Multiple GAC's?

[jenn3456]

I have only been to WDW once and I was 26 weeks pregnant with our oldest at the time. We are planning our 1st trip for June but I have a few questions about the GAC cards. My husband and I are coming with our 5 kids 11, 9,8,6 &5 when we travel. My mom and handicapped brother also coming with us. Both my mom and brother will have difficulties walking all day. For my mom we have rented and ECV and that should work just fine for her. My brother will just tire very easy- more like a younger child and will just take frequent rest breaks.

My oldest DS is 11 years old. He has Asperger's, sensory processing disorder and albinism. My daughter,8, also has albinism. I spoke to the CM when I booked our trip about my oldest son because with his Asperger's, we have a lot of the usual difficulties. However this is my question- Am I going to get a hard time getting GAC for both my daughter and son? The albinism makes them very sun sensitive and they have quite low vision. My son boarders close to legally blind. I would be mostly hoping to get closer seating for the shows/parades for them to enjoy
I will have letters from the kids' dr stating their disabilities even though I have been told I don't need that.
Thanks!

 

[ttintagel]

I've heard a few people tell stories of Guest Relations CM's who initially didn't want to issue a GAC to each PWD in a group. So, it can't hurt to be prepared to give further explanation if you encounter that. The fact is, though, that you really do need them in case your group doesn't stay together.

 

[lanejudy]

It sounds like your children's needs are very different. The accommodations that might help a child with Aspergers I assume are very different that what might be requested to help a child with Albinism (and I'll admit I'm not familiar with Albinism) - based on your indication about sun sensitivity and vision issues. You should focus on each child individually when you visit Guest Relations. Don't go in saying "I have these 2 kids and their various needs are...." but say "Johnny has these needs..." and finish out that transaction; then "and now Janie has these needs which are very different...." and treat them as 2 very separate requests.

As a note, a GAC will only help with rides/attractions. It will have have essentially no bearing on parade seating. While there is reserved handicapped seating, that won't accommodate your full party (often the 1 guest plus 1 companion) and may not be the best viewing either. Your best bet for front seating is to stake out your space early, use that time for a snack/rest break.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[jenn3456]

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that a GAC wouldn't help during parade seating. That will make a huge difference for my family. We will definitely have to plan differently for them then. I also like the idea about doing them as two separate transactions. That way there is no confusion and they will get what they need!
Thank you!!

 

[tinkerpea]

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that a GAC wouldn't help during parade seating. That will make a huge difference for my family. We will definitely have to plan differently for them then. I also like the idea about doing them as two separate transactions. That way there is no confusion and they will get what they need!
Thank you!!

It will however still be a huge benefit for the shoes like Fantasmic, as your mum will have an ECV you should not be split and so be able to go I to the disabled seating at that show!
We are a party of 6 usually and we normally use the disabled area for parades and have never been split up.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Where they seated us for Fantasmic was all the way up at the top, do they also have reserved seating up close?

 

[cmwade77]

Where they seated us for Fantasmic was all the way up at the top, do they also have reserved seating up close?

There is wheelchair seating in the very front. You often have to insist that that you want to sit there and you WILL get wet, possibly soaked, but it is there.

 

[jenn3456]

There is wheelchair seating in the very front. You often have to insist that that you want to sit there and you WILL get wet, possibly soaked, but it is there.

Very good to know~ Thank you! We have never seen Fantasmic. Is it more of a parade or firework show?

For my son, even sitting in the front row, he still has difficulties reading the board. So for him to see the parades, we will have to have front row seat and he will not be able to see a thing. Our DD's vision is a bit better than that. Fireworks are easier for him because he has no problem seeing the colors, etc.

 

[stitchlovestink]

There is a GAC stamp for sitting in the front row for shows and attractions...
this should not be a problem!!!
You should not have a problem sitting down front for Fantasmic with that stamp on your GAC as long as you arrive early enough. BUT you will probably get pretty wet....so just be advised and your party should not be separated if you are under a group of 6 as long as you arrive early enough...speaking from first hand experience.

Also check your private messages!

 

[lanejudy]

... We are a party of 6 usually and we normally use the disabled area for parades and have never been split up.

I guess maybe it depends when you go...we are a party of 3 and have been told one could stand behind and another sit in front but only because we are 3 total. I have seen families of 4 have to split for the wheelchair viewing areas - they really cram the ECVs and wheelchairs in very close together if needed. So I wouldn't plan on 6 people sitting with 1 ECV, to say nothing of OP's party of 9. Nothing dictates that an ECV or wheelchair must watch from the roped off section, and we've found that we prefer parade viewing from spots that aren't reserved so we scope them out early and use that as a lunch/snack and break time.

 

[blondietink]

I would assume that waiting for afternoon parades would be problematic for your 2 with albinism, as there are few trees lining the parade routes for shade. There is some shade in MK in the HC seating around the Hall of Presidents and there is some regular places to wait in Frontierland, but you would have to get there early for these spots. At HS, there is a parade HC seating on the main drag right before the hat on the left that has some shade. In AK, there is lots of shade all around the park, just pick a spot early.

