Guest assistance card questions

[deakam]

Okay--I am taking the plunge. We are going to do Universal. This is our first trip. We are staying 2 nights at Royal Pacific the end of September. We are bringing a friend that has a club foot and has a very hard time standing for any length of time. She is okay with walking but even then has to hold onto something and stop for a bit so we really do have to take our time.We are planning on renting a wheelchair if she doesn't think she can do all of the walking. ( we are also doing 6 nights at Disney on the same trip) Because we are staying on site we will have the unlimited express pass so most of the lines will not be a problem. However, some of the Harry Potter rides do not take the express pass and I am assuming that the Diagon Alley rides will not either.
My questions are

1. How do we get a guest assistance card?
2. Will we still have to stand in line?
3. Does Universal have wheel chairs available to rent?

 

[macraven]

Okay--I am taking the plunge. We are going to do Universal. This is our first trip. We are staying 2 nights at Royal Pacific the end of September. We are bringing a friend that has a club foot and has a very hard time standing for any length of time. She is okay with walking but even then has to hold onto something and stop for a bit so we really do have to take our time.We are planning on renting a wheelchair if she doesn't think she can do all of the walking. ( we are also doing 6 nights at Disney on the same trip) Because we are staying on site we will have the unlimited express pass so most of the lines will not be a problem. However, some of the Harry Potter rides do not take the express pass and I am assuming that the Diagon Alley rides will not either.
My questions are

1. How do we get a guest assistance card?
2. Will we still have to stand in line?
3. Does Universal have wheel chairs available to rent?

1. go to guest services and talk to the TM's there.
they are the ones that can issue the assistance card.

the gac will help you with the rides that do not have express lines.
since you are staying on site, you will be allowed to use the express lines.


2. show your card to the TM at the ride.
usually if the line wait is less than 30 minutes, you will be allowed to use the express line. (

but, this will not be an issue for you since onsite hotel guests have the perk of using the express lines.)

if the line wait is longer than 30 minutes, your card will be signed by the TM and a time to return will be noted. come back at that designated time.
you will need to do this for the few rides that do not have express.


3. yes, w/c can be rented in the parks.

 

[KorbensMomma]

I would rent the ECV so no one had to push. I know that PBH rents them, not sure on RPR.

Have you been before? It's a hike from the boats to the parks, and either up hill or stairs. You might want to think about renting off site or from the hotel.

Which are you doing first, Universal or Disney?

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

1. How do we get a guest assistance card?
2. Will we still have to stand in line?
3. Does Universal have wheel chairs available to rent?

If your friend uses a wheelchair, they may or may not give you the GAP card. I went with my disabled grandmother a few years ago and the rep said that because everything is wheelchair accessible, we wouldn't need the card. Just a heads up!

 

[deakam]

I would rent the ECV so no one had to push. I know that PBH rents them, not sure on RPR.

Have you been before? It's a hike from the boats to the parks, and either up hill or stairs. You might want to think about renting off site or from the hotel.

Which are you doing first, Universal or Disney?

We are doing Universal first. She doesn't want to use an ECV. She doesn't even want to use a wheelchair. She uses neither at home but she has never really needed to walk as much as we will be walking on this trip. She wears a brace and has a limp. She has never considered herself to be handicapped and I am the one thinking we might need something more for her comfort than anything else. We are going to be at Universal for 3 days and Disney for 6. We want to do Harry Potter and I know the lines are going to be long and I also know that the Express pass is not good on the Harry Potter rides. She will have a hard time standing in a line for more than 30 minutes so I am thinking we will get the GAC the first day and see if we need a wheelchair later in the trip. We booked extra days so we can take our time and not have to rush around to get everything done. Thanks for all the info everyone.

 

[macraven]

the darkside is only two parks.
your friend could probably do the parks with some breaktime if the walking wears her out.

you will have the perk of unlimited usage of the express lines for rides and shows.

the w/c option will always be there if your friend is in need of it.
you could decide on that while you are in the park.



for the motherland portion of your trip, w/c would be a good thing.
4 parks to cover and a lot of walking.

you can rent a w/c in one park, hop to another park and use your pd receipt at another park on the same day.
if you rent a ECV from an outside source, the busses are equipped to transport the w/c.

end of september can be busy at the end of the month.
if there are crowds at the motherland parks, a w/c will be helpful for your friend.