Your opinions please!

[travelitis]

The Question: Should I get a GAC or not? I know if you want to park the ECV and walk some you can get one, but is it necessary? I don't want to abuse the GAC, so would it be reasonable for us to get one then not use it unless we have to? I also don't want to have to back track in the middle of the day to
get one.

The Situation: I already had a walking disability but have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (very painful), chronic fatigue syndrome, and possibly osteoarthritis in hips and knees. My 10 yr. old son has daily, persistent abdominal pain from IBS. We've been trying for a year to get him out of pain through diet and medication, but he hurts more than he doesn't, sometimes to the point it's debilitating. I'm very sensitive to cold (temps below 70), and we're touring in Nov. I'm hoping we can tour without major disruption from pain, but it has been a major disruption in our lives for several months. We look totally healthy, except for medical I.D. on 8 yr. old (asthma).

 

[JudithM]

My advice - GET THE GAC! Get two GACs - one for you & one for your son. You can get a GAC near the park entrance, so better to get one when you enter the park than to learn later you need one. Explain to the CM the circumstances & explain what you think you would need.

You don't have to use the GAC everywhere, but you will have it if you do need it. It is like my handicapped parking permit. I have it, but I don't always use it.

 

[SueM in MN]

It's worth it to ask about a GAC, but going in November, you may find you don't need it at all because the crowds are not going to likely be there. DH, DD and I were there one year in September and didn't even bother with trying to get a GAC because the waits were so short.
They may say that your needs can be taken care of by having the ecv, so you don't need a GAC. I'd suggest you stay in line with the ecv since you will be able to use the wheelchair entrances (avoiding steps, etc.) with the ecv. It would be easier to walk in shops and restaurants since they are kind of tight. The CMs make the decision of whether or not someone qualifies for a GAC, so anything people write here may not be what happens in WDW. If your son will be with you all the time anyway, I don't think I'd try for a GAC for him. It would be difficult to explain why he needs a GAC and how one would help him in a way that the CMs will understand. (Just my opinion - you can always try).

 

[travelitis]

I should mention that we're going over Thanksgiving week and that sitting on hard surfaces is very painful, and most rides have hard seats. Sometimes I have to stand to reduce the pain which is why I want the option of getting out of the ECV. I feel better that neither of you has said I shouldn't ask for a GAC. I'm so used to being one of those people suspected of abusing the ECV that I've even wrapped an ankle to get people to stop glaring.

 

[SueM in MN]

You probably will find it more busy over Thanksgiving than a differnt time on November, but we have been to WDW the last few years over Easter and have still not needed to use our GAC that much. By using fastpass and watching which rides have long rides for their slow times, you can avoid a lot of waiting in line (For example, if you go to Spaceship Earth in the early morning, you will find at least a 1 hour wait. If you wait until afternoon, you may be able to walk right on).
You might want to bring a thin cushion for the ecv seat and the hard ride seats. I don't know if they would let you use it on thrill rides, but I don't see why you couldn't just slip it under you on the other rides and the stadium seating type shows.

 

[Talking Hands]

I have fibromyalgia, diabetes, and osteoarthritis myself. Get the GAC and use it when needed. Also take a pad to sit on if you need it. Those seats can be really hard.
Thanksgiving probably won't be that chilly. Mid 70s at the lowest. Enjoy.

 

[JudithM]

A thought for anyone using an ECV & probably a wheelchair, too ... the dark color seats get quite warm in the Florida sunshine. I usually bring a bath towel from the hotel room to cover the seat & back.

 

[travelitis]

Thanks for the replies and for the suggestion about taking a cushion. That's a great idea that hadn't occurred to me. We're diligent about crowd and line avoidance. I hate to go up the exit of a ride packed with people and look like a line-jumper. We love FP and use it as much as possible. I was hoping that we might find some FP lines that are moving so well I could get out of the ECV and go through the regular line.

Talking Hands, thanks for speaking up. It's good to hear from someone with fibromyalgia. You know about the pain and how debilitating it can be. I'm going to stop fretting about it and get a letter from my doctor. If I don't use the GAC but get it, it's no inconvenience to anyone.

