Two Spirited Quickees...Imagination closing

[Belowthesurface]

If the FP queue did not exist, there most likely wouldn't be this problem. Get rid of it and Disney won't continue to shoot itself in the foot with GACs.

We are probably going to go round in circles with this, but my main point is get rid of FP.

It causes a lot of problems and most of them you don't know or consider because you don't work with it.

 

[JenniferS]

If the FP queue did not exist, there most likely wouldn't be this problem. Get rid of it and Disney won't continue to shoot itself in the foot with GACs.

We are probably going to go round in circles with this, but my main point is get rid of FP.

It causes a lot of problems and most of them you don't know or consider because you don't work with it.

Not sure if I agree or not about getting rid of FP - I posed the same question a couple of pages back.
Here's the reality - with a $2 billion dollar investment in NextGen (which includes FP+ among other things) and the substantial investment in enhanced queues - FASTPASS IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
Not only is it not going anywhere, it is being expanded exponentially.

 

[cheezbat]

And that's what's wrong with your point - they would still be there! The fact they are standing in the fp queue instead of coming up another ramp is irrelevant. They both cut in front of the people waiting in standby .

GAC is its own problem *independent* of fp

FP is a mess of its own...and i wish the GAC wasn't abused. My girlfriend has serious heart issues where she can't be standing in lines for too long or she can collapse and pass out...which has happened to us in the parks in the past. People like her need it, but we were told on our last visit that even with her doctors papers they couldn't guarantee us a GAC...yet I noticed others in line who quite obviously didn't need the GAC...and we're abusing the system.
Both systems are flawed and clog up lines.

Just imagine if everyone had to use the standby lines....I bet waits wouldn't be anywhere near as bad.

 

[asianway]

FP is a mess of its own...and i wish the GAC wasn't abused. My girlfriend has serious heart issues where she can't be standing in lines for too long or she can collapse and pass out...which has happened to us in the parks in the past. People like her need it, but we were told on our last visit that even with her doctors papers they couldn't guarantee us a GAC...yet I noticed others in line who quite obviously didn't need the GAC...and we're abusing the system.
Both systems are flawed and clog up lines.

Just imagine if everyone had to use the standby lines....I bet waits wouldn't be anywhere near as bad.

I seem to recall surviving...

 

[Cousin Huet]

I lost my Card/Ticket in Disneyland and had to go to guest services to get a new one and three people while I was there were in there trying to sell themselves to the CMs that they couldn't possibly wait in lines and needed a GAC. The CMs do a decent job of using language to discourage this, but they know they are defenseless in the end in a country where everyone sues and complain to management to get people fired from their jobs (for their own pleasure?) It was really sad to see that it was a culture out there and the parks were not busy at all.....we needed no fastpasses the whole trip. Most of the hard physical stuff you experience in Disney is not in line....its on the ride or getting to and from places......the program needs scrapped and a more tight operation ran to control the abuse.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

If somebody is in a wheelchair...or can't wait in line...another member of their party should wait in line and then the person in the wheelchair or with a GAC gets to walk right on. If that person is alone the person with the GAC gets a pager similar to the ones at restaurants...and it is set to the "wait time" of the attraction. They can't leave the surrounding area so it's different than FP. Once the pager goes off, they person is allowed to bypass the line and board the attraction.

 

[cheezbat]

I lost my Card/Ticket in Disneyland and had to go to guest services to get a new one and three people while I was there were in there trying to sell themselves to the CMs that they couldn't possibly wait in lines and needed a GAC. The CMs do a decent job of using language to discourage this, but they know they are defenseless in the end in a country where everyone sues and complain to management to get people fired from their jobs (for their own pleasure?) It was really sad to see that it was a culture out there and the parks were not busy at all.....we needed no fastpasses the whole trip. Most of the hard physical stuff you experience in Disney is not in line....its on the ride or getting to and from places......the program needs scrapped and a more tight operation ran to control the abuse.

It's sad isn't it?

We don't even use the GAC when we hit the parks unless its absolutely packed...or a ride has a wait over an hour. Some people just have no patience and look for any shortcut.

 

[AEfx]

The point was Disney had accommodations for guests with other needs too. The GAC is just disney's latest attempt at trying to streamline it so cms at the attractions aren't making judgment calls.

I know in 90 my father's back went out right before our wdw trip and I had to push him around in a wheelchair for the entire trip - and we basically bypassed all lines. Ymmv I guess

Especially when your data is 23 years old.

It simply does not work that way. But I've explained that fully in another thread, should you choose to listen.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Who just walks around the parks waiting for the FP to come up?

