Wheelchair and GAC

[Mike Bartenhagen]

We just got back from WDW and had a great trip. My son has a stroller type wheelchair and I got a GAC when we got there because it does look somewhat like a stroller. We went 2 years ago and I was surprised this year by how many of the CM's recognized it as a wheelchair as opposed to last time we went. My son is almost 5 and can walk but not very well and also is very delayed cognativly so the chair is also important for safety. We had 11 in our party (my family, my sisters family, and grandma and grandpa). For the most part it went very well. Usually we only brought the wheelchair with us when we were all going on the same ride as I was concerned about leaving it with the stroller as we would be in trouble if it were taken. We would tell them 11 people and they would get us taken care of. When we were going to go on Dinosaur I asked where the wheelchair line was and the CM pointed us to it and as we were walking that way another CM said do you have a pass? I told her we did but hadn't needed it for 4 days as my son has a wheelchair but then pulled it out and she said it only allowed for 6, which I new, but we hadn't had a problem all week. My question is do you really need a GAC for a wheelchair?

Mike

 

[SueM in MN]

For Dinosaur, the regular lines is accessible, so you would not need a GAC.
If what the first CM pointed you at was the Fastpass line, or if the CM didn't recognize your child's special needs stroller as a wheelchair, they may have asked to see the GAC. Once they see the GAC, they do by whatever number is on it. We had some times this Spring when we came to a line with more people than the GAC allowed, but we were never allowed to bring more than that number into the line. (We had a group of 14 and sometimes DH would have told some members of our party to join DD in line without knowing who was already in the line with DD and me).

For a regular wheelchair, a GAC is not needed if you are using whatever is the 'accessible' line - which is usually the regular line. Occasionally, the regular line is not accessible and either there will be a wheelchair entrance or the Fastpass line will be the accessible entrance. If that is the case, you don't need a GAC to use the wheelchair accessible line, although the CM may give something similar to a handwritten Fastpass (they may not).

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

Thanks Sue. Is there a limit to the number of people that are allowed to accompany a wheelchair if it is not in the regular line?

Mike

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks Sue. Is there a limit to the number of people that are allowed to accompany a wheelchair if it is not in the regular line?

Mike

yes.
Usually it is a total of 6 (5 plus the person with a disability). This is the same number as the GAC is usually given out for. They can sometimes make exceptions - for example, if you had 2 parents and 5 children, they would not usually make you split up. But some of the attractions have limited waiting area and they will have you split up even with a smaller group.
The waiting time also has an impact. If they are very busy, they are less likely (at least in our experience) to make exceptions.