Line Jumper Passes @ Disneyland

chibride4

Does anybody know if it's a fact or fable that kids with severe food allergies can obtain line jumper passes at Disneyland? Just curious... 

zonastar23

Actually the ONLY children who are given passes to skip the lines are with Make a Wish.

Now, I'm typically a WDW traveller, not Disneyland, so I can't speak for differences between the parks, but I know at WDW you are allowed to bring your own food (and epipens, of course) in, and if you eat at the restaurants, they will send the chef or manager out to talk to your group to help you steer clear of allergens. If there isn't anything safe (some of the buffets have cross-contamination issues) the chef will prepare a special allergen-free meal. You can have a fridge in your hotel room to keep safe food as well. My DH has celiac so we've had to watch it on the foods before.

For other special needs/health concerns/disabilities they offer different types of accomadations. You can rent a wheelchair, use a stroller as a wheelchair, etc by visiting guest services and getting the accomadations stamped. For us, I burn very easily and badly, and have a severe allergy to every sunblock I've ever tried. It made for a long visit to first aid last trip for painkillers and lidocaine spray. I tend to carry an umbrella even on sunny days. However, I could also ask for the "shaded/alternative waiting locations" accomadation. At rides where there is an alternative location to wait, I would be able to wait there. I would still have to wait just as long (IF NOT LONGER. Believe it or not, the alternate entrance can sometimes take longer than the standby!) but I would be in the shade. This is also the usual accommodation with anxiety, developmental disorders and autism. For some reason, there is a rumor that if you say you have an autistic child in your group you get bumped to the front of the line - not true. Their needs are usually related to crowds or sensory issues, and pulling them out of the long line can mean the difference between a child having a meltdown or not. They still wait the same amount of time as the line, but just do it in a more low-key area.

Other awesome things for health concerns at Disney World are they allow you to store nebulizers, insulin and other medical equipment at First Aid while you are in the park. They have quiet places to rest for breathing treatments and the like. Also, the ambulances are run through Reedy Creek which only serves Disney, so if you have a medical emergency they get there FAST. Disney Cast Members are also trained to help protect guests privacy in a medical emergency by forming a human wall around the sick/injured person to keep them from being gawked at by other guests.

Like I said, though, I don't know how much is the same between the two parks, so I'd definitley verify everything for DLR. But Walt Disney World is AMAZING for food allergies, disabilities, and other health concerns.

chibride4

Thanks for the insight, Zonastar! A co-worker told me that a friend of hers was able to jump to the front of the lines at Disneyland b/c her LO has a severe peanut allergy. Because it's hearsay and I couldn't verify it on Disney's website, I questioned its validity.

Court0026

My bff's DD was just at WDW and got to skip lines because she had a letter from her OT about her sensory issues.  I honestly don't see why a person with a food allergy would qualify?  And my son has some seriously food allergies!

zonastar23

Seriously, the ONLY "line jumper" type stamp for the Disney Guest Assistance card IS ONLY available through Make a Wish. It's called the "Green Light" stamp and it gives them priority over the other GAC card holders. Most people that use the GAC and claim to "skip the line" are using alternate boarding access, which is like the wheelchair line. On some rides it goes faster, others slower because the number of accessible ride vehicles is lower. That doesn't mean they are the only ones who are able to be escorted to the front of the line, but they are the only ones Disney officially allows to skip lines entirely. Others who get to jump lines are part of Disney VIP groups (typically celebrities and rich people who can pay the Walt Disney Company for this status) or people experiencing a "Magic Moment" from a cast member. (CMs sometimes pick random people to treat to something special - my husband and I, for example, were given free embroidering on our bride and groom ear hats, and an anniversary card by the CMs in Town Square Theatre when we went for our anniversary. And we got a surprise dessert at breakfast for free that was entirely unexpected.

kerbear135

zonastar23:

Seriously, the ONLY "line jumper" type stamp for the Disney Guest Assistance card IS ONLY available through Make a Wish. It's called the "Green Light" stamp and it gives them priority over the other GAC card holders. Most people that use the GAC and claim to "skip the line" are using alternate boarding access, which is like the wheelchair line. On some rides it goes faster, others slower because the number of accessible ride vehicles is lower. That doesn't mean they are the only ones who are able to be escorted to the front of the line, but they are the only ones Disney officially allows to skip lines entirely. Others who get to jump lines are part of Disney VIP groups (typically celebrities and rich people who can pay the Walt Disney Company for this status) or people experiencing a "Magic Moment" from a cast member. (CMs sometimes pick random people to treat to something special - my husband and I, for example, were given free embroidering on our bride and groom ear hats, and an anniversary card by the CMs in Town Square Theatre when we went for our anniversary. And we got a surprise dessert at breakfast for free that was entirely unexpected.

Lurker here, but I know quite abit about Disney and the GAC so I thought I'd weigh in. People with medical issues are given a GAC that allows them to go through alternative entrances (usually the fast pass line). Although it may shorten the line for them, they are not taken straight to the front of the line. I know this for sure b/c we always get one. My sister has epilepsy that is made worse by heat, and my mom has severe RA that prevents her from standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time. You take a letter from your dr to Guest Services and they will give you a GAC that best suits your needs. However, it is NOT a skip the line pass....you still have to wait, usually about as long as anyone with a fast pass waits, but sometimes longer than that (Toy Story Mania, for example, has a separate entrance for guests who can't do stairs...and the wait there is always longer b/c there is only 1 or 2 sets of ride vehicles that are "handicap accessible" and so you have to wait until they come around, and if they just came by before you did, that makes for a long wait).