Changes

[Beccabunny]

I am hoping it will be like a fast pass for those that need to use an alternate waiting area. My dd has Asperger's and extreme anxiety and we have had a GAC for the last couple of trips, it is a blessing but we tend to tour so that we may only have to use it a handful of times if that. But we have no problem waiting she just can't do it for very long with a bunch of people or we have a melt down and explaining to people why your teenager is acting that way is hard to explain. We go back in a week (and have not been in the summer for a long time) and I am so worried that with the changes they may not want to grant us another one. I think if they did the fast pass for the gac maybe less people would abuse it since it will not get you right in. Either way I hope the change helps keep abuse down but allows those who need it to be able to use it.

The GAC as it exists now does not get you into an attraction immediately. Making it work like a Fastpass where you have to come back later would not be helpful for my daughter, and I imagine many other children with autism, because she would be going up to a ride entrance to show her GAC to the CM and then be turned away and told to come back later. I don't see how this would stop abuse. Some of the abusers would probably like to have an unlimited Fastpass and the abuse would continue.

 

[mcraft17]

The GAC as it exists now does not get you into an attraction immediately. Making it work like a Fastpass where you have to come back later would not be helpful for my daughter, and I imagine many other children with autism, because she would be going up to a ride entrance to show her GAC to the CM and then be turned away and told to come back later. I don't see how this would stop abuse. Some of the abusers would probably like to have an unlimited Fastpass and the abuse would continue.

True it might not be the best fit for everyone and what works for one may not work for another, although I think that in the long run it may become harder and harder to accomidate everyone. I will be happy no matter what they decide as long as it is still given to those that need it and not removed all together. Here is hoping that it will continue to be a blessing to all that need it and help everyone to have a great vacation!

 

[Lisa71]

I always assume the best as I know first hand about assumptions..but when you are in line with multiple people choosing who is "disabled" and changing whose name is "Mike"...yep, saw it at DL...I said nothing as I think if they are so inclined as to cheat it makes little differance, but I know a lot of other parents said things. One little guy in a wheelchair said "No fair Mom"..he was right..his Mom said thought "Sweetie, lots of things aren't fair and they might have their own issues". My son was unaware, but the little guy was right.

 

[Beccabunny]

What can Disney do to stop abuse without taking away current accommodations that really work for those who need them?

 

[dvc one day]

What can Disney do to stop abuse without taking away current accommodations that really work for those who need them?

Nothing. In the same way that I have never seen a ticket on someones car for parking a handicapped spot, there will always be abuse which Disney can't stop. If they do try, they take a risk of hurting people that need help.

OP mentioned "huge changes", which could mean anything. No way we could speculate on what will be the result, or if people will be happy or mad about the changes (probably both).

On Star Tours they already give you the "come back later" ticket. I am not sure if that helps most people, but you don't need a GAC for that if you are in a wheelchair. Hope that does not become the new normal for all rides.

side note: GAC is not a short cut. I waited forever the last time a rode TSMM (much longer than stand-by line) because of so many wheelchairs in front of me. I probably will not ask for a GAC next time.

No matter what happens, I will have fun. No one is allowed to ruin my fun.

 

[Beccabunny]

I am beginning to feel the talk of changes is not really due to abuse, but rather because of the non-stop complaining from able-bodied guests who think somebody with a disability is gaining some kind of advantage.

 

[SueM in MN]

The major issue disney has is that GAC is only for rides, so hopefully it will be used to better supply accomidations throughout WDW

Not correct.

It is for attractions which include both rides and shows.

It clearly does not affect outside of park transportation and also does not affect anything in the water parks.

Cheshire,
I'm confused. Are you saying that the GAC is only good for rides and attractions OR the upcoming changes to the GAC are only going to impact attractions that have both a show and ride? so if the latter applies say for example Toy Story Midway Mania would NOT be affected because it is only a ride as well as say Voyage of the Little Mermaid because it is only a show. But say something like Tower of Terror would be because it has a preshow followed by a ride?? or have I just read way too deep into your comment? LoL


Posted from Disney Forums Reader for Android

To clarify -
bookwormde posted that GACs were only for rides.

