gac/autism and fantasmic

[MinnieVanMom]

Thank you for the update and doing the work for all of us who will be going to WDW and fantasmic soon.

 

[bookwormde]

Yes is got a confirmation call that the accommodation for Fantasmic is as stated. We did have a little discussion about whether this procedure removed the “crowding issue” during the wait, and as I am not overly familiar with the exact wheel chair access procedure at Fantasmic it was a little hard to be completely comfortable that it would work, but as with all things if it is not working letting a CM know is often all that is needed for them to make some adjustments.

Just wondering from anyone who has used the wheelchair entrance, how is it while you are waiting before the show and what is the exact process. Form my vague memory there is a marshalling area for WC access near where the road to TT which is relatively wide open. Any experts to give a better “feel” for it.

The gentleman was again very nice and he is also sending me his email address, since that is my preferred method of communication (aspie thing you know). I think he was a little concerned that he would be getting “weekly email” but I only address items, which are significant, repetitive, and “fixable” so I do not think he has to worry.

Hopefully also with the inquiry WDW check that the CMs are aware of the accommodation.

bookwormde

 

[A and J's Mom]

Hi everyone. I am looking for some advice for our upcoming trip to WDW. Our 4 year old son has autism, and this will be his first time to Disney. We will obtain a GAC for him (for waiting in a different area, and use of a stroller as a wheelchair). I am known for my WAY over planning (but hey, I'm always willing to throw it out the window as DS needs us to!).

Here is our situation:
* We are going over Thanksgiving - yikes! Such a busy time, but my SIL invited us to go with her family.
* Our family considers Fantasmic a must see on our trip. I see that these shows aren't as frequent as they used to be... waits/lines are super long or the dinner package is really needed
* This trip really wasn't expected (or budgeted), and it would be a stretch for us to get the Fantasmic Dinner package.

My question is about accommodations for the wait. Does anyone know if an alternative waiting area exists? I'm not so concerned with the amount of time of the wait, as the number of people around us. There is no way my son could wait in that line with so many people. I'd just say that one person can stand in line and hold spots for the others, but I've heard stories of one family member getting into the show, but the CM not letting the rest of the family in b/c the limit was hit on the # of people allowed in. I'd hate for that to happen. And let me tell you - it is just my luck that it would!

Do you think there is an accommodation that will work for our family, or should we just fork out the money for the dinner package? I appreciate the help with my dilemma!

Edited to add that I understand discussing specific accommodations can be touchy on the boards. If you don't feel comfortable posting, please send a PM... and I also understand that what was done yesterday may not be done tomorrow- so I won't be coming back here saying, "But yousaid that they would do xyz!". Thanks again!

 

[bookwormde]

We just got clarification about this issue, you will be allowed to wait and enter (before the rest of the crowd) with the guests with mobility needs (wheelchairs etc). Hopefully all the CMs are “up to speed” on this procedure now so have a great trip and show. I would recommend for your first time to the show that you sit up top since down closer the show can be quite sensory intense. Bring lots of your child’s favorite items since the wait for the show to begin is a little long. We always wait until the crowds start to clear out before attempting to leave.

WDW is a magical place for our children so have fun, planning is good as the first visit is sometimes a little overwhelming for our children.

bookwormde

 

[BeckyScott]

We did the dinner package so I can't help there.

When we saw Fantasmic, I asked to be seated in disabled seating, which is the back two rows. There is a back row that has spaces for wheelchairs, and the row in front of it is the regular benches.

I knew it would be crowded and my fear was that we would be sitting in the middle and DS would freak, and I wouldn't be able to get him out of there.

The back two rows aren't the best view, but it made me feel a whole lot better to know we had access to the back of the stadium and the exit if needed.

 

[kaffinito]

I agree with bookwormde and BeckyScott, the back two rows are good for kids who have sensory issues. DS9 (ASD) and I did the dinner package once and sat near the front for the first show, and the next trip used the GAC and sat in the back.

Now DS9 enjoyed the stimulation when we sat near the front, but still enjoyed the show (and was able to follow it better) when we sat in the back. Having the exit right there is a big help.

Happy planning!

 

[michelle9343]

I just went to fantasmic this past Sunday and it was a NIGHTMARE. My DD does not handle crowds and is very fresh with her hands. We arrived 45 mins prior to the show and it was already standing room only. She is in a WC they had an area where they sometimes have special events saved for wc parties. It took the CM almost 25 mins to get us to the spot . Major problem- they were putting wheelchairs close together to fit as many has possible. needless to say it was really a nightmare. I had to keep my body around her so I could hold both of her hands. Once it started she was OK.
Going 45 mins prior is already way to long for her to wait. I can tell you it will be a long time before we will see fantasmic again, which really makes me sad because it is something that she truely loves. Also when we were leaving the line for the second show was all the way back to sweetspells shop.
Diner package might be the best option but I have also done dinner package and when we arrived there were no wc seats left.The answer I got was that you should still arrive 1hr prior to show. They can not seem to understand that some people can't be in a holding pattern for over 1 hour.

