Possible Changes coming to the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC)

[1023]

Interesting. Based on what the Sorcerer says, one can extrapolate that," An ignored problem isn't going to resolve itself." I hope that they can devise a way to limit abuse. With some success in this area, they can apply the same efforts into other areas of guest concern. I am sure we can come up with a few off the tops of our heads.

As others have mentioned, I will gladly wait a bit longer for "Make-A-Wish", "Give Kids the World", or any other similar programs. I will gladly wait a bit longer for those that truly suffer from deficiencies, ailments, and physical limitations. We should not be willing to tolerate the abusers and those that make a mockery of the system's benefits. I think it is positive that they are looking for ways to prevent fraud.

*1023*

P.S. Excellent post occurred while I was typing this originally. See Below:

Thank you for your post. This puts into words exactly why I find this type of fraud so frustrating. People who are sympathetic to GAC abusers (most likely GAC users themselves who are fearful that their correct use or incorrect abuse may be called into question) are very quick to label someone who is not sympathetic some not-so-nice adjective. But the fact is, that there is *always* a victim when fraud happens.

In this particular case, for every GAC abuser, there are legitimately needy GAC users or regular paying park guests forced to suffer with longer lines/inconveniences. Call me a heartless , but it really chaps my cans when I hear about this abuse because, frankly, I paid for the same experience...and it's not insignificant. It's shameful that I have to wait longer because I didn't think it was appropriate to cheat the system. Moreover, the greater the price to park entry gets, the more serious the crime, in my eyes.

I've been saying for a long time now, that a GAC user should *never* derive a benefit that is advantageous over a regular paying park guest. Otherwise, the lure will always result in fraud. If you can't wait in line for an attraction, provide a waiting area where the person must sit and wait. Don't give him/her and his whole family a fast pass where they can go do something else during the waiting period. That is an advantage. plain and simple.

This problem is an easy one to fix. Make a GAC user wait, not shop, the same length of time for an attraction that a regular guest is forced to wait. If they cant wait, they can use a fastpass or fastpass+, just like us regular joes. Once the GAC, in all respects, is no longer an advantage, there will be no more fraud.....plain and simple.

 

[Jane Doe]

Can't help but notice you seem to be skipping over threads then interjecting today/tonight. You jumped all over my Sun Safety in the Parks thread too. If you had read my post properly you would have seen that I have a problem with overheating as well as sun exposure. Having skin cancer gets you pretty savvy when it comes to sun protection so I'm all tooled up when it comes to that, but I need to avoid the associated risks that comes with it.

You have problems with overheating and sun exposure and choose to go to Florida?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Can I just ask one simple question:

If you cannot stand up for long periods of time, be out in the sun, have anxiety around large groups of people, your child has ADD, ADHD, or autism that prevents them from being able to tolerate long periods of waiting...why did you spend thousands of dollars to come to a place that has abundant sunshine, large crowds and even longer lines/wait times, and requires you to be semi-mobile at least 75% of the time?

Seems to me that if my life was that crappy in a myriad of ways I would not make things miserable for myself by going to the one place that's going to exacerbate any and all issues I might have.

I can answer your question about the autism: Given the proper accommodations, kids on the spectrum benefit greatly from Disney. As I have previously mentioned, my brother has autism. Every time we take him to Disney his speech improves, he starts doing new things, he does better in school, etc. Actually, my parents take him out and because the teacher has previously observed such improvements, she doesn't even send make up for him to do on vacation. She catches him up when he gets back during recess or whatever. It's a great place for him to learn basic life skills such as saying hello and goodbye, ordering at restaurants, saying excuse me (that's a new one for him, so polite after our trip to Disneyland, even excusing himself to the cat!) Also, and this is an example specific to my brother, once I showed him he could look up rides on Youtube from Disney, he's started getting on there. Guess what? You need to read to get on Youtube. Using basic skills and some help from us, he's practicing and improving his reading skills because he wants to see these videos. So if it's so good for him, why shouldn't he go? I've met many kids, on my trips, on here, and from his class, who have also benefitted greatly from Disney.

