Possible Changes coming to the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC)

[TP2000]

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

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Here's the quick definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
"Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness."

That pretty much sums up every 12 year old boy on the planet. (It also describes me as a grown adult on some days) But I can't figure out why a socially awkward, clumsy kid deserves to cut to the front of the line at a crowded theme park. So, no, per TP2000 you do not get a GAC.

But something tells me that if you went in to Guest Relations and told the hostess in the plaid vest that your precious child has Asperger's Syndrome, you would get the golden ticket GAC and not have to worry about Fastpass games or long Standby waits or juggling dinner reservations and parade times against Fastpass and Standby waits. WDW is your oyster, so just show your GAC and head on in!

 

[unkadug]

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Think Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory.

 

[Nemo14]

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Here's the quick definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
"Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness."

That pretty much sums up every 12 year old boy on the planet. (It also describes me as a grown adult on some days) But I can't figure out why a socially awkward, clumsy kid deserves to cut to the front of the line at a crowded theme park. So, no, per TP2000 you do not get a GAC.

But something tells me that if you went in to Guest Relations and told the hostess in the plaid vest that your precious child has Asperger's Syndrome, you would get the golden ticket GAC and not have to worry about Fastpass games or long Standby waits or juggling dinner reservations and parade times against Fastpass and Standby waits. WDW is your oyster, so just show your GAC and head on in!

Sorry, but if you ever dealt with a child with Asperger's you would definitely not post what you just did. This is not a matter of being "socially awkward": it is a form of autism that many families have to deal with on a daily basis. Their daily routines, as well as their vacations, revolve around the needs of these children, and a GAC card is certainly warranted in this situation.

 

[Wikkler]

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Here's the quick definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
"Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness."

That pretty much sums up every 12 year old boy on the planet. (It also describes me as a grown adult on some days) But I can't figure out why a socially awkward, clumsy kid deserves to cut to the front of the line at a crowded theme park. So, no, per TP2000 you do not get a GAC.

But something tells me that if you went in to Guest Relations and told the hostess in the plaid vest that your precious child has Asperger's Syndrome, you would get the golden ticket GAC and not have to worry about Fastpass games or long Standby waits or juggling dinner reservations and parade times against Fastpass and Standby waits. WDW is your oyster, so just show your GAC and head on in!

Yeah you're right, he needs to get his act together. Go to your room young man! Shameful...

 

[luv]

Think Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory.

I love Sheldon. Sheldon would be an ideal Disney planner. He gets everything done, arrives early for his place in line and always sticks to his plans.

 

[sWANNISAX]

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Here's the quick definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
"Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness."

That pretty much sums up every 12 year old boy on the planet. (It also describes me as a grown adult on some days) But I can't figure out why a socially awkward, clumsy kid deserves to cut to the front of the line at a crowded theme park. So, no, per TP2000 you do not get a GAC.

But something tells me that if you went in to Guest Relations and told the hostess in the plaid vest that your precious child has Asperger's Syndrome, you would get the golden ticket GAC and not have to worry about Fastpass games or long Standby waits or juggling dinner reservations and parade times against Fastpass and Standby waits. WDW is your oyster, so just show your GAC and head on in!

If you knew someone with aspergers you would have never written that. Parents of these children deserve all the help they can get at giving their child normal experiences.

 

[flynnibus]

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:

I'm not questioning if Disney as a place is covered - but the disability itself. The definition of disability under the law is one that impairs 'major life activities' - The definition of disability under the law
"a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual"

With major life activities defined as

(A) In general

For purposes of paragraph (1), 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.

(B) Major bodily functions

For purposes of paragraph (1), a major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

Anxiety needs to go an awful long way to impair the person to the standard defined above. Certainly anxiety can be that severe to impact a person to the point of not being able to function... but if that person's anxiety is that strong and debilitating... somehow, going in a FP line negates that anxiety from appearing or minimizes it to the degree it no longer impeds the major life function? I'd really question that.

