GAC Card/Questions

[ancestry]

I'm hoping someone here can either help me or point me in a direction that might help. I've read about the GAC card and Wheelchairs/motorized scooters both here and in the Unofficial Guide book but my husband's situation isn't covered.

My husband has had a history of back problems due to an injury he sustained years ago. Recently he suffered another injury and had a MRI done after we had already booked our WDW vacation. His diagnosis is worse that we expected. He has a degenerated disc in his lower back and another that is severly bulging and will eventually need back surgery. His pain at time is downright horrible.

His medical instructions are that he is not supposed sit at all. Therefore renting a wheelchair or motorized scooter is not an option. Sitting is the worse thing he can do.

He is permitted to walk gently and at a reasonable pace as long as he doesn't experience too much pain but is not permitted to stand still (as in a line) for extended periods of time (i.e. longer than 5-10 mintues). He is currently undergoing treatment but chances are nothing is going to change drastically before our trip.

We really don't want to cancel our trip as we are bringing our 6 year olds twins with us. This would be their first visit to WDW and they are very excited. Cancelling would break their hearts.

Are there any accomodations that can be made for him? The books I have read and the sticky post on this website states that GAC will not enable someone to have a shorter wait in line but basically that is exactly what he does need.

 

[Hook's Girl]

Don't forget about fastpass! By utilizing Disney's fastpass system you will drastically reduce your wait to 5-10 minutes for each attraction. Sound like that's what you need!

 

[Mary976]

I second the advice about fastpass. Also, the UG touring plans are great for minimizing wait times, and some people here have reported good things about the Tour Guide Mike plans. I'm guessing that his back pain might mean that he would be unable to ride the big thrill rides, and those are the ones with the longest lines. So, if you can get to the park early in the AM, take a break mid-day, use a touring plan and take advantage of fast pass, you can probably do a lot to minimize your wait time. The UG is also good because it gives ride lengths and show times. Obviously, most attractions involve sitting, so you might want info on how long each ride is.

Unfortunately, I can't give much advice on the GAC situation (my DD uses a wheelchair, so we don't get a GAC), but some other posters here should have good info for you.

Best wishes with everything,
Mary

 

[buffettgirl]

ancestry - I am going to direct you to a website run by a woman with a "sitting" disorder - she can't sit, she can't stand and therefore she has to ride on a gurney type contraption. She may have some good info on parks for you.

http://sunshine35446.*********/

the focus of that website is primarily pain support but like I said, she herself has a sitting disorder so I think if you posted this question there she'd be able to give you some tips.

ok, that link was edited out...nice. let me pm you. (or you can simply put that first bit into google and let google do the rest it will be the first link you find on google.

 

[mechurchlady]

I would cancel the trip. I have one disintegrating disc and when it is hurting then I am down for days. You have to sit on the rides for up to 5 minutes especially if there is delays for some reason. The parks require walking many miles in a trip. I hope Sue can come and explain better. With his pain and the damage he has I would not even go on a lot of the rides. Let him heal then have fun with the kids and be happy and pain free.

 

[ancestry]

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.

 

[Belle1962]

I know cancelling will break the kids hearts but if you explain the reasons and that you hav rescheduled that may help--how much funn will the kids have if Dad goes down and they spend several days just at the hotel? Or Dad is grumpy from pain? If you can't cancel the trip I agree with the advice to go early, use fastpass and a good touring plan and take your time. You are correct in that the GAC will not shorten the length of time for any ride and in some cases causes a longer wait. Fastpass is your best option.

When you enter a line--he should go first and you & the kids go behind him. He then can control the distance between himself and the people in front of him...he can do a nice slow walk while you keep the hordes at bay behind you.

Check out the unofficial guide as it lists length of each ride--some rides are longer than five minutes (Ellen's Energy Adventure comes to mind). Also--if a ride breaks down and you get stuck on it that can be a long time sitting. You also have to consider what happens if a ride breaks down--is it a sudden whiplash type stop--will a sudden stop aggravate his condition?

