medical pass??

[KEMdisney]

Hi Everyone,
Ive never been to this board, so Im sorry if this is a repeat of questions. I tried searching but I was unsuccessful. Someone on another board suggested I post my question here for some answers. So thanks in advance to anyone who can help...

A friend of the family is heading to WDW next week. She was recently in a car accident, and has bad back and neck problems. Im not sure of the specifics, but I do know she recieves needles in her back/neck quite often for pain. She mentioned to her doctor that she had an upcoming Disney vacation and was worried about all of the walking, standing in lines, etc. He told her that some of his patients have requested notes from him before their trips, and they were given some type of medical fast pass to bypass the lines? She asked me about this, but Ive never heard of it. I have seen people with disabilities (usually physical) that I've notice have a pass that they present in the fast pass lines. Is this something similar? She is worried that people will "give her dirty looks" because she "looks fine".

I told her I'd ask my lovely friends on the Dis what they know about this topic, to hopefully help her out. Id appreciate anything anyone can tell me!
If this type of medical pass is something that is offered by Disney, is it acceptable for someone to request it for neck and back problems? If so, how would she go about obtaining this pass? Get a note from the doctor? And then bring it where?

Thanks for any information!!!

 

[phisigprincess]

We received a red Guest Assistance Pass on our last trip. We had a doctor's note, but I don't believe it was really necessary. You can obtain it at guest services in any of the parks. Ours was good for the length of our stay and really did come in handy.

 

[merryweather20]

There is no pass that reduces wait times or offers a place to sit while in line. For stamina issues such as those they suggest you rent a wheelchair or ECV.

If your friend has other needs, for example, would she need to avoid stairs? might she need additional time boarding? She can request a GAC. The moderators keep good up to date information about this in post 6 of the FAQ's. While this doesn't shorten waiting times, the GAC will communicate her needs to the CM's at each attraction. They will not look at a Doctor's note when she makes the request.

 

[SueM in MN]

As was already mentioned, check out the Guest Assistance Card (GAC) information in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread (it is near the top of this board, or you can follow the link in my signature to get to the disABILITIES FAQs thread).
The GAC is not meant to bypass or shorten the wait in line - that information is printed right on the GAC card. It is meant to provide assistance that guests need related to a disability. One type of assistance might be to avoid stairs in attractions that have stairs as part of the queue (most don't have stairs though).

Many doctors do think the same as your friend's doctor and give out that information to patients, but they are giving out information which is not correct.
The recommendation WDW gives for guests who have concerns about their ability to stand or walk in lines is that they should use a wheelchair or an ECV.
You can find that posted right on Disney's website at this link. The reason for that recommendation is the amount of standing and walking in lines is just a small portion of the walking involved in a day at WDW. For example, the distance around World Showcase is just over a mile and you will find similar distances walked in other parks (in fact, the average WDW guest walks up to 9 miles a day - most of it outside of attraction lines.
Also to keep in mind, a GAC will almost never shorten the distance walked in line. Some attractions have very long lines, even if the wait is short. An example of that is Soarin', which this shows part of the queue for (there are several other turns that there just was not room for).

I've heard that the line is Soarin' is more than 1/4 of a mile long. Although I can't verify it, we've been in line behind several people who had left their ECVs parked outside the line because they had Fastpasses and knew their wait would not be that long. By the time they got halfway thru, they were wishing they had them.
Also, most theater type shows have a preshow or room where you wait in a group for the next show to begin. There are usually no chairs in the preshow/waiting area. As the group ahead of you goes into the show, you enter the preshow area; your wait in that area will be at least as long as the show. A GAC will not help in that situation. If she needs to sit, the way to assure a seat would be to bring one with her.

If she is concerned about her ability to walk or stand, I'd suggest looking into a wheelchair or ECV. She can rent from the parks or from one of the off-site places. THere is more information in post #2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.