Special Fast Pass

[goofydiz]

Okay, I was at work today and was talking to one of the other girls at the office about Disney World.

She was telling me all about her trip she went on in June and how busy it was, yada yada yada. She goes on to tell me about how she got this special "Fast Pass" for her entire party due to the fact that her son has a learning disability. I have never heard of such a thing. She said it allowed her entire party to go through the Fast Pass line any time they liked.

I was furious!!!! I just don't think it's fair for someone with ADD or ADHD to get special treatment like that. If all this is true - you know how many people would just say their child had a learning disability?

Have any of you heard of this?

 

[jejune]

what she got wasn't a "special fastpass" it was the Disney's guest assistance card

taken from allearsnet.com

Disney's Guest Assistance Card
Bring your doctor's note to the Guest Relations window at any Disney theme park and ask for the Guest Assistance Card. The Guest Assistance Card is a special pass designed to allow you to wait in a separate, un-crowded holding area apart from the regular queues at most attractions. One Card is good for all four parks, so you do not need to obtain separate Cards at each park. You should also pick up a copy of each park's Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities (also available online at http://www.DisneyWorld.com. Type "guests disabilities FAQ" in the search tool and browse through the results.).

(...)

The Card does not allow you to bypass the normal waits at each attraction. It is designed to provide "more convenient entrance" into most attractions. In some cases, this entrance may be through the attraction's FASTPASS return line or the attraction's exit. The Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities will list the special entrance to use for each attraction, as well as any special effects (e.g., loud noises or flashing lights) in the attraction.

 

[princess22]

In all fairness though, there are a lot of people with autism, etc, who really do struggle waiting in line, and this is a way to accommodate them.

 

[sticker231]

I'm sure there are some people with borderline situations who may try to exploite the system. For people who need this assistance, it is a real benefit. My son is Autistic. We don't use the assistance card, he is able to stand in the lines. There are families out there for whom this is their bit of "Pixie Dust". Walk in the shoes of someone who really needs this card and I'm sure the one extra minute of waiting in line will seem like a minor inconvenience. You never know until you've been there!

 

[frayedend]

Okay, I was at work today and was talking to one of the other girls at the office about Disney World.

She was telling me all about her trip she went on in June and how busy it was, yada yada yada. She goes on to tell me about how she got this special "Fast Pass" for her entire party due to the fact that her son has a learning disability. I have never heard of such a thing. She said it allowed her entire party to go through the Fast Pass line any time they liked.

I was furious!!!! I just don't think it's fair for someone with ADD or ADHD to get special treatment like that. If all this is true - you know how many people would just say their child had a learning disability?

Have any of you heard of this?

To the contrary I think someone with ADD or ADHD would need this more than some others. These kids would have a hard time waiting in the normal line and it would be difficult for their parents. And the other parents would be on here complaining about the bad parents with the crazy kids. That's just my opinion. I don't have any kids with these problems, so I don't know how well the system works.

 

[yearbook50]

Those passes are wonderful.
I broke my ankle once three days before a trip, thus I was confided to a wheelchair for the entire trip. Those passes made it easier for my group (my mother and my best friend at the time) especially because on some ques...there is no way to get to the ride by the normal entrance.

 

[tacomaranch]

It is a GAC guest assistance pass for all people who have requirments and needs to make WDW magaical for them. It can be seen and unseen. Yes it is obvious that a child has CP and can't stand for long periods of time. It is not so obvious that a child has autism.

GAC is based on the needs of the person not the diagnosis. So people can't stay in the sun, don't have enudrance, don't like people around, don't understand the concept of wait, can't stand, use a stroller as a wheel chair.

When getting a GAC we are not asked for our Dr.'s note but what are the needs of our DS. He is autistic also and has no understanding of wait, he doesn't like people by him, sometimes noises are an issue, he burns so easy and his med's help him burn up.

When looking at my DS he looks so neurotypical. He looks just like any other little 3 yr old. However, if I even tried to have him stand in line, I would be the parent you would be glaring at and my son would seem to be a screaming brat. What you don't know is that he doesn't understand wait. He doesn't like strangers, I have changed the schedule. Life is not wonderful and he is not happy and he does not understand how to fix it, nor does he have the words to tell me about it so it is a guessing game.

