Today show does a follow up on the "Rich Manhattan Moms"

[GrumpyFan]

I said it when this first came to light, but it bares repeating. Deplorable, repugnant and despicable. I hope Disney does crack down on them and ban them for life. Sadly, this hurts those who are actually disabled and in need of the GAC. It also makes me wonder how many other abuses these scumbags are using to take advantage of their disability. Look, I understand, if you have a disability, it makes everything in life difficult, but to take advantage of others and abuse the privileges extended is just low and inexcusable in my book.

 

[pluto13]

i know that i was referring to the real ones.

 

[articos]

This will be easier than you'd expect to take care of. The legal letters will deter a lot of people. But after that, if someone is seen again and again at attractions' disabled entrances with different people, CM's can be encouraged to report them. Also, security will be on the look-out for them. They'll all likely have AP's, so their info is in the system. At some point, Disney will nicely ask them to talk, ask for an explanation, and eventually ban them from the parks. Security is pretty good at enforcing those bans, as well.

 

[Goofnut1980]

I think GAC is a crock of crap! We have fastpass and fastpass+. There is no need to skip a line what-so-ever!

My stepdad is retired military and was affected by a chemical back in the 70s and now has 23% lung function and is in a wheelchair with oxygen. He is ok if he sits but can not walk for a period of time. But he loves Disney and the rides and refuses to skip the lines unless its an entrance that they cant get the scooter across like Haunted Mansion. (due to the loading and offloading being in two places) He will not get a GAC, and if he does "skip" the lines, he waits for us to go through the normal line. He just enters in the wheelchair access area.

But that is why we use FP. It is this great new concept, where Disney "holds" your place in line so you can go spend money in the parks and not stand around. They should try it! hahahahahaha

 

[Black Pearl]

It's kind of funny how that guy in the video could have a hard time appearing like any more of a . I was almost expecting him to swipe a kid's Mickey toy away from them and rip the head off in the parking lot.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Issue a permanent tresspass for all involved, effective immediately.

 

[PirateFrank]

I think GAC is a crock of crap! We have fastpass and fastpass+. There is no need to skip a line what-so-ever!

My stepdad is retired military and was affected by a chemical back in the 70s and now has 23% lung function and is in a wheelchair with oxygen. He is ok if he sits but can not walk for a period of time. But he loves Disney and the rides and refuses to skip the lines unless its an entrance that they cant get the scooter across like Haunted Mansion. (due to the loading and offloading being in two places) He will not get a GAC, and if he does "skip" the lines, he waits for us to go through the normal line. He just enters in the wheelchair access area.

But that is why we use FP. It is this great new concept, where Disney "holds" your place in line so you can go spend money in the parks and not stand around. They should try it! hahahahahaha

This is, by far, my favorite post on the GAC issue...ever.

I've been having a hard time with the very concept of GAC the very second I read some guys account that his son or daughter was able to ride some ride 5000+ times. The fact of the matter is that there's already a ride priority mechanism in place at WDW...it's called fastpass. If there's some other reason why you can't stand in line, get a hockey puck that'll make you wait just as long as everyone else and when it lights up, you can ride.

I personally hope this deplorable situation does infact hurt GAC for everyone. There are better ways to accommodate truly legitimately disabled people, while preventing a large amount of the clear and current abuse of the card.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I actually don't have a problem with this. How many people are using this service? It's very expensive $315 and hour at the cheapest and you have to use it at least 6 hours.

Well. It isn't any of my business, but it's just another case of the "rich" taking advantage of a system in place for people who really need it. And now the system is in "danger" of being changed and/or "scrapped altogether due to this abuse.

I think she meant she doesn't have an issue with it because, by pricing it so high, it assures that many people won't use it. And that you don't have to worry about more people being able to "cut" the line making your wait longer. Just imagine if everyone could afford V.I.P tour guides... the lines would be insane!

 

[midwest_mice]

What really defines disabled to Disney to hand out the cards? To be honest, why can't everyone wait in line like the rest of us? I know some of the que lines can't accept wheelchairs, but there is a stand-by line time, they could certainly wait that amount of time in their line like the rest of us, that is one solution to these guides.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Wow...just wow. Some people's children...

 

[Calvin Coolidge]

Am I wrong to think that MyMagic+ can basically fix this problem? Tie GAC to that, and either use it to root out paid tour guides, or attach a "waiting period" (kind of like Fastpass) to GAC use, sending folks off to shop or get a snack or sit on a bench somewhere.

At current levels of use I don't think it's really too much of a problem (except morally or whatever) but with press coverage like Today Show spots I wouldn't be surprised if it gets out of control quickly.

Not a fan of the idea of MyMagic+ in general, but I feel like it could work well here.

 

[toasty]

To be honest, why can't everyone wait in line like the rest of us? I know some of the que lines can't accept wheelchairs, but there is a stand-by line time, they could certainly wait that amount of time in their line like the rest of us, that is one solution to these guides.

Someone with more institutional knowledge of how Disney works can certainly chime in and correct me or offer more detail, but my understanding is that that was the way the GAC cards were originally supposed to work -- you check in with the GAC card, they tell you when to come back (based upon the current standby time), and then at an appropriate time, you get to ride. Somewhere along the way, it morphed into the system that exists, where a GAC card is a de facto fastpass, probably for reasons of convenience for the CMs -- just easier to let them right in than try to manage when someone is supposed to be allowed to ride.

