GAC to Become DAS

[BroganMc]

.
Tell that to those who are wheelchair bound and can't transfer and have to wait an extra 10 to 20 minutes for that one wheelchair accessible ride vehicle (and this will be on top of stand-by queue times).

.
The wheelchair bound never used the GAC as a continuous FastPass because they had to wait a lot longer for an accessible ride vehicle and it was not worth the wait or the hassle of navigating the queue again. It was mainly the "borderline invisibly and physically disabled" who abused the system as a FOTL unlimited FastPass and they are the ones who will cost those with severe disabilities (both apparent and non-apparent) the benefits of this program. I bet these losers get a handicapped parking placard as well !!

Exactly. The people lauding this program as a reduction of the losers impacting their vacation really have no clue what a wheelchair bound guest goes thru. I bet many have stood in front of a wheelie guest at fireworks and parades only to later give a lame "oh I didn't see You there".

I can tell you from experience that my able bodied family is able to do a lot more without me. That's the reason i have an AP and take long trips twice a year. I can do as much as someone in a commando tour over 5 days in a more leisurely 18.
Thank God for timeshares.

It remains to be seen what management comes up with for wheelies. The public policy discourages the fraud of renting a wheelchair falsely. That's why many wheelies were directed to get a GAC. Maybe they'll do something similar with DAS but subtract more time on return tix for nontransfers. And again those who the assistance was intended for will be told to keep it hush.

What I disagree with in this thread is the applauding Disney for cracking down on abusers by hurting the ones who needed the service. That's a lazy approach from management. But I'm used to it as a DVC member. Park management makes a lot of dumb moves they never would have 10 years ago. They need to suffer a big backlash and take Traditions again.

I'm taking my spring trip elsewhere next year anyway. It'll give me time to regroup and plan how I'll Do things here in future.

 

[Pinkerton]

It remains to be seen what management comes up with for wheelies. The public policy discourages the fraud of renting a wheelchair falsely. That's why many wheelies were directed to get a GAC. Maybe they'll do something similar with DAS but subtract more time on return tix for nontransfers. And again those who the assistance was intended for will be told to keep it hush.

I too think Disney will give reduced return times for those in wheelchairs but only on those rides that require a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Moreover, those who are given the reduced return times will be required to ride in the accessible ride vehicles and, believe me, this alone will cut down on the fraudulent use of wheelchairs because those shysters would never be seen in one of those ugly things let alone wait the extra time. Sadly, the new policy will cut back on the number of miracles that take place at Disney when those who roll up in wheelchairs and scooters all of a sudden can walk.

What I disagree with in this thread is the applauding Disney for cracking down on abusers by hurting the ones who needed the service. That's a lazy approach from management.

Even though the new policy will lead to longer wait times for our family, I applaud the changes by Disney because the fraud, whether intentional or not, was sickening to me and my wife and put a damper on our vacation. I just hope they go after those abusing the handicapped parking placards next.

 

[inigomontoya]

I actually had a nice time park hopping, that's not a problem as I can handle it, just saying people do not understand how hard it is to do so, unless you want my vacation limited for some odd reason? And the CM at guests services, for example, with the red hair and the missed patches of facial hair under his nostrils did not know the specific details about the new program, at least that's what he told me, and I never said he told me he wasn't allowed to say anything, so I have no idea where you pulled that out from. And yeah, there are more severe cases of autism that are very visible. I wasn't making anything up, lying or BSing anyone in that post about anything, like you're oddly alluding that I'm doing. I'm reporting what I experienced. Sorry if that troubles you. This is a very strange post, and by strange, I'm trying to use another word besides the one that really best fits it, btw. I have no clue why you felt the need to try and contradict me on this.

This thread is getting more and more useless with every post. It's becoming a ing contest, unfortunately.

