Stupid Guest Tricks

tinkybell wrote: We are a large family with 6 kids, and while I know it may seem as an abuse to the system when you see 8 people use the GAC it assure you not all instances are. We take vacation as a family and we all want to share the experience of the rides together. If I had to choose to allow my daughter and only one guest ride with out her brothers and sisters I probably would choose to vacation somewhere else.

First off let me say that we generally know when people are cheating based on how they react to having to wait and other such things. But about this problem. I don't know for sure about WDW, but at Disneyland, we will still allow the group to ride together. Our solution to this type of problem is some of the group waits in the regular line, and for your size group it would only have to be two people, and when they get close to the front the rest of the group comes into the wheelchair area and we put you all on together. I do work in Fantasyland where it is pretty easy to see when your group is at the front of the line and we usually have little or no wheelchair line so it's easy to get the group on together. I know at Pirates there's generally a long wheelchair line, so that may not work there. You guys could use this policy to your advantage if you have a couple of kids who are too young/scared/whatever to ride some of the bigger rides (assuming, of course, that your daughter with the wheelchair is up for these rides) Basically, you or your husband wait in line for say Pirates with the kid or kids that cannot/do not want to go on Splash. The rest of your group can go on Splash through the wheelchair line and then head to Pirates to join the ones that have been in line. Like I said, this assumes that the policy is the same at WDW and I would always check in with the greeter CM before even attempting something like this...make sure they know you'll be joining the rest of your party when they get to the front of the line.

Just my 2 cents

Teddykeiko86 wrote:Let me clear someting up...
Let me say that I do believe the GAC is a godsend for families with disabilities. Valid disabilities, not visible, since many disabilities are invisible. Yes I can see it how it is difficult to split up a large group (family) with small children. In those cases, the whole group should be allowed to wait together. But large groups ( tour groups and reunions) can sacrifice to split. I am terribly sorry, but the whole Smith family of 35, dosen't need to go through the exit on BTMRR because Jonny is in a wheelchair with a broken leg or even CP. There has to be a line drawn somewhere.
:)

I agree 100%! Even if my mom or my dad went with us, I could still understand splitting the party up. However, when it is mom and dad and 6 kids then it is a little hard. The kids don't understand why they are split up and then my daughter has guilt over having to use the wheelchair.

Disney has always tried to help us and it was only 2 times I can think of where they told me I could only have a 6 people on my pass. I politely asked to speak to a supervisor and they allowed 8 people. If we were part of a tour group or field trip with a school then I would not expect everyone to be able to ride with her. If this is the type of request that is commonly made at guest services, I now understand the reasoning for their reluctance to issue the GAC with 8 people.

When we do Disney we are never in a hurry and take our time. For us, waiting in line is part of the experience. We only live 2 hours away and we use Epcot and Animal Kingdom a lot for educational retreats. :D: We just love being there. If we can't get on a ride this time we can do it next time. I really never understood why people can get so snarky over a ride or things in a resort. (I watched a man pretty much abuse a CM one night because concierge was closed after 11 pm :( I felt so bad for the CM. He kept it professional, when I know I wouldn't have. :twisted: ) Stupid guest exist everywhere.

Honestly, I wish they would require a parking disability decal(hangy thing-lol for lack of a better word) or a letter or statement from the Dr. I think it would assure Disney their policies are not being abused and it would make the person asking for the GAC feel like the person behind the counter/ride actually believes them. My daughter has a permanent disability parking sticker for our car.

I know this is against ADA laws but really if you have a disability and you are asking for accomodations what is the problem with proving you actually need them?? With a children in public school, you can just tell the teacher the child needs accomodations, they need to go through an entire process with written notes from the Dr and an official diagnosis. They then go through a 504 plan or an IEP to figure out what modifications and or accomodations the child needs. So I don't think it would be too much for Disney to request someone show proof what their needs are. KWIM?

Some people do not want to share the reason they are disabled, and want no
way to discern them from anyone else. I suppose it would vary from person to person, but would you want to reveal to Disneyland that you cannot stand for long due to having muscle wasting from AIDS, or a tumor on your spine from lung cancer? These are extreme examples, but I'm thinking that Disney is trying to avoid that situation.
I've actually known of parents who don't want to tell their kid that the kid has been diagnosed with Autism. These are the people who might get upset revealing a diagnosis to others.

