T1D at Universal

[daisyduck1975]

Does anyone have experience as a T1D at Universal? We went last year. We applied before the trip but he didn’t receive his approval letter until the Day after our trip ended so we had to go to guest services. He was denied any accommodation by the staff and management at the door. At this point we already paid $700 for tickets and an over a grand for the hotel or we would have just left. It was the hottest week of the year so we quickly went on a few rides with shorter lines and stayed just half the day walking around day one. That night my partner went into a diabetic coma when we got back to the hotel. Thank God we brought the Basquami and I was able to bring him back. Day two we raced as fast as we could in the morning to get on a few rides before the lines started. Universal apologized when I contacted them but it’s clear that they know NOTHING about T1D since someone recently posted he was also denied accommodations. They gave us two free passes this year as an apology so we’re trying this one more time on our trip to Disney but we’re thinking of staying in a premium hotel for Fast Passes just in case. We didn’t realize that was a thing last year. It is double the cost to do this. We have to pay $1500 to stay for three night as opposed to the $600 for another Universal resort. The Express Passes will cost us just a much for both of us. Wondering if anyone has had better luck. If so, can you advise what we should say to guest services? I told them his blood sugar easily plummets just walking around the mall and they were like “you can bring drinks on line with you.” Poor guy was popping sugar pills like crazy.

 

[nighttowll]

Please know, everything below is me playing devil's advocate to help you understand where Universal is coming from becuase if you don't understand how it sounds to a TM, you'll never get anywhere.



If Universal feels your needs can be met by EP or a wheelchair / ecv, they may not give you accommodations. Having T1D or T2D has nothing to do with qualifying for a pass or not. With both conditions, there are going to be people who will qualify and people who won't. Universal doesn't want to know your diagnosis, just what your needs are. They aren't medical profsssionals, and they aren't going to pretend to be.

You need to focus on the effect and need not the cause. When you say:

"I told them his blood sugar easily plummets just walking around the mall"

What does that mean? Why does that equal needing skip the line accomodations? Why can't an ECV fix this?

Please don't answer me here. Just someting to think about.

I have experience dealing with family with blood sugar issues leading to siezures and unconsciousness. It's very scary, and in my experince, usually leads to a 911 call, but I still don't understand how it leads to the need for skip the line accomodations. That's what you have to figure out.

• Needing to keep a medical bag with you in line. Yes, that makes sense.
• Needing to take food, candy, or glucose into the line. Yes, that makes sense.
• Needing to use a wheelchair or ecv becuase of stamina issues. Yes, that makes sense.

I'm not trying to be difficult, just to point out how it looks from the other side. I'm not saying your husband doesn't need or deserve accommodations, but you've got to figure out how to explain it in a way that is obvious he does. Due to all the recent talk about fakers and abuse, the Mods have asked people not to share exact wording to cut dwon on people who are coming on forums like this and looking up what to say to get approved. That's why I said don't answer me here just think about you will tell the TMs when they ask you the same thing.


The other half of this is, I'm not sure when you went last year, but you may have gotten caught up in their switch to the new policy which may have caused you issues. If you didn't pre-register, than I'm sure that led to problems.

Here's the current process:

You must first register with a third party, IBCCES, who will confirm the medical condition (T1D) and issue a card. These are the people that care about the medical side. You will need medical documentation to prove your husband has T1D. If you already did this last year, check to see if the card is still good. I think it lasts awhile. Please note, this card means nothing as far as Universal's accommodations. It is only proof of a disability. Having it allows you to plead your case before a Universal TM. You can still be turned down by Universal. A lot of people are getting the IBCCES card and thinking that means they are approved, it dose not. It's just an extra measure to stop abuse.

After being approved by IBCCES, you still have to have a phone call with a Universal TM. This will be your husband's chance to convince them that he needs accommodations and what type. If Universal feels that his needs merit accomodations, they will give them. Again, they won't care about his disease, they are only going to care about why waiting doesn't work for him specifically. What about his disease makes waiting in line impossible and would an ecv fix that? That's what they care about. If you just say he has T1D, they aren't going to care. Lots of people with T1D do Universal without accomodations.


