used both universals new gac and disney`s during the worst crowd week ever

[bedogged]

No not privileged but reasonable accomatations so we can experience the same for our $$ that those who are not disabled can.

Can I ask something? How many on here just come to debate this issue and don't have disabled children or family members that they go to the park with regularly? If you are here without a disabled family members interest why do you feel the need to be on this board? And why are you acting like something is being given to "us" and not "you"? How does this impact your life at all?? We would still be online in front of you anyway at some point. This was to help make the experience enjoyable instead of miserable for people who are disabled or have disabled children...What in the grand scheme is the big deal if a disabled person wait a little less than you? Most of the park attractions a typically disabled person can't even attempt to do. Trust me you all who don't have to deal with a disability have it way way over on us. You get more out of the Disney experience than my son will get in his entire lifetime.

I feel your frustration! If you look on other boards you will find the same people bashing other people with problems that they do not understand nor wish to. Haters just like to find someone different from themselves to hate.

 

[Talking Hands]

No not privileged but reasonable accomatations so we can experience the same for our $$ that those who are not disabled can.

Truthfully do we ever have the same experience as others. There are rides I can no longer ride. In fact, I can no longer do any of the thrill rides. Just to painful.
I don't think ADA even requires that I have access to every ride. As long as I have access to the rides I can ride, to the shows and the tours that is all Disney needs to do. As long as we have things that we can do with accommodations Disney isn't required to give us the same experience for our money. Some things are not adaptable so we just can't do them.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I feel your frustration! If you look on other boards you will find the same people bashing other people with problems that they do not understand nor wish to. Haters just like to find someone different from themselves to hate.

Disagreement does not equal hate, nor does it equal bashing. I'm sorry that you can't see the difference.

 

[bedogged]

Disagreement does not equal hate, nor does it equal bashing. I'm sorry that you can't see the difference.

People can look at a person's previous posts and make their own decision. Sometimes people are so oblivious to the feelings of other people that they do not realize the hurt that they cause.

 

[OurBigTrip]

People can look at a person's previous posts and make their own decision. Sometimes people are so oblivious to the feelings of other people that they do not realize the hurt that they cause.

I can't do anything about people whose feelings get hurt because not everyone agrees with them.

 

[aaarcher86]

People can look at a person's previous posts and make their own decision. Sometimes people are so oblivious to the feelings of other people that they do not realize the hurt that they cause.

That's a 2 way street.

 

[bedogged]

I can't do anything about people whose feelings get hurt because not everyone agrees with them.

Well, I guess we will just have to disagree.

 

[bedogged]

That's a 2 way street.

If I hurt your feelings in some way, I sincerely apologize.

 

[aaarcher86]

If I hurt your feelings in some way, I sincerely apologize.

Oh no, not at all! And same to you! More so, people on both sides have the ability to hurt their message or other feelings!

 

[alizesmom]

OP, I have read your posts and find nothing to help me other than the inference that I'm better off at Universal. I'm also a tad taken aback that you seem to think you're speaking for the whole disabled population and only your opinion is the right one.

You say that it's unfair that your child had a longer wait total. Why? While waiting he could have done other things while my "normal" child stood in line. If I read it right, you want fast pass for any wait less than 30 minutes, why is that fair to other children? I really don't understand. Again, if I read right it's because your child doesn't tolerate a long day in the parks so you want to get as much done in the time available. That still doesn't make it fair.

You also questioned how many without disabilities came here just to debate. Why can't they? Lack of personal experience does not mean lack of opinion.

And lastly, I do have personal experience. I have had 4 children who qualified for MAW that I have brought to the parks (two have since died), I have coped at WDW with seizures, trachs, vents, autism, tube feeds, autonomic dysarrythmia, children in wheelchairs who could not transfer and I would never expect Disney to cater to every little problem they face. It is my job to make sure my kids have the best experience possible. Not Disney.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

OP, I have read your posts and find nothing to help me other than the inference that I'm better off at Universal. I'm also a tad taken aback that you seem to think you're speaking for the whole disabled population and only your opinion is the right one.

You say that it's unfair that your child had a longer wait total. Why? While waiting he could have done other things while my "normal" child stood in line. If I read it right, you want fast pass for any wait less than 30 minutes, why is that fair to other children? I really don't understand. Again, if I read right it's because your child doesn't tolerate a long day in the parks so you want to get as much done in the time available. That still doesn't make it fair.

You also questioned how many without disabilities came here just to debate. Why can't they? Lack of personal experience does not mean lack of opinion.

And lastly, I do have personal experience. I have had 4 children who qualified for MAW that I have brought to the parks (two have since died), I have coped at WDW with seizures, trachs, vents, autism, tube feeds, autonomic dysarrythmia, children in wheelchairs who could not transfer and I would never expect Disney to cater to every little problem they face. It is my job to make sure my kids have the best experience possible. Not Disney.

Where did I say anything is unfair?? Please quote me to once where I SAID DISNEY IS BEING UNFAIR??? Where? I came here and tried to give comparisons and have then been snarked at. I never said I was speaking for anyone but my and my family's needs and MY OPINION on how the DAS versus Universal's was.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

OP, I have read your posts and find nothing to help me other than the inference that I'm better off at Universal. I'm also a tad taken aback that you seem to think you're speaking for the whole disabled population and only your opinion is the right one. You say that it's unfair that your child had a longer wait total. Why? While waiting he could have done other things while my "normal" child stood in line. If I read it right, you want fast pass for any wait less than 30 minutes, why is that fair to other children? I really don't understand. Again, if I read right it's because your child doesn't tolerate a long day in the parks so you want to get as much done in the time available. That still doesn't make it fair. You also questioned how many without disabilities came here just to debate. Why can't they? Lack of personal experience does not mean lack of opinion. And lastly, I do have personal experience. I have had 4 children who qualified for MAW that I have brought to the parks (two have since died), I have coped at WDW with seizures, trachs, vents, autism, tube feeds, autonomic dysarrythmia, children in wheelchairs who could not transfer and I would never expect Disney to cater to every little problem they face. It is my job to make sure my kids have the best experience possible. Not Disney.

Great post. One of the other themes that comes up again and again is fairness. Life isn't fair. I think we all know that. It isn't fair that some people have disabilities. So the idea that Disney is trying to make everything as fair as possible for ALL guests can upset people who feel like they deal with unfairness every day. I can understand the sentiment, but I don't agree. And I do have a horse in this race. My brother is severely mentally handicapped and moderately physically handicapped. He was born in a time where people were raised to believe that the world doesn't change to conform to the you, you do your best to conform to the world. I don't think it is that black and white, but I do think there is some truth to it. As a result we didn't take my brother to WDW until he was in his 40's, after years of working with him to get him cognitively to a point where he could handle the trip. We are lucky that he was able to get to that point. However, if he hadn't, my parents wouldn't have taken him. Not everyone can handle Disney, as sad as that may be. A responsible parent understands a child's limits and plans accordingly. For some that might mean trips to Universal instead.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

OP, I have read your posts and find nothing to help me other than the inference that I'm better off at Universal. I'm also a tad taken aback that you seem to think you're speaking for the whole disabled population and only your opinion is the right one.

You say that it's unfair that your child had a longer wait total. Why? While waiting he could have done other things while my "normal" child stood in line. If I read it right, you want fast pass for any wait less than 30 minutes, why is that fair to other children? I really don't understand. Again, if I read right it's because your child doesn't tolerate a long day in the parks so you want to get as much done in the time available. That still doesn't make it fair.

You also questioned how many without disabilities came here just to debate. Why can't they? Lack of personal experience does not mean lack of opinion.

And lastly, I do have personal experience. I have had 4 children who qualified for MAW that I have brought to the parks (two have since died), I have coped at WDW with seizures, trachs, vents, autism, tube feeds, autonomic dysarrythmia, children in wheelchairs who could not transfer and I would never expect Disney to cater to every little problem they face. It is my job to make sure my kids have the best experience possible. Not Disney.

I also did not realize we are in a who is disabled more debate either Geesh.

I never said it is Disney's responsibility to give my kids the BEST experience. You are putting words in my mouth, I have repeatedly stated that I was happy with 50% yet I pay the same if not more than most because we purchased DVC. I am entitled to get my money's worth and the way the last vacation went that was at Universal. So again I would appreciate you not putting words in my mouth just like I did not speak for you! I gave MY OPINION on MY experience. I did not ask for a debate or other people's opinion ON MY EXPERIENCE. I posted it hoping I could help others plan for their family's needs. THAT IS ALL!

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

This is your first 'contribution' with less than 70 posts.

Is there a seniority system I'm not aware of?

Are you saying with the GAC that you were not direct to go into the FP line when approaching a ride?

I was never given FRONT OF THE LINE access.

 

[aaarcher86]

I was never given FRONT OF THE LINE access.

That's not what I asked. Nice sidestep. And that's also not what the poster said. She said while it wasn't directly to the front, it was through the FP line where waits are dramatically shorter.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

We did change our FP+ during the day or the night before, so it was possible during the busy times. However, not all attractions or time slots were open, so we just took the ones we could get, just in case.

I looked at my DD's DAS card. It has three return times written in for the time we were there. The first one at AK, we never used due to the timing not being so good for DD, so when the second one was entered at MK the next day, the CM crossed off the AK one (as they are supposed to do). The MK one (Pooh) we used successfully two days later (there are no dates on the DAS card that we could see). The third one at AK, we did not use.

I think that the DAS may work very well for some families. It's like an extra FP for one attraction, so added to the potentially three FP+ selections, a person could see four attractions at one park on one day. This would require that the person and family could schedule fairly well and stick to their schedules (some families do a great job of this, with ADRs, etc.), or tour during off hours (plenty of attractions with no wait times after 10PM), but some families (like ours) need to be spontaneous and seize a good moment when we can, not when the FP+ time arrives. I'm not faulting the FP+ system at all, I am just saying that we have not been successful at planning in that way. Yet. I am not saying I will not try this again.

