Possible Changes coming to the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC)

[luv]

Although I agree with what you said, I have to add that the Law isn't likely to step in. I can't imagine a group of law makers writing a bill stating that Disney is having a problem with abuse of the current rules, based particularly on the fact the GAC's are not required by law to begin with. No, I'm afraid that Disney is going to have to solve this problem or just ignore it. My guess would be that they will "Ignore it".

At some point everyone will have a GAC card and that line will become the standby line and the problem will fix itself.

Disney can get laws enacted. They've done it before. It's not like they don't have some pull in Central Florida. Disney gets federal laws changed to suit their purposes, lol. If they want it done, they'll get it done.

They may continue to ignore it, but I think that it's very likely laws will get passed just like they did for handicapped parking.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Disney can get laws enacted. They've done it before. It's not like they don't have some pull in Central Florida. Disney gets federal laws changed to suit their purposes, lol. If they want it done, they'll get it done.

They may continue to ignore it, but I think that it's very likely laws will get passed just like they did for handicapped parking.

I truly hope you are correct. It is only going to get worse now that this little trick has been let out of the bag. If you think it was bad before...I see it getting more and more the way to tour for a lot of people.

 

[luv]

I truly hope you are correct. It is only going to get worse now that this little trick has been let out of the bag. If you think it was bad before...I see it getting more and more the way to tour for a lot of people.

I hope it happens.

I knew it was bad. When my own sister, who mostly relies upon me for Disney info and doesn't go surfing the Internet too much...when she called and asked me if I'd heard about this wonder pass her loser friend got that gets you into FP lines if you just go lie to them...when she heard about it, I knew it was getting bad all over. Because I specifically did everything I could to make sure she didn't hear about it!!

 

[fosse76]

I should simplify: the ADA does not prohibit the requirement of proof. It does not prohibit a business from making general inquries into the nature of the disability and/or reasons for the requested accomodations.

So while Disney can require proof, doing so would run the risk of violating the ADA if they deny an accomodation request from someone who is disabled (as defined by the ADA).

 

[fosse76]

Although I agree with what you said, I have to add that the Law isn't likely to step in. I can't imagine a group of law makers writing a bill stating that Disney is having a problem with abuse of the current rules, based particularly on the fact the GAC's are not required by law to begin with. No, I'm afraid that Disney is going to have to solve this problem or just ignore it. My guess would be that they will "Ignore it".

At some point everyone will have a GAC card and that line will become the standby line and the problem will fix itself.

Theme parks aren't addressed in the ADA. So these parks have to interpet the law the best they can regarding access to their attractions. Disney's problem is that they created this golden FastPass instead of addressing how best to accomodate people with disabilities. It required no thought or methodolgy.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Theme parks aren't addressed in the ADA. So these parks have to interpet the law the best they can regarding access to their attractions. Disney's problem is that they created this golden FastPass instead of addressing how best to accomodate people with disabilities. It required no thought or methodolgy.

Theme parks are not addressed specifically, but they come under the heading of public use facilities/businesses. It's a huge umbrella that covers everything not directly mentioned. The funny thing is that I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for not following the laws. If a company relies on federal funding, then the threat becomes real because they will and do withhold funds if they find them in violation. What they do with a business that doesn't rely on subsidies...I do not know.

 

[fosse76]

In order to re-vamp the whole system, some people who do need a GAC will be denied one and it will become more difficult even for those who aren't denied one.

I disagree. Disney can easily design a system that works. There were quite a few reasonable suggestions in this thread, which took little to know time to think up. However, any denial of accomodations to those who legitimately need them is a violation of the ADA.

Counting on people to be decent human beings is not working. At some point, The Law will have to step in...and that will make it worse for the people who aren't lying, too.

It would be beneficial to the theme park industry for the ADA to be amended to discuss theme park accomodations, but the problem is the parks themselves. Instead of coming up with guidelines for its employees and customer service responses to enforce the guidelines, they create a free-for-all because it's easier.

 

[fosse76]

Theme parks are not addressed specifically, but they come under the heading of public use facilities/businesses. It's a huge umbrella that covers everything not directly mentioned. The funny thing is that I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for not following the laws. If a company relies on federal funding, then the threat becomes real because they will and do withhold funds if they find them in violation. What they do with a business that doesn't rely on subsidies...I do not know.

The ADA is a civil law, and business have been sued by regulators for non-compliance. And while theme parks are places of public accomodation and access to attractions would be included in general terms uner the ADA, this problem is very industry-specific. Grocery stores can also have unbearably long lines, as can fast food restaurants and other retail outlets, yet none of them seem to need to provide front-of-line access to their customers. That makes this problem very specific to the theme park industry. Not to mention the rider requirements for the attractions themselves, which isn't addressed under the ADA at all.