 

[livndisney]

My dd does not do well in crowds. We were seated in the back (which was fine). But after the show started people lined up behind us and several people pushed themselves onto benches (where there were no seats). They cramed themselves into ANY available space. It was just a mob. The CM's were trying to keep order, but it was just bad.

Bookwormde, were you just told this recently? We have been told we could wait aside several times. but when we arrive that never seems to happen. I was wondering if they had recently done a retraining or something?

 

[SueM in MN]

We just got clarification about this issue, you will be allowed to wait and enter (before the rest of the crowd) with the guests with mobility needs (wheelchairs etc). Hopefully all the CMs are “up to speed” on this procedure now so have a great trip and show. I would recommend for your first time to the show that you sit up top since down closer the show can be quite sensory intense. Bring lots of your child’s favorite items since the wait for the show to begin is a little long. We always wait until the crowds start to clear out before attempting to leave.

WDW is a magical place for our children so have fun, planning is good as the first visit is sometimes a little overwhelming for our children.

bookwormde

I am sad to say, but the "you will be allowed to wait and enter (before the rest of the crowd) with guests with mobility needs" really sounds very much like an incomplete description of what has always been done.

Here's what has been done in the past:

• A line of people waited in front of the entrance to Fantasmic before the gates to get into the amphitheater area opened.
• The theater holds about 7000 people. In the past, there may have been about 1500 people standing waiting before the gates were opened. The earliest we had ever seen people standing was about 2 hours prior to the gates opening. (THIS MAY be different since the decrease in the number of shows).
• The gates opened about 90 minutes prior to showtime and the waiting line of people quickly went in. Once the gates were open, there was no more standing in line as the line became a sort of slow to medium constantly moving line.
• People with mobility needs and people with GACs were directed to stay to one side. This was not really that difficult to do, since the walkway area is very wide and the majority of the crowd stayed to the center.
• Once you pass the stroller parking area on your right and the bathrooms on your left, you are almost at the entrance to the amphitheater. The 'general crowd' continues straight ahead, directed by CMs with flashlights motioning where to go. They 'load' the seats farthest in first and the crowd continues to go forward until they get to the area being seated.
• It gets more congested as you enter the amphitheater seating area. Part of the reason is that the walkway becomes much narrower and part is because there is some 2 way traffic as some people who have already been seated leave their seats to use the restroom or get food from the snack bar.
• It's at that stroller parking point that the "wait and enter before the rest of the crowd" occurred for people with mobility or other additional needs. At that point, you were directed to stand and wait off to the side for a CM to accompany you in and direct you to specific seats. That could be a bit overwhelming because you have to watch 'your' CM as they led you to specific seats. We stayed close to the back row, while the crowd was more directed away from the back row. We also used members of our party to 'shield' DD from the other guests as we went in.
  We usually got to our seats about 60 minutes before the show began and just sat and waited. The actual walk in from the gate to seating was maybe 15 minutes. The last time we went was last October, and the crowds have changed since then, but I have not heard anything that makes me think the process is different than what I described.

We did the dinner package so I can't help there.

When we saw Fantasmic, I asked to be seated in disabled seating, which is the back two rows. There is a back row that has spaces for wheelchairs, and the row in front of it is the regular benches.

I knew it would be crowded and my fear was that we would be sitting in the middle and DS would freak, and I wouldn't be able to get him out of there.

The back two rows aren't the best view, but it made me feel a whole lot better to know we had access to the back of the stadium and the exit if needed.

Here is a picture of the handicapped/special needs seating area.

The blue outlined spaces in the back row are for wheelchair/ECV/stroller as wheelchair. There is a seat beside most of those spots for one companion per mobility device. The row with a blue line directly in front of that 'parking area' is for the rest of the party for the wheelchair party. Most of the people without wheelchairs will be seated in the 2nd row from the back (also a blue line handicap row) so that the 'wheelchair parties' won't be separated.
Most people are very nice/understanding about people with invisible needs and will scoot over to make room.
If you need to be on an end, remember that if you are sitting on the end of the row to your right as you look toward the stage, people will be going past you to get seats and some may expect you to move over to the right to fill in spots.