As far as EP

Something you might want to look into doing is a split stay. 1 night at a premier resort gets you 2 days of EP for each person in the room, including the day you check in and the day you check out, so you could stay off property or at a value resorts like CB or Aventura for most of the trip, and then do only one night at a premier resort to get the 2 days of EP. Universal doesn't care, and with the hotels so close to the parks, it is super quick and easy to go check in to the hotel before hitting the park for the day. I think the hotel check-in counters open at 7am, but it could be earlier.

Our first trip, I found an amazing deal on a condo at Vista Cay about 10 minutes from Universal, and we booked a 1 night stay at Royal Pacific as a throw away room that we didn't even plan to use. Even paying for a room we weren't using, it was a huge saving over staying on property the whole trip or paying for EP outright.

It's also nice to have the room to return to during the day for breaks.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I can offer some advice on the Express Pass (The Universal version of Fast Pass). If you are thinking about buying Express Pass, look into the cost of buying Express Pass vs. the cost of staying in one of the premium hotels. Often times the cost of the premium hotel is less than buying Express Pass for the trip or part of the trip.

 

[daisyduck1975]

Please know, everything below is me playing devil's advocate to help you understand where Universal is coming from becuase if you don't understand how it sounds to a TM, you'll never get anywhere.



If Universal feels your needs can be met by EP or a wheelchair / ecv, they may not give you accommodations. Having T1D or T2D has nothing to do with qualifying for a pass or not. With both conditions, there are going to be people who will qualify and people who won't. Universal doesn't want to know your diagnosis, just what your needs are. They aren't medical profsssionals, and they aren't going to pretend to be.

You need to focus on the effect and need not the cause. When you say:

"I told them his blood sugar easily plummets just walking around the mall"

What does that mean? Why does that equal needing skip the line accomodations? Why can't an ECV fix this?

Please don't answer me here. Just someting to think about.

I have experience dealing with family with blood sugar issues leading to siezures and unconsciousness. It's very scary, and in my experince, usually leads to a 911 call, but I still don't understand how it leads to the need for skip the line accomodations. That's what you have to figure out.

• Needing to keep a medical bag with you in line. Yes, that makes sense.
• Needing to take food, candy, or glucose into the line. Yes, that makes sense.
• Needing to use a wheelchair or ecv becuase of stamina issues. Yes, that makes sense.

I'm not trying to be difficult, just to point out how it looks from the other side. I'm not saying your husband doesn't need or deserve accommodations, but you've got to figure out how to explain it in a way that is obvious he does. Due to all the recent talk about fakers and abuse, the Mods have asked people not to share exact wording to cut dwon on people who are coming on forums like this and looking up what to say to get approved. That's why I said don't answer me here just think about you will tell the TMs when they ask you the same thing.


The other half of this is, I'm not sure when you went last year, but you may have gotten caught up in their switch to the new policy which may have caused you issues. If you didn't pre-register, than I'm sure that led to problems.

Here's the current process:

You must first register with a third party, IBCCES, who will confirm the medical condition (T1D) and issue a card. These are the people that care about the medical side. You will need medical documentation to prove your husband has T1D. If you already did this last year, check to see if the card is still good. I think it lasts awhile. Please note, this card means nothing as far as Universal's accommodations. It is only proof of a disability. Having it allows you to plead your case before a Universal TM. You can still be turned down by Universal. A lot of people are getting the IBCCES card and thinking that means they are approved, it dose not. It's just an extra measure to stop abuse.

After being approved by IBCCES, you still have to have a phone call with a Universal TM. This will be your husband's chance to convince them that he needs accommodations and what type. If Universal feels that his needs merit accomodations, they will give them. Again, they won't care about his disease, they are only going to care about why waiting doesn't work for him specifically. What about his disease makes waiting in line impossible and would an ecv fix that? That's what they care about. If you just say he has T1D, they aren't going to care. Lots of people with T1D do Universal without accomodations.


As far as EP

Something you might want to look into doing is a split stay. 1 night at a premier resort gets you 2 days of EP for each person in the room, including the day you check in and the day you check out, so you could stay off property or at a value resorts like CB or Aventura for most of the trip, and then do only one night at a premier resort to get the 2 days of EP. Universal doesn't care, and with the hotels so close to the parks, it is super quick and easy to go check in to the hotel before hitting the park for the day. I think the hotel check-in counters open at 7am, but it could be earlier.