Cheshire Figment correctly posted that GACs are used for attractions.
Some attractions are rides. Some attractions are shows or movies.

Cheshire Figment added that GACs are not used outside of the parks, for transportation or at the water parks.

Nothing. In the same way that I have never seen a ticket on someones car for parking a handicapped spot, there will always be abuse which Disney can't stop. If they do try, they take a risk of hurting people that need help.

OP mentioned "huge changes", which could mean anything. No way we could speculate on what will be the result, or if people will be happy or mad about the changes (probably both).

On Star Tours they already give you the "come back later" ticket. I am not sure if that helps most people, but you don't need a GAC for that if you are in a wheelchair. Hope that does not become the new normal for all rides.

side note: GAC is not a short cut. I waited forever the last time a rode TSMM (much longer than stand-by line) because of so many wheelchairs in front of me. I probably will not ask for a GAC next time.

No matter what happens, I will have fun. No one is allowed to ruin my fun.

The issue with Toy Story Midway Mania is that the regular (and Fastpass) line has stairs. So anyone who has an issue with stairs ( wheelchair, other mobility device, other issues) is forced to use the accessible boarding area because it is the only way to avoid the stairs.
They only load one ride car pod there per ride cycle, so the line there can get very long.

That happens on any attraction where the regular boarding area is not accessible. On our last trip, a few weeks ago, DH and DD had gotten into the wheelchair accessible line for Small World. They had been waiting there for about 20 minutes when I arrived (we had split up earlier while I did something DD can't do). Because the accessible line was very full, I could not catch up with them to ride with them, so I got in the regular line. Even though I entered the regular line more than 20 minutes after then, when we boarded, they were only 2 boats ahead of me. So, they waited more than 20 minutes longer than I did, just because they needed the accessible line.

This is something I hope the changes address. Any system that forces people with special needs (whatever their needs are) to wait significantly longer than they would otherwise wait is broken, at least to some extent.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Currently I have not heard of any forthcoming changes.

I would be interested in knowing did MinnieVanMom hear this from someone actually in a Guest Relations Office at one of the Parks or from somebody on the telephone. If on the phone, it was more than likely at a call center and less reliable than a Jungle Cruise Captain or a Bus Driver.

 

[dvc one day]

If on the phone, it was more than likely at a call center and less reliable than a Jungle Cruise Captain or a Bus Driver.

Wait..I thought Jungle Cruise Captain and Bus Driver were synonymous with "well-informed"

 

[SueM in MN]

Currently I have not heard of any forthcoming changes.

I would be interested in knowing did MinnieVanMom hear this from someone actually in a Guest Relations Office at one of the Parks or from somebody on the telephone. If on the phone, it was more than likely at a call center and less reliable than a Jungle Cruise Captain or a Bus Driver.

Thanks.
Even if MinnieVanMom's source is in Guest Relations does not neccessarily mean anything is going to change.
Or, of it is going to change, how soon.

There have been rumors for a while that some changes may [/] roll out when the Fastpass next generation rolls out, but no one knows what, why or when ( or even if).

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Currently I have not heard of any forthcoming changes.

I would be interested in knowing did MinnieVanMom hear this from someone actually in a Guest Relations Office at one of the Parks or from somebody on the telephone. If on the phone, it was more than likely at a call center and less reliable than a Jungle Cruise Captain or a Bus Driver.

Post #1, I was told by guest services inside the park, not the jungle cruise captain.

 

[bookwormde]

my bad, doing a quick post.

It does work for many shows, but not character greets and similar attractions, not for park entrance lines, parades, transportation, eating venues etc.

 

[keishashadow]

Nothing. In the same way that I have never seen a ticket on someones car for parking a handicapped spot, there will always be abuse which Disney can't stop. If they do try, they take a risk of hurting people that need help.

OP mentioned "huge changes", which could mean anything. No way we could speculate on what will be the result, or if people will be happy or mad about the changes (probably both).

On Star Tours they already give you the "come back later" ticket. I am not sure if that helps most people, but you don't need a GAC for that if you are in a wheelchair. Hope that does not become the new normal for all rides.

side note: GAC is not a short cut. I waited forever the last time a rode TSMM (much longer than stand-by line) because of so many wheelchairs in front of me. I probably will not ask for a GAC next time.