DisneyMom wrote:Some people do not want to share the reason they are disabled, and want no
way to discern them from anyone else. I suppose it would vary from person to person, but would you want to reveal to Disneyland that you cannot stand for long due to having muscle wasting from AIDS, or a tumor on your spine from lung cancer? These are extreme examples, but I'm thinking that Disney is trying to avoid that situation.
I've actually known of parents who don't want to tell their kid that the kid has been diagnosed with Autism. These are the people who might get upset revealing a diagnosis to others.

That may be True, but if they do not want to reveal it (even to the kid) they WHY would they ask for special assistance (GAC) and how do they explain it?

I think a simple I.D. card that states they need assistance would be of a GREAT value. and it dosn't have to say anything about their condition, only that they need special accomodation. (Wheelchair access, no prolonged standing, no direct sunlight, etc. etc.)

Something like that handed to a CM when requesting a GAC card and/or other assistance would make the CM's (and the guests) situation a whole lot eaiser. It would also eliminate a lot of the "faking" of the needed accomodation, and in general, if the public knew that a bonified ADA identification card was needed to obtain said services, a lot of them would probably drop the attitude that EVERYONE was faking problems, simply to get to the head of the line. (I know, but they believe thats what happens)

It is the law as to why Disney will not ask why a person needs a GAC. The GAC is to meet limitations not medical things like mental illness, aids, retardation, cancer or blindness. Also CMs do not have time to waste discussing medical history. name, number in party, number of parks, number of days, limitations such as no stairs.

Laurie S...., party of 6, both parks, for a week, no stairs

Bye bye as soon as she is done filling in the card.

I did stairs at Splash Mountain but paid for it the next day and was so tired I slept like 8 hours. I do waddle onto rides at times as it is easier that taking out the walls on rides like Monsters.

The thing is the GAC is intended to give as equal access as possible to people with disabilities as people who do not have the special needs.

The reason other locations, such as a bus company, is allowed to ask for proof of disability is they are giving a reduced price which equates to better access than people who do not have special needs.

Cheshire Figment wrote:The thing is the GAC is intended to give as equal access as possible to people with disabilities as people who do not have the special needs.

The reason other locations, such as a bus company, is allowed to ask for proof of disability is they are giving a reduced price which equates to better access than people who do not have special needs.

OH. So if Disney offerred the GAC with a built in "fastpass" they could require proof of the disability?

That seems fair, in that it would speed up the wait time for the person utilizing the ADA, and it would eliminate a lot of fraud. Everybody wins!

but I suspect it is not that simple. Yes/No?

GRUMPY PIRATE wrote:That may be True, but if they do not want to reveal it (even to the kid) they WHY would they ask for special assistance (GAC) and how do they explain it?

I think a simple I.D. card that states they need assistance would be of a GREAT value. and it dosn't have to say anything about their condition, only that they need special accomodation. (Wheelchair access, no prolonged standing, no direct sunlight, etc. etc.)

Something like that handed to a CM when requesting a GAC card and/or other assistance would make the CM's (and the guests) situation a whole lot eaiser. It would also eliminate a lot of the "faking" of the needed accomodation, and in general, if the public knew that a bonified ADA identification card was needed to obtain said services, a lot of them would probably drop the attitude that EVERYONE was faking problems, simply to get to the head of the line. (I know, but they believe thats what happens)

No disagreement that a system like that would help to eliminate fakers.

As the system exists now,I imagine the people who don't want to reveal a diagnosis would make something up for the kid as to why they were going in a different line...
(mom can't stand in line so long, we got a special dream from Disneyland, etc.)

A coworker of mine just returned a couple of weeks ago from a trip to WDW with her family which included her husband who is a quadriplegic and their twin boys. I asked her if they used the GAC and she said they didn't really need it because most rides they rode had walkways that accomodated his chair. I think it was safari ride in AK where they tried to go an alternate route and were told they could not without the card. They would have to go back to guest services which is on the other side of the park so they just skipped the ride. I mean it was quite obvious what his disability was but they didn't push it. On the other hand though for another ride another guest said they ought to say he can't wait in the sun so they could go to the front of the line on some rides. I think he got a little offended because he said he liked sitting in the sun.

You would think that the CM would allow them in the wheelchair line, when its that obvious!