Shame on you for being a judgemental know it all. I'm glad you have been lucky enough to have autistic children who have been able to learn how to cope with their problems already. However, if you are as insensitive to their needs as you are to everyone elses, I truly feel sorry for them. It is not being a whiner to advocate for your children. You claim to not want sympathy, but you sure do sound bitter.
Disney finally sees huge abuse of the GAC
- Thread starter Kaspar Houser
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Shame on you for being a judgemental know it all. I'm glad you have been lucky enough to have autistic children who have been able to learn how to cope with their problems already. However, if you are as insensitive to their needs as you are to everyone elses, I truly feel sorry for them. It is not being a whiner to advocate for your children. You claim to not want sympathy, but you sure do sound bitter.
Right. If little Suzie simply dislikes crowds, then she shouldn't have a GAC. If being trapped in a close crowded line absolutely terrifies little Suzie, then yeah, she should have a GAC. There is a difference between "I don't want to wait in this line because it is not fun" and a child feeling utter terror / feeling like they are going to die - which is exactly what a panic attack is. So maybe not subjecting your child to becoming terrified and needing to immediately leave the parks is "cheating."" But you know, I would rather spend every day of the rest of my life waiting in long lines than to watch my child suffer.
We do have a big family, and yeah it is a big group using the "cheater" card - we cheat the fear, the panic attacks, and the inability to go on the ride otherwise. I have 6 children, and 5 of them have disabilities of some nature including severe autism & panic disorder, asbergers, sensory processing problems, PTSD, Bipolar disorder, turrets syndrom, arthritis, ADHD, and a serious bleeding disorder. So, when we have more than one GAC. And we don't always use it.
I hate that people abuse the system. I wish they could just ask for a doctor's note or other proof like an IEP. Any type of proof could seriously curtail the fakers, and allow the children who have honest needs to enjoy Walt Disney World.
The V Gang
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Sam81 said:
I find your post refreshing. I agree with you. It is not a right. It is a privilege to visit WDW. All visitors should be treated equally. I have 5 young children. During our past 8 visit s (yearly). We have been booted off buses for ecvs, had two double strollers almost booted off the monorail for wc famalies and waited in the hot sun for tsmm....with screaming babies, crying toddlers and inpatient kiddie tantrums. We gathered out fastpasses, ehm schedules and enjoyed as much as we could. We also waited, sometimes uncomfortably long, for rides....just like most other people. Oh, and If someone needed the bathroom while we were online. One of the adults got off the line with the child then waited for everybody else. We didn't push through the line to get back on.
The first ride we got our 4 year old son on - It's a Small World - I spent most of the riding crying because we were finally doing something as a complete family. Without the GAC, he would never have been able to get on the ride at all. All my children have issues that cause them problems at some point, but my DS4 has the worst anxiety (most of the time) with his autism, and the panic/meltdowns that he experiences would absolutely prohibit his ability to enjoy WDW. And why shouldn't he be able to do so? He loves Disney so much. Now, whenever he is sad or scared, he starts crying to go to "Disey." It is a magical place that makes him feel such joy.
Luckily, most parents will never know what it feels like to live in constant stress or to hold their children while they shake (or fight) in absolute fear and terror. Alot of people don't know that many of these meltdowns are not simple temper tamtrums that a child could be taught not to have - sure my kids get those too - but a real "meltdown" is frequently fueled by fear/panic, and discipline can't conquer that.
The V Gang
The V Gang
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Mom2six said:
I understand your mama bear response. It's natural. But please realize we all pay the same prices to Disney and most do not get to visit often. For us it is a time to focus on my family. Not a time to be sensitive to other people's hardship. The arguement that the non disabled should wait longer for a ride or attraction is not fair. Hopefully fastpass+ will eliminate most gacs and allow customers to enjoy wdw fairly.
UpstateMick
DIS Veteran
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That's what I was thinking as well. Some of these people with so many problems seem to spend an inordinate amount of time at DisneyWorld. Three times a year with a family of six children and a GAC card? I make a good living with a healthy family and we are lucky to afford a short trip every two years! Things that make you go hmmmmm...