I just went to fantasmic this past Sunday and it was a NIGHTMARE. My DD does not handle crowds and is very fresh with her hands. We arrived 45 mins prior to the show and it was already standing room only. She is in a WC they had an area where they sometimes have special events saved for wc parties. It took the CM almost 25 mins to get us to the spot . Major problem- they were putting wheelchairs close together to fit as many has possible. needless to say it was really a nightmare. I had to keep my body around her so I could hold both of her hands. Once it started she was OK.
Going 45 mins prior is already way to long for her to wait. I can tell you it will be a long time before we will see fantasmic again, which really makes me sad because it is something that she truely loves. Also when we were leaving the line for the second show was all the way back to sweetspells shop.
Diner package might be the best option but I have also done dinner package and when we arrived there were no wc seats left.The answer I got was that you should still arrive 1hr prior to show. They can not seem to understand that some people can't be in a holding pattern for over 1 hour.

I know that as of last fall, the Fantasmic Dinner package no longer had a separate entrance, although there was still a designated seating area. Dinner package guests used the same entrance as everyone else and were directed to stay to one side and go to one area when they entered the amphitheater area. In the past, dinner package guests could get there as late as 30 minuted before the show and still get a seat. I am not certain of the time now, but I think someone posted recently that they were told 45 minutes and that the dinner package seats would be open to the general audience at 30 minutes.
I don't know if or when they will switch back to a dedicated entrance for people using the dinner package.
Without the dinner package entrance, one option that did work for some people is no longer available.

My dd does not do well in crowds. We were seated in the back (which was fine). But after the show started people lined up behind us and several people pushed themselves onto benches (where there were no seats). They cramed themselves into ANY available space. It was just a mob. The CM's were trying to keep order, but it was just bad.

Bookwormde, were you just told this recently? We have been told we could wait aside several times. but when we arrive that never seems to happen. I was wondering if they had recently done a retraining or something?

I don't see anything in what bookwormde was told that would mean they are doing anything differently than the way I outlined above what they did in the past.
The CMs usually enlist the assistance of people with special needs to help keep order. That mostly worked OK in the past, but sounds like the current 'mob scene' would be difficult even with a lot more CMs.
We had one nasty confrontation in the past when we were saving spaces for another wheelchair party when the little girl using the wheelchair needed to use the bathroom. Her dad and another family member were at the snack bar when the girl and her mom went to the bathroom. They had told the CM before they left and the CM asked my group to tell anyone who came along that space was taken.
Well, it was not too long before a man, woman and a child about 8 came along. I could hear them talking behind us; the man saying those looked like good spots, the wife pointing out the wheelchair symbol. The guy said he didn't care and told the woman and child to sit down. At that point, I said those seats were taken and that if they needed seats in the handicapped area, they needed to talk with a CM.
He got really confrontational and said things like "I don't see nobody sitting there......if they were there and left, too bad; these are my seats now....who are you to tell me where I can sit and where I can't. Do YOU work here?"
At that point, the CM came back and said, "She doesn't work there, but I do and I am saying you can't sit there because those seats are taken."
The woman with him was trying to calm him down, but he started arguing with the CM and demanded to see her manager. She agreed and he got in the face of the manager. The last I saw, Security had taken the family to one side and the CM came back and told us later that the man had chosen not to calm down and was escorted out of the park (I was a bit worried about running into him later since my party included me, my younger DD in her wheelchair, my elderly mom and elderly MIL)

In the past, CMs did 'patrol' the walkway behind the seating rows during the show. I was told that keeping that area clear was a fire and evacuation requirement. Without CMs to mandate it, people don't stay out of the area. We have seen people told by a CM, they move, but as soon as the CM is out of sight, they are back again.

 

[livndisney]

I don't see anything in what bookwormde was told that would mean they are doing anything differently than the way I outlined above what they did in the past.The CMs usually enlist the assistance of people with special needs to help keep order. That mostly worked OK in the past, but sounds like the current 'mob scene' would be difficult even with a lot more CMs.
We had one nasty confrontation in the past when we were saving spaces for another wheelchair party when the little girl using the wheelchair needed to use the bathroom. Her dad and another family member were at the snack bar when the girl and her mom went to the bathroom. They had told the CM before they left and the CM asked my group to tell anyone who came along that space was taken.
Well, it was not too long before a man, woman and a child about 8 came along. I could hear them talking behind us; the man saying those looked like good spots, the wife pointing out the wheelchair symbol. The guy said he didn't care and told the woman and child to sit down. At that point, I said those seats were taken and that if they needed seats in the handicapped area, they needed to talk with a CM.
He got really confrontational and said things like "I don't see nobody sitting there......if they were there and left, too bad; these are my seats now....who are you to tell me where I can sit and where I can't. Do YOU work here?"
At that point, the CM came back and said, "She doesn't work there, but I do and I am saying you can't sit there because those seats are taken."
The woman with him was trying to calm him down, but he started arguing with the CM and demanded to see her manager. She agreed and he got in the face of the manager. The last I saw, Security had taken the family to one side and the CM came back and told us later that the man had chosen not to calm down and was escorted out of the park (I was a bit worried about running into him later since my party included me, my younger DD in her wheelchair, my elderly mom and elderly MIL)

In the past, CMs did 'patrol' the walkway behind the seating rows during the show. I was told that keeping that area clear was a fire and evacuation requirement. Without CMs to mandate it, people don't stay out of the area. We have seen people told by a CM, they move, but as soon as the CM is out of sight, they are back again.

