Asperger's (autism) pass for lines?

[disney323]

I've heard it mentioned that guest services gives you a pass to all rides that allow you to minimize wait times if you show a dr.'s note. Our 5 year old son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in July and we have a trip planned for October. There is no possible way he would be able to wait in a line more than 10 minutes long. He tires very easily (we're bringing a stroller). I also heard though that they were doing away with those passes and only using them on "severly disabled" people. I think that sounds wrong but wanted to know if anyone had any experiences.
Thank you!

[Strmchsr]

The card you are referring to is known as the GAC (Guest Assistance Card). You can inquire about it and pick one up at Guest Services. As for doing away with it, haven't heard any rumors about that.

[Disney1977]

My cousin's son also has Asperger's and at my urging he obtained a GAC card from Guest Services in September 2009. My cousin thought it was a great help to his family.

Please do not hesitate to bring your doctors letter and get a GAC card.

Have a great trip.

[magicofdisney]

I personally know of a family that request a GAC for their visits even though they do NOT have a disability in the family. They only use it for fast access. If there's any truth to this rumor, it's because of this sickening abuse.

[disney323]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to get a letter from his pediatrician as well as his therapist and hopefully we'll be all set!

Geena...that is terrible that the family you know does that. Sorry to hear that. Terrible!

[BrerGnat]

You don't need a letter or diagnosis. It's actually against the law for Disney to ask for this type of thing. If you bring it, they will not even look at it.

What you need is a clear idea of WHAT SORT of accommodation the child needs. There are different kinds of GACs and saying "my son has Asperger's" will get you nowhere. Explain to the CM that your son has an autism spectrum disorder and due to that, he has problems with (fill in the blank).

For our son with Autism (High Functioning), he has issues in indoor/enclosed (dark) lines, and "cattle chute" lines, where they snake around and around, and he is completely surrounded by people. He gets claustrophobic and has anxiety attacks/meltdowns. So, we told the CM that. He gave us a pass designated for his particular issues.

So, do some thinking about WHAT exactly makes it difficult for your son to wait in line, and be ready to articulate that to someone else.

You will only have to do this once during your trip. The GAC will have your departure date on it so you can use it for the entire duration.

[violet_yoshi]

I recently visited WDW, and have Asperger's Syndrome. It seems some of the cast members are incompetent with dealing with people with special needs. This guy at the Toy Story ride yesterday sent me into an anxiety attack, because he insisted on getting into my personal space. First joking,"Is there something wrong with your nose?", then after seeing me make this face O_O, going after me about it even though my mom told him I didn't like it. It's almost as he saw I was insecure, and targeted me.

Is WDW screening employees for mental issues? This guy seemed to enjoy bullying, even dancing around when a group of kids came back, saying "Oh my God you're alive!" He seems to be the kind of bully that gets away with it, by framing it as joking around. Guess he didn't get his power trip, making a child cry, so he thought he'd pick on me.

I also think people with anxiety disorders should be able to skip lines, as it seems many people don't know how to behave in them. I almost got hit by someone pushing someone else in a wheelchair, and then saw the same guy doing a wheelie with it in line, completely unconcerned about hurting others. Is it going to take cameras, or extra cast members to babysit these hooligans in the lines? They may say people with Asperger's Syndrome don't understand social skills, but I know not to jump around and act like an animal in lines, seems plenty of NTs lack this skill.

Aside from those two issues, everything was great. The cast members all seemed new, and lacking in understanding their job. I understand it's the holidays, but is it too much to ask a new cast member is trained well enough not to give wrong directions, or say "Umm" for a minute when asked something? It's almost like they're just hiring anyone that breathes.