GAC to Become DAS

[TP2000]

Just an FYI- I called the number on the disability page of WDW and spoke to a great CM (she fields all the disability calls) and asked about these changes.

She has not heard of it yet so they are a while off of implementing in WDW. She confirmed with her manager who directly works on the disability/public relations that is wasn't coming soon. The CM has a low functioning autistic child (we got to talking about our sons) and just went the other night with a GAC.

She assured me that it will not roll out before out vacation (10/31-11/10). She also spoke with her manager.

Just wanted to give an update.

Very interesting! Thanks!

Al Lutz on Miceage quite clearly stated that Disneyland CM's are being trained on this new program now and that it will begin once they are all trained on October 9th. He did say it would be the same program at WDW, but now that I think about it he didn't say it would begin at WDW on October 9th.

Unless, the CM and her manager there at WDW aren't as well informed as Al Lutz and the Miceage staff?

Hmm... my money is on Al Lutz being right on this one, and the WDW CM on the phone not being told anything yet.

 

[OswaldTheRabbit]

Very interesting! Thanks!

Al Lutz on Miceage quite clearly stated that Disneyland CM's are being trained on this new program now and that it will begin once they are all trained on October 9th. He did say it would be the same program at WDW, but now that I think about it he didn't say it would begin at WDW on October 9th.

Unless, the CM and her manager there at WDW aren't as well informed as Al Lutz and the Miceage staff?

Hmm... my money is on Al Lutz being right on this one, and the WDW CM on the phone not being told anything yet.

Oh I am sure it is coming to WDW! I was just wanting a timeframe for those of us who have kids that do better with warnings. We will have to go over our daily plan with our son for a couple weeks before we go so he is ready. Our trip is at the end of October so was looking to make sure it wasn't being rolled out then.

I am hoping they will test it out on Disneyland and get all the kinks out!

For my son (he is autistic) the double standing in line (FP and to get the stamp on the card) will be something I have to go over with him. But disney is his obsession so we will adjust. It will just take some work initially!

 

[Space Mountain]

It is 100% confirmed that WDW will be going live on 10/9

 

[Eastsider05]

I wish I could do 20 rides we usually barely get in 8 and we are done.

And since 8.5 rides per days is the average for most guest. You did just fine.

 

[rct247]

It is going live. 100% true. Cast at Walt Disney World are starting training this week and next.

 

[OswaldTheRabbit]

It is 100% confirmed that WDW will be going live on 10/9

Oh no.... Where did you see the confirmation?

Ugh.... That only gives me a couple of weeks to acclimate him before out trip.

 

[flynnibus]

Unless, the CM and her manager there at WDW aren't as well informed as Al Lutz and the Miceage staff?

If you were a CM that was told this is 'unreleased information'... would you risk your job discussing information the company has a policy over NOT discussing... over the phone line the company can be recording/monitoring at any time?

Cast have already been confirming the schedule internally... this is just a case of either the CM not being in the loop yet, or simply not discussing non-public information as they would be required by policy.

And you might want to think more about STAFF than Lutz... Do you think Lutz would actually let others take credit for his output or news breaks??

 

[mickeysaver]

Found a great blog post by the mom of an autistic child that outlines the concerns the new DAS program brings about for her family. http://beyondthedryervent.blogspot.com/

 

[englanddg]

It's amazing what a swat on the butt will do for a kid. Or the threat of one.

I read that article...

A few things stood out...

"Suddenly, Little Miss pulled her signature trick -- flipping over backwards so that she was upside-down with her feet still hung over the hubs's shoulders and her head touching his lower back. She almost took out the guest in line behind us. We tried to explain why she couldn't do that in line, but she was already beyond reasoning."

Yes, she was beyond reasoning because she is not yet at the AGE OF REASONING! When my kid was shoulder age she also loved to do that trick. And, when she did, she'd be "dropped" by me, as my neck didn't appreciate it. Did I really drop her? No. But, I let her think I was going to. She learned pretty quickly that if she wants to ride on Daddy's shoulders...that isn't how you behave. I am not a Jungle Gym.

I didn't try to "reason" with her, or show her the futility and ignorance of her move. I simply let her realize that there could be a result from her actions. Her limited brain, after a few attempts, figured it out.

"Unless the wait for an attraction is less than 30 minutes, we're not even going to try. It's not worth Little Miss's safety and the safety of the guests around her. "

What makes it 30 minutes? And not 20? Or 10?

And, what is this little kid going to do that threatens the safety of the guests around her? If you truly consider your child a threat to others, why did you bring them to a potentially crowded place? I call bull...

And then there is this...

"There aren't even any playgrounds in The Magic Kingdom."

Um, what do you think Casey's is? Before Casey's there was the Donald Duck boat. There are playgrounds all over the parks, and they are the bane of my existence when I take the kid (because she loves them).

