GAC question

[bellarella]

Hi all! A newbie question here.

My husband is an AK amputee and I'm wondering if we should stop at guest services to get a GAC card and if so how does that work? Do we need a different one from each park? He does wear a prosthetic, so his disability is often not obvious. When we went to DL he would just point out his leg to CMs, but this got old and it sometimes took a few attempts for them to "get it." Since we'll be in shorts all the time, he's thinking of just stripping the covering off the leg so that there wouldn't be any confussion. Would a GAC card be easier? The primary issue is limiting time standing, espeically in uncooled areas, and also limiting stairs (or at least standing in line on them where you can get bumped around).

Thanks!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi all! A newbie question here.

My husband is an AK amputee and I'm wondering if we should stop at guest services to get a GAC card and if so how does that work?........The primary issue is limiting time standing, espeically in uncooled areas, and also limiting stairs (or at least standing in line on them where you can get bumped around).

He should go to Guest Services in any of the parks and explain the needs that you mentioned here.
To use the GAC, you show it to the first CM that you come to at the ride. How it works at each attraction varies depending on the setup there, how busy it is, etc. So, even if you go on the same attraction at different times, the GAC may not be handled exactly the same.
Also, the GAC has different messages, based on the needs of the person. So one person's GAC might be totally different from someone elses.

Do we need a different one from each park?

No. The GAC issued in one park is good in all the parks and they are usually issued to be good for your entire length of stay. If you are going to any of the water parks, you will need to stop in Guest Services there to get instructions.

Another thing top think about is the distances involved in going to one of the WDW parks. Most first time visitors are not prepared for how huge the parks are. For example, the distance around World Showcase (WS) in Epcot is 1.3 miles (and you have to walk a distance equal to that just to get from the park entrance to the WS entrance). I've seen estimates that the average WDW visitor walks between 3 and 6 miles a day. If your husband doesn't normally do a lot of walking, he might want to consider renting an ecv (electric scooter). That would give him a place to sit in line and also would avoid stairs.