Our experience last week with GAC

[Liz]

We have always brought a letter from my DD's cardiologist explaining her condition and what she needs. I have always just given the letter to the CM to read instead of trying to explain it myself (not that its hard to explain, I just always want them to KNOW that I'm not trying to pull a fast one since she looks totally healthy.) This time the CM (at MGM) wouldn't even take the letter. He said they are not allowed to even read it because they aren't authorized to make a diagnosis or some such thing . He said to just tell him what we need and he will help us. So I did and everything was fine. He said again just tell us what you need and we will believe you. After issuing the GAC he said on future visits just bring it back and ask it to be renewed.

We had no problem using the pass, although we did sometimes receive different responses at the same attraction, depending on the CM working.

My DD was always a bit uncomfortable in the past being singled out when they'd send us to an exit, for example. But now that they occasionally would just tell us to go in the FP line she didn't feel uncomfortable since other people were in there too.

 

[teri]

That confirms my experience as well. I always take a letter when we travel in case of emergency anyway. I always keep my old GAC (or SAP from Disneyland) and have had no trouble getting it reapproved.

Sometimes attractions have different procedures for different crowd levels -- it depends on how busy they are. And other times, the CMs vary on how they will direct you. I hope that you were treated well throughout your stay.

 

[Liz]

Yes, Teri, it was all very nice!!! Thanks!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for sharing. It does sound like you had a good time.
I've heard that the reason they don't want to see a letter from your doctor is that under the ADA, they can't require you to provide proof of a disability. The other problem that a CM told me, is that the letters that people bring from their doctors tend to be full of medical terms/diagnoses and not really have anything in them at all that is useful for the CMs. They don't have any medical training, so a letter that says, for example that a child has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, doesn't tell the CM anything about what the child needs. Besides, 2 people with the same diagnosis might have very differnt needs.

 

[s&k'smom]

Thanks for that info. I plan to get a GAC for my 6 y.o. even though I have a feeling we won't be doing the parks as much as in the past (he's gonna take one look at the pool at the GF and won't want to leave!)

 

[SueM in MN]

Well, have fun swimming then. Swimming is good.

 

[s&k'smom]

Thanks! Actually a week by the pool sounds like heaven right now!

 

[JudithM]

In May I had a GAC from our previous trip. I showed it to the CM, she took it backstage, wrote me a new GAC & kept the old one. I have a "thing" about anyone keeping anything with my name, numbers, personal info, etc. on it. Next time I'll keep the original .

 

[teri]

Judith, I believe that is the policy - they are supposed to take the old one to try to prevent forgeries and modifications. I know at Disneyland they always do, and the only old WDW one I have now besides the most recent GAC is one that I forgot to take back, and had to re-explain the situation to the Guest Services CM.

At Disneyland, they have your name and dates imprinted on the SAP and in the computer, not just written on. Seems like it would be so easy to just keep that name on file....

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't know why they don't just keep the info on computer. Maybe not for the one time visitors or the people with temporary disabilities. But it would make it easier for us "frequent fliers" if we had the option of having them keep the info on the computer.
I'm not sure if they have a clear policy about keeping the old GACs. We have 2 old ones because I asked for them back, but we have also had CMs that insisted they needed to keep it.

 

[DisneyAnna]

This is my first post, so pardon my nervousness!
I had no idea that I could present the previous pass at Guest services to renew it on future visits!!! That's good to know, as I always thought I had to get the doctor to re-write a letter explaining, in 'real words', my son's autism.
Is there a time frame as to when you have to re-new it, or is it really as simple as trading the old one for a new one?
BTW--this is really great that guests with disabilities is addressed here.
I sometimes feel like traveling with our son makes me invisible, or inconsequential, you know?
Anyway~~Thanks!

 

[teri]

DisneyAnna, Welcome.

There is no time frame. And you don't have to take it back - it just makes it a bit easier for the folks at Guest Services to understand your needs. Actually, they do not require a doctor's letter. If your child is there, they will take one look and say "OK" and that is it. You just need to make sure that they address your particular needs.

There is more information about the GAC on the Disabilities FAQ .

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome, DisneyAnna. So glad you chose this board for your first post.
If you have an old GAC with wording that worked for you it is SO much easier to just show it to the CM in Guest Services. It does save a lot of explaining.

