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lantern5
11 Jul 06, 09:04 PM
We have just arrived home from 2 weeks in Florida with our autistic son. They parks could not do enough to help us. Take your doctors letter, (although they rarely look at it) , to guest services,( in the park, not the one outside as they are always busier).
At Disney they give you a pass that in reality means you can go through the disabled gate or the fast pass gate. There was no queueing for us during the 2 weeks.In fact the longest wait was 10-15 minutes at Peter Pan and that was going through the fast pass gate with the guest assistance card.At epcot they were very helpful. At soaring and test track that insisted we go through now even though I had asked for a time to come back as the wait times for everyone else was very long.The staff were very observant and if we were seem walking down the usual lines as they were quiet, they were beckoning for us to come over.(We carried the card attached to a lanyard)
At universal they give you a card that can be used in both parks. They did study the letter but issued us a pass that covers both parks. This is the same as the fast pass you can buy over there far a priority go n each ride once. However the card you get means you can use it more than once on a ride. You get a pass as well for each member of your party. The pass only lasts that day and needs to be renewed the next visit. Tip: do not throw them away, they will give you the pass at your next visit without problem if you give them the previous passes. They take them and keep them for their records.

At sea world we got similar help, but it got to much for our son and we did not "test" the pass but again they were very helpful.

In general I would give the following advice

1) take a letter. The staff there have always got people demanding help because their mother(Who is usually nowhere to be seen) cannot walk. And a smiling face with a letter is much appreciated.
2)Do not demand priority at any rides, especially those without fastpass. if you say politely that your child cannot wait in line, and could you come back later without queueing at a certain time, they will always let you through.
Hope this is of some help.:wavey: :)

spestell
13 Jul 06, 09:29 AM
Hi, thanks for that information. We have been 3 times before and got exactly the same treatment. They have been brilliant. However, we have never taken a doctors letter, do you have to have one now? if so what do you have to have the doctor say in the letter and do doctors charge for that??? Going in 5 days so would have to get a move on to get a letter!!!

lantern5
14 Jul 06, 08:32 PM
No need to have a letter as such.A lot of messages in forums such as this suggested having one and we had a copy of an old letter stating our sons condition. I think any form/pass you have that shows that your child has a disability would be helpful.At the magic kingdom where we got our disney pass that did not want to see it at all. Universal looked at it when offered, and sea world used it to help with spelling our sons name.I cannot see any problems at all. Have a great time.

Maisie
2 Aug 07, 11:22 PM
Can anyone tell me if we can expect a similar experience at DLRP? We go on the 24th of this month and my youngest son is autistic.

landkmum
3 Aug 07, 08:40 PM
Can anyone tell me if we can expect a similar experience at DLRP? We go on the 24th of this month and my youngest son is autistic.

We were able to get a GAC for DS when we went a few years back but we did have problems finding someone who understood what we were asking for.

Maisie
3 Aug 07, 09:01 PM
We were able to get a GAC for DS when we went a few years back but we did have problems finding someone who understood what we were asking for.

I had an idea this might happen! Thanks for the reply.

melspice
4 Aug 07, 12:55 PM
So glad you had a great time! Isn't it great to know people understand, and you don't feel like you're being judged for having an autistic child? Our son eats, lives and breathes Disney, so he feels like he's going home every time we go! When are you going back then? ;)

xxMel

mazz
5 Aug 07, 07:26 PM
Can anyone tell me if we can expect a similar experience at DLRP? We go on the 24th of this month and my youngest son is autistic.


hi

we've been to dlp 5 times with my children who have autism (i have two)

you can get a assistance card as such at city hall which is on the left when entering the MK

you can also park alongside the pink hotel if you show the blue badge at the pay booths entering the car park, they will write down the 4 digit number to get past the barrier for the hotels car park and give you directions

having been twice now to orlando and planning a 3rd trip for next may i've got to say our US cousins are a lot more aware and understanding when it comes to asd children and meeting their needs

hope this helps Mazz :)

spenners
5 Aug 07, 07:48 PM
Hi, thanks for that information. We have been 3 times before and got exactly the same treatment. They have been brilliant. However, we have never taken a doctors letter, do you have to have one now? if so what do you have to have the doctor say in the letter and do doctors charge for that??? Going in 5 days so would have to get a move on to get a letter!!!

We have an autistic daughter and we rang the consultant at the hospital and got a letter, no charge. I rang Disney when I first heard about the GAC and I asked what I needed to bring with me to "prove" my daughters disability. They told me, I don't know if this has changed since I was given this advice in 2003, that if you say you have a disibility then it is against the law to challenge what you say. I still take a letter with me, just in case, but I have never had to show it and we have been 3 more times since 2003. The GAC makes a great holiday into a fantastic holiday for us and that is why we go back :thumbs-up

mazz
5 Aug 07, 07:50 PM
i've never need to provide a letter either

god only knows the type of person who would lie about such a thing :angry:

spenners
5 Aug 07, 07:54 PM
i've never need to provide a letter either

god only knows the type of person who would lie about such a thing :angry:

You can bet someone will have done :mad2:

lotti
10 Nov 07, 09:49 PM
last time we went my ds was undergoing his disco assesment and his consultant gave me a letter saying that he had trouble queing and that he was under assesment, all the parks had no problem with this either and issued my family with a pass and they were very helpful. we never waited at a ride for more than 10mins and when we explained about his needs in resturants most of them couldnt do enough to help us.