Just want to clarify. You posted how difficult it was changing Monorails. I made a suggestion that maybe you wouldn't have as hard of a time if you altered that. That is not a personal attack so please don't take it that way. In your original post you wrote the CM did not understand that new program. Once again not an attack on you just pointing out as someone who works with the public. I would never engage in a conversation that would bring on a argument. There for I was stating that of course they understand that new program they just aren't going to talk to you or any one else about it as directed by their employer. BTW if you really thought the world agreed with you. You would not need to post anything. Thank you

 

[misterID]

Just want to clarify. You posted how difficult it was changing Monorails. I made a suggestion that maybe you wouldn't have as hard of a time if you altered that. That is not a personal attack so please don't take it that way. In your original post you wrote the CM did not understand that new program. Once again not an attack on you just pointing out as someone who works with the public. I would never engage in a conversation that would bring on a argument. There for I was stating that of course they understand that new program they just aren't going to talk to you or any one else about it as directed by their employer. BTW if you really thought the world agreed with you. You would not need to post anything. Thank you

Let it go, seriously. And there are many reports here of guests talking to CM's about things I'm sure Disney wouldn't like and they HAVE been talking about the new program, depending on the CM you speak with, who are more well versed with it than others. You've been assuming a lot here. I was really just pointing out some CM's at GR do not know the exact details of the new program. And I told you why your suggestion wasn't needed, and you said that I was BSing about my experience, so yeah, take that how you will. It's over, it's done, no sense in going on about it.

 

[rct247]

For those of you wondering about wait times and waiting longer at attraction. The return times issued will be 10 mins less than the posted wait time to account for travel time and extra boarding procedures. Standby lines that are 10 mins or less will not need to get a return time. The DAS card will also state three other things worth noting.

1. Doesn't grant immediate access.
2. Use Disney's Fastpass service where available to possibly shorten your wait.
3. Wait times may be longer based on specific boarding procedures.

For those wondering, GAC was used for all sorts of guests with disabilities from limited mobility to impairments, mental disabilities, and social issues. DAS looks to be attempting to narrow the scope and only offer a specific area of guests with disabilities that aren't easily accommodated by attraction modifications or procedures. If disability has been accommodated for at most if not all attractions, then it won't need a DAS card. An example that already exists with guests with service animals and GAC, some guests with service animals don't require GAC because attractions are prepared to accommodate service animals. A card then isn't needed to tell a cast member how to assist them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

.
Tell that to those who are wheelchair bound and can't transfer and have to wait an extra 10 to 20 minutes for that one wheelchair accessible ride vehicle (and this will be on top of stand-by queue times).

.
The wheelchair bound never used the GAC as a continuous FastPass because they had to wait a lot longer for an accessible ride vehicle and it was not worth the wait or the hassle of navigating the queue again. It was mainly the "borderline invisibly and physically disabled" who abused the system as a FOTL unlimited FastPass and they are the ones who will cost those with severe disabilities (both apparent and non-apparent) the benefits of this program. I bet these losers get a handicapped parking placard as well !!

Wheelchair bound people still did not need a GAC. All they have to do is inform the CM that they are not able to transfer and they will be moved to the appropriate place were the proper vehicle can be used. The only difference is that they may be asked to get one just so that they can confirm that information and set it up that way. Try not to confuse those that do not have that mobility and therefore are not going to be able to take advantage of a lot of rides anyway with someone that merely has to get to the ride and then transfer in it. There is a huge difference and from experience I know that it works. You are believing the crap that the media is spitting out when they say.."No more front of line". That is total bull, it's not at all what is happening. However, if you are faking it just to get to the front of the line, then you are going to be having to spend your entire time, in the chair or having someone lift you onto a ride. That should get rid of the fakers and allow quicker access to the legitimate. This glass is not half empty... it is more then half full.

 

[BroganMc]

Wheelchair bound people still did not need a GAC. All they have to do is inform the CM that they are not able to transfer and they will be moved to the appropriate place were the proper vehicle can be used.

