Guest Assistance Pass

[dismom3]

Do you think I could get a GAC with the alternative entrance for my DD who is on chemo? She's nauseous for half of the week, and we'll only be able to do the parks for a few mornings and then it will be too much for her. I'm afraid we'll only get on one or two rides and then have to leave. DW is her favorite place in the world and she wants to go even though she's not feeling well. Any advice?

 

[Talking Hands]

Originally posted by diseyore
I know that we wrote to Disney and complained about the old GAC and about 2 months later they changed their process as promised.

The problem is my daughter has invisible disabilites, Lupus and Servere Fibromylgia. I am unable to push her in a wheel chair due to my neck and back problems. They refused to let us sit in the Disabilities areas in either the Fantismic Show or the Indiana Jones show. We went during a really slow time, so there was no reason to deny us access. What really angered us was a person with a small child was asked if they would like to sit in that area. I don't understand why you would sit in the back when the best seats were available up front. She has problems climbing the stairs, especially if she has been on her feet for a long period of time. She has refused to go back after the incidences, but we will be moving to the area and I hope she changes her mind. She always muddles she want to go to work for Disney to train them about disabilites and the differences out there. She has worked with a theatre in our area that incorporates the disabled into the community plays.

If you did not have a GAC, I can understand why they did not allow it. If you had one then they were wrong. I used to have them insist that I had to sit in that area although I also use an interpreter at the shows because I use a wheelchair for mobility. Took a while and the help of the interpreter coordinator to get the castmembers at Indy and Hunchback to change. One of the reasons I was told that they don't want ECVs and power wheelchairs at the lower areas is in case of evacuation, but because I have both issues they accommodate.

 

[disneyholic family]

dismom3 --
i don't have any experience with the GAC, but from what i've read, you should have no problem obtaining a GAC...
as someone who is very experienced with relatives on chemo (my dad, mom and sister) let me point out (though i'm sure you're already aware of this) that your DD will be immunosuppressed....so you should be careful about the crowds...another good reason not to spend too much time in line...
although i have to say that my mom just went to every pistons playoff game...even on the days of and following her chemo.......i'm quite sure the playoffs have helped her get through the chemo....by the same token, hopefully WDW will distract your DD from her nausea....

as for my son......there is no way on this earth that my son will walk into guest services for me to ask for a GAC....so i guess we'll just have to make do again this year....it just means giving up on any shows we can't get into at the last minute....and giving up on attractions for which the fastpasses have all been given out..
oh well.......

 

[Schmeck]

disneyholic family, just make contact with a CM outside of Guest Services for assistance.

 

[disneyholic family]

i can go into guest services, but no way is DS going to go in or ask for any kind of special assistance.......
perhaps it all goes back to when he was first diagnosed....the IDIOT pediatrician, who had him lift his shirt so that he could listen to his lungs (DS had a cold at the time)...this stupid doctor takes a look at his back and says, "why is his back so deformed?"...
deformed!!....what a blithering idiot....
first of all that he didn't know immediately what it was, but that he would use that word in front of a 13 year old boy to describe that boy's back....what an idiot....needless to say, we never went back to that pediatrician....but we did of course quickly get ourselves to a back specialist.....
anyway...
DS will never draw attention to himself if he can avoid it...that is, draw any more attention than he naturally does because of his condition...the twisting, which only happened about a year ago (the bending itself started 3 years ago), makes him look like he's walking with his upper body twisted to one side....i once walked around like that on my own just to see what it felt like...anyway....
it's no big deal really...no need to upset him.....
we'll have a nice time regardless of what we can go on or not...

 

[Schmeck]

My apologies, disneyholic family - I thought the GAC was for you, and you needed your son's assistance to get one.

 

[dismom3]

Thanks for all the advice and help guys. I appreciate it - really!

 

[dj2]

i'm upset just hearing about the doctor's lack of tact, and i'm finding myself having to do some deep breating to relax....

i hope you all have a GREAT trip! you're going to disney world! Yay!!!!!

dj

 

[disneyholic family]

dj2 -- i was totally stunned....what a thing to say in front of a kid....i'm sure he remembers it....i've of course, never ever mentioned it to him, but i'm sure he heard it...
he keeps everything to himself about his condition...
although every now and then he'll open up about it...
but he really keeps it mostly inside...
today i happened to witness one of his attacks of pain....he collapsed on the floor and passed out from the pain....
i thought it was the first time, but he said that's been happening to him for years...and that was all he would say about it...

 

[dj2]

disneyholic family

you have a very special son. my thoughts and prayers are for you and your family.

dj

 

[Pegasus in Neverland]

I don't know if this will help anyone whose child won't go with them to Guest Relations to get a card but we did manage to get one without our son being present at the end of May this year.

Truth is, I didn't know I could get a GAC for him and have done Disney with extreme difficulty without one for many years.

This year, 12 year old son, who is autistic had a major melt down in a queue. Quite frankly I think he frightened quite a few people with his distress.

Anyway, a supervisor was present and came to assist. He gave us a letter and told us to take it to Guest Services who would give us a GAC. Our son wouldn't come in but we did have the letter. Told in future years they would issue it without the supervisor's authority and if our son wouldn't go in, as long as we could point him out it would be ok, they were aware that it was part of the condition.