That was the reason for my question. I guess I was kind of hoping they HAD made changes recently. But the only changes I can confirm are less shows and fewer CMs. The Cms were trying to keep people from standing behind the top row, but they were just plain outnumbered. It was just a wall of people.

 

[SueM in MN]

That was the reason for my question. I guess I was kind of hoping they HAD made changes recently. But the only changes I can confirm are less shows and fewer CMs. The Cms were trying to keep people from standing behind the top row, but they were just plain outnumbered. It was just a wall of people.

bookwormde got a reply to an email recently, but I don't think the reply said there were any recent changes.
And, the reply fits what was done in the past, so IMHO, there probably is nothing new.

I understand that they decreased the number of shows because Fantasmic is a very expensive show with lots of specialized performers and lots of CMs for crowd control. With less shows, everything becomes more chaotic and more of a challenge.

 

[livndisney]

bookwormde got a reply to an email recently, but I don't think the reply said there were any recent changes.
And, the reply fits what was done in the past, so IMHO, there probably is nothing new.

I understand that they decreased the number of shows because Fantasmic is a very expensive show with lots of specialized performers and lots of CMs for crowd control. With less shows, everything becomes more chaotic and more of a challenge.

Just steal my hope Sue!

Oh well I guess we can watch on Youtube

 

[SueM in MN]

Just steal my hope Sue!

Oh well I guess we can watch on Youtube

I feel your pain.
we were hoping to go in October, but we may also be reduced to watching YouTube.

 

[bookwormde]

No the procedure was not new, it just seamed that it was not being universally followed for those with alternate waiting areas GACs

The procedure which was given to me was for if you are there before the “gates open”. There was a roped of lane to get to the waiting area (or at lest to the road by TT) for people to get the WC waiting area when I was there in June. The manager that I talked to was not sure of the configurations of the waiting area (he is at DL and I have never used it), but if it does not meet your needs you should ask for a more appropriate area.

After the gates open, my suggestion would be to wait till the entrance area clears out, of course you run the chance of the show being “sold out” and not getting in. I know when I was there the waiting crowd had to be at least 5000 since it almost filled the stadium (2nd show).

If the accommodations do not work for anyone please feel free to PM me or post and I will go back and see why it is not working.

bookwormde

 

[A and J's Mom]

Thanks everyone for your help. I think we are going to go ahead and give it a try without the dinner package. We will do everything possible to be in the next to last row I think. I'll let you know how it turns out for us!

 

[dsnymoners]

Just cuirous if anyone has recently been to Fantasmic with there GAC card and if you were able to use it there..

Thank you in advance.

 

[robynchic]

What would you need the GAC for?

ETA: I don't mean to be rude, but I'm genuinely curious why one may need a GAC for a show as large as Fantasmic!

 

[pilgrimr]

We did use the GAC, but it was to allow my 7 year old son w/ autism to use his stroller to sit in. The took us to handicapped section at the back and he sat there for the show. Now it was crowded and were there when they opened up. The cast member were very helpful in finding a place.

 

[blondietink]

We were at Fantasmic last Thursday evening and we had a late dinner at the counter service across the street. We decided to see if Fantasmic was full for people with wheelchairs. They were turning people away for the regular seats at 8:30 but they let us in with my DS's wheelchair with the stipulation that we stand with him in the standing room only section. It worked out fine for us as they put us right in the front of the standing room up against the railing and the cast member made sure that the people standing below us did not block my DS's view from high wheelchair. There were also a few other people with wheelchairs put here. We got a terrific view and great video from that high angle.

We usually try and hit the 2nd show but we are glad we did not attempt this. I honestly don't know how all of the people standing in line for the 2nd show got seated in time for 10:30. The line went all the way down Hollywood Blvd. and onto the main street all the way to the stores by the entrance! The line was wide enough to fill the east side of the street with the left side of the street for people exiting the first show.

When we got to the Pop Century bus stop it was the longest one there so we thought we would be there for an hour. But, the dispatcher called in 2 buses at once for Pop and one he just loaded with wheelchair parties before loading other people on. We were back to POP within a half an hour.

 

[SueM in MN]

there is another thread from early in the month that I am going to merge this one with.