I don't know where you get your information but that is not the way it works at WDW and hasn't in at least 6 years. Unless you had a GAC, CMs were instructed to put all wheelie guests in standby or recommend a FP. Didn't matter if you needed the wheelchair vehicle. I've tried just saying that and was told to go to GR to get a GAC. That's why my first day in Disney means a trip to GR for the GAC.

Makes me think you have no idea how it really works for wheelies. Maybe you should get firsthand experience as a wheelie before the system changes. Try boarding rides with wheelchair vehicles without FP entrances. No transferring. For bonus points you cannot stand all day. You have to use only HA stalls, wheelchair seating in shows and parades and fireworks. An ECV is not acceptable. Wheelchair only.

Last time they wouldn't let me into the designated Wheelchair viewing spot in Germany for Illuminations without seeing my GAC. And I use my own power wheelchair and look physically disabled.

Once they switched to GAC for all and mostly accessible queues Disney stopped paying attention to needs of wheelie guests at the gate. Only the bus drivers are trained to accommodate on sight alone.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don't know where you get your information but that is not the way it works at WDW and hasn't in at least 6 years. Unless you had a GAC, CMs were instructed to put all wheelie guests in standby or recommend a FP. Didn't matter if you needed the wheelchair vehicle. I've tried just saying that and was told to go to GR to get a GAC. That's why my first day in Disney means a trip to GR for the GAC.

Makes me think you have no idea how it really works for wheelies. Maybe you should get firsthand experience as a wheelie before the system changes. Try boarding rides with wheelchair vehicles without FP entrances. No transferring. For bonus points you cannot stand all day. You have to use only HA stalls, wheelchair seating in shows and parades and fireworks. An ECV is not acceptable. Wheelchair only.

Last time they wouldn't let me into the designated Wheelchair viewing spot in Germany for Illuminations without seeing my GAC. And I use my own power wheelchair and look physically disabled.

Once they switched to GAC for all and mostly accessible queues Disney stopped paying attention to needs of wheelie guests at the gate. Only the bus drivers are trained to accommodate on sight alone.

OK, whatever, just be sure that you are going to get screwed and head in there with an attitude. That is always helpful. And I did have experience with wheelies and ECV's and guess what no GAC and no problem. Don't know what to tell you. Maybe things have changed since 2008, the last time I was involved in that way, but, it sure isn't what everyone else has been reporting. And it still doesn't mean that the DAS card won't be able to accommodate you in the manner that you need.

 

[Pinkerton]

Maybe things have changed since 2008, the last time I was involved in that way, but, it sure isn't what everyone else has been reporting. And it still doesn't mean that the DAS card won't be able to accommodate you in the manner that you need.

We just got back and things have changed due to the fraud. We were always told not to worry about getting a GAC because daughter was in a wheelchair and is clearly disabled but we were told to get one this year and I am glad we did. If you didn't have a GAC, you were going stand-by queue unless it was an alternate entrance ride. We will get DAS because our daughter can't tolerate the heat well and so we will need to put her in the shade until the return time.

 

[Yensid1974]

I don't know where you get your information but that is not the way it works at WDW and hasn't in at least 6 years. Unless you had a GAC, CMs were instructed to put all wheelie guests in standby or recommend a FP. Didn't matter if you needed the wheelchair vehicle. I've tried just saying that and was told to go to GR to get a GAC. That's why my first day in Disney means a trip to GR for the GAC.

Makes me think you have no idea how it really works for wheelies. Maybe you should get firsthand experience as a wheelie before the system changes. Try boarding rides with wheelchair vehicles without FP entrances. No transferring. For bonus points you cannot stand all day. You have to use only HA stalls, wheelchair seating in shows and parades and fireworks. An ECV is not acceptable. Wheelchair only.

Last time they wouldn't let me into the designated Wheelchair viewing spot in Germany for Illuminations without seeing my GAC. And I use my own power wheelchair and look physically disabled.

Once they switched to GAC for all and mostly accessible queues Disney stopped paying attention to needs of wheelie guests at the gate. Only the bus drivers are trained to accommodate on sight alone.