Now certain kids on the spectrum wouldn't be able to handle it. That should be the parents' decision on whether or not the kid can handle it. But for many, the stimulation really helps them improve their conditions, and the GAC can be a godsend. Also, some parents have used Disney, ironically, to teach their kids to wait. What we do is use it for long lines and say to him "Okay, we'll use your special pass since this line is really long, but for the next ride that has a twenty minute wait we'll do the regular line." Some kids can't wait at all. Those are the ones who won't do a full day in the park or will have more downtime.

As far as if you have another condition, you must live your life in spite of it. Kids with ADHD must go to school. There are asthmatic who are also athletes. I once was on a trip when I was sensitive to the sun because of an antibiotic. It was a winter trip, so I wore long pants, a jacket, and a hat. You deal. You don't deprive yourself. I have really bad asthma, and my question to myself always is, "Okay, is there a way that I can do this without making myself sick?" Usually it just means being smart (Taking your meds, avoiding triggers like perfume and cigarette smoke) but occasionally, yes, I do ask for accommodations. Like talking to the chef before I eat to make sure I don't accidentally eat something I'm allergic to. Now if you figure out that you're just going to be miserable, you avoid it, but if there's a way you can have fun and escape your reality for a while, take it. For some, that may mean just being smart. To others, their only solution may be a GAC. But I don't believe in depriving someone because they happen to be different. As far as handling it, it's personal.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Maybe if everyone would focus on their own time with their family and not on others that may or may not be getting special treatment, their vacation would be much more enjoyable.

^^This

 

[Monty]

Thank you for your post. This puts into words exactly why I find this type of fraud so frustrating. People who are sympathetic to GAC abusers (most likely GAC users themselves who are fearful that their correct use or incorrect abuse may be called into question) are very quick to label someone who is not sympathetic some not-so-nice adjective. But the fact is, that there is *always* a victim when fraud happens.

In this particular case, for every GAC abuser, there are legitimately needy GAC users or regular paying park guests forced to suffer with longer lines/inconveniences. Call me a heartless , but it really chaps my cans when I hear about this abuse because, frankly, I paid for the same experience...and it's not insignificant. It's shameful that I have to wait longer because I didn't think it was appropriate to cheat the system. Moreover, the greater the price to park entry gets, the more serious the crime, in my eyes.

I've been saying for a long time now, that a GAC user should *never* derive a benefit that is advantageous over a regular paying park guest. Otherwise, the lure will always result in fraud. If you can't wait in line for an attraction, provide a waiting area where the person must sit and wait. Don't give him/her and his whole family a fast pass where they can go do something else during the waiting period. That is an advantage. plain and simple.

This problem is an easy one to fix. Make a GAC user wait, not shop, the same length of time for an attraction that a regular guest is forced to wait. If they cant wait, they can use a fastpass or fastpass+, just like us regular joes. Once the GAC, in all respects, is no longer an advantage, there will be no more fraud.....plain and simple.

If the world was all black and white and everything could be "plain and simple", maybe. The trouble is just "waiting" isn't a solution for everybody's disabilities. If an able-bodied person can ride, for argument's sake, 12 E-Ticket rides during the course of a normal Disney day, then a disabled guest who perhaps can only manage 5 hours in the park in one day should ideally be able to do 12 E-Tickets in the limited time they can manage. One solution will never solve every problem. This is just one example of a scenario that doesn't fit your cookie-cutter solution, there are likely many others.

With the advent of Magic Bands, there are opportunities for Disney to establish better control over the abuse of GACs without unnecessarily dis-advantaging those who use them legitimately. I don't think there will ever be a GAC program that eliminates every possible abuse, nor do I think there will ever be one that accommodates every conceivable disability. It's all about balance in my opinion.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

As for children with developmental issues or any disabled party, each parent/group must make their own assesment based on the information they have and their child's expected behavior. It is not my place to judge anyone else for their choices unless it directly imposes on my vacation, a couple minute longer wait is not an imposition to me. If I have to give up an extra 2 or 3 minutes, even 10 minutes, per attraction to allow for special needs children instant access I will gladly do so, always! Having seen first hand some of the life difficulties the children and families go through, I consider it is a very minor inconvience for those of us who can freely walk around the parks from open to close to endure so they can have a lifelong memory that may not be possible without GAC.