 

[flynnibus]

Theme parks aren't addressed in the ADA. So these parks have to interpet the law the best they can regarding access to their attractions.

the more recent design standards do include amusements (unfortunately).

 

[luv]

I disagree. Disney can easily design a system that works. There were quite a few reasonable suggestions in this thread, which took little to know time to think up. However, any denial of accomodations to those who legitimately need them is a violation of the ADA.

Not everyone who needs one would qualify under the ADA, which means people who aren't "qualified", but really can't visit a park without a GAC, wouldn't get one.

If losers would stop abusing the GAC, Disney could still give them out to whoever truly needs them in order to be able to visit, even for a short time.

 

[Tom]

Not everyone who needs one would qualify under the ADA, which means people who aren't "qualified", but really can't visit a park without a GAC, wouldn't get one.

If losers would stop abusing the GAC, Disney could still give them out to whoever truly needs them in order to be able to visit, even for a short time.

But "need" is relative, and has no definition.

 

[MysticOrient]

The ADA is a civil law, and business have been sued by regulators for non-compliance. And while theme parks are places of public accommodation and access to attractions would be included in general terms under the ADA, this problem is very industry-specific. Grocery stores can also have unbearably long lines, as can fast food restaurants and other retail outlets, yet none of them seem to need to provide front-of-line access to their customers. That makes this problem very specific to the theme park industry. Not to mention the rider requirements for the attractions themselves, which isn't addressed under the ADA at all.

That's what I was wondering (and I don't mean to sound insensitive... I'm truly just curious). Does Disney have to offer anything to disabled guests other than general access for disabled / handicapped guests?

 

[Tom]

That's what I was wondering (and I don't mean to sound insensitive... I'm truly just curious). Does Disney have to offer anything to disabled guests other than general access for disabled / handicapped guests?

For the most part, yes. This link offers a pretty good description of the requirements:

http://www.access-board.gov/recreation/guides/amuse.htm

 

[flynnibus]

Does Disney have to offer anything to disabled guests other than general access for disabled / handicapped guests?

Yes - 'access' is not sufficient.. you must make reasonable accommodations that fit their particular disability.

People get confused because handicap accessible was a big part of the law that impacted building codes and how buildings were built.. so that has lots of very specific definitions of what must be done. But that is just part of the law.. the really open ended part is providing accommodations for other life impacting disabilities.

 

[thelookingglass]

Alright, so, sorry to chime in with another anecdote about this, but I'm pretty fed up at this point, and really, you should be too. You should be informed.

Yesterday I spent some time at DAK. Sometime in the afternoon I walked by Everest. The standby line was posting 80 minutes. The Fastpass line stretched nearly to Nemo: the Musical, not exaggerating. Forgive me for being a bit nosey, but when a Fastpass line is nearly emerging into another LAND, then you know you have a problem. I asked a CM if the ride had been closed... she said it had not. I took notice of what people were holding as I walked past this enormous line. Surprise, surprise. GAC card, GAC card, GAC card, GAC card, fastpass, fastpass, GAC card, etc. They are easy to spot and many card holders wear them on a lanyard prominently displayed or wave them around, as if to say "Hey everyone! I have a "disability!" " (I'm sorry, but shouldn't that be something you would have some humility about??)

Because of Fastpass, you've been conditioned to think that 70, 80, 90... 120 minutes for these attractions is normal. "I wait that long at Six Flags." Yes, but a typical Six Flags coaster has nowhere near the capacity of Disney's rides, and Six Flags workers are typically not anywhere near as efficient as Disney's operations. Almost every Disney ride is a people eater by design. Everest is one of highest capacity roller coasters in the entire world. I took a peek at Everest's "80 minute" posted standby line at that point, and it wasn't even physically half full. So, Fastpass does inflate the standby lines, but remember that the Fastpass system is at the very least regulated. What the system is absolutely NOT designed for is for the fastpass lines to be nearly doubled by GAC cards! The longer the fastpass line, the slower the standby line will move. And remember that if Everest had been designed to accommodate that long of a Fastpass line... they would have actually made the Fastpass line that long!

