BigThunderMatt
Well-Known Member
Except they won't, because nothing will exist that will allow that other than for children with GKTW and Make-A-Wish.
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GAC to Become DAS
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Except they won't, because nothing will exist that will allow that other than for children with GKTW and Make-A-Wish.
NowInc
Well-Known Member
I may be mistaken, but what official word has been stated about anything being relaxed? Posts on blogs and forums don't count. You won't know for sure what has been "relaxed" until the system is in effect.
You are passionate on this topic, and that is your right...but your passion is blinding you to what people have been BLUNTLY saying. No one has any hate for those who are disabled (even borderline). The "hate" comes in to those who ABUSED it...weather it was exploiting their valid disability and using it as a personal FOTL pass with an "entitled" feeling, or those who just blatantly abused it outright without even having a disability at all.
You missed the recent change to DAS. Sounds like a FOTL unlimited FastPass to me.
While each situation will be handled individually at Guest Relations, following are two examples of accommodations that could be offered based on a guest’s needs:
For a guest whose disability enables them to be in the park for only a limited time, the guest might be offered an accommodation that enables them to use the DAS Card in conjunction with access to a number of attractions without having to obtain a return time.
Another potential accommodation, based on a guest’s unique needs, might include providing access to a favorite attraction multiple times in a row without having to obtain a return time.
If you need more information or have specific questions about an upcoming trip, please send an email to disability.services@disneyparks.com. If you are planning a vacation in the next few months, please include a contact phone number and the best time for us to reach you.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
You still have 3 Fastpass+ to use -- go to one of those attractions in the interim. Or go see a show, get a snack, browse a shop, hit the restrooms or visit a walk-on attraction nearby (every "land" in every park has at least one attraction that's nearly always a walk-on if you're not traveling at peak times of year). You're still far better off than the hot, bored people trapped in the standby line.
Numerous people on this site (and others) have stated that those families who have disabled children have no business going to Disney and this includes their non-disabled siblings. That is clearly hate and disdain for the disabled.
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
That is only your interpretation of what was said. The only hate and disdain I've seen in this thread has basically come from you.
NowInc
Well-Known Member
If thats how you choose to read it...so be it. I personally read the same posts as you (at least on here) and saw it more of a "Just wondering if your child can't handle lines in any situation, maybe disney isn't the best choice for them anyway". Obviously thats a touchy subject (one of which I am not about to pretend I know much about as I am thankful to not be in the shoes of one who has a disabled member of my party), and I can understand how it can be perceived as a mean statement. I think the reason those things are said is more out of a general concern. If someone isn't able to wait in a long line (in any situation), then they are a perceived danger to those NOT directly involved with the individual. They are generalizing (which there is the problem that causes the dispute) all in the same boat. The big issue comes in (again, at least on this forum) when those who make the statements ask for clarification on things such as "Why can't they just do something else?" (ie: the DAS program), or "How do they deal with day to day life?"....and no clear answer has been given.
No..no one HAS to answer..and I don't see a problem with it..but to some it comes off as a "shrug off"..and thus sort of looks like the person is entitled.
Regarding the siblings aspect. Again, I haven't seen a post here stating that a sibling should suffer because of a disabled family member. If that were the case, you would see people posing about posing a "+2" limit to the DAS.
This will always remain a touchy subject, there is no denying that..and it will remain to be so...but october 9th is..tomorrow. Lets see what happens...shall we?
JerseyDad
Well-Known Member
.....not fer nuthin' ....but having a FastPass ....does NOT (as I recently experienced) ....mean Front Of The Line. I think that distinction needs to be recognized. We were Disney's MagicBand lab-rats a month ago ...with our scheduled times for several attractions (4 at MK one day) ...and when getting there ...waited a decent amount of time. Space Mountain was a 20 minute wait ...vs the 80 minutes that was shown on stand-by .....BTM was a 15 minute wait .....SplMtn was 25 minutes.
BigThunderMatt
Well-Known Member
That was not officially stated by Disney. This was on the Autism Speaks website which SPECIFICALLY states it does not endorse the program directly. All the information on its site is nowhere to be found on any official Disney site (including the one it links to) and I can definitely verify that none of what you quoted has been stated anywhere but on Autism Speaks. Sounds to me like Autism Speaks is trying to stir up some fires in guests who read that thinking it's verifiable information when really they're putting words in Disney's mouth that Disney did not say.
minninedaisy74
Active Member
I can't recall one post on the last 70 pages that vile or hateful or warrants a rant such as yours!
minninedaisy74
Active Member
No what they are saying is a Disney vacation is not a God given right and that many people never enter those gates for whatever reason and they still manage to survive.
