GAC to Become DAS

[Goofyernmost]

Will a very nice MOD please just KILL this thread? Please - we have 121 pages of whining. Life sucks - then you die.

I know it's been said before, but, it really cannot be said enough. This thread can die for you in a heartbeat. Simple really, don't click on it. Lack of posts will kill it...not forced demands.

 

[JerseyDad]

Disney following mandated laws have put forth a lot of monies to implement the laws throughout the parks, transportation and resorts along with their assistance programs. I have empathy for them as it is never enough, someone is always suing them or having a fit about it not being good enough, want more knowing full well how it will impact others. Everyone, including Disney wants to help people with disabilities. There just doesn't seem to be a balance any longer over what reasonable accommodations. I can only imagine what Disney's legal expenses are just in this arena. I know what our school districts legal bills are for Special Ed conflicts, this too is deducted against the funds left for the balance of the general education budget. Disney needed to draw the line in the sand where they could but the media and special interest groups certainly didn't present a balanced point of view of all Disney does provide.

....well of course the media didn't present a balanced viewpoint ....because if they did (after some real investigative research type work) ...they'd have to:

1. Not paint Disney ...as the big unsympathetic corporation.
2. Show how Disney bent over backwards for YEARS to accommodate the handicapped community to an extent that was far above what anyone else had ever done.
3. Show how a sense of entitlement was being used as the jumping off point for the arguments against the DAS.

....no one wants reasonable, fair, balanced. Everyone wants sensationalized story telling with complete disregard for the truth.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The abusers are looking for front of line unlimited access. That ship has sailed. DAS doesn't get you much more than FP+ other than more than 3 reservations in a day. Other than MK is that even an "advantage". For my next trip I had a hard time finding 3 rides to reserve FP for everywhere but MK. Even at MK maybe 5 to 7 rides really need FP.

Anything that's perceived as an advantage will become the target of abusers. I do think that Disney's new system is fair, but I also speculate that it's a bit of a hassle operationally. I've used Universal's system which seems to be a bit more friendly from an operations standpoint. I suspect that once Disney's system gets added to My Disney Experience the operational issues will become less problematic.

 

[jrlbc06]

Will a very nice MOD please just KILL this thread? Please - we have 121 pages of whining. Life sucks - then you die.

Don't click on it. Easy solution.

 

[Tom Morrow]

....well of course the media didn't present a balanced viewpoint ....because if they did (after some real investigative research type work) ...they'd have to:

1. Not paint Disney ...as the big unsympathetic corporation.
2. Show how Disney bent over backwards for YEARS to accommodate the handicapped community to an extent that was far above what anyone else had ever done.
3. Show how a sense of entitlement was being used as the jumping off point for the arguments against the DAS.

....no one wants reasonable, fair, balanced. Everyone wants sensationalized story telling with complete disregard for the truth.

or 4. That Disney has adopted the same exact system that every other theme park uses, and nobody has ever questioned these other parks for their practice.

 

[pais]

OK, so I have mentioned I have relatives in Orlando. Their friends always get the GAC when they are in town and the lot of them will ride stuff like TSM over and over. They can walk around the park for 10+ hours, park hop but can't wait in line. Last night was their first night sans GAC and they tried to get a DAS. Here is what they had to say:

Betty and Tom had a great time but was put thru the wringer with the disability pass and the new rules. They would not give them a pass because he was not in a wheel chair...and he
looks pretty good for being sick...he plays golf outside all day but that is his “outlet”. You cant stop living at this point...but they were mad.

This is a perfect example of just one group who was abusing it! They can play golf, walk around the parks for 10+ hours but can't stand in line... People like this getting the GAC were a dime a dozen. They, along with the 'loopers', are the ones who destroyed the GAC and ruined it for those truly in need. I wish people would stop saying Disney is evil. This system was seriously flawed and broken and they had to do something, no one can argue that. As long as people are paying a fortune for tickets, WDW and DL are neither charities nor therapy facilities (for the loopers who need to ride the same rides over and over).

 

[Gabe1]

I shared this story last month because I found it amazing. This weekend Tatyana in her division won the NYC Marathon. The media is calling it a Grand Slam since she won the 4 major marathons this year in her division. Not bad for a young lady left for dead in Russia born with Spinal Bifida and paralyzed from the waist down.

willens-ap

Some focus on what they cannot do while others focus on what they can do.

More of her story:

Today seems to be a good day to share this story. My DD attends the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana which has for decades championed equal access. UoI has always been the leading University in access. There is one young lady Tatyana who attended school with my DD who was born in Russia with Spinal Bifida. She had surgery 21 days after birth instead of immediately and was abandoned and sent to an orphanage paralyzed from the waist down, so poor it couldn't buy crayons let alone a wheelchair for Tatyana, she remained in bed, malnourished basically left to die.


Her adoptive, American Mom visited the orphanage on a business trip bonded with her and adopted her. She almost died in the USA because she had been so malnourished and was only expected to live a few months. She pushed forward with a will. Her Mom built strength in her and enrolled her in every sport imaginable including swimming but ultimately her love was wheelchair racing.


