GAC changes at the MK

[buffettgirl]

I love when you post from your phone Sue

at least it was an appropriate DYAC. LOL.

 

[SueM in MN]

I love when you post from your phone Sue

LOL
Late at night and iPhone autocorrect are not a good mix.

I understand how both of them work I'm just wondering why everyone who has a GAC want's to use them as they don't shorten the line at all if anything they can make it longer for them. I can understand if you have no other alternative to using them but to complain when they tell you that the regular line will be shorter is ridiculous.

oh, I see where you are coming from now.

I have seen that especially in 2 attractions - Small World and Spaceship Earth.
Guests with wheelchairs, ECVs or any other mobility device have no other choice because the regular line is not accessible. At the times we go to those, our wait is usually 1/2 hour or more and the posted wait for the regular line is 5-10 minutes. But, there are also people who come into that line with a GAC and wait up to 3 times as long as they would if they used the regular entrance.
I don't know why they are choosing to use the accessible entrance.I assume they did not look at wait time and just assumed the wait would be shorter in the wheelchair line.

That is one of the reasons that many people with children with autism or other sensory difficulties have posted that a touring plan and using Fastpasses works better for their needs - you are not reliant on what is available and have a more predictable experience.

 

[SueM in MN]

at least it was an appropriate DYAC. LOL.

I won't correct it since it is so amusing.

The funniest ones come when I hit the keyboard symbol by mistake and all of a sudden I'm typing with the French keyboard.

 

[Jonell]

During our experience with my DH's GAC the HM and POTC have been the rides where we have encountered rude CMs when using the card. Last year we wanted to ride POTC and the line was out of the building and down the walkway in Adventureland. We showed the CM my husbands GAC that allows him to use an alternate enterance and was told rudely "If we wanted to ride then we would have to wait like everyone else" So, we left the line to return later in the day and we were directed to the side of the building with other families and went in through a backstage area and loaded the ride. The HM is were we encountered the very rude CM who asked my husband if he gets the GAC just to skip lines! I reported both of these incidents but it sounds like for some reason these 2 attractions have very different ways of handling the GAC. My husband no longer uses his card for either attraction, if the line is too long for him then we don't ride.

 

[EvangelineG]

My question is - what were the child's needs? It just seems like there are more and more people asking about GACs for autistic children. I have some experiance with children with this problem. I know some have more needs then others. We have taken children on the spectrum to Disney. If they need personal space then we give it to them - one adult on either side in line works well for the kids we went with. If they start to have a melt down, we dealt with it. I just don't understand when I read how a child with autism doesn't like to stand in line. No child likes to stand in line. Can I get a GAC for the 4 year old I have that doesn't like lines. I hear all the time how the GAC doesn't make the lines shorter but it really seems like so many people wouldn't want one, if it didn't make things shorter to some degree. I'm not saying those in wheelchairs don't wait longer. I'm sure they do b/c not all rides can accomadate numerous wheelchairs at once. What I don't get is what others use the GAC for? I know I sound very rude, I don't mean to be but I really want to know what a GAC does for ambulatory people other then make the line shorter.

I can't answer for other people, but for my sons it is all about the conditions during the wait rather than the length of time waiting. As in, is it loud and echoing? Wavering lights? Lines that zig zag back and forth? A "herding" situation like in some of the pre show areas? Are they completely surrounded by people or is there a wall or some other structure so that they don't have people on all sides? So ideally a GAC giving them an alternate entrance would allow them to stand away from the main crowd and/or in a quieter area and wait for whatever is the specified amount of time. The waiting itself they have no problem with, as long as the conditions during the wait aren't overwhelming from an anxiety/sensory POV.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I'm confused. I use a GAC for my 14yo Aspie. I'm not seeing anything different here.

At PotC we've never been offered any kind of accomodation. We've always just been told to go in the left lane. I just make sure we go at a slow time of day so we can ride without wait (just like everybody else going on the ride at that time; no accomodation needed). Was the CM actually rude or was the family just frustrated that they weren't directed to an alternate area? I don't actually know of an alternate area and I do recall feeling frustrated at PotC before I really figured out touring plans and how to avoid lines. I do recall the CMs at the front seeming rather abrupt when directing us to the left lane; they didn't take any time to explain anything to us; so I can certainly sympathize but I don't know if I would classify abrupt and dismissive as rude (though I guess maybe dismissive could be considered rude).

