Guest Assistance Cards ending, to be replaced with Fastpasses?

[OurBigTrip]

Just to clarify what I've learned about DAS:

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child needs to loop on a certain ride or rides and they get a loop pass.

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child can only stay in the park 90 mins for example and they can get a front of the line pass.

I have read the above. I just want to make sure I am correct.

Thanks!

Pretty much.

The abusers, both disabled and non-disabled,will continue to take advantage of Disney and thumb their noses at the rest of us chumps who have too much integrity to lie just for a shorter wait time.

 

[mefordis]

Pretty much.

The abusers, both disabled and non-disabled,will continue to take advantage of Disney and thumb their noses at the rest of us chumps who have too much integrity to lie just for a shorter wait time.

I predict many more abusers than before. So easy and now heavily advertised. Guest Assistance better start hiring to accommodate the long lines.

 

[OurBigTrip]

You mean I did not have to ride IASW all those times with my child?


(sorry couldn't help it)

 

[mrzrich]

Just to clarify what I've learned about DAS:

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child needs to loop on a certain ride or rides and they get a loop pass.

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child can only stay in the park 90 mins for example and they can get a front of the line pass.

I have read the above. I just want to make sure I am correct.

As for the emotional woman on Youtube, why didn't she just get these for her son?

Because she refused to listen. She went into Guest Services guns blazing and didn't want to hear anything.

 

[Vidia2]

.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Disney has the proof they need. My family doesn't loop but I support other parents of children with autism.

Regarding the other thing, it's the law. Laws are voted in and not based on pity, just as the ADA is not based on pity. Also, the non-competitive hiring law here is brand new, in case you think it's something old that's about to get thrown out. There are some other laws that are new as well that are country-wide that give opportunity to the disadvantaged in many ways, jobs, education, higher-education...

Where did I say anything about that law being thrown out?

I'm just not sure why there had to be a law - if someone wants to hire a disabled person, they can. No one can stop them.

And hiring someone less qualified because of a disability is pity, pure and simple. If I were running a business, I would want the most qualified person, regardless of age, gender, race, disability or anything else.

Not sure why you're confusing opportunity with preference, but to each his own. Everyone should have equal opportunity. No one should have preference.

 

[nugov2]

For my family, we simply don't go to those places.

We tried to vacation elsewhere, my DS can't handle it.

Disney has been a godsend for our family. At age 6 it was the first place he pooped on a toilet instead of his pants (TMI?). At age 10 it was the first time he looked at a server in a restaurant and ordered for himself. At Age 13 we are working on pin trading with CM's as a way to socialize him.

I'm lucky, he doesn't loop, and if a standby wait is less than 30 minutes we can tough it out.

In the past we were able to plan a social story with him regarding the oder of his rides. For those not familiar with social story its sort of like dress rehearsal were you plan the schedule of events.

" First Jungle Cruise, the POTC, then BTMRR. "

He gets to the point where he repeats the above sentence over and over for weeks before a trip.

When the schedule does not go according to plan there is often screaming and flailing and jumping.

When he was younger, it was easy to manage, but as he gets bigger, this behavior gets harder. As inappropriate as that Hippie lady was, I really did feel for her in that regard. I can't imagine how i would explain to my son that because he is now bigger than I can handle, he could no longer go to his favorite place

The old system helped our family greatly. I am going next week with a positive attitude and a smile on my face. I'm happy that I don't have to take him to the ride for the return time, he would freak if we approached Buzz Light Year and he couldn't ride it.

I have gone alone with him on "Mommy and Me" trips a few times in the past.. Not sure if we'll be able to manage those under the new system.

I don't qualify for FP+ next week. In the future I hope FP+ alleviates some worry.

I guess my point was what do you do in any situation besides school and home. Waiting and unexpected events happen all the time and you must have a plan in place for that unless you only do school and home your whole life. I understand the getting to a ride and melting down if they can't ride it, but I think that someone else getting the pass and going back fixes that. I think it is nice to be able to get away and have things easier and agree with something in place to make it a more enjoyable vacation. I don't think it is wrong, but I do worry about an unlimited "looping" clause in the DAS as I think it will be abused by people with and without disabilities. I truly believe that the spectrum community was abusing it just as much as others were....only I think it is truly the lowest form of scum that would lie about having a disability, whereas the abusers with disabilities were just taking advantage of a situation.