Our first trip, I found an amazing deal on a condo at Vista Cay about 10 minutes from Universal, and we booked a 1 night stay at Royal Pacific as a throw away room that we didn't even plan to use. Even paying for a room we weren't using, it was a huge saving over staying on property the whole trip or paying for EP outright.

It's also nice to have the room to return to during the day for breaks.

Thank you for the feedback and I will keep that in mind. This is what they kept saying “but why” and it honestly irritated the hell out of me as a caregiver of someone with low blood sugar. I felt like they should know why if they are working daily in a department servicing disabilities. I completely understand that there are people taking advantage and I think it’s repulsive. Those people are the reason I nearly lost him last year. But, I also believe someone with T1D and hypoglycemia should not have to jump through so many hoops when their condition has been confirmed by IBCCES. I suppose some people can go through life with minimal issues with their T1D. Maybe? Mine isn’t one of them. I hope people realize that taking advantage of a system truly puts those that need services at risk. Thank you for helping me think that through, although last night he said he rather just pay them the $700 for the Express Passes to not have to go through that again, which I think is really sad.

I do know how people jump rooms to save on the Express Pass but that’s not his thing. He just wants to settle in. We’re just there for a short time and headed to Disney. It was such an easy experience with them and they were so compassionate.

 

[nighttowll]

Thank you for the feedback and I will keep that in mind. This is what they kept saying “but why” and it honestly irritated the hell out of me as a caregiver of someone with low blood sugar. I felt like they should know why if they are working daily in a department servicing disabilities. I completely understand that there are people taking advantage and I think it’s repulsive. Those people are the reason I nearly lost him last year. But, I also believe someone with T1D and hypoglycemia should not have to jump through so many hoops when their condition has been confirmed by IBCCES. I suppose some people can go through life with minimal issues with their T1D. Maybe? Mine isn’t one of them. I hope people realize that taking advantage of a system truly puts those that need services at risk. Thank you for helping me think that through, although last night he said he rather just pay them the $700 for the Express Passes to not have to go through that again, which I think is really sad.

I do know how people jump rooms to save on the Express Pass but that’s not his thing. He just wants to settle in. We’re just there for a short time and headed to Disney. It was such an easy experience with them and they were so compassionate.

It is sad that all this has to happen because of the people abusing the system who ruin it for all the people who really do need it.

The thing with the TMs is that their job is simply to determine what accomodatons you need. They aren't trianed at all on the medical side of things, and for liability reasons, parks don't want them to be. People go to school for years to be nurses and doctos. There is no way someone with no healthcare background could possibly be familiar with every disease out there, but it doesn't matter anyway becase accomodations are not disease specifc. They are need specific.

As far as IBCCES, this is in organization who vets disabilities for a number of different companies not only Universal. It's only to prove you aren't faking. That's it. Because every company is going to have different struggles for different people, they each have to evaluate your needs independent of this conmpany. For instance, if IBCCES verified someone was paralyzed and needed a wheechair, and that person went somewhere that was 100% wheelchair accessible, they wouldn't need any accomodations, but if they went somewhere that wasn't wheelchair accessible they would. IBCCES doesn't know where you are going or what type of accomodations you may need to overcome the obstacles in that place. They are just saying we verified this person has a documented medical disibility. Then, it is up to the independent company to determine what is needed at their business.

Please be aware that starting in mid May Disney is changing their system as well. It is still unclear exactly how Disney's new system is going to work, but it looks like they are moving away from offering DAS passes for physical disabilities completely (not saying there won't be exceptions), so I expect you will find yourself in a similar situation at Disney in the future as you have at Universal.

There have been a lot of statistics posted over in the DAS discussion thread, but basically, what it comes down to is that the percentage of the population who has some type of disability is simply too large for any theme park to sustain giving them all skip the line passes. Because of this, the theme parks are looking for alternative ways to accommodate guests. Not everyone needs to wait outside of the line. Some people can wait inside the line with specific accommodations such as being allowed a medical bag, allowed a stroller or wheelchair in the line, allowed to leave and return to the line, allowed food, etc.

