Another Guest Assistance Card Question (sorry)

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Sandgirl

New Member
Original Poster
I've been reading through my searched threads on the guest assistance cards, but wanted to ask 'my own' question in regards to my son.

My son will be 3 at the time of the visit. He has developmental delays (non-verbal, is just now learning to walk (which he has leg braces for)) and we are now learning he is on the Autism spectrum (but does not have a true "Autistic" diagnosis). A mother of another child in his school class mentioned that Disney does wonders for helping families of children with disabilities, and that they offer a guest assistance card.

He LOVES crowds (which is odd, I know).. Loves staring at people walk around, loves loud noses, bright lights, etc (which I'm assuming will mean he'll love the shows, I hope). The one thing he is not good with is waiting when he doesn't want to. Waiting in line at Walmart can cause a meltdown, although I'm learning ways to redirect his feelings/temper.

I am NOT looking for a way to bypass long lines.. I'm not looking to 'get anything special'.. I'm looking for ways to eliminate meltdowns..What I want is for this to be an enjoyable trip for my son (like many children, the one thing that can pull him out of a 'funk' or spell is Mickey Mouse and some of the other characters)..

I guess getting down to my question is, how will the GAC help us under these circumstances? In your opinions, what aide will the GAC give to us?

Thanks in advance!


** I wanted to add, we will not be staying at the resorts or on location hotels.. I have family in FL about a 40 minute drive away, so we will be staying there.. (or possibly a hotel on I Drive that I have points for)
 
miles1

miles1

Active Member
We visited WDW with friends in July. Their 7 yo daughter is a very fragile diabetic, and had just gone on an insulin pump a couple of months previous to our visit. With her blood sugar shooting all over the place, standing on most of the lines in the July-August heat was out of the question.

The guest assistance card was a Godsend for them. Our group was allowed to bypass many of the lines, usually through the fastpass line where it was available. There were no questions asked and no judgements made by CM's or other guests (her health situation wasn't visible), and most CM's went out of their way to help.

We didn't abuse it-- when it was feasible to stand in the queue (i.e. mostly indoors), we did so. If you decided to stand in line and it caused a meltdown, I'm sure they would let you jump out if you flashed the card.

The only situation where it DIDN'T help was in waiting at counter service food lines. (When a diabetic needs food, they need it NOW). With the summer crowds we had to plan ahead as most counter service locations had long lines at meal times. Keep this in mind.

Overall, I wouldn't let using the card cause you any anxiety. Use it when you need it, don't abuse it, and enjoy yourselves. Have a great trip.
 
S

Sandgirl

New Member
Original Poster
miles1 said:
If you decided to stand in line and it caused a meltdown, I'm sure they would let you jump out if you flashed the card.
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Thank you!!! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.. Thank you very much!

(with exception to GKTW and MAW children)
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Sorry :veryconfu What do those mean? I looked on the acronyms list for the board and didn't see them. I'm not up on these name shortenings :lol:
 
DisneyMom4

DisneyMom4

Member
The Guest Assistance Card is absolutely designed to help families, such as yours, get the assistance they need to enjoy Disney. It can help to alleviate crowded waiting situations which will be nice for you. It won't eliminate the waiting, but it will help when and where you wait for a ride (not characters).

I have a few questions for you. Does your son have the ability to stand in ques or does he need mobility assistance most of the time? Do you understand how to get a GAC from Guest Services? When are you going? What parks do you think you'll hit? Knowing the answers to these questions will help me to further answer your original post.

You must realize now that it DOESN'T matter what anyone else thinks if your child has a meltdown. They don't know you. They don't know him. They have no idea what it takes for you to live your lives each and every day. They don't matter. What matters is that you and your son have a lovely, magical, special time together at Disney.
 
Beccone

Beccone

New Member
Sandgirl said:
I've been reading through my searched threads on the guest assistance cards, but wanted to ask 'my own' question in regards to my son.

