Now I am confused

[Twinkletoes77705]

O.K. I had asked a question about my son being in a wheelchair and lines....etc. I did not want him....or my other child to miss the "pre shows" is what i call them. I was told by someone on here that they had mainstream lines in the "que areas". Not sure what this means but I took it as we get to go through the line too. Yet a friend of mine that also has a child in a wheelchair said you have to go to the office when you get there and get a pass and you go in through a different line. Just a little about my son...he can walk a litte.,but not too far. he has prosthesis on both legs...which is no big deal but he is also blind and autistic. So standing in line for a long time is absolutly out of the question for him. Any ideas on this or more detailed suggegstions?

[chrisb26]

Hmm I haven't heard about that special pass. I do know that most of the lines are large enough for the wheel chair to go through. The ones that are not they usually let you in the exit of the ride. However these rides that you do go in the exit dont really have a preshow. I also know certain rides like the Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland have a special line for people in wheelchairs and it leads up right to before the preshow area so that you will still be able to view it. I hope this helps. You shouldn't have any problem viewing the preshows :mickey:

[Pirate Granny]

We had to register at Guest Services at Disneyland Paris...they gave us a pass and allowed three other people to go with the wheelchair...that way they controlled the crowds who by-passed most of the lines. A great system and I think better than what you see in Florida...we watched one family switch seats in the wheelchair at each ride...hummm... We had my dad in a wheelchair in florida and the only by-pass line was the haunted mansion where you go in the exit door...we did that also at the PoC, but the line area is big enough to wheel through and we put the wheelchair in the last row in the boat.

Have a great trip.

:pirate:

[Twinkletoes77705]

Thank you al so much. It is called a GAC card witch lets the CM's know what limitations and needs you have....in my case it is my child. I found out there are ALOT of parents that have autistic kids that have the same problem with the kids going into meltdown if they are around too many people or have to wait too long. that is one of the reasons we chose to go in January. I just want my other son to be able to see the (pre show/ride) stuff. being that Jarroth is blind also....I do not think he would mind missing it. But I guess I could let dad go in the main part of the stuff and me in the other. i am just thrilled I am able to bring them this time. I have heard from others that kids with autism sometimes come out of their shell...so to speak...while at Disney. If any of you have a child with autism or know one that went I would love to know how it went. Im kind of nervous in a way.

[Main Street Jim]

Yep, you got it. It's a Guest Assistance Card. Just stop by Guest Relations at either your on-property resort, or at the first park you go to, and it will be good for the length of your stay and the number of guests in your party (up to 10). if you don't want to miss the preshows, just ask the Cast Member out on front of each attraction, and they'll be glad to point you in the right direction. :thumbsup:

[Twinkletoes77705]

Thanks :hug:

[MsMin]

My dad can't walk very far and I think the only ride that you miss anything (that we went on) was the Haunted Mansion. I've never brought an autistic child but I have worked with many (mostly supervising CNA's) and I would imagine the most difficult thing will be transitions since many children with Autism do not transition activities very well. Remember transitions are most often easier in the a.m. than late p.m. Make sure he gets lots of rest b/c when he's tired he will have less ability to cope. Try to let him lead your activities to some extent e.g. take a break when he needs to and don't push him into something that is real scary. The fear factor will also vary by age and prior experiences. Prep him as much as possible.
Time of year and crowds will also be a factor. Try to go when the crowds are down and the weather is not unbearable if possible.
:pixie: for you plans and trip.

[robyn221]

Hi Twinkletoes,

My son also has autism. Our family went to WDW twice in 2003, when my son was 6 yrs old. The first time was in late February/early March (Mardi Gras). I didn't know about the Guest Assistance Card (GAC) then, but park attendance was low enough that we never really had to wait too long for rides or other attractions.

Because of a family wedding near Orlando, we got to go back at Thanksgiving that year. By then I had heard about the GAC and we picked up one at guest services in MK our first day in the parks. The crowds were huge and we had more than a few meltdowns. The GAC was a blessing because we still got to do some of the rides, particularly the ones that were our son's favorites. With the card we were allowed to go through the FastPass entrance or through an alternate entrance. Sometimes the CMs would move us to the front of a line, but mostly we got to wait in a less crowded area, which was a big help. WDW encourages groups with a member with a disability to make use of the FastPass system as much as possible and only use the GAC when it is needed.

