kwhitt3202
12-30-2009, 10:15 AM
I was so confused with all the different storys I had heard about the GAC. Let me start by saying we have a wonderful bright and caring 4yr old son who was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF), senceory deprovation, inpulse control issues, and a brain tumor. All the above makes for a very interesting day. Never a dull moment :). We go to WDW at least once a year for the last 8yrs. In 2008 we had several melt downs and at that time he was only diagnosed with NF. Since that trip we have added to our list of doctors and therapist think the total is 7 doctors and 5 therapist. All that to say what we were dealing with before heading to "Mickey's house".
We had arrived and decided to go to EPCOT and went to guest relations and showed a cast member a letter we brought for one of DS doctors. He went to the back and when he came back out he gave us a red paper card with two stamps one saying use alternative entrance and the other is that the stroller = wheelchair and a tag for the stroller that said stroller = wheelchair.
At every ride entrance we showed the card and was either told to go to the FP entrance or wheelcahir entrance(when there was no FP). Yes we recieved some dirty looks and some coments that were lets just say they were :secret:. We even encountered a couple cast members that were less than jolly and one of the I could no longer bite my tounge and told him he could come with me all day and deal with the melt downs and DS kicking, biting, and hiting him if he wanted to he changed his tune then. We did encounter some very wonderful cast members that went out of their way for us. Some did ask politly what was wrong with him he looks so normal and most were in shock when we told them.
We could use the card for rides and shows and take the stroller with us to the shows which was a wonderful thing becase his stroller was his safe place while we were there. Also could park the stroller in the wheelchair section for parades. We could NOT use the card for skiping lines at character greetings and meals. For thoses who have children with some of these issues you know that it ends up working out ok because the little bit waiting on characters you can coral and entertain your child enough to keep from having a melt down.
Our tone for this trip was different than any other. DH and I used our tickets for FP for the rides we were not going to take DS on or the ones he did not want to go one. We let DS tell us what rides he wanted to ride and when he was ready to go back to the room. There was a couple rides DH and I got FP for and DS decided he want to ride so we gave those FP to people that jumped out at us.
There are different kinds of stamps that can put on the GAC card its self. This was our story with the stamps on our card.
We had arrived and decided to go to EPCOT and went to guest relations and showed a cast member a letter we brought for one of DS doctors. He went to the back and when he came back out he gave us a red paper card with two stamps one saying use alternative entrance and the other is that the stroller = wheelchair and a tag for the stroller that said stroller = wheelchair.
At every ride entrance we showed the card and was either told to go to the FP entrance or wheelcahir entrance(when there was no FP). Yes we recieved some dirty looks and some coments that were lets just say they were :secret:. We even encountered a couple cast members that were less than jolly and one of the I could no longer bite my tounge and told him he could come with me all day and deal with the melt downs and DS kicking, biting, and hiting him if he wanted to he changed his tune then. We did encounter some very wonderful cast members that went out of their way for us. Some did ask politly what was wrong with him he looks so normal and most were in shock when we told them.
We could use the card for rides and shows and take the stroller with us to the shows which was a wonderful thing becase his stroller was his safe place while we were there. Also could park the stroller in the wheelchair section for parades. We could NOT use the card for skiping lines at character greetings and meals. For thoses who have children with some of these issues you know that it ends up working out ok because the little bit waiting on characters you can coral and entertain your child enough to keep from having a melt down.
Our tone for this trip was different than any other. DH and I used our tickets for FP for the rides we were not going to take DS on or the ones he did not want to go one. We let DS tell us what rides he wanted to ride and when he was ready to go back to the room. There was a couple rides DH and I got FP for and DS decided he want to ride so we gave those FP to people that jumped out at us.
There are different kinds of stamps that can put on the GAC card its self. This was our story with the stamps on our card.