GAC to Become DAS

[Belowthesurface]

(or go to Universal where they don’t show prejudice against those with physical disabilities).

They operate under different circumstances and pressures when compared to Disney, so not a fair comparison.

 

[Belowthesurface]

I guarantee if they tell us we can't get a DAS when we go next June and they tell us he has to be in a stroller or a wheelchair, my wife will go ballistic. she can be very convincing. and both WDW and DVC will hear from us. We are perfectly fine with the changes from GAC to DAS, but any true disability should be entitled to the DAS, not just Autism. My son both requires and deserves the DAS.

You are not entitled to anything and my disability is more important, so I require the DAS card over your family member.

 

[JLipnick]

You are not entitled to anything and my disability is more important, so I require the DAS card over your family member.

You are joking, right? Not sure I follow your lack of logic.

 

[wm49rs]

That would have no effect because the only reason Disney even has DAS is to keep those with autism and sensory disorders from repulsing the average guest with their strange behavior like banging their head against the rails, having a meltdown or exhibiting violent actions. Your best bet is to not bother fighting the discrimination and do like we do and go in September when you don’t really need a pass (or go to Universal where they don’t show prejudice against those with physical disabilities).

Yes, that's the only reason. Or, rather it's not. But since you seem to have issue telling one from the other, let's just go with it's not the only reason.

And way to keep on keeping things classy.....

 

[natatomic]

They used DAS but there were problems with the fp line and the line alone for fp was 20 min. There were band issues at the front and it was holding things up. It was a major mess all around.

Right. But what I'm saying is even if they had a GAC card, they still would have entered that exact same line and had the exact same wait in said line with the exact same issues. The DAS and the GAC act the exact same way once you enter the line. Their not-so-great experience in this story is unrelated to which system (DAS or GAC) Disney was utilizing at the time.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We had a truly horrendous experience with the new system on saturday that I wanted to share, sorry if it's a bit long we have been really troubled by it, myself as an ex cast member and I have family members still working for the park. I've also worked at Guest Services at Universal, so I try to remain as two sided as possible but this crossed the line and left such a bad taste.

My brother is 22 and has battled cerebral palsy all his life, I say battled with extreme proudness, he has always tried his hardest not to let it get in his way, he has both a physical and non-physical disability. He struggles with social skills and gets angry quickly, he curses a lot and can use violence when he can't understand things. From the left side looking at him, he is a totally normal guy witha great sense of humor, from the right side you can see his disabilites, the leg splint, the arm splint, the scars from the many surgeries etc etc, he is my hero for what he has put up with, the dreams he has had crushed and the severe bullying he endured throughout his school life. He struggles to stand for long periods of time, gets terrible blisters in the heat and definitelty can't do a full 10 hour day of theme parking.

We got to Studios on Saturday for my other brothers birthday, we went to Guest Relations to ask for assistance and explained what he used to recieve and that we hadn't used the new system yet. the CM asked what problems my brother faces in lines, explained all of the above and was told this sounds like a motability issue you can just get a wheelchair.... I smiled and politely explained that he has been fighting the wheelchair for many years with success and that wouldn't be an option (side note: he hates wheelchairs, used to use them when he was younger, but found that people ignored him and talked to the pusher, or talked to him like he was stupid). I explained the non-physical side again when Taylor from IL, said she would go speak to her team and come back. This is a word for word of what she said:

"My team have agreed that cerebral palsy is JUST a motability issue therefore assistance is denied please utilize the wheelchairs".

