Disney is AMAZING when it comes to people with limitations!

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Hi all, I am writing because I am already happy with the service I have recieved! My son is special needs and suffers from seizures and I called the CC tonight to ask a few questions. First I explained my sons condition and explained that he is 3 1/2 and suffers from random seizures so would they be able to ensure that we had as little walking at the hotel as possible....I was told that they would make sure that we were as close as possible to the bus stops!!!!!!!!!!!! They also said that as far as his "breakdowns" they would make every attempt to make sure that we weren't away from him for too long, especially while trying to ride rides. They said that the last thing they would want is for my family to suffer any embarassment while leaving him with a relative for too long so we would ride something. They also said that they wouldn't want us away from him for to long just in case he has a seizure! I thought this was amazing. I have never been somewhere where they actually take things like this into consideration! We are coming 11-28 through 12-06 and staying at Pop.....They are already telling us everything we need to do to make sure that we have the best possible vacation. I am happy so far. I spoke to the most amazing gentleman tonight and I am feeling reassured about this vacation now! He told me that odds are they will put us in a preferred room just because it is closer but charge us for a standard. I think thats a very cool thing to do! They also told me that if something happens with our son and we have to cancel even within the 45 day window that we would not be penalized. That too is reassuring since noone knows what tomorrow will hold! I can already tell that this is going to be a magical vacation for us! I am impressed!

 

[linnell]

That is wonderful! So nice to hear how accommodating they are.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

They are amazing, that is why we keep going back.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

That is why we only go to Disney for vacation, the above and beyond service. Also it is predictable. Like a good restaurant the food is always exactly the same, the way you remember it. So is the service, just the way we remember and like it.

Disney service has yet to fail and is always superb.

 

[dclfun]

Gosh- I'm glad you feel better, but you should be aware that when requests are put in for location at a resort they aren't guaranteed. I'm just sharing this as I wouldn't want you to be disappointed, esp. if you only paid for a standard view. If enough other guests paid for preferred, then it would be difficult for them to give you a comp upgrade. Also, I'd check on the cancellation policy if you aren't purchasing travel insurance. It would be up to the discretion of management as to whether they'd waive those penalties if your son is ill-that's what insurance is for. Again, anyone can say anything, but I try to go by official policy when planning a vacation so there's no disappointment. The agent who assisted with making your reservation has no authority over room location assignments or waiver of penalties.---Kathy

 

[livndisney]

Gosh- I'm glad you feel better, but you should be aware that when requests are put in for location at a resort they aren't guaranteed. I'm just sharing this as I wouldn't want you to be disappointed, esp. if you only paid for a standard view. If enough other guests paid for preferred, then it would be difficult for them to give you a comp upgrade. Also, I'd check on the cancellation policy if you aren't purchasing travel insurance. It would be up to the discretion of management as to whether they'd waive those penalties if your son is ill-that's what insurance is for. Again, anyone can say anything, but I try to go by official policy when planning a vacation so there's no disappointment. The agent who assisted with making your reservation has no authority over room location assignments or waiver of penalties.---Kathy

I agree with Kathy. The call center rep you spoke with has no authority over room assignment, they also have no way of limiting the time you are away from your child on a ride. You may want to read the stickees on this thread and create a touring plan that works from you. Better to "be prepared" than to be standing at check in only to find out what you had been "told", is not what you are getting.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

I agree with Kathy. The call center rep you spoke with has no authority over room assignment, they also have no way of limiting the time you are away from your child on a ride. You may want to read the stickees on this thread and create a touring plan that works from you. Better to "be prepared" than to be standing at check in only to find out what you had been "told", is not what you are getting.

They told us there was some kind of pass they could issue us to keep our ride times down and that all we needed to do was provide proof of his problems.

 

[livndisney]

They told us there was some kind of pass they could issue us to keep our ride times down and that all we needed to do was provide proof of his problems.

It is not a pass. It is a GAC (see stickees on this thread for more info) for for disabled to have equal access. So if your son is not going on a ride, this will not work for you. Plus the GAC says right on it not intended to shorten wait time. In some cases it makes wait time longer. This is why I recommended making a touring plan that works. If you need to limit the time you are away from your son, make good use of Fastpasses. Make a good touring plan to get to the rides with longer waits first.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am sorry to say that I have to agree with the other posters. Sometimes the people doing the reservation give a lot of information and assurances that they really have no control over.
When you get your confirmation sheet for the reservation, check the policies on the sheet very carefully about cancellation. That is what you will be held to, so it may be different than what the person told you on the phone. But what is written and sent to you is what you will be held to. I would also suggest trip insurance just in case you might need to cancel. It would be bad to have to cancel less than 45 days, but horrible if you thought you would be able to cancel without penalty and then found out you could not.

The location things like being close to a bus stop or being in a preferred location while paying for standard would be requests that are noted on your record, but not guarantees. So, you may get them and you may not.

As the others posted, we are hoping to help you avoid being disappointed if things don't work out the way you were told.

They told us there was some kind of pass they could issue us to keep our ride times down and that all we needed to do was provide proof of his problems.

What they were talking about is a Guest Assistance Card. If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs, you will find information in post #6 about Guest Assistance Cards. You do not need proof of his problems, but you do have to explain his needs. The information in the FAQs thread about Guest Assistance Card (GACs) was written by people who actually use them and also CMs who work in Guest Relations.

