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Special Needs and DIsney
Part 2 GAC/DAS


On our last installment we talked a bit about how Disney helps with "runners". Today we are going to touch on a few points about the old GAC/new DAS card.
On our first trip after the accident we found out about the GAC. Unfortunately, it was our very last day of the trip. It was a Game Changer!
It has been through a lot of changes over the years, including a name change. It remains a wonderful way for Special Needs families to tour Disney. Back when we first started using it the Guest Assistance Card was an actual paper card that allowed our family to go to the Fast Pass entrance and ride. Since one of Mr. D’s problems was the inability to understand personal space as well as waiting in lines, this was perfect for us. We only used it for things that had a longer than 15-minute wait time. Fifteen minutes was pushing Mr. D to the limit of his ability to wait. After that, he would start a meltdown. Even if he was semi quiet, it was not pretty for us or anyone around him.  The GAC was a preprinted card, where they wrote the child's name on it, the dates and how many in his party. Then, they had a series of stamps they would put on it.
We purchased a special lanyard for Mr. D to keep his GAC around his neck. He liked being in charge of showing it to the Cast Member. Of course, this was one of the problems with this system that allowed so much abuse. It was very obvious to others that we were getting preferential treatment. It didn’t take long for people to figure out how to ‘use’ the system, and those bad apples spoiled the process. There were even people that were making money from it! (I cannot tell you how much that sickened me!)

This picture was taken about a week before his accident.  You can see the mischief in his eyes.  It is the picture we put on the window of his ICU room so people could see him the way we remembered him, not the way they saw him with tubes and wires and feeding in him. 

At this point, he had been to Disney once, about a year prior.  He remembers nothing about that trip, and all I can remember is we will NEVER stay offsite again!
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Yet, less than a year after this picture, we were off to Disney again!  This time, staying at Shades of Green.  The one thing that stands out about this trip was the meltdowns.  One in particular, really stands out.