- Joined
- Aug 23, 1999
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The article that the OP referred to has a lot of in-accuracies in it. Basically, the writer of the article took a petition started by a mother of an autistic child as as completely accurate when it has a lot of mis-stated, so-called "facts". Disney did get rid of the Special Assistance Pass at Disneyland, but they are in the process of replacing it with a Special Assistance Card. There is no evidence that they did or meant to get rid of assistance that people with autism need in order to go to the parks. Here's a link to the discussion we've been having on this subject on the disABILITIES Board.
The change is being made to Disneyland and doesn't affect WDW. It appears that they are trying to change the way things are being done at DL to be more like what is done at WDW. The system was changed at WDW about 4-5 years ago and there was a learning period while the system bugs were worked out. Things are not perfect at WDW, but in general, it works well.
One important difference between the 2 parks though is that many of the lines in DL are not wheelchair accessible, while most (and all the fastpass lines) at WDW are accessible.
In general, at WDW, people with wheelchairs or ecvs wait in the same line with everyone else. These are called "Mainstream Queues/Lines". All of the lines at AK and the Studio were built as Mainstream Lines. Lines at MK and Epcot have been renovated to be Mainstream as much as possible. There are a few lines that could not be changed (Spaceship Earth and Small World come to mind) where people in wheelchairs or ecvs go directly to the exit to board. In most cases though, if wheelchair or ecv users board at the exit, it's after waiting in the mainstream line and being "detoured" just before the rest of the line gets to boarding. We frequently see the people who were just ahead of us in line getting off at Buzz Lightyear, for example, while we are still waiting at the exit to board. Because there is little "advantage" to renting a wheelchair at WDW (other than having a place to sit while you wait) there is not much incentive at WDW to rent a wheelchair or ecv if you don't actually need one.
From what I have read, at DL, they were basically giving a pass to anyone who came to Guest Services and asked for (or in some cases, demanded) one. Everyone got the same type of pass/access, whether it was someone who could walk, but not climb stairs or a family with a child with autism. They are changing from that to a "what does the guest need" system.
At WDW (and since the change at DL too), you have to be able to explain your need to Guest Services. If a Guest Assistance Card is given out, it has a stamp to tell what assistance is needed, such as, use an entrance without stairs if you can't climb stairs; a quieter place to wait for someone with autism or similar problems; a place to wait out of the sun if a medical condition makes being in the sun a problem. If (for example) you say you can't stand in line because of a leg or endurance problem, it will be suggested that you rent a wheelchair or ecv and use fastpass as much as possible.
QUOTE FROM WDW GUIDEBOOK FOR GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES:Some Guests may be concerned that they do not have the stamina to wait in our queues. We strongly suggest these Guests consider using a wheelchair, personal scooter or Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV), as the distance between our attractions is much greater than the length of our queues.
Here's a link to the Guests with Disabilities page on the official Disney website. Some of the people who have been told that are very vocal about their displeasure with that.
At DL, they were also giving passes for a diagnosis rather than on what assistance the person with that diagnosis needed. So someone at DL might have gotten a pass because they had Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Multiple Sclerosis (MS)and walked well, but with slight limp. Compare that to WDW, where someone with CP would be asked what needs they have. Depending on their disability and needs, they may or may not get a pass. For example, 4 young ladies in my DD's wheelchair dance group, all have CP and use power wheelchairs, but 2 would be able to use the Mainstream lines and would not be likely to get a Guest Assistance Card at WDW. Of the other 2, one is multiply disabled, including attention deficit problems and obsessive compulsive behavior that makes being confined in a line very difficult. The other one drives her power wheelchair with a head control and would have a hard time manouvering thru the turns and switchbacks of some of the mainstream lines.
At WDW, the Guest Assistance Card is issued to the person with a disability and can be used by him/her and up to 5 members of their party. But, it can only be used for a ride when the person with a disability is going on the ride. I've read complaints that at DL, the passes were sometimes used for groups of up to 25 people and "Grandma" might be sitting waiting while the rest of her party used the pass to go on Space Mountain.
The change is being made to Disneyland and doesn't affect WDW. It appears that they are trying to change the way things are being done at DL to be more like what is done at WDW. The system was changed at WDW about 4-5 years ago and there was a learning period while the system bugs were worked out. Things are not perfect at WDW, but in general, it works well.
One important difference between the 2 parks though is that many of the lines in DL are not wheelchair accessible, while most (and all the fastpass lines) at WDW are accessible.
In general, at WDW, people with wheelchairs or ecvs wait in the same line with everyone else. These are called "Mainstream Queues/Lines". All of the lines at AK and the Studio were built as Mainstream Lines. Lines at MK and Epcot have been renovated to be Mainstream as much as possible. There are a few lines that could not be changed (Spaceship Earth and Small World come to mind) where people in wheelchairs or ecvs go directly to the exit to board. In most cases though, if wheelchair or ecv users board at the exit, it's after waiting in the mainstream line and being "detoured" just before the rest of the line gets to boarding. We frequently see the people who were just ahead of us in line getting off at Buzz Lightyear, for example, while we are still waiting at the exit to board. Because there is little "advantage" to renting a wheelchair at WDW (other than having a place to sit while you wait) there is not much incentive at WDW to rent a wheelchair or ecv if you don't actually need one.
From what I have read, at DL, they were basically giving a pass to anyone who came to Guest Services and asked for (or in some cases, demanded) one. Everyone got the same type of pass/access, whether it was someone who could walk, but not climb stairs or a family with a child with autism. They are changing from that to a "what does the guest need" system.
At WDW (and since the change at DL too), you have to be able to explain your need to Guest Services. If a Guest Assistance Card is given out, it has a stamp to tell what assistance is needed, such as, use an entrance without stairs if you can't climb stairs; a quieter place to wait for someone with autism or similar problems; a place to wait out of the sun if a medical condition makes being in the sun a problem. If (for example) you say you can't stand in line because of a leg or endurance problem, it will be suggested that you rent a wheelchair or ecv and use fastpass as much as possible.
QUOTE FROM WDW GUIDEBOOK FOR GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES:Some Guests may be concerned that they do not have the stamina to wait in our queues. We strongly suggest these Guests consider using a wheelchair, personal scooter or Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV), as the distance between our attractions is much greater than the length of our queues.
Here's a link to the Guests with Disabilities page on the official Disney website. Some of the people who have been told that are very vocal about their displeasure with that.
At DL, they were also giving passes for a diagnosis rather than on what assistance the person with that diagnosis needed. So someone at DL might have gotten a pass because they had Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Multiple Sclerosis (MS)and walked well, but with slight limp. Compare that to WDW, where someone with CP would be asked what needs they have. Depending on their disability and needs, they may or may not get a pass. For example, 4 young ladies in my DD's wheelchair dance group, all have CP and use power wheelchairs, but 2 would be able to use the Mainstream lines and would not be likely to get a Guest Assistance Card at WDW. Of the other 2, one is multiply disabled, including attention deficit problems and obsessive compulsive behavior that makes being confined in a line very difficult. The other one drives her power wheelchair with a head control and would have a hard time manouvering thru the turns and switchbacks of some of the mainstream lines.
At WDW, the Guest Assistance Card is issued to the person with a disability and can be used by him/her and up to 5 members of their party. But, it can only be used for a ride when the person with a disability is going on the ride. I've read complaints that at DL, the passes were sometimes used for groups of up to 25 people and "Grandma" might be sitting waiting while the rest of her party used the pass to go on Space Mountain.
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