At the University of IL she is known as the Beast. She is so strong and students are in awe at how much she can lift and goes up hills in her wheelchair that bring others to a crawl.


Today she won the Chicago Marathon in a sprint to the end in the time of 1:42:37 and put her in another elite classification, the first to win 3 marathons in a row, including Boston and the first to win 4 marathons in her wheelchair in a single year.


My DD and I both followed the marathon, separated by 4 hours from each other, cheering her on. She has accomplished everything she can do with the support of her Mom who believed she could do anything she set her mind to do. This young lady sets the bar with grace and dignity for all she has decided to accomplish.


I am so proud of her and everything she represents in life.

 

[RSoxNo1]

A friend of mine has two prosthetic legs. He was told at guest relations that he would have to rent a wheelchair or ECV. On recent trips he had been renting an ECV offsite, but I imagine there have been enough circumstances like this where people that previously would use the alternate entry for a legit reason have been forced to pay for a wheelchair or ECV that they otherwise wouldn't use.

When faced with the same issue at Universal, they gave him a similar line of dialog but ultimately gave him their version of the Guest Assistance Pass.

 

[DISNEYCASTAWAY]

A friend of mine has two prosthetic legs. He was told at guest relations that he would have to rent a wheelchair or ECV. On recent trips he had been renting an ECV offsite, but I imagine there have been enough circumstances like this where people that previously would use the alternate entry for a legit reason have been forced to pay for a wheelchair or ECV that they otherwise wouldn't use.

When faced with the same issue at Universal, they gave him a similar line of dialog but ultimately gave him their version of the Guest Assistance Pass.

As i stated in an earlier post, my husband who uses a cane to help him and can not use stairs had no problem getting the new card. We had it with in two minutes of walking up to city hall. They did not say we needed to get a wheelchair.

 

[RSoxNo1]

As i stated in an earlier post, my husband who uses a cane to help him and can not use stairs had no problem getting the new card. We had it with in two minutes of walking up to city hall. They did not say we needed to get a wheelchair.

It still sounds like it depends on who you get. Another friend who uses a cane was told no.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It still sounds like it depends on who you get. Another friend who uses a cane was told no.

It may also depend on the degree of "assistance" that the person asks for. If the request is FOL then they might answer with the need for a wheelchair or scooter, no FOL. If they just need to be in the shade or a place to wait while their party gets to the front of the line, then the DAS might be issued. I don't know what was requested by either party, but, I'm just throwing that out there.

 

[LeafsFanNL]

Gary who is a host on the WDWkingdomcast podcast is a double amputee. He was recently told that he does not qualify for the DAS card. He was told to go rent a scooter or wheelchair.

If TDO wanted to fix abuse of the GAC they could have done it without overreacting. As an able bodied person, I'm disgusted with Disney right now.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yeah, how DARE Disney adopt the exact same procedures that every other theme park ever uses! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!

 

[raymusiccity]

Thayt's when I become vocal.

You're both right. The nerve of some people wanting to shove their children in front of the adults so that the little ones can see a parade!

 

[jrlbc06]

You're both right. The nerve of some people wanting to shove their children in front of the adults so that the little ones can see a parade!

Then show up early like the people you're selfishly shoving in front of did...

 

[ninjaprincesst]

The point is not the "little ones seeing the parade" it's that people have invested an hour or more of time by getting there early and getting a good spot then these people show up five minutes before the parade starts and shove their "little ones" in front of you blocking the view that you invested major amounts of time getting. If they want their kids to see the parade they could show up an hour early too.

 

[RandomPrincess]

I am more then happy to let little kids sit in front of us - If their parents ask. Or if I get a friendly vibe off the family I will offer. Some people are just rude, angry people and I don't want to deal with them.

 

[Gabe1]

I can't believe this didn't get edited out...The show The View has been broadcasting from Disneyland this week.

Earlier this week, the blonde co-host is shown in a clip riding Cars with her son. Then goes onto say that was his 6th time riding already. The moment of truth when the naive celebrate puts her foot in Disney's mouth.

 

[flynnibus]

Earlier this week, the blonde co-host is shown in a clip riding Cars with her son. Then goes onto say that was his 6th time riding already. The moment of truth when the naive celebrate puts her foot in Disney's mouth.

While you might think of this as 'rubbing salt in..' - no one thinks Celebrities wait on line with everyone else in the parks. DL regulars are well aware of the plaids and VIP access rich people leverage at Disney. And WDW fans are used to seeing the special attention Celebs get too (like those Disney photos on the lawn in front of the castle, etc)

 

[Goofyernmost]

I can't believe this didn't get edited out...The show The View has been broadcasting from Disneyland this week.

Earlier this week, the blonde co-host is shown in a clip riding Cars with her son. Then goes onto say that was his 6th time riding already. The moment of truth when the naive celebrate puts her foot in Disney's mouth.

I didn't see the show but did she say that it was the sixth time that day or the sixth time since it opened, you know like once a month for six months or once a week for six weeks or once a day for six days? Or maybe even once a couple times a day for 3 days. The combinations are limitless. If she said, today, then the conclusion is that shouldn't have happened, if she didn't then a giant leap of assumptions has just been made.