Can you get a special pass for dk's with disabilities?

[bcarson]

My sister is thinking about taking her two boys next year. Her oldest boy who will be four then is autisitic. She was wondering if there was a special pass that she could get to bypass any lines ect... Also if her extended family is with her such as my family and grandparents can we skip the lines also? It wouldn't be much fun for my sister and one nephew to have to ride all the rides alone just for this perk. But I could not see my nephew being able to wait in long lines. I am definately encouraging her to go in an off time of the year either way. Thanks for any info.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Try posting in the disABILITIES section and you'll get lots of advice. If she goes during the offseason the lines would be a non-issue, for the most part.

T&B

 

[bdcp]

My niece is autistic and my BIL just took her and his other daughter this past August to WDW. There is a way to get to bypass the long lines. You don't get on immediately, but you don't have to stand and wait for a long time either. I'm not sure how many people can skip the lines, I wouldn't try to take a gang of able bodied family members on. I would think there's a limit. The purpose of this is for the disabled child, not their whole extended family. My BIL had just his two girls and they were able to prevent my niece from melting down with this method. I have seen info on this somewhere. I'm pretty sure it was either in the official or unofficial guide to WDW. I'm sure in the disabiilties section here someone can help you. I do know WDW has limits on what they consider for the inability to wait and autism is one of them. It apparently requires a letter from their physician.

BTW, other amusement parks have policies on this too from what my BIL has told us.

 

[Tissa]

I took my autistic son last March. Go to guest services and ask for a GAC. Guest Assistance Card. Inform them of the autism and trouble with waiting and they will give you one. I did have a letter from his doctor but they didn't ask for it. I think you can have up to 4 people with the pass.

 

[SueM in MN]

Come to the disABILITIES Board and we can help you out.
As Tissa mentioned, the card is called a Guest Assistance Card. We abbreviate it as GAC on the boards here so we don't have to type so much.
The GAC is not intended to (and often won't) shorten, eliminate your wait in line or let you go to the head of the line. What it is meant to be is a tool for CMs so they can tell easily what assistance is needed, particularly for people with invisible disabilities. Some of the things it might allow would be a quieter place to wait, being allowed to bring a stroller into line and have it treated like a wheelchair (this is something that a lot of people with children with autism find helpful - you can bring a little "safe place" into the line with you).
The GAC is issued to the person with a disability; they need to be with you when you request one and when you use it. It is usually issued for up to 6 people (5 plus the person with a disability). In some cases, you will be asked to split into smaller groups; that's usually in situations where the waiting area or the seating area for people with special needs are small.

And Tigger & Belle is right; if you go during off season, the lines are pretty much a non-issue. Using Fastpass is also a good idea. You can send someone in your party ahead to get fastpasses; that way, your whole party (no matter how big) can stay together. You put your park passes into the fastpass machine and get a Fastpass with a return time. When you come back during your return time, your wait in line will be less than 15 minutes. One advantage to using Fastpass is that you know what will happen; you get there, you show your Fastpass, you have a short wait in line. Using a GAC (even on the same line at a different time of day), you may not always experience the same thing - where you wait, how long or even being given a time to come back, depends on ride factors that you don't control (like staffing, how busy the ride is, how many people with special needs are already waiting).

 

[corinascot]

My niece is autistic. With a GAC you used to be assured of skipping long waits in line, but that's not always the case anymore. I know many folks in the autism community were upset about it, but I also heard it had also been abused by some people. My sister took my niece and her other children to WDW this summer. Sometimes they avoided some lines. Sometimes they waited in line. Mostly my sister used fastpasses. The CM on the Winnie the Pooh ride kindly let my niece ride through twice b/c she's so enthralled with Pooh. Unllike some autistic children, most folks can tell just by seeing my niece that she has "issues", so most of the CMs were quick to offer assistance. Personally, I think WDW should give my niece a lifetime pass to honor her enthusiasm for all things Disney! She knows those Pooh videos word for word!

 

[bdcp]

My BIL did say they didnt' get to go to the front of the line and like corinascot, it's pretty obvious my niece has issues too. But, they did get a lot of assistance and were able to not have to wait for really long times which is really impossible for her. When she's done with something or doesn't want to wait, she can scream and carry on pretty loudly. She's also pretty big for 10 and it's not easy to remove her physically when she's upset. Funny thing is she really loved some rides that we thought might upset her. She loved Mission Space. I think that one would make me lose my lunch. It turned out to be a great trip for them and the girls first plane trip. My niece loved the flight too and stayed in her seat the whole time. Pretty good for someone who likes to walk around a lot. But, lines and waiting are definitely not her thing and Disney seems to be very aware of autism.

 

[llggood]

WE got a GAC pass a few years for my son. No you do NOT bypass lines. You are given a quieter, more solitary place to wait. We waited the same time as everyone else for shows just not in a crowd and we used fastpass alot. Some times if you showed your GAC pass they said "get a fastpass" so we did. It is NOT a go to head of the line card so do not kid yourself thinking that.

 

[bdcp]

I think that was covered. No one thinks you go to the front of the line. Why so defensive?

My point was my niece doesn't stand in lines well, as I think the others were referring to also.

 

[kbkids]

We ran into a friend of mine there in October who has an autistic son. Not sure what they name of her "pass" was but she said it was basically a "blanket" fastpass for all of the fastpass rides. They just simply entered all the fastpass lines without having to wait for a certain time like the typical fastpass. She had been before where they had always been immediately taken to the front of the line, and she said it made her feel uncomfortable because you can't tell anything is wrong with her son at first glance, so they constantly got dirty looks. She liked this "FastPass" method so much better because it just simply shortened the waiting time, which was her main objective.