As for the pp who said about looping IASW and why would anyone care...I doubt that is the only ride looping occurs on and when does that even have a wait anyway. We were there peak season and it was 15 minutes at it's -worst so I can't even see needing the DAS for that at all. So if WDW wants to open up looping exclusively to IASW and no other ride, I would think that people would be OK with that.

 

[mrzrich]

I guess my point was what do you do in any situation besides school and home. Waiting and unexpected events happen all the time and you must have a plan in place for that unless you only do school and home your whole life.

School, home, school home, maybe Publix. Yeah other than WDW, and the beach, that's pretty much our life.

 

[nugov2]

School, home, school home, maybe Publix. Yeah other than WDW, and the beach, that's pretty much our life.

I don't think that is most families experience. I worked in a school for a long time and again the families I know personally with severe needs still try and do things. I am not you and do not walk in your shoes, but I would think if your child could look a server in the face at WDW...why not Olive Garden or Rainforest Café(if you have that or similar kid friendly restaurant). Why not stay at a hotel with pool or go to a water park? If he can pin trade and interact with CM why not try other activities? I would think that any child who can manage a few days/week at WDW(patience to travel to the area..since very few live within a 30 minute radius, new sleeping environment, eating environment, large crowds even outside of lines). I mean the list of new/different experiences for a child for this trip are very long and tasks that can be replicated in a lot of local places. There is so much more to a WDW trip than the rides and so much more in this country that offers those same experiences that after a few trips might become another safe/fun place for a child to visit. So based on that, I would think that a child capable of successfully taking that trip could successfully accomplish a lot more than school..home...school.....home

 

[mrzrich]

I don't think that is most families experience. I worked in a school for a long time and again the families I know personally with severe needs still try and do things. I am not you and do not walk in your shoes, but I would think if your child could look a server in the face at WDW...why not Olive Garden or Rainforest Café(if you have that or similar kid friendly restaurant). Why not stay at a hotel with pool or go to a water park? If he can pin trade and interact with CM why not try other activities? I would think that any child who can manage a few days/week at WDW(patience to travel to the area..since very few live within a 30 minute radius, new sleeping environment, eating environment, large crowds even outside of lines). I mean the list of new/different experiences for a child for this trip are very long and tasks that can be replicated in a lot of local places. There is so much more to a WDW trip than the rides and so much more in this country that offers those same experiences that after a few trips might become another safe/fun place for a child to visit. So based on that, I would think that a child capable of successfully taking that trip could successfully accomplish a lot more than school..home...school.....home

If you had read this whole thread, which I realize is very long at this point, you would see that we have tried other destinations. We had a lot of tears and got a lot of dirty looks from others.

We don't eat at restaurants locally because their isn't money in the budget for that.

 

[LilyWDW]

Disney has the proof they need. My family doesn't loop but I support other parents of children with autism.

Regarding the other thing, it's the law. Laws are voted in and not based on pity, just as the ADA is not based on pity. Also, the non-competitive hiring law here is brand new, in case you think it's something old that's about to get thrown out. There are some other laws that are new as well that are country-wide that give opportunity to the disadvantaged in many ways, jobs, education, higher-education...

I would bet that the first time a disabled person is hired over someone who is more qualified then there will be a lawsuit. I would also guess that the person suing because they didn't get the job will win and it will be considered "discrimination" and unequal "access" (access because my brain won't come up with a better word atm).

If Disney is actually giving out passes that allow looping and front of the line, that could very easily be seen as greater access.

 

[nugov2]

If you had read this whole thread, which I realize is very long at this point, you would see that we have tried other destinations. We had a lot of tears and got a lot of dirty looks from others.

We don't eat at restaurants locally because their isn't money in the budget for that.

No, I am sorry I haven't read every page.

 

[mrzrich]

No, I am sorry I haven't read every page.

I don't expect you to do so. I realize how long it's gotten.

It's at the point with DS that we don't even feel comfortable visiting grandparents. He goes to somebody's house and goes right for the fridge., then the pantry. Then he starts jumping.

