GAC on Arrival Day Question

[Kim in PA]

We are going to be in WDW June 15th - 21st. Our family is me - Kim 47, DH Greg 43, Kaitlyn 12, Jessica 12, and Ashley 7. We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside.

Our youngest daughter, Ashley, has a number of special needs including spina bifida (walks without assistance) PDD-NOS (autism spectrum), failure to thrive, and neurogenic bladder. She also has a MicKey button after Nissan fundiplication surgery for GERD. We will be taking our own stroller to the parks.

We did not request a GAC the last time we went to Disney because Ashley was 4, and easier to manage. This year we decided to request one, but only plan to use when absolutely necessary.

Ashley has a combination of needs - if she gets tired of waiting, she often runs away, and has no fear of strangers. Like many kids with ASD she can have major meltdowns when things don't go her way. She will hit herself in the face, throw herself on the ground and scream loudly. If she is really mad, she takes off her clothes She does walk well without support, but fatiques easily due to her spina bifida and medications. If she is physically tired, she tends to fall apart more easily. We need to cath her throughout the day, and she has problems with exposure to heat and direct sun due to one of the medicines she takes for her bladder.

Ashley is very small (33 lbs) so I thought maybe the "Stroller as a wheelchair" tag might be useful for some of the lines. We are taking our own stroller (the same one in the picture) as it has a canopy for the sun, and can recline if she needs a break.

My question is, does it matter which park we go to first? In other words, would the Guest Services at Magic Kingdom be more knowledgeble about which GAC stamps to assign than those at other parks? Since my daughter has a number of different needs I want to make sure the person I talk to understands. We were planning on going to DHS on our arrival day, but will go to MK first if their guest relations folks are more familiar with the different GAC stamps.

Thank you for your help!

 

[krismom]

I don't really think it matters that much. We went to Epcot the first day and the CM's were very knowledgeable and helpful regarding our GAC. I have only heard stories of misinformation from the CM's outside the parks- the guest Relations or ticket windows. Good luck and have a magical trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

No, it really doesn't matter. Go to whatever park you plan to go to that first day.
I would say that MK is more likely to be very busy than the other parks, so personally, we try to avoid using Guest Relations at that park as much as possible. Because of all the stairs at MK's Guest Relations, it's also a little more of a challenge to get into the building. There are ramps, but it's just easier to get into the other GR buildings at other parks.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you find the GAC you get doesn't meet your needs, just re-visit Guest Relations and explain what needs you have that are not being met and see what they can do for you. I think you will find that being able to use a stroller as a wheelchair will meet many of her needs; not only with support and fatigue, but also with having a place where she can feel safe and separated from people getting into her space. It will also help with containing her.
Most of the lines are well shaded, so between the coverings on the lines and her stroller shade, that should not be a big concern (there are a few exceptions, but for the most part they are covered).