Thank you so much for your kind words! I wish that everyone in this world would be this understanding.

 

[arko]

Thank you for your post. This puts into words exactly why I find this type of fraud so frustrating. People who are sympathetic to GAC abusers (most likely GAC users themselves who are fearful that their correct use or incorrect abuse may be called into question) are very quick to label someone who is not sympathetic some not-so-nice adjective. But the fact is, that there is *always* a victim when fraud happens.

In this particular case, for every GAC abuser, there are legitimately needy GAC users or regular paying park guests forced to suffer with longer lines/inconveniences. Call me a heartless , but it really chaps my cans when I hear about this abuse because, frankly, I paid for the same experience...and it's not insignificant. It's shameful that I have to wait longer because I didn't think it was appropriate to cheat the system. Moreover, the greater the price to park entry gets, the more serious the crime, in my eyes.

I've been saying for a long time now, that a GAC user should *never* derive a benefit that is advantageous over a regular paying park guest. Otherwise, the lure will always result in fraud. If you can't wait in line for an attraction, provide a waiting area where the person must sit and wait. Don't give him/her and his whole family a fast pass where they can go do something else during the waiting period. That is an advantage. plain and simple.

This problem is an easy one to fix. Make a GAC user wait, not shop, the same length of time for an attraction that a regular guest is forced to wait. If they cant wait, they can use a fastpass or fastpass+, just like us regular joes. Once the GAC, in all respects, is no longer an advantage, there will be no more fraud.....plain and simple.

Yep he's solved it, someone call Disney and let them know.

And thank you for assuming that those who use the GAC legitimately somehow are sympathetic to abusers, I can tell you that we have the least amount of sympathy for people who would fake an illness to get a GAC.

Hey I don't blame you for having a very jaded view of the GAC, that's because you see it only from a negative point of view, in that its use somehow affects your ability to have a good time. I can pretty much guarantee that despite the fact that my family uses a GAC, you probably end up riding more rides than we do, and I bet you have ridden Space Mountain, or Splash Mountain or Rockin Roller Coaster, funny I haven't ever, because my son won't go near them and we go several times a year.
But we could do this all day, and quite frankly I don't ever expect you to understand that what you consider some kind of advantage, is to us something that Disney has done to help those who might not otherwise have been able to come to Disney in the first place.

 

[TP2000]

I have just went to get my current pass updated and they were informing me that "because you are cast we must notify management". Personally I feel as if this is nonsense and encourage anybody with disapprovements to these changes speak with guest relations.
I do not feel as if it is their concern what I do outside of the work environment.

Wait. You are a Disney employee visiting WDW and getting a GAC? And according to your profile picture you look to be a young man who does not use a wheelchair to enter vehicles, like the Space Mountain rocket you have boarded in your photo.

So of course it would be managements responsibility and right to know that you get a GAC to ride Space Mountain and other thrill rides. If you have medical restrictions that prevent you from being in the normal WDW environment and need special accommodations to visit WDW, then how might that impact your ability to do your job for Disney in the WDW environment?

Do you have sun sensitivity? Can't handle standing for periods of time? Are you unable to cope with crowds or loud sounds due to psychological issues? Do you need frequent access to public facilities? Those are all serious medical issues that would seem to impact your job and management would need to know about that for liability reasons to protect both yourself and the employer.

WDW has every right to know if their employees are getting a GAC when entering the parks for free as part of their employee benefits package. If they didn't care about that, they would be shirking their responsibilities as an employer.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

You have problems with overheating and sun exposure and choose to go to Florida?

Happens in the UK too, we DO have high temps and UV here too you know. And why should I let MY problem interfere with my family's choice of holiday when we can work around it?
What I choose to do, and where I go on holiday is MY business. If I need assistance/questions answered I come to a forum like this for my questions to be answered and that's it. I should not have to justify WHY I choose to holiday with my family in Disneyworld, when it's the only holiday I've really known since I was eleven years old, and the last year has thrown me into making some serious life changes. Here's a scenario: Imagine having lung cancer, you get cured, and then everywhere makes it the law to smoke. You can't go outside without walking into a cloud of smoke and you are petrified that breathing that smoke in may bring on another round of cancer, surgery, hospital appointments. That's how I feel about UV. I'm just as paranoid at home and do a lot of work with charities, politicians, health professionals and schools.

