GAC equivilant at Universal???

[smg1062]

We're thinking of a DEC 04 trip to the Universl parks and hotels. Do they have anything similar t the WDW GAC cards?? If so, what is it called?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[SueM in MN]

Bumping up since you didn't get any answers yet.
Our personal experiences at Universal were not the best. I always make sure people kow our last trip there was at least 5 years ago, so things might have changed. There seemed to be an idea that all they had to do was the very minimum required by the ADA for wheelchair accessibility (and not much understanding that people might have multiple disabilities). And there were quite a few rides that were not accessible.

 

[LvsTnk]

Yes, they do have some type of card, stop at guest services just like WDW. We had a good experience because my DS is able to transfer. I would definately contact them on how their rides are accessible one women was beside herself as she had waited 45 min. for a ride they could not go on

 

[Absimilliard]

Their mentality seems to be: No problem! Just use your hotel key if you're staying in one of the resort (one of the perk they give to hotel guests) or pay and get a Universal Express Gold (20$ to skip each line once...). Beside that?

We're accessible! Just use your wheelchair in all the lines! Now... Popeye & Bluto Bilge Rat Barges, Dr. Doom Fearfall, Hulk coaster, Dueling Dragons and Ripsaw Falls got ramps so steep or the floor is so uneven, its terrible for both the wheelchair pushers (you're going to need 2 to 3 people to help you maneuver a manual wheelchair down most of the ramps in the waiting lines!) and the wheelchair user. Even the walkway sections for wheelchair users are too steep... Mom almost ended up on her back trying to get up one of those in Marvel Super Heroes Island.

One trick through: Use single rider line at MIB. Most of the time, they dont separate wheelchair users from their party. If they do insist, say that you require their assistance to transfer to the ride vehicle. If the employee still argue... ask her if the employees can help the wheelchair user transfer...

 

[SueM in MN]

And, there was on DIS poster who actually had his power wheelchair loaded on a ride when they changed their minds and told him he could not ride in his power wheelchair.

 

[margo12]

We got a "pass" or whatever it's called, at Universal with no problem. I showed them a card that I had that said that this child has autism and can't tolerate waiting in long lines, and they gave me a pass.

We were there in Nov., and this was the first part of our vacation. My husband was very uncomfortable with the idea of getting special privileges so we only used it if the line was very long, so not very often!

A couple of us had an old "park-hopper pass" to Universal Studios that still had a day left on it (the rest had gotten lost!), so we left Islands of Adventure for a while and went to regular Universal for a while, and used the pass there. At MIB, the lines were quite long and they waved us over to the FastPass line (or whatever they call it there).

At Back to the Future, the lines were also long. We showed them our pass and they had us walk up a back way to the third floor and go in a door, and poof we were at the front of the line. That one made me very uncomfortable, as it was obvious to everyone standing in their spots ready to get in the next cars, that we had completely bypassed the line.

So yes, from my experience, they do have a special assistance card. As for wheelchair stuff, I have no personal experience but I'm sorry for the bad times that some have had.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to the official Universal site's disabilities page. There is a link on that page to their Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. It's really rather good, since it lists the abilities you need to be able to go on the ride - like upeer body stability, ability to hold on, ability to walk a few steps, etc.
About 2/3 of the way down the page, there is a phone number and an email address for questions.