Disney finally sees huge abuse of the GAC

[Emagine]

Originally Posted by FortForever

Yes, because Disney is a stupid choice for people who can't handle it.

The ONLY people who should get any special treatment are Wish kids and their families.

Thus the same might be said about public schools. My kid could not handle 3 schools they kept switching him around. I was told he was not capable, not handling it. I Homeschool both of my boys now.

Off topic I know. But you sound just like the 'team' in the IEP room who said my kid basically should not be there because he was not capable. He was just in the wrong hands with the same attitude.

Disney is do-able with a plan, a purpose and a little pixie dust - for everyone!

 

[rammh]

I apologize if this was already said, I didnt read all pages of this thread but did read the article because it does affect our family. Like a prior post, my DD has major sensory issues and has difficulty if being touched or if she "perceives" someone looking at her.... I know, makes going out in public a heck of a lot of fun.

Anyway~one of the comments to the article was about people handing off the GAC to other family members and perhaps requiring photos (which I would be completely fine with) but wanted to say that on one trip, my DD's GAC said "Molly-9 years old" That helped to ensure that SHE was the one using it.

I took just my son last summer and I couldn't even dream of "pretending" he had a disability to get a GAC! If only those who abuse it could be responsible for one day of my DD's trip!

 

[Talking Hands]

I think it needs to be less about making it harder to obtain and more about making them less valuable to fakers.

If the CMs do NOT let them be used as front of the line passes, as they do now, it would greatly cut down on their perceived value.

The point of the GAC is to equalize the guest experience, it has now enhanced the guest experience for those that hold the GAC.

If the GAC had a return time, rather than immediate, alternate entrance, that would be a great first step.

If there was a way to tie the number of uses per day to the crowd index, that would be helpful also.

If the GAC allowed the person in need to be accompanied by one companion, while the other members of their group wait in the regular, or fast pass queue, if they hold fast passes for that ride, and the GAC user rejoins their party when they reach the front, that would help.

It the GAC had a photo on it of the GAC requiring guest, that would make a big difference.

These ideas are just off the top of my head.

Most CMs do not use them as front of the line passes. This is an erroneous perception.

It is not a enhanced experience at all. Often I wait longer to ride than the those in the standby line. Often I need to remind CMs that while I am in a wheelchair I still need to be seated where I can use reflective captioning or see the sign language interpreters. I don't have the GAC because of my mobility needs but because of my hearing needs and the need to keep a schedule to see the 1 show/day at a venue that is interpreted. Unfortunately we do not receive that schedule until a week prior to our arrival. Park hopping is not an option most times.

I would not mind being limited to 1 ride per venue per day.

I would not mind a photo on my GAC

As to a return time, most of the time I cannot because the return time conflicts with the interpreter schedule. That said I don't do a lot of rides and mostly watch shows. And CMs do there best to get me into the interpreted shows even if I am running late but I try to arrive early for these interpreted shows.

 

[minnie mum]

Yes, because Disney is a stupid choice for people who can't handle it.

The ONLY people who should get any special treatment are Wish kids and their families.

Ah, I see. Wish kids with leukemia or other cancers should get special treatment, but adults with the same disease shoulldn't be allowed in the park? Only the healthy are permitted to spend their hard earned money to pay for a Disney vacation?

Should Disney get rid of all the wheelchairs? Ban ECV's? Make no dietary allowances in their restaurants (NO SUBSTITUTIONS in big bold letters on the menus)? Fire the sign language interpreters? Get rid of the closed captioning?
Close down all of the alternate entrances to attractions? How about we also get rid of all those strollers while we're at it - those kids can walk, after all, can't they?

Yeah, Disney would be really, really popular when word got out about that.

It makes me sick that people expect the world to kiss their butts because their life is hard

.

There is a world of difference between making reasonable accommodations to allow access to an attraction and expecting the world to kiss your butt. Can you really not see that?

 

[Peter Fan]

Guess what? I KNOW exactly how it feels! I HAVE an autistic son. Life is HARD. I don't have the support of my husband. I never have. Consider yourself lucky that you are at least going through life sharing with someone else. It is overwhelming, I would give my life for my children to all be normal. It doesn't work like that.

I also have a paraplegic son.

If life was fair, my sons would be healthy and whole. I don't expect special treatment for myself or my children. I raised my disabled sons just like I raised my other three ... with personal accountability. I would never have tolerated them hitting people when they are upset. Society doesn't allow it and neither did I. It makes me sick that people expect the world to kiss their butts because their life is hard.

You do want sympathy or you wouldn't have brought up that you have 2 sons with disabilities and a husband that doesn't care.

 

[FortForever]

Ah, I see. Wish kids with leukemia or other cancers should get special treatment, but adults with the same disease shoulldn't be allowed in the park? Only the healthy are permitted to spend their hard earned money to pay for a Disney vacation?