As an aside Universal also gave us passes to special quiet family rooms and alternative entrance tickets.

It made a tremendous difference. I did rides I haven't been able to do in 12 years of going to Disney.

 

[HopperFan]

I don't know if this makes a difference in you getting one.........

when we got ours last month we waited in the Guest Relations Line outside of the entrance to the Magic Kingdom (I'm sure it would be the same at others if you go to the ticket booth outside). Most of the people were in line to purchase tickets or get will call tickets. We went up to an individual window and no one heard what we were asking for. Your son could just as well been purchasing a ticket.

The card we showed to CM's was small and for the most part we were told to use the FP line, so no one inside knew that we didn't have the same timed FP as them.

We did not get one for 20 years, and what a life saver it was this year ! It was a few minutes in a ticket line which allowed us to enjoy Disney from a whole different perspective.

 

[Mish]

I was wondering since we don't have passes for our fist day at the parks, we are arriving on Saturday but no going to the parks till Sunday will we be able to pick up our GAC on Saturday or do we have to wait until Sunday? This might have already been answered but where can you pick up the passes? I will also like to use my stroller as a wheel chair. How exactly does that work? Thanks for your help.

 

[SueM in MN]

It's not a Pass actually; a pass makes people think you get in to the rides right away. That is not the case.
It's a Guest Assistance Card, which is a tool to let CMs know what sort of assistance you need. Sometimes, that's a place to wait that is more quiet and less busy, sometimes it's things like being able to take a stroller into lines like a wheeelchair. It is not meant to (and usually won't) shorten or eliminate your wait in line. What is on the card is detemined by the needs of the person with a disability. The CMs use different stamps to add messages to tell what the needs of that person are. Even though you might read about people using a card that allows them to use the fastpass line, very few GACs with that message are given out.
To request a GAC, you go to Guest Services in a park with the person with a disability and explain your needs. (There may be exceptions like Pegasus noted, but in general, the person does need to be with you in Guest Services).
Using a stroller as a wheelchair is exactly what it sounds like. Strollers are not normally allowed in lines or in buildings other than shops. If you need to use a stroller as a wheelchair, the GAC will have a message stamped on it that allows the stroller to be used in lines the way a wheelchair is. Some children with special needs strollers do this to make sure that their special stroller is recognized as a mobility device. Or some kids with autism feel more secure while waiting in lines if they are able to be in a stroller.

 

[Mish]

I just want to make sure. Can you get the pass at any park or just Magic Kingdom. We never needed the pass before and on this trip I am only going to use it only when necessary. My son had a hip condition that bothers him when he walks to much (that is the reason i need to use the stroller as a wheelchair). I know i am going to get a lot of funny looks since most of the time he is very active he is 5 years old (making people think nothing is wrong with him). I was hoping to get the pass the first day we arrive but since we dont have park passes I will have to wait until the second day. Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[Pegasus in Neverland]

You can get them at any park. We got ours at Epcot.

 

[SueM in MN]

And, wherever you get it, it is valid in all the parks. You don't need a new one each day. They usually issue it to be valid for your entire stay.
You definately will need the stroller for just getting around the parks, but may find that he is fine in lines. If you are planning for him to walk in some lines, you can always ask the CM at the attraction how long the walk is.

 

[dpic]

I'm a little confused, too. Do you get the GAC outside the park (where you get will call tickets), or inside the park?

Also, in my case I have a bad knee. I'm only 49, so my surgeon strongly suggests I hold off on knee replacement as long as possible. Instead I have a very expensive brace which allows me to walk around without crutches, etc. However, I can only be on my feet so long, and standing is the worse part. All I need is an area to sit while my family waits in line. Is this possible on most rides? We go in October when the lines are short to begin with, but five minutes standing in line is murder to me.

Thanks.

 

[SueM in MN]

You request a GAC at Guest Services inside the park. Just look on the park maps - they are well marked, so you should not have any trouble finding it.

Certainly, it's worth explaining to the CMs in Guest Services what sort of assistance you need and what suggestions they have to meet your needs, but they may not have seating available. The places where you tend to be standing still for long periods of time are the shows and rides like The Great Movie Ride where they board guests in large "batches." Most of the shows have places where you can sit, but they may be already occupied when you get into the pre-show area.
I don't know if you have ever considered an ecv (electric scooter), but that might be more helpful to you than a GAC. Even if you get a GAC, many queues don't have any place to sit, so having a scooter would guarantee you a place to sit.
Other things people have done to help with a problem like yours it to bring a cane that has a small fold-down seat. People have posted that these were very helpful to them and I have seen people in line with them. I've seen them for sale in sporting goods stores/departments.

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

Sue,

Your earlier explination of using a stroller as a wheelchair was very helpful. Our son Broc is two and although he can walk he is unsteady at times and also with his seizures he needs to be contained on some surfaces like cement. He has a medical stroller which we use as a regular stroller. For the most part he will be able to stand in line with us but my concern is going to be where we will put the chair while we are in line. Unlike a stroller this thing cost 1700.00 so we don't want to loose it. Will there be safe places to put it? We really won't need any specai consideration in terms of places to wait or brininging the stroller in line with us but we may have to use them just to keep the chair safe.

Mike