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Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:55 pm
by Noctourne Wonderland
BRWombat wrote:Can you request a GAC card (sorry, that's redundant) if you have a compulsion to wear a warthog costume in public?
You get the GAC card from the ATM machine. ;)

On the topic of visual aides, my mum has a cane, which was used to get her in the shorter lines at Disneyland (she can't wait for a long time without pain), but at DCA, she was told that she needed a card (I assume the GAC), but it wouldn't reduce her wait time. Can someone explain how that is ADA compliant, if her handicap is that she can't wait? :confused:

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:40 pm
by mechurchlady
Noctourne Wonderland wrote:You get the GAC card from the ATM machine. ;)

On the topic of visual aides, my mum has a cane, which was used to get her in the shorter lines at Disneyland (she can't wait for a long time without pain), but at DCA, she was told that she needed a card (I assume the GAC), but it wouldn't reduce her wait time. Can someone explain how that is ADA compliant, if her handicap is that she can't wait? :confused:
It is way so ADA compliant.

She can use a wheelchair or scooter. The law is for equal access and by letting guests spend less time in line they are favouring unfairly that group. She can wait in line IF she got the chair or scooter.

My DLR ECV is too big for anything but fastpass at ToT so they gave me a fastpass for however many minutes the line was. In other words I could not use the fastpass line to save an hour in line but I could come back in an hour and use the fastpass line. That is as close to fair and equal as is possible.

I hate waiting in lines. If I can I use fastpasses, off hours, off seasons, off days, and single rider lines. I do not want to cut in line and wait less time than others BECAUSE I AM DISABLED. Because I am a kind and loving special princess who is sweet and cute as a button would be a good excuse, WRONG, not even for that would I want to get ahead of others. I want nearly equal access not special treatment.

Excuse me but I have to go wait in the Toy Story line for half an hour because I am not being treated specially because of my disability. happy dancing on the inside. :D:

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:56 pm
by smart1hermione
i was reading through this thread, and someone asked why a child with austism spectrum can't wait in line.

from personal experience, i know a little girl with autism spectrum. her family [her, mom, and sister] gets the GAC because she headbangs when she's not doing what she wants. needless to say, standing in line encourages the activity.

with that said, i'd say the most intense ride she's been on is maybe the carousel, which is her speed. i am intrigued by people who can't wait in line due to pain issues in order to get on... the matterhorn or space mountain...

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:27 pm
by mechurchlady
Let me see how much pain I have, right forearm, head, right lower leg, knees, and a giant bruise on my left lower leg. I CANNOT WAIT IN LINE but I do use an ECV which costs me $45 a day and for the rest of the month I will use a wheelchair if I want to go to parks. I will push it until I get to down hills and sometimes set in it. I am in pain and cannot stand in line for bobsleds BUT on the other hand I spend lunch money on renting an ECV or use the wheelchair.

Disney and other parks recommend guests come prepared like using a chair.

I can get antsy in line and for us neurovariants we need to keep busy so waiting in line may mean for me to eat, drink, read a book, listen to music, or talk to people, but I must be kept busy unless a nap is ongoing, done that a couple times.

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:48 pm
by Rosie
I am going to open myself up here and ask for opinions. I suffer from Miniere's Disease (it involves vertigo and deafness) while most people only get it in one ear, I have it in both. I can go months without any problem and ride anything I want. For the past 6 weeks, I have been having constant vertigo and balance issues. (Not that it really matters but I am totally deaf in one ear.) The kids took me to Animal Kingdom yesterday, while walking between Asia and Africa I had a bad spell made worse by people trying to push me out of their way. What would be my best option.....

Option A: rent a wheel chair when I know I am having an issue?
Option B: wait until it gets bad and ask a CM for assistance getting a chair?
Option C: Muddle through and leave the park early as we did yesterday, spoiling the day for my grandson?

Opinions?

(This is why I haven't been around the boards lately)
Rosie

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:48 pm
by mechurchlady
Get an ECV so you can get around easily. As long as you do not upset your equilibrium you will be fine with an ECV and if the room spins just pull over and park. If you have people to push you then get the wheelchair. If you feel good then walk while pushing it as that is what I do. I push our wheelchair to the tram area then set and push then get up and go up a ramp and set and wait.

It is better for you to be in a chair than be loopy and then having the crowd shoving you around which would make things worse. ECV should be no problem for you if you are aware of symptoms and early warnings. Narcolepsy on the other hand I would say no but for menierres I would say ok on ECV.

hugs
Laurie

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:54 pm
by Zazu
Rosie wrote:I am going to open myself up here and ask for opinions. I suffer from Miniere's Disease (it involves vertigo and deafness) while most people only get it in one ear, I have it in both. I can go months without any problem and ride anything I want. For the past 6 weeks, I have been having constant vertigo and balance issues. (Not that it really matters but I am totally deaf in one ear.) The kids took me to Animal Kingdom yesterday, while walking between Asia and Africa I had a bad spell made worse by people trying to push me out of their way. What would be my best option.....

Option A: rent a wheel chair when I know I am having an issue?
Option B: wait until it gets bad and ask a CM for assistance getting a chair?
Option C: Muddle through and leave the park early as we did yesterday, spoiling the day for my grandson?

Opinions?
I have a similarly disabling problem with clusters of migraines. For two months I'll get one or two a day and bad ones can leave me unable to walk or see. Because they never last more than an hour or two, I'm unwilling to take a wheelchair (even though they're free for CMs). Each time I've needed one, my fellow CMs have found one and brought it to me. On good days, I hang nearby and return it when I can see again. Bad days, I just have whomever I'm with roll me over to First Aid where I can chill until able to drive home.

But you asked for opinions about your situation, not mine:

If you know that you're likely to have trouble before the end of the day, rent a chair. It can take quite a while to get on if the local chair stash has already been taken.

OTOH, if you never know if you'll need on or not, you can just beg help when you need it. This CM is always glad to help a guest in trouble, and even the worst only insist on pushing you straight to First Aid.

I don't recommend leaving early, unless you know the rest of your day is shot anyway. You came to have a good time, you certainly *paid* enough for one, you should stick around and enjoy as much as your body will let you.

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:40 am
by Big Wallaby
jjarman wrote: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 read this and had a silent temper tantrum. What the effing bloody hell? There is no reason the CM should have done that. It's set up to be as easy as possible for the Cast Members.

If I was still at Safari I'd be getting a name right now.

Watch out, this wallaby's growling.

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:12 am
by BRWombat
Big Wallaby wrote:I read this and had a silent temper tantrum. What the effing bloody hell? There is no reason the CM should have done that. It's set up to be as easy as possible for the Cast Members.

If I was still at Safari I'd be getting a name right now.

Watch out, this wallaby's growling.
Whatever you do, DON'T make Wallaby angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Image

Re: GAC abuse

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:20 am
by Lasolimu
BRWombat wrote:Whatever you do, DON'T make Wallaby angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Image
I would think he would look more like a large green wallaby, not a large green man.