Thanks for the link, s&k'smom.
This is kind of an update of what I have been able to find.
Does anyone know the story of how the petition started?
According to some posters on
the thread I posted before from MousePlanet , the woman who started it was at DL on NYE and was told she could not get a SAP/SAC (Special Assistance Card). There's nothing more that I can find. I assume the person has someone in her family with autism, since that's what the petition addresses. Several people on the MousePlanet thread commented that they had been to DL since the change and had gotten SACs without a problem. The response to them was on the order of "can you guarantee that every person with autism will get a card? If not, your expereince means nothing." Several asked for specifics about people who had been turned down for SACs No one who siad they knew someone who was provided any, but there were some people who did talk about their won expericnes (one is on page 13). It looks like there is a lot of confusion among the CMs at DL and a lot of inconsistency.
Now, before you read any more, I admit to being a litle compulsive (and I am a speed reader). I looked at all the comments people added to the petition (all 6695 that were there when I was looking). A large number who left comments have not been to any of the Disney parks.... but were planning on going. Some had been to either WDW or DL and used GACs/SAPs in the past. Many (including people who were going to WDW) were planning on cancelling trips over this petition. There were people asking for boycotts of Disney parks (plus all Disney products, movies, TV, radio, plus all the advertisers).
Of all the people who signed the petition, I only saw one where the person had a problem at DL (she did not specify when they were there and she did have a pass). The number refers to the signature number:
275. Diane Gallant I did notice an error in the petition, as I know that Fast Passes are no extra charge -- just a convenient way to reserve a time to return to the ride and bypass the longer line. However, I have experienced myself how misunderstood autism is by many of Disney's employees, and have often been hassled about my son's disability. Many have said that if he doesn't need a wheelchair, he can stand the line. That is complete ignorance, by people completely unfamiliar with autism spectrum disorder, and the behavioral issues associated, not to mention the potential dangers. If not for the pass, we would not dare go to Disneyland, with the constrant threat of elopement (running away is a very common threat in autism, and the long lines have already beaconned our son, who has slipped past others, only intent on getting to the ride. Autism goes far beyond a typical child's ability to wait. There are many medical symptoms as well, that can cause anxiety attacks, complete behavioral meltdowns, elopement , etc.,
Two people posted problems, but, interestingly, both were at WDW (and one did not specify what disability her son had):
3058. Barbara Ligeikis We just returned from disneyworld 1/20/04 and they gave us a hard time obtaining the pass. the woman didn't even want to see my sons doctors letter. after complaining a little bit ,she finally gave us one, but she had a dirty look on her face.
4694. Lora D Brewer I just returned from Disney World with my 3 yr old autistic son, and I was informed that without a physical disabilty that no special consideration would be given. The disruption he can create can ruin not only our vacation, but the families standing around us in the lines. We make several trips to the parks each year and would appreciate your reconsideration of this pass. All documentation is available on my son and would be presented.
Several people posted that they had gotten SACs recently and wanted to protest them ending the program (The third and 4th persons were at WDW, the first 2, I'm not sure. As far as I can tell, they got their cards after the program changed if they were at DL):
888. Heather Spaetzel We just went to Disney over Christmas, after promising ourselves we would never go again as three years ago, it was a nightmare waiting in the long lines with our daughter with autism. This time, we had heard about the special pass for children with disabilities. What a difference! I can't express how much we enjoyed our trip this time. They did not look at Amber's IEP, but were generous in letting the grandparents on the pass so we could all go as a family on the rides. If this pass is unavailable to us, chances are likely we will never be able to go to Disney again. This would be a real injustice to many, including my daughter who responds to anything with the Disney Princesses. Please don't take this away.
4597. Rose Adams My son has down syndrome as well as other medical problems and we were at the magic kingdom Jan 1st and used the disabilites pass and it really makes a world of difference with a special needs child life is difficult enough for them the pass give them the opportunity to enjoy life without the stress of waiting exception to the rule apply in every aspect of life This is a great thing done take the joy out of their hearts maybe you the VIP's of disney need to accompany a special needs child in the park and experience their joy., Disney was created for the children. Wasn't it.........
6060.Jennifer Pierce I was at Disney World on 1/17/04 and explained to Guest Services that my 6 year old son is bipolar/ADHD and has many difficulties. We received a special guest pass to include our entire family (6 people). Having that pass made our trip a wonderful experience for all of us. We spent 5 hours at the park and went on all the attractions without issue from my son. My husband felt guilty that we didnt have to wait in line, but it was the only perk weve ever gotten for a lifetime of pain & suffering. The following day we went to Univ. Studios & asked for a similar pass they didnt have it and the day was horrible! We ended up leaving after only 2 hours and went on just 2 attractions our son was miserable / had melt-downs / became violent basically ruined the day for us (and at over $50 per person, it was very expensive) I have been singing Disneys praises to everyone for the past 2 weeks and it saddens me to read they are discontinuing this service our kids NEED this one perk!
4732. Richard L. Eisner We spent 4 days at Disney World with our special needs grandson in December. This would not have been possible with out the pass.
One person posted that she called the park and confirmed they still have the card:
5501. Mary This is not true. Disney is offering special needs passes. And they never took them away. I spoke with them myself on the phone. Please confirm this information by calling the parks and asking yourself.
There were quite a few suggestions for more "proof" of disability. along the lines of this post:
470. Eileen Lim To prevent people from abusing it, Disney has to make sure the staff checks the child's IEP (not just the doctor's note). When we went last summer, we were given the pass without being asked to show a proof, which is kind and trusting of them, but that might lead to more abuse.
And some of the posts that disturbed me were pitting people with disabilities against each other (similar to this):
2215. Kathy Harris Kids in wheelchairs don't mind waiting in line! It's the kids with the invisible disabilities that have the melt downs! Autism, and mental retardation are just two examples! I work in this field and have lots of experience. If you need documentation to show proof then let that be your new policy instead of discriminating!
This was sad to me since we have enough problems without working against each other!
And then there were a number that said Walt would be spinning in his grave. The funniest one (at least to me) was this:
759.Walt Disney instituted this policy. Honor his memory and compassion by bringing it back.
Since when Walt died, most people with disabilities were not out in the Mainstream, I doubt that he had too many policies about how to handle them in his parks.
My personal opinion: after reading all these comments I am upset, but not all at Disney. They are responsible for letting a situation (the past SAP) get out of control and then creating chaos as they tried to "fix" it.
The person who started the petition might have had a legitimate beef (problem/concern, for any non-Americans, who may not know that use of the word). She has a right to make her beef public, but before widely disseminating it, she also had a responsibility to provide some information about her situation and the specific problem she is protesting. I don't have anough facts to know what happened. And, considering that the SAP/SAC at Dl is still a work in progress, I guess it's not fair to protest something that's just in the tinkering stage. I'm sad that people are making (or un-making) vacation plans based on something so nebulous.