ToT and GAC question

[Blanche_Neige]

My DS want to do the Tower of Terror so much but cannot go threw the movie and the waiting line (dark & creepy), it was the same thing for Pirates of the Caribbean...

Last year, I and another group were given an alternate entrance to the Pirates of he Caribbean and avoided the dark waiting line.

Do they offer the same thing for TOT

I don't mind waiting, they just can't do it in the dark space.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I know people who did enter through an alternate entrance that avoids the queue area and pre-show. I think they entered directly into the boiler room.

Be aware that you can't skip the first part of the ride before the dropping begins. IMO that's the creepiest part. The ride is fairly dark the whole time as well.

 

[Blanche_Neige]

I know people who did enter through an alternate entrance that avoids the queue area and pre-show. I think they entered directly into the boiler room.

Be aware that you can't skip the first part of the ride before the dropping begins. IMO that's the creepiest part. The ride is fairly dark the whole time as well.

I know, they have watched it on you tube many times!! anyways that point will go fast they are sitting and belted... They love dropping ride, provides lots of sensory input

I will let you know how it goes.

I'm sure after the fist time they will want to do it again and again and won;t have trouble waiting in the regular line...

That is the way they are sometimes

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Depending on your situation, you may not even get routed to the boiler room. We got in straight from where you exit the elevators.


This is a little bit of a backstage spoiler so I'll post it in white text. Just highlight it to read it, but only if you dare.

***When you exit the elevator, if the ramp is to your left, on the right side where that wall is immediately to your right, there's a door. If you're on the other side, flip it. Behind that door is a sterile white hallway with an elevator at the end that a CM took us down, rode the elevator up and it lets you off right at the boarding area. It's a totally weird disconnect from the dark and dreary decor to this almost more creepy white hallway. ***

 

[Blanche_Neige]

Depending on your situation, you may not even get routed to the boiler room. We got in straight from where you exit the elevators.


This is a little bit of a backstage spoiler so I'll post it in white text. Just highlight it to read it, but only if you dare.

*** ***

My DS are autistic. In the past I did ask the CM if there was an alternate entrance and he said no. I did not pursue it at the time DS was too young and shown no interest. Last year, one of the twins, tried but could stay in the room with the movie... I had to walk him through the boiler room and exit directly in the hallway (the chicken exit) that leads you to the store. I wish we could use that entrance to go in

BTW I love what you did with the spoiler, very smart

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Thanks, I saw someone else do a spoiler that way and it comes in handy.

I guess what my suggestion would be is to speak to the CM at the beginning of the line and explain the situation more than just "I need a different entrance" or anything like that (which you may have done, I obviously wasn't in line with you.) If the CM doesn't understand or tells you there's no alternative entrance (because there obviously is!) politely ask to speak to a manager. A manager may be able to give you a better option. The way I got in doesn't seem to be the "normal" way of doing it, and I don't know if other people that would be in a similiar situation to ours are offered that option either. I could see them saying they don't typically offer that option because the area could easily become congested. I can't imagine that if you spoke to a manager, they couldn't help you out. I do have to say be kind and patient with the CMs. I can't tell you how many times we've been told different things when going on a ride more than once. We were told at Dinosaur that one of us would have to wait at the entrance with our service dog while the other went through the FP line. This service dog is a guide dog...this CM expected my father to get through the line without the dog, but it'd be ok because it was the short line. Finally the CM coming to relieve him who was listening to this whole thing goes "Dude.. that's not how it works for them" and let us go the way we'd been told every other time. We've had a CM put us in the FP line and had another pull us out and send us to an alternative entrance. What I think happened with the POTC situation is that ride is from a time before the whole "mainstreaming" of the lines happened. There isn't a point in the line where they can redirect people in wheelchairs or whatever, they just go in the back entrance. TOT was built later obviously, so different rules and policies were in place when they built it. Its meant to keep everyone in the same line, at least until a point where they'd need to divert, like avoiding stairs if they were in a wheelchair.

I guess in a nutshell what I'm trying to get across is that if you get a GAC you should find things a bit easier, and should you approach the CM at the beginning of the line and they don't get it (no offense to CMs but I've run into one that really just don't get it) calmly and politely ask to speak to a manager. It's Disney, and they're all about helping you and giving you the best experience they can.

 

[SueM in MN]

My DS are autistic. In the past I did ask the CM if there was an alternate entrance and he said no. I did not pursue it at the time DS was too young and shown no interest. Last year, one of the twins, tried but could stay in the room with the movie... I had to walk him through the boiler room and exit directly in the hallway (the chicken exit) that leads you to the store. I wish we could use that entrance to go in

BTW I love what you did with the spoiler, very smart

Thanks, I saw someone else do a spoiler that way and it comes in handy.

