Our GAC experience

[alisonbestford]

Just a quick note about the Guest Assistance Card (GAC) you can get for WDW

I was advised, by DISers on the DISability board, to get one for DH as he is unable to stand for long periods and is unable to queue in the sun.

After grudgingly agreeing to a wheelchair off the plane DH was pretty against admitting that he was anything other than 100% fit
The first Disney visit was to MGM studios where DH spent the day sitting under a tree in the smoking area, feeling dreadful..............

The next visit, to Magic Kingdom, I marched him into Guest Relations and asked for a card which covered the whole period we were in Florida, requesting that he be able to wait in the shade

Well, what a difference this made to our days

I didn't realise that it more or less acts as a 'fast pass' (which was great as some of the fast passes were on 3-4 hr time schedules, due to it being so busy - longer than our days in the parks really) so, after checking with the Cast Members on the ride, we were able to join the fast pass queue.

We also asked whether they would honour the pass at Universal, now that you have to pay for the fast passes, and they said yes

We made a second trip to MGM, on the last day of our holiday, and had a great time

Here's the link to info:

http://pixiedustinn.com/disabilitiesfaq/GACFAQ.html

I'd really encourage anyone, who might be entitled, to request a pass.

 

[SueM in MN]

Glad to hear you had a good trip.

I didn't realise that it more or less acts as a 'fast pass' (which was great as some of the fast passes were on 3-4 hr time schedules, due to it being so busy - longer than our days in the parks really) so, after checking with the Cast Members on the ride, we were able to join the fast pass queue.

Whether or not it more or less acts as a Fastpass depends on what the stamp on the GAC says, the attraction, how busy it is, etc.
Often, the CM will give the person with a GAC a handwritten sort of Fastpass with a return time written on it. For the "waiting out of the sun" message on a GAC, that GAC is only valid when the queue is actually in the sun.

We also asked whether they would honour the pass at Universal, now that you have to pay for the fast passes, and they said yes

Do you mean that you were able to get a Universal GAC at Universal, or that you were able to use your WDW GAC at Universal? If it was the WDW, that would have been an oversight on Universal's side, since they have their own GAC procedure.

Here's the link to info:

http://pixiedustinn.com/disabilitiesfaq/GACFAQ.html

That site, www.pixiedustinn.com has not been updated for about 4 years. It does still have some very good general information. The webmistress used to be a frequent DIS Board poster and was thinking of writing a book about WDW with disabilities. Much of the information is sort of "distilled knowledge" from DIS posters while she was a regular and her own experience with 2 children with special needs.
Here's the GAC information we have on this board (you will find it in the disABILITIES FAQs thread).

Here's a summary of information about GACs (Guest Assistance Cards):

• To request one, go to Guest Services in any of the parks and talk to the CM there about your problems and needs. You don't need a doctor's letter.
  The diagnosis is not really that important because people with the same diagnosis can have very different needs. The GAC is not given based on diagnosis at all (for example, there is not a "list" of appropriate diagnosis for a GAC); the GAC is given based on needs and the accomidations that meet those needs.
  The GAC is usually given for up to 6 people (5 plus the person with a disability) and is valid at all the parks for your length of stay (you don't need to get a new one at each theme park).
  A few other things
• the GAC is not meant to be a pass that gives immediate access. In fact, about 6 years ago, they renamed it to Card because when it was called a Pass, people thought it mean front of the line access. It says right on the card that it will not shorten or eliminate waits in line.
• it is meant as a tool to tell the CMs what the person's needs are so that they can provide appropriate accomidation for the person it was issued to. Some examples of accomidations might be a quieter place to wait, a place out of the sun (for those times when the line is in the sun for a prolonged period of time), using a stroller as a wheelchair, avoiding stairs.
• even if you have a GAC, not all accomidations are available at each attraction (especially, some may not have a place to sit)
• because what is stamped on the GAC is based on needs, not all GACs say the same thing.
• think of the GAC like an insurance card, not necessarily needed or used all the time, but there for when you need it.
• even on the same attraction, the GAC is not always handled the same each time.
  Exactly what happens depends on how busy it is, how many other people with special needs are there at the time and staffing. Some times you may be sent thru the regular standby line, occassionally the fastpass line; sometimes the person with the GAC and a member of their party will be given an alternate place to wait while the rest of the party goes thru the standby line - and then meet up with them when they get to the front. Sometimes you might be given a slip and told you can come back at the time written on the slip (usually equal to the standby time); very occassionally, you might be taken right in. It depends on what they call "attraction considerations" (which is basically the things I listed in the second sentence).
• Fastpass is a good way to avoid waits in line. You don't have to be present to get a fastpass, you can send one member of your party ahead with all the park passes to get fastpasses. When you report back to the ride at your fastpass return time, your wait will be 15 minutes or less.
• For people who are concerned about stamina or endurance, Disney suggests a wheelchair renting a motorized scooter (also called ecv; for over 18 yrs and up). The distance and time spent going around the parks is much greater than the time and distance spent in line. With an ecv or wheelchair, you will always have a place to sit and can conserve energy for fun, instead of just getting around. There is information about ecvs/wheelchairs farther up in this disABILITIES FAQs. Most lines are wheelchair/ecv accessible.
• If you get tired and needs to lie down in air conditioning for a while, there is a First Aid station in each park. They have cots in individual cubicles for resting.

 

[alisonbestford]

The Universal cast members obviously chose to accept the WDW GAC which, for us as a family, was paramount

All Phil's GAC was said was trhat he be able to wait in a shaded area.
I never, in a million years, expcted them to honour anything

The WDW GAC suggested that we got a 'fast pass' before trying anything else.

Given that we would have left the park before any fast pass was available the fact that the CMs accepted our Gap, 'AS WAS' was great

Universal, whether or not they have a 'fast pass' system of their own, were equally great

I guess that the most important thing to remember is 'communication'.
I always, ALWAYS, believe that the most important consideration is who picks the phone up / is at the desk when you enquire...........

It was a very sunny trip .....................

 

[Schmeck]

Haiving been diagnosed with melanoma, I'm wondering how your husband stayed out of the sun between the attractions? I'm actually thinking of bringing a sun umbrella, and I always slather myself with sunscreen, but I find the walk between attractions to be sunnier than most of the queues.

 

[alisonbestford]

The walking between attractions was pretty sunny but it was quite breezy so didn't feel too hot

DH has a metal plate in his head, from where his tumour was partially removed, which, he maintains, gets hot if he is sitting in constant sunshine

There were plenty of seating areas surrounded by trees and DH would go inside shops etc.
I guess the main thing with us was that DH only rode about 4 or 5 attractions throughout all the parks. The rest of the time he just rested and waited for DD and myself to finish queuing and riding

I think that bringing an umbrella, and using a high factor sun cream / block is the way to go

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

Thanks for the link and I'm glad you had such a great trip!