Something I didn't know about the Guest Assistant Card

[adoptivemomx2]

On our first day at Disney, we went to guest services to our GAC cards. My daughter is visually impaired and has cerebral palsy. I have anxiety disorder. I was told they would only issue ONE GAC card per family. I thought it was really strange when the lady told me that and it took me by surprise, so we got one for my daughter's vision and fatigue issues and I didn't get one for my issues. It was like "Pick the one person you want accomodated, because the rest are out of luck."

It turns out that I was okay without one because 1.) It wasn't crowded and 2.) I didn't ride many rides. But that's kind of beside the point. What if a family has a visually impaired member and a member in a wheelchair? Those are separate needs with separate accomodations.

Also, I was surprised at how many cast members didn't want to allow my daughter to sit up front even after showing them the GAC for vision. Our first show, we didn't argue and she couldn't see a thing because we were way over to the side. The rest of the shows we politely insisted that she be allowed to sit towards the from and preferably in the center. We were told at a few shows that "all seats in the house have a good view." But it wasn't the "view" we were worried about. SHe has very low vision along with cortical vision impairment, nystagmus, strabismus and optic nerve hypoplasia. She can't see well! We got some exasperated sighs. And one lady acually questioned that she couldn't see well. Which is weird because that disability is very visible--her eye vibrate and cross and she tilts her head sideways to see.

I was just very surprised. I guess my expectations were too high that she would be easliy accomodated. The one very nice exception was a cast member heard us telling another cast member outside of Laugh Floor that she REALLY wouldn't be able to see from the back of the room and he personally escorted us to the front row. I wanted to cry it was so nice.

 

[lilouisianagal]

Sounds like Disney needs to do a park-wide retraining on GACS.

And I don't think they issue GACS to those in wheelchairs anymore, as the wheelchair serves as the visual cue for the CMs to know they need special assistance/accommodations.

 

[Kellykins1218]

We had the same issue about the GAC. We have 2 little boys who are autistic and asked for 2 cards. The CM was adamant that it was one card per family. I asked what we were supposed to do if we wanted to split up and she was really nasty about it being one per family NO EXCEPTIONS. I've learned on here that she was totally wrong. We are going back in March and, just to be safe, my husband and I are each going to take one of the boys to Guest Services and get them their own cards. We'll just go to a different CM and not even worry about it.

 

[lanejudy]

They really are suppose to issue separate cards because each is issued for the specific person and that person's needs. Your needs could be very different from your DD's, plus there's always the fact that the family could split up and the GAC should only be used for the 1 person named on it. I would asked for a supervisor, or at least returned later to get another one issued in the 2nd person's name for that person's specific needs.

I'm glad it didn't impact your enjoyment of your vacation, though!

 

[SueM in MN]

What they told you is not correct about one per family.

For the visual issues - I don't remember if your daughter is using a wheelchair because if she is, she will have competing issues for some shows.
Most of the newer theaters have wheelchair seating in more than one area. Most of the older shows - including all the 3D movies, have wheelchair seating only in the back row.

Many people with visual impairments have posted that it worked easier for them to not use a GAC for their visual impairment. They found out before going in, where the front of the theater was compared to the door they would enter. Then they just went to the front. The seats people prefer usually are not in the very front row. They often are back 5-6 in the middle of the row.

 

[Bete]

and you are having trouble getting one then I think I would split up my group into two parties. One GAC will cover the entire family under mom and the other GAC will carry everyone under dad, for example.

If you need another arrangement then make it work somehow. If you have two or even more adults I think you can get multiple GACs the way you need them.

I wouldn't argue with Guest services that takes time and it gets you aggravated, too.

 

[intheshadows]

I can't say too much but I will say that there is a crackdown on multiple GACs right now. Let's just say a fellow named Craig is making some people unjustly enriched.

There are more changes (supposedly) coming.

 

[SueM in MN]

That does not surprise me, based in some things I have read about sale of GACs along with partially used passes.

I hope they make the GAC more securely linked to a particular person.

 

[Mom2six]

We were at WDW from 9/5 to 9/15 and we got 2 GACs - one for my DS4 and one for my DS14. We have 6 chidlren, and there were 3 adults with us. The only thing they wanted to stress was that only 6 people could be accommodated with the GAC and we couldn't use 2 GACs to allow 9 people to say wait in the alternate area or go in the wheelchair line (my 4 yr old had stroller as wheelchair). I definitely would not have been okay with only having one GAC as my two sons did not go on the same rides and didn't stay together for the half of the day. That would be seen as a refusal to accommodate the disability of one of them, and personally seems to be discriminating against families with more than one disabled person. You can't refuse to accommodate one of my sons because he has a disabled brother. No way. That's a law suit waiting to happen. Next time, tell them you need that information in writing.

 

[adoptivemomx2]

That would be seen as a refusal to accommodate the disability of one of them, and personally seems to be discriminating against families with more than one disabled person. You can't refuse to accommodate one of my sons because he has a disabled brother. No way. That's a law suit waiting to happen.

I completely agree with this, now that I've had some time to think about it. I was somewhat embarassed explaining my needs to her and it's my fault for not pushing it.

