Getting GAC at MK

[rammh]

Hi everyone
Last year was my first attempt at asking for a GAC for my daughter. She is aspergers but more disabling is her anxiety in crowds. She even has to sit at the end of the row in a movie theater or we cant stay. If she is in a crowd and cant leave, she will either hyperventilate or vomit. Our first trip to WDW, we just skipped a ton of stuff since we knew she would never make it. Last year we requested a GAC.
However, it was a really horrible experience for me. We were at MK and after describing Molly's needs the CM gave me a pass that would allow her to wait in a shaded area and explained how that would work. I told the lady that I was there alone with my 10 and 7 year old and would not be able to leave my 10 year old alone under a tree, THEN leave my 7 year old alone in the line to go get my 10 year old. She looked at me and said "that is the best I can do for you".
I decided the next day to ask at AK to see if they could do anything better. She gave me the GAC with a different message that worked well. It made a world of difference. On that day we got to see the Lion King show because they let us wait with the wheelchair entrance so Molly had room to move. At our next MK day, we got to see Monster's Inc the same way. And skipped the stretching room at HM. I was just cringing as I watched them pack people together in the Monster's Inc waiting area!! She would have puked for sure!
We use touring plans and FP to the tee but there are just some places that Molly couldnt handle (like those mentioned).
This trip, our first day is at MK and I am very anxious about asking for help there again. So I have 2 questions:
1) would it be helpful to bring her last GAC?
2) if I am not getting the help I need, should I ask for someone else or just wait until the next park we go to? And how would I ask for someone else? A supervisor perhaps or would a supervisor just support the CM? I might have a hard time asking for one...
Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[mssajane]

unfortunately I do not have any advice as we are leaving in 2 weeks and need the same assistance. my DD13 has a mood disorder
and very high levels of anxiety in crowded situations and she needs to sit near exits in order to get out ASAP once a show has ended. If something was to be "not right" she cannot regoup very easily and our day would be done. and she would make sure everyone was miserable. we also have a DS 8 and would like this trip to be magical for him and not ruined by his sister.

so I am joining you in the look for assistance

 

[mfd25wife]

I would take the card you used last time so they can see the one that helps her the most.

 

[cogero]

I have gotten GACs at both Epcot and had no problems with the cast member.

I told them my son has an Autism Spectrum & sensory intergration disorder and we would need a Stroller as a wheelchair and also had other needs related to waiting areas. IT is possible if you said your daughter had Aspergers she didn't know what it was.

Explain everything in layman terms to the CM.

Good luck.

 

[Twende]

Taking the GAC that worked is a great idea and will help you make sure the new one has the correct helps for you.

I had to get a GAC for my mother who had Dementia/Alzheimer's. If it were not for the GAC she could have never done the attractions at Disney. It made the parks safe and enjoyable for her and everyone around her.

I found that expressing her specifics needs rather than an medical diagnosis helped the most.

For example I would say she needs an area away from crowds to wait for her turn. Or she that she needs to avoid steps in lines. Or that we needed to enter the exit at Haunted Mansion to avoid the darkness and crowding off the stretching room.

That way I could make sure that what helped her most was on the card.

It does help to be familiar with each attraction and know what alternatives are there to help you at each one.

 

[bidnow5]

I always hand them the old one but still have to go into details about our needs sometimes but with the old one we have always gotten the same so it works

 

[of2dbeach]

you can not bring the old GAC because they usualy have dates on them. This is how the card is suppose to work. you get the care you need. You go to the entrance and show the cast member the card. it does not get you on the ride right away but it shortens the time sometimes. i have used to pass for both my kids one has Autism/ Epilepsy the other has a hole in her heart and cant deal with being in the heat too long ( yes we are floridians.. go figure . I had a problem using the pass once. my son wanted to ride winniw the pooh 5 times in row we rode it. glad i like pooh then a diffrent team memeber said he couldnt ride it because it wasent fair. so make sure you know what you can do before you promise kids.
we havent taken Michael back in a few years because for 1 it is too hot and he just isnt into the crouds.. so he stays with grams and watches movies and scarfs on pizza . you get the GAC at MK on mainstreet. i am going again in October with the daughter described for her Mommy and Emma alone bday trip

 

[Maggie'sMom]

you can not bring the old GAC because they usualy have dates on them.

