GAC to Become DAS

[JimboJones123]

So how does changing the system discourage people from abusing it? They'll look at it as a free fastpass.

Nothing will change.

Instead of taking advantage of unlimited fastpass, they will have to get the reservation time each time. So, maybe 4-6 extra fastpasses a day instead of more than a dozen. At that point, the cheaters have lost more than half of their incentive, but also more than half the lines they bog will be that much more clear.

Estimates are that 50% of fastpass on a given day are GAC. If those are reduced by 75%, fastpass lins could be cut by 1/3. This is a huge win on Sorin, Toy Story, Test Track and many others where the stand by times ary often 2-3x longer than posted times.

 

[Witchy Chick]

Well, something that I seem to do more and more the older I get, I quoted the wrong post or I just misread it. Who knew? I was referring to one that said that the card holder doesn't have to be on the ride for it to work for the group, I think. Sorry, about that. I'd look it up, but, it's not all that important at this point.

No problem. I have that "misquote" issue often (especially when I'm on my iPad and it's more challenging to copy/paste/multiquote).

 

[minninedaisy74]

Not always but sometimes guests are"fat" because they are relegated to scooters/mobile devices and cannot effectively exersize due to one of many health issues.

Too many judgemental people on this thread.

Those are very few and far between. Most of those overweight EVC users are put there because of their lack of exercise and poor eating habits which leads to the ton of health problems you mention. They may not be able to exercise but they definitely could clean up their eating habits because you don't become obese just because you can't exercise you become that way because you shove unhealthy foods full of fat and sugar into your body and not having control over your food.

 

[unkadug]

I should have prefaced that comment with an "in my experience". I am definitely not a cast member and don't have extensive experience. Just basing this off my experience with my mother who was in a wheel chair on my last 2 trips. It became a point of contention between us that I didn't want to use my son's GAC for every ride, so she began taking matters into her own hands and walking into the fastpass line by flashing her wheelchair key and daring us to either follow her or wait on line without her. (Fun trip overall ) She wasn't stopped once. They would just wave her on through. Perhaps they just didn't feel like arguing with her. I can sympathize.

I'm still uncertain what a wheelchair key is. In my experience wheelchairs do not have ignition switches.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Those are very few and far between. Most of those overweight EVC users are put there because of their lack of exercise and poor eating habits which leads to the ton of health problems you mention. They may not be able to exercise but they definitely could clean up their eating habits because you don't become obese just because you can't exercise you become that way because you shove unhealthy foods full of fat and sugar into your body and not having control over your food.

My avatar not being part of this discussion... all I can say is.....BULL! If you are slim rush to your parents and thank them for giving you the metabolism that was necessary for you to stay slim. Thank them for giving you the education to make the money required to maintain an always healthy diet as will as finance the lifestyle that keeps you active. Let's you live in areas where you can take a walk without fear of bodily harm. Many do feed their face with over aggression, but many, many, many...did I mention, many more have issues that have created that situation. Read something that does more then just supports what you have as an opinion on what the cause is.

 

[minninedaisy74]

My avatar not being part of this discussion... all I can say is.....BULL! If you are slim rush to your parents and thank them for giving you the metabolism that was necessary for you to stay slim. Thank them for giving you the education to make the money required to maintain an always healthy diet as will as finance the lifestyle that keeps you active. Let's you live in areas where you can take a walk without fear of bodily harm. Many do feed their face with over aggression, but many, many, many...did I mention, many more have issues that have created that situation. Read something that does more then just supports what you have as an opinion on what the cause is.

So what you are saying is only wealthy people can be slim? I am by no means slim however I am within my weight range. I keep it this way by making time to exercise which is done at home and not a gym and making healthy food choices and portion control. Anybody can do it rich or poor old or young. You should really see the video of the over weight military veteran with health issues who decided to take control of his body and started doing yoga dialy and cutting his food intake. He went from being over weight with numerous health issues and barley walking with a cane to a completely different man. I am thinking maybe you need to read something that doesn't just support your opinion also.

 

[mrs. gracey]

Oh please, obesity has not become an epidemic because people were dealt a bad hand. Both of my parents are overweight, some of my siblings, but I choose to maintain an average weight. It doesn't take extensive knowledge to eat fairly healthy, or keep a fairly active lifestyle. Where there is a will, there is a way.

 

[NowInc]

...as this thread once again goes wildly off the rails...

 

[flynnibus]

I'm still uncertain what a wheelchair key is. In my experience wheelchairs do not have ignition switches.

E
C
V

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't know how new this was, but on our recent visit there were signs at ALL the bus stops that stated that a party greater than six would have to board separately. I don't have the exact wording but they would board one 'wheelchair' and up to six people total. If there were more in your party, it was suggested that they would have to meet up at their destination, or on board if the other members could board with the other guests waiting in line.

We usually have wheelchair folded at bus stops, Chair goes on first but we wait like everyone else

 

[PirateFrank]

It seems like one of the complaints is...

I can only tolerate 5hrs...
... under old model I could do 10 attractions..
... under new model I could only do 5 attractions..

