Fine for healthy but disabled, not so much

[Bean786]

But the GAC is not meant to bypass lines. If it has worked that way for you I'm happy for you, but plenty of others have experienced longer waits than standby when using the card.

Uni is telling you "do what you want and come back at this time". Many would find that to be nice. It's actually what they are doing at Radiator Springs out in Anaheim.

Gacs are all different. That's what I'm saying. Before when he could wait that's what our gac allowed. Sometimes our wait was longer but as he's gotten worse and we can't have full days anymore, the gac allows us to by pass the lines. Where I'm not against how universal does it but I'm just making a statement. In the summer it's a no go with the kids because we still have to wait 45 mins or so to ride. So we get about 2 rides in and it's not worth it. ( So i could see us maybe staying onsite for Express pass but its silly because we live here) either way we work around it. We just dont do family trips right now. i was just saying I can see where she's coming from.

 

[bumbershoot]

Gacs are all different. That's what I'm saying. Before when he could wait that's what our gac allowed. Sometimes our wait was longer but as he's gotten worse and we can't have full days anymore, the gac allows us to by pass the lines. .

I've just really been bothered by this since you posted it. I went and read through the huge post on the disabilities board about GACs, and nothing supported the idea that you could get one to bypass the lines/waiting. And by that I think you mean you don't have to wait *in line* nor do you have to wait when traveling with your relative? That last bit, not having to wait, is what I'm talking about, that that is something extra you guys have gotten, but not anything to assume will happen.

Being given a different place to wait just doesn't seem to be all that different from the Universal way. Now, if a person has troubles walking or standing, I can see how a place to wait would be more helpful than "come back at this time, and in the meanwhile do what you wish", but...even Disney will tell people that a wheelchair or scooter is a good option for those who have difficulty standing in a line or walking through a line, rather than giving a special GAC when there's no other issue (like needing to be out of the sun, etc). And maybe it might be time for a person to consider renting some wheels so that they don't have those issues related to standing or walking, if they aren't given a specific place to wait.


I fear I'm saying this all wrong. I don't mean to. I'm saying it with concern that your relative's GAC says one thing but some CMs have given some extra pixie dust, and I would hate for you to expect to bypass lines entirely when with him, or for OTHERS to expect that after reading your post.

And I say it also with kindly confusion, because I guess with my "I will rent a scooter for myself the instant I have difficulties standing or walking" background/bias/feelings/plans*, I just don't see the difference between "wait here until we let you on" and "go have fun then come back to ride". With my personal feelings, I would say that if a person has difficulty going elsewhere then coming back, a scooter (or wheelchair if you have someone strong and sturdy to push it all day) might be of great assistance in getting more out of one's day!




*developed over time while watching relatives DESTROY themselves while insisting on walking out of fear of potential shame, and wishing like anything that they would take care of themselves... my own husband refused a scooter on our last trip, even though he had a bonafide achilles injury (and a BAD orthopedist who said "rest" and refused to get him a boot, when no rest was possible) that had become a knee and hip injury...he was afraid of the "oh that guy is on a scooter because he's fat, what a slob" comments or thoughts he thought other people might have. He injured himself more *physically* so that his *feelings* didn't get potentially hurt, and I'm just so sad he did that to himself.

 

[jenfromjersey]

It has been MANY years since I have been to Universal, but when we went back in the early 90's as a split stay between Universal and WDW, we were horrified at the difference between how we were treated so well at Disney and piss poor at Universal. We were a group of 6 (my parents, my brother who was maybe 5, my disabled sister, who was probably 12 or so, and a babysitter - as we were down because my parents had a convention to attend in Orlando). They did not want to let us all on the rides together. It isn't as if we were trying to bring in an entire tour group, it was, for all intents and purposes, a family of 6, which is not outside the realm of possibility. At Disney they came and grabbed us out of the regular lines to bring us to the HC accessible lines. My mother went to guest services and they ended up giving her a special pass that allowed all 6 of us to remain together, otherwise she was going to demand her money back.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

It has been MANY years since I have been to Universal, but when we went back in the early 90's as a split stay between Universal and WDW, we were horrified at the difference between how we were treated so well at Disney and piss poor at Universal. We were a group of 6 (my parents, my brother who was maybe 5, my disabled sister, who was probably 12 or so, and a babysitter - as we were down because my parents had a convention to attend in Orlando). They did not want to let us all on the rides together. It isn't as if we were trying to bring in an entire tour group, it was, for all intents and purposes, a family of 6, which is not outside the realm of possibility. At Disney they came and grabbed us out of the regular lines to bring us to the HC accessible lines. My mother went to guest services and they ended up giving her a special pass that allowed all 6 of us to remain together, otherwise she was going to demand her money back.

Universal is a totally different place than it was in the early 90's (as is Disney, for that matter). I've never heard of families being split up because of a disability.