My son will be 3 at the time of the visit. He has developmental delays (non-verbal, is just now learning to walk (which he has leg braces for)) and we are now learning he is on the Autism spectrum (but does not have a true "Autistic" diagnosis). A mother of another child in his school class mentioned that Disney does wonders for helping families of children with disabilities, and that they offer a guest assistance card.

He LOVES crowds (which is odd, I know).. Loves staring at people walk around, loves loud noses, bright lights, etc (which I'm assuming will mean he'll love the shows, I hope). The one thing he is not good with is waiting when he doesn't want to. Waiting in line at Walmart can cause a meltdown, although I'm learning ways to redirect his feelings/temper.

I am NOT looking for a way to bypass long lines.. I'm not looking to 'get anything special'.. I'm looking for ways to eliminate meltdowns..What I want is for this to be an enjoyable trip for my son (like many children, the one thing that can pull him out of a 'funk' or spell is Mickey Mouse and some of the other characters)..

I guess getting down to my question is, how will the GAC help us under these circumstances? In your opinions, what aide will the GAC give to us?

Thanks in advance!


** I wanted to add, we will not be staying at the resorts or on location hotels.. I have family in FL about a 40 minute drive away, so we will be staying there.. (or possibly a hotel on I Drive that I have points for)
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This sounds just like a post I probably would have made last summer. I have a 6 yr old son who has pretty much the same symptoms as your son. He is getting there verbally and now is walking on his own for the most part but it has been a journey. We went last summer and are going again this August. My son's teachers and therapists all recommended getting the card and I am so glad we did. I brought 2 notes, one from his main pediatrician and one from a behaviorial psychologist stating his diagnosis and why waiting in lines can be difficult. The first day we went to the parks, to Animal Kingdom, I went to get the card and they never even asked for either letter ( I read somewhere on here they were not allowed to). Anyway, the pass was a Godsend, while it didn't eleviate all waiting, it did help out tremendiously, we either went through the fastpass line or through the exit on most rides. At Ariels' Grotto the CM ushered us to the exit to see Ariel, which I had no idea they were going to do, but they saw the pass and immediately showed us through. Also at DHS outside of the Playhouse Disney stuff a CM (again seeing the pass) had us get in the front of the line for the characters (although we told him we would wait he insissted). For every other character we waited in the regular line. Some of those lines can get crazy long so if you are deciding on dinners I would suggest doing character dinners so your son can see them there and not have to wait in line. We did Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace and Akershus and saw alot of our children's favorite people that way. Also if your son will be using a stroller for the majority of the day, make sure you get a tag at guest relations that you put on your stroller that will allow you to use your stroller as kind of a wheelchair. We only found out about this the second to last day we were there and boy do I wish we had known earlier because we would end up carrying my son in the lines at times and with the stroller pass we were able to bring the stroller in the lines. Everyone at Disney was so wonderful and helpful to us and our son's needs, people really went out of their way for us. I too was nervous about using the pass but noone even gave us a second glance and if they did who cares? As long as you are all enjoying yourselves that is all that matters. You will have a wonderful time!
 
S

Sandgirl

New Member
Original Poster
DisneyMom4 said:
I have a few questions for you. Does your son have the ability to stand in ques or does he need mobility assistance most of the time? Do you understand how to get a GAC from Guest Services? When are you going? What parks do you think you'll hit? Knowing the answers to these questions will help me to further answer your original post.
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He can stand for short amounts of time. He currently has leg braces that aide him in standing/walking, but he can't stay on his feet for long. I was planning on bringing his personal stroller, but now I'm not sure if maybe I should just rent one as we are only going to one park. We are going in August, near the end of the month. I only plan on doing MK with him, I think any more than that would just wind up being too much (for him and I both!).. In regards to getting the GAC, I was just planning on asking for Guest Services when I buy our tickets. Is there a different way to go about this? I am planning on bringing his IFSP (he doesn't have a 'beefy' IEP yet as he just started school, but maybe by then he will) in case they say no by just talking to me..