Not to mention all the other "not ride" attractions they have such as SotMK and the new Pirates stuff. There's also Tom Sawyer Island and Swiss Family Robinson's Treehouse. I could go on...

And then there's...

"So tell me -- what am I supposed to do with an overstimulated, over-energized autistic child while we wait for an attraction?"

I dunno, stimulate them? Calm them down? Whoop their tiny little bums?

What rubbish.

My kid got spankings a lot as a younger child, and as a result, all I need to use today (and since she was about 4 years old) is a tone of voice to put her in line behaviorally. Is my kid perfect, or my parenting perfect? Certainly not, that's not my point.

My point is that if you coddle your children, of course they are going to act up. They are NOT adults, legally, physically or mentally. Stop thinking of them as such. And, if they do have a mental "disability", stop trying to exploit that for your own gain because you are a lazy parent.

I've worked with severely autistic children, this sort of coddling is just silly, and frankly an insult to those who have children who are severely autistic. Severe autism is sad..."mildly" autistic children who are seen by their parents...no...paraded by them...as they have no issues divulging that information...about how "autistic" their child is"...is even sadder.

Kid can't wait in line? Fine. Either build the fear of god in them that if they don't behave they will face a worse consequence, or don't do it.

I am so sick of this "every child is autistic" crap.

 

[BaconPancakes]

It's funny how people who claimed that these weren't unlimited fast passes are now revealing that yes, in fact that's just what they were. I'm glad Disney is doing the right thing to correct this problem. The Ada specifies equal treatment, not better.

 

[rct247]

Oh no.... Where did you see the confirmation?

Ugh.... That only gives me a couple of weeks to acclimate him before out trip.

More confirmation:

http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2013/9/21/disney_launching_new.html

ORLANDO --
Disney confirmed they are switching to a new pass for disabled visitors in two weeks, replacing the Guest Assistance Card with a new Disability Access Service Card.

Disney released the following statement regarding the new service:

“We have an unwavering commitment to making our parks accessible to all Guests. Given the increasing volume of requests we receive for special access to our attractions, we are changing our process to create a more consistent experience for all our guests while providing accommodations for guests with disabilities.”

A Disney spokesperson would not confirm this is a direct result of the national attention Disney's received about people essentially abusing the system, but simply that this is a way to offer a more "consistent experience" for every guest.

The switch is set to take place October 9. The company plans to release more information about the change closer to the launch date.

Also, for those that argue that guests with disabilities have to now go out of their way to get a return time. How is that different than people going out of their way to get a Fastpass? And for those that argue that it's illegal or at least open to a lawsuit making guests with disabilities take a photo or "register". How is that different than all the guests registering to use MyDisneyExperience, MyMagic+, and Fastpass+?

 

[rct247]

Here's another confirmation.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/wa...cies/-/1637132/22070288/-/1s1bsv/-/index.html

ORLANDO, Fla. -
Walt Disney World has planned a big change after allegations that people were abusing its program for people with disabilities.

The park has created a system similar to the "Fast Pass" called the "Disability Access Service Card" which will replace the old "Guest Service Card."

Disney sent Local 6 a statement saying it wants to make sure their disabled program is consistent.

"We have an unwavering commitment to making our parks accessible to all guests. Given the increasing volume of requests we receive for special access to our attractions, we are changing our process to create a more consistent experience for all our guests while providing accommodations for guests with disabilities," said spokeswoman Kathleen Prihoda.

It comes after the New York Post reported that rich families hired locally-based "Dream Tours" to provide a disabled tour guide to get able-bodied families in faster. The company denies it all, but the allegations sickened some guests.

Theresa Tenace often visits Disney parks with her disabled friends and said, "I think people take advantage of the system, but when I heard about people hiring people with disabilities, I was appalled."

Starting October 9 a new Disney policy could stop all the cheaters.

Before, disabled guests could go to the lines and zip to the front. Soon, under the new program, they will have to go to the ride and return at a designated time.

"It's not necessarily fair, but if it's needed to stop people from abusing the system, then that's fair enough, I suppose," said Arron Ward.

Sources told Local 6 Disney worked closely with disabled groups like Autism Speaks to try to make the change easy for everyone.

Tenace said she had a lot of questions about the new program and said, "If you're getting the card, how are you getting the card? What is that based on? So, whatever that system is, try to use that system to weed out the people who are being insincere about their friend or their loved one or their family member."

Each disability will be evaluated on a case by case basis, said sources, and while there are not many details about the program, more should be learned in the next few weeks.

Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[englanddg]

It's funny how people who claimed that these weren't unlimited fast passes are now revealing that yes, in fact that's just what they were. I'm glad Disney is doing the right thing to correct this problem. The Ada specifies equal treatment, not better.

