Disneyland GAC card?

[krismom]

I have gotten the Guest Assistance Card for my son to use at WDW before- we used it sparingly when fastpass wasn't available. Does anyone know if DL offers the same thing? If I bring my GAC from 2 years ago at WDW, will they give me an equivalent?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Sue & Co.]

There is a GAC at Disneyland but it is much harder to get than at WDW (unless it is using a stroller as a wheelchair). Taking the one from WDW will help but you will still have to persuade them that the problem could not be dealt with in any other way and that a GAC is essential for you to be able to enjoy the park.

We have just got back from there and I will be posting on the disabilities board in the next couple of days as there were other issues that were relevant - no time now to go in to details.

Sue

 

[RADOPT]

I have used this before at Dl but there have been changes. I would suggust you bring a note from your doctor. I hear it helps sometimes.

 

[SueM in MN]

DL is much more sparing on handing GAC cards out than WDW is (DL handed out great numbers of them in the past and it got to a point where the lines for special needs were way too crowded to function). Around 2 years ago, DL changed their GAC procedure (where all GACs said the same thing and were handled the same way) to be in line with the way it has been at WDW since around 1999 (where what the GAC says and how it is handled are based on the needs of the person the GAC is issued to).

You don't need a doctor's letter at WDW or at DL, and in fact, the CM may very well not want to look at it. Some people do feel more confident asking for a GAC if they do have a letter, especially with invisible disabilities. If you do get a letter from the doctor, one that says "My patient has XXXX disease. Please extend him every courtesy" is not particularly helpful. The parks don't have a list of diagnoses that are "valid" to get a GAC. Two people with the very same diagnosis might have very different needs.
Here's a link to a thread on DL GACs from mouseplanet.com It started out last October, but has some recent posts.

 

[CNDKangaroo]

I have a 2.5 year old with Juvenile Arthritis. I will be in the parks alone with her and my two other children (4 and 6). There are several issues I'm a bit concerned about...
1) her medication requires that she stay out of the sun as much as possible (she will be wearing a hat and sunscreen)

2) her flares mean that she cannot walk (put weigh on her legs). I could carry her in the lines but she gets quite heavy for me (we are both on the small side).

Would I be better off just carrying her or would the GAC be helpful in our situation? With 2 other young kids waiting longer due to the GAC might not be the best solution for us!

I am hoping that she doesn't have a flare while we are on holiday but the arthritis isn't under control yet so most likely there will be some problems.

 

[samkj]

Kangaroo-get the GAC. It doesn't mean you need to use it on every ride, but it will help with alternate waiting areas (out of th esun for example) and allowing a stroller to be used in lines as a wheelchair. Most of DCA is wheelchair firendly, meaning most lines are fully accessible. Believe me, no matter how light your daughter feels now, 20-40 minutes in line and you'll regret it! When our daughter was younger we did carry her through some of the lines, but even at 20 pounds that gets heavy after awhile. When you go to City Hall to get your GAC, tell them exactly what you need, an alternate waiting area out of the sun, and be allowed to use a stroller as a wheelchair. They will give you a brochure telling you which rides use alternate entrances and where to go. People who have legitimate reasons, like your family, for needing a GAC do not have problems getting one.

 

[mareed]

Hope it's OK to ask a question about another situation... We're trying to talk my Father-in-Law into coming with us in Nov. He has some breathing problems (due to years of smoking, even though he has now quit), and sometimes has to do a breathing treatment with a nebulizer. He could never walk around at DL, and we're trying to convince him to rent an ECV. He would not be able to stand in lines, but he would be OK waiting in lines with his ECV. We are very good users of Fastpass, and it would be great if he could just take the ECV in the Fastpass line with us, so he could sit in line, but I don't think that would work everywhere, right? He's have no problem leaving the ECV for the actual attraction - it's just standing in line that's the problem. How would this work? Would he need the GAC? If there are some lines where he can just take the ECV, can we get a list of those attractions from Guest Services?

Also, we'd need to bring his nebulizer into the park with us. Would we be able to leave it in First Aid or would we need to get a locker to store it? He'd probably have to go to First Aid to use it because it would require an outlet.

Thanks for any info!

 

[SueM in MN]

We are very good users of Fastpass, and it would be great if he could just take the ECV in the Fastpass line with us, so he could sit in line, but I don't think that would work everywhere, right? He's have no problem leaving the ECV for the actual attraction - it's just standing in line that's the problem. How would this work? Would he need the GAC? If there are some lines where he can just take the ECV, can we get a list of those attractions from Guest Services?

The official Disney site has a page of information for guests with mobility disabilities.
The page lists each atttraction and whether it is wheelchair accessible (if it is wheelchair, but not ECV accessible, they will make allowances for that) or not. If you click on an individual attraction, it gives more information. For the ones that are listed as "wheelchair transfer required", there is more information if you click on the attraction, including what entrance to use. If it is not the same for ECVs, the link would say so.
WDW and DL use an icon on the park maps that indicate accessibility. A wheelchair icon means wheelchair and ECV accessible. An ECV icon with a person getting out of it and going to a wheelchair means the attraction is not ECV accessible; a switch to a wheelchair is required. A wheelchair icon with a person getting out of the wheelchair means a transfer from wheeelchair/ECV to a ride car is needed.

There is also a link on that page to download the text from the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities that was already mentioned.
I don't know for sure about DL, but at WDW, all the Fastpass lines are wheelchair accessible (sinced they were added after the ADA took effect).

I believe that you don't need a GAC to use a wheelchair or ECV in lines - for a while DL was requiring one, but from what I've read on the internet lately, that's not the case right now.

Also, we'd need to bring his nebulizer into the park with us. Would we be able to leave it in First Aid or would we need to get a locker to store it? He'd probably have to go to First Aid to use it because it would require an outlet.

Thanks for any info!

I know that at WDW, First Aid will store equipment like nebulizers and provide a private place to use it. I don't see why they would not also do that at DL. I didn't see any phone number in the Guidebook to call, but I have had good luck with emailing questions about WDW to the "Contact Us" email link on the disney site. Put something in the title to indicate it's a question about First Aid.

 

[mareed]

There is also a link on that page to download the text from the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities that was already mentioned.
I don't know for sure about DL, but at WDW, all the Fastpass lines are wheelchair accessible (sinced they were added after the ADA took effect).

The Guide on the Disneyland site is pretty clear about which rides have you enter through the standard queue with an ECV. I just don't recall seeing people do this. I'll have to look for it on our next trip, and pay more attention to how things are done so I can be prepared for FIL to join us.

Thanks so much for the info! I get so much useful info here, that I didn't even think to look on the official site!