Should Disney get rid of all the wheelchairs? Ban ECV's? Make no dietary allowances in their restaurants (NO SUBSTITUTIONS in big bold letters on the menus)? Fire the sign language interpreters? Get rid of the closed captioning?
Close down all of the alternate entrances to attractions? How about we also get rid of all those strollers while we're at it - those kids can walk, after all, can't they?

Yeah, Disney would be really, really popular when word got out about that.
But hey- at least you won't be inconvenienced.

Anyone should be ALLOWED in the park, but as adults making the choice to be there they should be prepared to deal with the reality of it. Children who are not expected to live are another matter entirely. Their time is much more precious and they will never have the chance to experience life like the rest of us.

As far as the rest of your post, I'm not going to honor your immature exaggeration with a response.

 

[Love Tink]

Have you considered a career in Disney's public relations office? Because you have a true gift! Your joy just jumps off the computer screen!

 

[dawnhaze]

All this thread needs now is a debate about ECVs boarding buses so we can go around in circles on a different topic.

 

[FortForever]

You do want sympathy or you wouldn't have brought up that you have 2 sons with disabilities and a husband that doesn't care.

I don't want special treatment or I would have a GAC card, which I don't. And I am divorced from the father of my sons, it's not that he doesn't care. I also do not want sympathy, in fact I would be quite embarrassed for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am not a whiner. Never have been, never will be.

I pointed out that I have disabled children so people wouldn't be accusing me of being discriminatory.

 

[Princess Olivia]

Guess what? I KNOW exactly how it feels! I HAVE an autistic son. Life is HARD. I don't have the support of my husband. I never have. Consider yourself lucky that you are at least going through life sharing with someone else. It is overwhelming, I would give my life for my children to all be normal. It doesn't work like that.

I also have a paraplegic son.

If life was fair, my sons would be healthy and whole. I don't expect special treatment for myself or my children. I raised my disabled sons just like I raised my other three ... with personal accountability. I would never have tolerated them hitting people when they are upset. Society doesn't allow it and neither did I. It makes me sick that people expect the world to kiss their butts because their life is hard.

Where has anyone asked for their "butts to be kissed". Certainly not I. As for not tolerating hitting, well aren't you mother of the year. As an educated society the majority of parents do not tolerate our children "hitting". However, sometimes my children do hit. Usually I am the receiver of these outbursts. I would LOVE if when I calmly explain hitting is not appropriate my boys could comprehend what I'm saying.

I'm sorry your life is hard and I'm happy that you have overcome your hardships. You do not know me nor my life or the support I get. This isn't about any of this nonsense. It's about the GAC making our life easier for 10 days out of 365. It also makes others' vacation more pleasant. You won't see the meltdowns, the hitting or maybe it's a special day and spitting is involved. Good times. This isn't all the time but it happens. I'm an expert fastpass user. I don't rely on the GAC but I'm thankful to WDW for making it available. To Peter Fan's point. Not all our children will live in "the real world" and to me that makes trips to Disney World, a place of happiness, all that more important.

 

[minnie mum]

Anyone should be ALLOWED in the park, but as adults making the choice to be there they should be prepared to deal with the reality of it. Children who are not expected to live are another matter entirely. Their time is much more precious and they will never have the chance to experience life like the rest of us.

As far as the rest of your post, I'm not going to honor your immature exaggeration with a response.

Yes, it was purposely exaggerated to make a point. Reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities is not too much to ask or to expect.

And I'm sorry, but as much as my heart breaks for a terminally ill child, their life is no more precious than my mother's life, which will be ending very soon. I was raised to believe that ALL life was precious, no matter how long that life had been in existence.

 

[My sister's princess]

Really because I am worried about the more serious cases like my Autistic children getting the services and the amount of instruction time they need I should switch professions? Children with Autism need a lot of attention and direct instruction not just academically but with their behavior, social, and self help skills and just because little Susie is afraid of loud noises and melts down anyone makes somewhat of a loud noise I have to leave to go deal with her melt down is ridiculous. Little Susie needs to learn to deal and adapt to her surroundings.

You are the kind of teacher I would pull my kids to put INTO your class. Life isn't fair, and they (no matter their issues) need to learn that (My kids). If they are in a regular classroom, they need to follow the regular rules. THANK YOU for trying to help these children that everyone is happy to just slap a label on without a thought to what that label is going to mean for the rest of their lives.



We have let wish kids in front of us in line, and it was heartbreaking to see how ill the children were. I would like to see Disney give them strait out Front of the line access, and take away the GAC for everyone else. I would let those poor children jump me in line all day long. I can't imagine what their parents are feeling.

Disney is a business, and they, as a business don't have to allow you anything other than equal access to their attractions. I am really interested in what they are going to do with this new technology, I bet we will be seeing the end of the GAC as we know it.

 

[North of Mouse]

All this thread needs now is a debate about ECVs boarding buses so we can go around in circles on a different topic.

