Need help! GAC question

[Stacey2grls]

Tomorrow I am taking my daughter for her six month checkup with her Developmental Pediatrician. She has SID. What exactly am I asking the doctor for? A letter that states her diagnosis? Does it have to be a formal letter, or is handwritten ok? Than where do I bring it in Disney? Thanks for any assistance!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

First of all, a letter from the doctor is not needed to get a GAC.

Secondly, if you do bring a letter, one which states a diagnoses is totally useless. The people at Guest Services don't care what is wrong, what they want to know is what are the needs. If the doctor does provide such a letter, be aware that one "need" that will not be honored is allowing front of the line access.

 

[Tissa]

When you get to Disney go to Guest Services in whatever park you are 1st going to and let them know what kind of issues and needs your daughter has. They will give you a card that will be good your whole trip. No need to have a doctors note.

 

[Michigan]

It is a violation of the American's With Disabilities Act to require proof of disability.

 

[SueM in MN]

The GAC does say right on it that it is not meant to shorten or eliminate the wait in line. What it is meant to do is be a tool that tells the CMs at attractions what sort of assistance is needed. As the others said, a GAC is not based on the diagnosis that your child has, but on the needs for accomidation she has.
Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different needs. My DD's main diagnosis is Cerebral Palsy (CP), but she has other issues in addition that make a GAC important for us. In her wheelchair dance class, there are 3 other young ladies with a primary diagnosis of CP who all use power wheelchairs. From what I can see in dance class, 2 of them would do very well as long as they had lines that were wheelchair accessible, but I know one of them has problems with heat/sun. The other girl would probably do very well with the waiting part, but would have a difficult time with the tight turns and small space in line.
So, even with the same diagnosis, there are 4 sets of needs.
Some people (especially with invisible disabilities) feel more confident with a doctor letter, although as the other posters mentioned, there is no need for one.

 

[Stacey2grls]

First of all, a letter from the doctor is not needed to get a GAC.

Secondly, if you do bring a letter, one which states a diagnoses is totally useless. The people at Guest Services don't care what is wrong, what they want to know is what are the needs. If the doctor does provide such a letter, be aware that one "need" that will not be honored is allowing front of the line access.[/Q
Cheshire Figment, thank you for your reply, but I was not implying that I would be going to the front of any line! I have never been to disney, so I was just curious how to go about this situation.

 

[SueM in MN]

Cheshire Figment, thank you for your reply, but I was not implying that I would be going to the front of any line! I have never been to disney, so I was just curious how to go about this situation.

I know that some doctors have written letters (or even prescriptions) saying that their patient needs front of the line access (even if the patient did not request that). I think that's what Cheshire Figment was referring to.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Sue, you are correct, as usual.

Mike