GAC to Become DAS

[flynnibus]

Thinking out loud: How about using the hand stamp system, and "for insurance purposes" each DAS holder must be accompanied by at least one non-DAS guest? I don't know this answer which is why I'm asking but are there insurance rules? Surely 4 DAS cheaters couldn't just rock up in their hired ECVs and get on one boat at PotC for instance? Only one "red stamp" per ride vehicle?
Could, in theory, a DAS "family" take up a whole boat?

Disney could use safety exceptions to enforce limits like that.. but operationally you'd probably cause more havoc than you gained.

IMO - the simplest model is timecards for everyone in a DAS party, allow anyone to take multiple cards to a kiosk to get their next stamp, and methods to prevent giving out multiple timecards to the same person. Again.. MDE would make this easy

The biggest challenge is still registration and handing out cards.. especially early in the day. I could foresee Disney having to do things out on the esplanade before the parks open to help alleviate this.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

Disney could use safety exceptions to enforce limits like that.. but operationally you'd probably cause more havoc than you gained.

IMO - the simplest model is timecards for everyone in a DAS party, allow anyone to take multiple cards to a kiosk to get their next stamp, and methods to prevent giving out multiple timecards to the same person. Again.. MDE would make this easy

The biggest challenge is still registration and handing out cards.. especially early in the day. I could foresee Disney having to do things out on the esplanade before the parks open to help alleviate this.

Or pre-registration online in advance. Surely even APs would know if they were if they were going to visit the next day?

 

[Sped2424]

Unless you are a major stock holder, Disney is not going to take your advice anyway. So if you truly want to change Disney buy buy buy!!!! Once you have ~25% of the shares, they might listen to you, until that, we here are all just blowing smoke.

if you read my response was towards someone who said lets brainstorm what you do to improve the system. I think I am aware of how disney sends letters
Thank you for your concern,
blah blah blah blah
we heard you and value your (Insert comment/idea)
and we shall consider it immensely

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Hmmm, I wonder if people at Disney are already monitoring threads such as these, to see what kind of workarounds people are going to come up with. That way, they might be able to nip it in the bud, if they are prepared for the tricks they haven't thought about.

 

[flynnibus]

Hmmm, I wonder if people at Disney are already monitoring threads such as these, to see what kind of workarounds people are going to come up with. That way, they might be able to nip it in the bud, if they are prepared for the tricks they haven't thought about.

That would be great honestly. I don't think of these things to abuse them... I think of them to evaluate the effectiness of the system. If it has flaws and they fix them... fantastic. Think of me as your WDW White Hat skeptic.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Heck, anyone can use the handicapped toilet stall, the disabled have access to it when it opens up.

The problem with this particular argument is that normal guests can use ANY stall but disabled guests are LIMITED to only the one stall. This could be an entirely different discussion that can and would create lots of flamed comments.

 

[Sped2424]

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/disney-world-s-message-to-the-disabled--wait-in-line-161946185.html

 

[Gabe1]

The problem with this particular argument is that normal guests can use ANY stall but disabled guests are LIMITED to only the one stall. This could be an entirely different discussion that can and would create lots of flamed comments.

Only if you want to start a flame. And FYI, just because you have a disability doesn't mean you are not a NORMAL guest. That I do take issue with. There are not ordinances for restroom stalls. There are on the other hand provisions in the law for parking spots.

It doesn't matter where you are, airport, mall those stalls are not reserved solely for patrons with disabilities where parking spots are by law. In restrooms where there are only 2 or 3 stalls it would be silly to leave it open until a disabled person came to use it, certainly would back up the line already long in womens restrooms. When my children were small I use to bring the stroller in there with me because it was the only stall large enough to do it and I would not lay an infant on the ground or leave her alone in the restroom outside the stall. In many womens restrooms the changing tables are within those stalls. Multipurpose, multiuse.

I've also been placed into mobility challenged guest rooms at Disney World and other hotels, no law against Disney or other hotels doing that either or guests staying in them.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/disney-world-s-message-to-the-disabled--wait-in-line-161946185.html

I really like this article. Most of the comments seem fairly sensible from what I've read.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I was wondering the same thing? How does someone that can't stand in line for 15 minutes handle the car ride or plane trip to Orlando? If flying, how do they handle the wait for screening groping at the airport? How do they handle the wait for the bus, parking lot tram, monorail or ferry boat?

Somtimes the key word is stand. My Dad has no problem waiting 20 or 30 minutes or an hour whatever, the problem he has is standing that long. The rides that let you take the chair scooter through the regular line are fine. What concerns me is he physically cant stand for 20 minutes in a line after getting his fastpass or disabled pass or whatever they are calling it after he is made to get out of the chair. He has about a 5 minute tops stand time he can endure without pain. Also Im very concerned about him getting knocked over as Disney is full of excited kids and adults. It has almost happened in the past just walking from the point where you park the scooter to where you get on the ride.

 

[minninedaisy74]

REALLY??? And for you my dear, there is KARMA...may all your future trips to WDW be surrounded by all levels of autistic children as you wait in line with them because EVERYONE should experience "this 'every child is autistic' crap". So I hope that you will have a MAGICAL DAY on your future trips when you have a spitting, nose picking, uncontrollable vocal tick, autistic child standing right beside you for an hour!