An impairment is not necessarily a 'disability'

 

[flynnibus]

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

If a condition is treatable or not does not exclude it as being a disability. A disability under control with meds is still a disability. So medicine or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is weather or not the impairment rises to the level of impacting the major life functions.

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.

No, but equal access free of discrimination is the right protected under the law. They are just as entitled as anyone to go there because its a place of public accomodation. Now can and should they? That's a different discussion. The business is required to make reasonable accommodation.. but that doesn't mean every condition can be accommodated. If you can't handle being in a crowded area... I don't think a place of mass congregation may be up your alley.. accommodations or not.

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.

You can blame the DOJ for that.. not individuals. The government keeps expanding the scope of the law.. not the average joes trying to get a free ride. The law was written as a principle.. to ban discrimination against those with disabilities and ensure equal access for them. But the scope is dictated not by the law, but by the statutes defined by the DOJ... and that keeps growing.. :/

 

[TP2000]

If you knew someone with aspergers you would have never written that. Parents of these children deserve all the help they can get at giving their child normal experiences.

Is a child with Asperger's (high functioning autism) covered under the ADA laws at theme parks? Is Disney under a legal obligation to provide these folks with immediate Fastpass lane access to whichever E Ticket attraction the entire family of five wants to go on?

I think that's been asked a few times in these types of threads, and I don't know there's ever been an answer to it.

I ask because if there is no legal ability under the ADA for a business ("Disney" in the form of a 12 dollar an hour hostess in a polyester plaid vest) to question the need for such a GAC pass, then there is obviously the ability for anyone to walk in to a Disney theme park and say "My child has Asperger's and we need the GAC pass for our 8 day vacation here." It would seem that there's a short list of code words one only needs to say in Guest Relations on each visit, and the GAC is handed over without question. And thus, the growing abuse.

But is Asperger's really covered under the ADA such that a theme park must allow that family priority boarding priveleges at every ride, no questions asked and no ability to put a limit on how many times they can ride Space Mountain in a day? I'd be fascinated to learn the legal requirements for such a customer service. And what other business (stores, transport, restaurants, government offices, etc.) must also oblige the family with an Asperger's child priority service ahead of other customers waiting in long lines?

Anyone know?

 

[arko]

Is a child with Asperger's (high functioning autism) covered under the ADA laws at theme parks? Is Disney under a legal obligation to provide these folks with immediate Fastpass lane access to whichever E Ticket attraction the entire family of five wants to go on?

I think that's been asked a few times in these types of threads, and I don't know there's ever been an answer to it.

I ask because if there is no legal ability under the ADA for a business ("Disney" in the form of a 12 dollar an hour hostess in a polyester plaid vest) to question the need for such a GAC pass, then there is obviously the ability for anyone to walk in to a Disney theme park and say "My child has Asperger's and we need the GAC pass for our 8 day vacation here." It would seem that there's a short list of code words one only needs to say in Guest Relations on each visit, and the GAC is handed over without question. And thus, the growing abuse.

But is Asperger's really covered under the ADA such that a theme park must allow that family priority boarding priveleges at every ride, no questions asked and no ability to put a limit on how many times they can ride Space Mountain in a day? I'd be fascinated to learn the legal requirements for such a customer service. And what other business (stores, transport, restaurants, government offices, etc.) must also oblige the family with an Asperger's child priority service ahead of other customers waiting in long lines?

Anyone know?

Asperger Syndrome, sometimes called “high-functioning autism,” is one of five pervasive developmental disorders known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders. ADA requirements do not list a specific set of illnesses that are covered only

that the impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities. These are activities that an average person can perform with little or no difficulty. Examples are: walking,
seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, learning, performing manual tasks, caring for oneself, and working. These are examples only. Other activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, or reading are also major life activities (EEOC, 1992).
Most courts have agreed with the activities listed by the EEOC. For example, in Brown v. Medical Centers, 286 F.3d 1040 (8th Cir. 2002), the Court noted that the “ability to perform cognitive functions” is a major life activity. In Gagliardo v. Connaught Laboratories, Inc., 311 F.3d 565 (3d Cir. 2002), the court held that “concentrating and remembering (more generally, cognitive function)” are major life activities (Fram, 2004).