 

[SueM in MN]

Even if you never use it, it helps to know you have a GAC that you can use in case you need it.
If you do walk in any lines, ask the CM before if there are any things (like steps) in the line that might be a problem for you. Most of the fastpass lines are wheelchair accessible, but Splash Mountain has stairs and rhe queue for Test Track has a long area that is ramped upward. There might be other obstacles that I'm not thinking of right now. Also, if you need to have the moving walkways stopped or slowed for you, you will need to board at the exit (wheelchair entrance), so you'll need a GAC for that if you are walking in.

 

[travelitis]

After a mild outing today consisting of a 30 min. self guided walking tour of a ship followed by a 30 min drive and an hour of shopping I was really out-of-commission. I think my delusions of walking part of Disney are just that coupled with denial. I'd thought there might be a medical fix to make me feel "normal" again, but there isn't a quick answer. No pill or hip surgery is going to make it go away. At this rate just getting in and out of the ECV and helping navigate my kids through the parks is going to be all I can do. Just being around the constant noise is draining, so if I go on sensory overload maybe a GAC will allow me to wait quietly away from the "noise, noise, noise, NOISE!" (quoting the Grinch). Just needed to vent a bit in an effort to spare my dh.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Venting is allowed and welcome on this forum, so don't feel bad about it.

You will find that ECVs can be maneuvered in most stores, although sometimes it is difficult. The off-site rentals are three-wheelers, as compared to the four-wheelers Disney rents; the three-wheelers are very easy to steer.

By the way, November 29 and 30 Roy Disney will be narrating Candlelight Processional (all shows). If you have never seen it, this is the time.

 

[SueM in MN]

Even whining is OK here, so go ahead.
One thing you might want to bring (and I'm not kidding) is a pair of ear plugs to dampen the noise sometimes. The lines are not that noisy, but the rides have constant music or other noises/sound effects. If you find that you need to just get away from everything and go somewhere quite, unstressful and dim, First Aid is a good place to lie down and just get yourself recharged.

 

[travelitis]

Thanks! I didn't know there were places to lie down at First Aid. I hadn't really thought about it, but my ds might need that also. I have to lie down 2-3 times per day although by so doing I got through yesterday with no pain meds. That is progress!

Earplugs are also an idea worth considering. Did you ever see the movie, "Amadeus"? The king says that the human ear can hear only so many notes, so cut some out. That's how I feel. I can handle the noise if I find ways to escape it, but I get cranky from it. I do need to be able to hear my family talk to me, though, so I can help my dh with the kids. Combine my light sensitivity with pain and the noise, and I'm wiped out!

I confess I'm a little concerned about driving an ECV while taking
a narcotic. It's a safe bet I'm going to need pain meds at WDW and don't want to run into other people including my own kids. I will need to alternate between the ECV and walking to reduce the pain. It's a catch 22, that will result in people glaring at me thinking I'm a cheater. Maybe I should take a cane.

There are so many health issues I could face that are more challenging, and I'm thankful for what I have. This pain has made me remember to be thankful for scrubbing the toilet, doing laundry, and all the other tasks I was hating so. I know what it's like to live in a wheelchair (did that 3 mos - no standing or walking), and I'm so thankful I'm not facing that.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think you do what you need to do to get thru the day. I do think I would see what effect the narcotics have on you before driving the ecv, the same as driving any motor vehicle.

It's a catch 22, that will result in people glaring at me thinking I'm a cheater. Maybe I should take a cane.

As for other people, you can't control what they think, so don't even worry about it. You've probably seen me post this comment before, but it needs repeating:
YOU are the only one who knows what your needs are. Other people will judge. you can't control or stop it.
I've heard people comment that my DD must be "cheating" when they see her sitting on a bench, with her legs crossed, swinging her foot. They assume that just because someone can get out of a wheelchair or can walk a little , that there is no disability. In my DD's case, she can't do much with her legs besides swing them. She can't stand by herself, or get up or even cross her legs, but once she gets her legs crossed, she can swing her leg just fine. If someone wants to judge our needs by one little speck of information in less than 5 minutes of our day, they are foolish (and some other words that I think the word filter would not let me type) and not worth my time to worry about what they think.