Assistance Pass Question for Daughter and meeting characters....

[SandraC]

HI! MAKE A WISH and GIVE KIDS THE WORLD sent our family to WDW in 1998. Since then I heard the assistance passes have changed. This will be our first time taking dd and requesting a pass without the aid of MAKE A WISH. dd can't do much so I was wondering if the special pass will allow her to enter the exits to meet the characters at TOONTOWN. The time saved not standing in lines with surely help our daughter see more before she needs to rest. WE KNOW FIRST HAND THAT TIME IS PRECIOUS! THANKS! ºoº

SandraC, visit our Disney family web site www.angelfire.com/on/disneyfun
º0º
1975 - off site (11 years old),
1977 - off site (13 years old),
1987 - Indian Rock Shores (23 years old with hubby, b/f at the time),
1990 - Holiday Inn International Drive/Daytona Beach (26 years old, with hubby, six month after wedding),
1998 - KIDS VILLAGE, GIVE KIDS THE WORLD, Make-a-Wish trip with 4.5 year old daughter born ill),
2001 - CBR - ON SITE FIRST TIME! YIPPY! With dd 7 years old, ds 15 mo

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't know about your Toontown question, but if no one else does know, that would be a good thing to ask Guest Services when you get there. Wheelchairs/disabled use a mainstream entrance there. If your Guest Assistance Card has wording that allows you to use an alternate entrance in that case, my guess is that you should be able to.
Another suggestion is to ask at Guest Services for a schedule of where/when the characters will be appearing. We have often seen situations (especially in Epcot) where there are just a few people waiting because they know when and where to wait. They get a shorter and less chaotic wait overall than the people who just see the character and show up.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES

 

[Kay1]

My son hasn't been too into the characters for a few years now, but when he was, one time he wanted to see Mickey in his dressing room. We showed the CM the pass and asked if we could either be first or come in after the last person in the group left Mickey. We thought he would be too excited to wait his turn. She disappeared for a moment and then came back to give us a personal visit with Mickey. Another CM took our picture, but just after it was snapped, I started crying because the sweet, young CM was and I was so touched by all the kindness.

 

[kernden]

Hi! We did the same thing with the character sighting schedules. That way we knew when and where to wait. Plus, Kay1 is right. The CM's are so helpful. There were many times that we would be standing in line to meet the characters and the other children would nearly trample DD. The CM's would see what was happening and would come over and give her a personal escort up to the character. There were times when other parents would see DD waiting her turn and would pull their own children aside to let DD get up to the character. The CM's, in general, were VERY helpful. You might run across one or two that don't measure up, but they are few and far between. It was some of my most tearful moments. The kindness the characters showed my DD is what got me the most. They were all so careful to get down on her level to talk to her and pose for pictures. You'll have a wonderful time!!

Kernden

 

[lisapooh]

I think it is far easier when the child is in the wheelchair than when it is an adult in the wheelchair with kids who want to see the character. I always tried to teach my kids to wait their turn but would have adults push their kids in front of me and the girls. Even now When I go see the characters to take pics I will often have an adult shove their kid in front of me. At least the castmembers with the characters put a stop to that when they see it.
I am one who will let a handicapped child go before me when I see them. One day at EPCOT I was in line to take a picture of Dopey and when I got up to him I notced a Downs child off to the side. I pointed the child out to Dopey and told go see the child first. It was worth the smiles on the child's face. I like making magic

Pooh

 

[SueM in MN]

Unfortunately, some people are so set on making magic for their own child that they forget that the more magic you make for others, sometimes the more it makes for you.
My dd liked the characters when she was little, if she got a little time to warm up to them. As soon as she could drive her own wheelchair though, she let us know she did NOT want to go see the characters. I think some of it was that they are so big and she was small and could not move easily. I also think some of it was treatment from other people pushing their kids ahead of her just when she was trying to go the character. The CMs were uniformly great, though.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES