Autism issue

[mrbump]

Hi

My family and I are going out to Orlando next Easter. There'll be 6 adults and 2 kids (one with autism). Can you let me know how you got on with getting the quest services. Did you get a note from the GP or use a DLA letter for proof. The national autistic society don't issue anything as proof and I know that we'll need something.

many thanks

mrs Bump

[Susan Veness]

Hi mrbump, and Welcome to the ATD forums! :)

I have moved your post to its own thread so that it won't get lost in an unrelated thread. This way you will get more answers to your question as your post will not be overlooked. :happy-thumb

[LeonieM]

Hi, Mr Bump - and welcome to another parent of an Autistic child!

My daughter is 14 and has Asbergers.

Yes, get a letter from your doctor saying that your child is Autistic and has trouble waiting around with a risk of disruptive behaviour, and you'll get a pass from Disney no problem.

They will give the whole party a pass (one single pass, not one each) and it will last the duration of your holiday.

We also went to Universal Guest Services and told them about her problems, and again got their express pass tickets (one each this time) - but that's only valid for one day, and if you go again, you have to queue up again.

But seriously, they don't question and are more than happy to give you a pass. My brother reckons that giving out a handful of passes is nothing when you consider that Magic Kingdom can have 34,000 through the gate on a single day!

[FLORIDA MAD]

My daughter who is also 14 has Aspergers.
As Leonie says, ask your doctor for a letter, stating that they have Autisim and how it affects them. we had no trouble at all with Disney. It really was a life saver. Shannon doesn't cope well in crowded areas for too long.

[adie55]

MY son is autistic and the guest pass helped so much,we were not looking to jump queues just alittle help when required,CMs were really good!:happy-thumb

[mellymouse]

My son has SID (Sensory Integration Disfunction) along with congenital heart defects, muscle tone problems, asthma, low immunity etc, etc.........we have used guest services in DLP for a 'blue ticket' - but thought it wasn't a possibility in Florida last year.....so we ploughed on with it regardless. He isn't classed as autistic but he does hold a UK blue badge. He was 'told off' in Orlando last year on a number of occasions by CM's for swinging on the ropes etc....part of the SID.
Can anyone offer any advice on this please??? Would he be entitled to a pass of any kind to help us all cope with the situation even though he isn't autistic?
I hate to take things he isn't entitled to and felt a bit guilty in DLP when we were able to 'skip' queues to a degree.....but it really did help to make his (and our) life easier.
Would his blue badge be enough proof of his need??? Where do you get the passes from in WDW/Universal? He's not in a wheelchair but his 'complete' medical picture entitles us to the blue badge.
Any advice please??

[Susan Veness]

If you feel most comfortable getting a doctors letter, it certainly won't hurt, but it won't be necessary, either. Disney does not require a doctors letter for a GAC (Guest Assistance Card), but if you have the letter that's fine too. :happy-thumb

[LeonieM]

To get your passes, you just go to Guest Services. In Disney this is any of the Guest Services desks in any of the parks. At Universal Islands of Adventure, Guest Services are just after you go in on the right, in one of the first buildings you come to. At Universal Studios, it's a window just after you go in, on the right, in front of the large building there.

None of the parks seem to ask for any ID or proof. My brother expected to have to show them his leg, but they didn't. Obviously they want to respect people's privacy in that respect.

Plus, of course, on the general scheme of things, when you consider how many tens of thousands of people they get through their gates every day, giving out a dozen or so free passes is no skin off their teeth.

[Susan Veness]

giving out a dozen or so free passes is no skin off their teeth.

I just wanted to add a quick comment to this, since it is a topic that is often misunderstood by people who have not used a GAC in the past (LeonieM will know, as she has used them, but it might confuse others :) )

The Guest Assistance Pass does not count as park admission, nor does it get you 'front of the queue' access. It only allows the person who needs it and (usually) one other family member access to a special waiting area. Then, when the rest of the family reach the front of the regular queue, they all board together.

This general system has variations, of course, depending on family size, need, etc. But in general, please be aware it won't cover park admission and it won't give you front of the queue access.

[LeonieM]

I just wanted to add a quick comment to this, since it is a topic that is often misunderstood by people who have not used a GAC in the past (LeonieM will know, as she has used them, but it might confuse others :) )

The Guest Assistance Pass does not count as park admission, nor does it get you 'front of the queue' access. It only allows the person who needs it and (usually) one other family member access to a special waiting area. Then, when the rest of the family reach the front of the regular queue, they all board together.

This general system has variations, of course, depending on family size, need, etc. But in general, please be aware it won't cover park admission and it won't give you front of the queue access.

In our case, it acted as fast passes for our entire party and all of us were channeled through the fast pass entrance to each attraction. There was no queueing involved, although obviously fast passes do not entitle you to immediate access - ie you won't be put in front of other fast pass holders. I just wanted to make it clear that they don't split your party up.

I suppose that if you have one person in a very large party they probably won't give the entire party a fast pass. However, Disney asked how many there were of us and just wrote the number in the party on the ticket. Universal just gave every member of the party their own fast pass ticket.

I've not heard of instances where they've let some people through to wait in one place and made the rest of the family queue up in the normal queue. That's not to say it doesn't happen - it just surprises me that they might do that.

[Susan Veness]

That was certainly the standard proceedure for the past several years, so it's new to me at least, to hear they're using the FastPass lanes. Some attractions are not set up to accommodate wheelchairs through the queueing area, so they can't 'FastPass' you through. Some queues have been changed over the years, some have not, so perhaps they are trying the FastPass queue system in some cases.

It also depends on why you are using the GAC. Wheelchairs may have a different system to, say, a child who does not do well in crowds. So I guess the answer to that is, you may encounter several different ways of waiting, depending on the attraction. But one way or another, it's not a 'go to the front of the line' card, as many people believe.