I would wait 100 hours for 100 days in 100 degree heat to not have this card. I would switch places with anyone who want their child to have autism and not mine, in a flash. You can have the GAC! Unfortunately all the pixie dust in the world can't change what is and it is my job, my pleasure to help my son out at all times. The GAC makes life just a bit easier for us, our family and for you when we are at WDW.

I hope you have learned just a bit more why the GAC is there and how it helps. If you see me there with my DS, thank God we have a GAC and you are not in line with him screaming. Even better, say Hi and smile.

 

[Beejie]

I am a parent of a kid with ADHD+, (we haven't quite figured out what the plus is yet axiety, bipolar, Asperger's, depression, turettes, etc.) and if I thought my DS 9 would benefit from it, I would use it. He absolutely cannot keep his hands to himself, especially in line. I would hate for DS to be in line and be bothering other people. This is an excellent service. DS has been to Disney twice (age 7 and 8) and we managed to survive our waits in line, but his behavior is getting worse. If it continues to increase, I may consider obtaining this for our x-mas trip in 2007.

"I was furious!!!! I just don't think it's fair for someone with ADD or ADHD to get special treatment like that. If all this is true - you know how many people would just say their child had a learning disability?"


Please don't judge the ADHD kids as a group. It is a biological medical condition that many will never "outgrow" as people say they will. They learn how to live with it, as our family has for the past 9 years. (I'm jumping off my soap box now).

I hope the OP has a wonderful time. I know the families of the kids who use the passes will too. Hopefully you will get to see the families in action and see how special they really are.

 

[SueM in MN]

Those passes are wonderful.
I broke my ankle once three days before a trip, thus I was confided to a wheelchair for the entire trip. Those passes made it easier for my group (my mother and my best friend at the time) especially because on some ques...there is no way to get to the ride by the normal entrance.

In most cases, people with wheelchairs don't need a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). It is a tool for people with invisible disabilities or disabilities in addition to using a wheelchair or ECV. All of the lines at AK and the Studio are wheelchair accessible thru the main line. There are a few attractions at MK and Epcot that were not able to be made wheelchair accessible. For these, there is an alternate entrance. Because the CM can see that someone has a wheelchair, they don't need a GAC to use these alternate entrances.

Here's what we have in the about GACs in the disABILITIES Board 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 and the CM is likely to not want to look at it. Some people DO feel more confident asking for a GAC if they have a letter, but a letter is not required. If you do have one, it should reflect your needs, not your diagnosis.
  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 is not meant to 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.

 

[yearbook50]

In most cases, people with wheelchairs don't need a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). It is a tool for people with invisible disabilities or disabilities in addition to using a wheelchair or ECV. All of the lines at AK and the Studio are wheelchair accessible thru the main line. There are a few attractions at MK and Epcot that were not able to be made wheelchair accessible. For these, there is an alternate entrance. Because the CM can see that someone has a wheelchair, they don't need a GAC to use these alternate entrances.

This incident happened 8 years ago. A lot of things in Disney have changed in the past 8 years.

 

[SueM in MN]

This incident happened 8 years ago. A lot of things in Disney have changed in the past 8 years.

You are right, things have changed in 8 years. We have been going to WDW with someone in a wheelchair for the last 17+ years.

The only reason I copied part of your post is that people do think you need a GAC if you have a wheelchair (I've even had some PMs in the past year from people with wheelchairs who were angry that they were not given a GAC just because they had a wheelchair). So, what I posted in that part was to clarify the wheelchair access issue and that most people with wheelchairs or ECVs don't need to have a GAC.

The rest of what I posted was information in general, especially since most people assume anyone using a GAC gets to have immediate access. Most GACs issued don't even allow the use of the alternative entrances. Most allow other things, like avoiding stairs or using a stroller as a wheelchair.

 

[Sleepy]

To the contrary I think someone with ADD or ADHD would need this more than some others. These kids would have a hard time waiting in the normal line and it would be difficult for their parents. And the other parents would be on here complaining about the bad parents with the crazy kids. That's just my opinion. I don't have any kids with these problems, so I don't know how well the system works.