She then went on to try and embarrass my brother, who by this point was pacing a little and getting wound up, frustrated etc, he said No and kept saying no. I asked her if I could speak to a manager to explain that CP is not "just" a motability "issue". She said no. This went on for about 5 mins until she crossed the line big time and said "well how did this happen?" I had no idea what she was talking about and so she asked again "how did this happen, how did he become so disabled?". I really had to stop myself from losing it at this point. I asked her if she'd like to step aside and watch you tube videos of child birth with me to understand, but pointed out there were kids in the area and prob not the best idea. The worst part with me is when someone offends me and boils my blood like this I can't help but well up and begin to cry, I know, massive loser here. So this caused a little bit of a scene. My mum came over and I explained to her everything that had gone on, to be repeatedly interrupted by Taylor; lying, denying she had asked certain questions or made certain statements. I stepped aside at this point, I had asked for a manager approximately 12 times by now and kept being told no. My mum tells me that Taylor said you can just lie to me and pretend he has autism and I'll give you the pass. WHAT?! So I walked over to a manager that was at turnstiles (FYI this all happened outside GR by the umbrella) and explained what was going on, the manager started to walk inside and Taylor seeing this magically granted the assistance card. I'm thinking through fear of getting in trouble. I was so appalled, and so figured I would come here to vent so here it is, apologies for the long post. I just hope no other families have to go through that. It soured the whole day. Plus we had the worst encounter using the pass at star tours, but I'll explain that in another post, again sorry for the length.

So sorry. I understand your frustration. If someone asked something like that about my brother (who has autism) I think I'd lose it too! I love how these CMs think that it's their job to police the guests.

 

[unkadug]

So sorry. I understand your frustration. If someone asked something like that about my brother (who has autism) I think I'd lose it too! I love how these CMs think that it's their job to police the guests.

Autism is the golden ticket at Disney so you would never have that problem.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Autism is the golden ticket at Disney so you would never have that problem.

Of course not. I was saying for life in general.

 

[RandomPrincess]

So sorry. I understand your frustration. If someone asked something like that about my brother (who has autism) I think I'd lose it too! I love how these CMs think that it's their job to police the guests.

While I completely agree this CM was out of line. It is their job to police the guests

 

[Goofyernmost]

So sorry. I understand your frustration. If someone asked something like that about my brother (who has autism) I think I'd lose it too! I love how these CMs think that it's their job to police the guests.

And yet how many times have we heard anger over the fact that the CM's didn't attempt to enforce the rules. Seriously, we must make up our minds. Do we want everyone running the parks the way we each individually want it to be, based on our specific needs, or do we want a clear cut, spelled out and enforced policy that is fair to all, not just a few.

Disney had the pendulum swing way to far in the direction of out of control. Now they are having to be pushing it to the other side to show that they are serious about what they are trying to do. Over time the pendulum will swing back to the center where everyone that has a legitimate need will get that need taken care of and those that have been using the system for their own personal convenience will be discouraged from attempting to mess with it.

Disney needs to provide a solution to access. It isn't the best interest of everybody to let individuals dictate what that accommodation will be. If standing in line is a problem, then the wheelchair IS the solution to that problem. It is not evil, it is a way to help those that need the help. Not every solution has to be jump to the front. Just because someone doesn't want to be sitting in a wheelchair doesn't mean that it isn't needed. It is the solution that is workable.

I took a man that had CP to Disney many times. He was a proud person but knew that he wasn't able to do it like able bodied people were doing the parks. He was happy to sit in a wheelchair and transfer, with my help, to the ride. He never would have made it there otherwise...front of line or not. He loved the place. When he passed away there was a montage of all his pictures and memories of WDW displayed at his funeral. He did what was necessary to enjoy WDW, he never asked for more. He could wait in lines, he just couldn't stand in them. Solution = wheelchair. It made life easier for both he and myself.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

And yet how many times have we heard anger over the fact that the CM's didn't attempt to enforce the rules. Seriously, we must make up our minds. Do we want everyone running the parks the way we each individually want it to be, based on our specific needs, or do we want a clear cut, spelled out and enforced policy that is fair to all, not just a few.

Disney had the pendulum swing way to far in the direction of out of control. Now they are having to be pushing it to the other side to show that they are serious about what they are trying to do. Over time the pendulum will swing back to the center where everyone that has a legitimate need will get that need taken care of and those that have been using the system for their own personal convenience will be discouraged from attempting to mess with it.

