Possible Changes coming to the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC)

[RSoxNo1]

@SoupBone, I didn't want to quote your entire post but a tip on the foot thing. I also have problems with my feet and I wear "old man shoes" as I dub them with orthotics. I did three 16 hour days in Disneyland last summer where I was wearing these and I was totally miserably. While they're supportive they're hard. I bought $3 double padded inserts that can be cut for most shoe sizes and while they smell a little weird the cushioning is a huge help if you're on your feet for that long.

 

[tmstephe]

You sure did jump on top of a rather large soapbox from my comment. I'm not a "svelte, six packed bodied" individual, nor have I ever claimed to be one, but I also do not require the use of an ECV due to obesity. I also don't have some superior feeling over overweight people either. I'm hoping this post was directed to the people you feel act like this an not my post, because if so you're really reading too much into it.

My post is to make a point (which has been made many times in this thread) that if Disney doesn't do something about the people abusing the GAC (including obese people), then the MK will begin to look like scenes from Wall-E pretty soon.

EDIT: And just for the record, I've always been for the people that truly need the GAC and I've said in this very thread that it's sad that people abuse it. My comments about obesity were really sarcasm that apparently doesn't show well through type. I've seen far more abuses of the GAC from people that were not obese. Matter of fact, I think obesity is really a whole other topic as far as the GAC is concerned. I think it's more of an ECV debate rather than a GAC card one. As you pointed out, they already have access to the GAC.

People who genuinely need assistance need a reliable way to get that assistance with minimal impact to other paying guests. Obesity is one of many legitimate needs. Obesity is not a choice, but it's also not a right.

 

[tmstephe]

. My comment was merely to take the obese factor out of the equation and bring it to a more realistic definition of people with mobility problems, whatever the reason.

Does a sleeping infant in a stroller have more or less "mobility problems" than an overweight person in a scooter?

 

[WDWFanDave]

New article from Miceage today, significant discussion of changes that appear to be imminent in regards to the GAC program. Here's a link: http://micechat.com/34900-miceage-disneyland-tomorrowland/

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yes! Thank you! To everyone in this thread shouting "show me the numbers!" Well, there you go. And even though the article is citing DLR, the problem is exactly as bad at WDW.

 

[rob0519]

I will write about our recent experience with the GAC last week later, but on that same trip we visited Universal Studios for the first time in two years. Our son is an adult, but has both physical and mental disabilities caused by multiple neurological issues and is in a wheel chair. In the past Universal did give us what was essestially a "front of the line" pass based on his health.

This year we were given a piece of cardboard that was to be presented to the attendant at the entrance to the express entrance at each attraction. The rules are as follows:
** If the posted wait time was 30 minutes or less, we were allowed to go right in.
** If the posted wait time was 31 minutes or more, the cast member deducted 15 mintues from the wait time and wrote it on the card. This was our return time to use the express entrance. (90 mintue wait = come back in 1 hr. and 15 min.) (60 minute wait=comback in 45 min.)
** You can only be on one waiting list at a time, so you could not be waiting for two attractions at the same time.

Becuase it was a clear June day, the shortest queue was 60 minutes. Using this system, we were able to access six attractions in just under eight hours.

For those of you clamoring for "fair and equal" treatment for everyone, disabled or not, this type of system should please you. Per Universal Customer Service, ALL their queues are wheelchair/ECV accessible, so this is the only assistance plan offered and does not take any health conditions into considerations.

I'm sure Disney executives are aware of this process and I would not be surprised to see some or all of these elements in whatever changes occur to the GAC.

 

[luv]

I hate to see people who truly need help be denied the most help possible.

But they really did have to cut down on this crap. With all the "my kid doesn't do well when he has to wait" and the outright, "Who cares? It's a shorter line!" abuse...it was out of control.

 

[TP2000]

This year we were given a piece of cardboard that was to be presented to the attendant at the entrance to the express entrance at each attraction. The rules are as follows:
** If the posted wait time was 30 minutes or less, we were allowed to go right in.
** If the posted wait time was 31 minutes or more, the cast member deducted 15 mintues from the wait time and wrote it on the card. This was our return time to use the express entrance. (90 mintue wait = come back in 1 hr. and 15 min.) (60 minute wait=comback in 45 min.)
** You can only be on one waiting list at a time, so you could not be waiting for two attractions at the same time.

Because it was a clear June day, the shortest queue was 60 minutes. Using this system, we were able to access six attractions in just under eight hours.

That's a brilliant system. It provides the accommodations disabled people need, while also cutting out most of the motivation for scammers to abuse the system.

