Possible Changes coming to the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC)

[Goofyernmost]

Reading these Forums I kinda lost faith in some of the Disney community

I have Sever Social Anxiety which is Literally the FEAR of people
(Social anxiety is a discomfort or a fear when a person is in social interactions that involve a concern about being judged or evaluated by others.[1] It is typically characterized by an intense fear of what others are thinking about them (specifically fear of embarrassment, criticism, or rejection), which results in the individual feeling insecure, and that they are not good enough for other people.)
The GAC is great for me if i want to go on a ride or two during my visit to the park
I've gotten rude comments that have thrown me into a mental break down from other guests about me not being disabled .
I really hope they dont get rid of the GAC passes all together because I wouldn't be able to handle the lines without a mental break down
[just my two cents]

It's not without sympathy that I put this in, but, the problems that you described are as common as breathing. All of us have insecurities, paranoia, concern about how we are seen by others and so on. The difference is that we do what we have too to block it out of our thought patterns and live our lives as normally as it can be defined. I'm sorry that you are unable to do this, it must be a terrible feeling, but I'm not sure why that means that you can just go on a ride before the rest of us. It would seem to me that if you cannot deal with people and what they may think of you, then going in the front of the line, past people that are now in a judgmental mode looking at you and wondering why you are there and not them. Focusing on you instead of you standing unobtrusively in a line where you are just one other person would help your problem. Wouldn't it make it worse?

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not sure a theme park with 50k people in it is a great place for someone with 'severe social anxiety' where you are in public virtually the entire time.

If you go 'on a ride or two..' during your visit.. I'm curious what you do the rest of your visit?

 

[flynnibus]

It would seem to me that if you cannot deal with people and what they may think of you, then going in the front of the line, past people that are now in a judgmental mode looking at you and wondering why you are there and not them. Focusing on you instead of standing unobtrusively in a line where you are just one other person would help your problem. Wouldn't it make it worse?

yeah, seriously.. putting yourself on a platform...

 

[unkadug]

It's not without sympathy that I put this in, but, the problems that you described are as common as breathing. All of us have insecurities, paranoia, concern about how we are seen by others and so on. The difference is that we do what we have too to block it out of our thought patterns and live our lives as normally as it can be defined. I'm sorry that you are unable to do this, it must be a terrible feeling, but I'm not sure why that means that you can just go on a ride before the rest of us. It would seem to me that if you cannot deal with people and what they may think of you, then going in the front of the line, past people that are now in a judgmental mode looking at you and wondering why you are there and not them. Focusing on you instead of standing unobtrusively in a line where you are just one other person would help your problem. Wouldn't it make it worse?

Yeah. it sounds like a personal problem.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. = If you don't like crowds, don't go to a theme park.

Going to WDW is NOT a right.

 

[unkadug]

I suggest you reconsider Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

Anyone who can afford WDW has a "right" to visit. TWDC is obligated to accommodate those with disabilities.

It's a matter of whether the disability in question is covered under ADA, which includes both physical and mental impairments.

By her own admission, this is a discomfort. Since when is a discomfort a disability?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It's a matter of whether the disability in question is covered under ADA, which includes both physical and mental impairments.

But where do you draw the line over what qualifies a true "mental impairment"?

The problem with a highly commericalized medical culutre is that it tires to sell a "cure" for anything, and then people start treating day-to-day discomforts as "diseases" and expect the special treatment that comes with them.

 

[unkadug]

I've got a splinter in my finger, I should have a GAC.

Where does this madness end?

 

[unkadug]

Yes, where should ADA draw the line? That's the real question. I suggest you ask a medical professional.

At the rate we are going, I wouldn't be surprised if more than half the population will be protected by ADA sometime in my lifetime.

Which is NOT what the law was created to do. There are treatable conditions (such as anxiety) that were never meant to be covered under ADA. If everyone is covered under the ADA then isn't it the same as NOT having the ADA?

