NowInc
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 row 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 that 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.
First off..thank you for your reply
Second..I see your side and I can see how it can be frustrating to those used to the system. The issue a few are seeing is the fact that the GAC (by some peoples definitions) was intended to give those who need it an EQUAL experience (meaning filling in the difficulties one would have going to WDW if it didn't exist), and not one that makes it better than anyone elses. Personally, I see both points of view and am sympathetic all around. I can see why to everybody else, it seems unfair, but at the same time I can COMPLETELY understand the flip side, the people who need it and how its helped them achieve something that would otherwise be impossible.
In the end, I don't think anyone disagrees with the abuse and the problems it caused. Something had to be done, and sacrifices sadly had to be made in order to preserve the guest experiences from all around (and to those who dispute on the fact that the GAC abuse was bad for everyone, ESPECIALLY those who had a valid need for them...I say they need to re-evaluate their though process).
The system kicks in tomorrow, and on their own site about it, it says it will require tweaking. I see them giving this a LOT of attention in the coming weeks in order to "find a balance" that works the best (although not an IDEAL system by any means).