I guess what my suggestion would be is to speak to the CM at the beginning of the line and explain the situation more than just "I need a different entrance" or anything like that (which you may have done, I obviously wasn't in line with you.) If the CM doesn't understand or tells you there's no alternative entrance (because there obviously is!) politely ask to speak to a manager. A manager may be able to give you a better option. The way I got in doesn't seem to be the "normal" way of doing it, and I don't know if other people that would be in a similiar situation to ours are offered that option either. I could see them saying they don't typically offer that option because the area could easily become congested. I can't imagine that if you spoke to a manager, they couldn't help you out. I do have to say be kind and patient with the CMs. I can't tell you how many times we've been told different things when going on a ride more than once. We were told at Dinosaur that one of us would have to wait at the entrance with our service dog while the other went through the FP line. This service dog is a guide dog...this CM expected my father to get through the line without the dog, but it'd be ok because it was the short line. Finally the CM coming to relieve him who was listening to this whole thing goes "Dude.. that's not how it works for them" and let us go the way we'd been told every other time. We've had a CM put us in the FP line and had another pull us out and send us to an alternative entrance. What I think happened with the POTC situation is that ride is from a time before the whole "mainstreaming" of the lines happened. There isn't a point in the line where they can redirect people in wheelchairs or whatever, they just go in the back entrance. TOT was built later obviously, so different rules and policies were in place when they built it. Its meant to keep everyone in the same line, at least until a point where they'd need to divert, like avoiding stairs if they were in a wheelchair.

I guess in a nutshell what I'm trying to get across is that if you get a GAC you should find things a bit easier, and should you approach the CM at the beginning of the line and they don't get it (no offense to CMs but I've run into one that really just don't get it) calmly and politely ask to speak to a manager. It's Disney, and they're all about helping you and giving you the best experience they can.

I just want to point out that NOT all attractions even have an alternate entrance or way in.
Some do and it is easily used without having to go in a backstage area. Others have a way that is not so easily used and involves going into a backstage area (which is the case with the POC and TOT access described earlier).
Those alternate areas that are outside of a backstage area are much easier to use - if a CM understands your needs, they can direct you there and you can go without a CM to show you.

Some alternate entry/waiting areas are ONLY available at times when there is enough staffing to take the guests thru the backstage. So, if you ask for an alternate entrance when there is not staffing to take you there, CMs may tell you there is nothing available because that is true at the time (no CM to take you there means it may as well not have one).
In general, they try to avoid using backstage areas for those reasons and have tried to make things accessible in the ‘mainstream’ as much as possible.

Also, some CMs may have more experience than others with certain conditions/situations and may ‘get it’ quicker than others. You may be explaining perfectly well for a CM who is somewhat familiar with your situation, but another CM may be totally clueless and may need more information. (The same as some posters here see ASD and know that means Autism Spectrum Disorder and other posters have no idea what ASD means and, even when told, have a very vague idea of what autism means).

GACs are just a very basic ‘heads up’ to tell the CM that there is something more here than meets the eye. It’s usually up to the guest to ‘fill in the blanks’ to tell what they need,
For example, most guests with wheelchairs just need to have the accessible entrance and may not need a moving walkway stopped or need extra time.
In our situation, because DD needs to be lifted or do a lift and then stand and pivot (which may be a foreign language to some people), we do need moving walkways stopped and do need extra time. The CM won’t know that unless we tell them and tell them specifically what we need.

In the case of trying to avoid the preshow movie and waiting in the dark areas, that is the important point for you.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Thanks for adding Sue. I felt like I was blathering on so I tried to restrict my talkative self to the 2 rides mentioned. You're totally right about not every ride/attraction having an alternative entrance. I know how things were handled with us isn't the norm, but thought I'd offer it us as a bit of fun info and a possible solution for the OP's situation. I hope no one takes what I said as the new way or a "oh so that's how I can get on faster" thing because that's not what I was trying to imply.