FYI... the attraction I work that has a non-transfer vehicle we do not require those coming in the W/C que to have a GAC card.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I will say that I expect the 10 minutes or less window to be extended to the Universal Studios 30 minutes or less. It seems silly to make a family wait 5 minutes when an attraction has a 15 minute wait.

I think 30 minutes or less and no "10 minute discount" is more reasonable. If OTPN has the info correct it seems like Disney is making this different just for the sake of it being different.

 

[Tom Morrow]

But universal also doesn't have 1/6th of their guests using their disability access service.

 

[BroganMc]

And I did have experience with wheelies and ECV's and guess what no GAC and no problem. Don't know what to tell you. Maybe things have changed since 2008, the last time I was involved in that way, but, it sure isn't what everyone else has been reporting. And it still doesn't mean that the DAS card won't be able to accommodate you in the manner that you need.

I've been coming to WDW 3 times a year since 2005 (before that it was once a year 2001-2004). My trips are 2-3 weeks in Feb/Mar or April/May, another 3 weeks in Sep/Oct and 4 days over NYE. That included 2008 when you were here using a chair. I daresay I put in far more hours dealing with wheelie issues than you did, not just 5 years ago but including today. I'm always looking for trouble spots so I can adequately plan for them and minimize their impact on my time here.

I'm just telling you things are not as easy as you think. GAC was one program that made things more even and doable. The abusers really didn't impact me because they never had to use my accessible vehicle. They wouldn't want to wait for it anyway. Only exception was TSM which makes all guests use the same vehicles. But then you traded that annoyance for the benefit of not having to fight for a FP.

FYI... the attraction I work that has a non-transfer vehicle we do not require those coming in the W/C que to have a GAC card.

I'd love to know which attraction that is. I'm repeatedly told I need a GAC to enter the w/c queue unless I have a FP or get there by way of Standby. (I use Standby for Pooh or Buzz if the Standby is 15 mins or less.) It's happened so many times over the years I just don't question it anymore.

I didn't get a GAC the first few years it was offered because I figured it was meant for folks with hidden disabilities and my wheelchair was enough to signify I had mobility needs. Then CMs told me I absolutely needed the GAC because too many people rented or borrowed wheelchairs to fake access. I mentioned how I was turned away from the wheelchair viewing spot in Germany because I hadn't shown my GAC. That really surprised me since it's marked on the map and the spot itself.

Or is this IASW? That one you go part of the line in Standby then proceed to the wheelchair queue. I got stuck in that last February. The wait 10 times as long as Standby. Took me forever to get out of it because I got stuck between guests in front, guests behind and a metal fence to the sides of me. Now I avoid it if I cannot see how long the wheelchair line is.

As far as I know the attractions with wheelchair vehicles in WDW are: IASW, Pooh, Buzz, Little Mermaid, Magic Carpets, Jungle Cruise, Finding Nemo, TSM, Mexico, Figment, Living the Land, Great Movie Ride, Kilamanjaro Safari, Backlot Tour (a section on every tram). Of those Jungle Cruise has the only separate wheelchair entry. You're held at the exit for the next available boat. They'll tell you to wait an extra X many minutes to "be fair to the Standby queue", but it seems like they're really just waiting for that wheelchair boat to cycle around. Then they load you at the exit and pick up more folks from Standby to fill it up.

Used to be you'd go to all the rides like that. Report to the CM greeter and be directed to a separate loading area to wait. They gradually did away with that when the FP system set in taking up the space and GAC became the guidepost to get wheelies to that accessible vehicle line.

But universal also doesn't have 1/6th of their guests using their disability access service.

For good reason. They have far fewer accessible rides and the customer service sucks. I tried Universal once. When my foot got stuck trying to transfer into a motion ride vehicle after all the other able-bodied guests had been loaded giving me less space to work with, the Universal CM's solution was to grab my leg and try to force my foot inside the vehicle. Talk about pain. I still think about that whenever we contemplate a trip there. Do I really want to pay someone to treat me like a thing to be shoved around?

