GAC card About This Page:

[sarahk]

My daughter is special needs, although you wouldn't know it to look at her. I have seen alot of you talk about a GAC card. What is it and how would we get it? Do we have to qualify for something? Thank you so much!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

HI, Welcome to the group.
A GAC is a Guest assistance card. It is something to alert cast members to special needs a guest may have to help them.
Check this thread to get lots on info about them & their use..
Special Assistance Pass Tips- Information on Guest Assistance Cards

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by sarahk

My daughter is special needs, although you wouldn't know it to look at her. I have seen alot of you talk about a GAC card. What is it and how would we get it? Do we have to qualify for something? Thank you so much!

Hi there! Sounds like you are planning a trip to WDW? Can you tell us a bit about your daughter's special needs so we can have a better idea how to answer your question?

[sarahk]

My daughter has neurofibromatosis as well as severe scoliosis. She is five and wears a back brace 22 hours a day. She is easily fatigued and experiences pain in her back,neck and hips. We are bringing her special needs stroller and wondering how to make this easier for her. Thanks for any advice you may have.

[Christine43]

She'll be able to use alternate entrances for the stroller and stay in it.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by sarahk

My daughter has neurofibromatosis as well as severe scoliosis. She is five and wears a back brace 22 hours a day. She is easily fatigued and experiences pain in her back,neck and hips. We are bringing her special needs stroller and wondering how to make this easier for her. Thanks for any advice you may have.

I see. Thank you for getting back to me. I am so sorry to hear that your daughter is facing some challenges. Luckily, she has a proactive Mom like you to help her out!

I've never seen your daughter, so I'm not sure exactly what the needs are. Do you know if she has type 1 or 2? Like any illness, you just deal with the symptoms that are there. If she has pain in her back, neck, and hips, I'd be VERY cautious with any ride with a warning. Even the safari, which seems like it is just a bus ride, can be pretty bumpy.

I'm not sure if she has siezures, which can sometimes develop. If so, watch for seizure warnings, usually they are on attractions with flashing lights.

I am sure you will have a magical time! Disney is so accommodating for special needs, and they really make people feel special!

[sarahk]

Thank you Sandy. I was impressed that you were so aware of her condition. She has had petit mal seizures and has NF1. Do you think that we should get the GAC card or do you think that we wouldn't need it? I don't want to take advantage, but it would be helpful to push her all the way up to the beginning of a ride. You are obviously very knowledgeable of all things Disney, do you know if there is something extra special we could do for her? We have already done BBB and CRT. She has had a tough year and we go to Boston for her medical care, I just want to make it great for her. Thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate it!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Sarah,
I would suggest getting a GAC.
I feel it is better to have it & not need it then to need it & not have it..........

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by sarahk

Thank you Sandy. I was impressed that you were so aware of her condition. She has had petit mal seizures and has NF1. Do you think that we should get the GAC card or do you think that we wouldn't need it? I don't want to take advantage, but it would be helpful to push her all the way up to the beginning of a ride. You are obviously very knowledgeable of all things Disney, do you know if there is something extra special we could do for her? We have already done BBB and CRT. She has had a tough year and we go to Boston for her medical care, I just want to make it great for her. Thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate it!

If she has seizures, you might want to avoid certain attractions (Spaceship Earth and Space Mountain come to mind) because of the strobe. If I recall, I think the new Mexico might have a strobe...does anyone else recall?

Yes, definitely get a GAC. They can tag the stroller to have the same access as the wheelchairs so you can push her all the way up to the attraction. If the transfers are too much for her (we want to save the energy for the good stuff!) ask ahead to see which attractions have cars that you could push her right up to.

I would look into the Open Mouse because there are several different chapters that would be helpful, I'm sure. If your daughter's vision is involved, there is a whole chapter on that as well.

THere are a million extra special things to do at Disney. Here is a number you can call to arrange something special. Give a Gift | Walt Disney World Resort They have a nice video on this site.

Which resort will you be staying in?

[sarahk]

We are staying at Beach Club Villas. I love it there and you can't beat the pool. Thank you, Sandy. I appreciate all of your help. Do you know if the staff at the Sandcastle Club is equipt to deal with my daughter's needs?

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by sarahk

We are staying at Beach Club Villas. I love it there and you can't beat the pool. Thank you, Sandy. I appreciate all of your help. Do you know if the staff at the Sandcastle Club is equipt to deal with my daughter's needs?

OH, I'm so glad to hear that! That pool is the best for a relaxing soak!! (The shallow one, NOT the lazy river that gets very deep.) The water was SO warm when I went there. That would be just what she needs.

Call ahead and make the staff at the Sandcastle Club aware of how they can best help your daughter. You can have her OT make a "cheat sheet" of tips to give them. In the past, I heard that parents of special needs kids carried beepers, but I'm not sure if that is done any more.