Disney needs to provide a solution to access. It isn't the best interest of everybody to let individuals dictate what that accommodation will be. If standing in line is a problem, then the wheelchair IS the solution to that problem. It is not evil, it is a way to help those that need the help. Not every solution has to be jump to the front. Just because someone doesn't want to be sitting in a wheelchair doesn't mean that it isn't needed. It is the solution that is workable.

I took a man that had CP to Disney many times. He was a proud person but knew that he wasn't able to do it like able bodied people were doing the parks. He was happy to sit in a wheelchair and transfer, with my help, to the ride. He never would have made it there otherwise...front of line or not. He loved the place. When he passed away there was a montage of all his pictures and memories of WDW displayed at his funeral. He did what was necessary to enjoy WDW, he never asked for more. He could wait in lines, he just couldn't stand in them. Solution = wheelchair. It made life easier for both he and myself.

And what may work for you may not work for another person.

 

[unkadug]

And what may work for you may not work for another person.

His point is that there has to be rules. We cannot simply bend the rules for EVERYBODY.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

His point is that there has to be rules. We cannot simply bend the rules for EVERYBODY.

My point is that the rules need to be changed because they are currently not working. I don't think it's fair to force someone to a wheelchair who can be accommodated without the embarrassment of needing a wheelchair. Besides, the person with CP will probably spend less time in the parks than the average Joe because of the mobility, issues, so they generally would get the same experience as another guest.

And one more thing: Disney's response is to get a wheelchair. Are they paying for it? Because normally you'd have to pay a rental fee yourself.

 

[unkadug]

My point is that the rules need to be changed because they are currently not working. I don't think it's fair to force someone to a wheelchair who can be accommodated without the embarrassment of needing a wheelchair. Besides, the person with CP will probably spend less time in the parks than the average Joe because of the mobility, issues, so they generally would get the same experience as another guest.

And one more thing: Disney's response is to get a wheelchair. Are they paying for it? Because normally you'd have to pay a rental fee yourself.

I agree that the rules need to be changed, I just don't know how they can be changed and be fair to EVERYBODY.

It is just not possible to accommodate EVERYONE.

 

[Goofyernmost]

My point is that the rules need to be changed because they are currently not working. I don't think it's fair to force someone to a wheelchair who can be accommodated without the embarrassment of needing a wheelchair. Besides, the person with CP will probably spend less time in the parks than the average Joe because of the mobility, issues, so they generally would get the same experience as another guest.

And one more thing: Disney's response is to get a wheelchair. Are they paying for it? Because normally you'd have to pay a rental fee yourself.

Here is where I have a problem. Why is it embarrassing to need a wheelchair. What able bodied member of our society decided this. If a person has a problem that requires one, why is that an embarrassment to them. It is a fact of their life. Are there people out there telling them that being in a wheelchair makes them less of a person or are they letting them know how impressed we are that they are doing what is necessary to live their life the best way they can.

I'm guessing it is the same group of people that decided that a person could no longer be handicapped, but instead they should be called challenged because it is a demeaning thing to be handicapped. The gentleman I told you about in my post was 62 years old the first time I took him to WDW. He did whatever he could to be as mobile as possible. He tried, but, had the ability to know his limitations and deal with them in a mature and self respected manner. There was never a situation that his disability made him feel like less of the valuable person he was. A wheelchair did not define him. I was 20 years younger then him and owned the group home that he lived in. There was never a day that he didn't do or attempt something that impressed me. He faced every challenge that was placed in front of him (he had multitudes of them) and did it with his head high and with a genuine glee to discover things that before that were out of his reach. I was not related to this man, but, I cared as much for him as anyone in my family. He was truly a hero in my eyes. The only thing he wasn't able to defeat was the bladder cancer that took over his body. I held his hand as he died, no relatives, just me as a friend. When I hear people whine because they can't just get super special treatment because they have a problem, I think about the bravery and strength of this one human being and the whiners pale by comparison.

 

[asialeigh]

My point is that the rules need to be changed because they are currently not working. I don't think it's fair to force someone to a wheelchair who can be accommodated without the embarrassment of needing a wheelchair. Besides, the person with CP will probably spend less time in the parks than the average Joe because of the mobility, issues, so they generally would get the same experience as another guest.

