GAC with a large party?

[PixieMama]

I read the FAQ post re: GACs and have a pretty good understanding how they work, where to get one, etc. But I do have one question I was not able to locate and answer for:

My family will be visiting WDW this fall; there will be a total of 10 (8 adults and 2 children). My MIL (who will be visiting WDW for the first time!) has a steel rod in her leg, and while she can walk (albeit, slowly), she will need to avoid stairs and have the attractions with continuous loading platforms slowed so she can enter the ride vehicle. I understand we should get a GAC for her. It's also my understanding the GAC will allow up to 5 people to enter the alternative/ handicapped entrance with her. But most of the time all 10 of us will be together. My question is: if my MIL and I go to the alternative entrance for say, Splash Mtn, and everyone else in our family goes in the standby queue, will MIL and I be able to wait until the rest of our party makes their way through the queue so that we can all ride together? Or will MIL and I (or whoever goes with her, as someone will need to show her where to go) be required to ride as soon as we make it to the loading area, and not wait for our family to get through the "regular" queue?

 

[KPeveler]

I read the FAQ post re: GACs and have a pretty good understanding how they work, where to get one, etc. But I do have one question I was not able to locate and answer for:

My family will be visiting WDW this fall; there will be a total of 10 (8 adults and 2 children). My MIL (who will be visiting WDW for the first time!) has a steel rod in her leg, and while she can walk (albeit, slowly), she will need to avoid stairs and have the attractions with continuous loading platforms slowed so she can enter the ride vehicle. I understand we should get a GAC for her. It's also my understanding the GAC will allow up to 5 people to enter the alternative/ handicapped entrance with her. But most of the time all 10 of us will be together. My question is: if my MIL and I go to the alternative entrance for say, Splash Mtn, and everyone else in our family goes in the standby queue, will MIL and I be able to wait until the rest of our party makes their way through the queue so that we can all ride together? Or will MIL and I (or whoever goes with her, as someone will need to show her where to go) be required to ride as soon as we make it to the loading area, and not wait for our family to get through the "regular" queue?

That depends entirely on the ride. Many times, though, the family with the GAC will be loading in a different place than the family without it. And there will be no way for you to see each other, so there is no real way to coordinate it.

Also, there is very little room at the boarding and exiting areas, so there is really no where for a party to wait.

There are very few rides where there are stairs, and NONE of them I can think of fit 10 in a car anyway - you would be splitting up.

In fact, except for Pirates and Small World (neither one had stairs or moving walk ways) I cannot think of too many places you can all ride together anyway.

Two rides with moving walkways cannot be stopped - Peter Pan and the TTA People Mover. I think they can be slowed, but not stopped. The TTA has only one way in, so GACs do not matter, and I can guarantee you at Peter Pan, you WILL be required to split up your party. They are very strict about this in Fantasyland if I remember WDW correctly (I am a DL person )

So, yes, get the GAC, but remember that there WILL be times you will have to split up. And as the waiting areas are often crowded, so most CMs will need to keep parties moving and loading - and since trying to maneuver a person in a scooter around a party of as many as six while they wait to see if they can spot the rest of the family - that will be too difficult.

In fact, in most cases I remember, the non-stair "line" will not even be within sight of the loading zone (I am thinking of BTMRR here).

Definitely plan on the party splitting up whenever the GAC needs to be used.

 

[lanejudy]

Not likely to be able to "meet up" at the loading area. As PP indicated, sometimes the load area with a GAC is not the same as the regular loading area. Also, there likely will be times that the rest of the party rides before those using the GAC are through. I'd suggest the party plan to split and alternate who gets to ride with MIL.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[PixieMama]

That depends entirely on the ride. Many times, though, the family with the GAC will be loading in a different place than the family without it. And there will be no way for you to see each other, so there is no real way to coordinate it.

Also, there is very little room at the boarding and exiting areas, so there is really no where for a party to wait.

There are very few rides where there are stairs, and NONE of them I can think of fit 10 in a car anyway - you would be splitting up.

In fact, except for Pirates and Small World (neither one had stairs or moving walk ways) I cannot think of too many places you can all ride together anyway.

Thanks for the input!

Yes, I know we'd be split up and not all ride in the same vehicle. But I was wondering if we could be near each other. Just hoping that those who went with my MIL would not have to wait on the other group to get through the "regular" line (or vice versa).

 

[PixieMama]

Not likely to be able to "meet up" at the loading area. As PP indicated, sometimes the load area with a GAC is not the same as the regular loading area. Also, there likely will be times that the rest of the party rides before those using the GAC are through. I'd suggest the party plan to split and alternate who gets to ride with MIL.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you!

 

[KPeveler]

Thanks for the input!

Yes, I know we'd be split up and not all ride in the same vehicle. But I was wondering if we could be near each other. Just hoping that those who went with my MIL would not have to wait on the other group to get through the "regular" line (or vice versa).

Given the limitations you have described, I would expect your MIL to be with you almost all the time. The few times the queues are split, it should be about the same amount of time, or perhaps longer for your MIL in the other line. Since almost all lines are mainstreamed for wheelchairs, that means no stairs - you should have almost no need to show the GAC in AK, DHS, and Epcot, and perhaps not at a lot in MK. I know Splash, BTMRR, TSM... And most times you will all wait together and she will not split off til you hit the stairs.