Why can't Disney just do this? Just copy Universal, who seems to be leapfrogging ahead of Disney in most other theme park departments anyway.

 

[Tom Morrow]

It also speaks volumes for the Disney Parks way of doing things:

Everyone who actually works with issue day to day: "This is a problem! You need to address this!" (repeat for several years)
Executives who maybe step foot in the park once or twice a year but make all the decisions: "...Nah, its fine. Stop bothering us, you low rung peons."

 

[Rider]

I will write about our recent experience with the GAC last week later, but on that same trip we visited Universal Studios for the first time in two years. Our son is an adult, but has both physical and mental disabilities caused by multiple neurological issues and is in a wheel chair. In the past Universal did give us what was essestially a "front of the line" pass based on his health.

This year we were given a piece of cardboard that was to be presented to the attendant at the entrance to the express entrance at each attraction. The rules are as follows:
** If the posted wait time was 30 minutes or less, we were allowed to go right in.
** If the posted wait time was 31 minutes or more, the cast member deducted 15 mintues from the wait time and wrote it on the card. This was our return time to use the express entrance. (90 mintue wait = come back in 1 hr. and 15 min.) (60 minute wait=comback in 45 min.)
** You can only be on one waiting list at a time, so you could not be waiting for two attractions at the same time.

Becuase it was a clear June day, the shortest queue was 60 minutes. Using this system, we were able to access six attractions in just under eight hours.

For those of you clamoring for "fair and equal" treatment for everyone, disabled or not, this type of system should please you. Per Universal Customer Service, ALL their queues are wheelchair/ECV accessible, so this is the only assistance plan offered and does not take any health conditions into considerations.

I'm sure Disney executives are aware of this process and I would not be surprised to see some or all of these elements in whatever changes occur to the GAC.

This is basically the system that Cedar Fair has had for over a decade now.

Disney could (if they wanted) take it a step further and integrate the GAC with Fastpass+. Now that pretty much every attraction has Fastpass and every guest will have an RFID card why not just let the guests who need a GAC use the Fastpass system with a little more flexibility? You would basically get a "Fastpass" for the actual wait time of the attraction and then come back when your time is up.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The only real problem with Universal's system is that it has back tracking. Integrating it with the Fastpass+ system could help that, but if the Fastpass+ system is changed to a day of system and GAC is changed to something similar to Universal's system it would likely eliminate the need for the GAC anyway. In many cases the GAC would be functioning the same way as Fastpass.

 

[rob0519]

I posted our experience at Universal Studios earlier, so here is the GAC experience at WDW. I don't have a previous GAC to compare to those given to us the week of 6/24, but this is the language on the current GAC.

"This card will alert our Cast Member to provide the assistance you requested where applicable. It is NOT intended to provide immediate access. Please provide this card to the first host or hostess your come in contact with at each attraction."

There is room for different stamps on the front of the pass as well. One is "Guest can use an alternate attraction entrance where available. The other is "Provide a shaded wait area if available at attraction". I'm not sure how many other variations of stamps there are, if any.

On the back in bold letters it states "At attractions offering Disney's FASTPASS service, guests should obtain a Disney's FASTPASS return ticket."

This is the first time that a City Hall cast member has ever asked us if we were sure our son need special assistance before writing out the pass. So why no one actually asked why we needed the GAC, they are asking one or two non privacy invading questions. Additionally, the GACs are dated for the length of stay, not two weeks, unless of course the party is staying for two weeks.

Because of the wheelchair, as in past years, it still did pretty much work like a FASTPASS with a few exceptions.

Honestly, I don't know what is the appropriate answer for the GAC policy. Having both normal and special needs children I can see both sides of the "everyone should wait the same amount of time for an attraction" argument. Our son cannot ride roller coasters due to his health so our daughters need to get FASTPASSES or use the standby line for the major rides.

However, the truly disabled (not the scammers of the world) will never be able to do so much that the rest of the world takes for granted (walking, driving, earning a living, getting married, having a family, etc.) that I don't see the harm in saving them a few hours in a crowded amusement park.

 

[Goofyernmost]

However, the truly disabled (not the scammers of the world) will never be able to do so much that the rest of the world takes for granted (walking, driving, earning a living, getting married, having a family, etc.) that I don't see the harm in saving them a few hours in a crowded amusement park.

I think I can safely say that we all feel the same way about this. I want to see the scammers stopped because it is hurting the truly disabled by taking up spaces AND creating a situation where so many stand in judgment of anyone currently using a GAC. That psychologically aspect of abuse should never have been allowed to happen and it is going to be tough to stop, seriously!