And one more thing: Disney's response is to get a wheelchair. Are they paying for it? Because normally you'd have to pay a rental fee yourself.

A good bit of attractions have complimentary wheelchairs to use while in line.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Here is where I have a problem. Why is it embarrassing to need a wheelchair. What able bodied member of our society decided this. If a person has a problem that requires one, why is that an embarrassment to them. It is a fact of their life. Are there people out there telling them that being in a wheelchair makes them less of a person or are they letting them know how impressed we are that they are doing what is necessary to live their life the best way they can.

I'm guessing it is the same group of people that decided that a person could no longer be handicapped, but instead they should be called challenged because it is a demeaning thing to be handicapped. The gentleman I told you about in my post was 62 years old the first time I took him to WDW. He did whatever he could to be as mobile as possible. He tried, but, had the ability to know his limitations and deal with them in a mature and self respected manner. There was never a situation that his disability made him feel like less of the valuable person he was. A wheelchair did not define him. I was 20 years younger then him and owned the group home that he lived in. There was never a day that he didn't do or attempt something that impressed me. He faced every challenge that was placed in front of him (he had multitudes of them) and did it with his head high and with a genuine glee to discover things that before that were out of his reach. I was not related to this man, but, I cared as much for him as anyone in my family. He was truly a hero in my eyes. The only thing he wasn't able to defeat was the bladder cancer that took over his body. I held his hand as he died, no relatives, just me as a friend. When I hear people whine because they can't just get super special treatment because they have a problem, I think about the bravery and strength of this one human being and the whiners pale by comparison.

Okay, it's embarrassing when you have a condition like that because often, they don't want to appear like they need help. It's the same reason why I, as an asthmatic, prefer not to take my inhaler in public (I usually go into a ladies' room) or will tell people I'm fine when I'm not. It's not embarrassing to everyone, but it can be and it's something to consider.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I agree that the rules need to be changed, I just don't know how they can be changed and be fair to EVERYBODY.

It is just not possible to accommodate EVERYONE.

How about Autism and other mental conditions are approved across the board and other conditions are approved at the discretion of a manager? So if the person has a wheelchair, then the manager says no, but if the person can't use a wheelchair or has another issue, then the manager can approve that.

 

[minninedaisy74]

BTW the little boy did fabulous once he was one the ride. He did a total of 3 different rides all day. That was his limit. He said some of his first words on the ride. He is a non verbal child. I had a long discussion with his mom over an hour. My point was How DAS did not work. Even using the new system. He waited over 20 minutes to ride. He then was waiting in line for another long period of time. I am not saying FOTL just that there has to be an adjustment. When they got to the front they were held up for several trucks. someone wanted to be in that row with a family member who was driving so he was bumped. a disabled car came by so he was held up. another disabled truck went by and for some reason they loaded the row behind them. I witnessed the entire thing and finally stepped up and intervened. This was a military family that came over for one day only. This was his first trip. My point was the long lines do not work for some situations and something eventually will have to give or many many families will not be returning. I get that there are some on here who think that kids like him shouldn't be there. But you know what??? he has enough other everyday challenges that him and mom deserve a day of escape. So before you judge a disabled person I really think you should walk a day in the life of a disabled child with a military dad who deploys so mom was trying to make something special. I thought she was brilliant for going to AK and trying to keep the day low key for his first visit. She was testing what his limits were. I actually became friends with her and have kept in touch.

Oh please I am so sick of the whole military card and I feel I can say this because we are military family!! My husband is gone all time. Even when he is not deployed due to what he does and his rank he puts in super long hours. A disabled child with a military dad should not be treated any different then a disabled child whose dad is a History teacher. Also I question all the stories of my non verbal child said their first words on Peter Pan because we were able to ride over and over again. Just too many instances for all of these Autism miracles in Disney to be reality.

 

[networkpro]

In my experience this September and the past few weeks the DAS is working as intended. Guest or guests attendant/parent comes up, gets a time, and comes back at scheduled time to enter the queue just like a fast pass. No special privileges for the same admission price.