JerseyDad
Well-Known Member
.....I really don't think it's hate or disdain. I think it's a common sense view of the situation in its most basic of forms.
.....ie: I exploded (completely ruptured) my plantar fascia ligament last year. That ended my softball season ...and ended my softball career...forever. If I had a desire to do so ...I can't play tennis ....basketball ....or my greatest love ...hockey ...ever again. So I won't. I never cared much for skiing due to the cold ...so I don't do that. .....all common sense decisions that were precipitated by some other impacting condition or mindset.
.....simplified ...it's many times a wise choice to not do what can be troublesome, stress-angst filled, or in some cases ....present some real-life health impacts.
But it is a right to go to Disney if one can afford it, yes? Or, are you people suggesting Disney tell those who can't handle the queue or heat to stay away? Sure sounds like the latter to me.
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
Some interesting stats from Miceage this morning comparing the number of GAC's used at DLR compared to WDW:
"On recent autumn Fridays, as attendance at both Disneyland and DCA quickly swells by 30,000 or more after 5:00 p.m. when the local Annual Passholders get off work, TDA asked Guest Relations to compile statistics on how many GAC passes were issued daily now that GACs were no longer being issued for months at a time. Meanwhile, Team Disney Orlando staff were compiling the same types of statistics on GAC passes issued out of the four WDW parks on their typical busy days. The answer was shocking to the execs in TDA, but not at all surprising to the Guest Relations CM’s who crank out hundreds of passes per hour from the desks at City Hall and Chamber of Commerce. On the average Friday in autumn, when few if any Annual Passholder blockouts are in effect, the Disneyland Resort was issuing just over 2,000 GAC passes per day, roughly split evenly between Disneyland’s City Hall and DCA’s Chamber of Commerce. On similarly busy days at Walt Disney World, the four theme parks combined were issuing just 250 GAC passes, with about 100 passes going out of Magic Kingdom’s City Hall daily, and the remaining 150 passes split between the Guest Relations offices in Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Since the average GAC in Anaheim is valid for 5 people, that means that 10,000 people out of an average Friday’s combined two-park attendance of 75,000 visitors is roaming the parks using a GAC to enter any Fastpass lane or ride exit they want with no questions asked. Assuming the average GAC party boarded 3 E Ticket rides during a four hour Friday evening visit, that’s 30,000 Fastpasses per day that couldn’t be issued to the tourists who got to the park much earlier in the morning. (No wonder the Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers are gone within two hours every morning) Out at WDW, barely 1,500 people using a GAC were creating vastly less impact spread amongst the 150,000 visitors roaming the four parks of Walt Disney World on a typical day."
Full article: http://micechat.com/44830-disneyland-das/
"On recent autumn Fridays, as attendance at both Disneyland and DCA quickly swells by 30,000 or more after 5:00 p.m. when the local Annual Passholders get off work, TDA asked Guest Relations to compile statistics on how many GAC passes were issued daily now that GACs were no longer being issued for months at a time. Meanwhile, Team Disney Orlando staff were compiling the same types of statistics on GAC passes issued out of the four WDW parks on their typical busy days. The answer was shocking to the execs in TDA, but not at all surprising to the Guest Relations CM’s who crank out hundreds of passes per hour from the desks at City Hall and Chamber of Commerce. On the average Friday in autumn, when few if any Annual Passholder blockouts are in effect, the Disneyland Resort was issuing just over 2,000 GAC passes per day, roughly split evenly between Disneyland’s City Hall and DCA’s Chamber of Commerce. On similarly busy days at Walt Disney World, the four theme parks combined were issuing just 250 GAC passes, with about 100 passes going out of Magic Kingdom’s City Hall daily, and the remaining 150 passes split between the Guest Relations offices in Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Since the average GAC in Anaheim is valid for 5 people, that means that 10,000 people out of an average Friday’s combined two-park attendance of 75,000 visitors is roaming the parks using a GAC to enter any Fastpass lane or ride exit they want with no questions asked. Assuming the average GAC party boarded 3 E Ticket rides during a four hour Friday evening visit, that’s 30,000 Fastpasses per day that couldn’t be issued to the tourists who got to the park much earlier in the morning. (No wonder the Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers are gone within two hours every morning) Out at WDW, barely 1,500 people using a GAC were creating vastly less impact spread amongst the 150,000 visitors roaming the four parks of Walt Disney World on a typical day."
