GAC needs

[disneygourmet]

I am trying to figure out how to word my child's needs for the GAC. He has sensory issues and crowded areas can be problematic. We are planning our trip on the lowest predicted crowd levels possible and have 7 day tickets so should be able to plan well enough to not need the GAC much - at least we didn't for our previous trip. On the few times we did use it, we were either directed to a quieter area to wait some other accommodation for getting in that was helpful. However, there were a few times when some accommodation would have been helpful on the ride itself. For example, M:S had absolutely no line or wait the first time we went on it and DS and I rode alone. When we went back later, there was a very short line so I asked the CM if it would be a problem for us to ride alone. No problem. But then we got to the pre-show area where another CM insisted we had to ride with other guests. When I said we couldn't do that, he directed to the exit, but before we could get all the way out, the CM decide we could ride alone after all. Not sure if he saw me fingering the GAC or not. There were also a couple of other times when DS was too close to other guests to feel comfortable on the attraction and seating was such that it could have been avoided if the CM had a heads up. So I need suggestions on wording to express our needs better. TIA.

 

[disneygourmet]

I also need to know if children with ADHD qualify for a GAC. I have two who can be very hyper and have poor impulse control. Even though, meeting the needs of prev. mentioned DS would probably take care of it most of the time, I think I should have all needs listed just in case. Any suggestions for what to ask for?

 

[bookwormde]

Your 2nd sentance is all that they should need to know. For ADHD just let them know what about the attraction (including access) may keep them from being able to enjoy equal accomidation and they should be able to find the right indicator for a GAC.

bookwormde

 

[SueM in MN]

I also need to know if children with ADHD qualify for a GAC. I have two who can be very hyper and have poor impulse control. Even though, meeting the needs of prev. mentioned DS would probably take care of it most of the time, I think I should have all needs listed just in case. Any suggestions for what to ask for?

If you have not read the information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread about GACs, I suggest reading that. The thread is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature to get there.
The GAC information is in post #6.
There are no specific diagnoses that 'qualify' for a GAC; it is the needs related to a disability that are accommodated. Guests don't have to ask for specific things. After explaining needs, the CM will decide which stamps to add.

The stamps are sort of general, not specific in terms of things like boarding. You could ask the CM to add a short note about boarding and needing a separate ride car or row if possible, but the boarding CMs are not used to seeing GACs because they are generally shown when arriving at an attraction.
Those CMs are concerned about filling all seats on attractions and keeping the lines moving. In some attractions - like Mission Space, it may be possible to be assigned your own ride car since each car only seats 4 and the seating is assigned a few steps before the actual boarding. It would probably not be possible in situations where it is really busy and each ride car holds many guests.

One thing you may want to look at is a touring plan, like TourGuide Mike. Many people with children with autism and needs similar to what you have written found that TourGuide Mike met their needs better than a GAC did (although you will still need a GAC or a sticker to use a stroller as a wheelchair in lines.) The GAC only helps with attractions - TourGuide Mike gives you a plan on where to go to be in the least busy part of the least busy park. This will not only help for attractions, but also for lines for bathrooms, restaurants and just generally avoiding moving around in crowded areas.
That would also help your situation of wanting to ride alone.

 

[disneygourmet]

If you have not read the information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread about GACs, I suggest reading that. The thread is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature to get there. The GAC information is in post #6.
There are no specific diagnoses that 'qualify' for a GAC; it is the needs related to a disability that are accommodated. Guests don't have to ask for specific things. After explaining needs, the CM will decide which stamps to add.

