**Help with disability ?'s**

[k1koala]

My friends 13 year old daughter has Cerebral Palsy, and this spring will be their 3rd trip going down to Disney. She uses a wheelchair because she can only go short distances with her canes. She also happens to be my daughters best friend they are wonderful together.
Anyway, she is concerned about how the new changes are going to work this year for those with disabilities, and hasn't really been able to find out much information
Is anyone here able to help me out? or has anyone had any experience or heard anything about how things are working now? I would appreciate any feedback that I can pass on to her as they are planning their visit.
Thanks!

 

[RandFamily]

You should check with the folks on the DISabilities board here. They are terrific and very helpful.

 

[k1koala]

oh sorry, thank you should have known there was one of them!

 

[KathyFP]

When you get to WDW - no matter what park - go to the Customer Relations. They will give her a Disability card. They will take her picture and record the dates for your trip and how many people are in your party. When you want to ride, you go to the the entrance and hand them the card. The have some calculation for your return time. The time will be less than the stand by. Like a FP. Then you come back any time after then time written on your card to the FP line. You can only have one "active entitlement" at a time.

Works very well!

I have heard that they are hesitant to give them to individuals in wheelchairs. We did not have a wheelchair so I am unable to speak from experience.

 

[k1koala]

I know there is an answer here some place, and I have tried skimming through the post but I just cant get a clear answer.
My daughter & I are going down this spring with her best friend who is in a wheelchair with Cerebral palsy. I guess when they went last year they had the card to get through the lines, and now things have changed to the GAC card.
With the changes, does this mean she will no longer be eligible because she doesnt have a "mental" disorder? Her mom is not really computer savy and does not visit these sites, and she is really concerned about the changes.
I dont want her to get down there and be surprised that things will be so different, and also not have any FP+ booked.
Thank you for any help or advice.

 

[k1koala]

Thanks KathyFP, thats kind of what I have been reading. I just dont want them to get there and be shocked. She has no choice with the wheelchair and is so unsteady/shaky that she cant even hold a drink. But it seems like its mainly for other disorders, which is kind of sad. I just want to be able to give her some information so they can atleast make sure they do the FP+ so they dont go in blindsided and have nothing for there planned days.

 

[jenniy122]

The old system was the GAC, it's now the DAS. If you read around here a bit you'll find people in wheelchairs having difficulty getting a card for anything else because CMs assume all their needs are taken care of by the chair. Read the sticky at the top of this board covering the changes and you can proceed from there.

 

[MaggieMollyMom]

The system is supposed to be designed to meet the needs of those with various disabilities. Even though the person may be in a WC, that person may or may not have additional needs which the DAS could help accommodate. From what I have read, some people have had success with getting a DAS card, while some have not. Those who have, I might speculate, have explained why their WC doesn't meet all of their needs, in an effective way. I think if you have the right attitude and go in knowing how to explain why having a wheelchair is not her only accommodation, you should be fine.

 

[Cyrano]

oh sorry, thank you should have known there was one of them!

No problem. I have moved your thread to this board

 

[SueM in MN]

Post one of this thread is information about the new disability information for WDW. (It is called Disability Access Service - DAS).
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3178976

Thanks KathyFP, thats kind of what I have been reading. I just dont want them to get there and be shocked. She has no choice with the wheelchair and is so unsteady/shaky that she cant even hold a drink. But it seems like its mainly for other disorders, which is kind of sad. I just want to be able to give her some information so they can atleast make sure they do the FP+ so they dont go in blindsided and have nothing for there planned days.

Guests have never needed a disability card to use a wheelchair or other mobility device in line or in attractions.
The DAS is for guests whose needs require more than just having their mobility device in lines.

 

[SueM in MN]

Post one of this thread is the FAQs about DAS.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3178976

My youngest DD has cerebral palsy, along with multiple other issues. She needs her wheelchair in lines/attractions because she can't walk. Just because someone has CP and uses a wheelchair doesn't mean they need a disability access card. Almost all attractions are accessible thru the regular line, so guests using wheelchairs or other mobility devices can access the attractions thru the regular lines the same as other guests.
For the few that are not accessible in the 'usual' way, the CMs can see the mobility device and will route the guest to the accessible entrance.

It really all depends on what the needs related to the disability are. If they are mobility related and using the wheelchair meets her needs, she would not need a DAS.
Since using her wheelchair only meets mobility needs and does not meet our daughter's other needs, we explained her needs to the CMs in Guest Relations and did obtain a DAS card for her.

Since there is another open thread by this poster, I am going to merge them together.

 

[Schmeck]

I know there is an answer here some place, and I have tried skimming through the post but I just cant get a clear answer.
My daughter & I are going down this spring with her best friend who is in a wheelchair with Cerebral palsy. I guess when they went last year they had the card to get through the lines, and now things have changed to the GAC card.
With the changes, does this mean she will no longer be eligible because she doesnt have a "mental" disorder? Her mom is not really computer savy and does not visit these sites, and she is really concerned about the changes.
I dont want her to get down there and be surprised that things will be so different, and also not have any FP+ booked.
Thank you for any help or advice.

Why won't she have any FP+ booked? Are you all staying offsite? I'd try to get an onsite booking if you can.

The DAS is to meet needs not met by using a mobility device. The guest (or parent) has to be able to clearly describe what needs are not met, what difficulties one would have, etc. The DAS is not based on a diagnosis. About the only thing it does is give a guest a return time to enter a queue, without having to wait in the queue. It's the standby time minus 10-15 minutes. It does not act like the bottomless FP the GAC was.

 

[k1koala]

Thank you everyone. I honestly do not know all of her issues. It is my daughters friend, and I have come to know her mom but I do not ask a lot of questions. She was just telling me about the situation, and I was trying to help. I know she freaks out with noises, etc. but do not go to many places with them except for like the movies. SO given that I do not know what her issues may or may not be, I really do not know if she would qualify. I know that she has in the past, but that again is up to her family and Disney when she gets there. I was just trying to find out what I could with what information I had.
They are staying on site, but I believe because of the way things worked before they were not planning on going to "usual" route that all of us do by planning out our whole day and using the new FP+ system. That was why I was trying to get what info I could to pass on to her, so that they were not surprised once they arrived.
Again, thanks for your help.