There is a great book that came out within the last year or so called Passporter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs which I strongly recommend. This is a very comprehensive and very well-researched book, containing information on touring WDW with conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, obesity or diabetes, or other "special needs" such as special dietary needs like vegetarianism or certain allergies. There are also other sites that provide very good information on this issue. PM me and I will be happy to send you the addresses.

As per how being at WDW affected my son, we'd also noticed some very positive changes in his socialization, coping skills, cognition, and his communication after both trips. His teachers also noticed the differences when he went back to school as well.

One more thing -- Let me also use this as an opportunity to toot Magical Journey's horn. My husband & I are planning a surprise trip for our daughter's birthday in September. I decided this time to use a travel agent and contacted Magical Journeys. On the quote request, I indicated that we had a child with autism and so I was assigned to an agent, Wendy, who has a background in special education. She was able to make a lot of very good recommendations for our package that would make sure everyone, especially our son, had the best trip possible.

Hope this helps and I hope you guys have a great trip. Again, please don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions.

Robyn:mickey:

[garymacd]

We had to get a pass once, and once only. That was several years ago. You can get them at Town Hall as you enter MK. The pass allows you to use the wheelchair entrance on rides. Some rides like Snow White, Pooh and Peter Pan the wheelchair entrance is near the exit, which is right near the main entrance and there is no pre-show. On Haunted Mansion, the entrance is near the exit, but you don't miss the pre-show, just the cemetary. On Big Thunder Mountain, the exit is the wheelchair entrance, but, again, there is no real pre-show to miss.

All the other parks are newer and the queue areas were imagineered, in most cases, to accomodate wheelchairs, ECV's and walkers, so no pass is required.

Wheelchairs do not give you a fast pass to by-pass the lines, you will still have to wait.

As I said, we only needed this pass once several years ago. We have not required it since. Do you need one? Most people don't bother, but if you get challenged by a CM, at least you will have it. Check at Town Hall when you get there.

[Twinkletoes77705]

You guys are great. I am very excited! I know we will use fast pass ALOT....in fact it is a must fro us with my son. I am just excited we will get to see the pre ride stuff!!!!

[monkeycity]

I just have one quick suggestion to add. I just finished with a summer course in child psychology, and this kind of issue was addressed.

There have been some studies done on the use of Social Stories in aiding in transition. A Social Story is a story that is specifically geared toward a new event (your visit to Disney) that includes specifically your child.

For example, "First thing in the morning, (Your child's name here -- very important!) Johnny and his family will board the monorail." On that page is a picture (drawing) of a monorail with Johnny and his family drawn in. "Next, he will get to enter the main gates." I realize that this could become tedious, as Disney is huge, and it compounds if you plan on visiting more parks, but it might be worth a try. You could put Fantasyland on one page, Tomorrowland on another, etc.

This little book should be read by Johnny and someone in his family several times before visiting, and especially the day before. By the way, the use of Social Stories has somewhere around a 95% successful transition rate. :thumbsup:

Most of the time, kids with those kinds of special needs only need to be fully aware of what's going to happen and what the surroundings will be like. That way, they can mentally prepare for it. It's a little like pre-prep. It might be worth a try. And, it would be so much fun talking about the trip!! An added benefit: parent-child communication. :mickey:

[Twinkletoes77705]

that is a VERY good idea. I know alot of people from another baord say thay get pictures of the rides etc. for their kids to see. Jarroth on the other hand is blind and it would not work. Just a note....@ school they do this but it is his calander to let him know what day it is...cotton balls for monday...fingernail file for tuesday...so on. Also for his classes thay do the same. It is called a sensory chart. It took a while for him to not meltdown when he touched it. But he loves it now. I might take your idea and bend it to fit his needs. THAKS....GREAT SUGGESTION!