Some things to think about:

How are you getting to Disney--fly or drive? How is he handling that---perhaps whatever mechanism he uses for the trip can be used in the parks also??

He of course will probably avoid any rides that jerk, bump, etc. and shows are longer than 5 minutes so he might not do well in them. What about standing still for parades and fireworks? What about table service meals or will you do all counter service?

If he goes "down" can you assist him out of a park?

Can he help push a stroller with the kids? Maybe leaning on the stroller will help him?

Does anything help--like at the end of the day time in a hot tub or jacuzzi? Be sure you are staying at a property with one if it does help him.

I would make sure he had meds with him.

I would also drive to and from the parks and not rely on the buses--could be long wait in line and if he has to stand on the bus he could be jostled and thrown about a bit.

Just use a good plan and have realistic expectations about what he can and can not do and you should be able to enjoy your trip.

 

[SueM in MN]

I second the information from the other posters. I would suggest cancelling your trip at this time.

The lines will probably actually be less problem than you think. As the others mentioned, using Fastpass and touring plans like TourGuide Mike can really cut down the wait in line to a minimum. Many people find that is even more helpful than a GAC.

Also, in most lines, you don't actually stand still for very long at a time. For the rides that load continuously, you will be walking forward at a slow rate most of the time you are in line. Some rides, like Small World, load a large boat at a time. So, you will be walking forward most of the time until you get close to the boarding area. At that point, you will be assigned a row number and will stand in one place for a short time (usually a minute or 2) while you wait for your boat to arrive.

If he can't sit, he really can't go on many attractions. You have to sit for all the theater type shows except for the two 360 movies at Epcot (Canada and China). There are really no arrangements for standing during the shows.
Many shows have a preshow where you will be standing for the length of the show. For example, at Laugh Floor at MK, you enter a first waiting room and stand there waiting for about 5 minutes. Then, as the people for the next show enter the theater, you enter a preshow room where you stand waiting to be let into the theater for your show. The show itself is about 10 minutes long, so that means you will be standing in the preshow area for about 10 minutes. A GAC won't affect that standing time.

The rides involve sitting for periods of 2 minutes to 18 minutes (For Great Movie Ride and Kilimanjari Safari). Some of the theaters have comfortable padded seats, but many have wood, plastic or metal benches. The ride cars almost all have hard plastic seats. Actually getting seated in many of them involves stepping down into a boat or ride car's seat and then stepping down again to get your feet down and get seated. Stepping down into those ride cars and then stepping back up to get out may be very difficult and painful for him.

I seldom suggest that a trip to WDW would not be a good idea for someone (in fact, I don't think I have ever), but in your situation, I would seriously consider it, unless you really plan that he is going to watch and not experience much.

Here are a couple of links that will help you to decide:
Page listing ride lengths
Distances DIS posters estimate they walk in a day at WDW
Ride vehicle and seating pictures
Fastpasses and how to use them
Tour Guide Mike website

The EPCOT FAQs thread also has ride photos of some attractions, including the queue and description of what the attraction and wait are like.

 

[hopefor4]

I am so sorry to hear about your situation!

I would recommend going late Nov/Early Dec. It was fabulous, and the lines/crowds are minimal. It is beautifully decorated as well, with lots of different exciting things going on. It is a wonderful way to get in the holiday spirit!

Extra magic hours are also amazing! We were there for Christmas, and basically walked on Splash Mountain/Thunder Mountain during magic hours. And as everyone else mentioned, fast pass.

I really think beside cancelling, try the low season visits.

 

[merryweather20]

I've heard more than one happy grandparent say they stayed at the hotel during the day, and enjoyed there grandchildren's happy stories when they got back to the hotel, and only did a few special things during the week. I'd even hesitate recommending that he stay at the hotel to relax. The hotels themselves are huge and can involve major walking just to do simple things. Actually I'm trying to figure out how he would manage just a car ride or a plane ride to get there.

There are places to lay down at First-Aid, but to do anything at Disney just involves so much walking, and nearly all the attractions involve sitting.