 

[macraven]

wow, that's over 20 years ago.


parks were a lot different then.
1993 was the first year i went to the darkside.
1994 was first trip to the motherland.

 

[jenfromjersey]

I know it was a long time ago, but as a family we have never been back. I will be going for two days prior to a cruise in December, but that is because my fiance WWHP.

 

[macraven]

I know it was a long time ago, but as a family we have never been back. I will be going for two days prior to a cruise in December, but that is because my fiance WWHP.

if your time at the darkside is early to mid december, you'll be there at a great time.

no crowds and the christmas decorations will be out.


i'm not a parry hotter fan but i have enjoyed that section of the park.

 

[Bluer101]

wow, that's over 20 years ago.


parks were a lot different then.
1993 was the first year i went to the darkside.
1994 was first trip to the motherland.

Boy they were very different.

My first trip to universal was late 1990. I was also there during the day with the grand opening of BTTF in 1991.

First trip to Disney was 1986 when they opened The Living Seas.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

All I can honestly say in this thread is that USO and WDW are two completely different companies and one should never expect the same service/attractions/freebies/special attention at both of them.

Disney has more money, larger parks, and a larger revenue. That changes things completely.

One should also never ever ever judge a park entirely on an experience from 20 years ago or more. Because if you're going to judge that way, I'd say a park like La Ronde, even if it was bought out by Six Flags a few years ago, isn't even worth going to in terms of thrills. The rides themselves have changed so completely that it's an entirely different park, geared toward a new generation. All it took was 20 years (and partially a new owner) for that park to change from a remnant from Expo67 (stands for 1967) to a full-blown thrill-seeking, roller coaster filled amusement park.

To complain about service from 20 years ago... not willing to think that things have changed????

I don't expect Universal to be Disney.

Yes, Disney has great services for the disabled. But if I were disabled in any way, or had a child with any sort of disability, I would never bring them to Universal OR Disney in the summer. The summers in Florida are hot. VERY hot. And humid. As an asthmatic, I stay away from humid.

My God though... La Ronde, a park up here in Canada, is known as the park of LINES. The lines for those rides are so long (2+ hour wait), and there isn't any air conditioning in any of the real rides. When you live through 104 Fahrenheit heat, not counting humidity, in lines like that... you realize just how great a park like Universal is.

It may not be amazing like Disney, where they really will bend over backward, but at least it's better than smaller amusement parks where they simply can't afford to accommodate anyone with air conditioning.

If you have the option of renting a scooter, then it is your own personal choice to not rent it, and therefore have to stand. You can't blame Universal for your own pride.

 

[2girlsmom]

I guess it depends on the disability, I have an autistic child and we do go to the parks during the summer months. Yes, we get a GAC pass at Disney and Universal, but also try to stay onsite at Uni/ at partner hotels at Seaworld, etc to minimize waits. In fact we were at Universal this past weekend for the passholder early entry to Transformers. We stayed onsite so got the express pass, which we used for rides other than Transformers of course. We have been told on occasions to return at a specific time, but we have always been able to ride another ride in the interim, anyway. And having an autistic child means we spend an inordinate amount of time in areas others generally don't, for example the lower level of Jurassic Park building for 2 hours on Saturday, while she "plays" all the games/activities. At USF she enjoys the arcade near Mummy as well as the Fievel area as a place to be able to climb around, etc. At Disney we spend WAY too much time in the Boneyard at AK and the Innoventions buildings, for example.

 

[irisheyes123]

I travel with my brother who is disabled both mentally and physically I find universal better for his disability never had any problems. I find in disney we wait longer for rides for example toy story mania we waited at least an extra 20 minutes for that than the other family members with us also had the same in buzz light year.

 

[Bean786]

I've just really been bothered by this since you posted it. I went and read through the huge post on the disabilities board about GACs, and nothing supported the idea that you could get one to bypass the lines/waiting. And by that I think you mean you don't have to wait *in line* nor do you have to wait when traveling with your relative? That last bit, not having to wait, is what I'm talking about, that that is something extra you guys have gotten, but not anything to assume will happen.

Being given a different place to wait just doesn't seem to be all that different from the Universal way. Now, if a person has troubles walking or standing, I can see how a place to wait would be more helpful than "come back at this time, and in the meanwhile do what you wish", but...even Disney will tell people that a wheelchair or scooter is a good option for those who have difficulty standing in a line or walking through a line, rather than giving a special GAC when there's no other issue (like needing to be out of the sun, etc). And maybe it might be time for a person to consider renting some wheels so that they don't have those issues related to standing or walking, if they aren't given a specific place to wait.

I fear I'm saying this all wrong. I don't mean to. I'm saying it with concern that your relative's GAC says one thing but some CMs have given some extra pixie dust, and I would hate for you to expect to bypass lines entirely when with him, or for OTHERS to expect that after reading your post.