Lorilais_mommie
" They can drink pepsi, but they can't pee in the
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UpstateMick said:
With very good doctors... Who get the right answer and does not just group your child in with "disorder of the month"
We have a wonderful doctor who wouldn't give up on finding why my DD was having such outburst, and frustrations..
I had watch my child deteriorate if front of my eyes, not physically, be emotionally.. It rip my heart out, not be able to help..
My DD school was quick to say ADD or ADHD.. But our doctor knew better..
After keeping extensive journals for over a year.. We had a answer.. Sensory Processing Disorder.. Or SPD..
An hers is minor case which is why it was so difficult to pin point what was wrong..
At home and school, her teachers and I can control her exposure...however in WDW/ DL I can not.. Bc people feel it is ok to push, bump, or touch my child without asking..
We also limit our time in the parks.. Where most people might be able to go 8hr.. We can not.. It's just to much for her..
GAC is a lifesaver for us.. I have seen abuse, but I like to think most people are honest.
*HappyDisneyMom*
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I'm with you sister, my son has ASD and SPD...I have 3 other "normal"(sarcasm) children who all know gosh darn well how to behave. My son does not understand me, and when he has outbursts there is nothing I can do to get him to understand me. I understand that autism is a spectrum disorder and just because some children excel in certain areas, it does not mean that others are capable as well. I cannot believe the lack of compassion on this thread, it's sickening. Why do you care so much, has your family been personally effected by the GAC? Maybe those annoyed by guests using it for ASD should count their blessings instead.
What makes you go hmmmm...that someone makes more money than you or that they have 6 children? Or that they take their children to a place that makes them feel happy?
By the way you are lucky for far more than being able to go to Disney World every two years - you have a healthy family. Enjoy that!
Disney_Princess83
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I don't mind if WDW wants to become tougher on people using the GAC. However I hope that that people who really need the card, don't end up suffering because of this.
Using and or needing a GAC doesn't make you automatically feel "entitled" (I think the word entitled appears in more posts on these boards that the word "Mickey Mouse" ) and the majority of people who have a GAC card actually need one.
Using and or needing a GAC doesn't make you automatically feel "entitled" (I think the word entitled appears in more posts on these boards that the word "Mickey Mouse" ) and the majority of people who have a GAC card actually need one.
UpstateMick
DIS Veteran
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Very familiar with the diagnosis. Two doctors with their "insight" tried to diagnose my adopted daughter with SPD when she was having difficulties. In our case, we refused both the diagnosis and the label. We were then told she had ADHD. Then it was another one...cant remember. We would not allow treatment, medication, or any instructions from these professionals. What a crock. We studied for ourselves, learned about ways to help cope, and now she is the top student in her class and, more importantly, a kind, selfless, and compassionate little girl. We spent time, became educated, and didn't listen to any expert trying the "special of the week." We go to DisneyWorld, wait in lines, say please and thank-you, all GAC-free. If you need it, truly need it, by all means, get it and enjoy. If in any way, shape or form anyone is abusing the system, I am not the judge or jury. Skipping lines, longer bus waits, large groups...DisneyWorlds a big place...we just go someplace else.
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I think that the title of this blog is causing much of the discussion/concern as well as some of the content.
First, Disneyland is a much different place than DisneyWorld.
Many of the attractions at Disneyland are NOT accessible thru the regular line.
At WDW, most attractions are.
Second, there is not one thing that Guest Assistance Cards do there are different stamps put on the card to meet the needs of the person. In some cases, it is to wait in a different area. In some cases, it is to use the wheelchair entrance.
At WDW, that usually means the regular line. There is sometimes a different boarding area, but the bypass that goes there is usually very close to the regular boarding area.
For example, at Buzz Lightyear, the whole line is accessible, but at the boarding area, walking guests make a 180 degree turn to get into their ride car. When guests who cant board in the regular boarding area get there, they are directed straight ahead down a hallway to the exit to board.
A lot of people report what they experience without understanding it.
First example: my family includes a child using a wheelchair who has multiple disabilities and cant walk. We were in the regular line at Mission Space, and after getting deeper into the building, we were right behind a person who was using an ECV. She started talking to us, then showed us her GAC and said we should get one for our DD because she had used it and I got right into this line without waiting at all.
