Children with autism at parks

[MDDisneyNewbies]

Just speaking the truth.

No, you're speaking your truth; there's a difference.

 

[disneyguyla]

Wow, is all that I can say. Never have I attacked a child with autism as some posters have suggested. My frustration was never with the child, it was with the father speaking loudly and rudely to the cast member about how Disney is not friendly to people with special needs. I simply thought his attitude was out of line as I think Disney does everything they can to accommodate all guests as best they can. As for the poster who wondered why my husband and I were at guest relations for dining reservations, it was because we wanted to eat at Hollywood Studios and didn't have a reservation. Guest relations is at the front of the park and we walked in to inquire if any restaurants were taking walk ins. The cast member was able to let us know which restaurants had availability. He then booked us a reservation.

Hi I agree with you, this was also your vacation and you should not had to be subject to this because Disney has offered what they can offer because of the abuse of the old GAC. To be honest it would have upset me too and I have a disabled child in our family. if I had to listen to a grown man complain by me. Have a good night.

 

[MDDisneyNewbies]

Wow, is all that I can say. Never have I attacked a child with autism as some posters have suggested. My frustration was never with the child, it was with the father speaking loudly and rudely to the cast member about how Disney is not friendly to people with special needs. I simply thought his attitude was out of line as I think Disney does everything they can to accommodate all guests as best they can.
As for the poster who wondered why my husband and I were at guest relations for dining reservations, it was because we wanted to eat at Hollywood Studios and didn't have a reservation. Guest relations is at the front of the park and we walked in to inquire if any restaurants were taking walk ins. The cast member was able to let us know which restaurants had availability. He then booked us a reservation.

I can't speak for anyone but myself but I found the initial post judgmental and dripping with unrecognized privilege. It's certainly just my perspective but that is the way you initially came off (the kicker being the idea that people on the spectrum just shouldn't go to WDW if it's too hard for them as if you have a thorough knowledge of what works for all people with autism--especially since there isn't anything that will work for all people with autism).

Just doesn't seem like an incident I would bother to be unhappy about while on vacation when I wouldn't have all of the facts.

 

[disneyguyla]

No, you're speaking your truth; there's a difference.

What is your truth? Go to the front of the line, no wait at all?

 

[MDDisneyNewbies]

What is your truth? Go to the front of the line, no wait at all?

I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. Are you asking if I think that I should go to the front of the line or people with disabilities?

If it's the latter, then I am fine with people with disabilities being accommodated in a way that is appropriate based on their disability. If that happens to be the front of the line, so be it.

While I like to plan, I'm not an over planner and would rather just go with the flow; life feels more enjoyable that way.

 

[pfp258]

Again, I only posted about this incident as the father was loud, arrogant in his demands and yelling so that all around could here. I really wasn't interested in anything but getting a dinner reservation. I felt compassion for the cast member who had to be polite and listen to him yell at her. There was no "other side" to the story. As to those that suggested I mind my own business and not butt into conversations, I was and I never entered into conversation with the gentlemen. Bottom line was this man was demanding not fast passes, but access to the front of the line of attractions because his son was having meltdowns over waiting in line. He made himself heard to all those around him.

 

[MDDisneyNewbies]

Again, I only posted about this incident as the father was loud, arrogant in his demands and yelling so that all around could here. I really wasn't interested in anything but getting a dinner reservation. I felt compassion for the cast member who had to be polite and listen to him yell at her. There was no "other side" to the story. As to those that suggested I mind my own business and not butt into conversations, I was and I never entered into conversation with the gentlemen. Bottom line was this man was demanding not fast passes, but access to the front of the line of attractions because his son was having meltdowns over waiting in line. He made himself heard to all those around him.

Because I truly enjoy meaningful discourse, I have to point out that you did only provide one side of the story and that is the one that you witnessed (your's, in essence). You did not, however, provide what the father's side of things were or even what the CM actually thought (just what you perceived to be their thoughts).

Maybe it's just splitting hairs at this point but it would be false to say there is no other side to this story and I believe you probably know that.

 

[disneyguyla]

I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. Are you asking if I think that I should go to the front of the line or people with disabilities? If it's the latter, then I am fine with people with disabilities being accommodated in a way that is appropriate based on their disability. If that happens to be the front of the line, so be it. While I like to plan, I'm not an over planner and would rather just go with the flow; life feels more enjoyable that way.

I do agree with you on one point about enjoying life and going with the flow, but the other point I do not about disabled people going to front of the line. They had that in place with the old system GAC and it was abused and because of that it's now DAS and fast pass+ which we have use sometimes and it works! just have to plan . Have a good night.

