Paraplegics, FastPass and GACs help!!!!

[Choppertester]

My DS is a paraplegic in his own wheelchair. He is 14 and is looking forward to WDW. There will be four in our party.

All of these Fastpass and GAC posts are confusing. Do we need a GAC? Do we need to run (roll) around to get Fastpasses? or do we just go to the wheelchair entrance, without a fastpass, and wait in the fastpass line?

Please help...

 

[SueM in MN]

It is confusing. I'll try to hlep you out and I'm sure other people will add to it.
Most of the lines are now Mainstream, which means they have been enlarged to allow people in wheelchairs or ecvs to wait in the same line with everyone else. He won't need a card to be able to bring his wheelchair into any lines. Just show up in the wheelchair. If (or when) the line gets to a point where wheelchairs can't go (like Splash Mountain has steps at one point near the end of the waiting line), you will be directed where to go. Test Track has steps in the main queue (thanks for that info, lisapooh), so you need to get a fastpass there or convince the CM to let you in line without one.
The rides where he can stay in his wheelchair are marked on the park map or you can get a Gudebook for Guests with Disabilities at any of the parks. They are not real helpful in terms of explaining what the ride cars are like to get on, but they do give info about where to board and whether he can stay in his whelchair or not.
If he has a problem that makes waiting in line difficult or dangerous to his health, you can request a GAC. All the cards look the same, but they have differnt messages, depending on the type of help that is needed. The card does say that even if you have a card, you need to use fastpass as much as possible and that the card doesn't give quicker access to rides, just provides a more appropriate waiting area.
You can send one person with all your park tickets over to the fastpass machine to get passes for your whole party. We noticed on our last trip that the Buzz Lightyear ride had a fastpass machine marked with the wheelchair symbol. We didn't ask about it and I don't know if that meant the machine was accessible or if they were trying out a way to give fastpasses for wheelchair users specifically since there are a limited number of wheelchair cars.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES

 

[Choppertester]

You mean if a person cannot transfer from their wheelchair they must still use mainstream, wait in line like everyone else, but when they get to the front of the line, they still have to wait for the wheelchair accessible carriage/boat, not like everyone else. Now that's unfair!

 

[SueM in MN]

That is what happens. We have waited an extra 30 minutes at the Safari. It was especially hard there because people were just getting on the trams as fast as they could go. Some of the trams even were accessible (you can tell from how the front seat looks), but they board wheelchairs in a different boarding area about 30 feet from the regular boarding area.
At some rides, like Buzz Lightyear, wheelchair users bypass a small area of the line to get to the exit where we board. They wait is as least as long as if you are not in a wheelchair and can be longer if there are other people waiting for the wheelchair car.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES