Anyone have a problem getting a GAC lately?

[Gertrude]

Hi everyone,

My DD7 has ADHD, sensory integration issues etc, but, depending on the time of the day, these issues may or may not be obvious or even a problem. Getting her to wait in a cue has always been a problem as she becomes very disruptive and is subject to meltdowns and disruption to the guests around us.

Our doctor recommended we get her a GAC and request an alternate waiting area, if available. Is this the correct request? I have a very lengthy medical report from her specialists about accommodations in school, and the doctor even mentions alternate waiting area when a cue is required.

My other question is, has anyone had difficulty getting a GAC for alternate wait area lately? We will probably pick ours up at MGM. However, we need to validate our APs first. Should we ask for the GAC after we get our APs, or should we go to guest relations inside the park?

Thanks for your assistance.

 

[JenJen]

My daughter has the same exact thing as yours but she is 10. We have never had a problem getting a GAC but they will not want to look at your note they are going to ask what kind of assistance you need. You need to be willing to explain her needs. How you explained it on this board seems like a good explination. They really don't care about diagnoses because one child with ADHD and another my have totally differant needs while at the parks. Each GAC is differant because they have stamps on them that let the cast members know what assistance you need. Make sure you have a good talk with her before you leave that even though we will have a card for you that does not mean we do not have to wait. They may have you wait in a alternate area or a bench instead of the lines. It really depends on the park attendance and how that attraction is staffed that day. I hope you have a great time!!!!
JenJen

 

[Gertrude]

My daughter has the same exact thing as yours but she is 10. We have never had a problem getting a GAC but they will not want to look at your note they are going to ask what kind of assistance you need. You need to be willing to explain her needs. How you explained it on this board seems like a good explination. They really don't care about diagnoses because one child with ADHD and another my have totally differant needs while at the parks. Each GAC is differant because they have stamps on them that let the cast members know what assistance you need. Make sure you have a good talk with her before you leave that even though we will have a card for you that does not mean we do not have to wait. They may have you wait in a alternate area or a bench instead of the lines. It really depends on the park attendance and how that attraction is staffed that day. I hope you have a great time!!!!
JenJen

Dear Jen,

Telling them what I need will be no problem, I just want to make sure I ask for the right thing. Thanks for your advice.

Also, DH and I do not plan on telling DD about the GAC unless we get it, and unless she asks about it.

Thanks!

 

[Nik's Mom]

We picked up a GAC for our 6 yr old ds, who is autistic. We did not have a problem at all. They will tell you that it doesn't mean you will get front of the line access, but they will give you the GAC. I think they just want to make it clear that it is a guest assistance card, and not a front of the line pass.
Have a great trip!

 

[riu girl]

Gertrude: I agree with the other posters, you need to explain NEED not diagnose. If a person told guest services that their child has ADHD/SID, that doesn't mean anything, since one child with this diagnose may be able to wait in lines for long periods of time while for others it would be impossible.
I have a DD8 with the same diagnose and I was worried about getting a GAC. Not about getting it, but about explaining diagnose with DD right there (she does not know about her diagnose) so I typed up a short note explaining the situation and asked the cm to read it. It worked out fine and we got the same GAC that you will be requesting.

 

[JandD Mom]

Writing a note is a great idea then folks won't have to fumble for the words if the get nervous!

 

[Shugardrawers]

We are hoping to make it in early Dec. I have cancer and am in chemo so it's hard for me to stand for long periods because I get overtired. What kind of documentation do you need to get a GAC? I don't want to pour out my entire medical history for a stranger. Would a note from my doc worded like this work?

Dear CM
Shuggie is my pt and is currently receiving chemo for cancer. Due to her condition she is unable to stand in lines for long periods of time.

I don't have a problem telling them just what they need to know but I want my privacy respected too.

 

[JenJen]

As far as I know they do not give passes for endurance issues but reccomend for you to get a wheelchair because the distance between rides is much more walking then being in a line. If you get a wheelchair you will not need a GAC because GAC's are for non- apparent disabilities that a cast member can not see like Autism. Your wheel chair is like a GAC so the cast members will direct you to the proper access area on each attraction. Some attractions you would go to the exit, some have specail access doors, and some lines are wheelchair accessable so you wait in the line with the wheelchair.
You do not need any type of note in fact they won't even look at it. You just need to tell them what kind of assistance you need. I hope this helped you and I hope you have a great time
JenJen

 

[Shugardrawers]

I thought they had changed the rules and even those in wheelchairs had to have a GAC now? It hadn't occured to me that I'd be in a wheelchair though. DUH!

 

[SueM in MN]

You don't need a doctor letter to request a GAC, but just an explanation of your needs (they don't need to know your medical history, just your needs).

Some things to be aware of though:
- as Jen-Jen mentioned, the type of need you are describing (getting fatigued waiting in lines) is what they would consider an endurance concern and WDW's official answer for that is to suggest using a wheelchair or ecv.
That may not be what people want to hear, but it does make sense since the time and distance spent going between attractions is going to be at least as great (possibly greater) than the time spent in line.