Anyone have any further info on that? This is not firsthand knowledge, so I'm expressly not holding this out as gospel...

 

[durangojim]

I hate to say it, but this is a reflection of how many people feel in the US as of right now. There are so many people who come to me to fill out disability paperwork for them who are less "disabled" than many of my patients in their 80s, it's disgusting. GAC, disability, etc. all have a serve a role and deserve to exist, but like everything else they are being abused severely and we are all paying for it.

 

[Nemo14]

I hate to say it, but this is a reflection of how many people feel in the US as of right now. There are so many people who come to me to fill out disability paperwork for them who are less "disabled" than many of my patients in their 80s, it's disgusting. GAC, disability, etc. all have a serve a roll and deserve to exist, but like everything else they are being abused severely and we are all paying for it.

I have a few in-laws like that.

 

[MissM]

The thing is, it's not like you have to be on Disability to get the GAC. You don't have to show any "proof" or documentation or anything. Guest Services can't even really ask you any specific details because of things like HIPPA. So the even worse part of this is when people start realizing you don't need to "hire" a "disabled" person to tour you around, you can just go get your own GAC pass and skip the middleman! For example, I have migraines. Theoretically (because I would never be this much of a slimeball) I could say that being in enclosed, loud areas (such as queues) with repetitive lights and sounds can trigger an attack and get a GAC.

It's much like the rules regarding Service Animals. People now buy $25 vests and put them on their housepets because the laws don't allow places like Disney to ask for proof. I get why it's important not to make it hard for those who legitimately need a GAC or Service Animal, but the problem comes about when people abuse it. As we see in this kind of "disabled tour guide" situation.

 

[Lord_Vader]

IMHO...

Tour groups using GAC could be completely eliminated if the GAC user has to register, with a valid ID (state or VISA) and its party's guests at Guest Relations at the same time, associate their tickets with the GAC users ticket/AP with their names and ticket IDs written on the GAC card. Each guest would have to present their park ticket after the GAC guest before gaining access. This could also be done using the same basic principals as the MM+ is today with ADRs and I believe FP+ in the near future. If the GAC user adds/removes too many guests (more than 10 adds/changes a month) from their profile, they are flagged and not allowed to receive or use a GAC any further. Furthermore, limit the number of times a GAC can be used on an attraction or create a timeout period much like FP is done today where the guest cannot use it more than once per hour or two to board an attraction.

GAC cards should be used to assist guests, nor provide a golden ticket! My wife uses hers at times because she cannot walk on the moving platforms, they must be slowed down or stopped depending on if it is a good day or bad, we have been told many times before we ever used them that we must have the GAC to receive the accomodation, rides like VotLM, HM, FN, etc.

There are many ways to potentially fix the GAC system, the question is if they have the will and how much it will negatively impact the guests that end up being penalized becasuse of a group of people with no ethical standards, true bottom dwellers that take advantage of Disney's good will efforts toward disabled guests.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Someone with more institutional knowledge of how Disney works can certainly chime in and correct me or offer more detail, but my understanding is that that was the way the GAC cards were originally supposed to work -- you check in with the GAC card, they tell you when to come back (based upon the current standby time), and then at an appropriate time, you get to ride. Somewhere along the way, it morphed into the system that exists, where a GAC card is a de facto fastpass, probably for reasons of convenience for the CMs -- just easier to let them right in than try to manage when someone is supposed to be allowed to ride.

Anyone have any further info on that? This is not firsthand knowledge, so I'm expressly not holding this out as gospel...

I was told bu a cast member three or four years ago they did away with providing return times for the most part, in their opinion, because enough GAC users ran around collecting them, then would ride attraction after attraction at once and became a waste of time/effort on DIsney's part.

Anytime there is a limited resource, there is someone working to cheat the system to get more than their fare share.

 

[backinaction]

I think Disney is going to be forced to crack down on how the GAC are run. This story is garnering national attention now. Last time I went down, I saw some lady walk into guest relations and say she had "anxiety". Didn't have to say anything else to the CM. She got the unlimited fastpass. The problem isn't the tour guides doing this(although it is despicable). The problem is a lot of people know about this pass now and are abusing it. Disney will be forced to react.

 

[articos]

IMHO...

Tour groups using GAC could be completely eliminated if the GAC user has to register, with a valid ID (state or VISA) and its party's guests at Guest Relations at the same time, associate their tickets with the GAC users ticket/AP with their names and ticket IDs written on the GAC card. Each guest would have to present their park ticket after the GAC guest before gaining access. This could also be done using the same basic principals as the MM+ is today with ADRs and I believe FP+ in the near future. If the GAC user adds/removes too many guests (more than 10 adds/changes a month) from their profile, they are flagged and not allowed to receive or use a GAC any further. Furthermore, limit the number of times a GAC can be used on an attraction or create a timeout period much like FP is done today where the guest cannot use it more than once per hour or two to board an attraction.

Just logging and tracking ID's at GR would cut down on a significant amount of abuse.

 

[bethymouse]

Disney is not going to crack down on anything.

Well, why not?