Is It True Disney Is Getting Rid of Guest Assistance Cards? - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Also remember that just because they are asking questions about why you need a GAC, it might not be to try to refuse you the accommadation that the GAC allows, but rather to make sure that you are getting the proper GAC that you need. I have personally been given two separate GACs, one that had a stamp of a wheelchair, and I can't remember for the life of me what it said on it, but had a lot of weird looks from CMs when I showed it to them (one even saying...why do you have this, you aren't in a wheelchair). The usual one I get is with the two arrows that asks them to provide alternate exit. If you explain clearly and calmly what acommodations you are looking for, it will only help your trip out in the long run.
Tim
The CM question about the wheelchair stamp shows the CMs don't understand how their attraction is supposed to work.
Someone who has a wheelchair or other mobility aide DOESN'T need a GAC to use whatever is the accessible entrance because the CM can see the wheelchair or other mobility aide and can see that you need an entrance and/or boarding area that is accessible.
The wheelchair stamp is for someone with a need that is NOT obvious. For example, someone with bad knees or a prosthetic leg may need to use the accessible entrance or boarding area to avoid things like stairs. Without a GAC with the wheelchair symbol, the CM can't tell from looking that guest needs to use it.
Not understanding what the wheelchair stamp is for is one of the reasons poorly trained CMs ask guests with wheelchairs for a GAC. That's when it's helpful to have one of the park maps for guests with disabilities which list the 'Mobility Entrances'. Showing that usually helps or if it doesn't, asking for a supervisor does and also ensures the CM will be corrected, so hopefully the same thing doesn't happen to the next guest.
I emailed WDW guest services a few days ago and asked them if they were planning to get rid of or change the GAC's. Here is the response I received:
Quote:
Dear Pam,
Thank you for your email regarding the Guest Assistance Passes available
at our theme parks..
The Guest Assistance Card is a tool provided at the Disneyland® Park,
Disney California Adventure® Park and all four Walt Disney World® Resort
Theme Parks to enhance the service we provide to our Guests with
disabilities. It was designed to alert our Cast about those Guests who
may need additional assistance. The intent of these cards is to keep
Guests from having to explain their service needs each time they visit
an attraction.
The Guest Assistance Card is available to our Guests with non-apparent,
special assistance needs (i.e., autism, heart condition, etc.).
Depending on a Guest's need, this card may provide a variety of
assistance. However, the intention of this card has never been to
bypass attraction wait times, or to be used by Guests with a noticeable
service need.
A Guest with a specific need for assistance can request a Guest
Assistance Card at any Theme Park Guest Relations location. To
accommodate the individual needs of our Guests, we ask that all Guests
discuss their assistance requests with a Guest Relations Cast Member
prior to the card being issued. The Guest Relations Cast Member will
discuss the available service options with the Guest and provide written
instructions for our cast on the Guest Assistance Card.
Guest service is our top priority and we are constantly re-evaluating
new opportunities for our Guests. As I have mentioned, all of our Theme
Parks in the United States offer the Guest Assistance Card. For more
information, you are welcome to visit our websites at www.WaltDisneyWorld.com and www.Disneyland.com.
Thank you again for your email and we look forward to future
opportunities to entertain you and your family.
Sincerely,
Pat Shanahan
Guest Services
Walt Disney World Resort
I emailed WDW guest services a few days ago and asked them if they were planning to get rid of or change the GAC's. Here is the response I received:
Great Post, Thank you!!!
I always take a copy of my son's diagnosis papers from his team of doctors when I go just so there is never any confusion.
It has been truly amazing over the years to see the progress he makes from a trip to WDW! Because of WDW he has been able to overcome so many sensory issues, and best of all he actually said his first complete sentence there!
__________________
I visit WDW for the peace and quiet, it's the only week each year that my kids don't fight and argue with each other!
The email you got in reply from WDW is pretty much the same as one someone I know received about a year ago when she asked if guests with wheelchairs, canes, walkers. etc. needed a Guest Assistance Card.
"Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.
We are pleased that you and your family will be vacationing with us and we appreciate your desire to make your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
The Guest Assistance Card is a tool provided at all four WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort Theme Parks to enhance the service we provide to our Guests with disabilities. It was designed to alert our Cast about those Guests who may need additional assistance. The intent of these cards is to
keep Guests from having to explain their service needs each time they visit an attraction.
The Guest Assistance Card is available to our Guests with non-apparent, special assistance needs. However, the intention of this card has never been to bypass attraction wait times, or to be used by Guests with a noticeable service need.
Guests with an apparent mobility concern, such as Guests using wheelchairs, canes, crutches, etc., or Guests with service animals, do NOT need a Guest Assistance Card. These Guests should be directed to follow the attraction entrance procedures for guests using wheelchairs, as outlined in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.
A Guest with a specific need for assistance can request a Guest Assistance Card at any Theme Park Guest Relations location. To accommodate the individual needs of our Guests, we ask that all Guests discuss their assistance requests with a Guest Relations cast member prior to the card being issued. The Guest Relations Cast Member will discuss the available service options with the Guest and provide written instructions for our cast on the Guest Assistance Card. The Guest will be directed to present the Guest Assistance Card to the Greeter or first available Cast Member at the attraction and await further directions for their experience."
Last year I took a doctors note to explain my problems,and CM didn't want to see it. not sure if they can with the way the laws are. but just talked to CM and had no problems. didn't use it all the time. just when things started to get bad for me and didn't want to leave early and ruin my daughters day.
Thing that helped me was just hanging out at the pool every other day and not being on my feet
__________________
"Raindrops taste like tears without the pain"
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Thanks Sue and Mom is fine.
I reported to a moderator the source of this story, someone posted that the GAC at DLR had been done away with a year or more ago. Nobody posted rebuttal so it just sunk into all the other posts unnoticed.
Hugs for Sue
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
Thanks Sue and Mom is fine.
I reported to a moderator the source of this story, someone posted that the GAC at DLR had been done away with a year or more ago. Nobody posted rebuttal so it just sunk into all the other posts unnoticed.
Hugs for Sue
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I visit WDW for the peace and quiet, it's the only week each year that my kids don't fight and argue with each other!
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