Guest Assistance Cards ending, to be replaced with Fastpasses?

[LilyWDW]

Apparently there is a demonstration planned tomorrow Morning at DL. The planners have invited news crews etc. I personally wish the planner of this protest would have waited to see how everything goes rather than adding to the stress of the first day roll out.

I am sorry, but to me that just screams "I want attention!" since they don't even know how the dang things will work. Yes, you can not like what you are hearing but without all the information you are protesting against rumors... not facts. That never makes your protest look good.

 

[Disneylvr]

Apparently there is a demonstration planned tomorrow Morning at DL. The planners have invited news crews etc. I personally wish the planner of this protest would have waited to see how everything goes rather than adding to the stress of the first day roll out.

I agree. I am one of those sitting back, with optimism that the new DAS will work out just fine, waiting for reports on actual experiences in the next few weeks/months. I imagine it will take some time to work the bugs out of the new system.

 

[mrzrich]

Autism Hippie has been posting about her experience today at DHS. Her experience was pretty bad.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Autism-Hippie/539345666121021

 

[shellypaige]

Autism Hippie has been posting about her experience today at DHS. Her experience was pretty bad. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Autism-Hippie/539345666121021

Did you watch all of her videos? There's sooo many. Can you give a summary?

 

[mrzrich]

Did you watch all of her videos? There's sooo many. Can you give a summary?

Her son is over 6 foot, he is over 200 lbs and they are locals. This young man has grown up at WDW is very set in his pattern. He likes to ride TGMR over and over and over. More than 25 times a day. She went to Guest services this AM and while waiting her son was getting antsy. The was flailing and pulling her hair, etc. She was in tears at GS and explained that this is what waiting is like for him. Since she tours alone with him, she HAS to take him to the ride for the return time. Telling him "no Michael, we have to come back later." Isn't going to work with this young man. She spoke to 3 different people in GS and they gave her 33 FP for today. ( not sure why they gave a party of 2 an odd number). At one point she is in tears with a cast member at TSM who tells her to come back in an hour and 10 min for TSM. The CM is trying her best to put a happy face on the experience saying "it's great, you can go have a snack". I kinda felt bad for the CM because it was the posters last straw and she just started crying. It was heart breaking.

 

[livndisney]

Her son is over 6 foot, he is over 200 lbs and they are locals. This young man has grown up at WDW is very set in his pattern. He likes to ride TGMR over and over and over. More than 25 times a day. She went to Guest services this AM and while waiting her son was getting antsy. The was flailing and pulling her hair, etc. She was in tears at GS and explained that this is what waiting is like for him. Since she tours alone with him, she HAS to take him to the ride for the return time. Telling him "no Michael, we have to come back later." Isn't going to work with this young man. She spoke to 3 different people in GS and they gave her 33 FP for today. ( not sure why they gave a party of 2 an odd number). At one point she is in tears with a cast member at TSM who tells her to come back in an hour and 10 min for TSM. The CM is trying her best to put a happy face on the experience saying "it's great, you can go have a snack". I kinda felt bad for the CM because it was the posters last straw and she just started crying. It was heart breaking.

Do "other" people get to ride 25 rides a day?

 

[mrzrich]

Do "other" people get to ride 25 rides a day?

Disney created the beast, and it's not that simple to yank it away.

They were all smiles and loved the publicity brought by the young man who rode Snow White all day long.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...tistic-child-diagnosed-with-autism-snow-white

Children like this young man have been going to WDW for years, they don't understand change when they have done the same thing every time for years and years.

Was it right that some families got used to the old system and let there child ride over and over and over? I don 't know, because I don't walk in their shoes. But I do know that what they were doing was within the old rules.

Now these guest will have to figure out if they can teach their child to adapt or if they have to give up Disney. For those who have to choose to give it up, it will be devasting, because for many of us, it is the only place that our children feel "normal".

 

[livndisney]

Disney created the beast, and it's not that simple to yank it away.

They were all smiles and loved the publicity brought by the young man who rode Snow White all day long.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...tistic-child-diagnosed-with-autism-snow-white

Children like this young man have been going to WDW for years, they don't understand change when they have done the same thing every time for years and years.

Was it right that some families got used to the old system and let there child ride over and over and over? I don 't know, because I don't walk in their shoes. But I do know that what they were doing was within the old rules.

Now these guest will have to figure out if they can teach their child to adapt or if they have to give up Disney. For those who have to choose to give it up, it will be devasting, because for many of us, it is the only place that our children feel "normal".

