Change to the number of people allowed on a GAC?

[poohnpigletCA]

We just returned from a trip to Disneyland. While waiting in line for Goofy's sky school we noticed that there was a large group of people behind us with one GAC and it was stamped 12.

Later I asked hubby if I saw that correctly and he said yes it was 12. We thought perhaps they had multiple people with a need and it was just put on one card. Later at Dumbo the group in front of us had a GAC for 8. The following day we saw a group with 9.

The back of the GAC still reads that it is for the person and up to 5 additional people.

Has anyone heard of a change?

 

[ArchOwl]

Yes, there was a change a few months back, here is the thread on it.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2711743

Basically, a GAC can be issued for more people than 6 on a case by case basis at City Hall.

 

[SueM in MN]

At WDW, the CMs at Guest Relations could always use discretion and make allowances for more than a total of 6 on a case by case basis (5 plus the person with a disability).
But, they didn’t just do it because your party was larger than 6. You did have to explain the reason why you needed a larger party size. And, just because the card says a larger number doesn’t mean that each attraction could accommodate that number. At WDW, you still can be told at the entry that you party needs to split into smaller groups. This is mostly because of space.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Thank you for the information. We had not been this year so I was not aware of the change.

They did have me initial the card, that was new to me. At star tours they write the date on the GAC after the first use. For additional uses on that same day they would write out a fastpass that was the length of the standby line. So if it was 10:00 and standby was 60 minutes then our fastpass was for 11:00. When we returned with the fastpass we also had to show the GAC again with the fastpass.

 

[SueM in MN]

For a while at WDW, they have been highlighting the part that says the GAC is not meant to shorten waits and having the person receiving the GAC initial it to show you were given that information and understand it.

 

[dclfun]

When I was at DL I saw lots of very large groups with a GAC and no one with an obvious disability, but of course we all know there are disabilities that are not visible or physical. The Guests appeared to be large families who were quite familiar with DL. One of these large groups took up ALL the seating for WoC in the accessible area..and I mean ALL the seating- six benches worth.---Kathy

 

[poohnpigletCA]

When I was at DL I saw lots of very large groups with a GAC and no one with an obvious disability, but of course we all know there are disabilities that are not visible or physical. The Guests appeared to be large families who were quite familiar with DL. One of these large groups took up ALL the seating for WoC in the accessible area..and I mean ALL the seating- six benches worth.---Kathy

Oh man that is not nice. When we saw WoC we were told by the cm's that the benches were only for the person who was on the card. We asked if our oldest dd could sit on the bench until more people came into the area. We were told that was fine and as it turned out we had empty benches in our area but hubby & I stood the entire time.

We have someone in our group who does not have a visible disability, unless you know what you are looking for. So we try hard not to judge. However, a large group got in line behind us and there was a person with no obvious disability sitting in the rented wheelchair. When the exited the ride someone else from the group rode in the wheelchair. We saw them throughout the day and it was always a different person in the chair.

Then there was the group that bypassed the handicap line and walked in the exit to Dumbo. They had no feather so the CM quickly figured it out and showed them where the handicap line was. Then the CM asked if someone was disabled or they had a card. Nope, they just walked in the exit and got on the ride.

 

[KPeveler]

I have seen some groups with a lot of people on the GAC. Something worth noting, however, is that you cannot show up to the ride with more than 6 with a wheelchair and be allowed in. You would still have to stop at City Hall and explain your situation and get a GAC for more than the 5+1. We saw a group of 10 try to do this at Space Mountain (9 people, all adults, and one adult with a wheelchair) and they were told they would have to split up. So if you use a wheelchair and have a reason you cannot split into smaller groups of less than 6, stop by Guest Relations to find out how it would be handled.

 

[TeddiBarra]

I see all sides to this...my daughter's HA can be not very obvious (esp when she's wearing pants and at night), so we have a used a GAC (though mostly for stroller as WC up to this point). One trip, my parents took their 5 grandkids- and had 3 4 yr olds, including my DD and they WOULD NOT put 7 on the card. Now, given the whole "responsible party" is age 14 thing, this would be putting them at odds with their own policy, so I agree it should be flexible for certain situations.

Skip ahead to April of this year (we were there the day they "changed" the GAC policy at DLR). Didn't notice any issues our last day there at all, but was told about the discretion to go above 6 for GAC.

Skip ahead to a few weeks ago- what a RIDICULOUS set of circumstances. Repeatedly, esp in FL, groups of 11 and 12 trying to do the HA.

Now I see the BIG downside of issuing huge GACs parties. I am thinking, when it comes to wrangling kids in one group- fine. But when the group is 95% adults, come on jerks, knock it off!

I saw the same thing as a PP- huge groups, one or two kids, strangle-holding the tiny HA queue's in FL. I mean, creating a seriously impeding backup to both entrances and exits of lines (think Alice/Toads/Storybookland). At Dumbo, and Casey Jr, and Storybook, I had to get vocal and point out that there were already HA parties ahead of them, please, don't stranglehold the exits!

If I see this again, I may give feedback to Guest Services, just urging the CMs to feel free to use as much prudence as they can with going big on the GACs. Maybe they should redo the cards and explain that the parties may not always be able to experience everything together. I say that VERY hestitantly, because I've also decided 3 times NOT to do Knotts Berry Farm because of their VERY restrictive, WC + 1 other person only, policy. As long as it's MOST of the time, or that PARENTS/guardians can always ride iwth their CHILDREN, ok. But these huge parties of adults aren't working well. There is not the space to handle huge groups.

Also, in April and in June, both times I had to initial the GAC and also, both times it was highlighted (the part about not intended to bypass wait times, except for .. of course the one stamp that is... but whatever...)