Novices to the park and the system who don't know any better. I've talked to people who come back and say they've done that, and I'm thinking, "Er, why?"

 

[Oddysey]

If somebody is in a wheelchair...or can't wait in line...another member of their party should wait in line and then the person in the wheelchair or with a GAC gets to walk right on. If that person is alone the person with the GAC gets a pager similar to the ones at restaurants...and it is set to the "wait time" of the attraction. They can't leave the surrounding area so it's different than FP. Once the pager goes off, they person is allowed to bypass the line and board the attraction.

What is the difference between being in a wheelchair and waiting in line when compared to being in a wheelchair and waiting in the area? Some disabled people cannot tolerate being in the parks for the same amount of time as a more healthy person can. I'm sorry, but I believe that allowing disabled guest to the front of the line at all attractions is a very kind service on the behalf of Disney and should remain to be the prime benefit. I do wish there were a way to eliminate abuse of the system, but your solution is not equitable for the disabled.

 

[Clever Name]

If the FP queue did not exist, there most likely wouldn't be this problem. Get rid of it and Disney won't continue to shoot itself in the foot with GACs.

We are probably going to go round in circles with this, but my main point is get rid of FP.

It causes a lot of problems and most of them you don't know or consider because you don't work with it.

I smell an award winning documentary film: FastPass, the Monster that ate Disney!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

It's sad isn't it?

We don't even use the GAC when we hit the parks unless its absolutely packed...or a ride has a wait over an hour. Some people just have no patience and look for any shortcut.

Agreed. I have a brother with autism. Our last trip to Disneyland was the first time we've ever had to get a GAC because lines were just insane and he was losing it. Even so, if a line was 30 minutes or less, we made him wait. He can't handle more than 30 minutes. A kid in his class couldn't even handle 10 minutes.

But then there were people in front of me and I'd look and wonder why they needed the card. Some of them it was obvious or I'd watch the kid for a while and realize there was an issue. But some...

 

[Yensid1974]

What is the difference between being in a wheelchair and waiting in line when compared to being in a wheelchair and waiting in the area? Some disabled people cannot tolerate being in the parks for the same amount of time as a more healthy person can. I'm sorry, but I believe that allowing disabled guest to the front of the line at all attractions is a very kind service on the behalf of Disney and should remain to be the prime benefit. I do wish there were a way to eliminate abuse of the system, but your solution is not equitable for the disabled.

The problem with your solution is that it makes disabled guests more important than anyone else by allowing them to ride more rides per day (better value for their money) than someone who is not disabled. This isn't equitable either. We are told that disabled people want to be treated just like everyone else (which is my experience with disable guests as well) but allowing them to become a higher class of guest isn't correct either. That also isn't the case now, as the GAC card isn't intended to allow someone to just go right onto a ride. You are subject to the same wait time as everyone else, it just isn't enforced that way all the time because if possible they try to accommodate trying to get these guests on the rides as quickly as possible.

 

[Oddysey]

The problem with your solution is that it makes disabled guests more important than anyone else by allowing them to ride more rides per day (better value for their money) than someone who is not disabled. This isn't equitable either. We are told that disabled people want to be treated just like everyone else (which is my experience with disable guests as well) but allowing them to become a higher class of guest isn't correct either. That also isn't the case now, as the GAC card isn't intended to allow someone to just go right onto a ride. You are subject to the same wait time as everyone else, it just isn't enforced that way all the time because if possible they try to accommodate trying to get these guests on the rides as quickly as possible.

I did not give a solution because I do not have one that would be globally perceived as equitable for all. I simply asked what the difference was between waiting in line in a wheel chair and waiting for the same period of time in a designated area. In other words, waiting in a designated area instead of waiting in line does nothing to solve a disabled inability to be in the parks for an extended period of time. I also recognized that some peoples bodies will not allow them to experience Disney at the same pace as a healthy person. Because of this, front of the line privileges is a nice perk that Disney provides for disabled people. I agree that most disabled do not want to be treated differently, but I am sure that there are sick people who appreciate the fact that they have the opportunity to experience a variety of Disney attractions in spite of their respective conditions.

A few years ago I had a friend with terminal brain cancer who really appreciated this perk. She was not able to go to Disney for a prolonged period of time without feeling incredibly ill. As such, she was able to experience attractions at an accelerated pace, and see everything that she wanted to see on her last trip to Disney. Maybe she did receive "more value for her money" when compared to the average guest, but I am certain she would have preferred to have been a healthy person who could have stayed at the parks from open to close instead of just 3.5 hours. I have been an AP holder for 9 years, and have been "inconvenienced" countless times by the disabled getting on an attractions ahead of me. Despite the front of line perk, I would not trade places with the disabled, and I appreciate my ability to experience the parks like only a healthy person can.

