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.

[peemagg]

Just be aware that even if you have the GAC, you might end up waiting longer. The GAC is not a front of the line pass. The only people who get that are Make a Wish Kids.

Something that might be of more use to you is a "stroller as a wheelchair" tag. With this your child can stay in a stroller and go threw the lines in the stroller. This will give the child his own space and a way to hide from the crowds if he needs to. It would also help conserve his energy for other things.

Also a lot of parents with children with Autism have found that a good touring guide works better than the GAC for them. Between the touring plan, and fast passes, many have found they don't need a GAC.

[Mickey'sGirl]

I completely agree with peemag.

Both of our sons are Autistic (our eldest is 12 and has Aspergers and our youngest is 6 and is a high functioning Autistic). We have successfully managed the parks 11 times with them using a good touring plan and making use of Fastpasses and Early morning EMH. We also let our sons plan activities, and discuss our plan of attack beforehand. We have found that good preparation (and some ) is the key to great DisneyWorld vacations. We have never used a GAC.

I hope you have a great holiday!

[BrerGnat]

Since your son is only 5 and you are bringing the stroller AND he tires easily, I'd also agree with asking for the "stroller as a wheelchair" designated GAC (this is something you have to specifically request). Having a comfortable, familiar space to wait will probably help him out. He can stay in the stroller while you wait. You won't have to park it. AND, you can take it inside attractions that are marked "no strollers" (like the Land pavilion), because it is a "wheelchair".

I think you will find that very helpful if you can also figure out a way to entertain him IN the stroller during the attraction waits. Something like an ipod, nintendo DS, Leapfrog, etc. can go a LONG way to minimizing stress during waits. My son at 5 could stay occupied with my ipod touch (and all the little kid apps and tv shows, movies, etc. loaded onto it) for over an hour if I needed.

Also, look into finding some sort of "fidget" toy for him. My son carries around a toy called "Tangle Jr." It's a little plastic toy that he can manipulate for sensory input. It calms him down and gives him something to focus on when he's stressed. You can find this is specialty toy stores or on Amazon. We also used Silly Putty as a fidget on our trip. It's great because it allows a lot of sensory input without being messy at all. It's like Play Doh without the mess.

And yes, having a GAC does not mean you will never wait more than 10 minutes for a ride. We routinely waited 10-15 minutes for Spaceship Earth when the standby line was the same length. We just got to wait in a separate room, with a place to sit down.

We also only used our GAC when really necessary. We've been taking our kids to Disneyland since they were born and have NEVER used a GAC there. We had to break down and get one at WDW, though, because the unfamiliarity of it all was really causing our son a lot of stress, and increase in behaviors that made it very difficult to manage him. We find the Disney parks a wonderful tool in teaching about waiting patiently.

Like Jennifer, we also use lots of rewards (ice cream, small toys, etc.) to motivate our kids, and keep them happy.

[dntccc]

Our son has ASD. When we went to WDW last year, we brought a letter from his doctor. When we went to guest services to get a GAC, they told me they could not take the letter due to HIPPA laws. With the GAC, for the most part, if a ride had a fastpass entrance, we were told to use it. If it did not, then usually we were directed to the exit to enter the ride.

[disney323]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I didn't even think of using "stroller as wheelchair" option. I'll let you know what we end up doing.
Thanks!~

[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.