It came to the point, that if we wanted to see our extended family, we would have to buy a bigger house so that we could host family functions and holidays. That's exactly what we wound up doing. Now that we have a mortgage (our old house was paid off), we don't budget for dinners out unless we are on vacation.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I would bet that the first time a disabled person is hired over someone who is more qualified then there will be a lawsuit. I would also guess that the person suing because they didn't get the job will win and it will be considered "discrimination" and unequal "access" (access because my brain won't come up with a better word atm).

If Disney is actually giving out passes that allow looping and front of the line, that could very easily be seen as greater access.

That's not really a great analogy. There are lots of "disabled" people who are hired over "abled" people who are better qualified, on paper. Maybe the "disabled" person has a personality that fits the business better. Maybe the organization is looking to diversify. Employment decisions are incredibly hard to decipher.

 

[Vidia2]

.

 

[nugov2]

I don't expect you to do so. I realize how long it's gotten.

It's at the point with DS that we don't even feel comfortable visiting grandparents. He goes to somebody's house and goes right for the fridge., then the pantry. Then he starts jumping.

It came to the point, that if we wanted to see our extended family, we would have to buy a bigger house so that we could host family functions and holidays. That's exactly what we wound up doing. Now that we have a mortgage (our old house was paid off), we don't budget for dinners out unless we are on vacation.

I hope I am not coming off like I have an idea what any family besides those I know personally go through. I think every family should have a fun place to visit. I really do not know the right solution, but I do think a looping guideline would cut out those faking to get a pass and those who need some accommodations from abusing it. Otherwise I think it is going to happen all over just like GAC and then WDW may take even stricter measures making it a much worse situation for those who need it.

 

[tarak]

Just to clarify what I've learned about DAS:

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child needs to loop on a certain ride or rides and they get a loop pass.

Someone can go to Guest Services and say their child can only stay in the park 90 mins for example and they can get a front of the line pass.

I have read the above. I just want to make sure I am correct.

As for the emotional woman on Youtube, why didn't she just get these for her son?

I'm not getting this at all from what I've read and seen on the internet. One woman (Autism Hippie) got 33 fast passes for the Great Movie Ride. Based on what I've seen of her videos, I can only speculate that GR wanted her gone. Another blogger (****************) posted a video where she was given one set of extra fast passes for her family. I haven't read of an instance where someone said they got a FOTL pass because they could only spend 90 minutes per day in a park. Granted, I haven't looked at every forum and blog where this is being discussed.

 

[jerseygirl81]

I came on this thread to get an update on how things were going with the new DAS. We are going to Disney World in 3 weeks our DS22 is autistic and loves everything Disney. We have vacationed to Disney yearly for 10 yrs and I have never heard of looping, although my DS does have things he does repetativly this isn't one of them. So much attention has been shifted to this because of the woman who posted the videos. There are many other dissers with disabilities and many with family members with disabilities who would also like to know how it's going without having to read through all the crankiness. We intend to go to Disney and use the DAS because that is what Disney says my son is entitled to, and I don't feel the need to explain to anyone who hasn't spent a day in his shoes. And if vacations to Disney still works for our family then we will continue to vacation there regardless of what anyone else may think! I'm hoping that this thread does not get closed at other dissers will come on with updates on how the DAS is going! Linda

 

[NYDisneyKid]

I bet this thread has the world record number of posts on this board

 

[OurBigTrip]

I came on this thread to get an update on how things were going with the new DAS. We are going to Disney World in 3 weeks our DS22 is autistic and loves everything Disney. We have vacationed to Disney yearly for 10 yrs and I have never heard of looping, although my DS does have things he does repetativly this isn't one of them. So much attention has been shifted to this because of the woman who posted the videos. There are many other dissers with disabilities and many with family members with disabilities who would also like to know how it's going without having to read through all the crankiness. We intend to go to Disney and use the DAS because that is what Disney says my son is entitled to, and I don't feel the need to explain to anyone who hasn't spent a day in his shoes. And if vacations to Disney still works for our family then we will continue to vacation there regardless of what anyone else may think! I'm hoping that this thread does not get closed at other dissers will come on with updates on how the DAS is going! Linda

If you want information on how the DAS is working for DISers, I recommend that you visit the DISabilities board, where there are two threads, one for WDW and one DL, that have the information you're looking for.

I don't think anyone has said or implied that anyone shouldn't go to WDW, just that with very few exceptions, such as Wish kids, people shouldn't expect or receive preferential treatment, regardless of their disability.