The PPs recommending to bring the old GAC back are recommending that so the OP can take the prior GAC to guest relations so the new GAC can allow for the same accomodations that worked well last time. They aren't saying to reuse the old card.

 

[livndisney]

You can bring your old GAC as a reference for the CM. We do this most every time. (Unless I forget to grab it). Even with the old card, you still need to be able to tell the CM what your needs are as a GAC is not given based on diagnois.

There is lots of information in Sue's sticky at the start of this thread.


As a reminder, a GAC is not a FOTL pass, nor does it give the ability to ride over and over again in a row. It is not intended to shorten lines (as stated right on the card). Most people report that making good use of Fastpass and a touring plan really helps with time waiting in line.

 

[SueM in MN]

It is sometimes helpful to bring your old GAC back to Guest Services. You can show it and explain that the GAC did meet your/your child's needs.

The CM may still ask you some questions about the needs and what sorts of things are a problem for you. That is so they can give the correct stamp for the needs of the person the GAC is being given to.

As the OP found out, sometimes the first person you talk to doesn't understand what the needs are. The is no rule that says you can't go back, explain that the card you we given originally did not meet the needs and re-explain what the needs are.

There is more information about GACs in post 6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature to get there.

And, one other thing to keep in mind -
even if the GAC specifies a certain kind of assistance, it may not be available at every attraction or every time you come to that attraction.
There are reasons, such as the number of other people waiting in a special needs area or staffing that might make it impossible to offer the same accommodation.

When using a GAC at an attraction, you should show it to the first CM you come to. That CM will direct you what to do for that attraction at that time, based on conditions and what is on that particular GAC regarding the needs of the person it was issued to.
Do not just go in the exit, even if you were directed to do that at another time. If there is not a CM ready to 'receive' guests there, there could be no place to wait or it could even place your group into a dangerous situation.

I have actually seen Security called to deal with a family who was repeatedly using their child's GAC to enter the exit of attractions without speaking to the CM at the attraction.

 

[SueM in MN]

Most attractions do not have a separate handicapped entrance.
The instructions printed on the GAC say to show it to the CM at the attraction entrance and you will be instructed what to do.

They also do not need to let someone ride repeatedly over and over. There was a woman who tried to do this Tower of Terror. The news stories actually indicated she was taken out of the park by security after multiple rides on Tower of Terror using a GAC.
That is important to realize before you promise your child they can ride repeatedly.
If the ride has no wait, guests can just keep going into the regular line - my family has done this at the end of the day at Kali River Rapids, when there was no wait and everyone was boarding as fast as they could walk thru the line.
But, if there is a wait, you should expect to be able to use the GAC only once on that attraction.

 

[rammh]

Thanks for the help! I had read everything I could find, including the sticky which was very helpful. I had originally explained her needs and got the "wait in a shaded area" response which couldn't help our situation at all since I was the only adult in our group. I was just so flustered I didn't know what to do or say and I don't want to be in that position again.

So, I understand how to use a GAC. We use FP for all attractions that take them and always check with the CM first. But like I said, for some attractions (like Monster's Inc), being directed by the CM to the handicap waiting area was a life saver.

I was really just wondering if we should ask for a supervisor if we cant get what we need, or just wait until a different park/day/or time. I will bring her old GAC (she plays Disneyworld with it) and hope that whatever CM we get at MK can help us out!

Thanks again for the responses!

 

[GinnyEmma]

Most attractions do not have a separate handicapped entrance.
The instructions printed on the GAC say to show it to the CM at the attraction entrance and you will be instructed what to do.

