Gac

[SueM in MN]

I have a whole list of pros and cons and I still cant' decide. On the pro side - waiting in hot july sun with insulin degrades the insulin a LOT. on the con side - the simple act of begin in the parks in the hot july sun will degrade the insulin and there is no GAC that will allow him not to be in any heat LOL. So I go back and forth in my mind..does he need it? Is it the right message to send to him? .............

so...I think this is where a lot of turmoil comes from on these threads. Many of us just simply hate the thought that we even have a child who could potentially need a GAC..I know I do...I hate that thought.

sigh.. I wish it were easier. I wish we could have a talk about these things without it becoming a fight.

One thing to remember is that you don't need to get a GAC the first day of your trip. If you are undecided, but things seem to be going well, you may stay undecided and end up not getting one. You could even be undecided until your last day, and decide that day that things are not going well. All you would need to do is go into Guest Relations and et them know what your issues are.
You are also wise to look at other conditions (like it's still hot, GAC or no GAC) because you will have to deal with those issues no matter what.
I don't know if you have looked into touring plans like TourGuide Mike or Ridemax, but from the feedback people have posted, many find those very helpful in limiting wait times AND in avoiding the most busy places (which helps you to get through a park faster even when you are just walking from place to place.

 

[buffettgirl]

One thing to remember is that you don't need to get a GAC the first day of your trip. If you are undecided, but things seem to be going well, you may stay undecided and end up not getting one. You could even be undecided until your last day, and decide that day that things are not going well. All you would need to do is go into Guest Relations and et them know what your issues are.
You are also wise to look at other conditions (like it's still hot, GAC or no GAC) because you will have to deal with those issues no matter what.
I don't know if you have looked into touring plans like TourGuide Mike or Ridemax, but from the feedback people have posted, many find those very helpful in limiting wait times AND in avoiding the most busy places (which helps you to get through a park faster even when you are just walking from place to place.

I should back up - the last time we were at disney was a december and we didn't even consider a GAC and we never had issues - we treated a few lows while waiting in lines but pretty much the lines were "resting" spots..so they worked well - but it wasn't 100 degrees and humid. I don't think "he" needs the GAC..I think his insulin needs the GAC, and since he's attached to his insulin via pump..that is the trouble and that's why I have such this dilemma in my head - and I don't want to take this thread OT but I suspect that so many of us have a hard time feeling good about whatever we decide that we have to dig our heels in an try to convince ourselves.

But this summer we are using TGM and I have a plan in place so hopefully that does help with lines. Even still, I wonder which rides REALLY a "shade and/or A/c" GAC would benefit - maybe a few at MK??? that's not many really. Most of the rest are covered ...

 

[a1tinkfans]

OP:

I say ignorance is bliss. Most that talk about abuse have no idea what it is to deal with medical issues on a daily basis, sad that judgement comes so easy for them
The GAC is there for people that need it and IMHO, having one can make a vacation possible for a family.
So, go with your heart, do whats right by your family and know that there are plenty of people that understand or have empathy to your situation.
I hope you have FABULOUS vacations making memories!!
Its not easy being the parent of a child with any issue...............

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

I am finding this thread interesting. I am starting to wonder if I am in the minority in my thinking. I have 2 sons- one is 13 w/ ASD and the other 12 with severe ADHD. We do get a GAC and I have never given it a second thought. I could care less about what any others think either.. All I know is that w/o a GAC, I wouldnt even attempt to do a disney trip.. Is there something wrong with me that I feel absolutely no remorse or conflicton using a GAC?

 

[buffettgirl]

I am finding this thread interesting. I am starting to wonder if I am in the minority in my thinking. I have 2 sons- one is 13 w/ ASD and the other 12 with severe ADHD. We do get a GAC and I have never given it a second thought. I could care less about what any others think either.. All I know is that w/o a GAC, I wouldnt even attempt to do a disney trip.. Is there something wrong with me that I feel absolutely no remorse or conflicton using a GAC?

no there is nothing wrong with you ....
I think it's harder for those of us one the fence where our kids maybe could do disney without (and have done without) but maybe would have an easier time with...and for me, I just go back and forth...should I get it? shoudl I not. It's not cut and dry for us. If it were cut and dry, i'd do it, and have no care in the world what anyone thought. One of my mom friends told me today to not NOT get it on principle only, but at the same time, get it and use it with my principles...(it made sense at the time LOL)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is no problem as long as you consider the GAC as an insurance policy and not an entitlement. If you attempt to tour "normally" (whatever that is) and things do not work out you will have the GAC with you and can then use it. But to automatically use the GAC without giving the normal procedure a chance may not be a good lesson for a child with a spectrum problem.

 

[buffettgirl]

There is no problem as long as you consider the GAC as an insurance policy and not an entitlement. If you attempt to tour "normally" (whatever that is) and things do not work out you will have the GAC with you and can then use it. But to automatically use the GAC without giving the normal procedure a chance may not be a good lesson for a child with a spectrum problem.

I think that's a good point (and I think that's what my friend was getting at) that it's there for insurance and I'd use my best judgment on when it was needed. we're not on the spectrum, we simply have diabetes to deal with. So we don't have issues with line waiting..or touch..or sound..some of the things many other parents deal with. But what we have is heat doing all sorts of weird things to blood sugars and insulin in a very unpredictable manner. So it's probably even harder because I spend my days trying to tell everyone we meet that my son is exactly like other children and doesn't need anythign special...and yet...sometimes he does.

so anyway, I didn't want to go totally off topic with this, but my thoughts were, back to the original post, why this topic always becomes so heated. I think many people don't have their own thoughts about it in place.