SeaWorld is much better. They don't charge you for the things you cannot do and have ride vehicles that are even more accessible than Disney for slide-transfers. No assistance cards required because when there is a need to separate out wheelchair guests they do it through separate lines and areas. I've been very impressed with how they treat the disabled last few years. A day there is very enjoyable to me and I do absolutely none of the thrill rides. Just shows, animal viewing and Antarctica. I got a 2 yr Annual Pass so I could spend my first few vacation days there.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers the same accommodations but it has more thrill rides I cannot do and fewer animals. Makes me not as interested in going back. But I will say they've always tried to be very helpful to me. I once got stuck on their river rapids ride when a CM hit the emergency stop and the ride drained of water. Everyone was evacuated while they reset it. I happened to be in the ride just before the regular exit zone. Getting me out required a lot of lifting, a wheelchair and 2 burly guys carrying me up and over the staircase loading queue. Only bad part was when some Standby guests mistakenly assumed the ride had stopped because I was being taken off it. Got more than a few choice words thrown my way during that parade. I just laughed it off to clear the tension. The managers were so embarrassed and incensed they gave me a pass to come back another day.

 

[rct247]

I will say that I expect the 10 minutes or less window to be extended to the Universal Studios 30 minutes or less. It seems silly to make a family wait 5 minutes when an attraction has a 15 minute wait.

I think 30 minutes or less and no "10 minute discount" is more reasonable. If OTPN has the info correct it seems like Disney is making this different just for the sake of it being different.

If the wait time is 15 minutes, the family can also make the decision to just enter the regular line if they feel like they can. 5 mins isn't much to ask either. You can browse a gift shop, use the bathroom, get a quick snack or simply just sit and talk about what they are going to do next. It may seem silly, but you can argue the same if the rule was 15 mins or less and the wait was posted at 20 mins. Where do you draw the line?

 

[unkadug]

Perhaps it's just me, but if your child can't handle the heat, then why on earth would you subject your child to a subtropical atmosphere such as WDW.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I've been coming to WDW 3 times a year since 2005 (before that it was once a year 2001-2004). My trips are 2-3 weeks in Feb/Mar or April/May, another 3 weeks in Sep/Oct and 4 days over NYE. That included 2008 when you were here using a chair. I daresay I put in far more hours dealing with wheelie issues than you did, not just 5 years ago but including today. I'm always looking for trouble spots so I can adequately plan for them and minimize their impact on my time here.

I'm just telling you things are not as easy as you think. GAC was one program that made things more even and doable. The abusers really didn't impact me because they never had to use my accessible vehicle. They wouldn't want to wait for it anyway. Only exception was TSM which makes all guests use the same vehicles. But then you traded that annoyance for the benefit of not having to fight for a FP.



I'd love to know which attraction that is. I'm repeatedly told I need a GAC to enter the w/c queue unless I have a FP or get there by way of Standby. (I use Standby for Pooh or Buzz if the Standby is 15 mins or less.) It's happened so many times over the years I just don't question it anymore.

I didn't get a GAC the first few years it was offered because I figured it was meant for folks with hidden disabilities and my wheelchair was enough to signify I had mobility needs. Then CMs told me I absolutely needed the GAC because too many people rented or borrowed wheelchairs to fake access. I mentioned how I was turned away from the wheelchair viewing spot in Germany because I hadn't shown my GAC. That really surprised me since it's marked on the map and the spot itself.

Or is this IASW? That one you go part of the line in Standby then proceed to the wheelchair queue. I got stuck in that last February. The wait 10 times as long as Standby. Took me forever to get out of it because I got stuck between guests in front, guests behind and a metal fence to the sides of me. Now I avoid it if I cannot see how long the wheelchair line is.