The GAC is issued by the Guest Relations Cast Members in the parks and the person you spoke to has no ability to ensure that you get one that works the way they said. One piece of information they gave you is totally incorrect - it will not help you avoid waits so you can get back to him faster if he is not going on an attraction.
The GAC is issued to the person with a disability. It is used when that person is going on an attraction to provide assistance to meet that person's needs while they are waiting or are in the attraction. One example of an appropriate assistance for a child with seizures or fatigue problems is being able to take his stroller with you in lines and have it treated the same as a wheelchair.

If you are concerned with your son not being able to walk distances, you will need to make sure you have a stroller with you that is comfortable for him. You can bring a stroller, or rent one (most people with children that age bring one from home because then they will have it to use in the airport). There are some stroller rental places listed in post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread if you want to rent one in Orlando.

Some of the touring things that people mentioned are services like TourGuide Mike or Ridemax. Both of them can help you plan to be in the park and the places in that park that are least busy. That can help you to see as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. It can also help you to avoid crowds, which makes it faster and easier to get around the parks.

If he does have a seizure and you want a place for him to rest for a while, there is a First Aid station in each park. We have used them after DD has had a seizure and have found them to be very helpful and kind.

 

[ILuvMulan]

This is just a thought because we have never used the child swap... but can they use the GAC and then do a "child swap" so that one of them is always with him?

 

[livndisney]

This is just a thought because we have never used the child swap... but can they use the GAC and then do a "child swap" so that one of them is always with him?

I am not sure what the desired outcome would be here. The child swap is used for children that are too small to ride. If the child is too small a GAC will do nothing for them.

As previously suggested what may work best is making use of Fast Pass. Mom and Dad both get a fast pass. Mom rides while dad waits with son. Mom exits ride and Dad uses his fastpass to ride. So son is never alone.

Failing making use of Fastpass, they could use the child swap on the rides the child is too small to ride. But would involve one parent waiting in line, riding and then switching with the other parent.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is just a thought because we have never used the child swap... but can they use the GAC and then do a "child swap" so that one of them is always with him?

Not really, because he will not be riding.

There are lots of ways to decrease the wait. One is by using Fastpasses - you get a Fastpass with a return time on it. When you come back, you will be in the Fastpass line with a shorter wait, usually 10-15 minutes or less. I can't post a link right now because I'm typing on my iPod, but I think there is a link to the DIS site page about Fastpass in post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
Knowing when to go males a big difference too and that is why people recommend planning things like TourGuide Mike or RideMax. Both of those help you to plan to be at the attractions with the shortest wait.
Some rules of thumb are that if you can get to a park at opening, you can ride many things with very short waits - even at the busy times like Spring break. I can't get to parks early with DD, but have been to MK at opening during Spring break with other members of our party and were able to ride everything in Fantasyland at least once, with no more than a 10 minute wait by 10:30 am. Even going on some things more than once.
Those are the kinds of things that can help more than a GAC.

 

[ILuvMulan]

Oh, I see. I understand now that if the child with the GAC is not riding then you can't use the GAC. But just for clarification to a response (I'm sorry, I am not trying to Hijack I promise) only kids too small to ride can use the child swap? What if you have an older child that just doesn't want to ride but is not old enough to leave alone to wait?

 

[livndisney]

Oh, I see. I understand now that if the child with the GAC is not riding then you can't use the GAC. But just for clarification to a response (I'm sorry, I am not trying to Hijack I promise) only kids too small to ride can use the child swap? What if you have an older child that just doesn't want to ride but is not old enough to leave alone to wait?

The "policy" is intended for those too small to ride. Once in a while you may encounter a CM who can assist for an older child.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sometimes they will do it for a child old enough to ride who doesn't want to. They do it s little differently then - they usually don't let the child even into the line when they are too short to ride, but may let family wait together and then do the child swap somewhere in the attraction. How it works depends in the attraction and what they have available.
WDW actually calls it a rider swap rather than child swap. It's just that it's usually done with a child.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses.....this is our 2nd trip down but only our first requiring assistance for our son.....I guess we'll just have to see how it works out while we are there!

 

[ILuvMulan]

Thanks SueM and livndisney for answereing my "rider swap" questions. We will be taking our niece with us later this year. We always use a GAC for my son, but our kids ride EVERYTHING!! Not sure how it is going to work out with their cousin (hopefully she will be as daring as they are).

To the OP. Even if you do not get all the things that the reservationist said, you will be so amazed at how wonderful and special the CM's will make your little guy feel and rest assured that they will do everything possible to make your visit magical... at least that has always been our experience. Have a great time.

 

[Mish]

I have a son who is 11 and they let us do childswap. he wont ride much and we have never had a problem. We just ask the cast memeber at the beginning. He waits with us on line and then my husband and DD go then we switch so I can ride. We really don't know until we get to the ride if he will get on or not. We use a GAC for him. Michelle

 

[ILuvMulan]

I have a son who is 11 and they let us do childswap. he wont ride much and we have never had a problem. We just ask the cast memeber at the beginning. He waits with us on line and then my husband and DD go then we switch so I can ride. We really don't know until we get to the ride if he will get on or not. We use a GAC for him. Michelle

Thank you, that is good to know. I think we will just "cross that bridge when we get there."

 

[Fly4free]

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to do a child swap with the "child" being an adult who is mentally and physically disabled? We are taking my disabled sister to Disney for the first time in her adult life. She will not want/be able to go on all of the rides with us. I was trying to figure out how I would do the child swap since she is in a wheelchair.