I do have to say that how they handled us took some of the magic away. I assumed we would be accomodated (reasonably) and we really had to fight for it. By the second day, my attitude was that we paid a lot of money for our trip and my child had just as much of a right to see the shows as every other child there!

 

[adoptivemomx2]

That does not surprise me, based in some things I have read about sale of GACs along with partially used passes.

QUOTE]

Do you mean some people SELL GACs to people who are not disabled? That's pretty bad. But Disney needs to err on the side of the actual disabled. We pay the same as everyone else...we're not second class citizens!

 

[kandb]

OP, you should write a letter to disney to let them know how poorly you were treated by some CM's. There is no excuse for how they treated you and your family. Please let them know, so they can retrain their employees.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I am not sure how people sell the WDW GACs, they are dated aren't they?

I have 2 adult "kids" that have used GACs in the past. (but now one no longer needs one, she has had both knees replaced and is relatively healthy now from her other illnesses, hooray).

I am just back from a trip to DL, (without those kids, so no GACs). I was observing the GAC use there, and wow is all I can say...... one group of 19 went up the FP ramp at RSR. They were stopped, and told only 6. the woman said, that's ok, we have 3 passes. They were annoyed that they were given a hard time about the extra one, the passes only covered 18. They were let in of course. (none had an obvious disability, but I know that can be misleading) We also saw many wearing their GACs clipped to their shoulders. They would just touch it, point to it, and they were allowed onto FP lines, the CMs rarely even read them. (unlike my experience at WDW, where they read mine carefully each time!)

I felt bad when I would see guests with severely disabled adults or teens in long standby lines. I would think, THEY need a GAC and probably don't even know about them. And I say need, because I know how difficult their day is at the parks (and elsewhere). And I know they cannot tour all day long, like a typical family. So to see them in these super long lines was sad.

 

[intheshadows]

Yes, they are bought and sold as "never wait in line" passes on certain websites. eBay has been better about removing them, but other sites...not so much.

Another recent "scam" we have been seeing is the "AP Tour Guide." A person who has an AP and a GAC "advertises" their services on a website as a "tour guide who skips the lines." For $200 they will bring you in as their "family" on their GAC.

These issues have become more of a problem recently. I hate to see abusers cause problems for those who actually need the accommodations. We have a saying on set...The people with GACs who are polite and understand wait times WILL NOT be cut down are the ones who need them. The ones that scream and yell that they have FOTL access and that "the other CM let us through" are probably fakers. But what can we do...?

 

[I Love Pluto]

Your NAME is clearly printed on the GAC. How can someone else use it?

(Don't mean to be difficult, just wondering how it could happen.)
Thanks!

 

[intheshadows]

The name is printed on it, but ID is not required to be shown to use it. Therefore, I can be Sam Smith one day and John Paul Jones the next. And, we're trained not to question gender identity so if a person who presents as female shows up with "John Paul Jones" on hir GAC, well...there you go.

 

[Mom2six]

Yes, they are bought and sold as "never wait in line" passes on certain websites. eBay has been better about removing them, but other sites...not so much.

Another recent "scam" we have been seeing is the "AP Tour Guide." A person who has an AP and a GAC "advertises" their services on a website as a "tour guide who skips the lines." For $200 they will bring you in as their "family" on their GAC.

These issues have become more of a problem recently. I hate to see abusers cause problems for those who actually need the accommodations. We have a saying on set...The people with GACs who are polite and understand wait times WILL NOT be cut down are the ones who need them. The ones that scream and yell that they have FOTL access and that "the other CM let us through" are probably fakers. But what can we do...?

Well, it is horrible that people do this. Yet, when it comes to getting my children's needs met, I really don't care what criminal A or criminal B are doing. That's not my problem and I will not allow my children to be punished because of someone else's fraud. Of Disney's answer is to only meet the needs of some disabled people (by only issuing one in the family) and not the others, that is going to be a big problem. The law is not written that you only need to make equal access for one person per family.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Wow - I must still be stuck in the 60's!

I cannot believe that anyone would sell a GAC to make a profit - or to adopt a family to "get them in an accessible entrance".

How rude! This answers WHY they are so stuck on HC using the same entrances as everyone who is mobile. Having a disability is not something that anyone should profit from!

 

[Mom2six]

Wow - I must still be stuck in the 60's!

I cannot believe that anyone would sell a GAC to make a profit - or to adopt a family to "get them in an accessible entrance".

How rude! This answers WHY they are so stuck on HC using the same entrances as everyone who is mobile. Having a disability is not something that anyone should profit from!

Right. I agree. I think they should criminally pursue fraud for these types of things. Who is to say that the person with the AP and the GAC actually even has a disability?

 

[adoptivemomx2]

Well, it is horrible that people do this. Yet, when it comes to getting my children's needs met, I really don't care what criminal A or criminal B are doing. That's not my problem and I will not allow my children to be punished because of someone else's fraud. Of Disney's answer is to only meet the needs of some disabled people (by only issuing one in the family) and not the others, that is going to be a big problem. The law is not written that you only need to make equal access for one person per family.

I completely agree with this. Why should my daughter NOT be able to see a show just because some jerks are faking GACs??? Punish the crooks, not the ones who need the accomodations! I do regret not pushing for a second card for me. I really wasn't feeling "the magic."