No matter what happens, I will have fun. No one is allowed to ruin my fun.

just back, it was busy and we were sent thru FP lane on Star Tours. Either option would've been fine by us.

I'd hate to see GACs discontinued entirely but know that disney will continue to comply with ADA guidelines. Was told a few years ago at Guest Services that they were working towards mainstreaming access to rides to make them accessible in lieu of alternate entrances. Perhaps they've achieved it and will be making an announcement = what the OP was toldI realize that for many that doesn't take care of their specific needs and they would still need to address it with GS but it might cut down on the number of people asking for an accommodation.

 

[ttintagel]

i am beginning to feel the talk of changes is not really due to abuse, but rather because of the non-stop complaining from able-bodied guests who think somebody with a disability is gaining some kind of advantage.

*bingo*

 

[Schmeck]

my bad, doing a quick post.

It does work for many shows, but not character greets and similar attractions, not for park entrance lines, parades, transportation, eating venues etc.

Why would a GAC even be considered for park entrance lines, transportation, and eating venues, which are all first come, first served? Are you saying that because someone has a disability of some sort that they should be served before someone else? That would be against the ADA - as it would not be offering equal access.

 

[clanmcculloch]

There are accessibility accomodations at shows, but my experience has been that there are no other accomodations at shows. I've asked at a few different shows if we can wait off to the side rather than in the line, making it clear to the CM that we'd gladly enter the theatre at the very end even if it means standing at the back just so that we can not stand in the regular waiting area and we've consistently been told that's not something that they do, that there is no accomodation at shows. Has something changed? I haven't bothered asking in a couple years and frankly haven't gone to many shows in that time because of it, unless it's a show that I know I can walk into last minute based on planning using a touring plan because there is just no way DD14 can stand in the regular line.

I'm not going to worry about "big changes coming soon" until I actually hear something is changing. Things are already somewhat unpredictable about how GACs are handled so I don't see this as being any different and is why we try to use it as little as possible, relying on really strong touring plans for the majority of our needs.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

There are accessibility accomodations at shows, but my experience has been that there are no other accomodations at shows. I've asked at a few different shows if we can wait off to the side rather than in the line, making it clear to the CM that we'd gladly enter the theatre at the very end even if it means standing at the back just so that we can not stand in the regular waiting area and we've consistently been told that's not something that they do, that there is no accomodation at shows. Has something changed? I haven't bothered asking in a couple years and frankly haven't gone to many shows in that time because of it, unless it's a show that I know I can walk into last minute based on planning using a touring plan because there is just no way DD14 can stand in the regular line.

It may be a case of they don't actually have somewhere for you to wait. As most of the shows have you waiting in a large room before going into the theater they don't have any other space to wait. Your best bet would be t note how long the show is and how long the line is and come back as close to the start of the show that you can like for example with Oh Canada they show the progress of the show by the entrance of the building with the waiting area in it and you can judge from it how long until the next show and just come back a few minutes before the show ends.

 

[aubriee]

Why would a GAC even be considered for park entrance lines, transportation, and eating venues, which are all first come, first served? Are you saying that because someone has a disability of some sort that they should be served before someone else? That would be against the ADA - as it would not be offering equal access.

We were next in line to get on the next bus one evening when MK was having EMH. Just as the bus pulled up, a lady came running up waving a GAC. As people were trying to get off the bus, the lady pushed her way through them, even with the bus driver telling her to please step back so the other guests could unload. We heard her telling the bus driver that she had a GAC for her son and they needed to be loaded first. The driver again asked her to step back and said he would talk to her after everyone was unloaded. He then explained to her that GAC's were not used for transportation and she immediately got really angry, started spouting off about the ADA and that her party had to be loaded first to make sure they had seats, as her son could not handle standing with big crowds around him. She just kept insisting they had a right to "preboard before everyone else". The driver again told her that a GAC was not used for transportation services and she needed to get in the back of the line as there was already more people at the stop than his bus would hold and they would probably be one of the first on the next bus anyway. She got really angry and demanded a supervisor. Not really sure what happened as we went ahead and loaded. That bus was obviously going to be standing room only, yet she came running up at the last minute and expected to be let on before all of us that had been standing there over half an hour. So no, some people do not understand when you can and when you can't use a GAC and she did expect front of the line privileges. Since she had apparently been using it all day, you'd think she'd know that a GAC does not give you automatic FOL priviledges, so I wonder if she wasn't just trying to bully the bus driver or if she really thought they could use it for transportation.