Both Disney and Universal are going to do everything in their power to get you to take an alternative accommodation if there is one that will work before they are going to give you a skip the line pass. They simply don't have the capacity to handle giving everyone a pass. Someone ran the numbers and came up with 75% of the LL (EP equivalent lane) at Disney is currently people with a disability. This is inversely affecting all gusests in a negative way, so all parks are sarting to crack down.

If I was you, I would sit down and write out a list of how having a disbility pass has helped you in the past or how you think it will help you in the future verses not having one.

Then, look at that list and ask yourself could any of these things be accomplished another way? Using an ECV, keeping meds and snacks nearby, being able to leave and return to the line (supposedly this will be new accomodation at Disney), ect.

After you remove everything that you can think of another way to accomodate, what's left? That will be your why to tell Universal and Disney when they ask.

The reality is that alomost every family is struggling with something. Universal's and Disney's goal is to reach those for whom there is no other way. All others are going to be told to take a different lesser accomodation. That's the new reality of being to able to keep the service in place at all.

Everyone thinks that parks have to provide accomodations, but they actually don't. They have to provide equal service and only if that equal service doesn't come at the expensive of others. Disney already has the data to show that accomodatoiuns are effecting all guests negatively, so from a legal standpoint, they really don't have to do anything.

Right now, what Universal is doing is a better deal than Disney. With Universal, if they give you a pass, it allows unlimited EP use and skip the line completely at rides with long EP lines. Disney makes you wait outside the line, but you still have to wait the standby time, so Universal is really going above what they legally have to do as unlimited EP is not an equivilant experince to regular guests but a free upgrade as everyone else has to pay for it.

Edited to clarify, you only use EP if wait time is under 30 minutes. Otherwise you get a return time.

From Orlando Informer:

The process looks a little like this:

• Present your AAP to the greeter at the attraction that you would like to experience.
• If the posted wait time is less than 30 minutes, you will be directed towards an alternative queue, which may be the Express Pass line, the ride’s exit, or, possibly, a different route.
• If the posted wait time is 30 minutes or more, the employee will write in a specific time to return to that attraction on the reverse side of the pass.
• Once it is your time to return, present your AAP to the team member at the ride, and you will be directed to the alternative-queue entrance.
• After you have experienced the attraction, you may use your Attraction Assistance Pass to obtain a return time at another ride.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

With Universal, if they give you a pass, it allows unlimited EP use and skip the line completely at rides with long EP lines.

I do not believe this is true. A) there are different accommodations depending upon different needs. B) you'd need to wait the standby wait (if the standby wait is over something like 20min I believe) before entering the EP line.

I told them his blood sugar easily plummets just walking around the mall

Based on solely that description, I'd be in agreement with the Universal TM - skipping a line is not going to help with that. How does he propose to walk around the park? Could you attempt to avoid the hottest times of year - or go in the morning, break in AC, come back in the evening? Avoiding the worst of the heat would seem to be more beneficial than anything Universal could provide.

 

[nighttowll]

I do not believe this is true. A) there are different accommodations depending upon different needs. B) you'd need to wait the standby wait (if the standby wait is over something like 20min I believe) before entering the EP line.

Sorry, I was remembering it wrong. I knew it was EP if the EP line was short, but I thought it was go in if it was long, but it's get a return time.


From Orlando Informer:

The process looks a little like this:

• Present your AAP to the greeter at the attraction that you would like to experience.
• If the posted wait time is less than 30 minutes, you will be directed towards an alternative queue, which may be the Express Pass line, the ride’s exit, or, possibly, a different route.
• If the posted wait time is 30 minutes or more, the employee will write in a specific time to return to that attraction on the reverse side of the pass.
• Once it is your time to return, present your AAP to the team member at the ride, and you will be directed to the alternative-queue entrance.
• After you have experienced the attraction, you may use your Attraction Assistance Pass to obtain a return time at another ride.

 

[HopperFan]

The Assistance Pass at Universal is greatly inferior to the Express Pass. You will have to wait the standby time and at Universal there is less to do. It is a manual system so you have to go to the attraction, get a time, then come back. With attractions being spread apart most times we just sit there at the ride with a snack. It is a physically and emotionally draining system.

If I could afford Express Pass or their deluxe hotels with it included that is what I would do. There is no additional waiting, and no back & forth to the attraction. It has neither the physical or mental drain that comes with their assistance pass.