 

[s&k'smom]

Hi DisneyAnna, just wanted to say welcome to the dis.

 

[klwally]

We got the GAC for the first time on our last trip (1 week ago) My son is autistic, and we've never gotten one before.

WOW what a difference that made for us. We got the GAC easily at City Hall. We used it all over fantasyland and tomorrowland and it made it so much easier. On Sunday night of our trip everything was getting crowded, some fast passes were 2 hours out and most lines (pooh, peter pan, indy cars, buzz) were 50 minute wait! We did Ppan, SMall world, Pooh, Dumbo, TTA and Buzz in 50 minutes! then we met up with my husband and daughter who'd done haunted mansion and (ice cream) for hte country bears.

It was so nice not to have to tell Mitchel NO for a ride! we used the FP entrance for most of them, and the handicap entrance for dumbo. I got a few looks, but hey would they rather him pace and yell and repeat for 45 minutes in line? no...

The lady on Aladdin's ride was so nice, she offered to let us go twice if we wanted, but again we were meeting dh and dd so we didn't. Since mitchel won't do splash, or Btmrr we split up a lot.

I even was able to go in through the exit of Test Track, although normally they let you go through the FP. I know the queue has always been too overwhelming for Mitchel so I asked about going through the exit.

Although, he must have remembered how freaked he got last time we tried, cause he still wouldn't go on it. But the CM's were soooo nice, they even brought him in the little room with all the TV cameras and let him watch the ride to show him what it was, adn that most of it was not loud or scary. She even offered to ride with him. But his anxiety was too much that day. Maybe sometime! (He loves riding in my husband's convertible, so I know he'd get a kick out of it...you just can't convince him once he's freaked)

 

[SueM in MN]

Glad to hear you had a good time.
My DD is not autistic, but I can empathize with freaking and obsessive behavior. It took me 30 minutes to get DD inside today after the bus brought her home from summer school. We have a car that is not being used for the summer and it seems that when DH moved it, he didn't park it in exactly the same spot. It is about 2 feet further back in the driveway so we can get the other cars out easier. She noticed that right away and is just sure it will roll into the street. We had gone thru about 1/2 hour on that subject Saturday and another on Sunday and thought she was over it. I guess seeing it from the bus made her think the car is too close to the street, so we had to go over it all again (plus check that all the car doors are safely locked).

 

[DisneyAnna]

First of all, I'd like to thank yu all for making me feel so welcome!!!

I agree that while using the GAC witha child that presents as 'normal' I have gotten a few nasty looks from other guests, and you are right--would they rather we stood in line while my son became more and more agitated and unruly? I don't think so.

On an earier vist we took our son on the Trainride around to the back of the park. We thought that since he LOVES trains he would naturally LOVE riding the train. HA!!! We couldn't have been more wrong!!!! He had a total meltdown, and there was no consoling him! To make matters worse, there were some elderly guests sitting behind us, and they insisted on saying quite loudly, "Shut that kid up!" "Are we gonna have to listen to this all the way to the back of the park?!" Like I was unaware of my sons tirade!!

Well, one of the cast members approached me and saw that I had tears streaming down my face because I felt soooo incredibly helpless, and he told me that my son had every right to be on the train--perhaps more of a right to do so, since he has a disability, and those people should lighten up and realize that THEY may be inconvenienced for the next 5 minutes, but our sons disability is something we experience 24/7. WOW!!!!! That made me feel so good!!! Every so often I find I encounter a castmember who has had an extra sprinkle of Pixie Dust and is able to make Disney Magic!

I would love to read about the positive experiences while traveling with a disabled child.....i'm sure there probably is such a thread already, but since i am new, and still somewhat illiterate, maybe ya'll could share them here, too!

Thanks!

~~~~Anna

 

[softfluff]

When I booked my cruise a few weeks ago. I booked the handicapped room. I had to send a letter from my doctor saying I was disabled and needed it.

I was very surprised,

Sherri

 

[SueM in MN]

That surprizes me and doesn't surprise me at the same time.
I have seen "hints" to able-bodied people to say they need the handicapped cabin because it is bigger and has a bigger porch (or whatever you call that on a ship).
That hurts the people who really need it because it isn't available and makes people who do really need it feel self conscious about needing it.