At HM, things have always been inconsistent. I'm confused as to what the CM actually did. It sounds as though the CM pushed your group in front of other people. That IMO is NOT a valid accomodation that should have been offered and in fact would have been very upsetting to my family as it would result in lots of nasty remarks and stares which is very much a meltdown trigger for my DD who needs the GAC. This is another ride where we make sure to get there when there's little to no line so that we don't need any kind of accomodation. If there's a long line then we just don't ride. There is an accomodation to bypass the stretching room but if you want to go through the stretching room then your only option is to go in the regular line as far as I know. You can get in faster by staying to the right and skipping the graveyard but that's all I know of.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

I'm unclear about the changes. There's no alternate entrances at all now?
And for the poster who said that no child likes to wait in lines, that's true. However, if you have a child with psychological issues, (as I do) once you've heard your child wail like a wounded animal from anxiety you would understand why an alternate entrance can be a godsend.

THIS! I have a 6 year old son that is Autistic (High Functioning). He does though get overwhelmed/overstimulated very easily. He also has a hard time waiting for long/unknown amount of time. When he gets overstimulated/upset he yells/makes loud "squealing" noises sometimes it gets to the point where you can't even communicate/get through to him. It is quite upsetting for everyone. When we go to an amusement park near our house..most of the time we will wait in a regular line...no problems. . I think what makes it extra hard for a child on the spectrum in Disney to wait in a regular line is that the lines keep going and going and going (its not very easy to say to your child...can you see the front of the line?) and there is so much "entertainment" around that it can get very overwhelming very quickly..and once a child gets so overstimulated/overwhelmed...(my child anyways)..the only way of "resetting him"--that's what I call it when he calms down--is removing him completely from the situation..which could even mean leaving the park. Nobody wants to have to not experience a ride or the Walt Disney World Parks because every ride/attraction is a nightmare. I am very very greatful for the GAC. If we didn't have it..We wouldn't be able to enjoy the parks in the way we would want to.

 

[Mama Who]

I understand how both of them work I'm just wondering why everyone who has a GAC want's to use them as they don't shorten the line at all if anything they can make it longer for them. I can understand if you have no other alternative to using them but to complain when they tell you that the regular line will be shorter is ridiculous.

Because for some disabilities, 20 minutes in an uncrowded, quiet space with other people who truly *get* what it's like to struggle is better than 10 minutes in a cramped line with the general public.

On a bad day I'd rather wait a little longer with someone's hooting autistic 8 year old and the lady in the wheelchair than be jammed in with people who glare and roll their eyes and clearly wonder why I'm not acting "normal."

 

[ttintagel]

During our experience with my DH's GAC the HM and POTC have been the rides where we have encountered rude CMs when using the card...The HM is were we encountered the very rude CM who asked my husband if he gets the GAC just to skip lines! I reported both of these incidents but it sounds like for some reason these 2 attractions have very different ways of handling the GAC. My husband no longer uses his card for either attraction, if the line is too long for him then we don't ride.

Yeah, the HM is the only place I've encountered really rude CM's in the MK. My personal theory is that any CM's with poor people skills get assigned there in the hopes that the spooky atmosphere will be blamed for the way they act.

 

[adisneymama]

Sue can you clarify something with HM for me? DD has the GAC for stroller as wheelchair and alternate entrance. Usually at HM we would go to the side and wait for a CM to come out. Show them the GAC and they would put the chain down so that we could bring the stroller in and park it along the exit. Then they would bring us into the stretching room and we would follow with the rest of the guests from their. Only thing is the stroller is waiting at the exit for us when we exit the ride. Is this not the way they are doing it now?

 

[KisanMcG]

Because for some disabilities, 20 minutes in an uncrowded, quiet space with other people who truly *get* what it's like to struggle is better than 10 minutes in a cramped line with the general public.

On a bad day I'd rather wait a little longer with someone's hooting autistic 8 year old and the lady in the wheelchair than be jammed in with people who glare and roll their eyes and clearly wonder why I'm not acting "normal."

This made me tear up, because there are people in the world who understand what I feel like.

