GAC and FP rides??

[riu girl]

Can I get an opinion on this please:
DD supposedly has impulse control/immediate gratification issues (this was diagnosed about 4 years ago , I have seen a HUGE improvement since then) and when we go to WDW next it will just be me and the kids (ages 4 and 8). If we go to a FP ride with our GAC will the attendent let us go through the FP line without a FP? I'm worried that DD won't understand that we have to go get the FP and then come back hours later?

Last time it wasn't an issue since there were two adults (one went and got the FP and the other waited elsewhere with the kids). Then at our FP time, we simply went to the ride. I was worried about this process since DH has huge anxiety/panic issues. I was worried about 1. leaving him alone with the kids incase he had a panic attack of some sort. 2. sending him to get the fastpasses since he might have an attack en route. But things worked out just fine .

When planning this trip I never thought about 1 adult (me) and two kids and how to get the fastpasses. Well, I think I will just sit down and explain the whole FP situation to DD and hope she understands that we have to leave the ride area (after we get our FP's) and then go back hours later. I mean, the child just got 8 A's on her report card Thursday, she should be able to understand not being to get in the FP line immediately . Its funny how a child can be deemed brillant but lack so much in other areas of development : .

Any thoughts??
Suzy V.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Hi,
Keep in mind that you are not always allowed to use fp. What you might want to do is explain ahead of time what you are doing. Say "we are getting a fp for Space Mountain. While we wait for our time, we'll go on Buzz". You know what I mean? Is she able to comprehend well? I've never heard of that condition, so I'm not familiar with it. I know my ds is autistic and comprehension is a problem (he has speech delay). Also, getting to the parks early will usually solve the problem. We arrive at opening and ride on all of those popular rides first thing. This way, ds doesn't have to wait, since the GAC doesn't always prevent you from waiting in line.
Hope this helps. I'm sure others will chime in with advice. Have a great trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, getting to the parks early will usually solve the problem. We arrive at opening and ride on all of those popular rides first thing. This way, ds doesn't have to wait, since the GAC doesn't always prevent you from waiting in line.
Hope this helps. I'm sure others will chime in with advice. Have a great trip!

Even during really busy times like Spring break, that is true. DH has taken myolder DD, neice and nephew when the parks opens right before Easter and they rode all the Fantasyland rides (some twice) plus Pirates and Splash Mountain before it got busy.

One thing with the GAC is that even on the same day at the same attraction, you may get treated differently. It depends on how busy it is, the staffing and how many other people with special needs are waiting at the time. We've already gotten to a ride and been given what amounts to a hand written Fastpass because the special needs waiting are was alreaddy full.

I think that even with your DD's issues, it sounnds like she would understand the workings of the Fastpass, so and explanantion like was already mentioned will probably help a lot. Maybe she could be the one to actually put the park passes into the Fastpass machine and then keep track of the time. That would give hers something to do and to control.

 

[LisaBi]

Riu Girl - I have the exact same issue. Next trip in Sept. is just me and DS12, who has Down Syndrome. Last year (also just the two of us) the TT CM made us get a FP - DS had a complete meltdown. For an hour we just sat there outside TT, me physically restraining him from just going in. He refused to do anything else. Another time, I did just push him around World Showcase, but that too was a fight. He kept putting his feet down. (He uses a wheelchair at the parks).

I figure on this next trip, I'll have trouble with Buzz, SM, and TT (his favorites). But I won't have any trouble getting a FP for Soarin', since he has no idea what it is - he won't care if we ride or not. He also meltsdown if we wait more that 15 to 20 minutes. I know many of you have heard this before - on PoC we didn't use GAC (I didn't realize how long the line was). By the time we got to loading area he was done and refused to ride. The ironic thing is that we had to wait longer for an escort out than it would have taken to finish the ride!

I want so bad to get to the parks early - I've NEVER arrived at a park before about 10:30. DS would rather dawdle all morning, eat a big breakfast, etc. Hoping the crowd levels are low enough that it's not an issue and maybe I won't even need the GAC!