[SueM loves WDW]

Originally Posted by sarahk

I don't want to take advantage, but it would be helpful to push her all the way up to the beginning of a ride.

Getting assistance for a disability is not taking advantage - it is getting what you need to level the playing field.
Most attractions are actually wheelchair accessible through the 'regular' line, so you would be using the regular line and not doing anything different than other guests (other than using the stroller in line).

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

If she has seizures, you might want to avoid certain attractions (Spaceship Earth and Space Mountain come to mind) because of the strobe. If I recall, I think the new Mexico might have a strobe...does anyone else recall?

There are actually NO attractions that have warnings for seizures and there are no attractions that have actual strobe lights.
Spaceship Earth had a tunnel with sort of pulsating fluorescent lights (not really strobe lights). These are no longer there since the attraction was renovated about a year ago.
Space Mountain is currently under renovation, so not sure what it will be like when it is done. It did have some lights your ride car went by quickly (which meant some flashing), but not a regularly occurring flash.
Maeslstom at Norway in Epcot has an irregularly pulsing light at the beginning. My daughter has not had any seizures after being on that attraction, but she does not like the light and usually puts her head down.
Near the end of Buzz Lightyear, there is a 'tunnel' with a movie going on all around you. THat includes different colors that flash by you.
Some attractions have a single flash as your picture is taken, but that doesn't cause problems for most people.
Here is something I posted on another message board:
Epilepsy
Most people think of strobe lights when they think of seizures, but most people with seizures don't have any problems with strobe lights.
WDW doesn't actually use any lights that are technically strobe lights (i.e, fast, regular flashes of light) and they do not have any warnings for seizures and/or strobe lights on any attractions. Where they do have flashing lights, they are always irregularly flashing, which is a different situation.
Most true strobe lights flash many times per second, but slowing to 5 flashes per second or less means that the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would have a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.
Good article from the Epilepsy Foundation about epilepsy and lights/photosensitivity.
This is something to talk to your doctor with, but in for most people with epilepsy, the lights at WDW won't cause any problems.

Things that are very important to be aware of are sleep deprivation, dehydration and getting off schedule with medication. All of those things can lower the seizure threshold (how easy it is for a seizure to occur). It's very easy to get off schedule or forget medication while on vacation. One things we have found that helps with this is to actually use an individual dose medication container and an alarm (on our phone or iPod) as a reminder for medication times.

If the transfers are too much for her (we want to save the energy for the good stuff!) ask ahead to see which attractions have cars that you could push her right up to.

Depending on the type of stroller you have, it may or may not work in the wheelchair accessible cars. Some special needs strollers are too low and some are too long.
You would be able to push the stroller as close as you need to most ride cars to make the transfer as easy as possible.

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

In the past, I heard that parents of special needs kids carried beepers, but I'm not sure if that is done any more.

I am not sure, but I think all parents get a beeper.
If not, if you have a cell phone, that would be a good number to leave for them.

[travelin n scrappin sara]

You DEFINITELY want the GAC card, there is usually no strollers allowed in the Land building in Epcot, so even with the GAC Guest Relations will have a large looped sticker to put on the stroller marking it as a wheelchair......trust me you will want this! There are other situations that are similar. The CM's will tell you no strollers until they see the sticker, then they immediately assist you with the easiest way to get where you want to go. All of the CM's have really been helpful to my dd2-which is another reason we keep going back to WDW, it is our favorite vacation spot.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by SueM loves WDW

There are actually NO attractions that have warnings for seizures and there are no attractions that have actual strobe lights.

most people with seizures don't have any problems with strobe lights.

the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would cause a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.

for most people with epilepsy, the lights at WDW won't cause any problems.

.

WOW, Sue! Very thorough research!

The Open Mouse is where you can find information on which attractions have lights which may cause problems.

Just in case someone on my watch is the 5% of the 3-7% who MAY have photosensitivity triggers for seizures, I like to make people aware of the possibility.

Flashing or flickering lights can be a concern for some people, and if you are one of them, the research for those who don't have a problem really doesn't help you very much!

Also, while flickering lights may not trigger a full blown seizure, they can cause headache, dizziness, and nausea, which is not magical at all!

I personally know someone who has sensitivity from unusual flickers including light through the trees while cars are driving. My supervisor from my old job had been having headaches and nausea for weeks, and when she had the flickering bulb overhead replaced, she was fine.

But let's get back to the original topic of the GAC!

[travelin n scrappin sara]

the info about the flickering lights etc is also good to know. My DD in addition to her other issues does have seizures and I am always on the lookout for things that may trigger her..... There is just a wealth of info here Thanks everyone!
Sara