I'm an Aspie that can go from cheerful to downright embarrassing in about ten minutes of overstimulation, and we've learned to just avoid HM all together and skip POTC unless we can go in the backstage way. Waiting on the side area by the little dry fountain and then going quickly in is worth it to avoid the claustrophobic "stone" walls, echo-y music or whoops from other guests, and people trying to crowd by to get one or two places ahead in line. I'd rather wait an hour outside in the middle of the hottest June day than walk right on to the boat through the main queue. The setup of certain lines just puts some things out of reach. We also avoid Space Mountain, anything with a "preshow" that puts us in a closed-up room (like RnR), and I've only ever ridden Dumbo once in my life, in two dozen years of frequent visits.

We're going on Friday, and now I'm nervous about what the changes to the GAC will bring. It shouldn't be too bad, though, since we're primarily going so I can take way too many pictures of the flowers in Epcot.

 

[ladyjubilee]

My question is - what were the child's needs? It just seems like there are more and more people asking about GACs for autistic children. I have some experiance with children with this problem.

My mom is a special education teacher with 30 years of experience. She had "experience with" children whose needs ranged from mild LD to children having only brain stems. Until my son came to us, she thought she knew what kids disabilities were like....she says that she now knows that working with a child for a 40 or so hours a week is NOTHING like living with them day in and day out.

I know some have more needs then others. We have taken children on the spectrum to Disney. If they need personal space then we give it to them - one adult on either side in line works well for the kids we went with. If they start to have a melt down, we dealt with it. I just don't understand when I read how a child with autism doesn't like to stand in line.

I'm going to guess that the folks you took are on the "mildly" impacted range of the "spectrum". We had a great time as DisneyWorld last year and are going back this year.....but in our photos from last year, I am covered in bruises and scratches, I had two major bites resulting in chunks of skin larger than an inch and a half being torn off--it was visually distrubing enough that at one point one of the CM thought I had been assualted and wanted to call security and the EMTs. My son also has a rather ear splitting high pitched scream--and isn't afraid to use it. Those were only the things that happen when he's upset....even during relaxed times, he doesn't quote perceive how intense his touched can be and doesn't quite have the whole theory of mind thing going. Meaning even totally unintentionally sometimes he slams his body into other people. One in the front and one behind doesn't exactly prevent this, added to which unlike doing a job or doing some volunteer work for a set amount of time, this is our life 24/7. While on vacation its nice not to have to be on Red Alert all the time. (BTW, Stroller as Wheelchair really helps with keeping Mr. Pinchyfingers from getting anyone.)

Not to mention that other people in the line are also on vacation. Nobody particularly wants to get pinched, hit, kicked, or bumped---no matter how kind and compassionate they are being.

No child likes to stand in line. Can I get a GAC for the 4 year old I have that doesn't like lines. I hear all the time how the GAC doesn't make the lines shorter but it really seems like so many people wouldn't want one, if it didn't make things shorter to some degree.

No, the lines aren't shorter. But, as with my child, we get alternate entrance because its less crowded and because when it comes to loading and unloading we get more time (transitions) and if something does happen I have space and time to address it. Plus, like many children with autism, he has other medical issues, where for instance, he overheats quickly. Alternate entrance can get him out of the sun before, say, he falls over unconcious. Plus the line isn't necessarily shorted. On some rides yes, on others no. We do end up waiting longer for some rides.

So to answer your question, the GAC is the difference between being able to go to DisneyWorld or not being able to go. Plus quite frankly, I don't feel bad about because the way we do WDW is different than what I would do with a neurotypical child. We rode the Peoplemover for over an hour-didn't ride the carousel. We watched the manatees for an hour and a half--and didn't do Soarin'. Does it equally bother you that because of his needs we didn't take up space in those lines as it does that becuase of his needs he might have gotten on a ride more quickly?

 

[Talking Hands]

I understand how both of them work I'm just wondering why everyone who has a GAC want's to use them as they don't shorten the line at all if anything they can make it longer for them. I can understand if you have no other alternative to using them but to complain when they tell you that the regular line will be shorter is ridiculous.