Well, so did we. The standby line we were in had a 10 minute posted wait and we basically walked right in.
We saw the same woman multiple times at Epcot that day and at other parks during our trip. She made multiple comments to us about how glad she was to see we had gotten a GAC and how it was saving do much time. ONLY THING is we had not used a GAC on any of those times. The standby waits were short and what she took as a short wait because of the GAC was just a short wait. PERIOD.
Second example: Ive seen threads where people posted they used a special door or line to get into a show (like Mickeys Philharmagic , Tiki Birds, Monsters, Inc). They reported they went past other guests who were waiting and went to the front of the line. The parts they did not understand was that they were getting into the same show as those other guests and WHY they were waiting there (because there are limited numbers of wheelchair spots or limited numbers of guests with special needs allowed in at one time).
So, again, they thought they had an advantage they really did not have and almost all of their posts about how the GAC gave them Front of the Line access were things like that where their perception was not fact.
Third example: I have seen people reports that they got into the special line at Small World and because the line is shorter, they felt they did not wait as long as they would have otherwise. Well, that line may be less people, but our experience is that the wait is usually longer. In fact, on one of our last trips, my husband got in that line with DD while I was doing something else. I know when they got in line because he texted me. I was going to join them later, but that area was crowded and I could not get thru, so I got in the regular line. They ended up being loaded a few boats ahead of me (if I remember right, 3 boats). I had waited 20 minutes before boarding. They had already been in line 25 minutes before I got into line, so they waited a bit less than 25 minutes longer than me.
Someone posted either that they were asking at Jungle Cruise where to park the wheelchair and were directed to go into a wheelchair entrance, which bypassed part of the lines. How this ride works is that there is a parking area for wheelchairs and ECVs to the left of the regular line and boarding area. Guests who are able to walk in the line are usually inserted back into the regular line at that point. They might think they got ahead, but there were guests who were moving ahead in line while they were waiting for the CM to instruct them, moving the wheelchair/ECV, etc, so by the time they actually get into the line, they will usually be close to where they would have been otherwise ( we know because we have watched). People like my DD, who cant walk, dont get on right away. We have to wait for the special wheelchair boat. Some wait in their wheelchair in the same area where we do, but dont board right away on the next boat that comes.
We usually are aware of what the wait in the standby line is and when there is a separate boarding area for users with disabilities, we often se people who were in line just ahead of us getting off while we are still waiting at the exit to board.
People who have really been watching how their wait relates to the wait in the regular line often find their wait might be less about 25 % of the time, longer 25% of the time and the same 50%.
First, Disneyland is a much different place than DisneyWorld.
Many of the attractions at Disneyland are NOT accessible thru the regular line.
At WDW, most attractions are.
Second, there is not one thing that Guest Assistance Cards do there are different stamps put on the card to meet the needs of the person. In some cases, it is to wait in a different area. In some cases, it is to use the wheelchair entrance.
At WDW, that usually means the regular line. There is sometimes a different boarding area, but the bypass that goes there is usually very close to the regular boarding area.
For example, at Buzz Lightyear, the whole line is accessible, but at the boarding area, walking guests make a 180 degree turn to get into their ride car. When guests who cant board in the regular boarding area get there, they are directed straight ahead down a hallway to the exit to board.
A lot of people report what they experience without understanding it.
First example: my family includes a child using a wheelchair who has multiple disabilities and cant walk. We were in the regular line at Mission Space, and after getting deeper into the building, we were right behind a person who was using an ECV. She started talking to us, then showed us her GAC and said we should get one for our DD because she had used it and I got right into this line without waiting at all.
Well, so did we. The standby line we were in had a 10 minute posted wait and we basically walked right in.
We saw the same woman multiple times at Epcot that day and at other parks during our trip. She made multiple comments to us about how glad she was to see we had gotten a GAC and how it was saving do much time. ONLY THING is we had not used a GAC on any of those times. The standby waits were short and what she took as a short wait because of the GAC was just a short wait. PERIOD.