PS It is a rare ride that lets us on right away so I wouldn't depend on that.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I do know how people jump rooms to save on the Express Pass but that’s not his thing. He just wants to settle in. We’re just there for a short time and headed to Disney. It was such an easy experience with them and they were so compassionate.

Just to clarify or explain, you do not actually need to use the room. You can pay for the room, check in, get the room key/ExpressPass, and never actually go inside the hotel room.

 

[nouvellefleur]

That night my partner went into a diabetic coma when we got back to the hotel. Thank God we brought the Basquami and I was able to bring him back. Day two we raced as fast as we could in the morning to get on a few rides before the lines started.

I apologize in advance but I have to ask about this because I'm a little concerned - your partner went into a diabetic coma in your hotel room, you administered BAQSIMI, and then you were both running off as fast as you could to the rollercoasters in the morning? Did you call 911 after administering the spray? One of my good friends is Type 1 diabetic and if she were ever in a condition to have someone administer BAQSIMI for a severe low sugar event, let alone a diabetic coma, we'd be calling for professional medical care to make sure she was ok, per her previously established request. I'm very glad your partner was okay and hope you find accommodations that help for your next trip, but this reported sequence of events concerns me.

 

[nighttowll]

Not sure about the OP, but I know in my family, the person bounces back very quickly once sugar is restored and resumes normal life the next day like nothing ever happened. It's actually a huge issue for us because the person in our family does not understand at all how serious the episode was because they now feel fine and have no memory of it. There is little the paramedics can do besides restore sugar levels, so while I personally would call 911 just to be safe, I completely understand the logic that might lead you not to and also get going about like normal the next day.

Edited to add:
Also, thanks for bringing BAQSIMI to my attention. I missed it being mentioned earlier and had never heard of it before. I am going to check it out. We tend to use juice and pixie sticks, but that doesn't work if the person gets too bad.

 

[nouvellefleur]

Yeah, my friend bounces back pretty quickly as well from a sugar event as well, but since her T1D unexpectedly manifested in her 20s, put her in a diabetic coma, and put her in the hospital, I guess her perspective is different about whether or not to seek professional medical assistance during/after an event that leads to a diabetic coma, and whether to repeat the conditions that led to a medical emergency. We're not calling 911 every time she has a low sugar event. She can handle it. In fact we've never had to call 911 for her. But if we're talking unconscious in a diabetic coma, then yeah she's asked us to call the paramedics to make sure she doesn't, you know, almost die again.

 

[nouvellefleur]

Edited to add:
Also, thanks for bringing BAQSIMI to my attention. I missed it being mentioned earlier and had never heard of it before. I am going to check it out. We tend to use juice and pixie sticks, but that doesn't work if the person gets too bad.

Yes, it's pretty amazing stuff!

 

[daisyduck1975]

Responding to a few comments here:

Someone misread and misinterpreted what I said. Clarifying: We don't ride rollercoasters, nor were were running.

Respectfully, I am only responding to responses that specifically answer "Hey, how do you help Universal reps understand the needs of a type 1 diabetic". I'm not trying to be an a** but some questions and comments came across as rude, even if not intended as such. Until someone is a full-time caregiver to a T1D, it will be difficult for you to understand. Even with that, our experiences can be very different. While typing this I had to stop what I was doing to help my partner who was staring into space at the garage door not realizing his blood sugar was dropping. No one can understand the sacrifice, frustrations, and daily fears until you walk a day in someone's shoes.