Pirates I understand completely and only do if I have someone to push the manual wheelchair as it will not accommodate my powered wheelchair. My objection to the Haunted Mansion is that it is an uncontrolled queue as opposed to a controlled queue. This makes it dangerous as people push into my controller, don't watch where their backpacks are and hit me, ad infinitum. I do not feel safe in this line and I tend to melt down in such uncontrolled and crowded situations if I cannot escape.

 

[jujube]

Just wanted to add that in the past we have
Always entered both POTC and Haunted Mansion
through a different entrance when my friend
and her son accompanied us. I don't know if
those are considered alternate or not but we
definitely did not go through the regular lines.
At The Haunted Mansion, the entry was on the
left and at POTC, a couple of times we went through
a door to the right of the main doors. The other
Times the line we went through was to the left
of the regular left line

 

[Justin Jett]

This made me tear up, because there are people in the world who understand what I feel like.

I'm an Aspie that can go from cheerful to downright embarrassing in about ten minutes of overstimulation, and we've learned to just avoid HM all together and skip POTC unless we can go in the backstage way. Waiting on the side area by the little dry fountain and then going quickly in is worth it to avoid the claustrophobic "stone" walls, echo-y music or whoops from other guests, and people trying to crowd by to get one or two places ahead in line. I'd rather wait an hour outside in the middle of the hottest June day than walk right on to the boat through the main queue. The setup of certain lines just puts some things out of reach. We also avoid Space Mountain, anything with a "preshow" that puts us in a closed-up room (like RnR), and I've only ever ridden Dumbo once in my life, in two dozen years of frequent visits.

We're going on Friday, and now I'm nervous about what the changes to the GAC will bring. It shouldn't be too bad, though, since we're primarily going so I can take way too many pictures of the flowers in Epcot.

You are not alone. I am very similar to you.

 

[Mama Who]

This made me tear up, because there are people in the world who understand what I feel like.

.

Oh, honey, I'm a grown woman who has had panic attacks right smack in the middle of main street. My "high point" involved crouching on the ground with my arms over my head until my companion could get me moved to a "safer" location. Nothing says "dignified" like cowering in a corner because the people and the sky have gotten too scary. I understand. There are lots of people here who do, you are absolutely not alone.

 

[jujube]

I understand how both of them work I'm just wondering why everyone who has a GAC want's to use them as they don't shorten the line at all if anything they can make it longer for them. I can understand if you have no other alternative to using them but to complain when they tell you that the regular line will be shorter is ridiculous.

It is not so much the shorter line,at least for us. It's the fact that sometimes this little boy will start hopping and flailing his arms. We don't want him to hit someone. It happens in a flash and then it's over but he has hit me before and it hurts like the dickens. Can you imagine what would happen if he did that and hit a child? He is very sweet and would not purposely hit anyone. It's almost like a tic. His mom does not want someone hurt or someone to react in anger to an action over which he has no control.

 

[disney-akj]

Sue can you clarify something with HM for me? DD has the GAC for stroller as wheelchair and alternate entrance. Usually at HM we would go to the side and wait for a CM to come out. Show them the GAC and they would put the chain down so that we could bring the stroller in and park it along the exit. Then they would bring us into the stretching room and we would follow with the rest of the guests from their. Only thing is the stroller is waiting at the exit for us when we exit the ride. Is this not the way they are doing it now?

I am not Sue, but I can tell you what happened when we were there on March 20th though. My DS had wheelchair/alternative entrance too on his GAC. At HM we had the same experience that previous posters have mentioned. They stopped the line, opened a chain for us to cut in front of people, and then we had to wait in a very crowded line. The only saving grace for a few minutes was that we were in the interactive part of the line which helped for a short while (It was a little awkward to just be put in front of people in line though with stares, etc). My DS started having a bit of a meltdown finally after being in a crowded, hot line for about 15-20 minutes (ear splitting screams, hitting his head, crying). A CM then guided us through the line to a back door in a room, through a hallway, and then we were put on the ride in the back before reaching the loading areas. Things could have been handled differently than normal with our situation, but we positively did not join the line in the stretching room nor were we given the option of a side entrance with our GAC? This was our first time riding HM with a GAC though so I can not compare to previous experiences. I was distracted with calming my DS that I am not sure what room we went through to go out the door, I think it was possibly the stretching room?? I think the CM were just happy to get us through the line at that point because we were causing quite a stir?

