Nemo at DL with arthritis?

[Etoile]

Hello everybody! I am at Disneyland right now, writing from my cell phone. The lines are not too bad this time of year, and I can do up to about 20 minutes in line with minimal pain - I have arthritis. I'm worried about Finding Nemo though...the wait is 60+ minutes and no FastPass.

The problem is, I look able-bodied. I am 27 years old and I do not use a cane, wheelchair, or ECV. If I talk to the CMs at the head of the line, and explain that I cannot stand for long periods (20-30 mins is my max), will they allow me to go through the entrance for people with disabilities? If not, I will have to miss Nemo because I just cannot do that line without extreme pain.

What do you think? Will they be okay with it?

 

[Etoile]

False alarm...the sign says the queue is 30 minutes, so I'm going to tough it out in line. But how is Disney's policy in general about "invisible" disabilities?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The normal response at Guest Relations for people with either a mobility or stamina problem is that they rent either a wheelchair or an ECV. The Guest Assistance Card specifically states that it is not intended to allow people to skip lines.

I don't knbow if the Nemo attration at DL has Fastpass, but if it does you could use that.

Any CM would be out of line to allow a person to bypass a line and could get in trouble for it. I know I would not risk my job at Disney to violate a rule, especially for a person I did not know.

 

[Etoile]

I learned about the Guest Assistance Card at the end of the day today. I think it's insane that they would ask you to rent a wheelchair. I cannot push one by myself, and I have had bad experiences with ECV's (plus cannot afford them). But then again, they ask you to present a "crip card" too don't they?

Cheshire Figment, I hope you don't think I'm simply trying to bypass lines. If I was that type of person, I wouldn't even be asking about it here. The fact is that I have arthritis and standing still is difficult for me, walking less so but not easy. I usually get worn out well before my DW, who is 12 years older than I am...she is always surprised when I want to leave parks earlier than she does. It makes me feel guilty that even though I'm 27 and should be healthy, I'm not, and she has to suffer for it. I'm seriously not trying to skip lines here. Now that I know about the assistance card, I will ask about it next week (coming back on Tuesday) and see what happens. I realize that my first post was a bad one, because I did not know about the Guest Assistance Card.

I am not trying to get anybody fired and I am not trying to simply skip the lines. (It's January, they are not even that bad anyway!) I am just trying to have the best Disney experience I can.

 

[SueM in MN]

Cheshire Figment is just writing what is Disney's official statement if someone says they can't stand in lines.
This is what it says in the Disneyland Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities:

Stamina or Endurance Concerns
Some Guests may be concerned that they do not have the
stamina to wait in our queues. We suggest these Guests
consider using a wheelchair* or Electric Convenience Vehicle
(ECV)*, as the distance between our attractions is often greater
than the length of our queues.
There are a number of attractions that offer Disney’s
FASTPASS
® service. This service saves your space in line and
allows you to spend less time waiting. Refer to this symbol
[ ] in the Attraction Listing (pages 15-23 & 25-31) for
additional information. Please refer to Entertainment Times
Guide for availability.

This doesn't mean that they won't give you a Guest Assistance Card if you explain your needs, but this is what will be suggested to you and the reason why.

 

[Etoile]

AH! Thanks for explaining SueM. I was just worried that Cheshire Figment thought I was trying to evade the lines.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Normally we're not worried about the people that actually post here trying to skip lines. However, we do get some people who have misinterpreted the Disney policy on disabilities, and we don't want them to get disappointed when they find that they still have to wait in lines. Also there are people who, sadly, will fake a disability in the hope of skipping lines or getting some other 'perk' that they think we get. We make a point here of highlighting the fact that you don't get to the front of queues, and will often wait longer with a disability, in case such people are reading these threads.

HTH!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

AH! Thanks for explaining SueM. I was just worried that Cheshire Figment thought I was trying to evade the lines.

If I had long fangs that dripped green slime I would probably not be a moderator here. As both Sue and 1LS said, I was only giving the official position. Because the purpose of the GAC includes not cutting down on the time to wait for an attraction, but to give equal access.

 

[TinkerBellToo2]

Could someone please tell me what a Guest Assistance Card is

Thanks

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

Could someone please tell me what a Guest Assistance Card is

Thanks

The GAC is a special card that passes on to Cast Members information about what accommodations are needed so a person will have the same accesses to an attraction as a person who does not have disabilities.

You can get a lot of good information in the disABILITIES FAQs; page 6 is all about the GAC. Either look in the disABILITIES Index or follow the link in my signature.

 

[TinkerBellToo2]

Thanks for the info on the GAC Cheshire Figment. Will have to inquire about it in May.