I didn't know that how the ride is staffed at the time would have an effect, but it does make sense. And certainly not every CM has dealt with every issue, disabilty, syndrome or whatever and I understand that...my example was from an extreme case (I hope) where even as I told this CM that I needed to be with my father up to the loading point as he's blind, he told me that wasn't possible. This is when the other CM stepped in and helped us. I've also met a CM who was almost aggressive with "trying to help". We started walking into the alternative entrance for SSE when a CM flew up to us asking if we were planning to ride. I figured she meant to show us where to go once inside but what she instead did was give a snippy "You shouldn't go on with that dog, he's going to freak out" I replied "Thanks but this dog has been on the ride before and he was fine with it" She said "He's not really allowed on because of some of the effects" to which I pulled out the disablities guide they hand out at guest services and pointed out that the dog WAS allowed on the ride, but to be cautious of the smoke smell effect. This only made her more adamant that the dog wasn't allowed and she took the pamphlet from me and pointed to the smoke smell warning and said "See? This means he's not going to like it and we'll probably have to shut the ride down to get him off" My reply was to calmly tell her we were going on the ride now. We ended up stopping back off at Guest Services and telling them about this. Perhaps she'd experienced a dog having a bad reaction at that point in the ride or heard from another CM that something like this had happened, and I really don't doubt there's been a case of a dog reacting poorly to the smoke smell. I didn't appreciate the confrontation, especially when she started outright arguing with me. So I guess my point is while I don't expect every CM to understand everything that could possibly be wrong with a guest, I would expect them to be a bit more educated on what I'd consider a "basic" disabilty in the first case, and to expect manners from their employees in the second case. Guest services assured us she would be "dealt with" and that was that with it, I wasn't looking for compensation or anything from it, just letting them know what had happened.

Considering its Disney, and how they are all about making their guests as welcome and comfortable as possible, I'd love for them to put a bit more emphasis on how to handle themselves a bit better with guests with a GAC or an obvious disability. Certainly we've had great experiences with the CMs helping out, asking if the dog needed water or food, getting us to out of the way tables at restaurants, getting us where we needed to be for the rides, but it seems when we hit a bad one, its really bad. I posted a story on another board about our little experience with PUSH, I may have it somewhere on here but I can't remember. We were walking through Tomorrowland, heading back towards the hub, I hear a barking noise. I looked around to see if it was a person trying to get the dog to turn or react, then I realize it's PUSH. We weren't watching him, weren't walking towards him, not giving any indication we were interested in it. We were about 6-8 yards away from where he was. I got really angry at this because this was a blatant distraction. The dog didn't react luckily...anyway when I posted the story on the other board, I got a reply from a CM profusely apologizing, saying that it NEVER should have happened and that during training they're taught to treat the dog as a guest, but never to approach, talk to, or distract any type of service dog unless the owner has given express permission. So I know it's talked about in training, maybe some CMs just don't retain it...

I've just realized how long this post has gotten since I had something in the oven for 20 minutes and put it in before I started this and I just took it out. Told you I was talkative!

 

[SueM in MN]

I've just realized how long this post has gotten since I had something in the oven for 20 minutes and put it in before I started this and I just took it out. Told you I was talkative!

LOL - obviously, I have the same problem.
Some of my ‘short’ posts are longer than the ones people apologize for when they are writing a ‘long’ post.

 

[Blanche_Neige]

I just want to point out that NOT all attractions even have an alternate entrance or way in.
Some do and it is easily used without having to go in a backstage area. Others have a way that is not so easily used and involves going into a backstage area (which is the case with the POC and TOT access described earlier).
Those alternate areas that are outside of a backstage area are much easier to use - if a CM understands your needs, they can direct you there and you can go without a CM to show you.

Some alternate entry/waiting areas are ONLY available at times when there is enough staffing to take the guests thru the backstage. So, if you ask for an alternate entrance when there is not staffing to take you there, CMs may tell you there is nothing available because that is true at the time (no CM to take you there means it may as well not have one).
In general, they try to avoid using backstage areas for those reasons and have tried to make things accessible in the ‘mainstream’ as much as possible.

Also, some CMs may have more experience than others with certain conditions/situations and may ‘get it’ quicker than others. You may be explaining perfectly well for a CM who is somewhat familiar with your situation, but another CM may be totally clueless and may need more information. (The same as some posters here see ASD and know that means Autism Spectrum Disorder and other posters have no idea what ASD means and, even when told, have a very vague idea of what autism means).

GACs are just a very basic ‘heads up’ to tell the CM that there is something more here than meets the eye. It’s usually up to the guest to ‘fill in the blanks’ to tell what they need,
For example, most guests with wheelchairs just need to have the accessible entrance and may not need a moving walkway stopped or need extra time.
In our situation, because DD needs to be lifted or do a lift and then stand and pivot (which may be a foreign language to some people), we do need moving walkways stopped and do need extra time. The CM won’t know that unless we tell them and tell them specifically what we need.

In the case of trying to avoid the preshow movie and waiting in the dark areas, that is the important point for you.

