Is GAC ok? About This Page:

[rocketman1321]

So I am a younger man, 24, and due to military adventures (as I like to call them), I have issues with long times standing. At times it gets so bad that I have to ride around in a wheel chair...as little as I possibly can. I hate using assistance and feel like I don't have a right to use things like this but sometimes the only way I can get a full day of enjoyment is if I can get on and off of a ride so that I can quickly get to a nice place to take a break.
Is it ok to use a Guest Assistance Card? Also, how would I even go about getting one because I feel like there are people that are much more needing of this. This is why I feel like I don't know if it is ok for someone like me to use this. Any insight or help would be great!

[Pax]

Originally Posted by rocketman1321

So I am a younger man, 24, and due to military adventures (as I like to call them), I have issues with long times standing.

Full stop.

Firstly, GACs are for ANYone who has an issue that might interfere with enjoying the parks in an ordinary manner. So are the ECVs and wheelchairs. We've got pictures of me in a wheelchair for our day at EPCOT, and do you know why I was in it?

A blister.

Okay, a monster blister almost a full millimeter deep, bad enough that my choices were "wheelchair or spend the day in my room at POP, bored out of my skull". But still ... a blister. Not "military adventures".

Secondly, you served in uniform, and that's where your issues come from? Well then, you EARNED that GAC, period!!

I [...] feel like I don't have a right to use things like this [...]

You have the right. You have TWICE the right of some, in fact.

Also, how would I even go about getting one because I feel like there are people that are much more needing of this.

GACs are not in short supply. If Disney found that every single one of the , say, 40,000 people to visit the MK one day all needed GACs? They would issue 50,000 GACs, with a smile and a sincere wish that each and every guest had a wonderful, Magical day. No lie.

As for where you get one? Guest Services in each park, any CM can direct you there. Explain your issues, and what sort of accomodation(s) would work best for you - like, say, being able to sit and rest somewhere while your companions wait in the normal line (they then show your GAC to the CM at the ride gate, they go and fetch you, and you all ride together).


...


But, seriously, man. Military service? Injured (or some such) while in uniform and on-duty? You're probably more deserving of getting a GAC than some people are deserving of their ticket to even enter the park!!

[mechurchlady]

Pax covered almost everything.

The GAC is intended to help guests get the most of their vacation. More and more disabled folks are mainstreamed so that they have to wait in line just like everyone else. I do not like using my GAC but when it comes down to me climbing stairs then I use my GAC. There is nothing wrong with using GAC if it makes your life easier.

Use a scooter since you can walk a bit. Park while shopping and eating. I use a scooter because at the end of the day I am in so much pain that I barely get out of the parks at Disneyland. For me it has been food reactions that get me so tired and hurting that I cannot do much. Disney on both coasts will not ask why you need a GAC. They may ask questions to better help you get the proper stamps. Never be embarrassed to ask for help, nothing wrong with a little help so you can enjoy the parks.

[SueM loves WDW]

GACs are not given out based on who earned or deserves one, so please don't feel like you need to prove anything about that.
It is strictly on needs. Anyone who has needs related to a disability can go to Guest Relations to request a GAC.
They will ask some questions - these are so they can give advice or offer assistance based on your needs. Not all types of assistance are available at each attraction, so you will probably find the GAC does not always work the sane way.

You may also find a touring plan is helpful. Many people find a good touring plan is more helpful to them than a GAC because it can help in ways a GAC can't - to example avoiding the busiest attractions and busiest parks/parts of a park and knowing what to see when to avoid the longest waits. Im not saying not to get a GAC, just to also use whatever tools there are to help you have the best trip.

[OneLittleSpark]

I have issues with mobility but I am able to walk. I use a scooter while I am there and it's a god send. I scoot from attractions, restaurants, and shops, park and then walk in. It makes it easier as I find I can walk around the shops or in the lines at the rides, but not from ride to ride.

As far as the GAC goes, I agree with everything everyone has posted thus far. Enjoy your trip, you deserve it!