As far as I know the attractions with wheelchair vehicles in WDW are: IASW, Pooh, Buzz, Little Mermaid, Magic Carpets, Jungle Cruise, Finding Nemo, TSM, Mexico, Figment, Living the Land, Great Movie Ride, Kilamanjaro Safari, Backlot Tour (a section on every tram). Of those Jungle Cruise has the only separate wheelchair entry. You're held at the exit for the next available boat. They'll tell you to wait an extra X many minutes to "be fair to the Standby queue", but it seems like they're really just waiting for that wheelchair boat to cycle around. Then they load you at the exit and pick up more folks from Standby to fill it up.

Used to be you'd go to all the rides like that. Report to the CM greeter and be directed to a separate loading area to wait. They gradually did away with that when the FP system set in taking up the space and GAC became the guidepost to get wheelies to that accessible vehicle line.



For good reason. They have far fewer accessible rides and the customer service sucks. I tried Universal once. When my foot got stuck trying to transfer into a motion ride vehicle after all the other able-bodied guests had been loaded giving me less space to work with, the Universal CM's solution was to grab my leg and try to force my foot inside the vehicle. Talk about pain. I still think about that whenever we contemplate a trip there. Do I really want to pay someone to treat me like a thing to be shoved around?

SeaWorld is much better. They don't charge you for the things you cannot do and have ride vehicles that are even more accessible than Disney for slide-transfers. No assistance cards required because when there is a need to separate out wheelchair guests they do it through separate lines and areas. I've been very impressed with how they treat the disabled last few years. A day there is very enjoyable to me and I do absolutely none of the thrill rides. Just shows, animal viewing and Antarctica. I got a 2 yr Annual Pass so I could spend my first few vacation days there.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers the same accommodations but it has more thrill rides I cannot do and fewer animals. Makes me not as interested in going back. But I will say they've always tried to be very helpful to me. I once got stuck on their river rapids ride when a CM hit the emergency stop and the ride drained of water. Everyone was evacuated while they reset it. I happened to be in the ride just before the regular exit zone. Getting me out required a lot of lifting, a wheelchair and 2 burly guys carrying me up and over the staircase loading queue. Only bad part was when some Standby guests mistakenly assumed the ride had stopped because I was being taken off it. Got more than a few choice words thrown my way during that parade. I just laughed it off to clear the tension. The managers were so embarrassed and incensed they gave me a pass to come back another day.

So what? You have to get a "card" to be able to have more 'Park Perks" then the rest of us. You are still going to get to do what you wanted to do and quicker then the majority of us are able too. I'm am sorry that you have this problem, I really am, but not everything is going to be doable and if the benefit starts to be outweighed by the hassle then something has to change. I know that you feel that I had one experience with Disney but I brought disabled folks to WDW since the early 90's. There were NO fastpasses, there were NO GAC's or DAS's., There were NO special width switchbacks to easily accommodate a wheelchair. Just regular lines...Disney always found a way to accommodate them when they couldn't get through the regular line. They still might have had to wait but so did everyone else.

I thank god everyday that I am not disabled yet, I say yet because one never knows. I would never imagine anyone yelling out against a disabled person. I'm not saying it doesn't happen because the world is literally filled with extremely stupid people, but I have never witnessed it and, I'm sorry but your story about being blamed because they drained the ride, isn't really sensible at all. It's hard to think that anyone could be that stupid and still be able to function. What I have been trying to say is that I believe that you are unnecessarily upset. DAS is not going to end your ability to ride, it might just alter when you get to do it. You seem to be stuck on the idea that you "have to get a card". The card only spells out what your needs are, it doesn't glow in the dark or send impulses out that scream, look at me, I'm disabled. Well, I guess it kinda does, but need not be visible to everyone. It is a tool to help you, as is getting the fakers out of the line with you, holding you up and slowing you down. It would be nice if the world were able to accommodate everyone of our detailed needs but it is not, and can only do the best that they can to make sure that those benefits that are there remain there and in place for you to use.

