GAC to Become DAS

[BroganMc]

That appears to be everybody in this thread!

Everybody?

Do I need to document all the additional time a wheelchair user waits to whatever line they're in? Standby or FP it doesn't matter. Disney even says in their new literature you will wait longer because of limited resources.

Wheelchair accessible queues do not translate to wheelchair accessible attractions all the time. Nor does having an accessible vehicle mean you wait the same as everyone else.

I made that mistake once when I tried to ride the Safari before a parade. Standby was 10 mins. My wait was 45mins. Last March the wheelchair wait at IASW was 5 times that of Standby. Took me 40 mins to get out of the line without even riding because they pack wheelchairs in like sardines.

 

[unkadug]

Everybody?

Do I need to document all the additional time a wheelchair user waits to whatever line they're in? Standby or FP it doesn't matter. Disney even says in their new literature you will wait longer because of limited resources.

Wheelchair accessible queues do not translate to wheelchair accessible attractions all the time. Nor does having an accessible vehicle mean you wait the same as everyone else.

I made that mistake once when I tried to ride the Safari before a parade. Standby was 10 mins. My wait was 45mins. Last March the wheelchair wait at IASW was 5 times that of Standby. Took me 40 mins to get out of the line without even riding because they pack wheelchairs in like sardines.

You just proved my point.

 

[luv]

So having fathered a child with CP makes you an expert on all other disabiities? No one is denying your child anything, but you seem to think that autism is just a matter of discipline? Perhaps we al need to walk a mile in each other's shoes.

I so totally agree.

There are parents who claim their kids are autistic or "on the spectrum" whose children are really just poorly behaved. I'm sure anyone with an autistic child is well aware of this.

But there is no way to discipline a truly autistic child out of autism. You might as well tell a leaky pipe to stop that leaking Right Now! You'd have as much success.

I think a lot of people have confused the fake autism for the real deal.

 

[unkadug]

I so totally agree. (I also wonder how someone "cherishes in" anything.)

There are parents who claim their kids are autistic or "on the spectrum" whose children are really just poorly behaved. I'm sure anyone with an autistic child is well aware of this.

But there is no way to discipline a truly autistic child out of autism. You might as well tell a leaky pipe to stop that leaking Right Now! You'd have as much success.

I think a lot of people have confused the fake autism for the real deal.

This!!!

I think autism has become the scapegoat for poor parenting.

 

[luv]

This!!!

I think autism has become the scapegoat for poor parenting.

In some cases, absolutely.

But not real autism. Real autism requires exceptional parenting and nobody can discipline their way out of the real thing, as some here have implied or just stated outright. (I don't mean you, specifically. Just some comments I've read.)

 

[unkadug]

In some cases, absolutely.

But not real autism. Real autism requires exceptional parenting and nobody can discipline their way out of the real thing, as some here have implied or just stated outright. (I don't mean you, specifically. Just some comments I've read.)

I agree and I have seen the posts that you refer to also.

I didn't mean to imply that Autism isn't very real, but some parents seem to use it as an excuse for poor parenting.

 

[flynnibus]

All of those on the list have been deemed by the government as a disability.

But not necessarily things that would require 'alt entrance' passes... can we please stick to facts in context instead of derailing things with 'true, but worthless' facts?

 

[TP2000]

This new program will not work..Hershey Park has this also. So after I get a return time what am I supposed to do with my autistic child who can't wait in lines? Are we supposed to walk around and to do nothing and then come back for our for return time? All the rides will have waits, so we can't go to another ride.

That's about it. But there are plenty of things you can do without any waits. Off the top of my head in Magic Kingdom; PeopleMover, Tiki Room, Country Bears, Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, Hall of Presidents (I know, but it counts), Carousel of Progress, Railroad, Main Street Vehicles, PhilharMagic. You can also watch a parade or stage show, poke through stores, or get a churro and sit on a patio and talk about the things you see. It's not like you are sitting in your Dentist's office waiting area for an hour with a two year old Time magazine, you are at Disney World!

If you have a medical condition that requires you to not wait for anything, and all the wonders of a Disney theme park are not enough to keep you occupied and entertained in between going on ride after ride, what would you have Disney do? What would any business serving 30 Million customers per year be able to do to satisfy you? And knowing they can't ask for medical proof due to federal laws, bringing back the GAC with no questions asked isn't an option because that's exactly how the problems started in the first place.

Disney is doing what is legal, and is also leveling the playing field to make your visit closer to equitable with the able bodied visitors. Although, with a DAS and a MagicBand, you still have access to more rides per day than the able bodied person who only has a MagicBand.

 

[TP2000]

I've asked this a few times in these GAC threads, but don't ever remember getting an answer...

