GAC and Character Greetings

[pixiebran]

My DD has ADD and SID and can not handle waiting for long periods of time in crowds (especially indoors where the roar of the crowd is worse). We have been getting her a GAC to deal with this in the past. With the opening of the new Tink attraction, I realized that we have never had to deal with this to wait for characters. We typically don't do the character greetings in the parks, but do character meals instead to avoid the issue. I was wondering if the GAC will help us avoid this with character meetings. People are posting 2 hr wait times and I know that my DD will be so very upset if she doesn't get to see Tink, but there is simply no way that she can deal with 2 hrs of a crowded line.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Unfortunately the GAC only works with attractions (rides and shows) and is not designed to work with restaurants or Character Meet and Greets. Also, as it says right on the card it is not intended to shorten wait times.

That said, there is always a possibility that showing the GAC to a Character Host might be useful in some way; but don't really count on it.

 

[momejay]

I wish they could give you a pass with a time to come back later when it is less crowded. I wouldn't mind waiting my turn, just not in line with my son. My daughter always wants to see the princesses & I have never seen her with them except in pictures because I have always waited outside with my son.

 

[Talking Hands]

Speak to the CM about your situation and ask to wait to the side until your turn. CM usually are very accommodating when you ask nicely and are willing to wait.

 

[MarieS]

We just got back yesterday. Lines for the Princesses at the opening of Toontown were only 15 minutes, but the Fairy line was over 90 minutes. People were lined up all the way to the teacup ride by 9:45 waiting for Toontown to open.

 

[blondietink]

Ditto the lines for the princess' and Tink. We just got back also and would never wait in a line that long. We always have a GAC for our two kids in travel chairs and it does not work in character lines. However, sometimes when a CM sees us in line, they automatically ask us to go to the front. This happened at our visit last week when we were in the Snow White line at Epcot and a few other places. It all depends on the crowd level and the CM in charge.

 

[Belle1962]

If the line to open Toontown is long at the main entrance would going by train or the walkway by Space Mountain possibly be any shorter?

Just thinking out loud.

 

[stitch34]

We had a GAC for my autistic son our last trip. We only used it 4 times, when there was absolutely no way he'd stand in line. Of those 4 times, two of them were for character meets - in Epcot, and to see the princesses at Toontown. Never knew then that it wasn't to be used for character meets - so now assume we just got lucky with a super nice CM.

Honestly, I would hope it would work for seeing Tink - is the one thing my dd is desperate to do, and would be a shame for her to miss out on it due to her brother. Him in a long line - equals 60 pounds of him laying on the floor, struggling to break free from me, not caring who he kicks nearby in the process. If the line is moving, he'll be fine. But my daughter would be positively crushed if couldn't see Tink because of her brother's behavior in line. I'm by myself with three kids, so there is no other adult to watch him while we're in line, so hoping we can tough it out to see Tink somehow. I wonder if they'd let me bring him in line in his stroller to keep him under control?

I also worry about TSM lines - but we're planning on doing that right at rope drop, and heard there is lots to see when waiting in line there, so hopefully that will keep his attention.

 

[bookwormde]

While GAC is not formally for character greets, WDW has the same responsibility for equal access to these events as for rides, so if you request a separate side area to wait for your turn most CMs are very good at “creating” an informal accommodation. Since all these character greetings have changes in their nature, location or line waiting systems since 1992 they are all covered by ADA.

While not perfect WDW still does the best “job” of accommodations than any other major entertainment setting that I have been to or studied.

bookwormde

 

[tavettava]

You can use the GAC for characters. They have always let us use it where Tink is. We just go through the doors where everyone is coming out and go up the ramp. The Cm's let us in.

 

[ireland_nicole]

We had a GAC for my autistic son our last trip. We only used it 4 times, when there was absolutely no way he'd stand in line. Of those 4 times, two of them were for character meets - in Epcot, and to see the princesses at Toontown. Never knew then that it wasn't to be used for character meets - so now assume we just got lucky with a super nice CM.

Honestly, I would hope it would work for seeing Tink - is the one thing my dd is desperate to do, and would be a shame for her to miss out on it due to her brother. Him in a long line - equals 60 pounds of him laying on the floor, struggling to break free from me, not caring who he kicks nearby in the process. If the line is moving, he'll be fine. But my daughter would be positively crushed if couldn't see Tink because of her brother's behavior in line. I'm by myself with three kids, so there is no other adult to watch him while we're in line, so hoping we can tough it out to see Tink somehow. I wonder if they'd let me bring him in line in his stroller to keep him under control?

I also worry about TSM lines - but we're planning on doing that right at rope drop, and heard there is lots to see when waiting in line there, so hopefully that will keep his attention.

When you get your GAC, be sure to tell them that you need the stroller as w/c accomodation. You will be able to use the stroller everywhere, just like a w/c- which it sounds like ya'll are really gonna need. Have a great trip!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You can use the GAC for characters. They have always let us use it where Tink is. We just go through the doors where everyone is coming out and go up the ramp. The Cm's let us in.

