A few more things.
You need to bring your child/person with a disability with you to Guest Services. They need to be present to request a GAC (GAC is an abbreviation we use on the DIS Boards to avoid typing. I'm not sure if a CM would understand what you are asking for it you use it there). Autism is one of the conditions they frequently get requests about, so they should understand your needs. According to the ADA, they are not allowed to ask for any documentation as proof of a disability (and if you bring any, they won't want to see it).
Most regular lines (and all fastpass lines) are wheelchair accessible. That's called MAINSTREAM ACCESS, where people with disabilities wait in line with everyone else. The GAC is a way to let CMs know what sorts of assistance people need in the parks when they have invisible disabilities or need more than an accessible entrance. If someone has a wheelchair or
ecv for mobility needs, they usually
won't need a GAC, because the CM can see the wheelchair and know they need the accessible entrances. Someone who has a mobility disability along with other issues (which is my DD's case) might be better off with a GAC.
The "basic" GAC card is a template that the CM adds stamped message(s) to that tell what sorts of assistance the holder of the GAC needs. The "basic" GAC says the holder is encoured to use fastpass as much as possible if they want to avoid waits in line. The CM may stamp the wording that sadeeeyore posted. That stamp is used for things like autism that may cause great difficulty waiting in line; most people will
not have that stamp and will wait in the regular line or use fastpass.
The CM may combine one or more stamps, depending on the needs of the person with a GAC. The more common stamps include:
- being able to use a stroller as a wheelchair; allowing a stroller to be brought into lines/buildings where strollers are not usually allowed. Some children with autism find it comforting to have a stroller in line with them, since it provides a "safe coccoon" for them. You would leave the stroller at the loading/unloading point for the ride and it would be waiting for you when you get out.
- being able to wait in a shaded or cooler area for lines where a queue is in the sun for a "significant" amount of time.
- being able to wait in a quieter area.
The basic GAC template says it is not meant to bypass lines or shorten the wait in line: and it usually won't - the wording that sadeeyore posted is an exception to that statement. You may still have a wait at the alternate entrance though, depending on how many other people with disabilities are waiting. Some examples I can think of where we have had long waits at times were the Safari at AK and Spaceship Earth. The wait in those cases is in a quieter area, rather than being in line. At the Safari, we would have been better off being in the regular line (which was basically walk on) than the accessible entrance (which was a 40 minute wait). We had a wheelchair and DD needs to ride in it for the Safari, so we had no choice. But, do look at what the wait in the regular line will be (ask the CM if the posted standby wait is accurate) and don't just assume that the accessible entrance is always the choice you want.
By getting to the parks early, you can ride a lot of things with a very short wait in line. Depending on your circumstances (and your child's mood that day) you may find that some days you hardly need the GAC. Since each person is different, one person's barely using the GAC might be what someone else considers using it a lot.
Another thing to be aware of is that most of the rides at MK are very short (less than 2 minutes), and the accessible entrance is often at the exit (where people will be coming off the ride toward you). We personally save MK for days when we are feeling especially energetic and DD is in a good mood. Also be aware that most WDW rides exit into gift shops. This can make for a very busy and stimulating exit.