They also do not need to let someone ride repeatedly over and over. There was a woman who tried to do this Tower of Terror. The news stories actually indicated she was taken out of the park by security after multiple rides on Tower of Terror using a GAC.

Good. No one should get to ride over and over again without waiting. We all pay a lot to get into the park.

 

[crashbb]

Good. No one should get to ride over and over again without waiting. We all pay a lot to get into the park.

Pixie dust for a MAW child excepted, I totally agree with you.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Pixie dust for a MAW child excepted, I totally agree with you.

totally agree.

 

[of2dbeach]

I am sorry if I gave anyone the impression I would let me kids use the pass to skip ahead in line because the have Special needs. they are told they need to wait . Mike dosent understand this but on my behalf what I should of said is back then I didnt understand how the card worked. I thought that we could keep riding over and over. I do understand now that they cant’t do that and they ride a ride once and then again maybe at a later time during the day if they want to and we are in that area. My son hasent been back to any parks since he was about 13 because he can not control himself. His sister does come with us because she understands things and is not Autistic but has a heart condition. if anyone wants to discuss this or correct me please send me a private message as this greatly upset me and not my intention to cause harm or mis inform anyone. Thank You

 

[clanmcculloch]

Hi stranger!!

My only frustrating GAC experience was also at MK and though this was I guess 8 months after yours (February). I guess there's a guy working there who really shouldn't be at Guest Relations, or at least there was. He did end up giving us the GAC that we needed but only because I did have a couple past GACs to show what had worked in the past. He actually said to me that we didn't need one (he was observing DD13's good mood, the same DD13 who had a total meltdown resulting in us having to leave the park when we missed our meet up with you) but that he'd give us one this time because we'd been given one in the past. He wouldn't even listen to our needs which I had tried explaining when I was presenting the old GACs.

Because we still had more to do there (had to buy our TiW card), I didn't feel like complaining about his at the time. By the time we were leaving, I suspect he realized that DD13 really did need the GAC because she had a somewhat classicly autistic mini meltdown over choosing a pen and I really hope that maybe he learned a lesson about judgements based on a momentary glimpse of a person but I somehow doubt it.

Anyway, in hindsight, I do wish I had asked for a supervisor so the guy could either be moved to a position where he won't be dealing with trying to assist special needs or else retrained. We got what we needed but how many other people has he done this to? This really can affect a family's entire vacation if they get intimidated and don't go back when they realize that what he's given them doesn't help. How many people wouldn't go back to Guest Relations? It's just not right.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Out of curiousity, and not to hijack the thread, but is there a specific procedure for someone using a GAC who might want to ride again? Or is it really a case by case basis?

For instance, I fully understand and agree that you shouldn't be allowed to say, ride TOT 17 times in a row if you are using a GAC, but how would they handle someone saying "I'd like to go again". Do you have to exit the building and reenter? Wait X number of minutes? Go to the back of the line of other people using GACs assuming there ARE other people waiting with them?

 

[SueM in MN]

Out of curiousity, and not to hijack the thread, but is there a specific procedure for someone using a GAC who might want to ride again? Or is it really a case by case basis?

For instance, I fully understand and agree that you shouldn't be allowed to say, ride TOT 17 times in a row if you are using a GAC, but how would they handle someone saying "I'd like to go again". Do you have to exit the building and reenter? Wait X number of minutes? Go to the back of the line of other people using GACs assuming there ARE other people waiting with them?

It really is a case by case basis.

We have sometimes been asked if we want to ride again when we are using a dedicated wheelchair car and there is no one else waiting with a wheelchair who could use that car. We have also asked nicely if we could ride again under those circumstances. The answer us usually yes because that car would go empty if no one with a wheelchair was waiting.

 

[tavettava]

I would take the card you used last time so they can see the one that helps her the most.

This is what we do everytime we go.