Anything I'm missing?
 
S

Sandgirl

New Member
Original Poster
Beccone said:
Also if your son will be using a stroller for the majority of the day, make sure you get a tag at guest relations that you put on your stroller that will allow you to use your stroller as kind of a wheelchair. We only found out about this the second to last day we were there and boy do I wish we had known earlier because we would end up carrying my son in the lines at times and with the stroller pass we were able to bring the stroller in the lines.
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Oh wow, thank you for letting me know that!!! He's getting a bit heavy to carry around, so that will definitely come in handy!
 
DisneyMom4

DisneyMom4

Member
Sandgirl said:
He can stand for short amounts of time. He currently has leg braces that aide him in standing/walking, but he can't stay on his feet for long. I was planning on bringing his personal stroller, but now I'm not sure if maybe I should just rent one as we are only going to one park. We are going in August, near the end of the month. I only plan on doing MK with him, I think any more than that would just wind up being too much (for him and I both!).. In regards to getting the GAC, I was just planning on asking for Guest Services when I buy our tickets. Is there a different way to go about this? I am planning on bringing his IFSP (he doesn't have a 'beefy' IEP yet as he just started school, but maybe by then he will) in case they say no by just talking to me..

Anything I'm missing?
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Cool - thanks for answering! Now I can tailor my answers to you a bit better.

I would recommend you bring his personal stroller to MK with you. One, it will be his. There won't be any adjustment to a new feeling stroller. Also, I think personal strollers work better in the ques. As someone else told you, there is an option on the GAC that allows you to use the stroller as a wheelchair. You most certainly need to ask for this option. However, sometimes the wheelchair loading areas take much, much longer than the regular line. For example, Small World regular que could be less than 5 minutes, but the wheelchair load que (where you would be sent if you were to use the tag at that point) might be 25 minutes. Sometimes you have to look at the line and make a snap judgement. Also, always ask the CM - they know best. Also, having your own stroller will be an asset in the parking lot and the TTC area.

I know you said your son loves input. However, you may want to carry a small lightweight blanket or towel with you that you can use to cover the stroller opening. Not only will this help with heat (remember those AFOs can get really hot in the sun!), but it can help if the stimulus becomes too much for him. There is always that tipping point where great becomes bad in the blink of an eye.

If you buy your tickets on-line before you go it will help you get into the MK faster. Once you're in MK go to Guest Services located in City Hall. Make sure to bring your son with you. You DO NOT need to bring any drs notes or IEPs. The law prohibits anyone from requiring you to prove a disability. You will just need to explain to the CM what accessibility accomodations will help you (such as using a stroller in the lines so you don't have to carry him the whole time due to his limited mobility - the need to wait in a quiet area, etc.) You know your son best and have every ability to explain his needs. Ask about the options that are available and make sure that you are comfortable with the options you are given before you leave.

You will be given a GAC and a stroller tag at that point. It seems easiest to carry the GAC in a pouch around your neck so it can be easily shown to the CMs as needed. Sometimes a CM is new and not very well trained about accessibility options - if you have a problem just ask for a manager nicely and it will be handled.

Feel free to PM me if you have further questions. There are some more details about GACs that just shouldn't be shared on a public forum -- because some people are just not nice and abuse the heck out of them. However, I'd be more than happy to share them in private.

Have a wonderful trip! You'll absolutely love it!
 
S

Sandgirl

New Member
Original Poster
coolmark18 said:
OT: I think this sort of post just proves how helpful, friendly and useful the forum at WDWMagic can be.
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I agree.. I am so thankful that I found this forum, I'd be pretty lost right now if I didn't have anyone to answer my questions. So I have you all to thank for a (hopefully) WONDERFUL day for my son. You have no idea how much that means to me.
 

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