure out which shows you'll be able to do and which you won't (or at least which you'll need to figure out logistics for).

 

[adoptivemomx2]

She has very little trouble walking and gets around great. The problem we see at Disney is her fatigue and we are addressing that with frequent breaks in the parks, a long afternoon break each day at the condo, and possibly seeing if there is a place to sit during long waits.

It's great that she will get up-front seating. We have been to many places that don't have a system for accomodating the visually impaired and either she couldn't see or we had to depend on the kindness of strangers to notice her disability and offer up their seats. I am so excited for her (and the whole family) that she will be able to see everything she wants!

I think the biggest issue you might encounter is that you have dual needs. Is she able to walk short distances and manage stairs? Some shows will require this in order to get to the front. I don't see you having trouble getting a GAC for vision impairment to allow you to sit up close but you do have to be able to get to the seats. I'm not familiar with which theatres this will be an issue but a couple I can think of would be Indiana Jones (DHS), Beauty and the Beast (DHS) and Fantasmic! (DHS). At Philharmagic, the accessible seats are at the back though at least there aren't any stairs so if she can at least transfer then she should be able to sit up front.

I think one of the stickies on this board goes through the accessible seating and theatre configurations. I'd take a look through that and figure out which shows you'll be able to do and which you won't (or at least which you'll need to figure out logistics for).

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I used to work at Indiana Jones. There are two rows of accessible seating in theater right side at the front. The limit is four wheelchairs/ECVs with some seats in the first row plus overflow reserved seating in row two.

There are also two rows of reserved seating (rows two and three) directly to theater right of the control booth in the front center. These are normally used for VIP tours.

I would suggest getting to the theater about 30 minutes prior to a show, let the greeter out front know you have a GAC, and let the person at the podium know that you need up-front seating. You will be escorted to one of the two reserved areas up front.

 

[gilesmt]

You can get a card to sit up front, but be prepared to assert your right to sit up front, I have been to both WDW and DL and have received this card, I am always amazed but cast members who do not seem to understand what the card is telling them, a few times I have been excourted to the front of the line, a few times I have been sit with w/c people in back of theater, a few times I have been giving the right accommodation, and sat up front. More often than with other cards you may have to tell the cast member what you want, most of the time I will get it when I ask but I almost always in both WDW and DL have a problem with the muppets, they never sit me up front always in the middle, so I just don't bother to show them the card and we always stand where we know we will get front row. I have had very good and very bad service at Aladin and Nemo, one cast member even stated what different does it matter you still can't see your blind. Thank goodness we had a kaleidoscope with us, I told him to look inside it and see, I then said this is what I see, when I watch Nemo, all the colors sliding around, at least if I am up close enough. I said, I won't judge as long as you learn that even blind there may still be some benefits.

So be prepared to say you want front row seating and with a smile continue to ask until you get it. I guess it is a good thing Disney has much less visually impaired persons and the system is not abused because a lot of the staff does not understand what the card is used for and you have to educate a lot of cast members.

 

[cgncga]

My DD9 is visually impaired and it's not correctable with glasses or contacts. We plan on getting her a Guest Assistance Card for this and her cerebral palsy which causes her to fatigue quickly. My question is whether we might be able to get seating for shows at the front or towards the front of shows so she can see. Or will we need to time our entry into shows to be at the front of the line so we can pick the seats we need?

We don't want anyone to think we are taking advantage, but when I watch youtube videos of the shows taken by someone seated in the middle ot back of the audience, I know she won't be able to see a thing.

My 8 year old daughter has similar challenges to your daughter (low muscle tone leading to fatigue issues with the fatigue also being a seizure trigger and low vision). On all our trips to WDW we have gotten a GAC for her allowing her to use her stroller as a wheelchair (to minimize the fatigue and seizures) and a second stamp indicating her low vision that allows us to sit near the front of a theatre so that she can see. It has worked well with most of the shows we've gone to (Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and The Laugh Floor and probably a few more that I can't remember). Because of her specific vision issues it's not as critical for her to be near the front for the 3D shows. Like your daughter, she is able to walk short distances without fatigue being an issue, but we've almost always been allowed to take her stroller with us to her seat. Sometimes one of us and my elder daughter will end up sitting a few rows back if a lot of people require the seats at the front, but we really haven't had a problem getting this accomodation for her.

Catherine

 

[A Mickeyfan]

My GAC has it on there, it has the 2 people sitting in a bench seat stamp. When I went to use it at Fantasmic, I had no problems, but there weren't any seats left for them to "escort me to, and they told me to "look for seats myself" but allowed me to go up to the front to look. I only needed 2 seats so it wasn't too hard to find some. What was hard was it was pretty dark and that is part of my problem. I had to hold onto my friend going down the small stairs in the dark, I couldn't see them~ wished they would have escorted me with the flashlight.... oh well..
When I went to the Candlelight Prossessional, I waited on the line for about 30 minutes, showed my card and was pointed in the direction of the front. I walked up to the CM there, show my GAC & was told by that one that they don't do that there I asked if it was a "theater" he said yes, then I said well it states I get up front seating (does state it). The entire front section was empty too. He got made at me and placed me there. It was up where the hearing impaired sit. Tuned out, they ended up putting a few more people there, but they were just normal people. That 5pm show wasn't even filled up. There were better center seats, but they remained basically empty.. only a handful of people where there.. I couldn't figure out what his deal was not wanting me to sit toward the front Even the mom next to me couldn't understand it. She was already there with her two son's (hearing impaired).

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I would still go early to shows if you are going to be there at a busy time. Many other people will have GACs and if the front seats are full already they can't be forced to move.

 

[robyng]

My DS, age 10, has ADHD, Autism, NF2 with brain and spinal tumors and is blind in his right eye with low vision in the left. We haven't been to WDW for about 4 years now and are heading back in June. When we were there last his GAC indicated up front seating and alternate entrances and we never had a problem. They often had us go in first so he could pick a seat he could see from. My concern for this trip is that now that he is older he wants to see many more shows (we skip the 3D shows because he can't see in 3D) and I hope they are as accommodating as they were the last trip. This trip he really wants to see Fantasmic and I've heard you need to get into line hours ahead. I know he couldn't handle the wait as he fatigues quickly. I'm curious as to how they handle GAC's for low vision for Fantasmic and how early do we need to get there?

 

[I Love Pluto]

I have a GAC for conflicting needs. The hearing one says to sit in the front row, the mobility one usually puts us in the rear of a theater, etc, and the sight one requires no strobes or flashes.

CMs usually have a quick discussion as to where in the theater I can be best served. Only ONE time - at Nemo - the CM was inexperienced, and refused to help us or to explain anything. She actually told us that we didn't belong at that show at all. We considered the source, and we were forced to leave. We haven't seen the show yet, even though it's been around for several years.

We're planning on trying again on one of our next trips. Someone will eventually help.

 

[Mrsjvb]

IIRC your issues may preclude Nemo altogether especially if you absolutely need all three met.

I am pretty sure there are strobes/flashing lights in the show. and if there is no wheelchair/ecv seating up front then they cannot meet both the hearing and the sight issue at the same time. Its been a while since I have been to the show at WDW.