Disney has created a situation where you are literally a "sucker" if you do not obtain a GAC card. You are being punished for doing the right thing. You are riding less than before because they are riding more than before. You are waiting longer in the Fastpass line than you should (you know, after already waiting two hours to use your Fastpass to bypass the long line that Fastpass created). This means that people who truly absolutely need the assistance are waiting longer than they should. And, god help you if you get in a standby line anymore except at the beginning or end of the day - you are being punished by waiting an excruciatingly long time [just so you can ride a ride where important effects probably aren't even working because everyone in charge of that attraction can't be bothered to do anything about it]. Meanwhile, all some other family had to do was lie, obtain a card, and ride 5 times in a fraction of the time it took you to ride once. What I'm trying to say is, Fastpass itself is bad and convoluted enough, but the excessive GAC use is making those problems significantly worse!

This business model is just kind of despicable to me and I can't fathom why nothing is done. I'm sure the pencil pushers have some figures that "justify" it - the scammers will come back and spend more money. But how many honest people, or at the very least, uninformed people, are they alienating in the process? Thank god I'm a local and a regular and have ample opportunity to experience these attractions, especially at less busy periods. I can't fathom how crushing it must be for families who save up for years for their trip, only to be "punished" by being able to experience nowhere near the amount that they paid for because of this terrible situation Disney has put it's honest guests into.

All of you who keep replying and saying they don't need to change anything need to stop brushing this aside as a non-issue. All of you who agree need to stop giving WDW your money and spending more and more on tickets for less and less to do, and less (honest) ways to actually be able to do any of it. Stop giving your money to a company that actively rewards dishonest people and punishes those who follow the rules. Save your money and go elsewhere, Universal, for example, where you can still have fun without needing to resort to cheating and scamming as if it is the norm.

/end rant.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Your experience is not uncommon, especially after parades, fireworks, or other large people eaters. Even the PeopleMover after Wishes is usually crazy. It doesn't help much that a few of the parks' leadership teams have explicitly disallowed Guest Relations to use the wheelchair stamp - escalating to the alternate entrance. And if you're at a park that does still issue the wheelchair stamp and make a big enough scene at Guest Relations they'll give you the alternative entrance stamp because the last thing they want is legal/media ramifications or large compensation (we're talking entire vacations) to be doweled out post-visit.

 

[Disneycoog]

Well with his thread constantly being brought to the top an the New York post article I am sure there will be a lot more users now!! I am going to make it a point to go by the fast pass lines this thanksgiving and see what all the fuss is about. In reality of all the times we have been I had never seen one until the last trip and it was only one person. Now I am fully aware of it, I asked a CM friend of mine about it and he said that it is not as bad as posters are making it out to be, but I will investigate!!!

 

[Lucky]

Most people in FastPass lines at WDW have FastPasses, not GACs. I've made a point to watch this every time I've been in a FastPass line the last 5 or 6 years.

CMs at Guest Relations tell guests with GACs to display them prominently, for the convenience of CMs working rides. Not everyone does, because they don't want to attract attention or rude comments.

I'm sure there are some cheaters, and the more attention the whole thing gets the more cheaters there'll be. But at this point I don't think standby wait times are affected much by cheating in the FastPass line.

 

[unkadug]

Most people in FastPass lines at WDW have FastPasses, not GACs. I've made a point to watch this every time I've been in a FastPass line the last 5 or 6 years.

CMs at Guest Relations tell guests with GACs to display them prominently, for the convenience of CMs working rides. Not everyone does, because they don't want to attract attention or rude comments.

I'm sure there are some cheaters, and the more attention the whole thing gets the more cheaters there'll be. But at this point I don't think standby wait times are affected much by cheating in the FastPass line.

Read the post three up from your post.

 

[natatomic]

Alright, so, sorry to chime in with another anecdote about this, but I'm pretty fed up at this point, and really, you should be too. You should be informed.

Yesterday I spent some time at DAK. Sometime in the afternoon I walked by Everest. The standby line was posting 80 minutes. The Fastpass line stretched nearly to Nemo: the Musical, not exaggerating. Forgive me for being a bit nosey, but when a Fastpass line is nearly emerging into another LAND, then you know you have a problem. I asked a CM if the ride had been closed... she said it had not. I took notice of what people were holding as I walked past this enormous line. Surprise, surprise. GAC card, GAC card, GAC card, GAC card, fastpass, fastpass, GAC card, etc. They are easy to spot and many card holders wear them on a lanyard prominently displayed or wave them around, as if to say "Hey everyone! I have a "disability!" " (I'm sorry, but shouldn't that be something you would have some humility about??)

(...)

/end rant.

I can second this statement. There is no exaggeration here. Multiple hours saw GAC numbers this weekend equivalent to those normally only seen around Christmas or 4th of July. Perhaps a result of the New York Post article? It was on CNN as well - I'm sure many people who would otherwise be oblivious to the existence of these cards are now chomping at the bit to get these magical "Golden Tickets" themselves.