Can she not bend her knee? If so, there are many ride vehicles that could be problematic.

Also, can she step down into ride vehicles? Many of them require stepping down into them - Pirates, Small World, Test Track, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, more that I cannot think off... - these are the ones that come to mind. If she cannot handle stepping down or up into vehicles (sometimes through narrow doorways), she may want to practice or rethink a touring strategy to make things easier.

Just trying to anticipate issues, so your vacation goes smoothly

 

[PixieMama]

Given the limitations you have described, I would expect your MIL to be with you almost all the time. The few times the queues are split, it should be about the same amount of time, or perhaps longer for your MIL in the other line. Since almost all lines are mainstreamed for wheelchairs, that means no stairs - you should have almost no need to show the GAC in AK, DHS, and Epcot, and perhaps not at a lot in MK. I know Splash, BTMRR, TSM... And most times you will all wait together and she will not split off til you hit the stairs.

Can she not bend her knee? If so, there are many ride vehicles that could be problematic.

Also, can she step down into ride vehicles? Many of them require stepping down into them - Pirates, Small World, Test Track, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, more that I cannot think off... - these are the ones that come to mind. If she cannot handle stepping down or up into vehicles (sometimes through narrow doorways), she may want to practice or rethink a touring strategy to make things easier.

Just trying to anticipate issues, so your vacation goes smoothly

Yes, MIL will be with my family (me, DH (her son), and our 2 DDs) the entire time. In fact we five are all staying at the Poly. The other members of our group are made up of my family, all staying elsewhere.

Bending her knee is ok. It's stairs that will give her problems. She's very slow going up/down them, and the added exertion of going up/down will tire her out quickly. I knew of the stairs in Splash and TSM that could be bypassed. SFRT will be one she'll have to skip entirely.

And yes, anticipating potential issues is exactly why I'm asking now!

 

[KPeveler]

Yes, MIL will be with my family (me, DH (her son), and our 2 DDs) the entire time. In fact we five are all staying at the Poly. The other members of our group are made up of my family, all staying elsewhere.

Bending her knee is ok. It's stairs that will give her problems. She's very slow going up/down them, and the added exertion of going up/down will tire her out quickly. I knew of the stairs in Splash and TSM that could be bypassed. SFRT will be one she'll have to skip entirely.

And yes, anticipating potential issues is exactly why I'm asking now!

Sorry, my first statement meant that since almost all lines are mainstreamed for wheelchairs, that means there are almost no stairs in queues. That is what I meant by "she will always be with you" - the party will almost never need to be diverted.

It sounds like your core group is 5, so splitting up when you have to is going to be possible.

Have you been to WDW before? Has she? I ask, because one of the things first-timers are not aware of is how much walking there is. If you get off a bus/tram at the entrance of Epcot, walk to the Land Pavilion, to the entrance of Soarin inside (which involves escalators), walk through the queue of Soarin (which is not really short with a FP even), walk back out of Soarin, and back to the bus/tram stop, you will have walked at least a mille, maybe 1.5 miles.

If you walk once around the World Showcase Lagoon, it is 1.25 miles, and that is without going into a single store or show.

On average, a person walks 8-10 miles a day in WDW - we have clocked it (even with wheelchair odometers!). And you are staying for several days I imagine.

So if your MIL is not up to walking roughly 70 miles while in Florida in a week, plus the time standing in line, she may want to consider renting a scooter.

One of the things I never considered until I messed up my knee is that standing on slopes/ramps is also uncomfortable, as all the pressure is on your ankle and knee. Unfortunately, almost all queues are slopes. Sometimes you even have to walk perpendicular to the slope. By the end of the week, I was using handrails as crutches and sitting on benches watching my family have fun.

So here are some questions, before we get into the ECV question, you/your MIL need to answer:

• Can she step down into and up out of boats/ride vehicles without having a handrail to assist her? Here is a list of ride vehicles with photos. When I say "step in to" it will not be the normal 7' standard step - sometimes it is a foot tall step. There is usually not a handrail. http://allears.net/tp/gal_ride.htm
  
• Can she stand on pretty steep slopes, even sideways?
  
• Can she walk (and keep up with the grandkids) at 8-10 miles a day? Even if you say "we will take breaks," unless that means "sit in the park" that is even MORE walking. You may have to walk miles just to get out of Epcot. The walking trails at AK top out at over 2 miles EACH. And that if after the 2 miles you just walked to get there. Plan on walking about 10-12 miles in AK each day you are there. And can she do this for several days.

I say this not to be pessimistic, but to help prepare. To give you a little background on me, I am 28, became a wheelchair user in my early 20s, due to a genetic condition that, among other thing, affects my joints. They dislocate, slide, pop, crunch, (I am starting to sound like cereal...), etc every day. I cannot climb a stair of any kind. And I go to Disneyland at least every week (usually more than that) and I have ridden literally everything. Disney DOES help. I am just trying to get a better idea of where your MIL may have difficulties beyond stairs, and what the best tools are to give her a great vacation!

After all no one wants to be the one stuck on the bench while you watch your family have fun. I learned that first-hand.