Vacation 2013 (Part 4) - Transition Day

Disneyland - Transition Day (Wednesday, October 9, 2013)

The big day, the big change to the GAC (guest assistance card) pass. We got up early, got through our routine and headed for California Adventure's Chamber of Commerce. We anticipated really long lines... there was hardly anyone there when we got there. That was good. There was a customer relations agent at every station. We went up and with a doctor's note in hand, told them the situation with the boys. Because of laws, it is illegal to ask what type of - disability a person has. They have a few standard questions which all boil down to: what happens when they stand in a long line?

So, we explained that our little ones have autism, that they cannot wait in a long line without having a meltdown, etc. So, they issued the DAS (Disability Access Service) passes:

Then they explained how it worked...

When you know which ride you want to go on, you go to one of the kiosks located in different areas of each park.

You present your pass and on the reverse side is a "worksheet" on which the attendant will note the time, wait time and subtract 10 minutes. Then write the time down that you can go to get on the ride. Similar to the fast pass they offer, only you go to a person and it's for all rides not just those that offer a fast pass. If there is a "problem" with the timing, we were under the impression that the customer relations person at the kiosk could adjust the time accordingly. Once you present your pass to ride, the attendant at the ride will cross off the ride, and you can get another ride put on your card.

We were very lucky that we were able to ride the rides the boy wanted early in the day, and the lines weren't longer than about 5 minutes. We didn't have to use the pass... at least not until the evening before we were about to leave. We headed to Paradise Pier to go on the Ariel ride for the last ride of the day and it had just reopened from being out of service. We stopped at the kiosk and were told it would be 20 minutes, after all there was actually a 30 minute wait time.

Our problem was that the boys had already seen the ride, The Little Mermaid. They didn't understand that they couldn't go right on it, and when the attendant noticed the boys start to get agitated she quickly asked if she could put "another ride" down, with less wait time. Another ride? Really? Not once did she offer to shorten the wait time, which we were under the impression she could do. So, in order to avoid a complete meltdown, we began walking back to our hotel room. Redirecting the boys attention the whole way.

This is our one experience with this new pass. My sister's family, of which my niece has Asperger's, didn't have as much of an issue, but she is able to understand and occupy her time until she's able to go on the ride.

Since we've gone to Disneyland I've read several articles that say the pass doesn't work and needs to be redone. The one thing I love about the pass, it puts the person's picture on it that it's issued to. The picture on the pass should reduce the fraud that's the cause behind the change. Other than that, there's definitely more work that needs to be done. In our case, as I suspect others have the same issue, it's rare for our boys to let us know they want to go on a particular ride before they see it.

From a mother's heart - I understand the need for a change at Disneyland, but since they are a leader that many businesses look to, how will this ultimately affect those on the spectrum, and others with special needs?