POTC we waited by the back side entrance to the left for twenty minutes with about 5 other families who were directed that direction as well. We finally gave up because it appeared that they had forgotten because no one ever came to open the door? My DD2 really wanted to ride though, so we tired riding POTC one more time before leaving the parks. This time, it was a much better experience.

All other parks and rides in MK went smoothly. Great trip overall!

 

[Mom2six]

My question is - what were the child's needs? It just seems like there are more and more people asking about GACs for autistic children. I have some experiance with children with this problem. I know some have more needs then others. We have taken children on the spectrum to Disney. If they need personal space then we give it to them - one adult on either side in line works well for the kids we went with. If they start to have a melt down, we dealt with it. I just don't understand when I read how a child with autism doesn't like to stand in line. No child likes to stand in line. Can I get a GAC for the 4 year old I have that doesn't like lines. I hear all the time how the GAC doesn't make the lines shorter but it really seems like so many people wouldn't want one, if it didn't make things shorter to some degree. I'm not saying those in wheelchairs don't wait longer. I'm sure they do b/c not all rides can accomadate numerous wheelchairs at once. What I don't get is what others use the GAC for? I know I sound very rude, I don't mean to be but I really want to know what a GAC does for ambulatory people other then make the line shorter.

Yes, you do sound rude. In all honesty, because I felt insulted, and especially insulted for my children, I made a rude reply but decided that was the wrong and have edited it. It can be difficult for people to understand how children with autism feel. It is just about enduring and dealing with a meltdown. It's also about compassion for how the human being having the meltdown feels. A meltdown isn't just a tantrum that someone has to deal with - yes, as a parent we do have to handle the situation, but I never forget the emotions that my children are feeling. Sometimes, they do have normal temper tantrums and those are dealt with the same way I dealt with my other children's fits when they were young. But a meltdown, as opposed to a temper tantrum, is caused by feeling completely overwhelmed by the emotion, and is often a form of a panic attack. One difference between a meltdown and a temper tantrum is that a tantrum is mostly about getting what you want, and a meltdown isn't. When my neurologically typical daughter has a fit because I told her no, or she is overtired and not getting her way, giving her what she wants or bribing her with something stops the tantrum (she has actually outgrown tantrums, and I don't believe in giving a child having a fit what they want...), however my 4 yr old with autism cannot bring himself out of a meltdown. No matter what I tried to bribe hiim with, or he could get what he wanted, or have his most favorite thing, it will not stop a meltdown. In fact, after a meltdown, he isn't interested in anything other than me holding him and retreating to a private "safe" place where he feels like he can hide from everything.

Truthfully, after reading the OP, I'm worried about taking my kids to WDW. I don't want to encounter rude, uninformed CM who might be dismissive of me/my kids and their needs. I'm not paying all this money to have a fantastic trip only to be treated poorly and as if I'm just trying to take advantage of the system. I had read that Disney was good with disabilities, but from the sound of it, maybe not. I guess it is hit or miss whether or not you are treated with respect...that's a real shame. I really wanted my son to experience it. We went in Feb. but having never been there, I was too worried to take my youngest son with autism (my 13 year old wasn't able to go because he chose something else.) If they've changed the way a GAC is used, and that has affected the CM's attitude about people using them, perhaps we should go somewhere else.

 

[cm8]

Yes, you do sound extremely rude and extremely ignorant. From the whole tone of your post, it really doesn't seem like you are seeking information - it seems like you are complaining and masking it as a question. Yeah, your 4 year old may not like lines, but does he/she have a panic attack while waiting in a crowded line? Do all those people scare your child? Does your child get confused because of overstimulation & anxiety and forget that at the end of this long wait is something fun, and not something horrible? I'm so glad that you dealt with the meltdowns, but it sure doesn't sound like you had compassion for the child other than what you had to do. Perhaps you think those meltdowns are just temper tantrums, but most of the time a meltdown is caused by feeling completely overwhelmed and often is a form of an extreme panic attack. And you know what, there is no reason I should have to explain my child's needs to you or potentially be treated poorly by an uninformed park worker.

Wow, I can't speak for her, but it would seem as if your post came across as rude too. Name calling took it to another level . I kind of understand what she is getting at but at the risk of mis-interpreting her, I think I will pass on explaining what it is I think she's asking