Thanks for adding Sue. I felt like I was blathering on so I tried to restrict my talkative self to the 2 rides mentioned. You're totally right about not every ride/attraction having an alternative entrance. I know how things were handled with us isn't the norm, but thought I'd offer it us as a bit of fun info and a possible solution for the OP's situation. I hope no one takes what I said as the new way or a "oh so that's how I can get on faster" thing because that's not what I was trying to imply.

Thanks for your input I will keep it in mind for my next visit. Also I hope you weren't assuming that I wanted to skip the line, that is not the case at all. I tray, successfully, to mainstream my kids. Disney has been wonderfull and very magical for my kids. Actually, my DS who is autistic started spontanously talking on his 1st trip to Disney. We were waiting in line for 45 min to see Minnie, I was sooo impressed , when he got there he started talking to her!!! We shocked, even writting it now I get tears in my eyes

Anyways, DS has been wanting to do this ride ToT, he has been watching it on youtube, drawing it, building it in lego I promised him I would take him. I know he won't go want to walk down the boiler room (I love the decor), I don't mind waiting for our turn but elsewhere... I know that once he rides it and loves it, he would probably be ok usung the regular entrance. Just like at POC, he just has to know what he gets at the end = Fun not scary!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for your input I will keep it in mind for my next visit. Also I hope you weren't assuming that I wanted to skip the line, that is not the case at all. I tray, successfully, to mainstream my kids. Disney has been wonderfull and very magical for my kids. Actually, my DS who is autistic started spontanously talking on his 1st trip to Disney. We were waiting in line for 45 min to see Minnie, I was sooo impressed , when he got there he started talking to her!!! We shocked, even writting it now I get tears in my eyes

Anyways, DS has been wanting to do this ride ToT, he has been watching it on youtube, drawing it, building it in lego I promised him I would take him. I know he won't go want to walk down the boiler room (I love the decor), I don't mind waiting for our turn but elsewhere... I know that once he rides it and loves it, he would probably be ok usung the regular entrance. Just like at POC, he just has to know what he gets at the end = Fun not scary!!

Not at all. Just wanted to explain that not all attractions have another waiting area or if you waited somewhere else on one ride, the CM might tell you that was not possible on another ride on the same attraction. If you need a certain access and it is not possible at that time, they may be able to give you a ‘come back’ time when it will be possible.

Sometimes, even if you go in a different entrance or skip part of the attraction, the wait will be pretty much the same anyway (and can even be longer). it sounds like you already know this, but I did want to point it out to others who may not know.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I also was didn't think you just wanted to skip the line. Unfortunately we all know there's people out there that will try to take advantage of the system and abuse things put in place for those less able. I was just talking to a friend of mine and she was telling me about her aunt's plans to take her (the aunt's) family. She said something along the lines of "Well I'm just getting that line skippy thing...I'll just tell Billy (or whatever her kids name was) to bounce around when I say a certain word or phrase and they'll think he has ADD so he OBVIOUSLY couldn't wait in a line.."

 

[aubriee]

I also was didn't think you just wanted to skip the line. Unfortunately we all know there's people out there that will try to take advantage of the system and abuse things put in place for those less able. I was just talking to a friend of mine and she was telling me about her aunt's plans to take her (the aunt's) family. She said something along the lines of "Well I'm just getting that line skippy thing...I'll just tell Billy (or whatever her kids name was) to bounce around when I say a certain word or phrase and they'll think he has ADD so he OBVIOUSLY couldn't wait in a line.."

Totally off topic here, but you just reminded me of a post I made on here several years ago. A coworker was making her first ever trip to WDW with her sister, her neice, the neice's husband and their six kids. The sister and neice's family had been to WDW the summer before and were taking my coworker to help with the kids on this trip. Anyway, she said the neice had taken the youngest child to the doctor and while there, had mentioned they were going back to WDW and reminded the doctor that he had written them a note before the last trip saying that one of their kids couldn't wait in lines or in the sun, so needed a note to skip all the lines. He laughed and told her no problem, that he'd write her another note because no way could they stand in long lines with three adults and six kids. I told my coworker that number one she didn't need a doctor's note to get a GAC, number two even a GAC wouldn't necessarily give them front of the line access, and number three a GAC was only good for the person it was written for and like a certain number of people and that 10 was too many people. She went back and talked to her sister and neice and both said that was what they had done the year before. She also said that none of the six kids, nor the adults had any health problems at all. In fact, her doctor asked her which kid she wanted him to write the note for. All six kids are perfectly healthy with no problems of any kind, yet this unethical doctor who is a WDW fan is the one that originally suggested they use a GAC "to skip lines", "because with six young kids they deserved it". Again this is a perfectly healthy family with absolutely no health needs (no ADD, Autism, mobility problems, etc). I couldn't believe they not only got by with it, but apparently did it every summer.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I can't figure out if it's just because its talked about so much on these types of boards but it seems that the whole GAC thing is getting out of hand. The ADA law issue has been discussed on other threads like this..how to get around things by knowing what they'll ask or how people will fake things to get a GAC and why can't they change how these things are dealt with. Unfortunately the laws regarding these things won't change anytime soon and we're left with more people who are learning how to take advantage of the system, and it seems to be getting worse in the current "Me me me, I was here first, I'm better than you because fill in the blank" society.