LisaB

 

[riu girl]

LisaBi:
If you can get to the parks EARLY it will make a huge difference. They are QUIET (even during busy times). I entered fantasyland a few days before Christmas about 20 minutes after opening and had to ask a cm if Fantasyland was open yet!!! IT was empty.


Thank you niks mom and suem for the great info. It sometimes just takes someone else to point out the obvious. By talking to DD all about FP beforehand and then actually letting her get the fastpasses this will allow her to control the situation. She seems to need to control her surroundings asap to feel comfortable.

I am so exicted I can hardly sleep at night. Me, DD and DS in WDW for a week = paradise !!! Especially since it wasn't even in the plan for our Florida holiday until a few days ago (due to school not going back to Jan 9th)!!!

Thanks again for all the invaluable advice.
Suzy V.

 

[LisaBi]

Suzy - I agree that getting the parks early would be ideal. I'm going to try bribery this time - at 8:00 am "if we go right now, we'll have lot's more time to swim/play in arcade/whatever later. AND you can ride XXXXXX twice!" I know if we could get to the park at opening, we could get lots done and leave by early afternoon, feeling like we've done everything we want to do. It's just that I've never had any luck before. Last year one day when I was pushing to leave the hotel early he even told me "fine - we stay here all day." (And another day we did just that - swam and had pillow fights all day!)

LisaB

 

[riu girl]

I agree with the "bribery" for your son. Whatever works, right!!!! What about something visual, such as a small dollar store type gift wrapped up, saying that he can only open it once he gets to the theme park (or even en route to the theme park) . That might help motivate him. Or even if you wrote a small note from one of his favourite characters saying "don't open me up until you are at Magic Kingdom" for example. We had long park days last time at WDW. I am really looking forward to six half days (early to park then back to hotel by 3 or 4 ish pm) .

Happy planning.
Suzy V.

 

[Nik's Mom]

You're welcome, Suzy! Be sure to post back here after your trip! I'd love to hear how your little one handles things.

 

[darlingfamily]

Tagging onto this thread because I think it fits. ;-)

My oldest is 13 and has severe autism. Anyone who sees him can immediately tell he has a mental disability. He can read and knows about waiting for a moderate amount of time for a ride. What he can't understand is the fastpass concept. If we are standing in front of a ride he is going to want to ride it. With the GAC in the past we have been able to use the FP line to wait for limited times when when the line is too long (more than 10-15 minutes). It looks like a new policy is to have people with GACs get FP and come back. This isn't going to work for my son. Do you think we will have a problem with that? We have our whole trip planned and I have our meals set up so that we can hit the parks early enough to get one his favorite rides at the most optimum times. We are also going at a time of year that shouldn't be too overcrowded.

Any more thoughts or advice or tips on this would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[ZIPBAGS]

When I took my DD last November. We got a GAC. It allowed us to use the fast pass line to enter a ride. Thus avoiding the bulk of the lines and most of the problems they will cause her. We are going back at the end of August and I hope things haven't changed since then. Between the crowds and the heat...I am hoping this isn't true.

 

[itsagloomyday]

My 9 y.o. ASD son has the same issues. We did a lot of "role play" before leaving for WDW. We "practiced" getting a fast pass and waiting. We "practiced" ordering food and waiting. We used picture exchange cards to make things go smoother. (He is very verbal but the cards give him a visual cue and act as a reminder.) Once we got our fastpasses I handed him a card with a picture of something else on it (food, treat, shopping) that he was allowed to make the choice where we went (e.g. ice cream stand, turkey legs, french fries, cotton candy etc.) This way he had some control of the situation (not to mention the distraction of passing time) and if he chose to eat cotton candy vs. something nutritious that was his choice. Was it perfect? No, but we avoided many meltdowns that without preparation would most likely have occurred. It was also rather interesting to see the choices that he made.

 

[JudithM]

We are going back at the end of August and I hope things haven't changed since then. Between the crowds and the heat...I am hoping this isn't true.

If you have the last GAC you were issued & what was on it worked for you, then I would bring it along. I have not had any problems ths way.