 

[pfp258]

I can't speak for anyone but myself but I found the initial post judgmental and dripping with unrecognized privilege. It's certainly just my perspective but that is the way you initially came off (the kicker being the idea that people on the spectrum just shouldn't go to WDW if it's too hard for them as if you have a thorough knowledge of what works for all people with autism--especially since there isn't anything that will work for all people with autism).



Really? No unrecognized privilege here. And I did not say people with autism shouldn't got to WDW. I actually have read about and attended conferences, workshops and webinars regarding autism and the broad spectrum of children diagnosed with it. ( I encounter many children as an early childhood educator ). No, I never claimed to have knowledge of what works for all people with autism, as you stated, every child is unique and experiences the world differently, My experience is that if a child has meltdowns waiting in lines, you do not make them wait in lines. Autistic or not.

 

[pfp258]

Well of course it is splitting hairs but that's okay. You are right about there being another side, but I only meant to share what I observed. And it was very one-sided.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I do agree with you on one point about enjoying life and going with the flow, but the other point I do not about disabled people going to front of the line. They had that in place with the old system GAC and it was abused and because of that it's now DAS and fast pass+ which we have use sometimes and it works! just have to plan . Have a good night.

You are just plain wrong about the old GAC. It did NOT provide front of the line access. Why do people keep repeating this misinformation?

 

[Sparkly]

You are just plain wrong about the old GAC. It did NOT provide front of the line access. Why do people keep repeating this misinformation?

It basically did.

We always went through the FP line with the GAC and so our waits were never more then 5-10 minutes.

 

[Gracie09]

You are just plain wrong about the old GAC. It did NOT provide front of the line access. Why do people keep repeating this misinformation?

In many, I would dare to say most, cases it provides immediate access to the fast pass line or the exit. If the standby line is an hour or more, going immediately to the fast pass line where the wait is usually under ten minutes is about as close to immediate access as you an get. Did they get escorted right to the front and places on the next car, no, but they rode any ride they wanted, even multiple times in a row, with minimal waiting.

 

[SLP958]

You are just plain wrong about the old GAC. It did NOT provide front of the line access. Why do people keep repeating this misinformation?

ummm..yes, it did.

It was so badly misused and abused the whole system had to be changed.
Why do you think so many people are complaining about the changes?

 

[WantToGoNow]

You are just plain wrong about the old GAC. It did NOT provide front of the line access. Why do people keep repeating this misinformation?

It provided immediate access to the FP line, which was basically FOTL compared to the standby line. We used it 3 trips including the week it switched midway to the DAS. There is a big difference in the two especially for those accustomed to using the GAC.

 

[SueM in MN]

Regarding the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) which has been discontinued:
There were many different stamps for GACs (place to wait out of the sun, avoiding stairs, sit in the front row, use the wheelchair entrance, alternate entry). GACs were never intended to cut wait, just to give access based on a person's actual need. Up until about 5-8 years ago, the other stamps which did not allow access thru the Fastpass line, were most common.

The "alternate entry" stamp allowed access thru the Fastpass line in many cases.
The "green arrow" stamp was meant for children on MAW and other wish trips.

As time went on and people heard about GACs getting access to the Fastpass line, that was the one everyone wanted, even if that was not what they needed.
I have seen things like:

• "Autism has the most benefits" (in an article for people who just did not want to wait in line on how to get the 'best' GAC)
• "If you go to Guest Relations and tell them you are pregnant, you can get a pass that lets you go in all the Fastpass lines"
• People with disabilities calling their GAC the "Golden Ticket" or posting how their GAC cut waits or let them ride something 8 times in a row - once you post it on the internet, it's there for anyone to find.
• Some people with only mobility needs using wheelchairs talking about how they went to guest relations and yelled at the CMs until they got a GAC that 'let me use the handicapped access' because they didn't want to use the regular line , which was wheelchair accessible. (What they demanded was the "alternate entry" stamp).
• People also posted on the internet about getting one when they had some temporary issue like a broken arm or something like flat feet.
• People posting that their doctor gave them a note to take to Guest Relations saying one of their non-disabled children had a disability because "no one with more than 2 children should have to wait".
• And, several posters on the Disboards who frequently posted that they used a GAC all the time, never had to wait more than a few minutes and anyone who said they had to ever wait with a GAC was lying.

Not all GACs allowed entry into the Fastpass line; it depended on the stamp on the card.

I'm not sure why CMs were giving the alternate entry or green light stamp out more. There are more people with disabilities who needed alternate entry, but the green light was only supposed to be for Wish type trips.
(I also suspect some CMs were just so badgered by guests or the guests had gotten the 'script' of what to say to get one so they really had no choice). The end result was instead of being rare, those stamps became common.
To the point that many people thought that was the ONLY stamp and that ALL GACs gave access to Fastpass lines.