And as an aside: I like discussing WDW and the associated parks but I, and many others, did not come on here to be to be subject to a form of personal attack.
Lately there has been so much bitchiness on here, this is not what a forum should be about at all, and some of you (not necessarily directed at you, Jane Doe) are being complete ignoranuses. Yes I did mean to write that. It means ignorant and . Sorry if it comes across as boohoo and I need a waaaambulance but I've seen so many others on here subject to bullying and it's just not cricket!
End of rant, move along, nothing to see here......

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Yep he's solved it, someone call Disney and let them know.

And thank you for assuming that those who use the GAC legitimately somehow are sympathetic to abusers, I can tell you that we have the least amount of sympathy for people who would fake an illness to get a GAC.

Hey I don't blame you for having a very jaded view of the GAC, that's because you see it only from a negative point of view, in that its use somehow affects your ability to have a good time. I can pretty much guarantee that despite the fact that my family uses a GAC, you probably end up riding more rides than we do, and I bet you have ridden Space Mountain, or Splash Mountain or Rockin Roller Coaster, funny I haven't ever, because my son won't go near them and we go several times a year.
But we could do this all day, and quite frankly I don't ever expect you to understand that what you consider some kind of advantage, is to us something that Disney has done to help those who might not otherwise have been able to come to Disney in the first place.

Have you ever considered a rider switch pass? Or will your son not even go near enough to the ride to get one (Not being sarcastic, I can see it being a genuine issue!)

 

[flynnibus]

Yes, wow, that's like a perfect comparison to her problem, dealing with real medical issues and skin cancer. All she needs to do is drink more water. Problem solved. Awesome.

Know what you do for skin cancer? You wear protection... you don't require special handling.. you require the need to wear or use protection.

 

[arko]

Wait. You are a Disney employee visiting WDW and getting a GAC? And according to your profile picture you look to be a young man who does not use a wheelchair to enter vehicles, like the Space Mountain rocket you have boarded in your photo.

So of course it would be managements responsibility and right to know that you get a GAC to ride Space Mountain and other thrill rides. If you have medical restrictions that prevent you from being in the normal WDW environment and need special accommodations to visit WDW, then how might that impact your ability to do your job for Disney in the WDW environment?

Do you have sun sensitivity? Can't handle standing for periods of time? Are you unable to cope with crowds or loud sounds due to psychological issues? Do you need frequent access to public facilities? Those are all serious medical issues that would seem to impact your job and management would need to know about that for liability reasons to protect both yourself and the employer.

WDW has every right to know if their employees are getting a GAC when entering the parks for free as part of their employee benefits package. If they didn't care about that, they would be shirking their responsibilities as an employer.

First let me say this, I have no issue with Disney's policy change of informing management of a cast member's request for a GAC.
But your making some assumptions, which granted on the surface would appear to be true. Your first statement is strictly based on the photo. A it might not be the person posting, and b there is not way to tell if they need any assistance or use a wheelchair etc as they are sitting in a ride.Secondly your assuming that he is a front facing cast member.
Either way if he does need some kind of accommodation at work, chances are his managers are aware and them being informed that he asked for a GAC is a non issue, however if he has no legitimate need for one and he is entering a park on an employee pass Disney has every right to know

 

[arko]

Have you ever considered a rider switch pass? Or will your son not even go near enough to the ride to get one (Not being sarcastic, I can see it being a genuine issue!)

We only have a limited time in the park, my son would not sit there for a long time waiting for me to do a ride. And I wouldn't make my wife have to do the same. I have at times gone back in the evening by myself when Magic Kingdom is open late, mostly to walk around and enjoy the park

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We only have a limited time in the park, my son would not sit there for a long time waiting for me to do a ride. And I wouldn't make my wife have to do the same. I have at times gone back in the evening by myself when Magic Kingdom is open late, mostly to walk around and enjoy the park

Just a suggestion, not judging you or your family, but your wife could take your son to do a ride or two and you could meet up. Or you could get a Fastpass and switch off. Rider switch passes used to be good for the entire day. I don't know if they still are. Though I would understand completely you wanting to spend the maximum time with your son or if he would get confused as to why he would be riding a ride without his father.