So the answer to my question is no.

 

[Vidia2]

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[AndreaA]

I can imagine for some families this will be very hard and I get Autism Hippie's

I feel terrible for the families that this will truly negatively impact though and I hope for them Disney can make some exceptions.

I have heard from another blogger who went today and it doesn't seem like that will be a problem. Accommodations will be made. I'm not going to link or go into specifics. It's too bad that Autism Hippie let her emotions get away with her. I have a feeling that if she'd gone in with a more positive attitude, she would likely have found that Disney would have accommodated her son WITHOUT having to go through three layers of management or get all stressed out thinking it was a one time deal.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I just watched her videos and it is really sad for her. It must be more difficult for people who are local to the parks who go there all the time and it's part of their routine. I'm very lucky that the new system will probably work for my family as our son doesn't loop rides. He does like to ride them in a specific order but I think it's doable for us.

I can imagine for some families this will be very hard and I get Autism Hippie's frustration over the fact that castmembers (mostly at DL) were a huge part of the abuse that caused 2,000 GACs a day to be issued at DL and so now we all pay the price even at WDW, etc.

Having said all that, she seems more upset than her son. Maybe he's not upset because he's not having to wait. I'm not sure where he even is while she's spending five minutes crying to the castmember. Maybe she's just really stressed out and not thinking clearly but if she wants to make her point she should show the impact that the new system is having on her son and what happens when she doesn't have those fastpasses.

We're thrilled that we don't have to wait in an actual line for long, instead walking around, getting a snack, going to the restroom, etc., and then going back for a very short wait. I think we can plan activities while waiting for the long return times like for Toy Story Mania, etc.

I feel terrible for the families that this will truly negatively impact though and I hope for them Disney can make some exceptions.

I really wish she would have used the system as it was intended. It kind of makes her whole update worthless.

 

[mrzrich]

Apparently there is a demonstration planned tomorrow Morning at DL. The planners have invited news crews etc. I personally wish the planner of this protest would have waited to see how everything goes rather than adding to the stress of the first day roll out.

From reading the McClain special needs advocacy FB page, I gather that they didn't get the big group they had hoped for her protest today. I have also noted that when anyone comments to stay calm, and wait and see how it works, everyone on that page attacks them.

 

[StacyMarie]

I really wish she would have used the system as it was intended. It kind of makes her whole update worthless.

I agree! She seems more upset than her son.

 

[Vidia2]

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[Vidia2]

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[lovethattink]

We went to WDW for a few hours this evening. Getting the DAS for ds went smoothly. He was able to ride two attractions (Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin) with it and we ate dinner at Pecos Bills.

 

[mrzrich]

We went to WDW for a few hours this evening. Getting the DAS for ds went smoothly. He was able to ride two attractions (Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin) with it and we ate dinner at Pecos Bills.

Thank you for the first hand account.

 

[livndisney]

We went to WDW for a few hours this evening. Getting the DAS for ds went smoothly. He was able to ride two attractions (Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin) with it and we ate dinner at Pecos Bills.

No drama, no video, no tears-good to hear.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Disney created the beast, and it's not that simple to yank it away.

They were all smiles and loved the publicity brought by the young man who rode Snow White all day long.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...tistic-child-diagnosed-with-autism-snow-white

Children like this young man have been going to WDW for years, they don't understand change when they have done the same thing every time for years and years.

Was it right that some families got used to the old system and let there child ride over and over and over? I don 't know, because I don't walk in their shoes. But I do know that what they were doing was within the old rules.

Now these guest will have to figure out if they can teach their child to adapt or if they have to give up Disney. For those who have to choose to give it up, it will be devasting, because for many of us, it is the only place that our children feel "normal".

Yes, those were the old rules, and they were wrong. Now there are new rules.

I watched a few of the videos from AutismHippie on Facebook, and I was embarrassed for her.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I watched a few of the videos from AutismHippie on Facebook, and I was embarrassed for her.

I watched the videos too, and I was frankly sickened by her going off on the TSMM ride employee. That employee didn't do ANYTHING but follow what she is REQUIRED to follow, and this Autism Hippie woman just laid into her, almost blaming her for the pass being revoked (at one point she says "And who was it selling the disability tours? Disney employees."), seeming to threaten her by saying "oh, I'm a blogger, I'm waiting for CBS to call me". I felt sympathy at first, but that disgusted me. Go to GR; that CM can't help you.