After all, the experience of Disney parks goes beyond just attractions, and many find enjoyment in spending long periods of time with their families in the atmosphere that Disney has created. Disabled people are not always able to experience all that is Disney, and I think it is worth my slight "inconvenience" that they are able to enjoy the attractions at a faster pace. I feel a sense of joy that Disney accommodates guests like my friend who are less able. In that sense the superior treatment of the disabled is equitable for me, and at the same time equitable for the disabled.

 

[DJMoore2011]

Youknow, we watch a lot of Disney Channel on our WDW trips (or XD)...mostly because it seems like other channels don't work so well (I believe Disney uses DirecTV...? not sure about this)...but anyhow...I've noticed the same.

Some of the shows are fine, but others...the kids are just snotty. It ain't Kid's Incorporated! <grin>

So is it wrong that as soon as I read that last sentence I started signing the theme song? ~sigh~

 

[stevehousse]

I started singing the songs too! Loved that show as a kid...

Neways I don't understand why Disney just can't redo the GAC for physical injuries only...thts what the system is meant to be used for.

I think it's just lame that some people use the excuse of mental disability to try and get one. I'm not trying to be rude but if your kid has ADD or something along those lines, there is no need to give people like that the GAC! What some parents try to come up with wen they explain these things are beyond rediculous!

I used that as an example because last year I saw this very thing happening and I laughed out loud at the lady and asked her if she was serious! (Yeah I have the balls to do that kind of thing) she responded with a yes, and I responded back that those cards are for guests with physical capabilities and not just because your kid can't stand in a line for more than 5 minutes! She walked out of there with no pass...

Luckily I never ran into her later...

 

[Magenta Panther]

I started singing the songs too! Loved that show as a kid...

Neways I don't understand why Disney just can't redo the GAC for physical injuries only...thts what the system is meant to be used for.

I think it's just lame that some people use the excuse of mental disability to try and get one. I'm not trying to be rude but if your kid has ADD or something along those lines, there is no need to give people like that the GAC! What some parents try to come up with wen they explain these things are beyond rediculous!

I used that as an example because last year I saw this very thing happening and I laughed out loud at the lady and asked her if she was serious! (Yeah I have the balls to do that kind of thing) she responded with a yes, and I responded back that those cards are for guests with physical capabilities and not just because your kid can't stand in a line for more than 5 minutes! She walked out of there with no pass...

Luckily I never ran into her later...

You are my hero...

 

[WDWFREAK53]

What is the difference between being in a wheelchair and waiting in line when compared to being in a wheelchair and waiting in the area? Some disabled people cannot tolerate being in the parks for the same amount of time as a more healthy person can. I'm sorry, but I believe that allowing disabled guest to the front of the line at all attractions is a very kind service on the behalf of Disney and should remain to be the prime benefit. I do wish there were a way to eliminate abuse of the system, but your solution is not equitable for the disabled.

Because they could be in a nice air conditioned area rather than being out in the heat

 

[JenniferS]

I started singing the songs too! Loved that show as a kid...

Neways I don't understand why Disney just can't redo the GAC for physical injuries only...thts what the system is meant to be used for.

I think it's just lame that some people use the excuse of mental disability to try and get one. I'm not trying to be rude but if your kid has ADD or something along those lines, there is no need to give people like that the GAC! What some parents try to come up with wen they explain these things are beyond rediculous!

I used that as an example because last year I saw this very thing happening and I laughed out loud at the lady and asked her if she was serious! (Yeah I have the balls to do that kind of thing) she responded with a yes, and I responded back that those cards are for guests with physical capabilities and not just because your kid can't stand in a line for more than 5 minutes! She walked out of there with no pass...

Luckily I never ran into her later...

What kid doesn't have ADD or ADHD these days?!
In Jen-World, I would give unlimited front of the line passes to the Make A Wish/Starlight Foundation kids, and GAC guests would be given FastPasses with a specific return time.

 

[Yensid1974]

What kid doesn't have ADD or ADHD these days?!
In Jen-World, I would give unlimited front of the line passes to the Make A Wish/Starlight Foundation kids, and GAC guests would be given FastPasses with a specific return time.

Not a bad idea, this also allows for CM's at the attractions the ability to go above and beyond for some guests as well. When I've talked to guests with various issues and heard the stories there are certain situations where I will back door them to make their day better. The side effect of having static rules for this kind of thing is it makes it a normal part of business when it used to be something special that we would do that kind of gave us the guest service reputation we have/had. It is making it hard to go above and beyond when above and beyond is now the norm and people are used to it being the norm as well.