If you have a member of your party that simply can't wait in line for anything, and can't even be told to come back in an hour to zip to the front of that line... How the heck did that person get to Disney World to begin with???

How does someone who can not wait in a line get through TSA security at any major airport to even begin the vacation?

How do you get through rush hour traffic and toll booths getting out of town? How do they sit in a car for 8 hours driving to Orlando? Or ride the Silver Star down to Florida for two days, with the train running hours late and sitting on sidings for extended periods waiting for freight trains to pass and then be told their dinner reservation in the Dining Car isn't for another two hours? What happens when you go to dinner at Cracker Barrel on I-95 at 6PM and the hostess says it's a 45 minute wait for a table and please sit on the porch until you are called?

There's a million other lines and waits and delays in day to day life, but just the act of getting to Disney World in the first place has lines and extended waits. How do these kids deal with that but then we are told there will be bloodshed and tears if they have to wait 45 minutes doing anything they want with their DAS card before they can zip into Space Mountain?

Pardon me, but I just don't understand how that works. It's baffling, and no parent of an "autistic" child has ever explained why they MUST have front-of-line access at Disney World when no other private business with lines offers such a thing. How does it work???

 

[Nemo14]

We have 4 children. The first was normal and then we had twins in which TTT took place and we lost one and the other has CP. We then proceeded to have two other children

I meant in my comment that you are well aware of "visible" physical limitations, but you seem to have very little understanding/tolerance of any other "disabilities". The two are quite different, I can assure you, but can be equally difficult, and equally rewarding. Judge not, my dear.

 

[Pinkerton]

So you have taken it upon yourself to deem autism an unfit disability for GAC/DAS ?

Those parents with autistic children played the disability card even though their children are physically healthy and scored an unlimited FOTL FastPass. Granted, there are those with severe autism who should have GAC but the majority don't. I blame these parents for Disney dissolving this program. Traitors.

 

[Nemo14]

No one here is saying that the system wasn't abused.

 

[JerseyDad]

I know it is a matter of time before I am banned but as a parent of a "truly disabled" child, I need to speak my peace. I don't know what it is but when I see someone abusing a handicapped parking place or the GAC, I want to beat the out of them. Does anyone else have this feeling?

....yes ...abuse of a handicapped parking space will tend to p!ss me off.

....and I "just" came back from WDW (a month ago after a 10 day stay) ...on a trip that was with a family that used a GAC ...and waved it around like it was a winning lottery ticket. The expectations that the world was to bow down to them as they passed ...turned my stomach. When getting on a FP line and there was a 5-10 min wait (Soarin` as example) ...they whined about the 'wait'.

 

[pddmom]

Those parents with autistic children played the disability card even though their children are physically healthy and scored an unlimited FOTL FastPass. Granted, there are those with severe autism who should have GAC but the majority don't. I blame these parents for Disney dissolving this program. Traitors.

Your views about autism are pretty narrow, I wish you knew more about the disorder and what the parents go through.

 

[pddmom]

I've asked this a few times in these GAC threads, but don't ever remember getting an answer...

If you have a member of your party that simply can't wait in line for anything, and can't even be told to come back in an hour to zip to the front of that line... How the heck did that person get to Disney World to begin with???

How does someone who can not wait in a line get through TSA security at any major airport to even begin the vacation?

How do you get through rush hour traffic and toll booths getting out of town? How do they sit in a car for 8 hours driving to Orlando? Or ride the Silver Star down to Florida for two days, with the train running hours late and sitting on sidings for extended periods waiting for freight trains to pass and then be told their dinner reservation in the Dining Car isn't for another two hours? What happens when you go to dinner at Cracker Barrel on I-95 at 6PM and the hostess says it's a 45 minute wait for a table and please sit on the porch until you are called?

There's a million other lines and waits and delays in day to day life, but just the act of getting to Disney World in the first place has lines and extended waits. How do these kids deal with that but then we are told there will be bloodshed and tears if they have to wait 45 minutes doing anything they want with their DAS card before they can zip into Space Mountain?

Pardon me, but I just don't understand how that works. It's baffling, and no parent of an "autistic" child has ever explained why they MUST have front-of-line access at Disney World when no other private business with lines offers such a thing. How does it work???

First, I would like to say again that I am OK with the change. I hope sometime soon Disney would allow an electronic check in instead of going to the ride. Waiting is always a problem and parents deal with it differently. For us, we try to avoid them as much as possible. For instance, I could never go grocery shopping with my younger son, it just isn't possible. My older son is higher functioning and can tolerate more, so I could take him. We only go to the airport for Disney. Our home airport is rarely crowded and we usually just have to wait a couple of minutes in TSA. The biggest issue there is when they want me to let go of my 13 yr old during the security check (because he is a runner and will be gone). For boarding, we get priority boarding. In Orlando airport, we use the disability line. I know many families with children with autism, and long car trips just don't happen. The families I know rarely travel, if at all. My son is great in the car for just running around close to home. He usually just lays down in the backseat. Although recently, he tried to jump out of a moving car while traveling with his aid. If after all that we have an extended wait for something, I try to distract him (with snacks or electronic games) and hope there isn't an issue. I think waiting in a line at Disney is more difficult due to higher levels of anxiety and excitation which the kids (due to their neurological deficits), can't handle and get overwhelmed. I am only posting this because I think you really wanted to understand, so I am hoping there isn't a lot of negative feedback.