T1D is a little different for everyone who has it. I'm only sharing this because I think it will be helpful for people to understand. My brother is diabetic, doesn't work out, and eats poorly. He generally runs high so when his blood sugar drops it doesn't affect him. My partner is a T1D with hypoglycemia. He has had it since he was 13. He's now 45. He's extremely fit and regimented, eats super healthy, and drinks 2 gallons of water daily. You will seldom ever see him touch junk food, even on his birthday. The only time he takes in processed sugar is if drinking a PowerAde or taking a sugar pill to bring his levels up. If he tries to eat junk food, his blood sugar skyrockets and it's hard to regulate. So he stays away from it. On the plus side, his A1C reads like a normal person. On the downside, when his blood sugar drops, and it's often and easily, if he doesn't catch it fast enough, he is in a diabetic coma or seizure. These are not uncommon for him and several times a year I have to call the paramedics. Basquami is a dream for bringing him back. He can't go outside and pull small weeds for more than a half hour without his blood sugar dropping. The heat definitely affects him and it is documented that as the body temperature elevates, blood sugar can drop. I also explained this to Universal. It was 113 degrees the day we were there and no one could have predicted months earlier when booking our trip that it would be one of the hottest weeks in Orlando history. So if I'm trying to give an example in my description to them that "he can't even walk through the mall without having to pop sugar pills" it's nothing to be taken lightly or questioned. However I do appreciate the responses that don't understand this because it tells me I need to find another way to relay his condition like someone suggested here. Once he takes Basquami if he's passed out or the paramedics treat him, he's totally back to normal. So for some with T1D, it's possible they CAN do Univrsal without an issue. My partner is not one of them.

For us to travel is a BIG deal. There are trips we can never take because he doesn't feel comfortable. There are sacrifices we both make, particularly him, due to this disease. I was so nervous about this trip. This is why before I left for Universal, we took every step necessary to ensure we wouldn't have an issue. Had we not paid already for the hotel and tickets, I would have turned away at the gate when they denied him accommodations.

As a side note, someone mentioned theme parks don't have to offer accommodations: Legally, theme parks do have to offer accommodations for disabilities. The ADA requirement for theme parks is “equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.” The only exception is if their accommodation prevents a health or safety threat to another individual. There is a reason why those determining IEPs in schools have to be trained in disability services to make appropriate accommodations for a child. If Universal employees know nothing about a disorder, they shouldn’t be determining appropriate accommodations. It runs the risk of violating ADA requirements and is an actual danger to patrons with legitimate disabilities. As an example, we stood in line at Harry Potter. We were lucky that the line was shorter when we got there but it grew quickly behind us. At one point I'm looking around thinking, "Oh my God we just walked a ton to get to this point, they made him put his Powerade in a locker (because none of these kids are on the same page). We are surrounded with no way out. If his blood sugar drops right now, I'm trapped with no way to escape." This is the kind of stuff I have to be thinking about the entire time. He went through a whole sleeve of sugar pills by that point. This is why Express Pass is critical for those with severe hypoglycemia. When we got to Disney we had zero issues.

I'm not going to worry about it at this point and pay for the premier hotel to not have to put him through this again, but I truly hope for the sake of those with legitimate issues 1. That ***holes stop faking disabilities because you put the life risk of those with true disabilities and 2. Universal gets on top of its training in disability services.

 

[zavandor]

When we got to Disney we had zero issues.

Just to repeat a comment from a PP: Disney is changing the DAS too, with the untold but evident goal of reducing the number of passes they give. You will be able to register before the trip so you don't waste time during your trip. I would recommend you look into it, within a month or so we should know more how it'll work.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Anyone can bring food in line/drinks if you intend to finish them before riding. Or if it fits completely in a pocket it can ride (or you can use a Fanny pack which can go on all rides except the metal detector coasters).

You can bring necessary medical supplies in the lines (I imagine food/drink would count in this case), I understand there are medical lockers right near the actual boarding areas for that circumstance. I haven't used them but have seen them at some rides.

Hopefully the EP gives you a better taste of Universal after this visit.

 

[nighttowll]

The heat definitely affects him and it is documented that as the body temperature elevates, blood sugar can drop. I also explained this to Universal. It was 113 degrees the day we were there and no one could have predicted months earlier when booking our trip that it would be one of the hottest weeks in Orlando history. So if I'm trying to give an example in my description to them that "he can't even walk through the mall without having to pop sugar pills" it's nothing to be taken lightly or questioned.

When you say this my brain makes no connection between not being able to walk around the inside mall and heat outside. It's an apples to ornges, not apples to apples comparison. On top of that, stamina issues = wheelchair / ecv, so that isn't going to get you anywhere.

Focus on the heat if that is the issue, but don't just say he can't take the heat. No one can take the heat if it is 113 outside.

Be direct, don't give them a hypothetical or example that isn't an exact recreation of the situation he will find himself in.

Keep things as simple and as to the point as you can. If he stands / sits in the heat X number of minutes, Y happens. This is why we need accommodations to wait somewhere else.