No. ADA requires REASONABLE accommodation. That's it. Not "equal treatment"...

By definition, having a GAC card is not "equal treatment". It's more than accommodation. Disney did something to try and be good to their guests, and guests took advantage of it. No one but the worst person in the world would begrudge someone who is going to die soon if they cut the line.

That being said, are people taking advantage of it?

Without a doubt. Not only are there enough documented cases of it that the national media jumped on board, but many parents like to call their kid retarded (yes, I use the word) to gain themselves unearned advantages and explain why their kid is unruly.

I'll sit here now and wait for someone with a retarded (yes, I used the word again) kid because they deemed them retarded (who the heck gets their kid tested for autism anyhow? I know people who do, so don't answer that...I never did. My kid is my kid, and she will be what she will be, and I'm not going to do what my parents did for me and use some "medical" excuse without an answer (yes, Autism has no cure) to allow her to act like a wild child...) and then wants to play out the debate.

Mind you, I'm not attacking any parents who call their kids retarded (because that is exactly what they are doing)...but, as a kid who WAS called retarded (with medical backing, just like these kids), I really don't appreciate what my parents did to me mentally. They didn't know anything, and they still don't. And, are still worthless to me (though I love them, that's not the issue)...

So, that's my two cents.

 

[nytimez]

If nothing else, this thread proves yet again that CMs are often the last to know anything... and the last people you should believe about what's happening/not happening.

 

[Tom Morrow]

If nothing else, this thread proves yet again that CMs are often the last to know anything... and the last people you should believe about what's happening/not happening.

Why exactly? This news was leaked by CMs apparently, long before it was official and news outlets ran the story.

 

[thelookingglass]

It's funny how people who claimed that these weren't unlimited fast passes are now revealing that yes, in fact that's just what they were. I'm glad Disney is doing the right thing to correct this problem. The Ada specifies equal treatment, not better.

"I really wish they would do something about the abuse.... oh, but not at the expense of my unlimited Fastpass! I absolutely must be able to ride every ride I want to in under three hours, even though I paid the same as you and you aren't able to do that! Its part of my disability! I need to be treated equal!"

Good riddance to the GAC! Maybe now I'll actually see Fastpasses in the Fastpass line. as long as paper Fastpasses are still around, anyway.

 

[nytimez]

Why exactly? This news was leaked by CMs apparently, long before it was official and news outlets ran the story.

Referring to this:

Just an FYI- I called the number on the disability page of WDW and spoke to a great CM (she fields all the disability calls) and asked about these changes.

She has not heard of it yet so they are a while off of implementing in WDW. She confirmed with her manager who directly works on the disability/public relations that is wasn't coming soon. The CM has a low functioning autistic child (we got to talking about our sons) and just went the other night with a GAC.

She assured me that it will not roll out before out vacation (10/31-11/10). She also spoke with her manager.

Just wanted to give an update.

Not to mention this (from a CM):

I cal

l call BS

...plus whatever else was mentioned that "a CM said" that I have no interest in digging up....

 

[TP2000]

If nothing else, this thread proves yet again that CMs are often the last to know anything... and the last people you should believe about what's happening/not happening.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[ford91exploder]

Another concern of mine about the new system is the photo ID aspect. That ID is going to take time to produce. There will be a line every morning to get these done. That line is going to take away from park time for the guests that need the DAS. Sadly, being in that line is going to be hard for some families because avoiding lines is their main need for being able to enjoy their day. Having your kid meltdown first thing is not going to make for a magical day.

Another issue that comes to mind is security related. If that DAS ID badge has the child's name and photo on it, it makes it easier for a predator to prey upon that child.

One other thing that I just have to say, as for those that have the comments about scooters loading before other guests on the busses, yes, they are loaded first, but I haven't noticed anyone waiting to go to the park or the hotel until the scooters are unloaded. It is not uncommon for me to see that the folks that I was on the bus with are already inside of the park gates before I can get out of the bus area or even back at their room before I can get inside of the lobby. I don't expect anyone to wait for me or other scooter users, but if you really wanted for things to be equal, everyone would wait and go in together. The absurdity of expecting all those people to wait for me, so that we all arrive together is just as absurd as people thinking that I have an advantage in being loaded onto the bus first.

On the secuirity side many Silicon Valley companies ID badges just have your picture and a number you need to scan to determine entitlement

 

[Florida_is_hot]

Because the ADA forbids it.



The assigning of handicap placards is not covered under the same laws. By offering the handicap spaces, ADA design compliance is observed.

What is ADA afraid of?

I wonder if they have the same issue is Asia or Europe.
Bet they are allowed to say yes sir we would love to help you, just show me a Doctor's note.

If you are disabled you are disabled, proof should not be a big deal.