In short, all of us feel for your situation. We want dead beats out of that picture to better help and identify those with real problems. Contrary to popular beliefs, I know of no one that has a problem with seeing real people with real problems get extra care. No one! If they exist they are a sub-human species and not worthy of even a seconds concern. They are beyond the description of useless individuals. I have nothing but admiration for those that work so hard at just being able to experience many of the things that the rest of us take for granted. I am not against you or anyone like you, but, ask me to be upset that you "have" to get a card to insure that you continue to get that individual treatment and you will have lost me. If the world weren't so full of low life, dishonest people I would agree with you, but that isn't reality. This is an effort to control the scum of the world and help you get through your day. Perhaps even with a little less judgmental glances. Why isn't that a good thing?

 

[Pinkerton]

Perhaps it's just me, but if your child can't handle the heat, then why on earth would you subject your child to a subtropical atmosphere such as WDW.

Because of their siblings? Just because our 9 year old daughter has severe Cerebral Palsy and can't tolerate the heat well, doesn't mean that her siblings (13, 7 and 5) can't enjoy Disney. This was another reason why Disney was so tolerant toward those who are "truly disabled" and their families. Disney knew that the siblings gave up a lot for their handicapped sibling and they wanted to do something special for them. This has now been be taken away by those with "borderline invisible and physical disabilities" who abused the system. Way to go you losers.

 

[unkadug]

Because of their siblings? Just because our 9 year old daughter has severe Cerebral Palsy and can't tolerate the heat well, doesn't mean that her siblings (13, 7 and 5) can't enjoy Disney. This was another reason why Disney was so tolerant toward those who are "truly disabled" and their families. Disney knew that the siblings gave up a lot for their handicapped sibling and they wanted to do something special for them. This has now been be taken away by those with "borderline invisible and physical disabilities" who abused the system. Way to go you losers.

If her sibling can't understand that their sister shouldn't be in the tropics to begin with then....well I give up. I'm not so sure who is the loser.

 

[startraveler]

I don't know where you get your information but that is not the way it works at WDW and hasn't in at least 6 years. Unless you had a GAC, CMs were instructed to put all wheelie guests in standby or recommend a FP. Didn't matter if you needed the wheelchair vehicle. I've tried just saying that and was told to go to GR to get a GAC. That's why my first day in Disney means a trip to GR for the GAC.

Makes me think you have no idea how it really works for wheelies. Maybe you should get firsthand experience as a wheelie before the system changes. Try boarding rides with wheelchair vehicles without FP entrances. No transferring. For bonus points you cannot stand all day. You have to use only HA stalls, wheelchair seating in shows and parades and fireworks. An ECV is not acceptable. Wheelchair only.

Last time they wouldn't let me into the designated Wheelchair viewing spot in Germany for Illuminations without seeing my GAC. And I use my own power wheelchair and look physically disabled.

Once they switched to GAC for all and mostly accessible queues Disney stopped paying attention to needs of wheelie guests at the gate. Only the bus drivers are trained to accommodate on sight alone.

Just for some support here, I have been turned away from using the ramp to special boarding at Toy Story Mania because I didn't have a GAC card. I use a customized personal wheelchair which I too can't leave all day at the park. It is obvious that I cannot use the staircase or even stand up, but I was told the only way to enter was with a card. I had used a fast pass but they said that wasn't enough. So I got a card, went through the fast pass line and was allowed to go up the ramp and ride the special wheelchair car. This probably speaks to inconsistent training, but I wasn't allowed on the ramp without a card.

 

[RSoxNo1]

If the wait time is 15 minutes, the family can also make the decision to just enter the regular line if they feel like they can. 5 mins isn't much to ask either. You can browse a gift shop, use the bathroom, get a quick snack or simply just sit and talk about what they are going to do next. It may seem silly, but you can argue the same if the rule was 15 mins or less and the wait was posted at 20 mins. Where do you draw the line?

You draw it at 30 minutes, like I said...