Up-to-date info on Fantasmic with a GAC?

[amzking]

We are planning a short trip in March and are going to attempt F! for the first time with my ASD (low functioning) DS12. We have a GAC for DS. We will not be able to stand and wait an hour or more to get seated, he will have a meltdown especially since we would be right there by RnRC. He has a bad habit with throwing his arm out into a point toward the ride he wants to go on, I have been battling him at WDW with this behavior for a long time and I am afraid he may poke someone in the face/eye (he's come close to doing this before.) Does anyone have any recent experience with using a GAC for F!? There is one long thread about this topic but no one seemed to have any answers, the last postings were in August.

It will be shown every night that week but it is Spring Break week so it will be crowded. Using a wheelchair is not an option I can fathom since he has never used one in his life, much less at WDW. A less crowded place to wait would probably work, I can then sit him on the ground and give him a puzzle to work on. Any thoughts?

 

[jmartinez1895]

Will another adult be with you. I know it can be hard to split up ( I want to spend all the time I can with my husband ), but if you do have another person that could wait in line and call you ( if you have cells) when the line is moving or after they have the seats that may work. Just have the person tell the CMs what is going on. Our last trip it was not crowded, but a family had the dad wait in line and the CM took the dad to the seats and let him hold enough space for his family which came shortly after he took the seats.

 

[amzking]

No other adult, just a mom-and-kids trip this time, DH will be away.

 

[Schmeck]

Could you get him a wheelchair? Then he'd have a place to sit while waiting, and it would insulate him a bit from the crowd as well.

 

[amzking]

He wouldn't stay in a wheelchair. Plus to amuse him while waiting I really need to sit him on the ground so I can give him a puzzle.

Maybe I'll try giving guest services a call and see what the latest procedure is.

Thank you all for your responses so far. What do they do for wheelchair users? Our GAC allows us to enter the same entrance as wheelchair users even though he does not use one. Again, I am just looking for a less crowded place for him to wait.

 

[BroganMc]

AFAIK, wheelchair users go through the same line as everyone else. Only thing they do is try to vet them off to the side so they can direct us over to seating along the back row (top of the ampitheater). There's no early entry or other entrance.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Not every wheelchair goes through the normal line, it really depends on the situation, like if the person needs the ride to stop to board and all that.

 

[bookwormde]

I talked with the head person who head the disabilities/ADA program for the Disney USA parks (he is in California), and he said that thee standard accommodation it to wait in the area where individuals with physical disabilities wait. I asked what is an individual can cannot tolerate that environment for that period of time. The answer was that this was the standard accommodation, but if some other “doable” accommodation is needed just to talk to the CM who is in charge of that area an let them know what will work to give your child equal access. Since the waiting area I believe adjoins the road to TOT you might “check in” and explain the situation and ask that you can “wander” until close to the seating time and then return “under the ropes” to the standard accommodation area.

Here was a very nice concerned, dedicated and sincere person so if you have an issue that can not be resolved (I have never found one at WDW when the in place accommodations are understood and CMs are told why they do not work and there is a doable alternative) I will be happy to contact him so it can be resolved for future visits.

bookwormde

 

[SueM in MN]

Most attractions do not have a separate wheelchair entrance, but do handle wheelchair and ECV users through the regular line. The different entries are usually only for situations where the attractionis so inaccessible that there is no other option. If only part of the attraction is not accessible, like with stairs, a moving walkway or need to cross the ride track, the handicapped 'pull off' point is usually close to the obstruction.

Fantasmic is one where wheelchair and ECV users go through the regular line until just before guests are entering the actual seating area.

At the time the threads linked in the FAQs thread were written, the separate entrance used by guests who purchased a dinner package for Fantasmic was not open due to construction. So, there were very few accommodations possible. In the past, using that entrance was one of the possible accommodations CMs could make in certain circumstances.
I have read that they are again using the separate dinner package entrance, so that would possibly be an option that would be offered.

There would be less people using that entrance, but recent reports on the Theme Parks Board are that you still need to arrive at least 45 minutes ahead of time. That does not mean you would be waiting in line for 45 minutes. Once they start letting people in, you are in a slowly moving line of people walking toward the seating area. The walk may be 10 minutes or less and the rest of the time is spent sitting in the stands waiting for the show to begin.

 

[dclfun]

Just an FYI for everyone- please do not post what wording your GAC has had in the past. It's not a good idea for several reasons. As to the OP, you have gotten good advice- check with the CM at the entrance to Fantasmic, explain your situation and see what they can do to help you out.---Kathy

 

[tinkerbelluk]

I agree that you should check with the CM at the marque of fantasmic, there is usually a guest service manager there during the load, and the CM positioned there usually can contact them if they are not present. You may also want to go and discuss the issue with guest relations that morning. Having been a fantasmic CM, i think it will be possible to help you, as their is areas in the theater that only usually get mega busy in the last 10 or so min of the show load, which would give you the space to give him a puzzle to entertain him. I would also recomend possibly seeing the second show as you usually only need to get in line 30 - 40 min before show time, and could sit on the walls by beauty and the beast with him until they start loading the theater, which may make things a little easier.

 

[amzking]

Thank you all for the information, I apologize for my lack of response, I didn't get a lot of responses in the first day or two and assumed that I wouldn't have any more. I guess posts on this board don't move down the line as fast as on the Theme Parks Attractions board.

It looks like my plan will be to speak to the CM at the entrance to the theatre and see if there is a less crowded place to wait. We are going during Spring Break so I will be sure to be there an hour ahead of time.

Right now there is only one showing per night listed, if that changes we will do the second one.

Thank you again for all the responses! I love the DIS!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you all for the information, I apologize for my lack of response, I didn't get a lot of responses in the first day or two and assumed that I wouldn't have any more. I guess posts on this board don't move down the line as fast as on the Theme Parks Attractions board.

It looks like my plan will be to speak to the CM at the entrance to the theatre and see if there is a less crowded place to wait. We are going during Spring Break so I will be sure to be there an hour ahead of time.

Right now there is only one showing per night listed, if that changes we will do the second one.

Thank you again for all the responses! I love the DIS!

The Theme Parks Board moves really fast. Sometimes when it is really busy, there won’t be any posts on the first page that are more than 4 hours old!
One of the reasons is that there are a lot of general questions that quite a few people can answer. Even the most specific questions still have a lot of people who know the answer.

This board moves much slower - there are a lot of people with fairly specialized information, but nowhere near the total number of people as on the Theme Parks Board. And, some of the regular readers/posters can’t check more than a few times a week.