DS7 with mobility problems

[talicskai]

I have never posted on this particular board and could use some help. My DS7 has a form of CP but it only affects his right side. He walks but could never tolerate a whole day without a stroller. How do you go about applying for a guest with assistance pass? I have only recently heard of this and think he would be a candidate for it but am not sure. Can anyone help me?
Thanks in advance!
Teresa

 

[Cheshire Figment]

At the first park you go to you go to Guest Services. Have DS with you. Explain what is needed. You will be asking for a Guest Assistance Card (not a pass)(which is usually abbreviated GAC on this board) that will allow you to use a stroller as if it were a wheelchair. It will be valid at all four parks through the last day of your trip. It is not intended to and will not give "head of line" privledges. A doctor's not is NOT required. However, if you have one it should explain his needs and not the diagnoses.

 

[Tissa]

My DS 8 also has CP that affects his right side. I rented a stroller for him and he was fine. When we got to the entrance to the attraction we parked the stroller and went in. I was the one tired! We did have a GAC because my DS6 is Autistic, but he only rode 1 ride and then wouldn't get out of his stroller so we didn't use the GAC. We're going in June and I plan to rent a stroller again. If he decides that strollers are for babies I'll rent a wheelchair. The only problem was when we were leaving the parks and he was too tired to walk to the busses so I had to carry him most of the time. Lucky for me I started working out again

 

[SueM in MN]

As the others mentioned, the GAC is not meant to (and probably will not) shorten or eliminate your wait in line. It is a tool to let CMs know what sorts of assistance are needed by people with disabilities (especially people with invisible disabilities).
Someone with a wheelchair or ecv (scooter) doesn't need a GAC to use the wheelchair/ecv in line. A child with a stroller or a wheelchair that might look like a stroller to a lay person is going to need a GAC to use it in lines.

The GAC is usually issued for up to a total of 6 people (5 plus the person with special needs). There may be times when you are asked to split into smaller groups. That's usually because the waiting space is small or they need the space for other people in wheelchairs and can't accomidate as many guests in wheelchairs if the space is being used by family members.

 

[dislvr75]

SueM,

My DS6 has Spina Bifida, he travels long distances in a Convaid Cruiser, he also uses crutches and his disability is visible (he wears AFO's on both legs and he's got a tube (shunt)under his scalp near the front of his head. Even still, I have had CM's ask if we had a GAC. I think I'd tell everyone to get one just in case. I thought it was primarily for "invisible" disabilities but now I would say get one anyway. Has anyone else had that happen?

 

[talicskai]

SueM,

My DS6 has Spina Bifida, he travels long distances in a Convaid Cruiser, he also uses crutches and his disability is visible (he wears AFO's on both legs and he's got a tube (shunt)under his scalp near the front of his head. Even still, I have had CM's ask if we had a GAC. I think I'd tell everyone to get one just in case. I thought it was primarily for "invisible" disabilities but now I would say get one anyway. Has anyone else had that happen?

My son also wears AFO's on both legs ! Thanks for the advice ~ I think I will get a GAC just in case....

Teresa

 

[SueM in MN]

SueM,

My DS6 has Spina Bifida, he travels long distances in a Convaid Cruiser, he also uses crutches and his disability is visible (he wears AFO's on both legs and he's got a tube (shunt)under his scalp near the front of his head. Even still, I have had CM's ask if we had a GAC. I think I'd tell everyone to get one just in case. I thought it was primarily for "invisible" disabilities but now I would say get one anyway. Has anyone else had that happen?

if what you are looking for is wheelchair accessibility, then you don't generally need a GAC. If your child requires more than just accessible lines, you won't be allowed to do more without a GAC.
Specifically people with younger children, not using traditional wheelchairs, have reportered some problems with being able to use their child's mobility device in line. A 6 year old in a Convaid Cruiser may be obviously using a special needs stroller to someone who is familiar with Convaid Cruisers, but to a parent sho has never seen one before or to a CM who doesn't have a lot of experience with them, it's just a 6 year old in a type of stroller they haven't seen before.
Anything below the waist (like the AFOs) are often not noticed by the CMs. And the shunt is probably more visible to you as a parent than it is to others (besides, not every child with a shunt would need a GAC).
So, if you don't have a standard wheelchair (one with 2 large wheels in the back), especially if you have a younger child, you may need a GAC to use it in lines.