 

[arko]

Just a suggestion, not judging you or your family, but your wife could take your son to do a ride or two and you could meet up. Or you could get a Fastpass and switch off. Rider switch passes used to be good for the entire day. I don't know if they still are. Though I would understand completely you wanting to spend the maximum time with your son or if he would get confused as to why he would be riding a ride without his father.

we have 2 children and do do that sometimes, my wife takes the little one on the wedway peoplemover(because he thinks its a rollercoaster) while my older child and I do Buzz Lightyear. In fact if all we did at MK was Buzz Lightyear my older one would be happy. One night he went with me when I went back and and I asked him if he wanted to try something new, as my wife is not a fan of rollercoasters, and so maybe he was feeding off her fear, nope, all he wanted to do was do Buzz Lightyear again. There is only one ride that he and I do that my wife waits with the little one and that is Mission Space in the non motion version, which quite frankly has been a walk on both times we have done it. When my little one gets older and might want to try something that the older is afraid of we may have to work around it. But its not an issue now.

 

[TP2000]

Either way if he does need some kind of accommodation at work, chances are his managers are aware and them being informed that he asked for a GAC is a non issue, however if he has no legitimate need for one and he is entering a park on an employee pass Disney has every right to know

Bingo!

Either this young CM has a disability that his bosses know about and Disney has worked around, as any big company does for disabled employees in the 21st century. If that's the case, then it would be a non-issue when his boss gets the notification email on Monday that he used a GAC in the parks that weekend. Non-issue for all involved, and so I'm not sure where the indignation on behalf of the employee comes from.

Or, his bosses have no idea that he has medical requirements that mean he can't visit theme parks without special assistance, and he works in said theme parks. That's a potential issue of liability for his employer, and thus becomes something where said employee needs to explain his medical issues that may impair his ability to perform his job. Does he need special equipment provided for his job? Does he need a special uniform? Does he need a certain physical work environment? Or, it's something that doesn't impair his job and can be managed by the employee. But then it's a non-issue either way once that's been explained.

But if a WDW ride operator or a custodian or a restaurant worker is getting a GAC when he visits the parks for a typical issue you get a GAC for (sunlight, standing and/or walking, psychological issues with people and crowds) then that would be an issue of liability for the employer. And an employer has every right to know what type of special assistance employees are getting while they are on the employers property using the employers goods and services, even if it's part of an earned benefits package.

How does someone work in a theme park without disabled assistance but then is unable to visit a theme park on his day off without disabled assistance?

Aside from the obvious ethical issue of a CM getting a GAC, of course.

 

[luv]

Disney put in the employee-GAC policy because so many CMs were picking them up. Now, they have someone else pick it up for them.

I don't think our fellow Magical Poster is taking advantage, but soooo many do. It isn't just employees, either. But now I'm back where I started.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Wait, when did Disney put in an employee GAC policy and what is it?

The biggest abusers are most likely AP holders, just like at Disneyland.

 

[Yensid1974]

Wait, when did Disney put in an employee GAC policy and what is it?

The biggest abusers are most likely AP holders, just like at Disneyland.

I wouldn't make the assumption that the biggest abusers are AP holders even though I am sure there are a good number of them who do. You have to consider international visitors as well who are advised through tour providers etc. to get them. The makeup of the abusers really doesn't matter as much as the fact there is abuse at all. The whole point of this is to find a better system than we have now, which is very far from perfect.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Yes, wow, that's like a perfect comparison to her problem, dealing with real medical issues and skin cancer. All she needs to do is drink more water. Problem solved. Awesome.

I actually hadn't read that far back and it was not an attempt to judge her. Her condition is far more serious than my friend's, as far as I can tell. I was highlighting that people who get dehydrated or overheated do not require a GAC. Could she deal with it without a GAC? That's not my place to say.