I do have a child with ADHD. He is older now and able to at least understand whining is not acceptable, but when he was younger, it was difficult to contain his hyper activity. We usually just used fastpass and went into lines that were less than 30 minutes. I do NOT think a child with ADD/ADHD needs an all day fastpass. They are not dying of a terminal illness. They do not have a condition that makes standing in the sun life threatening. They just have difficulty standing still. This is where the new system of "standing to the side" works well. Have a family member wait in the regular line and when that family member gets to the front, the rest of the family with ADD/ADHD child can join them. Works for everyones enjoyment while waiting. Others don't have to deal with someone elses child acting impatient and the family with said child can enjoy their time more because the child can have a bit of freedom to release that energy.

 

[frayedend]

I do have a child with ADHD. He is older now and able to at least understand whining is not acceptable, but when he was younger, it was difficult to contain his hyper activity. We usually just used fastpass and went into lines that were less than 30 minutes. I do NOT think a child with ADD/ADHD needs an all day fastpass. They are not dying of a terminal illness. They do not have a condition that makes standing in the sun life threatening. They just have difficulty standing still. This is where the new system of "standing to the side" works well. Have a family member wait in the regular line and when that family member gets to the front, the rest of the family with ADD/ADHD child can join them. Works for everyones enjoyment while waiting. Others don't have to deal with someone elses child acting impatient and the family with said child can enjoy their time more because the child can have a bit of freedom to release that energy.

That is a great post. What you are doing is making the decision that is right for your family. That is what we all need to do and we need to try and not judge others because we have no idea of what everyone elses situation might be. For instance, you are doing what is right, but I bet peoply give you a nasty look when your family member gets to the front of the line and then the rest of the family "cuts in" to join them. You did something to benefit your family and the people in line, but not everyone would see it that way. All I can say is that when I go next month I'm gonna try my hardest not to judge anyone. It's Disney after all.

 

[ssleblanc]

That is a great post. What you are doing is making the decision that is right for your family. That is what we all need to do and we need to try and not judge others because we have no idea of what everyone elses situation might be. For instance, you are doing what is right, but I bet peoply give you a nasty look when your family member gets to the front of the line and then the rest of the family "cuts in" to join them. You did something to benefit your family and the people in line, but not everyone would see it that way. All I can say is that when I go next month I'm gonna try my hardest not to judge anyone. It's Disney after all.

VERY WELL SAID!!

I think that this is a wonderful service that Disney provides. And I think each family needs to work with Disney to determine what is right for their needs.

My son is ADHD and I wouldn't use anything other than a regular fast pass. His case is somewhat mild - he does fine in smaller groups or when he doesn't have to sit still for a long time (ok - I do get irritated that in the grocery store he seems to have this need to touch EVERYTHING in sight - but some non-ADHD kids do that too, and I'm working on behavior modification for that ). Standing in line might be a slight problem, but I plan to use games (search for hidden mickey's, let's talk about what we've done today, etc). He is not on medication in the summer because he isn't doing things where his ADHD is affecting him as much (or others around him). We can use the summer off where he eats REALLY well, and I really do HATE medicating my son. But we will be in WDW during the school year, so he'll be back on medication and the lines won't be as bad mid-September as they are in June or July. Even if he weren't I wouldn't use this service because while he may seem a little hyper to others, his behavoir would just come across as a really excited kid to others. However, I've seen kids with cases worse than his, and I can see where long lines would be a big problem.

 

[Sleepy]

[B He is not on medication in the summer because he isn't doing things where his ADHD is affecting him as much (or others around him). We can use the summer off where he eats REALLY well, and I really do HATE medicating my son.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but since we are talking about ADHD/ADD and WDW, I thought I would give my 2 cents.

I think you would find that even if your child did take the ADHD meds at WDW, it would be like giving him a placebo. My son has always done well with his meds as long as he was in a controlled environment (school, etc), however, when you place him in an uncontrolled environment, especially where he is super excited, the meds have done him no good. (even something like visiting family members he has not seen in a while....loud and bouncing and the effect lasts hours). The crowds, excitement and lights at night of WDW parks had the same effect. It is nearly impossible for these kids to block it out for that personal self control they must exhibit when they are under normal circumstances.