Thanks, Sue.
I have read the FAQ thread about GACs and understand that it is the need and not the dx that is addressed. I am just afraid that I will not word our needs in such a way that the CM will provide all accommodations that would apply. Or that I won't realize that I need a particular accommodation until I am actually at an attraction where I need it and the GAC doesn't specify the need. (Like happened at M:S) Does that make sense? I am typically not comfortable asking for help or special consideration and tend to downplay the need. However, I couldn't manage this trip without a GAC. I mentioned the ADHD because I thought someone might share specific needs that were addressed that I might not otherwise think of. I planned our trip using crowd calendars, but unfortunately, the predictions have changed a bit since I committed to our date. I made adjustments to our trip length so will be able to mostly pick out days with crowd levels of 1 and will choose per park levels with predictions under 1 whenever possible. Also have 7 day tickets with park hoppers. I hope that with that many days, we will be able to do all we want by only being in the parks in the mornings, with the exception of when we see parades and fireworks.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Your GAC won't be as specific as your needs at M:S. You need to be able to speak up about your need. There are also situations where CMs simply are not able to do what you need. We've learned that we have to skip a lot of shows for that reason. Maybe in your son's case it would help for him to have an end seat with you beside him so he doesn't need to sit next to a stranger. I'd also work on Social Stories involving sharing ride cars or rows on rides. Sometimes it is simply impossible for you to have a row or a car all to yourselves. Preparing him can make a huge difference. The CM at Guest Relations will try to give you a GAC that will help as much as possible, they really will. You do have to be prepared for the fact that some accomodations go beyond what would make for equal access. If it's really slow then some CMs will try to do what they can but be prepared for the situations where they can't do what you specifically ask for. The line waiting behind you and the number of CMs working at the moment will make a big difference in what can and can not be done.

I have to second the recommendation for TourGuide Mike. It's made a HUGE difference for us. If you do want accomodations like you've described, it's most likely to happen with the least amount of crowds. TGM teaches you when that will be for each attraction as well as which park will be least crowded each day. We really don't need to use our GAC much because of all that we've learned from TGM. I'm a fan for life. You can save $3 on the regular $21.95 cost if you go through the link on the Theme Parks board (TGM is a board sponsor). I understand that you're using Touringplans, but I like TGM because it allows us to cater our touring plans to our own specific needs. This makes a BIG difference. It also teaches us how to do it ourselves so if we do have to change things up (something I think all of us parents of special needs kids have learned we have to do at some point or another) then it's very easy to do.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Make it simple for yourself; make a list of all of the things that makes you or your child (depending on age etc. if he/she is aware yet) worried about it. Talk about those at GR and you'll be fine. Note on the list things you run into in daily life. You could even keep a diary for a while. Some things you'll probably not run into at WDW, others will be. That way you'll have your list ready, no need to worry about forgetting or wording it wrongly. A simple example is the best way of wording anything.

On our last trip I went into GR at MK basically giving the CM a quick talk down of the things I was wondering about. For instance very specific transfer info that wasn't already posted on here by Sue or others. My rather huge changing abilities per day, hour or even minute and all kinds of other things. Simply went through a couple of daily scenarios of what I can run into. For some things, it was adressed by giving me the proper GAC. For some other things like those very specific transfer or access. info, we came down to 3 'ways'. For some things a couple of calls were made to gather the right info, for some other it would depend on how busy the ride would be and for a few it would be "talk to the CM working the ride, it'll depend too much on the day and your abilities of that day".

The result? A load of info and GAC that allowed me to do;
- toystory mania twice
- muppets 3d once
- haunted mansion (NEVER EVER AGAIN, somehow I didn't pick up on some very important info for me here on the DIS and no CM linked my "no jerks or drops" to that ride)
- buzz lightyear twice (they let me stay on it, cause of lack of folks wanting to get on)
- almost getting to see Stitch's laughfloor, had to be closed for the day due to mechanical problems

In our 3 week trip. Isn't a lot, very true. And while I expected to be able to do a bit more, rides and shows weren't my main focus. Combine that with "sometimes things happen" and you end up with this short list. However without the time invested in that trip to GR, getting the info and GAC it would've resulted in perhaps one ride, if any.

 

[SueM in MN]

Make it simple for yourself; make a list of all of the things that makes you or your child (depending on age etc. if he/she is aware yet) worried about it. Talk about those at GR and you'll be fine. Note on the list things you run into in daily life. You could even keep a diary for a while. Some things you'll probably not run into at WDW, others will be. That way you'll have your list ready, no need to worry about forgetting or wording it wrongly. A simple example is the best way of wording anything.

On our last trip I went into GR at MK basically giving the CM a quick talk down of the things I was wondering about. For instance very specific transfer info that wasn't already posted on here by Sue or others. My rather huge changing abilities per day, hour or even minute and all kinds of other things. Simply went through a couple of daily scenarios of what I can run into. For some things, it was adressed by giving me the proper GAC. For some other things like those very specific transfer or access. info, we came down to 3 'ways'. For some things a couple of calls were made to gather the right info, for some other it would depend on how busy the ride would be and for a few it would be "talk to the CM working the ride, it'll depend too much on the day and your abilities of that day".