Nevermind 'other' people could only get through maybe 4 attractions in the same period.

Some believe Disney should enable a disabled person who can only tolerate 5hrs to do 10hrs worth of park visits during the 5hr period.

That is not something Disney is obligated to do. Disney can and has, but is not obligated to. This change does stand to reduce how many attractions someone can get done in a fixed amount of time. But what it doesn't necessarily do is reduce you to LESS than what 'open' population have the potential to do. With the crowding of disabled access at some attractions it would... but the reduced abuse should help with that too.

But I think this is the disconnect for many... people thinking Disney should allow people to concentrate a full trip into a shorter amount of time. That is purely a customer service choice - not legal obligation.

And in this case, it looks like the lure for abuse was just too high.. so yes those who were in need are brought back down a bit from their previous graces offered by Disney.

The inability of someone to maximize something's potential is not something ADA or others are required to cover. A younger kid who has more stamina can do more than me.. that's just how it is. The ADA is not required to make you 'normal' stamina or throughput.. its required to allow your level of stamina to participate.

Wow! Bravo! Encore!

I could *not* have said it *any* better. *This* is the sense of entitlement that comes out of some of the people who are bemoaning the loss of GAC. They don't see it. They are blinded by it. Why? Because they think that the GAC is MAW-lite. I'm not sure what drives it, but the mentality is that Disney exists solely to make their experience all obstruction-free, at the expense of WDW and other guests. To literally seize and plunder an experience value well above what would be considered fair value. Never mind, the value degradation to regular park tickets by constantly abusing queues with front of the line access for their whole party. Never mind, the regular Joe who clawed and scraped for 7 years just to afford a family vacation for once in his life. His family vacation value be damned. Their park ticket values be damned.

Let me be 100% clear here. This isn't everyone. There are disabled people out there that truly need the help, deserve the help and should get the help and assistance to make their disney vacation as close to an equal experience as a regular joe. However, NOT surpass the value of a regular joe. @flynnibus said it perfectly!

To read people claim that a 5-15 minute wait is too long or who have boasted that their special needs child has ridden Peter Pan 5,700 times...those people, that sense of entitlement sickens me. How on earth is that even remotely fair treatment? Moreover, how someone refuses to see that the ability to skip lines that range from 15-120 minutes long, isn't a MASSIVE value to anyone, disabled or not, is mind boggling. How do these GAC defenders not realize that their behavior, as well as the behavior of sheer abusers, isn't hurting the truly needy most of all?

I'm sure it's coming, so flame away. I don't care. I'm here for the ones that truly need help....and to the ones that claim 15 minutes is too long to wait can go back to the airport and wait 60 minutes to get through TSA.

 

[ddrongowski]

My avatar not being part of this discussion... all I can say is.....BULL! If you are slim rush to your parents and thank them for giving you the metabolism that was necessary for you to stay slim. Thank them for giving you the education to make the money required to maintain an always healthy diet as will as finance the lifestyle that keeps you active. Let's you live in areas where you can take a walk without fear of bodily harm. Many do feed their face with over aggression, but many, many, many...did I mention, many more have issues that have created that situation. Read something that does more then just supports what you have as an opinion on what the cause is.

Reminds me of the so called fact that only fat people get diabetes... Yeah right... Then explain to me how an active duty soldier that is in special forces and in the best shape of his life became an insulin dependent diabetic. Even to this day he is in very good shape and not overweight at all.

 

[jaklgreen]

Reminds me of the so called fact that only fat people get diabetes... Yeah right... Then explain to me how an active duty soldier that is in special forces and in the best shape of his life became an insulin dependent diabetic. Even to this day he is in very good shape and not overweight at all.

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 that is just bad luck, even kids get it. The other is type 2, which is what most overweight people get and that can actually go away with a healthier life style.

 

[JerseyDad]

.....I've read this ENTIRE thread (and numerous others on different 'boards' ...before they got shut down because too many actual facts were being presented)

...In my opinion ...and based on an examination of the Law (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ...aka ADA) ....I feel that the Guest Assistance Card that was used for so long ...was a direct violation of the ADA regulations as set forth in the Law. The only thing that ADA was / is supposed to do is allow equal access to public accommodations ...that's it. Barrier free ...equal access. It does not mean that once someone is granted access to a public accommodation...that they will have a great time. It was also not meant to make someone's wait on a line to get to said accommodation ...shorter ...or, as so many who used the Guest Assistance Card system would come to expect ..be non-existent ...with an express trip to the front of the line. The law states that no group or person being part of a group (those that are disabled) ....can have any provisions made for them that are not equal to any other group (non-disabled). By allowing those who used ...and abused, the old system to "go to the front of the line" (or even "skipping" most of the line) by virtue of having a GAC (a piece of paper that ...signifies that the holder is disabled) they had bestowed a disadvantage onto those who were not disabled. The playing field was not leveled as intended by ADA.

