What Park Did You Get Your GAC In?

[rosegirl]

The GAC really helped us. We tried to use FP if available, but the GAC is really a godsend for those whose health conditions don't allow them to stand in really long lines or in the sun. Disney is very accommodating, for which we were extremely grateful. I cannot say the same for Universal.

 

[zaksmom]

Got ours at International Gateway in the back of EPCOT. No line. No problem. Good for three months. Made our trip do-able.

Funny story last trip. Probably an isolated incident. Toy Story Mania - we got fast passes. Went back to ride. When we got to the point in the line where they look at your fast pass and let you pass through the gate, the CM said "do you have your Guest Assistance Pass?" The Fast Passes weren't out in my hand as I was pushing my son's wheelchair. I asked "do he have to have a GAC to ride the wheelchair car?" And he said "yes." (We had one, but Dad had it in his pocket and didn't want to ride this ride...also I thought not necessary for this ride.) He said he would let us go through anyway. Really a nice guy. I told him I thought that just having a wheelchair and not being able to transfer would allow my son to ride. He said no. I just went on up the ramp, a little confused. Great ride. Great accessibilty.

I got confused/stressed and never said "will these fastpasses get us on the ride?" Senior moment! He seemed so certain that without his kindness letting us go through (and I did appreciate him letting us through after standing in line!) we couldn't have ridden Toy Story Mania.

 

[brekin67]

Got ours at International Gateway in the back of EPCOT. No line. No problem. Good for three months. Made our trip do-able.

Funny story last trip. Probably an isolated incident. Toy Story Mania - we got fast passes. Went back to ride. When we got to the point in the line where they look at your fast pass and let you pass through the gate, the CM said "do you have your Guest Assistance Pass?" The Fast Passes weren't out in my hand as I was pushing my son's wheelchair. I asked "do he have to have a GAC to ride the wheelchair car?" And he said "yes." (We had one, but Dad had it in his pocket and didn't want to ride this ride...also I thought not necessary for this ride.) He said he would let us go through anyway. Really a nice guy. I told him I thought that just having a wheelchair and not being able to transfer would allow my son to ride. He said no. I just went on up the ramp, a little confused. Great ride. Great accessibilty.

I got confused/stressed and never said "will these fastpasses get us on the ride?" Senior moment! He seemed so certain that without his kindness letting us go through (and I did appreciate him letting us through after standing in line!) we couldn't have ridden Toy Story Mania.

You got a GAC card for 3 months? I thought they were only good for the duration of your trip.

 

[Hook's Girl]

You got a GAC card for 3 months? I thought they were only good for the duration of your trip.

Annual Passholders can get a GAC for a longer length of time.

 

[cheryterese]

This thread was very helpful.
Thanks!

 

[lucas]

My mom has emphysema and inclines are very hard to impossible on her. But, she can walk fine - just has trouble with inclines and stairs.

The only thing I am really worried about is Soarin'. There are a lot of inclines up the waiting line - and I believe exiting is like that, too. Even the entrance to The Land is uphill. Would she be eligible for a GAC for this one ride? Is there there a separate entrance or anything like that that would help her? I really want her to experience Soarin'!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The normal and offical response from Guest Relations related to mobility and/or stamina is the recommendation that a person rent a wheelchair or ECV. And there is no alternate entrance or exit for Soarin' anyway.

 

[lucas]

The normal and offical response from Guest Relations related to mobility and/or stamina is the recommendation that a person rent a wheelchair or ECV. And there is no alternate entrance or exit for Soarin' anyway.

ok - thanks for the info

 

[SueM in MN]

My mom has emphysema and inclines are very hard to impossible on her. But, she can walk fine - just has trouble with inclines and stairs.

The only thing I am really worried about is Soarin'. There are a lot of inclines up the waiting line - and I believe exiting is like that, too. Even the entrance to The Land is uphill. Would she be eligible for a GAC for this one ride? Is there there a separate entrance or anything like that that would help her? I really want her to experience Soarin'!!

There is no other way to get into the Land or, once you are in the Land, to get into Soarin' that do not involve walking up the inclines. If she is concerned about walking up there, the only way to avoid the incline would be to use a wheelchair or ECV.
She may want to consider using an ECV or wheelchair for certain things (like going in lines that are long or inclined) and park it and walk in to others.

 

[travelitis]

Soarin doesn't have wheelchairs, but several rides do have them for guests to transfer to for ride entry when an ECV can't go through. You may want get a wheelchair for Epcot and to ask guest relations for a GAC that says she can't do stairs for when you tour the other parks. It is also possible they would allow her to use the wheelchair entrance and transfer her to a wheelchair at attractions that have them (That may be up to the CM's at each ride, requiring you to ask each time.) I'm thinking particularly of Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Pirates all which have difficult queuing areas for her. Just explain her abilities and disability as you did here. I've seen many people with GAC's allowing them to use the "alternate entrance" or wheelchair entrance who were not in chairs but were walking. It doesn't hurt to ask.

In the end, she may need the chair, but there is something to be said for having independence, so if she can walk well and really prefer to avoid a chair as much as possible, I would ask if Guest Services could help. I really think that the key is to ask the CM for their help rather than saying that you need a GAC with X, Y, and Z and to keep the requests reasonable. What you're asking sounds very reasonable to me. They may say to get a wheelchair, but I think it could go either way. Good luck to you!

 

[SueM in MN]

I am closing this thread because it is quite old.
The question the last poster answered was asked in 2009!

These older threads sometimes pop up under the 'related threads' or in searches when a date isn't specified. I don't want to get 2 pages of helpful people posting advice for a trip that was actually taken more than a year ago.

Also, at WDW - for Splash Mountain, guests with wheelchairs and who need to avoid stairs wait in the regular line until the point of the stairs. At that point, there is a gate marked with a wheelchair and those guests follow that path to a waiting place by the exit.
For Pirates, guests with wheelchairs wait in line with everyone else. There are no stairs in the line, but there are some (not very steep) declines. Pirates does have loaner wheelchairs available for guests who need to leave their ECV or personal wheelchair outside of the attraction, but can't walk the distance.
Most WDW attractions are Mainstreamed - which means the regular line is wheelchair accessible - so there are very few with wheelchair entrances.