The result? A load of info and GAC that allowed me to do;
- toystory mania twice
- muppets 3d once
- haunted mansion (NEVER EVER AGAIN, somehow I didn't pick up on some very important info for me here on the DIS and no CM linked my "no jerks or drops" to that ride)
- buzz lightyear twice (they let me stay on it, cause of lack of folks wanting to get on)
- almost getting to see Stitch's laughfloor, had to be closed for the day due to mechanical problems

In our 3 week trip. Isn't a lot, very true. And while I expected to be able to do a bit more, rides and shows weren't my main focus. Combine that with "sometimes things happen" and you end up with this short list. However without the time invested in that trip to GR, getting the info and GAC it would've resulted in perhaps one ride, if any.

Some very good points there.

I'm curious about your experience at Haunted Mansion, though and what made it a problem for you.
The doombuggies are on an omnimover track and continue to move at a set distance from each other during the whole ride. It isn't a jerky ride and there are no drops, so I would not connect a message of "No jerks or drops" to that attraction.
It does have a point where the doombuggy turns backwards and goes down a 'hill' backward. Some people with neck or back issues have experienced pain during that point because weight is on the back and neck. I am wondering if that was your issue, or was it something else?

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Some very good points there.

I'm curious about your experience at Haunted Mansion, though and what made it a problem for you.
The doombuggies are on an omnimover track and continue to move at a set distance from each other during the whole ride. It isn't a jerky ride and there are no drops, so I would not connect a message of "No jerks or drops" to that attraction.
It does have a point where the doombuggy turns backwards and goes down a 'hill' backward. Some people with neck or back issues have experienced pain during that point because weight is on the back and neck. I am wondering if that was your issue, or was it something else?

Bingo that's the one. I gave the CM a lot more info than I put on here (didn't find it interesting enough for my reply). Basically came down to any sudden movement, bumping, hard material sitting on, whatever is serious ouch at the least and was trying to avoid that on said day and some more. Knowing it's hard to really "get" my problem, I even gave them an example of how idiotically easy it is to cause me pain.

Started out with the benches. Solved that with using my own cushion. As soon as the ride started, I noticed that while it isn't jerky, it does have some movement it the doombuggies while going down the ride. That little movement was enough for me to constantly hit myself (arm, leg, lower back) into some part. As we all know the doombuggies are made out of sturdy material so that was constant ouch. That wasn't dramatically but I did sit in such a fashion I made sure my back was wide away from the back of the buggy (ouch, ouch).

But the drop!?! OH MY GOD! I can still feel it. Huge pain factor. My body does not tolerate any sudden unseen movements well at all. Let alone any of those movements being "tilted". My body goes into total crisis mode thinking I'm falling down a huge building or something. Brain can tell the body it isn't, but body reacts none the less. Because of the unexpectedness, I wasn't prepared, couldn't brace myself for it (not that it would've prevented, but would've made it less) and there it was out of nowhere. The awfull proproception (body knowing it's own position in a space), my body going into overreacting and my specific syndrome combined that backwards down movement into hell. I dislocated multiple vertabrea and other stuff because of that. Yeiks.

I directly believe you when you say it's a backwards small hill thingy. I do, as I know how thourough you are AND Disney is when it comes to these things. But after doing it, my bodies experience is convinced it was a huge drop.

I'm seriously considering the fact that my body reacts hyperactive already and my syndrome also isn't the most..... "average" in pain responses. Having said that, I can really see this hill being a painfactor for others with back or neck issues, if they can be triggered by unexpectedness and/or lack of being able to brace yourself in the buggy.

 

[SueM in MN]

Bingo that's the one. I gave the CM a lot more info than I put on here (didn't find it interesting enough for my reply). Basically came down to any sudden movement, bumping, hard material sitting on, whatever is serious ouch at the least and was trying to avoid that on said day and some more. Knowing it's hard to really "get" my problem, I even gave them an example of how idiotically easy it is to cause me pain.

