GAC / Parade Question

[Mich Mouse]

Hello All,

Will be travelling to WDW later this month with a good friend who has recently received chemo-therapy for mestastic melanoma. She is presently receiving Interluken therapy in NYC. These treatments are causing her some real problems,and I believe she will qualify for a Guest Assistance card.

My questions are: Is there a special parade viewing area she and our group may wait in out of the sun?

What type of provisions do you think may be made available to her?

Thanks for any information you may provide!

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome to disABILITIES. I answered your question about GACs on another board. The accomidations provided by the GAC are based on the needs of the person. So, she needs to be ready to tell the CMs in Guest Services what her needs are.
One of the suggestions I made was that she should consider an ecv (power scooter). People with ecvs or wheelchairs can use the handicapped parade viewing areas without having a GAC. Unfortunately, many of the handicapped viewing areas are not out of the sun. We've found the ones at MGM to be in full sun and facing into the sun.

So, you probably want to check them out earlier in the day and see whether or not you would be in the sun in that area. The viewing areas are marked on the park maps, so you can find where they are.
Also, depending on how busy it is, they sometimes limit to the person with a disability plus one or 2 other members of their party (this is to allow as many people with special needs as possible to be accomidated in the area).

 

[Mich Mouse]

Thank you again, Sue!

 

[Talking Hands]

Although this is not a wheelchair seating area, good shaded area to sit for the parade at MGM is the steps of the ABC Theatre. Just park the ECV off to the right of the steps. Usually one or two sections are roped off for VIP Guests and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2x a week) but the rest is open to anyone. Get there early because it will fill up.
Handicapped area across from Hall of the Presidents is mostly in the shade exceot for the area towards the Riverboat so if you get there early you can be in the shade. This is for Magic Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom the area for Handicapped Guests in front of Creature Comforts is in the shade.

The areas for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (interpreting) are all in the sun except for MGM.

 

[gamomof2]

Our daughter (10) has a MacLaren special needs stroller. She weighs almost 100 lbs and it pretty much doesn't look anything like a toddler stroller but I'm not sure if anyone will understand it is her version of a wheelchair. Any thoughts on how to mark it or keep it from being a problem. The parade accomodations are going to be helpful.

 

[JenJen]

I know they have a GAC that has a stroller for a wheel chair stamp on it. That way if anyone says anything to you about being in a line with a stoller or being in a wheelchair acessable area you can just show them the card and you will not have to explain anything to them. I hope you all have fun!
(((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))
JenJen

 

[BeccaGrace]

If we have a GAC for our daughter's sun/heat issues can our family sit and hold seats until the parade starts and then my daughter (and whatever adult is watching her) join us in our spot? Not sure if this will be an issue in December but in case it is warm I want to be prepared.

 

[SueM in MN]

I know they have a GAC that has a stroller for a wheel chair stamp on it. That way if anyone says anything to you about being in a line with a stoller or being in a wheelchair acessable area you can just show them the card and you will not have to explain anything to them. I hope you all have fun!
(((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))
JenJen

Yes.
The smaller size ones are more often confused with regular strollers because they sort of look like a regular strollers and small children using them look pretty much like all the other small kids in strollers. The larger special needs strollers used by bigger kids are not mistaken quite so easily.
But, it would certainly not hurt to get a GAC to use it in lines.
We usually don't use the wheelchair/special needs viewing areas for parades and Illuminations. You need to get there 1-2 hours or so before and can't leave once you are. They also tend to park the wheelchairs right up next to each other to get the maximum number of guests in wheelchairs into the area. If it's very busy, the area is also limited to the person with special needs plus 1 or 2 members of their party. All these things made the space not work well for us, so we tend to not usee them for parades.

 

[zumbergc]

I've seen a person with the GAC "use stroller as wheel chair", told they weren't allowed to use the wheelchair viewing area at the MK. I remember it because the adult was really mad about this.

They pretty much told her to find a place along the route, and that she didn't need to be in the wheelchair section.

Whether or not this is policy, i don't know? Maybe someone else can comment about the rules and parade viewing?

Connie

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't know what the policy is, but I think it might depend on how full the area is and the child in question. I have heard of people with special needs strollers like Convaid Cruisers being allowed to be in the area and peole with regular strollers, but a GAC not being allowed.
I think if they see a child in a rental stroller with the "use stroller as a wheelchair" GAC, that is a different situation than a child who is in a stoller that is being used as a mobility device. I have also seen the regular strollers parked along the curb or fence in the wheelchair area with no one in them and the CMs having to turn people in wheelchairs away because the space was filled with "vehicles" that had no one in them.

My DD has ADD and we personally do not find the wheelchair viewing areass to be a good situation for her because of that. It's too busy, too close and you have to stay there too long in one place for our needs.