- even if you get a GAC that allows you a place to sit while waiting, that is only if available. Most atttractions don't have any benches or places to sit. Some of the shows do have benches in the preshow and/or waiting area, but they could be already occupied when you arrive, and then you are out of luck.

- going in early December is not normally a busy time (right around Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy), so your waits should not be that long.

- even if you don't have to wait long, some of the attractions are a long distance between the place where you enter the queue and the actual boarding or show area. Some examples are Test Track, the Safari at AK, Bug's Life and Pirates.

If you interested in wheelchairs or ecvs, check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread for information on how to get one.

 

[SueM in MN]

I thought they had changed the rules and even those in wheelchairs had to have a GAC now? It hadn't occured to me that I'd be in a wheelchair though. DUH!

No. You never needed a GAC if you had a wheelchair at WDW unless there were other needs that having a wheelchair did not meet. If that's the case, you need the GAC for the other needs, not for the wheelchair.

That is not the same at DL, so that might be what you heard. In January 2004, they changed the procedure at DL to be more like WDW. Previously at DL, all the cards were the same - no matter what the disability, you used the "wheelchair entrance". After they changed their card, they had some concerns about people renting wheelchairs to be able to use the wheelchair entrance, so they required a wheelchair + a GAC. Now (I think) their GAC is no longer required if you have a wheelchair.

 

[Forevryoung]

Dont be afraid to speak up! What some of us think is obvious is really not to other people and CM's cant read minds.

Example:
In June we got a GAC with "stroller as a wheelchair" because a child with me is in a special needs stroller due to cp. She is 10 years old. Everywhere else besides Disney, it is obvious she has special needs but in Disney many older children use strollers. So we had the GAC. She cant walk unassisted and we have to carry her (gets heavy of course) so parking the stroller as close to the ride vehicle is extremely important. CM's would tell us to "leave the stroller here" and then get on the ride "over there" because we would forget to tell them that we needed to get that close to transfer her. When we did tell them, they were most helpful and they even had the stroller waiting for us when we got off. It seemed obvious to us that she needs that much help because we know her needs, they dont.

 

[boosmom96]

Now (I think) their GAC is no longer required if you have a wheelchair.

My 8 1/2 year old DD has CP and uses a whellchair We were just in DLR and the CM at Guest Services said we did not need a GAC, but we were asked for it several times even though the disability is very obvious. I would suggest you get one even if using a wheelchair.

 

[SueM in MN]

My 8 1/2 year old DD has CP and uses a whellchair We were just in DLR and the CM at Guest Services said we did not need a GAC, but we were asked for it several times even though the disability is very obvious. I would suggest you get one even if using a wheelchair.

I guess I would say especially if you have a non-traditional wheelchair (one that doesn't have 2 large wheels in the back) and have a child. I've been on some DL discussion boards and it seems like they have gone back and forth several times about whether or not you need a GAC to use a wheelchair in lines at DL. So, it's no wonder if the Guest Services people say one thing and the ride CMs say something else.

 

[JenJen]

The reason they ask if you have a GAC if you have a wheelchair is to make sure that they are not sending you to the wrong entrance. An example of this is if a guest was in a wheel chair and had a GAC for staying out of the sun. The cast member does not want to send you into a line that has sun in it if you have sensitivities. You do not need a GAC with a wheelchair unless there is a non apparent issue besides the iniability to walk. Lines that are able to accomidate a wheelchair will always ask if you have a GAC becasue they want to make sure they are not sending you to the wrong area. I hope this makes sense LOL.
JenJen

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

we had no trouble getting the GAC last month....I just said "my son has an autistic spectrum disorder", and I hardly had all of the words out of my mouth before the CM started walking away to get the card!

 

[Gertrude]

Thanks for the advice.

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether it is easier/better to get the GAC outside the park vs. inside? We will be getting our APs validated at either Epcot (international gateway) or MGM and wondered if we can do both at the same time? Thaniks!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the advice.

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether it is easier/better to get the GAC outside the park vs. inside? We will be getting our APs validated at either Epcot (international gateway) or MGM and wondered if we can do both at the same time? Thaniks!

CMs have posted in the past that the same CMs work at the Guest Services right outside the parks as work at Guest Services inside the park (apparently they transfer between the different offices). So, you should get the same.
But, some people have posted that they felt the CMs inside the park did a better job.
At Epcot (unless they have changed things since March), they have Guest Services outside the park at the Main (Future World) entrance, but the area at International Gateway is more of a ticket booth and not a full Guest Services site.
We have found Guest Services inside Epcot usually has a short wait. I think (at least IMHO) that if the place is very busy, you are likely to not do as well. I know I tend to get more flustered and I probably don't do as good a job explaining things.
Also to keep in mind, you need to have the person who will be using the GAC with you (I guess you also do if you are validating APs, so that might not be a big point).