Several issues

[maxsdad18]

My 6 y/o son and I are going to WDW next week. He has been diagnosed with autism. We have been to Disney the past two years and he has done OK, but waiting on lines has been an issue. I have read that the crowds the last week in August are typically shorter than the begining of the month which we did last year.

I am blind in one eye and have difficulty going from sun to dark (night blindness) in my sighted eye. I am going to bring one of those small LED flashlights to help me see in some of the darker lines (last year I had a lot of trouble on line at Splash Mountain). I could tell the people on line behind me were frustrated because I went real slow through the line.

Is there anything I can do to make these situations better for us?

Thanks.

 

[peemagg]

I would suggest getting a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) for both you and your son. In the FAQ's section at the top of this forum there is a section that explains the GAC and what you would need to do to get one.

 

[livndisney]

My 6 y/o son and I are going to WDW next week. He has been diagnosed with autism. We have been to Disney the past two years and he has done OK, but waiting on lines has been an issue. I have read that the crowds the last week in August are typically shorter than the begining of the month which we did last year.

I am blind in one eye and have difficulty going from sun to dark (night blindness) in my sighted eye. I am going to bring one of those small LED flashlights to help me see in some of the darker lines (last year I had a lot of trouble on line at Splash Mountain). I could tell the people on line behind me were frustrated because I went real slow through the line.

Is there anything I can do to make these situations better for us?

Thanks.

I would recommend a good touring plan to limit the time spent in line. That and use of fastpasses helps so much.

 

[maxsdad18]

Thanks peemagg! I just checked out that thread and the GAC sounds like it is what we need.

livin - I'm all over the fast pass, however planing is not always the way to go with the type of autism (Aspergers) my son has. He has trouble transitioning and sometimes likes to do a ride several times or bounce from one end of a park to another. He has an incredable memory and knows exactly where things are especially Epcot.

 

[livndisney]

Thanks peemagg! I just checked out that thread and the GAC sounds like it is what we need.

livin - I'm all over the fast pass, however planing is not always the way to go with the type of autism (Aspergers) my son has. He has trouble transitioning and sometimes likes to do a ride several times or bounce from one end of a park to another. He has an incredable memory and knows exactly where things are especially Epcot.

I am glad you read about the GAC so you understand it is not a fastpass or front of the line pass. It also is not intended to shorten time in line. In some cases it may cause a longer wait.

Also post 3 in the sticky has some tips for those with Austism and Visons issues.


Have a good trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, many people with children on the autism spectrum especially have found TourGuide Mike to be very helpful. It is a planning service that helps you to know what the least busy parts of the least busy park are so that you can be there and avoid waits. You can find out more from a link on the Theme Parks Board, where TourGuide Mike is a sponsor.
GACs are not always handled exactly the same way, even the same day on the same attraction because sometimes things have changed - like staffing or how the line is being routed at the moment. That can be especially difficult when dealing with a child with ASD who expects things to be the same each and every time.
People have posted that TourGuide Mike gives kind of a general plan, and gives rationale for doing it that way, along with suggestions if you want to change and rationale behind choosing when to change the plan. This kind of idea often appeals to people with high functioning autism or Aspergers because it gives a plan to follow plus 'rules' for going off the plan (both of those things appeal to many people with ASD).

For your needs, you may still find that you need a GAC - especially to navigate some of the dark or winding areas - but plans like TourGuide Mike can help you avoid the busyness of the rest of the park and also help avoid waits in line.

 

[maxsdad18]

Thanks Sue, your reply makes perfect sense. I was more concerned about me having to rely on my son to get me through the dark lines. He is OK with it but it causes him to stress a bit if it isn't exactly how he remembers it (my son has a very good memory, it is amazing in fact). I think bringing my little LED will help a bit too. If I got a GAC, what would they do to accomidate my need to get throug a ride where the lins is not well lit? I remember Splash Mountain as being difficult (light to dark with lots of stairs) and some other rides with similar conditions. I will check out TourGuide Mike as well, thanks.

 

[texasmousketeer]

Definately get a Guest Assistance Card. My son is also on the spectrum and the GAC made Disney so much better.

The last time we went he was 8. I had read about the card, so I asked my son's doctor to write a letter for me. On the first day, I didn't think we would need it. (You know what is coming) so after several rides/attractions, he had a melt-down in the HISTA pre-show. He couldn't take the crowds, was worried about the actual show, etc. So we went into the theater and out the other side. While my husband and other son were watching HISTA, he and I went to guest services and then sat and had a drink.

We probably only used the card 3 or 4 times for the rest of our 10 day stay, (we went in September when there are no real lines any way.) But when we did use it, it saved us from a lot of anguish and the CMs were great about it.

 

[tinkerpea]

Hi My son also has Apergers and wow what a memory he has tour guide mike did not help are Disney holiday in a bg way but the GAC card was fab. It met our needs. If it was then we would never be able to yake my son to Disney inthe 1st place as he too likes to do a ride a fw times over makes my younger twins a bit bored but oh well! I have never wiated more then about 10 mins for a ride and this was for Toy story where they have to make you go in a disabled ride cart and this takes longer to set up all others. hope this helps

And before any body comments we only use it when our son is showing sighns of aggitation or tiredness it is an amazing help eplain your needs as you get the stamp for your needs a wheel chair then you have prob nr normal wait times in a wheel chair access line or an exit if their is not one. in our case we have A GAC which meets our needs im sorry if that bugs people as it often does but give me a child with out my sons Autism and i will wait in the long que happily

 

[maxsdad18]

Tinkerpea - thanks for that reply. I have read that you do not need to bring the doctors diagnosis to get the GAC ( I have it and was intending to bring it). How did you get the GAC with the poropr designation.

We leave tomorrow, we are getting ready!

 

[KPeveler]

You do not need a doctor's note to get a GAC.

To get a card with the proper accommodations all you have to do is explain to Guest Services what your child's needs are (i.e. I cannot wait in a mob like in pre-shows because if I get bumped I get injured easily). They will give you the stamp that will best meet your needs.

I do want to reiterate that the GAC is NOT designed to shorten wait times. It may do so for some people in some circumstances. People should not count on this being the case. For example, the last time I went on Jungle Cruise I waited 45 minutes when the standby wait was 5-10 minutes. This is because they can only allow so many people with disabilities/GACs on a ride at a time for safety/evacuation reasons.

If you go to Guest Services and ask to skip lines or always go in the exit, then they will likely tell you this is not available (which it is not)

In general, we do not post the specific names of stamps or what the GAC did for a person specifically, because it can very so much. Disney WILL give you what you need to enjoy the parks. Unfortunately there are a lot of dishonest people out there, and we do not post names of specific stamps to help cut down on abuse.

 

[maxsdad18]

KP - thanks for your reply. Yes, I do not expect to get through the lines any quicker (although I have heard the lines are getting quicker at some parks now). I think using different enterece points may help my son for some attractions such as the ones you mentioned with preshow crowded areas. I do not like to see my son get stressed out because someone accidently bumps into him causing him to fall apart. If there are alternate ways to do things, this may work better.

I did not even know about Aspbergers a year ago. When my son started going to school last year, he started having some issues which he did not present with in preschool/daycare.

 

[Jonell]

If the GAC is not for shortening wait times I wonder how it will help my husband? He can't wait in long attraction lines because of his frequent need to go to the restroom. I understand about fastpasses but not all attractions have them. He works hard so we can go to WDW and I want him to be able to enjoy the trip as much as possible.

 

[SueM in MN]

If the GAC is not for shortening wait times I wonder how it will help my husband? He can't wait in long attraction lines because of his frequent need to go to the restroom. I understand about fastpasses but not all attractions have them. He works hard so we can go to WDW and I want him to be able to enjoy the trip as much as possible.

Things are handled differently in different attractions and based on what needs the person has. So, there is not ONE specific way that things are always handled at all attractions. It is very possible for the same person to go to the same attraction on the same day, using the same GAC and have it handled in 2 different ways. As KPeveler mentioned, it can be because of the number of people with special needs already waiting or some other situation that is not visible to the guests, such as the number of ride cars running or the number of staff working. This even can happen to families on Make a Wish trips, who do generally have front of the line access. Someone on a Make a Wish trip posted recently that they had to wait for 40 minutes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
We don’t expect that someone will wait longer with a GAC than without one, but in my personal opinion, it is irresponsible to not mention it is a possibility because it may happen.

The information about Guest Assistance Cards in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread is not ‘official’, but Disney does not post anything ‘official’ about Guest Assistance Cards. The information posted there is as complete as possible and is reviewed for me periodically by WDW CMs who work in Guest Relations (the people who actually give out GACs) and also by CMs who work in attractions.