Second example: Ive seen threads where people posted they used a special door or line to get into a show (like Mickeys Philharmagic , Tiki Birds, Monsters, Inc). They reported they went past other guests who were waiting and went to the front of the line. The parts they did not understand was that they were getting into the same show as those other guests and WHY they were waiting there (because there are limited numbers of wheelchair spots or limited numbers of guests with special needs allowed in at one time).
So, again, they thought they had an advantage they really did not have and almost all of their posts about how the GAC gave them Front of the Line access were things like that where their perception was not fact.
Third example: I have seen people reports that they got into the special line at Small World and because the line is shorter, they felt they did not wait as long as they would have otherwise. Well, that line may be less people, but our experience is that the wait is usually longer. In fact, on one of our last trips, my husband got in that line with DD while I was doing something else. I know when they got in line because he texted me. I was going to join them later, but that area was crowded and I could not get thru, so I got in the regular line. They ended up being loaded a few boats ahead of me (if I remember right, 3 boats). I had waited 20 minutes before boarding. They had already been in line 25 minutes before I got into line, so they waited a bit less than 25 minutes longer than me.
Someone posted either that they were asking at Jungle Cruise where to park the wheelchair and were directed to go into a wheelchair entrance, which bypassed part of the lines. How this ride works is that there is a parking area for wheelchairs and ECVs to the left of the regular line and boarding area. Guests who are able to walk in the line are usually inserted back into the regular line at that point. They might think they got ahead, but there were guests who were moving ahead in line while they were waiting for the CM to instruct them, moving the wheelchair/ECV, etc, so by the time they actually get into the line, they will usually be close to where they would have been otherwise ( we know because we have watched). People like my DD, who cant walk, dont get on right away. We have to wait for the special wheelchair boat. Some wait in their wheelchair in the same area where we do, but dont board right away on the next boat that comes.
We usually are aware of what the wait in the standby line is and when there is a separate boarding area for users with disabilities, we often se people who were in line just ahead of us getting off while we are still waiting at the exit to board.
People who have really been watching how their wait relates to the wait in the regular line often find their wait might be less about 25 % of the time, longer 25% of the time and the same 50%.
Lorilais_mommie
" They can drink pepsi, but they can't pee in the
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Mom2six said:
Thank you! Thank you! For saying this..
This is exactly the difference between temper tantrums and full blown meltdowns....
I do understand that you want to focus on your family and not worry about other people - and perhaps you are right. By that argument, I should worry about my family's needs (and our use of a GAC) and not care how that might affect you. Vacation time is good...unfortunately my children have disabilities 365 days a year, they don't get a vacation from it. I agree that all of the customers should be able to enjoy WDW. For my family, there is only one way my kids can have equal access to a ride, and that is by using a GAC.
UpstateMick
DIS Veteran
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Never claimed to be unlucky, I make plenty of money, and, most importantly, I enjoy my family more than anything in the world..
Coyotesweat
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I am not concerned about overuse of GAC. Not my place to make that determination. If some are abusing it, they will have to live with themselves. I would rather the folks who need it have it available. I am ok with letting folks with special needs ride quicker then me; I can stand and walk and wait patiently in lines without pain or anxiety.
When I get finally enough saved up so I can bring my nephews and their parents, I hope GAC will allow both their "normal" child and the 3 yr old with autism and sensory processing issues to enjoy at least some of the park. He is still pretty much nonverbal, can be extremely hypersensitive to some textures and and types of touch, but loves the Pixar shorts and anything to do with Cars. Hopefully, his intensive therapy along with some time will allow him experience some Disney Magic!
Katie
When I get finally enough saved up so I can bring my nephews and their parents, I hope GAC will allow both their "normal" child and the 3 yr old with autism and sensory processing issues to enjoy at least some of the park. He is still pretty much nonverbal, can be extremely hypersensitive to some textures and and types of touch, but loves the Pixar shorts and anything to do with Cars. Hopefully, his intensive therapy along with some time will allow him experience some Disney Magic!
Katie
Twende
Best laid plans of Mouse and men.....
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My family has used GAC's for many trips over the years.
I was taught that they were for invisible disabilities.