I think you do have a valid need for a pass. I just think you have to work a little on how you explain your needs.

The above is also a great example of why accomodations are sympton based. If the issue is heat, in the winter you wouldn't need an accomodation, but in the summer you would. It was between 40 and 60 on my last February trip.

As a side note, someone mentioned theme parks don't have to offer accommodations: Legally, theme parks do have to offer accommodations for disabilities. The ADA requirement for theme parks is “equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.” The only exception is if their accommodation prevents a health or safety threat to another individual.

I wasn't saying they don't have to give any accommodations, I was saying they don't have to technically give the accommodations they are. The law is equal not specific to the passes in use to day. As long as they can offer you an accommodation that matches your need, it doesn't have to be to wait outside the line.

On top of that, from what was posted below, it looks like there has been a precedent set that if accommodations would "fundamentally alter the theme park experience", they don't have to give them out. Disney has data right now that says that is what is happening at Disney at the moment which is I think a big part of why they are changing their program. It isn't sustainable.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw.3943880/page-59#post-65433493

Universal could easily use Disney's data to extrapolate their own.

Do I think anyone will get rid of wait outside the line accommodations? No, but could they legally if they wanted? I think so based on the precedent that has already been set in court. That's what I was referring to not that they don't have to accomodate at all.

There is a reason why those determining IEPs in schools have to be trained in disability services to make appropriate accommodations for a child. If Universal employees know nothing about a disorder, they shouldn’t be determining appropriate accommodations. It runs the risk of violating ADA requirements and is an actual danger to patrons with legitimate disabilities.

But that's the thing Universal TM's really aren't supposed to be determining anything. That's why accommodations aren't disease specific. They don't go, "oh you have disease A, lets see you need B". Accommodations are symptom based. A guest says, "I need B because I have symptom A". The TM then decides if that is a reasonable accommodation for the reason given not the disease or if something else would work instead.

For instance:

I need access to emergency medicine at all times, so I need to be able to keep my medical bag with me all the through each line. This makes logical sense, and they are going to allow it.

My leg is broken. I can't stand in long lines, so I need to wait outside of the line. There are other options. The person can rent a wheelchair or ecv, so they aren't going to allow it.

The TMs are only making very basic decisions like this. If there is a reason that you cannot wait in a line that cannot be fixed with a wheelchair or an ecv, then they are going to allow you to get the pass. If the issue is stamina based, they are going to recommend a wheelchair or ecv.

As an example, we stood in line at Harry Potter. We were lucky that the line was shorter when we got there but it grew quickly behind us. At one point I'm looking around thinking, "Oh my God we just walked a ton to get to this point, they made him put his Powerade in a locker (because none of these kids are on the same page). We are surrounded with no way out. If his blood sugar drops right now, I'm trapped with no way to escape." This is the kind of stuff I have to be thinking about the entire time. He went through a whole sleeve of sugar pills by that point. This is why Express Pass is critical for those with severe hypoglycemia. When we got to Disney we had zero issues.

Couple of things.

First, this is another great example of why you can't wait in a line. He has a history of passing out, and you can't risk being trapped in a line if that happens. Tell a TM this. Again, be direct and keep it simple.

Second, the powerade thing. I would definitely bring this to guest relations attention if you haven't already. I'm not sure if you need anything from a TM in writing showing they have approved this accomodation in order to take bags with food / medicine into lines or not, but they shouldn't be stopping you, even on the x-ray rides. If this is something you need, stand firm. Be clear. Don't say he is a diabetic, so he needs this because of symptom. Say he has a medical need for this. If they press, you can say if he doesn't have this, he will passout. I would definitely get TM names if it is an issue and reprt them to GR for training.



I think there are two different accomodations you need.

1. Be able to take food and medicine in the line with you (You will need this even for EP).
I'm not sure if they give a tag or anything for this. I would ask. Also, explain what happened before and ask for advice on how to handle it if an untrianed TM tries to deny you this accomodation.

2. Wait somewhere else.
Explain why without using the disease as the reason. You have listed two good reasons here that are not unique to T1D, and you may have more. Focus on symptoms not disease.

 

[macraven]

Thank you night owl for explaining it.

Much appreciated.

Believe you have helped many.

Closing the thread now so we don’t get off track.