Stupid Guest Tricks

We have never had a bad CM experience while using the GAC, and our son doesn't have physical signs of disability. Of course, we don't abuse the GAC, and we don't demand immediate access to any ride or attraction. I have even offered to wait in standby while DH waits with DS and DD for me to get to the front of the queue - but the CM's wouldn't hear of it. My son has some issues that may seem petty to some, but to us, the GAC saved our trips to Disney! We would not be able to visit the World if the GAC were not available. I am so thankful to WDW for allowing guests with true needs to use the card, and I can't believe there would be people shallow enough to sell them online.

No CM's hated on us. We used GAC for a "end of chemo" celebration for my wife. She was weak and tired but she wanted to go to Disney to celebrate finishing treatment. It was great for us because it gave her a place to sit down, in shade or A/c, instead of waiting in the queue. It didn't really get us on anything faster, in some cases we had to wait longer until enough GAC people joined us and the CM's put us on as a group. I remember for example, Spaceship Earth we got to sit in an air conditioned area to wait for our turn.

Getting the GAC for us was a breeze because she was still bald from the chemo. We went in guest services and when my wife began to explain her need, the CM cut her off, said "say no more" and wrote up her GAC. All the CM's were great about it. It also helps the user psychologically, I believe, because the person feels like the CM's care. A good experience all around for us.

She's healthy and fine now so we have not needed it since.

Just a quick note about people pushing empty wheelchairs -- as mentioned in some of the earlier posts, not everyone who can walk *some*, can walk as much as you need to at a theme park -- especially with hills and etc (like the ramp bridge near PotC in DL, or between Critter Country and New Orleans, for example).

Before my wife found a suitable Rollator walker (she has a motion disorder as well as intermittent leg failure), she used a hospital-style manual chair *as* her walker! preferably well-weighted down, so that if she jerked while pushing it it would let her hang onto it instead of going flying.

She also has *less* pain when walking (it helps with spasticity), while her energy holds out, but *standing still* (such as in long lines) can cause her terrible hip pain. So being able to sit helps that, too.

But if you didn't see her have a jerking spell, you might think she was a faker -- she was pushing an empty chair while walking normally (we like to joke that her legs "work until they don't" - she can walk normally, but at random her legs lose all muscle control and just collapse from under her, making her look drunk...).

Or even better, pushing the chair with our (seizure alert/wheelchair asst) service dog in it, to help hold it down/weight it...and we got a lot of "oh, poor dog must not be able to walk" comments.

We are in CA, not FL, but this thread was in the FL forum.

As for the new card process in DL - we love it! We never minded waiting our fair turn, it was just that standing *still* hurt her (and heat/direct sunlight are bad for her too), so - being able to go wait in a shop, or restaurant (where unlike the AP stereotype, we *do* buy things! though we often share a meal), solves both issues. And let's us walk the dog.
(BTW -- thank you for the service dog relief areas!!! Though guests often look at us like we are nuts when we open a fence...until we show them the li'l gate sign.)

Though I will say - "the chair is enough" is no longer true in DL, or else there are addt'l training issues, because on rides where I can't use the normal queue (like Space Mountain), but *she* isn't riding (so not using her GAC, I've had CMs look at me blankly for NOT having a card. Even when I explain that I'm perfectly happy to wait my turn,however long that may be, "h/c but doesn't have a card" doesn't translate...it was strange. Not angry-making, just *odd*. Likewise Peter Pan. Again, perfectly content to wait however long, but didn't have a card...and CMs didn't know what to do with me.

Our most recent trips were 12/13 and 2/14, so this may have resolved now?

Thanks and sorry for soapbox, just that I've seen "pushing an empty chair" and "in a chair but shoes well-worn" often here as signs of 'faking'.
Just wanted to give perspective.

Again, we are *grateful* for all the help! and CMs have always treated us amazingly.
We often only ride one ride a day, if that -sometimes just wander the park and meet people, shop and eat...

Apologize for any intrusion.

If someone says something just reply, "Whadda mean empty? Don't you see him/her?"

Ianto Jones wrote:Just a quick note about people pushing empty wheelchairs -- as mentioned in some of the earlier posts, not everyone who can walk *some*, can walk as much as you need to at a theme park....

Or in the case of SWMBO, she can't stand as much as needed. She can walk all over -- she's done marathons -- but twenty minutes standing in one place and one leg collapses.

When we want to see a long-wait show like fireworks or a parade, we generally get a wheel chair so see can see it without kissing the pavement. She's lazy enough to use it walking around (especially if I'm pushing), so no funny looks about empty seats.

Most of the time, I don't even question it. I know there's often a lot that can't be seen, and I know how big the parks are. My feet feel it every time! :D: I can only think of one time I seriously doubted that people with scooters really needed them. There was a pair of young people laughing and riving recklessly, who, upon reaching their destination, hopped up and run into a shop jostling and pushing each other to get there first. Hard to believe they really needed the help.

Beyond that, if asked, I would say that some of the people using chairs or scooters were just gaming the system, but I don't usually think about it for specific people. It's beyond me to judge.

I'm far more judgemental about how they use the things. ;)

Great perspective and very appreciated.