used both universals new gac and disney`s during the worst crowd week ever

[aaarcher86]

How does the GAC handle long FP lines? I read of some 30+ minute FP lines last weekend, do the GAC guests still use the FP line or do they use the exit? Even when I was there in early December when it was slow I had a few FP lines that had a 5-10 minute wait (TSMM and Soarin), what do you do if you or your child has anxiety attacks around people?

The current DAS? People go through the FP line. If those are 30 minutes then they'd have to wait in that line.

 

[Mrsjvb]

How does the GAC handle long FP lines? I read of some 30+ minute FP lines last weekend, do the GAC guests still use the FP line or do they use the exit?

why should a GAS guest be allowed to skip even the FP entrance? again it was never a FotL pass, nor should it ever be considered as a way to circumvent lines at all. the new system just 'moves' the line someplace else.

FTR on those rides I am sent directly to the exit in my wheelchair, I often sit there for a good 20 minutes before the CM notices me( or is able to break away and let us in)

if you need instant gratification/ride access with no wait on several rides boom boom boom, then pay the money for the tour that has the CM escort you to the FOTL on every attraction.

 

[Coonhound]

Frankly it sounds as if you want your children moved ahead to the front of the line.

 

[CoasterDadof2]

why should a GAS guest be allowed to skip even the FP entrance?

Reading this thread, and just finishing up a holiday week Disney trip. This statement is one that I find interesting, and one of the big flaws of the new DAS. If we just waited our 110 minutes, for a 120 minute line, why should I have to wait in an additional FP+ line? Ran into this situation a lot during these busy weeks.


Happy new year to all!

 

[Viva Las Disney]

why should a GAS guest be allowed to skip even the FP entrance? again it was never a FotL pass, nor should it ever be considered as a way to circumvent lines at all. the new system just 'moves' the line someplace else.

I think you misinterpreted what I was asking. I know they don't get a FOTL pass but the whole purpose of the GAC is to help guests who have a disability that prevents them from standing in line.

With the GAC they are already waiting the same amount of time as everyone else, just not in the actual line, like Coasterdad said if they end up waiting in a 30 minute FP line after they have already waited for their time slot they are now waiting longer than those going stand by.

Having to wait in a long FP line not only makes their waits longer than the standby line but defeats the purpose of the GAC which is to help those who can't physically wait in line.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I think you misinterpreted what I was asking. I know they don't get a FOTL pass but the whole purpose of the GAC is to help guests who have a disability that prevents them from standing in line.

With the GAC they are already waiting the same amount of time as everyone else, just not in the actual line, like Coasterdad said if they end up waiting in a 30 minute FP line after they have already waited for their time slot they are now waiting longer than those going stand by.

Having to wait in a long FP line not only makes their waits longer than the standby line but defeats the purpose of the GAC which is to help those who can't physically wait in line.

Unfortunately, that's the price to be paid for being able to do other things while everyone else is standing in an hour long line. The DAS clearly states that the holder may have to wait longer.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

The current DAS? People go through the FP line. If those are 30 minutes then they'd have to wait in that line.

No that is incorrect. They give you a return time with 10 minutes taken off.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

Wrong quote

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

We'll just have to agree to disagree on what the purpose of the accommodation is. I don't know how you long you are able to stay in the parks, but regardless of how long it is, 3 hours or 10, you shouldn't be able to experience any more attractions in a given time than someone that doesn't have the DAS.

I have to totally disagree with you because we pay the same price. If there was an option to pay less because we can't experience what you and your family can then I would agree. Disabled accommodation is clearly defined in ada laws. I suggest you look it up to understand this more because clearly you are misunderstanding.

 

[OurBigTrip]

No that is incorrect. They give you a return time with 10 minutes taken off.

They don't take any time off of the FP line time - that's what aarcher is referring to.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I have to totally disagree with you because we pay the same price. If there was an option to pay less because we can't experience what you and your family can then I would agree. Disabled accommodation is clearly defined in ada laws. I suggest you look it up to understand this more because clearly you are misunderstanding.

There is nothing in the ADA that mandates that the disabled should have privileged access, and being able to experience twice as many (or more) attractions is a given period of time is privileged access.

Using your logic, anyone that goes during an extremely busy time at the parks should pay less, because they won't be able to experience as many attractions in a day as someone that attends during a slow time of year.

As I said, we'll agree to disagree - I'm not going to change your mind, and you certainly aren't going to change mine.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I think this post is a good example of why the old GAC was abused. People were able to access the attractions more quickly than using stand by. Now that they are having to wait the same amount of time, they are unhappy. The average person in the stand by line can't go ride other things with short lines while they wait. We used the old/new systems in the same week - we were there the week it switched. We did get less done with the DAS but we were able to do as much as those without it. The DAS doesn't give special accomodations which is what the GAC commonly did and what US sounds like they are still doing.

 

[Gracie09]

I have to totally disagree with you because we pay the same price. If there was an option to pay less because we can't experience what you and your family can then I would agree. Disabled accommodation is clearly defined in ada laws. I suggest you look it up to understand this more because clearly you are misunderstanding.

The Ada requires access. That is what Disney provides. It does not require that everyone regardless of disability get to ride the same amt of rides.
My dd1 can't deal with the beach. She has this sensory issue that mean the sand and heat put her in a complete meltdown. She will sit on my lap on a chair and cry the entire time we are there. So we don't go. Is the operator in violation of the Ada because he doesn't remove all the sand because my dd can't go if there is sand. No. Sand in a integral part of a beach, even if it is difficult for some. Disney is loud, full of lights and people and lines. Lines are part if the experience. Disney can't remove them. There are simply too many people. So They make it so some don't physically have to stand in the lines. There are some people for whom Disney will never be a good vacation choice especially on the busiest week of the year. Just like a beach vacation will never be a good choice for my dd.

