GAC + WC as stroller for 3yo autistic son is a blessing, BUT

[forgop]

my only additional suggestion would be the ability to somehow measure kids on the card as getting him in and out of the stroller for a ride gets him upset at times.

When we do get him out, he's not the easiest to get measured because he just barely makes that 40" mark. I understand the CM's need to make sure he's tall enough and some have even taken our word for it, but if we were able to have an official measurement posted on his card, CM's wouldn't require him to get out if they were questioning if he was tall enough. Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

[mickeyluvsjess]

Wow! I didn't even think about this. We are going to the world next month (ds will be turning 3 and is autistic, and dn is 4 and autistic) we use a double jogger and I know they are both approaching 40, she may be a little closer than him.I wonder if I could get thier physician to put thier heights on the note we bring to get the GAC with an explanation?What rides did your son want that have a requirement as I'm a little scared to try anything with them?

 

[livndisney]

Wow! I didn't even think about this. We are going to the world next month (ds will be turning 3 and is autistic, and dn is 4 and autistic) we use a double jogger and I know they are both approaching 40, she may be a little closer than him.I wonder if I could get thier physician to put thier heights on the note we bring to get the GAC with an explanation?What rides did your son want that have a requirement as I'm a little scared to try anything with them?

A note is not required and most likely will not be looked at. From what I have seen and been told children will need to be measured at each ride. Height is not something listed on the GAC.

 

[Kay1]

Actually, I think yours is a good idea for all kids. I don't know exactly how it could be implemented, but it would save everyone a lot of time if children could be measured just once and given a wristband that says how many inches tall they are.

Maybe you should write Disney.

 

[SueM in MN]

A note is not required and most likely will not be looked at. From what I have seen and been told children will need to be measured at each ride. Height is not something listed on the GAC.

That is correct.
Although some people feel more comfortable asking about a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) if they have a note from the doctor, it is not required and chances are good the CMs will not look at it.

Also, your child will need to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. There is no central place to get the measurement done and no one has ever written that they were successful with having anything added to their GAC about height. The reason for this is liability - when WDW tried out a central measuring spot, my understanding is that they discontinued doing it because people were cheating by having a taller child measured, then slipping the wristband off that child onto a smaller one and bringing the taller child back again to be measured. WDW can’t take a chance of someone too small getting on, so they measure each time at each ride; sometimes more than once.
Some people have made measuring part of their getting ready for WDW preparation. If you break the process into steps and work on one step at a time, your child should be able to master or at least be used to it by the time you go.
First step would be getting out of the stroller. Then stand up against a wall or solid surface. Then stand up tall against the solid surface. Then have a measure stick placed close to the head and finally touching the head. You may need more or less steps, but should be able to figure out a way to help your child get used to it.
This is a link to a height calculator. If you put in a zero, it will give you a list of the height requirements for all attractions. If you put the child’s actual height in, it will give a list of the attractions the child is too short to ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

Actually, I think yours is a good idea for all kids. I don't know exactly how it could be implemented, but it would save everyone a lot of time if children could be measured just once and given a wristband that says how many inches tall they are.

Maybe you should write Disney.

I actually had written my last post, but then got busy and didn’t post it until after you wrote.

WDW and, I think also Disneyland, actually trailed a heigh tech laser device to measure kids in a central location and issue a wrist band. They stopped doing it a short time after the trials began. The main reason I heard they stopped it was parents trying to ‘cheat’ if they had one child that was large enough and one who was a little too small.
They got the taller child measured and got a wrist band for that child. Then, they got the wristband off that child without any visible damage and transferred it to the smaller child. Finally, they brought to taller child back to be measured, acting as if the child had not been measured before.

 

[blessedmom4]

I actually had written my last post, but then got busy and didn’t post it until after you wrote.

WDW and, I think also Disneyland, actually trailed a heigh tech laser device to measure kids in a central location and issue a wrist band. They stopped doing it a short time after the trials began. The main reason I heard they stopped it was parents trying to ‘cheat’ if they had one child that was large enough and one who was a little too small.
They got the taller child measured and got a wrist band for that child. Then, they got the wristband off that child without any visible damage and transferred it to the smaller child. Finally, they brought to taller child back to be measured, acting as if the child had not been measured before.