Even though some people have said Tour Guide Mike did not help them, many people have found it helped them very much.

All parks and all attractions have some times that are busier than others. The idea of TourGuide Mike (and other touring plans) is to let you know where and when those busier times are. That is the case during quiet times and also during busy times, like holidays and during Spring Break.

For example, if you are in Epcot and go on Spaceship Earth, in the morning, the wait may be over an hour in line. If you come later in the afternoon, you will not have a wait; the ride will load as fast as you can walk in. Guests using wheelchairs at that time may have a long wait because of the number of guests with special needs waiting at the same time.

Except for a few attractions, like Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania, most attractions have quiet times like that and other times when you will wait in a long line. Knowing when the quiet times are helps you avoid the crowds.

For situations like your husband, who may need to leave the line at any time, that would be valuable information to have. Another thing to keep in mind is that GACs only will help with the attractions; if the park is busy, it is more difficult to get around in general and there are longer lines for things like using the restroom. So, again, knowing which park to go to, where in that park to be and when to be there will help you to avoid those crowds in places where a GAC will not help.

So, bottom line is, explain the needs to the CMs at Guest Relations and they will try to give you the assistance that best meets your needs. If it doesn’t meet your needs, you can always go back and re-explain your needs to see what else can be done.

 

[SueM in MN]

KP - thanks for your reply. Yes, I do not expect to get through the lines any quicker (although I have heard the lines are getting quicker at some parks now). I think using different enterece points may help my son for some attractions such as the ones you mentioned with preshow crowded areas. I do not like to see my son get stressed out because someone accidently bumps into him causing him to fall apart. If there are alternate ways to do things, this may work better.

I did not even know about Aspbergers a year ago. When my son started going to school last year, he started having some issues which he did not present with in preschool/daycare.

THis is a picture of one of the alternate waiting areas that are available at some attractions. This particular one is at the Laugh Floor at MK and it actually starts at the entrance to the building and continues all the way into the preshow area where guests wait to enter the theater. This is the preshow room and by the time the show is ready to start, the area to the left of the picture will be very full of guests. The area on the right is for guests with special needs.

This is at the Circle of Life movie at The Land in Epcot.

Most of the shows have a place like this where guests with wheelchairs and ECVs wait in a place separated a little from the other guests. People with special needs that would benefit from a waiting area that is a little less ‘close’ may also be waiting in this area. Sometimes, it is a parallel line to the ‘regular’ line like these pictures show and those in that area are allowed in before the crowd of guests waiting in the general area enter the show, which allows a little extra time to get settled and avoids the ‘jostling’ that can occur as people are entering.
One attraction I can think of has a separate room - that is Turtle Talk with Crush at the Seas in Epcot. Usually, that room has been empty or almost empty when we have waited in it. But, on our last trip, there were over 20 people in the room, some with wheelchairs and ECVs and some with other issues. Some of the guests were staying very close to the wall, so I assume their reason for being in that waiting area was to avoid waiting in the general waiting area with an even larger number of guests.

There are 3 attractions I can think of where the waiting area may be problematic:
Mickey’s Philharmagic at MK does have a separated line from the time when you enter the building, but at certain times, guests with special needs may be ‘mixed’ with the other guests or have to cross the path of the main group of guests to get to the quieter waiting area just before the doors into the theater.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid at the Studio has no separate waiting area. Guests are led into a large room, which is very dimly lit and as more guests arrive, those already in the room are told to move forward to make room for more guests to arrive. Guests with special needs are instructed to follow a black line, which is along the wall on the left side of the room as you enter. It works best to have the member of your party who is sensitive to being close to others stay as close to the wall as possible and have the rest of your party act as ‘buffers’ to keep space between your party and the rest of the guests.

Fantasmic is also an area where there is no special waiting area. Guests with special needs will enter with everyone else, but at the point where guests drop off strollers, there will be a CM to show you to a specific seating area (guests without special needs are just directed to keep walking into the amphitheater). The area is quite crowded and congested with people and some people find a stroller is helpful there or just do not go to the show at all.

Many people also find that a stroller is very helpful, even for a child who has no problems with walking. in that situation, a stroller is not being used as a mobility device, but as a way to provide some separation and a ‘safe haven’ for the child with special needs.
You can get a GAC/sticker that allows the stroller to be used as a wheelchair, which allows you to bring it into attractions where strollers are not allowed.