 

[KPeveler]

I can't figure out if it's just because its talked about so much on these types of boards but it seems that the whole GAC thing is getting out of hand. The ADA law issue has been discussed on other threads like this..how to get around things by knowing what they'll ask or how people will fake things to get a GAC and why can't they change how these things are dealt with. Unfortunately the laws regarding these things won't change anytime soon and we're left with more people who are learning how to take advantage of the system, and it seems to be getting worse in the current "Me me me, I was here first, I'm better than you because fill in the blank" society.

Actually most of us do not think it is unfortunate at all that the laws will not change soon. It is exhausting to have to prove our disabilties as much as we do now, without having to prove to everyone who wants to ask... I can't imagine having to prove to every store manager I need my wheelchair, or having to prove it to CMs at disney. The law is there to protect us and our privacy.

Trust me, I hate people who fake things or try to take advantage, it makes it harder for those of us with real problems. But I have heard it suggested here on the DISboards that I should have to carry paperwork on me at all times certifying my disability and my need for specific mobility equipment to be allowed to use my wheelchair on buses, in stores, etc. It is no one's business why I use my chair, and I refuse to prove it to everyone.

I think people talk here a lot about the GAC, but most people know nothing about it. I only rarely see people using them in Disney. GACs are not well advertised....

There is no easy way of dealing with this, but speaking to my friends in other countries, I am very glad we have the laws we do in this country. We have the best and most advanced laws protecting the rights of the disabled, and I am very grateful.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I don't mean to say that you should have to pass a test to prove that you need a wheelchair, or that you should have to announce to the world what the reason for you having that chair is. I know there's no good compromise between requiring proof and trusting everyone who may say they need a wheelchair or that their dog really is a service dog. Everyone is entitled to their privacy, and able bodied people don't have to prove their able bodied-ness (totally not a word but I'm sticking to it) so they can't make those less abled prove it either... My frustration comes from that the current system is so easy to cheat I wish they could come up with a way to prevent it.

Certainly not everyone knows about the GAC, but lots of people know "the wheelchair trick" and if they get away with it once, what's to stop them from continuing it?

 

[KPeveler]

Certainly not everyone knows about the GAC, but lots of people know "the wheelchair trick" and if they get away with it once, what's to stop them from continuing it?

Luckily now at Disney there is no "wheelchair trick." Wheelchairs do not skip lines, and generally I end up waiting longer than the posted standby time.

In fact, so many parks have changed rules about wheelchairs, I no longer travel anywhere but Disney. Other parks require that I separate from my party and wait by myself because they have not made the lines accessible, and they don't want to just send my party through the exit. Unfortunately I travel with just my wife and cannot be by myself for that long. Nor am I okay with being forced to separate when able-bodied parties are not forced to do so.

Using a wheelchair at Disney is a complete hassle, unless you need it. Then it is a lifesaver! But I cannot imagine how people think they are going to get ahead by using them - I bet it comes as a shock to them when they have to wait even longer to get on a ride!

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I know the wheelchair thing isn't really valid at Disney anymore, but I think that if someone is willing to pull that trick in the first place, they'll willing to put in a little extra work and figure out how to scam a GAC.

 

[KPeveler]

I know the wheelchair thing isn't really valid at Disney anymore, but I think that if someone is willing to pull that trick in the first place, they'll willing to put in a little extra work and figure out how to scam a GAC.

Unfortunately there are always people who scam the system. That is why it takes 2-3 YEARS to get approved for disability these days. I just try to ignore them, just like the rude people who don't think I am disabled because I look healthy... There are rude and stupid and unethical people everywhere, and it drives me crazy that I spend my life fighting for my own rights because other people want to get ahead.

I am just grateful that Disney has not eliminated the GAC entirely to deal with the scammers. Some parks have done things like that, and there is just no point in going there anymore for me....

Disney is just SO wonderful in handling disabilities, that I don't even want to go anywhere else!