[Sunshine Family]

Originally Posted by rocketman1321

but sometimes the only way I can get a full day of enjoyment .....

Exactly! The GAC is there to help make your trip as magical as anyone else's trip. If you need help, via the GAC, then that's why it's there.

We traveled last year for the first time with a GAC and the first time with a person with special needs. Having the GAC is about making your trip do-able. Without the GAC, our vacation would have been a nightmare. Check out my trip report in my signature from Sept 2010 - I go into full detail about why we have the GAC, and then also had Stitch in a wheelchair. And the difference it made to us and how it saved our vacation.

Also, to side track a bit - you didn't go into details about your military adventures. So I'm going to make some huge assumptions here and assume that you also have issues with loud sudden noises? Search this forum for PTSD, that's what Stitch has.

If you would like more specific advice, just post here or drop me a message. We'll all help in anyway that we can.

[rocketman1321]

Wow, there are some really good replies and I am starting to think about things I have not yet thought about! I appreciate the input as it helps the thought process out a lot. I think that I am going to try to go without the GAC card as I know that if I used it I would feel awful about using it. I guess I will just take it slow. I don't need any "help" I guess I just generated a sense of "I can do it myself" over the years. I will ponder on it some more but it is nice to know that the card is there if I absolutely need it. I am just worried about the crowds (which is why we booked in OCT). When I am crammed in a crowd, I get very uncomfortable and nervous. I never thought about the "Loud noises" What all would be included in this? I mean I hear what you are saying as this may stir up some things. The last time I went, we didn't have any of my current issues so this will all be a new experience for the both of us. My favorite things at all of Disney is Indiana Jones Stunt Show! What kinds of things should I be thinking about/looking for in order to not have an "incident?"

Thanks so much for all the feedback and the sensitivity as this is a very uncomfortable topic for me to talk about!

[DopeyGirl]

One thing you can do is try without for one day and see how you do. You can always go back and get one any time during your trip if you find that it might be beneficial to you.

DH has anxiety issues as well when it comes to the crowds and has been known to go into a full-blown panic attack at the drop of a hat, yet he has this "pride" thing about him (it's a military thing. I know it all too well as I have it too. ) and he has flat out REFUSED the last few trips to get the GAC. After our recent trip to Disneyland, though, he told me that he really feels that it would be better for him next time, if for nothing else but peace of mind and the option of assistance if he needs it.

In my mind, when it comes to folks with disabilities of ANY kind, seen or unseen, no one person/disability is more deserving of the GAC than another. Everyone deserves the right to a great trip and help if they need it!

[Mystic]

Originally Posted by rocketman1321

Wow, there are some really good replies and I am starting to think about things I have not yet thought about! I appreciate the input as it helps the thought process out a lot. I think that I am going to try to go without the GAC card as I know that if I used it I would feel awful about using it. I guess I will just take it slow. I don't need any "help" I guess I just generated a sense of "I can do it myself" over the years. I will ponder on it some more but it is nice to know that the card is there if I absolutely need it. I am just worried about the crowds (which is why we booked in OCT). When I am crammed in a crowd, I get very uncomfortable and nervous. I never thought about the "Loud noises" What all would be included in this? I mean I hear what you are saying as this may stir up some things. The last time I went, we didn't have any of my current issues so this will all be a new experience for the both of us. My favorite things at all of Disney is Indiana Jones Stunt Show! What kinds of things should I be thinking about/looking for in order to not have an "incident?"

Thanks so much for all the feedback and the sensitivity as this is a very uncomfortable topic for me to talk about!

Take it from someone who has just gotten back and ended up getting a GAC days from the end of her trip. I should have gotten one at the start and I will be getting one at the start of my next trip.