Just because I don't really like large crowds, does that mean I too am eligible for a GAC?

 

[sWANNISAX]

After going to WDW with my grandmother last week and using a GAC I honestly don't know how we would have done it without it. Her need to use the restroom sometimes suddenly makes getting in a 2 hour line impossible. As someone said earlier once you get in line you and the chair are trapped there are no exits. Using the GAC card we were able to get her on many of the attractions successfully. Also her in ability to walk on moving platforms was another issue that having the card allowed us to deal with successfully.

Someone also commented on the queues at Thunder Mountain and Toy Story. These are some of the worst for wheel chair guests. Just out of curiosity I watched the people in the stand by line for toy story as we were diverted into the wheel chair waiting area. because the car cycles out to the wheel chair area the wait can be come very long here when multiple chairs show up. I watched for the next family in the standby to go through the regular queue when we waited in the wheel chair line. With five parties in front of us they got through much much faster. Forcing the the wheelchairs through the regular queue there while possible physically until the stairs/wheelchair divide ultimately leads to much longer wait times for handicapped guests just due to the way the ride operates. This is not true in all places. Am I mad about waiting in standy by line that long? no. It was well spent because she enjoyed the ride. Several others rides we went on also required us to wait extra long periods because not all the vechiles were wheelchair friendly. Mermaid for example has two "wave" cars. One was broken so we waited about 14 minutes more for it go around.

I'm not sure what the answer to the GAC situation is. Clearly abuse is possible but there are also ways that the stand by queue is unfair to the handicapped guest depending upon disability. We often thought about how beneficial it would be for there to be restrooms in some queues that are particularly long just like they have water fountains.

 

[flynnibus]

Anyone who can afford WDW has a "right" to visit. TWDC is obligated to accommodate those with disabilities.

Within reason... if a person can't stand being in a crowd, there isn't reasonable accommodations available to make it so the person isn't surrounded by others when visiting a park with 10s of thousands of people. It's not reasonable to give the CEO treatment to anyone who has anxiety issues. I'd question if crowd fears would be covered under impairing 'major life activities'

Major life activities are defined as
"major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working"

 

[unkadug]

ADA Title III covers for profit business and includes recreational facilities. Quoting from the U.S. Department of Justice's "A Guide to Disability Rights Laws:

"Title III covers businesses and nonprofit service providers that are public accommodations, privately operated entities offering certain types of courses and examinations, privately operated transportation, and commercial facilities. Public accommodations are private entities who own, lease, lease to, or operate facilities such as restaurants, retail stores, hotels, movie theaters, private schools, convention centers, doctors' offices, homeless shelters, transportation depots, zoos, funeral homes, day care centers, and recreation facilities including sports stadiums and fitness clubs. Transportation services provided by private entities are also covered by title III."

I'm not trying to debate ADA, only suggesting that it covers a wide-range of activities as well as physical and mental impairments.

Nobody is arguing that point, my point is that discomforts that are treatable are not disabilities.

And to clear up a previous comment... going on a vacation anywhere is not a God given right. It is a luxury that one has a personal right to take.


Yes, Disney is obligated to provide services for those in need, but there was a spirit of this law that a lot of people seem to ignore and try to bend the law around their personal inadequacies that the law was never intended to accommodate.

 

[Kittencheshire]

I'm not sure a theme park with 50k people in it is a great place for someone with 'severe social anxiety' where you are in public virtually the entire time.

If you go 'on a ride or two..' during your visit.. I'm curious what you do the rest of your visit?

I draw Park landmarks

 

[Kittencheshire]

It's not without sympathy that I put this in, but, the problems that you described are as common as breathing. All of us have insecurities, paranoia, concern about how we are seen by others and so on. The difference is that we do what we have too to block it out of our thought patterns and live our lives as normally as it can be defined. I'm sorry that you are unable to do this, it must be a terrible feeling, but I'm not sure why that means that you can just go on a ride before the rest of us. It would seem to me that if you cannot deal with people and what they may think of you, then going in the front of the line, past people that are now in a judgmental mode looking at you and wondering why you are there and not them. Focusing on you instead of standing unobtrusively in a line where you are just one other person would help your problem. Wouldn't it make it worse?