Sue is correct. I wrote to Disney when DD was younger (3) and we were fortunate enough to go to Disney twice in one year. After our first trip, taking her in and out of her W/C each time to be measured, we asked for some help because it tired her out. We were told exactly what you wrote, because of the actions of a few, everyone must be measured at each ride. Most of the cast members were very understanding and they took our word that she was tall enough, some did NOT. For those that did not, we had to get her up and try to measure her, which was a bit difficult/exhausting for her.

ETA:The ride that was specifically difficult for us was Soarin. Both times we went to ride it during our trip they forced us to have DD measured. The first time, she was so tired, she was unable to stand tall enough to "prove" her height. (she is taller on her left side than her right side and has had two strokes. If she is tired, she can't stand as straight). DH and older children rode while I gave DD a snack and she took a rest for an hour (the ride wait was LOOONNG, even with FP). The next time we went early in the AM when DD was not so tired and she was able to prove her height w/o any difficulty.

 

[forgop]

I asked at guest relations and they leave it up to the CM's at each attraction to ensure they're tall enough. That said, all but one CM took our word for it saying he was 40" (which he is) and let us go through. I just think for cases of those with special needs, getting in/out of a stroller/WC can be a much different experience.

 

[SueM in MN]

I asked at guest relations and they leave it up to the CM's at each attraction to ensure they're tall enough. That said, all but one CM took our word for it saying he was 40" (which he is) and let us go through. I just think for cases of those with special needs, getting in/out of a stroller/WC can be a much different experience.

My DD is 5 feet tall now, but when she was close to the height, we were usually asked if she was able to stand (she’s not) and then, since she can’t stand, how tall she was. They did take our word for it, but DD was quite a bit over the height for any we went on. Also, because she has long legs, she does look taller than she is.

 

[andee515]

We are going this Nov and my DS,(non verbal, autistic who will turn 4 on this trip) who is probably 41" tall. I say probably cause everytime I try to measure him he falls to the floor and will not let me. Last March at WDW he was @ 39" and it took me several tries to get even a kinda measurement on him; we went on rides that had a 38" height requirement, if i recall right, and no one measured; but I think there are just 1 or 2 of them at WDW. This year, if I get a measurement that looks like he is over 40" there are a few rides I want to take him on, but I guess we will have to see how goes the standing for measuring, I don't think we are going to have much luck.

 

[HannahNoahMommy]

Although I do understand, it's a shame they can't do this on the GAC. At Seaworld, my DS was measured when we got their paperwork (not GAC, but similar idea). And his height was written on the forms.

 

[hastingsmom]

At Canada's Wonderland (a large theme park...about the size of Magic Kingdom) they measure ALL kids as they enter the park and wristband them with a colour indicating which rides they can go on. All rides are labeled with colour codes, so kids know right away if they can go on it or not. Works great...might be a good suggestion for Disney!

 

[olive]

At Hershey they measured our son and either issued a wrist band or wrote it on his GAC-type card. Can't recall which because we had both a wristband and a card. Kids are measured and then assigned a height class (like Kisses or Miniatures) and all of the rides have signs indicating with height class can ride. This was very easy and we didn't have to worry about taking him out to be measured at each ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

At Canada's Wonderland (a large theme park...about the size of Magic Kingdom) they measure ALL kids as they enter the park and wristband them with a colour indicating which rides they can go on. All rides are labeled with colour codes, so kids know right away if they can go on it or not. Works great...might be a good suggestion for Disney!

At Hershey they measured our son and either issued a wrist band or wrote it on his GAC-type card. Can't recall which because we had both a wristband and a card. Kids are measured and then assigned a height class (like Kisses or Miniatures) and all of the rides have signs indicating with height class can ride. This was very easy and we didn't have to worry about taking him out to be measured at each ride.

I want to point out though that Disney did try to have centralized measuring and stopped it (from everything I have heard and read) because people cheated on it to find ways to get their too short child on rides they could not go on if the parents did not cheat.
So, even though it is a very good idea and would be more convenient, a few bad apples spoiled it for others.