We too have given our son medication holidays during the summer months unless we feel he really needs it. The way I see it is he can bounce off the walls, talk non-stop and eat like a horse in the privacy of his own home. While at WDW, since the meds showed no difference under those conditions, at the age of 7, we took him to a local amusement park and tested him on how he would react to lines and waiting. It was the best thing we could have done. We learned quickly what his limitations were and planned accordingly for WDW. It made for a magical vacation and we have wonderful memories. As long as you know what your child's limitations are and agree to do the parks based to what he/she needs rather than how you want it to be, everyone will be happy.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think you would find that even if your child did take the ADHD meds at WDW, it would be like giving him a placebo. My son has always done well with his meds as long as he was in a controlled environment (school, etc), however, when you place him in an uncontrolled environment, especially where he is super excited, the meds have done him no good. (even something like visiting family members he has not seen in a while....loud and bouncing and the effect lasts hours).

I think each child may be different. We were with my BIL and SIL at WDW with their son who has ADHD. He was on his medication during the trip and the one day that he forgot to take it, we all new without being told.

 

[KrisTX]

OK the OP might have not been 100% politically correct, but there are TONS of people on this planet that scam for convenience. It is unfortunate and I hope that even if it is abused that it is never taken away from the people that really need it. I also know many kids that are ADD and could absolutely handle WDW if their diet was regulated and the parents took a few breaks. I also know some that probably could not even walk into the park with everything under the sun done to make the visit acceptable.

The tone of the OP co-worker sounded more like 'woo hoo thanks to our kid having this problem, we all got the royal treatment and got to race through the park' versus "wow, did you know that they had a special pass that allowed our son to have the most magical vacation."

Whatever the case, I am sure the OP did not mean to offend any one who needs to use the service. More like being annoyed with the people that scam the system. Scammers annoy me too. My MIL uses my FIL handicap parking hang tag. It annoys me to no end. I refuse to ride with her if she is planning on doing it. I would not however, waste my time trying to decide if the special benefits or closer parking spots are used by the people that really need them. And I doubt the OP watched everyone that did this at the parks. I do not know the OP, but I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, just like I would if a completely healthy looking 18 y.o. jumped out of the driver's side and sprung to the curb of the handicap spot in his Mom's car. You just never know, so you should just never judge.

 

[DaisyD]

We get that pass for my mom. We too are allowed to bypass the regular line and go through the fasspass line. Depending on the person's needs they might be able to also.

 

[va32h]

So people can't stay in the sun, don't have enudrance, don't like people around, don't understand the concept of wait, can't stand,

Just to play Devil's Advocate - does anyone think that individuals who can't tolerate sun, long waits, crowds, lots of standing and walking - might perhaps enjoy a vacation destination where these elements are not a huge factor?

I want to stress that I have no objection whatsoever to anyone using the GAC. I have never been remotely inconvenienced by, or even particularly noticed if, some people wait in a different line or enter the ride from a different place. WDW is for everyone, and it isn't any of my business who goes or why. I am simply asking out of curiosity, and nobody has to answer.

I have a friend whose son is autistic. He is the same age (6) as my son. We have visited Disney often, and I've told her about the GAC, but she feels that even with it, given her son's difficulty handling new places and crowds, the pluses of a vacation would never outweigh the minuses.

 

[RxforDisney]

Just to play Devil's Advocate - does anyone think that individuals who can't tolerate sun, long waits, crowds, lots of standing and walking - might perhaps enjoy a vacation destination where these elements are not a huge factor?.......

.....I have a friend whose son is autistic. He is the same age (6) as my son. We have visited Disney often, and I've told her about the GAC, but she feels that even with it, given her son's difficulty handling new places and crowds, the pluses of a vacation would never outweigh the minuses.

But that is what is so GREAT about Disney! They make accomidations for these children! Just because your child has autism or is otherwise handicapped, doesn't mean they do not have a favorite Disney character. For some it could be even more Magical than for a normal child. It simiply depends on the child and what their interests are. If they have no interest in Disney, then you are absolutely correct, but if they do, it could be the experience of a lifetime!