 

[jaklgreen]

In some cases, absolutely.

But not real autism. Real autism requires exceptional parenting and nobody can discipline their way out of the real thing, as some here have implied or just stated outright. (I don't mean you, specifically. Just some comments I've read.)

I agree that autism can't be "cured". But my niece IS disciplined and does behave. When she started having a(as others say)"meltdown" my sister and BIL discipline her like her brother and do not allow her to hit anyone! She does know right from wrong and is in mainstream school and has no problems with "meltdowns" anymore. She will become introverted but not destructive. It was a lot of work but what is best for the child. In fact they are at WDW right now. It is their first trip, since they wanted to wait until she could handle it better. They are using fastpass and having her wait in shorter lines. There is more "down" time with her because it is an over stimulating place. But my sister does not feel like they "have" to go on a certain number of rides. My niece is just soooo happy meeting the princesses. Parents should do what is best for the child, and if that means not going or even just going and visiting the princesses and going back to swim, THAT IS WHAT YOU DO! No way are they showing her that she gets "special" access because life is not like that.

 

[unkadug]

I agree that autism can't be "cured". But my niece IS disciplined and does behave. When she started having a(as others say)"meltdown" my sister and BIL discipline her like her brother and do not allow her to hit anyone! She does know right from wrong and is in mainstream school and has no problems with "meltdowns" anymore. She will become introverted but not destructive. It was a lot of work but what is best for the child. In fact they are at WDW right now. It is their first trip, since they wanted to wait until she could handle it better. They are using fastpass and having her wait in shorter lines. There is more "down" time with her because it is an over stimulating place. But my sister does not feel like they "have" to go on a certain number of rides. My niece is just soooo happy meeting the princesses. Parents should do what is best for the child, and if that means not going or even just going and visiting the princesses and going back to swim, THAT IS WHAT YOU DO! No way are they showing her that she gets "special" access because life is not like that.

The major problem with Autistic families is that they feel they must submit their Autistic child child to stuff they shouldn't because of their non-autistic children.

 

[jaklgreen]

The major problem with Autistic families is that they feel they must submit their Autistic child child to stuff they shouldn't because of their non-autistic children.

I feel that this is true. I think that so many people just want something "normal" for their child and sometimes it is not what is best for the child. My sister and I talk about this all the time. There are so many other places that you can go instead of WDW, especially if the child has problems with crowds and loud noises. WDW is not a necessity. Like others have said, there are so many kids that do not go to WDW for a variety of reasons and grow up just fine. I never went as a child, neither did most of the kids I grew up with.

 

[Pinkerton]

Your views about autism are pretty narrow, I wish you knew more about the disorder and what the parents go through.

It is a well-known fact that the parents of mildly autistic children were the #1 abusers of the GAC and eventually fabricated it into a FOTL unlimited FastPass.

 

[rct247]

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/disneys-new-disability-assistance-system-fails-my-family-0930134



It was not just the fakers abusing the GAC. Who wouldn't like to ride Space Mountain 8 times in a row without even leaving the seat! Or ride Soarin' repeatedly. In what world is that not abuse?

I just want to point out something from the article that makes me think that the article is fake. You physically cannot ride Space Mountain (at WDW) twice in a row without even leaving your seat. There are sensors on a lift hill from the unload station to the load station that detect if someone is riding it up and it will trigger the ride to stop and thus breaking the mountain for at least 30 minutes. So to do it 8 times when it can't be done is impossible. Period.

I will also agree with a previous comment and state that while Autism is a very real thing, something even one of my cousins has, I do think that is is over-diagnosed and not all cases are true. I don't believe Autism is that new that kids born in before 2000 didn't have it and suddenly these days it's almost like 1 in 10 kids have it. I believe it is the same as the ADD/ADHD trend we saw in the 90s and early 2000s. Kids are hyper and illogical. There are some people who are naturally socially awkward too. Unfortunately, with it being a buzz word, it discounts the meaning and diagnosis for those who really do have it. I think there are many bad parents out that there that look for reasons why their child acts out the way they do when really it does come down to a discipline issue. That's just my two cents. It doesn't mean that I'm against providing accommodation for those with Autism though, just not instant access.