Full article: http://micechat.com/44830-disneyland-das/
JerseyDad
Well-Known Member
....I read their comments on the site ...and then the replies to same ...and yes it does look as if they are trying to stir the pot. Those that commented, seem to be looking at that organization as ...for lack of a better term ...a hired thug ...to flex their perceived muscles in Disney's direction. The title of the piece also speaks volumes: "A New Disney Plan: How it Affects Our Community". It reeks of such an "us against them" attitude ....and the "them" not being just Disney ....but anyone that's not "us" ...including other disabilities.
....and unless my eye-sight has really gotten worse ...which is almost impossible ....I didn't find the indicated text that's referenced on the Autism Speaks ...anywhere, but there?
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Gomer
Well-Known Member
I think people, especially parents of disabled children, are upset because until now Disney allowed a better situation for their children than the real world. I've said it before, but I'll say it again just to be careful. I am not opposed to the changes. I think they were a necessary evil. It is upsetting that it came to this, but I understand why it is being done and will change the way I vacation accordingly because I do not feel entitled to the previous system. However, that doesn't mean the previous system didn't have its benefits.
People on here ask how my son would handle the TSA line? He doesn't. It sucks. (So does the grocery store, traffic, waiting rooms, and any other piece of mundane life that requires waiting. The GAC program gave parents a respite from that. A place where the needs of the disabled was put ahead of all else. It was a wonderful thing for people who had to fight so much to get through their daily lives to have a place where they didn't have to face those same struggles. The system was so embraced that certain disabilities had started to use it as therapy. Yes, I’ve done Pooh 3 times in a row on GAC before, but only as a reward because my son had shown so much patience in waiting for IASW just before. It was used as a responsible reinforcer to show ( in his terms) the benefits of showing patience ( a great struggle for those with autism). Unfortunately not all people used the GAC responsibly. Even those with real physical or mental disabilities. I always restrained our use, because the deal was too good to be true. I knew that this would happen someday and I didn't want my son to grow dependent on the card.
From my point of view, the GAC was never about allowing disabled people to equal the access of normal life. It was a gift to those who face such intense struggles everywhere else from a company that historically gone the extra mile for people who need it (be it an upset guest with a QC issue, or someone with a disability). It was a useful tool for therapy and education. Something that could be used responsibly to enrich the lives of those who could reap its benefits. But, that was destroyed by those who couldn't restrain themselves from using it too much and abusers who had no right to be using it at all.
Anyway, gone on too long. Point was, there were valid uses for the access. And yes. people could do something else, and they do face these issues in everyday life. But for a time they didn't have to at WDW. Some people react to the change with sadness as I do. Others lash out, but will eventually calm down. Others may stop going completely. In the end, it couldn't be avoided forever. Not with the ever increasing incidence of disability in this country ( and not all from over diagnosis as some may have you believe). There are just too many of us and too many abusers for the system to function as it did before.
tmstephe
Active Member
Can you please explain how your child who can't handle lines is any different than my hot, hungry, tired 4-year old who can't handle lines? You and I both make the decision to go to WDW understanding the limitations (and pay the same ticket price), but you are asking for something special. Now you seem to be upset because a "right" is being taken away from you.
That's fundamentally why you are reading these posts as "hate" when most of us are just looking at an objective situation and asking honest questions.
Lucky
Well-Known Member
Thanks for this - it's nice to get real numbers for a change. I'm not surprised at this huge difference between DLR and WDW. And it's useful info for anyone who might think their waiting time in standby lines at WDW is going to change very much. DLR, sure. But not WDW.
JerseyDad
Well-Known Member
....if the money is in your possession ...and you feel compelled to spend it at Disney ...more power to you.
....however ...I'm pretty sure that my money is just as green as that which any other person would choose to spend there. In that case ...if unchecked "privileges" are impacting the return on my investment that I purchased as part of my admission ...then I (or anyone else) have/has a right to speak up. No one is saying "Heck No You Can't Go"! .....but, it's more along the lines of, all are welcome ...but here's the conditions (environment) ...here's the rules (whatever they may be) ....and buyer beware, because one size does not fit all.
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