 

[llggood]

BDCP I am not defensive. I just don't want this person to think this pass is a cure all for line waiting. Also sad as it is, people lurk on these boards to find ways to "cheat the system". I know it's a sad sick thing to do and if they had to spend ONE day with an autistic kid they would know what a sick thing it is to do. But I am seen families fake wheelchairs to get to the front of the line and it would not be above someone trying to fake autism. Some people think they are above the rules no matter what. My kid needs the GAC card but others will try to get it that do not and that makes it harder for those of us that honestly do need to get it. I am sure Sue can attest to this! So do not accuse me of being defensive it's called being honest!

 

[aubriee]

I'm probably going to get bashed for this, but when I first read your post my immediate reaction was NO WAY!!! I'd have no problem with your sister, your two nephews, and even another adult to help her going to the head of the line, but if I saw three families using it for one child, I would definite complain and LOUDLY. I believe the special needs kids should be taken to the front of the line and if I happen to have one behind me with his siblings and parents, I would definitely ask them to go ahead of us, but not a whole extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc). I think Disney would be getting alot of complaints from people who are standing in line waiting their turn (like you should) if they allowed that. Again I definitely think your two nephews, their mom, and another adult should get a special pass to go to the front of the line--it's not fair to an autistic child to make him wait and I would hope no one would have a problem with it, but not the whole extended family. My word! I could take my niece's son and use him to go to the front if the line if that was the case. I would never do that.

 

[llggood]

Aubriee,

I agree. That is why they have had to limit the number of people on the pass too many people took advantage of us. Like when we went and got a GAC pass we had grandparents with us. We took our child to wait when we had to use it which wasn't very often with a Fastpass and we met up with the grandparents somewhere after the ride was over or the show was over. Even though our GAC allowed for 5 people to use it we did not abuse it.

 

[bdcp]

It would be pretty difficult to fake autism with a child. You'd have to spend weeks teaching a child to behave that way, and possibly get a doctor to fake a letter, or fake it yourself. That seems a little extreme to try to save some time in line. But, there are all kinds of strategies to ride twice in a row, etc. Baby swap, etc. I don't cheat on anything. I'm a big believer in rules. If everyone followed the rules we'd all be a lot more relaxed.

I know some kids are only mildly autistic, but in those cases they don't seem to have the same level of issues of severely autistic children (like my niece). Line waiting is not an issue for all autisic children, just as some are really affected by loud noises and others aren't. You have to know your child.

 

[puffkin]

Just a thought, but if the extended family really wants to experience the attraction together, could the majority of the group go through the regular line while the parent waits with the autistic child in the baby swap area. Then, when the family gets to the front of the line, the others could join them without having to have the autistic child wait through the line. Just a thought if the OP is worried about keeping a large group together for some attractions.

 

[llggood]

I would have to agree and disagree. No one believes my Logan is autistic unless they spend some REAL time with him. Sometimes he really seems NT but just put him a line with 100 people and watch the meltdown and you will see! Plus what is the latest prob at DW lately? People with FAKE Make a Wish cards! Who the heck would fake their child has a terminal illness. There are some real sickos out there!

 

[bdcp]

My point was that some autistic kids can handle the lines, most can't. I just can't imagine faking any illness or disability just to get "special" treatment. That is really low. The fact is there are plenty of able-bodied people who don't want to wait for anything. That is a function of our society giving children what they want, when they want it, as well as resentment by those who feel they have "less than everyone else" so they think they have to take what they can even if it means cheating because they're "owed" something. I have raised two of the most respectful, polite sons who always let others go first and do not resent anyone who is handicapped or challenged, and they have their cousin to spend time with. BTW, my oldest son has a hearing loss, so we have dealt with some issues. Disney so far has been able to deal with it and as a result has tightened up some of their requirements for GAC passes. Autism is really in the mainstream now, as there has been plenty of reports on it and the suspected causes, so most are aware of it. My BIL still feels the need to give his "speech" to whoever looks at my niece strangely. I've tried to give him some perspective in that my niece, when younger, only appeared to be throwing a temper tantrum and you can't expect everyone to know or care why she was screaming, just that she was and it can be disruptive depending on where you are. It's like having a toddler who can't talk yet throwing a temper tanrum. The reality is, she can't handle some situations and everyone around her shouldn't have to. The GAC makes a difference and makes her days at WDW go easier, as well as her sister's and father's.

 

[bcarson]

Let me just make it clear that I am not lurking to find ways to get out of waiting in line. My nephew is most definately autistic. I was just asking this question so we would now what was available and what to expect. I am not saying that we are all going to skip a line every time and maybe not at all. But now I at least now that the pass is good for five and that is fine. I also know that the pass does not necessary skip lines but gives you a quieter place to wait. Which was all info that I did not have before. I still feel that we would like to expierence most things together if in fact we even all go together. So we will just have to find ways to do this that suits everyone needs. Thanks.

 

[Hippychickali]

Bcarson, I hope you have a wonderful vacation and please do bring a doctor's letter and check with Guest Services. WDW is very good at making their attractions enjoyable for all people.

Ali

 

[riu girl]

bcarson,
Hope you have a great time on your holiday. My daughter has autistic tendencies and we are planning on applying for a GAC for our upcoming vacation. Her behaviour has been amazing lately so I don't know if we will have to use it but in a high stim environment like WDW, I'm a little concerned that she will have a difficult time with all the sensory stuff going on around her.
We are planning on using as many standby lines as possible and are planning on bringing the following for DD7: bubbles, small books, travel size magna doodle, travel size etch a sketch, small hand held electronic games, fidgit toys, small beanie baby toys, ear muffs (to block out a bit of the noise).

Have you had a chance to visit the disABILITES board yet? There is a TON of info. regarding the GAC available.
Again, have a wonderful vacation.

Suzy V.