Yes, there is front row HC seating at Fantasmic and it is awesome, but as others have said you will get soaked.

We have received 2 GAC's for our two DS's because sometimes we spit up as one DS cannot ride on many rides due to his heart condition and scoliosis. This has not been any problem in the past to receive.

 

[wheels on fire]

Thank you .Thats what i needed to know my main issue is obvious due to wheelchair .my other not so much.

But my sons needs are differnt as he has social ,communication issues

 

[keishashadow]

I guess maybe it depends when you go...we are a party of 3 and have been told one could stand behind and another sit in front but only because we are 3 total. I have seen families of 4 have to split for the wheelchair viewing areas - they really cram the ECVs and wheelchairs in very close together if needed. So I wouldn't plan on 6 people sitting with 1 ECV, to say nothing of OP's party of 9. Nothing dictates that an ECV or wheelchair must watch from the roped off section, and we've found that we prefer parade viewing from spots that aren't reserved so we scope them out early and use that as a lunch/snack and break time.

Guests with GACs that have mobility issues that preclude steps also are seated in the upper designated ECV/WC seats at fantasmic

 

[Mom2six]

If they try to tell you that you don't need two GAC, simply say "We aren't touring together." They then will give you the two GACs without a problem. I get one for my DS4 and one for my DS14...so we split up a lot!

 

[gilesmt]

You can get different GAC cards for each member of the family, we do and we have more than 2. I am legally blind, my ex husband has PTSD and a knee replacement, and we both have service dogs. My first DD has cerebral palsy, and second dd has bipolar and anxiety, we all ask for what we need and each of us have a deferent card, we do have on that there is 5 in the party counting granddaughter, but we get all different cards because for the most part we don't always stick together.

Your second question, is a little harder, visual impairments are tricky at WDW, sometimes even with the card you may have to tell individual CM what you really need. My card has alerted CM to my visual impairment for years but it has not always been what I wanted. They use to sit me with w/c persons in the back and I had to sometimes be adamant that I needed front row seating, and sometimes the CM have not been friendly or helpful, so be persistent, firm and ask for a supervisor if need be, but I find it does not help to argue if they refuse, sometimes I just wait for a supervisor and go to the next show. They are getting better.

As for parades, I have never been lucky with parades, there just is not good seating and with sun sensitivity I don't think you are going to get a place. For me, no matter what time I try to stake out my seat and sit for an hour, someone always comes and gets in front, or I get squished and my dog gets nervous, or a w/c comes and cast will tell me I have to move for the w/c. I just have not had any luck, then nighttime parades may be better for yours and it is for me, but I just have a lot of the same problems.

Disney was sued and they are suppose to make a spot for visually impaired for parades but I have yet to hear of it happening, they usually have 1 year from judgement so maybe by this June. I hope so since I am waiting for the second part of the judgement, a holding place for my dog so our family can all go on a ride together. It usually takes us an hour at each ride because one goes and the other holds the dog and then we switch but even with fast pass we still have to go thru the line twice and we never can have those magical moments because we can never go as a family.

 

[ttintagel]

Your second question, is a little harder, visual impairments are tricky at WDW, sometimes even with the card you may have to tell individual CM what you really need. My card has alerted CM to my visual impairment for years but it has not always been what I wanted. They use to sit me with w/c persons in the back and I had to sometimes be adamant that I needed front row seating, and sometimes the CM have not been friendly or helpful, so be persistent, firm and ask for a supervisor if need be, but I find it does not help to argue if they refuse, sometimes I just wait for a supervisor and go to the next show. They are getting better.

Yeah, I've found that accommodation for the visually impaired can be spotty and inconsistent. A lot of people don't seem to realize that there's a big area in between "normal vision" and "can't see anything at all," into which many of us fall. (I'd especially like to see more consistency and helpfulness at my beloved Haunted Mansion, but that's my own pet peeve and I could rant about it all day.)

I'm visually impaired and my sister uses an ECV, so when we go to shows and show-type attractions where the wheelchair seating is in the back, we have to decide whether I'll sit in the back and see less, or she'll get her crutches out and hobble down to the front, or we'll split up. There's not much they can do about that, though.

 

[cmwade77]

Yeah, I've found that accommodation for the visually impaired can be spotty and inconsistent. A lot of people don't seem to realize that there's a big area in between "normal vision" and "can't see anything at all," into which many of us fall. (I'd especially like to see more consistency and helpfulness at my beloved Haunted Mansion, but that's my own pet peeve and I could rant about it all day.)

I'm visually impaired and my sister uses an ECV, so when we go to shows and show-type attractions where the wheelchair seating is in the back, we have to decide whether I'll sit in the back and see less, or she'll get her crutches out and hobble down to the front, or we'll split up. There's not much they can do about that, though.

They could provide wheelchair seating in every area of the theaters, which they may be required to do by current ADA law (which in this case doesn't grandfather in older venues, unless they were built or last remodeled before something like 1982).

An example where this law was applied was to World of Color at DCA when Disney tried to put wheelchair seating only in the back at World of Color, because it was easier for them and required fewer cast members. We were able to successfully fight to get it returned to being throughout the viewing area, as it had been from the day it opened.