Periodically, Disney would get stricter on giving the GAC stamp based on needs and people would get a different stamp (like the wheelchair entrance stamp or the avoiding sun stamp). Or, the alternate entry was not in use - for example, because of a medical emergency.
When that happened, I would get angry PMs from people complaining that they felt they had been misled - they expected a GAC meant immediate entry, even if their stamp was for a place to wait out of the sun and it was nightime when they used it!
And, I got PMs from people who felt everyone should know about some stamps allowing Fastpass access because they would rather have 20 people cheat than one person not able to plan their day using it because they found out about it when they got there.

So, there are many reasons why GACs were discontinued and replaced with DAS.
One was abuse by people without disabilities. One was abuse by people with disabilities (like getting a GAC for more access than they needed or riding Space Mountain 8 times in a row without waiting when the Standby wait time was an hour or more).
Another was just that there are more people with disabilities than Disney could handle.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is a thread about the Disability Access Service (DAS) near the top of the disABILITIES Board. Here is a link:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3178976

There is also a thread about DAS at DL. Even though the program is basically the same at each park, DL has some differences in procedure, so it has its own thread.

The first post in each thread is DAS FAQs.

This is a link to Disney's page about DAS:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...Disability-Access-Service-Card-2014-04-10.pdf

It is a big change for some guests - I've read blog posts where some people who used GACs never planned at all before and were not even aware that Fastpass existed. They thought the Fastpass line was the 'disability line'.
Some people never looked at the length of the Standby line and thought their wait was shorter because they were using GAC when they happened to get into a short line.
My family was in line at Mission Space once when a woman ahead of us using an ECV noticed DD's wheelchair. She showed us her GAC, which was on a lanyard around her neck and said, "you need to get one of these. It really shortens the wait. I used it to get right into this line without waiting!"
Funny things were that:
- her stamp was for the wheelchair entrance, which she did not actually need a GAC to use with an ECV
- we had gotten right into the line without waiting too. At the time, the Green line had a posted standby wait of 5 minutes and the orange line was 10 minutes.
We saw her several times that day. The first time, she was near us and said, "Great, I see you got a GAC" and other times, she gave us a thumbs up while pointing at her GAC.
DD actually had a GAC before Mission Space, but it was in my purse and only gotten out when we used it. We actually had not used it any times that roman saw us; we used tour planning to find short lines and used Fastpass as much as possible.

 

[MSLRAC]

In many, I would dare to say most, cases it provides immediate access to the fast pass line or the exit. If the standby line is an hour or more, going immediately to the fast pass line where the wait is usually under ten minutes is about as close to immediate access as you an get. Did they get escorted right to the front and places on the next car, no, but they rode any ride they wanted, even multiple times in a row, with minimal waiting.

I'm wondering if this is what had the dad was so upset. If he had heard about GAC, he came into his vacation with one set of expectations and because of DAS he was met with a very different reality. DS has Autism and I'm not going to judge this dad. I don't know where his child is on the spectrum or what went on to cause the dad's outburst. But I will say this, I don't care how long you've worked in special education and how many kids that you have worked with that have Autism, it's differently living and vacationing with a child with Autism. Life is not a structured classroom. No matter how much you prepare a child for all that might happen while on vacation at WDW, you can be thrown a curve ball and those can be real hard to deal with when your child has Autism.

OP, I don't think that you meant to be judgmental by your posts but to many of us with kids on the spectrum, you were. But I will also be the first to admit that many Autism parents are a bit defensive because we've dealt with judgement, ridicule, and downright nastiness toward our child for something that they can not control.

 

[Nennie]

I think if the title of this post was "Rude guest" instead of "Children with autism at the parks" I would not feel so offended.

As the parent of a child with ASD, I have to tell you that WDW is one of the best places we can take our DS! When meeting with therapist, doctors, etc, I can't count how many times I've pointed out something positive that he did while we were at Disney.

To say that we should leave autistic children at home is rude. My son does better at Disney than he does at the hairdresser, grocery store, etc. That doesn't mean I'm not going to take him to get his hair cut or go grocery shopping either. Dealing with stressful situations is part of his life, and although it might be easier on me as a parent to just leave him at home, it's not what is best for him. He is continually learning, and continually IMPROVING as well!

 

[WindyCityDisney]

Current statistics show 1 in 66 children are autistic. If 1 in every 66 families going through FP are going through because of an unseen disability -- so what?

It SUCKS to go to Guest a Relations and have to explain how my son is different. I cry EVERY time I go there. It hurts to have to ask for help.

To those of you that do not have a special needs child, you should be forever grateful for what you do have rather than judging me for a little bit extra our family gets. Try walking a mile in my shoes before you judge me.

I would be THRILLED if we could stand in lines as a family.