 

[doctornick]

The only real problem with Universal's system is that it has back tracking.

I don't see how that's a "problem" really. If the guest in question were waiting in the line, they'd be, well, at the attraction. Using Universal's system, the guest is basically waiting in the line, just not physically within it. They can stay in the vicinity of the attraction for the duration of the wait, which would be similar to the experience of the able bodied person waiting in the line.

If the disabled guest decides to go to another part of the park and then have to double back, that's their business, but it's not an inconvenience to them as it's something that the able bodied guest waiting in line cannot do. The idea is to provide the same level of access for all guests and this Universal system seems to do so pretty reasonably.

One key thing is how the guest can only use it for one ride at a time.

 

[raymusiccity]

I don't see how that's a "problem" really. If the guest in question were waiting in the line, they'd be, well, at the attraction. Using Universal's system, the guest is basically waiting in the line, just not physically within it. They can stay in the vicinity of the attraction for the duration of the wait, which would be similar to the experience of the able bodied person waiting in the line.

If the disabled guest decides to go to another part of the park and then have to double back, that's their business, but it's not an inconvenience to them as it's something that the able bodied guest waiting in line cannot do. The idea is to provide the same level of access for all guests and this Universal system seems to do so pretty reasonably.

One key thing is how the guest can only use it for one ride at a time.

I agree wholeheartedly. The 'GAC' abuse mentality will always be a problem until it's replaced by the simplicity of Fastpass. You see the abuse mentality whenever it rains. Check out your local parking lot (location or size doesn't seem to matter.). The 'handicap' parking spaces will always be full or in much heavier use when it's a rainy day vs. a sunny day. They all seem a lot more nimble in the rain.

 

[JimboJones123]

We saw somebody demanding a GAC be used as a Fastpass on Pooh the other day. They were in a wheelchair and were told to go to the 70 min standby line. After arguing with the CM, the CM ended the conversation by saying "this just means you won't be in the sun. Since the line is in the shade, you can wait in the regular line."

Not sure if this is official policy or just that CM strutting his stuff.

 

[flynnibus]

I agree wholeheartedly. The 'GAC' abuse mentality will always be a problem until it's replaced by the simplicity of Fastpass

if that's the end game.. it will still be abused. Who wouldn't want unlimited FPs?

The only way to avoid the lure of the game is to remove all advantage or offset it with other things that make it less attractive.

 

[Tom Morrow]

We saw somebody demanding a GAC be used as a Fastpass on Pooh the other day. They were in a wheelchair and were told to go to the 70 min standby line. After arguing with the CM, the CM ended the conversation by saying "this just means you won't be in the sun. Since the line is in the shade, you can wait in the regular line."

Not sure if this is official policy or just that CM strutting his stuff.

It means that that particular GAC was only stamped with a "provide shaded waiting area" stamp. That means holders of that card can only bypass a standby line if some of the line is in direct sunlight. Yet another huge fallacy with the GACs - despite that when asking for that card, and stating exactly what their needs were - "I can't wait out in the sun", and despite being issued a pass that accommodates that 100%, they still complain and demand use of the Fastpass line because 1. "gimme gimme gimme!" and 2. They see other card holders doing it. So no matter how people are accommodated, the end result with this system in use is the same - people complain until they get what they want, because they want the one with perks - the "alternate entrance" stamp, the "unlimited Fastpass."

A system similar to the one described that Universal uses would work just fine and fairly accommodate people's needs. I hate to say this but if that were put in place at WDW, and people still complained, they would be complaining because they miss the "perks", whether they want to admit it or not.

 

[doctornick]

The only way to avoid the lure of the game is to remove all advantage or offset it with other things that make it less attractive.

This. They just need a system where the GAC provides you with essentially the same experience as not having the GAC. If they do that, then people won't abuse the system because there would be no advantage in doing so. But people who truly need the card will get it because it is the only/best way for them to experience the parks due to their limitations.

I have no problem with people with real disabilities have an in park advantage that can result in somewhat shorter wait times for attractions. I certainly have sympathy for them and do not begrudge them the experience in a Disney park. The problem is that once you make those advantages significant, other unscrupulous people are going to game the system, so they have to be tempered for the overall good.

 

[fosse76]

One key thing is how the guest can only use it for one ride at a time.

I think it's brilliant, and was one of my suggestions in earlier posts regarding changes to GAC. That's what would really discourage abusers.