This is not official policy. Often CMs will go out of their way to assist people with GACs.

 

[Lilogirl]

While GAC is not formally for character greets, WDW has the same responsibility for equal access to these events as for rides, so if you request a separate side area to wait for your turn most CMs are very good at “creating” an informal accommodation. Since all these character greetings have changes in their nature, location or line waiting systems since 1992 they are all covered by ADA.

While not perfect WDW still does the best “job” of accommodations than any other major entertainment setting that I have been to or studied.

bookwormde

Not to question you, but do you have anything to back this up? We had a huge problem with this very thing just last week. The "manager" I spoke with insisted they were not subject to provide any other access since they were not an "attraction" but a character meet and greet. We were told they were only giving access to GKTW families.

You can use the GAC for characters. They have always let us use it where Tink is. We just go through the doors where everyone is coming out and go up the ramp. The Cm's let us in.

YMMV on this. The CM, Supervisor and Manager we spoke to last week refused to allow anyone to do this. (Two other families came up and asked for assistance while we were there).

 

[bookwormde]

ADA section III Section 302 (a) general rule.

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of a disability in full and equal enjoyments of the goods, services, privileges, advantages of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases or operates a place of public accommodation.

The sections below this go on to restate this in areas of participation, unequal benefit and separate benefit using the “or” conjunctive for the above list.

The fact that the there are managers that do not fully understand ADA is not surprising, but it is surprising that WDW has not set policies in this area.

bookwormde

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

We were told they were only giving access to GKTW families.

That was the policy when I was character attendent - only GKTW kids would get to the front of the line. That was in 2002 and 2003 though.

It's hard to tell guests when it will be less crowded, especially in a new area like Tinkerbelle. The lines will probably be 90 minutes (give or take) for quite a while.

Unlike an attraction, the wait time can change depending upon how long the guests spend with the characters. If a family of 5 wants 5 different pictures, it's going to make the line longer than if they would take one picture. It's just the nature of the meet & greet situation.

 

[JESW]

Back in august we watched a family argue with a cm at DHS while waiting in line to meet Minnie & Daisy. The family kept showing the GAC and the cm kept telling them that there was only one line - she did not budge on that and the family left.

Jill

 

[Belle1962]

We have had both experiences--being let in and not being let in with GAC access. It all comes down to too many variables to be able to predict:
current wait time, cm on duty, number of cm's on duty--sometimes the one cm on duty can't be spared to escort you to a waiting area, number of families who may already be waiting in any areas off to the side, and other "stuff" you may not be able to see/know about.

The bottom line is Disney does the best they can. Try meeting a character at Six Flags or a Paramount park or even obtaining access to a ride

 

[Lilogirl]

That was the policy when I was character attendent - only GKTW kids would get to the front of the line. That was in 2002 and 2003 though.

It's hard to tell guests when it will be less crowded, especially in a new area like Tinkerbelle. The lines will probably be 90 minutes (give or take) for quite a while.

Unlike an attraction, the wait time can change depending upon how long the guests spend with the characters. If a family of 5 wants 5 different pictures, it's going to make the line longer than if they would take one picture. It's just the nature of the meet & greet situation.

No one asked for front of the line. Several families asked for another place to wait. We were told they were choosing to allow other access (Ie another place to wait) only for GKTW

 

[dawnball]

I would find that very, very frustrating. It's difficult to explain "we've been able to wait elsewhere before, but this trip we can't".

Fortunately, my daughter doesn't know that Tinkerbelle is there, and with luck, no one will mention it to her. Unfortunately, she does know that there are princesses there, and that there has been a separate place to wait to meet them.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Not to question you, but do you have anything to back this up? We had a huge problem with this very thing just last week. The "manager" I spoke with insisted they were not subject to provide any other access since they were not an "attraction" but a character meet and greet. We were told they were only giving access to GKTW families.

YMMV on this. The CM, Supervisor and Manager we spoke to last week refused to allow anyone to do this. (Two other families came up and asked for assistance while we were there).

No one asked for front of the line. Several families asked for another place to wait. We were told they were choosing to allow other access (Ie another place to wait) only for GKTW

I'm just stating what I was told in training. If the child is GKTW, they got to skip the line and come to the front. I don't recall dealing with too many GACs when I worked there.

If somebody would have asked me for an alternative place to wait, I would have pointed one out to them but at the same time asked for somebody in their party to wait in the actual line to hold their place. I can tell you that character situations can get out of hand very easily (I was with characters several times that were hit or worse) so it would have been almost impossible for me to keep an eye on the character, watch the line, watch the time and to mentally hold that person's place in line.

TT may be an entire different ballgame though. There really is no good place to wait. Maybe that is something Disney will need to look into for the future.