As with all forms of Autism different people are affected differently, and to differing degrees. My son as an example, touch his back or arm and he is fine, touch anywhere above his neck and its like you are killing him. But touch him anywhere on his body with sunscreen and be prepared for Armageddon. In other words some kids with Aspergers might do fine in a long line, others will not. There is no hard and fast rule.

Edit: But to your question the answer is simple, most of these kids, those who are actually autistic or who have Aspergers syndrome are not the ones going on e tickets 20 times, or running from ride to ride waiving their GAC, chances are they are with family who are looking after or out for them, and will probably go on a limited selection of rides.

 

[Nemo14]

I've worked with several kids who have been diagnosed with Asperger's, and I can assure you that it is a very real condition, and as others have said, no two cases are the same. I can assure you though that I would not want to be standing in a long line in front of most of them.

 

[Clever Name]

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

I lost both my legs in an automobile accident. I was the driver and I was DUI. Can I get a GAC?

 

[lostpro9het]

I lost both my legs in an automobile accident. I was the driver and I was DUI. Can I get a GAC?

Can we agree that his thread has skipped ludicrous and jumped straight into:

 

[merry68]

Asperger Syndrome, sometimes called “high-functioning autism,” is one of five pervasive developmental disorders known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders. ADA requirements do not list a specific set of illnesses that are covered only

As with all forms of Autism different people are affected differently, and to differing degrees. My son as an example, touch his back or arm and he is fine, touch anywhere above his neck and its like you are killing him. But touch him anywhere on his body with sunscreen and be prepared for Armageddon. In other words some kids with Aspergers might do fine in a long line, others will not. There is no hard and fast rule.

Edit: But to your question the answer is simple, most of these kids, those who are actually autistic or who have Aspergers syndrome are not the ones going on e tickets 20 times, or running from ride to ride waiving their GAC, chances are they are with family who are looking after or out for them, and will probably go on a limited selection of rides.

But I have seen it- those families get on most E-ticket rides because mom and dad wanna ride and it's a whole family. I experienced last fall when every family who went into TSM when we did held up GAC papers except for us. The CMs just sighed when he collected our FPs, and it was pretty obvious that a few were most likely lying.. and I say that because I do not understand how Spectrum kids could ever handle TSM- it jerks, it has a lot of visual stim, and you must wear 3D glasses.. the kids I worked with wouldn't be able to step foot inside that place, let alone get on the actual ride.

So it is way outta control and unfortunately those families who are "bending" the rules are ruining it for folks who truly need the assistance. And that in turn is giving the whole GAC a very bad rap.

 

[Wikkler]

My kid went on Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain...
Maybe the doctors lied to me.



You're grounded, mister!

 

[arko]

Is a child with Asperger's (high functioning autism) covered under the ADA laws at theme parks? Is Disney under a legal obligation to provide these folks with immediate Fastpass lane access to whichever E Ticket attraction the entire family of five wants to go on?

I think that's been asked a few times in these types of threads, and I don't know there's ever been an answer to it.

I ask because if there is no legal ability under the ADA for a business ("Disney" in the form of a 12 dollar an hour hostess in a polyester plaid vest) to question the need for such a GAC pass, then there is obviously the ability for anyone to walk in to a Disney theme park and say "My child has Asperger's and we need the GAC pass for our 8 day vacation here." It would seem that there's a short list of code words one only needs to say in Guest Relations on each visit, and the GAC is handed over without question. And thus, the growing abuse.

