Grad Bash at Universal?

[oynk]

My daughter, who has mobility and "digestive" issues, and is an ambulatory power wheelchair user, is a high school senior, (can't believe how time flies). She will be participating in Grad Bash at Universal with her school this coming weekend.

She uses DAS at Disney, and in the past had used Universal's accessibility system, but we haven't been there in several years. We are planning to go to guest services later this week to see about setting things up ahead of time for her, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with using the Universal accessibility pass at Grad Bash.

Since it is a separate event, she won't have a ticket until that evening, but I think Universal still has a paper based system(?) We are assuming that wheelchair accessible queues will be open, but have learned the hard way that people and organizations don't always think about accessibility.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[gibbon]

Hi, I made a Disboard account just now to reply to this. I am a senior who is also going to grad bash tomorrow. When I asked my senior sponsor about disability acess during grad bash she contacted them and confirmed there is disability access during the event.

 

[oynk]

Cool. Maybe you guys will see each other. We're trying to get her pass tonight so she won't have to wait in line on Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes

 

[oynk]

Universal guest services was unable to help us at all prior to the event, but, after first tell us that, "there isn't any need for any types of accommodations during grad bash," (!) eventually assured us that she wouldn't have any problems because all the queues are accessible and all of the employees have been trained. And there won't be any lines, anyway.

Wrong, wrong wrong!!

All I can say is thank God she has amazing friends who did not ditch her when it ended up she was unable to ride about half of the rides for one reason or another. She was pretty miserable, humiliated, and embarrassed at every turn. They all made the best of it and still had an OK time, but I am just angry at the whole situation.

It's just too much to go into, but the one time she did try to ride a more "popular" ride, she ended up trapped in the line and was unable to exit when she urgently needed to.

Grr

 

[gap2368]

Universal guest services was unable to help us at all prior to the event, but, after first tell us that, "there isn't any need for any types of accommodations during grad bash," (!) eventually assured us that she wouldn't have any problems because all the queues are accessible and all of the employees have been trained. And there won't be any lines, anyway.

Wrong, wrong wrong!!

All I can say is thank God she has amazing friends who did not ditch her when it ended up she was unable to ride about half of the rides for one reason or another. She was pretty miserable, humiliated, and embarrassed at every turn. They all made the best of it and still had an OK time, but I am just angry at the whole situation.

It's just too much to go into, but the one time she did try to ride a more "popular" ride, she ended up trapped in the line and was unable to exit when she urgently needed to.

Grr

I am so sorry she had such a hard time but glade for good friends to help her out

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I am sorry that happened. I just saw you post and was going to let you know how they accommodated my son who was there on April 1.

He and 1 friend were given chaperone passes that allowed them to take the express line. The rides kept breaking so they did not get to ride much, but nothing like your daughter had.

 

[oynk]

I am sorry that happened. I just saw you post and was going to let you know how they accommodated my son who was there on April 1.

He and 1 friend were given chaperone passes that allowed them to take the express line. The rides kept breaking so they did not get to ride much, but nothing like your daughter had.

Did they have to stay with the chaperones? My daughter was told "Guests who need accommodations need to be with a chaperone at all times"

Apparently, this is for "guest safety", because for some reason it would be unsafe for my high school senior to drive her own personal power wheelchair, (that she has been driving for several years), up the mostly empty alternative entrance.

But, it was safe for her to be forced out of her own wheelchair to have to be pushed in a (much larger) manual wheelchair, by another teenager, (who has no experience pushing a person in a chair), through a crowded, wall-to-wall queue of 17 and 18 year-olds where she was then trapped and could not get out. (God bless the employee who saw that she was trapped and came over to help. The team member had to fold up the manual chair and pick it up, over her head, to get out of the line).

The entire experience was embarrassing and humiliating for her, (as well as unsafe).

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[gibbon]

I was unable to get my disability access and was sent to 4 different places because nobody knew how to get one before I was told I had to do it in advanced. We had already contacted them in advanced and was told it would just the normal way to get the disability access. Did not have a fun time.

 

[oynk]

I was unable to get my disability access and was sent to 4 different places because nobody knew how to get one before I was told I had to do it in advanced. We had already contacted them in advanced and was told it would just the normal way to get the disability access. Did not have a fun time.

Yes! Very similar to my daughter's experience except at one point, she was told that the *school* was supposed to issue the pass. (Which of course they knew nothing about). Big mess.

Edited to add: And they would *not* give it to her in advance. We tried