Special Needs Passes.....anyone with info

[byejou]

Both my sons have a form of ASD, DS-7 has Aspbergers/ADHD and DS-5 has PDD-NOS.

I wanted to get special needs passes for them because standing in really long lines is very hard for them. Mostly my oldest. Being in lines can be really tough with the waiting but also being surrounded by so many strangers is harder. He really tries but his distress is quite visible and other guests who don't know of his issues can be really rude, and its heartbreaking for us.

We love Disney and they treat our children very well but we have gotten the pass once before and while going up the back of the line people started yelling at us and some of the obnoxious remarks made are completely embarasing and I do not want my children to go through that again.

Has anyone ever used the passes and if so what experiences did you have or tips to help us. We are doing a land & sea in Sept 09 and I am getting all the trip planning done.

 

[Brightsy]

Check out the FAQs of course, on special needs.
I have two kids, one w/ ADHD (no pass needed for him) and my 7 yr. old w autism. We get the GAC when we go. We usually ask for alternate entrance when available, and for alternate waiting area. We also use the fast passes as much as we can.

 

[bookwormde]

Welcome,

In addition to the GAC there is lots of information on “tricks” to making your WDW a special experience for your family in past threads under this section (using fast pass is actually much better than GAC)

If you have not noticed we also have a very active community board where a lot of non WDW Austim spectrum issues are discussed it you are interested.

We have a great moderator and I am sure Sue will be along shortly to help with some more direction about GAC

We always get one but using other “tricks” only use it rarely.

The CMs do a good job of finding accommodations, which are not awkward. I never worry about other’s comments and DS know that there are challenges that go along with being Aspergers in addition to the gifts that it brings.

bookwormde

 

[Schmeck]

Both my sons have a form of ASD, DS-7 has Aspbergers/ADHD and DS-5 has PDD-NOS.

I wanted to get special needs passes for them because standing in really long lines is very hard for them. Mostly my oldest. Being in lines can be really tough with the waiting but also being surrounded by so many strangers is harder. He really tries but his distress is quite visible and other guests who don't know of his issues can be really rude, and its heartbreaking for us.

We love Disney and they treat our children very well but we have gotten the pass once before and while going up the back of the line people started yelling at us and some of the obnoxious remarks made are completely embarasing and I do not want my children to go through that again.

Has anyone ever used the passes and if so what experiences did you have or tips to help us. We are doing a land & sea in Sept 09 and I am getting all the trip planning done.

WDW doesn't have a front of the line access pass for anyone except the most fragile make a wish guests. They do have a guest assistance card for those with 'invisible' disabilities. While it will not help you avoid all contact with other guests, there may be a 'quiet waiting area' available at some attractions. Sometimes the wait using a GAC can actaully be longer than using Fp or even the standby queue.

Your best bet to avoid long waits in line is to get to the parks at rope drop, plan which attractions are a must to ride, and head right for them. Fastpass the rides that have FP, check back later in the afternoon for rides that get busy in the morning (like Spaceship Earth) as these tend to be walk-on later on. If using a stroller as a wheelchair would help with spacial issues in lines, that would be an option too.

 

[dclfun]

You may also want to think about renting a wheelchair or bringing a special needs stroller so your son will have his own "space" and some control then over how close he is to other people. Many have reported that their children have benefitted greatly from that option.---Kathy

 

[Mishetta]

We also have a 13 y/o son with ADHD & a 7 y/o son with Autism. When we just had our oldest, we did okay without a special pass ~ not great but okay. Well, with my youngest....besides all the invasion of his personal space & the sometimes very long waits, there were a couple of times, we entered a park, only to leave less than 2 hours later due to him having major melt downs. It was waaaaaaay too much money to just hit a park for 2 hours or less.

Now we have my son's Neurologist give us a note on a prescription explaining his issues & when we bring that to guest services, they give us a GAC. It is very helpful to have because there were a few times (where available) where the CM's would usher us over to another more quiet, private waiting area. That worked out great for us! As most have said, the Fast Pass option works wonderful too!

I'm so sorry for those that have been yelled at, etc...that is so rude! Personally, we've never had that happen to us. Those people are probably the kind that would take candy from a child or kick puppies around. Shame on them.

 

[SueM in MN]

We also have a 13 y/o son with ADHD & a 7 y/o son with Autism. When we just had our oldest, we did okay without a special pass ~ not great but okay. Well, with my youngest....besides all the invasion of his personal space & the sometimes very long waits, there were a couple of times, we entered a park, only to leave less than 2 hours later due to him having major melt downs. It was waaaaaaay too much money to just hit a park for 2 hours or less.

Now we have my son's Neurologist give us a note on a prescription explaining his issues & when we bring that to guest services, they give us a GAC. It is very helpful to have because there were a few times (where available) where the CM's would usher us over to another more quiet, private waiting area. That worked out great for us! As most have said, the Fast Pass option works wonderful too!

I'm so sorry for those that have been yelled at, etc...that is so rude! Personally, we've never had that happen to us. Those people are probably the kind that would take candy from a child or kick puppies around. Shame on them.

I just wanted to point out that a doctor's note or prescription is not needed and the CMs may often not want to look at it.
Some people choose to bring one, especially for invisible disabilities because it makes them feel more comfortable asking for a Guest Assistance Card.

If you do choose to use a doctor's letter/prescription, you should do what this poster did and have the letter explain what the issues are rather than just listing the diagnosis.

 

[Mishetta]

I just wanted to point out that a doctor's note or prescription is not needed and the CMs may often not want to look at it.
Some people choose to bring one, especially for invisible disabilities because it makes them feel more comfortable asking for a Guest Assistance Card.

If you do choose to use a doctor's letter/prescription, you should do what this poster did and have the letter explain what the issues are rather than just listing the diagnosis.

You know, I honestly didn't know a doctor's note wasn't necessary! My son's Neurologist told us it was so she's been giving us a script for his issues each time we have said that we're going! But now that you mention it, the CM's never have actually read the note. I place it on the counter but they just push it back & say it's okay, & they're preparing the GAC. I just thought the CM's I had felt uncomfortable about reading it! How about that! Thank you for that bit of information. This way if we're not due for another Neurologist appt, we won't have to schedule one just to get a new note for Disney! (Ahhh...it's the little things in life to get excited over, isn't it? Especially dealing with ADHD & Autism everyday!)

 

[SueM in MN]

This way if we're not due for another Neurologist appt, we won't have to schedule one just to get a new note for Disney! (Ahhh...it's the little things in life to get excited over, isn't it? Especially dealing with ADHD & Autism everyday!)

Many doctors think it is required or they are so used to writing orders for things that it just doesn't occur to them that a GAC would not need an order.

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) says you can't be forced or required to provide proof of a disability in order to get the accommodations you need.

One of the reasons I mention it is that many people have had to schedule (and PAY for) a special visit just to get a letter from their doctor. If it makes you more comfortable to have a letter, you could see if the doctor will write one without a visit.

 

[ireland_nicole]

We also find that scheduling a trip for quieter times of year, using Tour Guide Mike and touringplans.com, and the FP, etc. makes more of a difference than a GAC. And using a good touring strategy means the parks are less crowded, too- which helps us avoid some of the meltdowns. We have also rented a comfy stroller from shannon at orlandostrollerrentals.com Like a pp said, a quiet nest is a godsend with out kiddos!