The reason I got the card in the first place is I have a lower back issue that gets aggravated by standing in really long lines for extended periods of time. It can also get aggravated by certain attractions like Space Mountain. Well, one night we got in line for Space Mountain and the stand-by line was listed as being 30 minutes in length. That wasn't the case. Turned out it was actually over an hour long wait and then I was seated in the very back seat of the back car, well that just did my back in after the 70 minute wait. The next day at Animal Kingdom my mom and I got to talking about ways to help ease the pain in my back when I mentioned about looking into the GAC and we decided to stop at Guest Relations on the way out of the park and I got myself a GAC for use for the remainder of our stay. I simply explained to the cast member that I had lower back problems and it caused issues when I had to stand in lines longer than 30 minutes and when I was seated in certain parts of the ride vehicles. She asked me if I needed a wheelchair and I told her that I didn't because I was actually better off if I could continue to keep walking. She came back with a GAC, good for me and my mom, that was labeled to allow us to use the alternate entrance for the attractions and explained that I simply had to show it to the cast member at the attraction entrance and they would direct me to the appropriate entrance.

I didn't use this for every attraction, so I never felt like I was 'cheating the system'. I only ever used it when the lines exceeded 30 minutes in length or if we intended to ride Space Mountain, so that I could ensure that I was seated in the front seat. I think we used the GAC less than 10 times in the last 3 days that we were at the parks, which was the total amount of time that we had it.

We have every intention of getting the GAC again next year when we head to WDW due to the issues with my lower back.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by rocketman1321

I think that I am going to try to go without the GAC card as I know that if I used it I would feel awful about using it.

Better idea: get the card, but only use it if you really feel you need it. Because, you know, "just because it's in your pocket, doesn't mean you have to fish it out".

Look at it this way, too: it will be better to have it, and discover you didn't need it after all ... than NOT have it, push yourself a bit too hard, and be in too much pain to enjoy the rest of the day.

Thanks so much for all the feedback and the sensitivity as this is a very uncomfortable topic for me to talk about!

I can well imagine; being in the service makes one very focussed on self-reliance and "carrying one's own weight" - so suddenly finding yourself with an issue that makes you less than 100% self-sufficient and even prompts you to need someone else's help, is bound to be uncomfortable.

Still, as I say all too often: better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

[PamelaK]

First and foremost, THANK YOU for your military service.

Now that I have said that, let me share my experience with you. My daughter is 15 and looks completely physically fit. In every day life she does not use a wheelchair or show any signs of having a genetic physical disability. However, long days at the park bring out a limp and sore legs with a vengeance. So, for long days of walking, like those at WDW, she uses a wheelchair. When her school choir went to Six Flags this past year, she took her wheelchair with her. While it was a surprise to her friends, everyone completely understood once she explained that she has a disability. She gets a GAC when we go to WDW, but she doesn't always use it. Only when she feels that she really needs to.

My boyfriend, has Acute Social Anxiety (Social Phobia), Generalized anxiety, Major Depression, and OCD. He also gets a GAC. For him, being in the middle of a large crowd without a way to escape sends him into major anxiety attacks. We go in November so that there are fewer crowds. He uses the GAC when the lines are so long and crowded that he feels he would not be able to wait without having an anxiety attack. This year we are also taking he new service dog. That, alone, may curb the majority of his anxiety attacks, but having the GAC to allow him a less crowded place to wait is the biggest help of all at WDW.

The GAC does not grant you an instant ride. You will have to wait, sometimes longer than going through the regular queue. However, you will have the option of waiting in a less crowded area. For my DD, when she doesn't want to use her chair that evening, this means that there is room for her to sit on the floor if need be. For my boyfriend, this means that he is separated from the main crowd and he is closer to an exit if he needs to leave.

I hate using assistance and feel like I don't have a right to use things like this but sometimes the only way I can get a full day of enjoyment is if I can get on and off of a ride so that I can quickly get to a nice place to take a break.

You are a guest a WDW. That alone gives you the right to ask for a GAC. You were wounded in some way through your service to our country. That also gives you a right to a GAC. The portion of your statement that I bolded and italicized is the whole reason that Disney offers the GAC's in the first place, so that their guests can ENJOY themselves.

[Laughaholic]

Thank you for your service!!

In addition to the GAC, if they are available, there are courtesy wheelchairs at some attractions that you can use while you wait in the line if you feel that you need one for only longer lines and not the entire day.