If anyone has noticed ....Disney has commented on this system change (using an eyedropper) ....but it's a HUGE eyedropper in what it's dispensed so far. By that ...I mean that in the past ...Disney never really used the word "disabled" to a great extent in their written or verbal media communications. Guests that had said disabilities, were simply referred to (in most cases) as persons that need assistance. Disney tap danced around that very gingerly ...because in keeping with their Happiest Place of Earth criteria ...it can be counted on the corporate legal eagles wanted it that way.

But now ...changes have to be made to allow the bigger picture to unfold. The current GAC use and abuse can no longer exist if the MagicBand and FP+ system is to function as conceived. Disney spent a BILLION dollars on the tech and implementation of that tech and the existence of the GAC does not fit in the equation. To have the new system work ...almost EVERYTHING (regarding rides / attractions ) will be part of the system. How many persons getting to a ride ...will be monitored closely. No longer will it be acceptable to have 30 people with GAC's show up at a premium ride and walk right onto the FP line. Disney needs to know who will be where ...and how many 'who's' there will be.

That is where the DAS comes into play ...on two fronts:

1. Disney is no longer breaking the law by allowing unscheduled / unregulated ....MORE CONVENIENT THAN SOMEONE ELSE (the non-disabled persons) ...access to a public accommodation. The word "disabled" in the name of the system is not there by accident ...it's to fend off the numerous threatened lawsuits from ADA advocacy groups, and provide a defense for the ones that actually make it to court.

2. Disney needs to 'schedule' every person that will walk down the FP line. FP (in park) allows that ...and the FP+ system does that too.

This is about the Law, one that is intended to give equality ...nothing more than that .....and it's about money. If you question the money aspect of this ...all you need to do is look at the big picture.

 

[Gomer]

I'm still uncertain what a wheelchair key is. In my experience wheelchairs do not have ignition switches.

Wheelchairs in WDW do. No manual mobility there. Wheelchairs run on magic and pixiedust (and electricity) and require an ignition key and a wish to move. You make a good point however, I would imagine the 3 remaining people using the manual wheelchairs in WDW would need a GAC where as ECV users may or may not depending on the castmember manning the ride.

 

[ddrongowski]

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 that is just bad luck, even kids get it. The other is type 2, which is what most overweight people get and that can actually go away with a healthier life style.

Yes I know this, but remember "It's a fact that only fat people get diabetes..." is a lie.

 

[flynnibus]

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 that is just bad luck, even kids get it. The other is type 2, which is what most overweight people get and that can actually go away with a healthier life style.

True - but not inclusive. Type 2 isn't caused ONLY by lifestyle.. but can be brought on by lifestyle and can be managed with lifestyle. But even than, it's possible to evolve to being insulin dependent.

All that matters to this thread is people should stop worrying about how people got to some point. I knew as soon as that poster said 'im not handicapped but...' and went onto judging, we'd be off the tracks like this.

 

[jaklgreen]

The more people that come out on social media that have said they used GAC for all these stupid non legitimate reasons and are now complaining how they no longer have their FOTL pass, the more angry I get. I have been to WDW over 27 times(lost count), in the last 16 years. I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to go to my happy place, gladly I might add. But to think that all of these people went and did not have to wait for anything, while my family and I waited our turn, and then they are now complaining about it, really ticks me off. Shame on all of those people!!!! I have a medical reason that limits my wait times but I have never used the GAC. There have been many trips that we have done maybe 4-5 rides a day and did not complain or even feel like we did not get our moneys worth. I would get rid of the whole system. The lines are wheelchair accessible and they have fastpasses. If that will not work for your family either just don't go on as many rides as you would like(like many of us have to do) or find someplace else to have a vacation. This is just too out of control.

 

[flynnibus]

I feel that the Guest Assistance Card that was used for so long ...was a direct violation of the ADA regulations as set forth in the Law

No - because it's not illegal, nor against the ADA act to go BEYOND the minimum. Come on man, think that one through. You're going to make it illegal to offer MORE services? That doesn't even pass the sniff test.

The only thing that ADA was / is supposed to do is allow equal access to public accommodations

No, that is one part of the ADA...

...that's it. Barrier free ...equal access. It does not mean that once someone is granted access to a public accommodation...that they will have a great time

They are also supposed to be able to participate. Hence why the standards have been applied to things like playgrounds, amusement attractions, pools, etc. I agree with what you are trying to get across.. but what you are actually saying is not accurate.

Disney was by choice going above and beyond the law's requirements - that is not illegal.
The ADA does not require making the disabled person 'happier' or the like - just ensure they are allowed equal opportunity within reasonable accommodations. But that is a slippery slope because it can be interpreted wildly when the disability puts the person at a disadvantage that COULD be improved upon. But in general the idea is 'get you to the starting line...' and where you go from there is up to the individual.

 

[flynnibus]

benches... something I wish Disney parks had more of!!

The lack of places to sit down was a huge issue for me on my last DLR trip. And of course what little benches there are... people camp out on for hours to wait and watch a parade.

After my back surgeries I can do a lot.. but I know when my body needs a break to keep from pushing too far.. and at DLR it was extremely difficult.