Honestly it isnt just a personal Problem I'm actually considered Disabled Breathing exercises dont help and because i pay for an annual pass which I bought with my money I do have the right to be at the parks

My original intention of my annual pass was just to be able to go and draw different parts of the park

 

[unkadug]

Is eating at a restaurant, shopping at a store, or attending a sporting event at a stadium a "God given right"? Yet all of these are covered by ADA.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is covered by ADA. The poster was claiming that she suffers from "Sever[e] Social Anxiety". I've seen it suggested that as much as 5% of the population suffers from SAD.

I'm not trying to debate ADA or what impairments should be covered by it, only suggesting that you should understand ADA and what physical and mental impairments are legally covered by it.

As I wrote earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if more than half the population eventually will be protected by ADA. Given that most age and many serious ailments are associated with aging, it seems likely that, at some point in your life, you will be in a situation where you will be protected by ADA.

I'm not going to debate whether that's "right" or whether WDW should be handing out GAC to everyone who claims a condition covered by ADA.

And like I said...I don't like large crowds....I hereby expect Disney to get rid of the crowds next time I visit. I am disabled.

I am DONE with all the whiners.

 

[unkadug]

Honestly it isnt just a personal Problem I'm actually considered Disabled Breathing exercises dont help and because i pay for an annual pass which I bought with my money I do have the right to be at the parks

My original intention of my annual pass was just to be able to go and draw different parts of the park

Perhaps your money would have been better spent on a place that doesn't have large crowds ALL THE TIME.

Seems to me that you also have problems with spending your money wisely.

 

[TP2000]

I draw Park landmarks

Quite interesting. I see from your profile you are in Orange County, California, so your point of reference is visiting Disneyland and DCA. There are some truly fabulous vistas to draw in the parks, and I'm sure Cars Land and Buena Vista Street just opened up a great many new inspirations in the past year.

How do you do while waiting in lines for getting on the trams on busy days? Or do you just walk from the parking structure? But what about the lines to get into the parks on busy days? The Esplanade between the two parks can be like Grand Central Station at rush hour.

And what about the line at City Hall to get your GAC? A few months ago I waited in line at City Hall to get a birthday button for a friend, and the lines were long and everyone was wanting to get their GAC. I didn't see anyone in City Hall besides CM's who weren't there for a GAC, and the lobby was noisy with crowds of people huddled around the counter all giving the CM's their info for their latest GAC. The place was a zoo, had long lines out the door, and it was all because they were people who said they couldn't wait in lines. How does one who has SAD enter a busy theme park and wait in line to get the GAC in the first place?

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Not trying to be judgemental but why do you need a GAC if all you really want to do is draw? Are there special drawing sections now because I'll pack my crayons for upcoming trip.

 

[Wikkler]

I have trouble breathing because I've been smoking since I was 7. Can I have a GAC?
I have a splinter/bruise. Can I have a GAC?
I have a condition where I cannot wait in a line for more than 1 minute. Can I have a GAC?
I'm 1 month pregnant. Can I have a GAC?
I'm 8. Can I have a GAC?

 

[unkadug]

I have trouble breathing because I've been smoking since I was 7. Can I have a GAC?
I have a splinter/bruise. Can I have a GAC?
I have a condition where I cannot wait in a line for more than 1 minute. Can I have a GAC?
I'm 1 month pregnant. Can I have a GAC?
I'm 8. Can I have a GAC?

Thank you at least SOMEBODY else see's the absurdity of this.

 

[Wikkler]

Our son has Asperger's Syndrome, that's an appropriate GAC use, right?