 

[aaarcher86]

Reading this thread, and just finishing up a holiday week Disney trip. This statement is one that I find interesting, and one of the big flaws of the new DAS. If we just waited our 110 minutes, for a 120 minute line, why should I have to wait in an additional FP+ line? Ran into this situation a lot during these busy weeks. Happy new year to all!

That's what FP holders have to do. Get a FP, wait, and then go through the FP line. The. Ingest difference is that you get a time based off the current wait time and depending on the ride my return time could be 6 hours from the time I get to go back.

I really don't see waiting in the FP line as extra. Anybody in the FP line will be waiting twice.

 

[aaarcher86]

No that is incorrect. They give you a return time with 10 minutes taken off.

I was referring to the user coming back from their wait and waiting whatever the FP line time is in the ride line.

Regardless, there's really no way for you to compare what you get done based on an average family. Someone with a toddler may do 2 things in 3 hours before leaving. Someone with a teen could go all day. Someone else with a disability may only be able to ride certain rides that have long waits. A pregnant person pays the same amount and doesn't do much. No ones two experiences are the same.

It's up to you to determine if the amount of things you can get done is worth the price you're paying. The DAS allows you to do things during your wait, be it a ride, meet a character, people watch, etc. That isn't something the average guest can do. The week you chose to go, no one is doing much of anything.

 

[PatMcDuck]

There is nothing in the ADA that mandates that the disabled should have privileged access, and being able to experience twice as many (or more) attractions is a given period of time is privileged access.

Using your logic, anyone that goes during an extremely busy time at the parks should pay less, because they won't be able to experience as many attractions in a day as someone that attends during a slow time of year.

As I said, we'll agree to disagree - I'm not going to change your mind, and you certainly aren't going to change mine.

I have to agree with you here, and my son used a GAC, and will likely use the DAS as well. The GAC DID make it possible for us to go on more rides in a shorter period of time than the average guest. (And yes, we only could stay in the parks for 2-3 hours, much less than the "average guest" as well. I understand that feeling, that most special needs guests cannot tour all day or night).

Now, we need to seek out the less busy times to visit the parks. Like everyone else. To be honest, with the GAC, we did not really have to worry about the parks being crowded, except for the difficulty pushing wheelchairs in crowds there. That was then, this is now. We will adapt.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Interesting info on Universal, I have not taken my special needs son there in a long time. (last time I took him there, we stayed onsite and had the FOTL pass from the hotel anyway- it is the only way we tour Universal).

While I understand that the 30 minutes no wait option is useful, Disney allows 3 FP+ done in advance, standby lines, and the usual FP- to be obtained while waiting for the return time to come around, which Universal does not offer.

It has also been several years for us, mainly because of the lack of any accomadation. We did not stay at a onsite hotel and it was impossible to stand in the direct sun and 99*s, with no offer to wait in the shade until line went through either.the abled persons could do the attraction and different abled had to miss it. This was at IOA, not US.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Reading this thread, and just finishing up a holiday week Disney trip. This statement is one that I find interesting, and one of the big flaws of the new DAS. If we just waited our 110 minutes, for a 120 minute line, why should I have to wait in an additional FP+ line? Ran into this situation a lot during these busy weeks.


Happy new year to all!

well if you used a normal FP( or even FP+) you'd run into the same thing.. pick up a time to return 2 hours later, arrive and the FP line is 30 minutes long. no different than having a GAS with the same wait. again NO DIFFERENT than any able bodied person who waited the same amount of time to ride the same exact ride

 

[Mrsjvb]

I have to totally disagree with you because we pay the same price. If there was an option to pay less because we can't experience what you and your family can then I would agree. Disabled accommodation is clearly defined in ada laws. I suggest you look it up to understand this more because clearly you are misunderstanding.

bull twinkies. if that were the case everyone and their mother would have an excuse to pay less: Oh, Suzy doesn't like the scary rides so her ticket should be less, and Junior won't get in line to see a character to he should pay less too.. oh yeah and we never watch the parades so we should all pay less.

I am in a wheelchair and cannot ride many of the rides.. ToT, RRC, Matterhorn, Everest. should I get a discount? Uhh NO. I also do not ride the carousel( although I'd ride the tea cups all day long) or stick around for the parades or fireworks. It's one price for everything whether you utilize one aspect or all. if that annoys you then perhaps you need to sell your DVC membership and find an alternative method of vacationing that works for your family.

ADA does not mean we get preferential treatment. it means they must try and gives us the same level of access.

 

[buffettgirl]

I have to totally disagree with you because we pay the same price. If there was an option to pay less because we can't experience what you and your family can then I would agree. Disabled accommodation is clearly defined in ada laws. I suggest you look it up to understand this more because clearly you are misunderstanding.

I think you're the one who is misunderstanding what is required under ADA.

How do you actually know what a 'regular' family does? Especially during the busiest time of year? Especially if you've never gone without a GAC?

When I was there at Christmas, every line was over 2 hours long and we had to stand in those lines. Fastpasses were gone within a few hours of the park being open. If we got a fastpass for anything, the FP lines were sometimes close to 30 or more minutes long. 2 or 3 rides and we were done.

I think you're really making a HUGE assumption as to what 'normal' park touring looks like for most people.

The DAS is essentially giving you a fast pass on every ride in the park. Fastpasses that are not available to the rest of the public. I cannot go into the park at 6pm and expect to get on Soaring. You can take your DAS and get a return time. Even if that return time is 120 minutes away, you'll still get on. I cannot. While you're spending your 120 minutes doing something else I'm trying to explain to my kids why they will not ride Soaring on this trip at all. Then tell me who's kid loses out here?