As I said ever gac is and should be different. We by pass lines, its not extra pixie dust. i have a friend with a gac for her child. All hers says his stroller can be used as his wheelchair, so we can bring it into shows and meet and greets. Everybody's is and should be different. It's not 1 size fits all. When I go with my friend we can go through the wheelchair line if they have one, but I would never think we would be going to the front. Just as people going into disney, they should just think they are getting the same as the next person.

 

[Bean786]

All I can honestly say in this thread is that USO and WDW are two completely different companies and one should never expect the same service/attractions/freebies/special attention at both of them.

Disney has more money, larger parks, and a larger revenue. That changes things completely.

To complain about service from 20 years ago... not willing to think that things have changed????

I don't expect Universal to be Disney.

Agree. Agree

 

[khomer504]

We just got back from a week doing Universal and Sea World. We are usually a Disney only family but decided to branch out Our experience with the Attraction Assistance Pass at Universal was great! I'm surprised to hear the negative reviews. It seems extremely fair to me. We did learn the first day that we would do better to come after lunch as the lines died down in the afternoon/evening. The mornings were crazy busy!

Everyone we met was extremely accomodating. We easily found places to wait for our return times near the busier rides (Spiderman, Harry Potter, etc). When we first got our pass we were informed that most rides actually have air conditioned family waiting rooms as an option if you just want a cool place to wait for your ride time.

We've been spoiled by using the GAC at Disney... but I have no complaints about the Universal system. In fact, I wouldn't be sad (or surprised!) to see Disney convert completely to a similar system. There is just too much abuse of the GAC as things stand.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

We've been spoiled by using the GAC at Disney... but I have no complaints about the Universal system. In fact, I wouldn't be sad (or surprised!) to see Disney convert completely to a similar system. There is just too much abuse of the GAC as things stand.

I agree. I've heard way too much about abuse of this system and can't believe Disney has made it so easy.

 

[LuvOrlando]

How exactly does a disabled person abuse a system? I showed my disability card with ID and had it on me the entire time and since most of my time is spent in various degrees of excessive pain - many times it actually takes my breath away and I can't even speak, much less walk I'm really curious about what here exactly makes my situation and those of other disabled people unfair to the rest of the world. Do go ahead and explain you've got my attention

 

[Kogo Shuko]

How exactly does a disabled person abuse a system? I showed my disability card with ID and had it on me the entire time and since most of my time is spent in various degrees of excessive pain - many times it actually takes my breath away and I can't even speak, much less walk I'm really curious about what here exactly makes my situation and those of other disabled people unfair to the rest of the world. Do go ahead and explain you've got my attention

Have you not seen the news articles all about it?

Rich people hiring "disabled guides" to skip to the front of the line at the parks?
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/disney_world_srich_kid_outrage_zTBA0xrvZRkIVc1zItXGDP

If that's not abuse, then I'm a monkey's uncle.

And for the record, asthma attacks can leave people unable to breathe as well, but I've never heard of that counting as being disabled. I've never had any special access because the humidity causes me to not be able to breathe. My pesky, shoddy genes aren't even worth that.

All disabilities are different. Some of them aren't considered disabilities at all, even though they really do limit a person's abilities to do things that the normal healthy people are able to do. Asthma seems so minor until you actually have a real attack. Other disabilities that are labelled disabilities have more to do with short attention spans, mental issues that would in no way have them in pain while at the park.

You should not label every person that is disabled the same as you. There are different degrees of "disabled", and some people that only have a mild disability, but still qualify for the benefits, do indeed abuse the system. And if they don't, at times their families/friends do.

When I was younger, we went to an amusement park as a whole group (picture a class trip). Someone who didn't have many friends accompanied us, even though he had seriously hurt his one leg. He was walking on crutches, and was therefore granted front of the line access to all the rides. He became extremely popular that day, and was surrounded by people who would normally not have given him the light of day. He used his disabled status to feel loved, but those that pretended to like him were only using him and his status to jump the lines.

 

[LuvOrlando]

What does any of this have to do with disabled people?

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

How exactly does a disabled person abuse a system? I showed my disability card with ID and had it on me the entire time and since most of my time is spent in various degrees of excessive pain - many times it actually takes my breath away and I can't even speak, much less walk I'm really curious about what here exactly makes my situation and those of other disabled people unfair to the rest of the world. Do go ahead and explain you've got my attention

People who don't have disabilities will lie to get the cards.

There are even people who sell Give Kids the World and Make A Wish pins in Kissimmee so they can get Front of the Line access... terrible.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

What does any of this have to do with disabled people?

Really?
Honestly?
I'm sorry if you can't make the connections, considering I was discussing disabled people the entire time. (except when I mentioned asthma... but lord knows that doesn't actualy threaten anyone's life, right? )

I yet again refer you to the news article. In case you just didn't bother to read my actual post.

Rich people hiring "disabled guides" to skip to the front of the line at the parks
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...ZRkIVc1zItXGDP