Guest Assistance Card Review

When I heard about the changes to the Guest Assistance card (Disability Access Service Card), I was concerned that we might not have a good Disney vacation this year. Now that we used it for a month, I will give you my review.

First, let me explain that I appreciate that everyone is different and my experience might not be yours.

My son has autism, Tourette's, and ADHD. A few short lines aren't a problem. But if we stood in a long line it would be a bad experience for us and everyone around us. In addition, his frustration levels build throughout the day. He might be doing fine at the start of the day but the more lines he waits in, the worse he gets.

In the past, the guest assistance card would work like a never ending fast pass allowing us to immediately get on any ride we wanted. That was a great gift Disney provided so we tried not to abuse it, but I always felt guilty when we used it.


Now, you get a card, similar to a miniature golf score card, with your picture on it. When you find a ride you need, you walk up to the fast pass line, hand the attendant your card, and she writes down a return time onto your card. The return time is equal to the time you would have spent in line anyways. You can come back to the ride anytime after the time written on the card, but, you can only have one ride on your card at a time. For emphasis: you can return anytime after the time written on the card. So, come back right on time or four hours later - it doesn't matter.

Compared to before, this sounds terrible doesn't it? Well... Not really. Because we use the guest assistance card with our Fast Pass Plus system. We get a time on the card, then do a Fast Pass Plus ride. After the ride, it is time to use the guest assistance card. You can alternate the two passes all day long to get on any ride with no real waiting.

Yes, it is a hassle. You have to walk all the way to the ride to get a time, leave, and then return. But considering the fact Disney doesn't have to provide this at all? And we all want to be fair with everyone? It isn't so bad.

In the 32 days at Disney we used the card seven times. Mostly Toy Story Mania. But also Seven Dwarfs, Jungle Cruise, Spaceship Earth, and Safari. And every time it was an easy and good experience. But I want to emphasize that if you take advantage of the new Fast Pass Plus system, your reliance on the guest assistance card diminishes substantially to the point that we only really needed it for rides whose fast passes were booked.

There have been many people on the boards and elsewhere who are angry about the guest assistance card change. While I can't speak to everyone else's situation, I can tell you that for us, this change was not a big deal. It was fine. Our view of Disney has not diminished in any way. And now I feel a less guilty because this new program is more fair to everyone while allowing our son to still enjoy his favorite rides.