 

[clanmcculloch]

It may be a case of they don't actually have somewhere for you to wait. As most of the shows have you waiting in a large room before going into the theater they don't have any other space to wait. Your best bet would be t note how long the show is and how long the line is and come back as close to the start of the show that you can like for example with Oh Canada they show the progress of the show by the entrance of the building with the waiting area in it and you can judge from it how long until the next show and just come back a few minutes before the show ends.

I appreciate the suggestion. It's pretty much what we do along with making sure that we're going to shows at an optimal time in the day to avoid shows filling up but there are some shows that we simple can not do because we're not allowed to wait in an area that is there but just not considered to be an accomodation. For instance, my 14yo can NOT wait in that VotLM waiting room. She completely freaks out in there. I can only guess that it feels kind of claustrophobic to her because it feels small, dark and even a bit claustrophobic to me and I don't even have her issues. I've asked if we can just wait at the back of the room towards the door (to the side where we wouldn't be in the way) rather than pushing up to the front like they keep insisting everybody does and even that wasn't allowed. If we're standing nearby and they hit capacity then even though we've been actually waiting longer than others, we can't go see the show because they're full and we're not counted in that crowd because we weren't in the room. Same type of thing happens at Indiana Jones. Wheelchairs wait separately than others. I've asked if we can just wait with the wheelchair bound guests, offering to go in after the folks in the regular line if we can just wait there instead of in the line and we've been told no. Well, when we went back close to the show start time, the show was full so we couldn't go in. We would have waited like everybody else but the line was not going to work so we didn't get to see the show. There are areas where we could wait at some shows but we've been told that our GAC just is not usable at shows. So, we go at times when shows typically won't fill and cross our fingers that we'll be able to go in last minute. I accepted this a long time ago but it does make me wonder why we're being told in this thread that GACs CAN be used at shows when I've been repeatedly told that they can't.

 

[livndisney]

I appreciate the suggestion. It's pretty much what we do along with making sure that we're going to shows at an optimal time in the day to avoid shows filling up but there are some shows that we simple can not do because we're not allowed to wait in an area that is there but just not considered to be an accomodation. For instance, my 14yo can NOT wait in that VotLM waiting room. She completely freaks out in there. I can only guess that it feels kind of claustrophobic to her because it feels small, dark and even a bit claustrophobic to me and I don't even have her issues. I've asked if we can just wait at the back of the room towards the door (to the side where we wouldn't be in the way) rather than pushing up to the front like they keep insisting everybody does and even that wasn't allowed. If we're standing nearby and they hit capacity then even though we've been actually waiting longer than others, we can't go see the show because they're full and we're not counted in that crowd because we weren't in the room. Same type of thing happens at Indiana Jones. Wheelchairs wait separately than others. I've asked if we can just wait with the wheelchair bound guests, offering to go in after the folks in the regular line if we can just wait there instead of in the line and we've been told no. Well, when we went back close to the show start time, the show was full so we couldn't go in. We would have waited like everybody else but the line was not going to work so we didn't get to see the show. There are areas where we could wait at some shows but we've been told that our GAC just is not usable at shows. So, we go at times when shows typically won't fill and cross our fingers that we'll be able to go in last minute. I accepted this a long time ago but it does make me wonder why we're being told in this thread that GACs CAN be used at shows when I've been repeatedly told that they can't.

Using GAC at shows can be largely hit or miss. We have used it at FOTLK. (But due to other issues we can't do this show anymore.) VOTLK, we have not tried in years (that waiting room is killer). But we have been allowed to wait off to the side (outside) until the people start going into the actual theater. LMA is a nightmare. We have had mixed experiences. I don't remember ever being told a GAC cannot be used for shows. I just find the "assistance" offered is not really what we need, so we can't do some shows.