GAC card, how do you carry/keep it?

[MadameMim]

Hi!
I'm sorry for the doofus question, but I'm wondering how do you carry your GAC card? I understand that you need to show it to CM's, so it needs to be easily accessible. Is it a card that will hold up well (like the Key to the World cards) or is it paper? If it's paper won't get wet and icky in a pocket? Would it fit in one of those lanyard thingies?

Thanks for any help you can offer. Husband and I are going with four kids aged 10 to two (and 8yo with ASD), and I know we'll be stretched thin and crazy. Working out this stuff ahead of time will help us keep our wits about us. Hopefully.

 

[clanmcculloch]

The GAC is very thick paper. It is nothing like the KTTW card which is plastic and is not even tyvec like the "paper" tickets. It can tear, crumple, get holes and end up in all kinds of unholy messes (or holy if a pen pokes through it LOL).

I know that lots of people use things like fishing license holders to hold their GAC but I've never bothered.

DD14 these days likes to hold her own GAC so she just stuffs it in her purse. I think it's a pain to have her get it in and out but it's what she likes to do. Since I'm the keeper of the detailed (some may say OCDD (Obessive Compulsive Disney Disorder) level detailed) touring plans, I know the few times she will need to pull it out before we get to the attractions so I give her a heads up well before we get there so we don't have to stand around waiting for her to pull it out.

Before she carried it, I kept it in an small outside pocket of my purse so I had easy access to it.

In all of our trips, it never got wet from water rides or rain being in our bags like that. The edges do get torn up a bit and crumpled a bit by the end of our trips but that's the extend of the damage we've ever had to deal with.

If you fold it to fit it in a clear plastic lanyard pouch then CMs will often want you to pull it out anyway so they can see it. I think I read that the fishing license holders are the right size for holding GACs and they can be attached to lanyards making that a very easy way to keep the GAC intact and easily accessible without having to pull it out of the pouch. I should really get one along with a retractable clip to attach to DD14's purse so she just has to pull it out and extend it to show CMs.

 

[livndisney]

The GAC is very thick paper. It is nothing like the KTTW card which is plastic and is not even tyvec like the "paper" tickets. It can tear, crumple, get holes and end up in all kinds of unholy messes (or holy if a pen pokes through it LOL).

I know that lots of people use things like fishing license holders to hold their GAC but I've never bothered.

DD14 these days likes to hold her own GAC so she just stuffs it in her purse. I think it's a pain to have her get it in and out but it's what she likes to do. Since I'm the keeper of the detailed (some may say OCDD (Obessive Compulsive Disney Disorder) level detailed) touring plans, I know the few times she will need to pull it out before we get to the attractions so I give her a heads up well before we get there so we don't have to stand around waiting for her to pull it out.

Before she carried it, I kept it in an small outside pocket of my purse so I had easy access to it.

In all of our trips, it never got wet from water rides or rain being in our bags like that. The edges do get torn up a bit and crumpled a bit by the end of our trips but that's the extend of the damage we've ever had to deal with.

If you fold it to fit it in a clear plastic lanyard pouch then CMs will often want you to pull it out anyway so they can see it. I think I read that the fishing license holders are the right size for holding GACs and they can be attached to lanyards making that a very easy way to keep the GAC intact and easily accessible without having to pull it out of the pouch. I should really get one along with a retractable clip to attach to DD14's purse so she just has to pull it out and extend it to show CMs.

To echo what Clan said-we have not had a problem with the GAC getting wet, and we just keep it in either purse or shorts pockets.

 

[of2dbeach]

We have used the plastic lanyards. We get the ones from Walmart that break away ( just in case ) . we also put a card on the other side with all our info , DS info and grams phone number at home . He also now wears a medicalert bracelet because he has Autism /Epilepsy. Our DD9 has OCD Asthma ,on the spectrum and a heart condition so she wears the medical alert for that. She dosent like to wear the lanyard but keeps hers in her camera bag. He dosent seem to mind wearing it .We dont always use the GAC depends on the lines and if we see the need to use it such as keeping DS out of the sun so he dosent seize.

 

[SueM in MN]

The card is about 3.5 inches by 5 inches.

I just keep DD's in a pocket of my purse. We only get it out when we need to show it and only leave it out as long as the CM needs to see it.

Some people have posted that a fishing license holder is the right size and use one of those. We have never put it into anything except my purse.

 

[MadameMim]

Thank you so much for the replies! We are four weeks out and SO EXCITED!!