But is Asperger's really covered under the ADA such that a theme park must allow that family priority boarding priveleges at every ride, no questions asked and no ability to put a limit on how many times they can ride Space Mountain in a day? I'd be fascinated to learn the legal requirements for such a customer service. And what other business (stores, transport, restaurants, government offices, etc.) must also oblige the family with an Asperger's child priority service ahead of other customers waiting in long lines?

Anyone know?

Think Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory.

Sheldon Cooper is often cited as having Aspergers, but in reality as per the actor who plays him

the way [Sheldon's] brain works, it's so focused on the intellectual topics at hand that thinking he's autistic is an easy leap for people watching the show to make

But I have seen it- those families get on most E-ticket rides because mom and dad wanna ride and it's a whole family. I experienced last fall when every family who went into TSM when we did held up GAC papers except for us. The CMs just sighed when he collected our FPs, and it was pretty obvious that a few were most likely lying.. and I say that because I do not understand how Spectrum kids could ever handle TSM- it jerks, it has a lot of visual stim, and you must wear 3D glasses.. the kids I worked with wouldn't be able to step foot inside that place, let alone get on the actual ride.

So it is way outta control and unfortunately those families who are "bending" the rules are ruining it for folks who truly need the assistance. And that in turn is giving the whole GAC a very bad rap.

Well if your dragging your special needs kids on rides they don't want to do just so you can use the GAC, then you are not using the GAC for them. Nobody denies there is abuse, even those of us who use it know there is, and it angers us most of all because we may lose a benefit that Disney has given us to help make a possibly very stressful event a little less stressful.

As for TSM my son has no issues with it, but his issues are less visual and more tactile, and the ride is very short. For a long time noise did bother him, but we brought noise reducing headphones, and he was fine, he got stares but he did not care, and slowly but surely he got used to to noise and now we don't even have to bring them.

 

[Nemo14]

But I have seen it- those families get on most E-ticket rides because mom and dad wanna ride and it's a whole family. I experienced last fall when every family who went into TSM when we did held up GAC papers except for us. The CMs just sighed when he collected our FPs, and it was pretty obvious that a few were most likely lying.. and I say that because I do not understand how Spectrum kids could ever handle TSM- it jerks, it has a lot of visual stim, and you must wear 3D glasses.. the kids I worked with wouldn't be able to step foot inside that place, let alone get on the actual ride.

So it is way outta control and unfortunately those families who are "bending" the rules are ruining it for folks who truly need the assistance. And that in turn is giving the whole GAC a very bad rap.

As I said, every case is different. I know a couple of Asperger kids who would love the whole experience, and yes, some, who would freak out. The thing is, it is not our job to determine what their disabilities are, and like it or not, it's within their rights to ask for a GAC.

 

[RSoxNo1]

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

Depends on the severity, but there have been far more egregious abuses of the GAC. What are your behavioral concerns?

I had no idea what that is, nor do I really care to be bluntly honest, but I Googled it anyway.

Here's the quick definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
"Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. It can lead to difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and clumsiness."

That pretty much sums up every 12 year old boy on the planet. (It also describes me as a grown adult on some days) But I can't figure out why a socially awkward, clumsy kid deserves to cut to the front of the line at a crowded theme park. So, no, per TP2000 you do not get a GAC.

But something tells me that if you went in to Guest Relations and told the hostess in the plaid vest that your precious child has Asperger's Syndrome, you would get the golden ticket GAC and not have to worry about Fastpass games or long Standby waits or juggling dinner reservations and parade times against Fastpass and Standby waits. WDW is your oyster, so just show your GAC and head on in!

Asperger's is certainly over diagnosed, but you're just wrong about it being every 12 year old boy.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Does anyone have any additional information on the expected changes?

 

[unkadug]

Depends on the severity, but there have been far more egregious abuses of the GAC. What are your behavioral concerns?

Asperger's is certainly over diagnosed, but you're just wrong about it being every 12 year old boy.

I believe he meant that every 12 year old boy experiences the very same traits that partially define the symptoms of Asperger's.