Angry much ?? Your description sounds like a lot of children I have had the pleasure of standing next to in line ones who weren't autistic! Besides this new process is not having users wait in a line for an hour. It is just not allowing them to ride it immediately and not over and over again with a small wait and one which doesn't have to be in an actual line! I really have no idea what some of you want from Disney .

 

[Lord_Vader]

Only if you want to start a flame. And FYI, just because you have a disability doesn't mean you are not a NORMAL guest. That I do take issue with. There are not ordinances for restroom stalls. There are on the other hand provisions in the law for parking spots.

It doesn't matter where you are, airport, mall those stalls are not reserved solely for patrons with disabilities where parking spots are by law. In restrooms where there are only 2 or 3 stalls it would be silly to leave it open until a disabled person came to use it, certainly would back up the line already long in womens restrooms. When my children were small I use to bring the stroller in there with me because it was the only stall large enough to do it and I would not lay an infant on the ground or leave her alone in the restroom outside the stall. In many womens restrooms the changing tables are within those stalls. Multipurpose, multiuse.

I've also been placed into mobility challenged guest rooms at Disney World and other hotels, no law against Disney or other hotels doing that either or guests staying in them.

Over the past dozen or so trips to WDW, my wife has been forced routinely to wait anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes at restrooms because many guests choose to use the accessible stalls that force guests with mobility issues to wait in very uncomfortable conditions. Ironically, this seems to be an issue in ladies rooms much more so than mens rooms as very rarely do I encounter the mens room accessible stall in-use and would never use it as I was brought up to respect that there is typically only one option for people with accessibilty issues while I have many.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I happened to be sitting on a barstool at the Dawa bar in AK last Monday. 2 Disney managers walked up and began talking to the person 2 seats away. The guest began gushing about how great MM+ was and how useful it would be if medical conditions could be linked into MM+. The managers explicitly explained that this would not be possible as it would be a violation of HIPPA statutes. Are the managers incorrect?

[edited to remove incorrect information] These are not the droids you're looking for. Move along.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

Over the past dozen or so trips to WDW, my wife has been forced routinely to wait anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes at restrooms because many guests choose to use the accessible stalls that force guests with mobility issues to wait in very uncomfortable conditions. Ironically, this seems to be an issue in ladies rooms much more so than mens rooms as very rarely do I encounter the mens room accessible stall in-use and would never use it as I was brought up to respect that there is typically only one option for people with accessibilty issues while I have many.

We have this scheme in the U.K for disabled/accessible toilets, wherever you are - theme park or shopping centre:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-22602836

 

[Nemo14]

Yahoo is posting this now:
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/disney-world-s-message-to-the-disabled--wait-in-line-161946185.html

 

[Lord_Vader]

We have this scheme in the U.K for disabled/accessible toilets, wherever you are - theme park or shopping centre:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-22602836

I am impressed, very progressive!

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

I am impressed, very progressive!

Not progressive for the U.K. We just don't tolerate BSers and nobody is entitled to anything unless you actually need it

 

[Gomer]

Angry much ?? Your description sounds like a lot of children I have had the pleasure of standing next to in line ones who weren't autistic! Besides this new process is not having users wait in a line for an hour. It is just not allowing them to ride it immediately and not over and over again with out a small wait and one which doesn't have to be in an actual line! I really have no idea what some of you want from Disney .

I think the anger was more aimed at the "every child is autistic" comments and the implication that mild cases could be beaten out of the children with a good spanking than the line issues. It is something that my elderly relatives have also expressed regarding my son who has autism in the past. Its a position some seem to take in order to reconcile for themselves the fact that there is more autism diagnosed now than there was in the past. They figure, it is due to parental failures and not outside factors. Its just an assumption, but a very dangerous one.

I too was initially angered by the comment, but chose not to reply as I think the post may have come across worse than intended. From reading the poster's input in the past, I don't really think they believe that you can beat mild autism out of someone and they had really intended to scold those who diagnose their own children prematurely in order to reap benefits.

Anyway, not to speak for both the previous posters, I just thought perhaps both sides of that little battle were being misunderstood.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

As much as Disneyland Paris is considered the poor relative, and just a franchise, here is a copy of their disability guide. You must provide proof. It would be great if the DAS and this could be combined.
Short version:http://visit.disneylandparis.co.uk/disabled-visitors/disabled-visitors-general-information.xhtml
Long version: http://www.disneylandparis.com/BROCHURE/handicap/uk/catalogue/appli.htm#/33

 

[minorthr]

For someone who has a son with autism the GAC was a godsend. Not having it will make it virtually impossible to take him back to Disney. It really is terrible that people had to abuse it so now those who really do need it won't get to use it. We tried this at universal and island of adventure and I ended up buying their express passes for all three of us costing us another $300+.

People who aren't in the situation won't get it which is fine. There is no reasoning with him I can't go to a ride and have them say come back in 45 minutes. He isn't going to understand it, all he knows is he wants to go on x ride. There is no redirecting him to something else. It will just end up with him having a full fledge meltdown requiring us to leave the park.

I'm glad we got to take him at least once.