Started out with the benches. Solved that with using my own cushion. As soon as the ride started, I noticed that while it isn't jerky, it does have some movement it the doombuggies while going down the ride. That little movement was enough for me to constantly hit myself (arm, leg, lower back) into some part. As we all know the doombuggies are made out of sturdy material so that was constant ouch. That wasn't dramatically but I did sit in such a fashion I made sure my back was wide away from the back of the buggy (ouch, ouch).

But the drop!?! OH MY GOD! I can still feel it. Huge pain factor. My body does not tolerate any sudden unseen movements well at all. Let alone any of those movements being "tilted". My body goes into total crisis mode thinking I'm falling down a huge building or something. Brain can tell the body it isn't, but body reacts none the less. Because of the unexpectedness, I wasn't prepared, couldn't brace myself for it (not that it would've prevented, but would've made it less) and there it was out of nowhere. The awfull proproception (body knowing it's own position in a space), my body going into overreacting and my specific syndrome combined that backwards down movement into hell. I dislocated multiple vertabrea and other stuff because of that. Yeiks.

I directly believe you when you say it's a backwards small hill thingy. I do, as I know how thourough you are AND Disney is when it comes to these things. But after doing it, my bodies experience is convinced it was a huge drop.

I'm seriously considering the fact that my body reacts hyperactive already and my syndrome also isn't the most..... "average" in pain responses. Having said that, I can really see this hill being a painfactor for others with back or neck issues, if they can be triggered by unexpectedness and/or lack of being able to brace yourself in the buggy.

Thanks for the explanation. It was helpful.
With the explanantion, I can see why it caused a problem for you, but I would not have thought of those things without the explanation of how you experienced the feelings.

I have ridden HM many times in the past and rode it twice over the past 2 weeks.
The ride mechanism does have a small repetitive 'click' as it goes along the track. That's probably what you are describing in the first part I bolded.

There are a couple of 'uphill' sections where your doombuggy goes up to the scene of the banquet hall and ballroom scene. I can see that could be a problem for someone who is very sensitive to movement because you don't really know it is going to go up until it does.

The same thing turning and going down. There is no warning. I am very claustrophobic and it was all I could do to stay in the ride car the first (probably 50 times) I rode it. The idea of going backwards, plus the fact that the speakers are behind your head, along with the kind of wrap around design of the ride cars combined to make it difficult to me.
It is a smooth turn and not a drop, but as you pointed out, the suddeness and unexpectedness of it along with the angle, might cause some people to perceive it differently than it actually is.

As time permits, I plan to make a FAQs for each park like the one I started for Epcot (time so far has not permitted me to finish that one). I would like to include information like this so other people know a bit more what to expect.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Sue, you're again on the dot with those clicks. It's the moving, the suddeness of it, dark, nowhere to brace but hard ouchy doombuggy, not a good combo for anybody that can't deal with that combo. And I just happen to be one of those folks that not just can't deal with it, but for whom it goes into the littlest movements giving idiotic large problems.

The fact you didn't "catch" it yet is just logic. "Nobody" would have gave it a second. I wouldn't have, if I hadn't had this syndrome. That's why on the days I want to do "something" but can not deal with the littlest things I explain the idiotic details to the CM I'm talking to. Don't know why, but somehow many of them while talking to me feel the need to put a hand on my shoulder, arm, you know just the friendly wellmeant thing. They always get the "now I get it"-look on their face when I tell them that friendly soft guesture was hurtfull and something I'm trying to avoid that day. Or unexpected (aren't they always?) scares as that intake of breath dislocates ribs.

At first I never relied on it AT ALL, but each and all CM's always seemed to understand when I felt the need to explain those things. Helped me out over the years. Guess I got too comfy with also relying on CM help after 4 years and was so surprised HM had all kinds of things going on that weren't that great for me. The movement itself of the buggies weren't great and painfull, but ah well. The "drop" on the other hand takes weeks to get rid of the results from that one. Sure didn't expect the 3 CM's I talked to at HM all to miss that one. Learned a lesson, no more HM for me.


If there ever was the option of such a sticky, I think it would be a huge benefit for many. Be carefull though that you don't take on more than you can handle with all else you're doing. Such a sticky would be so much littlest details, wow. If you need help; sent a PM. Have only done a specific assortment of rides and shows over the year, don't remember each littlest details but where I can help I'ld gladly would.