 

[FortForever]

Where has anyone asked for their "butts to be kissed". Certainly not I. As for not tolerating hitting, well aren't you mother of the year. As an educated society the majority of parents do not tolerate our children "hitting". However, sometimes my children do hit. Usually I am the receiver of these outbursts. I would LOVE if when I calmly explain hitting is not appropriate my boys could comprehend what I'm saying.

Maybe not the mother of the year, but clearly doing better than you as my kids know how to behave properly in public despite their disabilities.

I'm withdrawing from this thread. I think I've made my opinions clear. Perhaps when I am back in Disney next month I will get myself a GAC and take my butt to the front of the line like the rest of the whiners since it seems to be the "in" thing to do.

 

[Missyrose]

How has this thread not been closed? Geez people, don't you realize the people (children AND adults) who have genuine needs don't need your judgment on top of everything else they deal with in their lives.

Disney has always marketed itself as a place that will bend over backwards to accommodate anyone's needs (and let's not forget, we're talking about needs).

We would have never been able to go to Disney while my mom was going through chemo if Disney hadn't accommodated her needs. I have Crohn's Disease and have taken trips to Disney where I spent most of the trip in my bathroom. But I'll take a day where I get to ride Big Thunder twice, even if the rest of the day I spend in pain because I love being at Disney and the joy it brings me.

So is there abuse of GACs, I'm sure people have found ways to manipulate that system. But people do the same with baby swap. Disney will find ways to close the loophole, but no one should be on here bashing people for having the gall to visit Disney while needing the parks to make some accommodations.

 

[stargazertechie]

We have let wish kids in front of us in line, and it was heartbreaking to see how ill the children were. I would like to see Disney give them strait out Front of the line access, and take away the GAC for everyone else.

Disney is a business, and they, as a business don't have to allow you anything other than equal access to their attractions.

These statements contradict each other. The GAC is designed to allow for equal access to the attractions for people with disabilities. So you don't think that someone who is deaf should be seated somewhere with the reflective captioning? Or that someone who has vision issues should have a seating area near the front?

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

Sorry FortForever, since you are the last post I"ll address you but you are certainly not the most offensive poster of the day. Honestly a couple of pages back I truly thought maybe I was being punked and Ashton Kutcher was going to come running in!! Are you people for real?

Yes, the GAC is abused. It's shameful and reprehesible. Many of you have had very intelligent, insightful thoughts on how to curb this poor behavior making this a thread worth reading. To you I am thankful.

As for the "not fairs" and "get over it's" I have a problem. You are SO spot on with life's not fair. If life were fair I wouldn't have two autistic children; one of whom can't tell me what he wants because he can't speak which makes it obvious that he has never said my name or told me he loves me. Sometimes life is so overwhelming I can't breath. My husband and I need a vacation and our boys need to be with us. The GAC is a life saver and I mean that almost literally. I have accepted that this our life and I love my children with every fiber of my being but I don't think I'll ever "get used to it". The judgement coming off of these pages is making my skin crawl. To quote my favorite princess "Find your humanity".

Where on here has anyone said that an autistic child should not be given a GAC? I would think that you of all people would be appalled by people who get GAC's for children with minor issues like ADHD and ADD or the fact the children are being thrown onto the spectrum for minor sensory ,social or communication issues that many will eventually outgrow thus taking resources away from your child who needs them.

 

[la79al]

You know ya'll, this thread would make a lot more sense if it was coming up with creative ideas on how to fix the 'GAC abuse' that most of you seem to agree occurs. Turning it into a debate of how to determine who needs it is getting nowhere. Let's just go with the assumption that someone has one, for whatever reason, and figure out how to make it work best for everyone involved.

 

[d-r]

Many people on this forum have vast amounts of experience beyond your own. Projecting your own experience limitations onto someone else and then declaring their information subsequently invalid is really a poor way to consider an issue.

Yes. Many people have experiences beyond yours. It is no ones business why someone needs a gac. None. For example, we took a friend w- terminal cancer ans her son to disney. Sh was getting weak but could still get around. I am sure that casual observers would think nothing was wrong with her, but she wouls wear out quick. That card gave a boy a chance to have some fun memories with his mom. No one knows what somebosy else is going through. Same thing goes for kids with autism, anxiety, sensory integration, whatever, it is nobodys business. People are happier when they focus on what they themselves are doing instead of worrying about what oyher people do.

 

[Robbi]

Maybe not the mother of the year, but clearly doing better than you as my kids know how to behave properly in public despite their disabilities.

I'm withdrawing from this thread. I think I've made my opinions clear. Perhaps when I am back in Disney next month I will get myself a GAC and take my butt to the front of the line like the rest of the whiners since it seems to be the "in" thing to do.

We have never been brought to the front of any line. In fact, we've had to wait beyond the time posted for standby a few times.

Trying to help your child does not make you a whiner. You choose not to parent /chaperone this way or not to get GACs- that's your choice and I respect it. When I'm traveling with children who need it, I choose to get the GAC. That's my choice and I'd like respect in return.

What's wrong with trying to make a family's vacation a little easier so that they can have the same good memories as those families without children who need a GAC?