So when someone says they look at someone and determine that they are abusing the GAC, then I am confused. Are they omniscient and can determine what is wrong with just a quick look?
One could look at my dad all day and not tell that he could not see in the dark. Dark cues were a nightmare for him. When possible we avoided these areas. For example we would enter the Haunted Mansion at the exit and then board a doombuggy and thus avoid the dark stretching room. Yes, whoever was with him would miss part of the attraction but it make the rest of it possible for him so we did it. Or on Pirates ...... again the darkness in the cave was a problem. The stand by line might have a walk on or even a 20 minute wait but instead we would go to a side area and wait a much longer time to have a CM guide us with lights through another entrance so we could board a boat.
Reflective captioning was a blessing for him on many attractions as he had a hard time hearing the words above the noise of happy excited people. This was one of the stamps on his GAC.
My mother had dementia. Again looking at her you would never know but spend some time with her, especially in a close area with your children and you would do anything to get away from her. She loved thrill rides and did great on them but getting her on the ride could be a real nightmare. It was simply safer and surely more pleasant for other guests to spend time away from us!
Anyone who has traveled with someone needing a GAC can tell you that it is NEVER a "go to the front of the line pass". That simply never happens based on having or showing a GAC!
I think there is a huge misconception about what a GAC is. It is like uneducated people telling you that if you sit in a wheelchair that you will be taken to the front of the line. In Disney World this is simply not true at all.
I would love for Disney to offer times to return to attractions but in our family's case this would not help as they still could not see, hear, or be able to be in a crowded situation.
Onlookers should simply be thankful that they do not need accommodations in order to do what others can do.
I was taught that they were for invisible disabilities.
So when someone says they look at someone and determine that they are abusing the GAC, then I am confused. Are they omniscient and can determine what is wrong with just a quick look?
One could look at my dad all day and not tell that he could not see in the dark. Dark cues were a nightmare for him. When possible we avoided these areas. For example we would enter the Haunted Mansion at the exit and then board a doombuggy and thus avoid the dark stretching room. Yes, whoever was with him would miss part of the attraction but it make the rest of it possible for him so we did it. Or on Pirates ...... again the darkness in the cave was a problem. The stand by line might have a walk on or even a 20 minute wait but instead we would go to a side area and wait a much longer time to have a CM guide us with lights through another entrance so we could board a boat.
Reflective captioning was a blessing for him on many attractions as he had a hard time hearing the words above the noise of happy excited people. This was one of the stamps on his GAC.
My mother had dementia. Again looking at her you would never know but spend some time with her, especially in a close area with your children and you would do anything to get away from her. She loved thrill rides and did great on them but getting her on the ride could be a real nightmare. It was simply safer and surely more pleasant for other guests to spend time away from us!
Anyone who has traveled with someone needing a GAC can tell you that it is NEVER a "go to the front of the line pass". That simply never happens based on having or showing a GAC!
I think there is a huge misconception about what a GAC is. It is like uneducated people telling you that if you sit in a wheelchair that you will be taken to the front of the line. In Disney World this is simply not true at all.
I would love for Disney to offer times to return to attractions but in our family's case this would not help as they still could not see, hear, or be able to be in a crowded situation.
Onlookers should simply be thankful that they do not need accommodations in order to do what others can do.
Disney_Princess83
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Wonderfully put. I think the simply fact is this: Yes, everyone pays the same entry fee. However, not everyone can enjoy the parks the same people. Many families who use the GAC card actually NEED the card to be able to enjoy the parks. This isn't only from a physical access point of view but also when you're looking at intellectual disabilities. For some of the children/adults and their families, without the GAC card, they wouldn't be able to access the parks at all. Watching some of these children and adults enjoy the parks is truly beautiful. They and their families should be allowed whatever concessions necessary to allow them access to any of the Disney Parks.
stargazertechie
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Perhaps they live closer to the parks than you do
Or perhaps Disney vacations are the major use of their fun money because it's a place where they can go and experience normal family fun like a family that isn't dealing with a special need.
Perhaps they come from old money, won the lotto, or received a legal settlement.
Jealousy isn't attractive.
Disney_Princess83
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