That said, a GAC or wheelchair don't always protect against clueless CMs. We have had problems (even with a wheelchair and a GAC) on Splash Mountain. Other people have reported the same on that ride. There is a point where the regular line (and FastPass lines) goes up a flight of stairs. Just before that, there is a chain with a wheelchair symbol on it. More than once, we have told by the CM that we need to continue along the "regular" path because if they opened the "wheelchair" chain for us, we would be missing some of the wait in line. The last time we rode, the CM would not budge and wanted us to take DD up the stairs. This was even though I explained that DD could not walk at all and that there was no way we could bring her wheelchair up the stairs (and I'm not talking about a small child in a special needs stroller, I'm talking about a 5 foot tall, 85 pound teen in a standard wheelchair). That CM finally got her supervisor, who said, "Of course", we could not go up the stairs. The original CM did make some comments (which her supervisor heard, so we didn't report it) about how it was not fair for us to "skip" part of the line.
That is the only ride/attraction we have personally had problems with or heard other people complain about.

 

[dislvr75]

Thanks Sue for your response.

What you said is very true, those of us using non-traditional wheelchairs like convaid cruisers do often have to show the GAC because it is seen by many as a stroller. And of course, just because a child has a shunt does not mean that he/she needs any kind of accomodation at all. My point was that when you look at my son, its part of an all over, head-to-toe picture that says, hmmm, there's something a bit different about this young fellow.... even so, I've had to show our GAC so that we could use wheelchair accessible areas.

I never have any sort of patience for downright meanness, but you're right, there is quite a bit of ignorance out there when it comes to special needs children. I wouldn't expect anyone to be able to keep up with all of the devices and equipment many of us schelp around daily. We just want our kids to be able to experience the rides like all of the other kids. We have been to Disneyland twice and WDW once in the last 4 years and we have always had wonderful experiences with CMs. I have no reason to believe that any future trip will be any different.

That being said, question for all of you. We will be going back to WDW this spring, this time with my husband's brother and his family. We will total 7. Four adults and three kids. Since our GAC will only allow a party of six what do you recommend? Should we send one group ahead in line, then estimate how long they will move thru then use the wheelchair access?? Are there some rides more likely to board us all together than others? Or should we just resign ourselves at the very beginning to the idea that we will not be riding together and just break up into two groups and stay near one another but experince rides separately?

I'd REALLY appreciate anyone's advice!

I have always appreciated all of the advice I have gotten from the DisBoards, thanks!

 

[SueM in MN]

That being said, question for all of you. We will be going back to WDW this spring, this time with my husband's brother and his family. We will total 7. Four adults and three kids. Since our GAC will only allow a party of six what do you recommend? Should we send one group ahead in line, then estimate how long they will move thru then use the wheelchair access?? Are there some rides more likely to board us all together than others? Or should we just resign ourselves at the very beginning to the idea that we will not be riding together and just break up into two groups and stay near one another but experince rides separately?

I'd REALLY appreciate anyone's advice!

I have always appreciated all of the advice I have gotten from the DisBoards, thanks!

I'd probably let the CM know that you have a total of 7. They usually limit the GAC to 6, but they can make exceptions. I wouldn't expect them to do it for a group of 16, but just 7, they might do.

There are some times though where you will be asked to break up into smaller groups. That is usually because there is limited space in the wheelchair area (either the boarding area or the seating area).
Also, you may find that it works best to not try to stay together all the time, that many kids often need rest, food or bathroom breaks at different times or there may be rides that some don't want to/are not tall enough to ride. Cell phones make it easy to split up and then get back together later.

Also, one way to make sure you stay together (or at least ride wait in line together) is to get Fastpasses. Pretty much all the Fastpass lines are wheelchair accessible, so you would be waiting together. For most rides, you are not all going to be in the same ride car anyway, so just riding close to the same time will be the closest.
For most shows, wheelchair users are in the back and there is not a lot of space for additional people. We often split into 2 parties for those, with one or 2 people staying with DD in her wheelchair and the rest sitting together.

 

[JoyMouse]

We were there last w/e and had a party of 7. We got a GAC and it listed our number as 7. It was a great help. They told us to use it as you would a fast pass. My youngest has relativly mild cp, can't walk great distances, but loves to ride rides, the faster the better! We had an excellent experience and loved every minute of the trip. The CM's were great, they brought Mickey, DD and DD, Chip, Dale and the rest of the gang to her, w/o us asking for it! DD felt so special and so did the rest of the group! Hope your experience is as magical as ours!

 

[SueM in MN]

I just wanted to mention that not all GACS are the same.
The accomidations are based on the needs of the person and there are different stamps that can be put on them based on the needs. So, one person's GAC may allow entirely different things (based on their needs) than someone else's GAC (based on their needs). Even 2 people with the same diagnosis might have different messages on their GACs because their needs are different.

So, some GACs might only allow a stroller to be brought into lines and treated as a wheelchair, some might only allow you to skip the part of a line that includes stairs (for someone who has difficulty with stairs), some may allow you to wait in a quieter place or a place out of the sun and/or heat. They can put more than one stamp on the same GAC to accomidate several types of needs.