For us, I could tell that the DAS was not working and it wasn't helping to get a return time if we did not use it or did not use it until two days later (though I was happy that we were able to use that one! Thanks!). So that's why we had just three times written in over 10 days. We enjoyed walking around, shopping in stores, going into walking exhibits, riding trains, etc. Our best day was when there were thunderstorms and the crowds at MK were low.

The biggest problem for us was not knowing if there was an alternate entrance to use, even with the FP+ or the DAS return time. This may just be a learning curve for me and is something I am going to investigate. I asked at IASW and was told that there was no where else to wait where it was quiet and that we had to walk through the regular line. The CM told me that they did not offer an alternative waiting area anymore. This created a lot of anxiety and screaming and the wait time was not an issue, just the sensory overload from the hustle and bustle of the queue was the problem. This also happened at HM (though on our second try during the rain, we did find out how to skip the elevator huddle), and on POTC (two aborted tries there due to the queue being quite noisy and anxiety-provoking).

Again, I am not saying that Disney owes me ANYTHING at all. I just need to figure out how to use the system, if there would have been somewhere else to wait (walking around and waiting is often overstimulating versus having a quiet place to chill), whether it can work for us, etc.

Every family is different. I can see how the DAS would be fine for many.

Many of the cast members had different responses to questions I had as well. I think the system should have been rolled out after the busy season and given more time for the kinks to be worked out.

 

[aaarcher86]

Great post. One of the other themes that comes up again and again is fairness. Life isn't fair. I think we all know that. It isn't fair that some people have disabilities. So the idea that Disney is trying to make everything as fair as possible for ALL guests can upset people who feel like they deal with unfairness every day. I can understand the sentiment, but I don't agree. And I do have a horse in this race. My brother is severely mentally handicapped and moderately physically handicapped. He was born in a time where people were raised to believe that the world doesn't change to conform to the you, you do your best to conform to the world. I don't think it is that black and white, but I do think there is some truth to it. As a result we didn't take my brother to WDW until he was in his 40's, after years of working with him to get him cognitively to a point where he could handle the trip. We are lucky that he was able to get to that point. However, if he hadn't, my parents wouldn't have taken him. Not everyone can handle Disney, as sad as that may be. A responsible parent understands a child's limits and plans accordingly. For some that might mean trips to Universal instead.

I'd agree with that. Nicely said.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

We will be visiting both Universal and Disney very soon and I am happy to receive as much information in advance as possible.

Was the process for getting a gac at Universal the same as Disney? We have been to Disney 4 years ago but never Universal.

 

[alizesmom]

That's your opinion and thankfully the rest of the world doesn't have that opinion. Most places that want to be inclusive provide accommodations in education, employment and in entertainment. Why? Aside from it being the right thing to do it is law. My son (and your wife) has every right to experience the parks just like someone else who isn't disabled. Again I am using examples in explaining our experiences. I would never expect my son to do 100% of what a non disabled person could it isn't fair to him but to have an accommodation so that after we wait to get on a ride and he has a seizure right before he is to board that we can come back later and not wait again is completely fair. What is not fair is to be treated like WE are taking advantage of something or using the disability to get in front of everyone else. The system was abused by the NON-DISABLED remember that NOT the disabled! Like I have said in previous posts my son would get to experience 50% of what a typical person would and rarely $75% on a great extraordinary day. Yet we all pay the same price...is that fair?? But I have now gotten to the point of beating a dead horse here. If anyone has any questions about my experience that could help their experience or that of a family member PLEASE PM me. I am happy to help

Please excuse me if I misquoted but in this post you both mentioned unfairness and informed another poster that his opinion (as husband of a disabled person) wasn't the rest of the worlds.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

That's not what I asked. Nice sidestep. And that's also not what the poster said. She said while it wasn't directly to the front, it was through the FP line where waits are dramatically shorter.

So are you asking for me personally??? I did not even know the GAC existed for about 2 years after going to Disney repeatedly. Once I found out about it we got stroller as a wheelchair only. Then once we had a few times we would get up to the ride and he would seize, once in front of a cast member who told us about alternate entrance which was the fast pass line. BECAUSE we actually felt guilty using that, we only used it if he was seizing badly and have bad seizure days because most of the day he was recuperating. He loves Disney so much we used waiting in line as a way to teach him how to act appropriately and wait his turn (as we do at home).

So yes we used FP as an entrance but only when we either waited on line and he seized or he was seizing most of the day and we would use his seizure free time to go on a ride.

Because of the abuse that is no longer an option for us. We are now regulated to times that really do not work for his condition since we can not schedule his seizures.

I shouldn't even have to be posting all this about his medical condition because I was just posting the differences I had seen in the Universal system compared to Disney.

Unfortunately I should have listened to my gut and not gone during Christmas break. I listened to the CM I called in October who assured me we would not have issues. I also prayed my son would not be seizing and he was a lot. Again none of your business but I feel now I have to defend my OPINION.

So yes we used the FP entrance a few times after my son's seizures. This time we couldn't because we were still in waiting mode. Like the above poster sometimes the times didn't work out so we would wait and not be able to use the FP or the DAS times.