 

[clanmcculloch]

There is no problem as long as you consider the GAC as an insurance policy and not an entitlement. If you attempt to tour "normally" (whatever that is) and things do not work out you will have the GAC with you and can then use it. But to automatically use the GAC without giving the normal procedure a chance may not be a good lesson for a child with a spectrum problem.

I'm not sure I agree with the way this was put. If I tried to tour "normally" with my family then I'm sure my daughter would be fine for the first hour or so in the morning but then we'd be having meltdowns. By this point, using the GAC would be useless as once she's at the point of meltdown we have to leave the park. By using the GAC the entire time we're at a park, she can generally handle an entire morning before we have to head back to the hotel to decompress. For us, the GAC is an important tool to have for the entire time we're there. Without it, we wouldn't even go. The GAC and Disney's amazing handling of food allergies are the reasons that we go to WDW instead of vacationing elsewhere.

I don't see it as an entitlement where we deserve something special but I also don't see it as an insurance policy to only be pulled out in case of emergency. For us, it really is an important tool, just as much as any touring plan, preparations, ADRs, etc.

 

[buffettgirl]

clan...I think he was referring to my situation where we are mulling over getting the GAC or not. For some, like yourself, it's very cut and dry - you need it and without it, you'll have a miserable time. For others, like me, I could go either way and he was saying that if I took it, toured normally but had it as insurance then that was probably the best use for my child's needs.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm not sure I agree with the way this was put. If I tried to tour "normally" with my family then I'm sure my daughter would be fine for the first hour or so in the morning but then we'd be having meltdowns. By this point, using the GAC would be useless as once she's at the point of meltdown we have to leave the park. By using the GAC the entire time we're at a park, she can generally handle an entire morning before we have to head back to the hotel to decompress. For us, the GAC is an important tool to have for the entire time we're there. Without it, we wouldn't even go. The GAC and Disney's amazing handling of food allergies are the reasons that we go to WDW instead of vacationing elsewhere.

I don't see it as an entitlement where we deserve something special but I also don't see it as an insurance policy to only be pulled out in case of emergency. For us, it really is an important tool, just as much as any touring plan, preparations, ADRs, etc.

clan...I think he was referring to my situation where we are mulling over getting the GAC or not. For some, like yourself, it's very cut and dry - you need it and without it, you'll have a miserable time. For others, like me, I could go either way and he was saying that if I took it, toured normally but had it as insurance then that was probably the best use for my child's needs.

I agree with both of you. My writing was more intended for buffettgirl's question. And when I used the word "normally" I also added the parenthetical note of "whatever that is". Most people will usually attempt to use fastpasses or other items and avoid using the GAC, but it is available as needed. It appears that because once you daughter has a meltdown she is a problem for the rest of the day, so your need will be to use the card all the time. But many children who have meltdowns will recover after a period and go on; those are the ones I was talking about. I hope this makes it clearer.

 

[elzamom]

My 13 year old daughter has Aspergers and severe anxiety with panic attacks. We are planning on utilizing the GAC but I am worried. She hates to be singled out any attention causes a panic attack. The other day just having me ask the waiter a question about something she was hyperventilating. Will she be stared at if using the gac?
She will not be able to handle waiting in any lines where people may touch her by mistake or wait be too long. We have learned to have her wait in our car at her appointments and IM her when they call her name otherwise she has severe panic attacks and can't go to the appointment and it's a waste of everyones time and money. Does anyone know why waiting causes panic attacks?

 

[johnponz]

When we visited two weeks ago we used the GAC for the entire visit. Our son who is in the autistic spectrum didn't even know the difference. No one gave us dirty looks. Our son thought we were in lines like everyone else. It allowed us to see and enjoy everything with no meltdowns. I would get the card the first day you enter the park. For us if the line was 15 min we waited if it was longer we used the card.

 

[scojos]

i just wanted to add to your v interesting discussion. I booked today a new trip and a major decider for us is the GAC we call it our magic card. Not magic because it removes the wait, but because it removes the crowds . let me explain.
DS9 has HFASD and we have been on several holidays but none our like WDW. Josh doesnt have a problem with waiting, he ll wait all day- he has a problem with crowds. the gac allows us to wait away from the masses...
sometimes his big brother and i will do the reg line and he joins us at the end, or other times the staff will gage how long the line would be and we go on then, whatever works from that ride, but no lines, ever.
yes, im sure there are times when the wait is reduced - id be lying if i said there wasnt. there are also many, many times we have waited longer than normal so that our requests can be forfilled. CM are great, majority very helpful, and i love wdw mainly because of the effort the CMs put in.
the only thing that would improve the world was if some of the benefits of the GAC were available at the water parks...
we have mainly avoided them due to crowds, however this year they are that little bit older and the water parks are high priority, "time out" spaces in the parks and alternative wait areas would be good... IMHO.
tc
xx

 

[Schmeck]

The way the queues are set up at the waterparks for the slides (the only place a GAC would work) there really does seem nowhere to wait out of the way, does it? I guess that's the nature of the attraction - everything has to be built up on a hill in order for it to be a slide, and hills do not naturally lend themselves to alternative access.