The running joke is that the wheelchair line at Disneyland or Disney World can get longer than the regular line and that a day in the Magic Kingdom heals many physical ailments. I am happy to see that Disney is cracking down on those who feign a disability to cut amusement park lines with lifetime bans.
Disney Will Issue Lifetime Ban For Those Who Lie About Disability
Disney, of which I am a long-term stockholder, updated its Disability Access Service (DAS) program on Tuesday. Check out this new FAQ:
What happens if any of the statements made by a Guest in the process of registering for DAS are found to be not true?
If it is determined that any of the statements a guest made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true, the guest will be permanently barred from entering the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort.
Not only that, but those guests will be permanently banned from using previously purchased Annual Passes, Magic Key passes, tickets, and other park products: they will be forfeited and not refunded.
And to that, I say hallelujah!
Furthermore, under the updated policy those with developmental disabilities like autism will no longer be able to cut in line (they will instead be assigned a return time and have to wait in the “Lightning Lane” with other guests).
I know people who have cheated the system at Disneyland. Hilariously (yet disgustingly) one of my high school friends used to get a cast put on his leg every time he would go to Disneyland (his aunt was a surgeon and complicit in this…). Back in those days, there were far fewer offenders and he claimed it allowed him to go on more than 25 rides in a single day, which if you have been to either park is nothing short of amazing.
It still will not be easy to determine if someone makes a false statement. Some injuries are not visible to the naked eye and cannot actually be proved or disproved (not like Disney will start requiring CT scans or x-rays to get a cut-in-line pass).
The changes will go into effect on May 20, 2024 at Walt Disney World in Orlando and on June 18, 2024 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
CONCLUSION
It’s very simple: the abuse of Disney’s DAS is disrespectful to the folks who actually need it…good on Disney for trying to cut down on some of the abuse. Just google for social media post after social media post on how to game the system. It’s almost as bad as the dogs on airplanes. This is a great move from Disney.
“Disney, of which I am a long-term stockholder,…”
I’m sorry for your loss. SPY is the way if you want it easy.
Why do we even have a handicap line? A disabled person should be able to request a wheelchair and sit on it while waiting in the regular line like everyone else. It’s unfortunate that they have to be punished because everyone else abuses it, but if they want equality let them make the line like everyone else.
You’re confusing equality with equity; a very meaningful distinction
I find it great that some airports, like BWI for example, TSA has rules that if you are in wheelchair and want to use TSA precheck, you have to wait in the full line… no skipping.
Michael, there is no handicap line in Disneyworld. Wheelchairs, scooters etc. all go in the regular return line to wait with everyone else. Disneyworld modernized their line system years ago. They widened the lanes to accommodate wheelchairs. I just returned from a trip to Disneyworld with a family member that needs a scooter and we all stayed in the regular line
Saw a funny video the other day in a country in Latin America. It was from a street surveillance camera and you could see a guy on a wheelchair with a sign asking for money. Suddenly there is a shooting on the street and you can see people running. Suddenly the guy on the wheelchair stands up and runs faster than everyone else. LOL! The news called it a miracle. LOL
@Santastico … +1 . Very funny .
The video had me in stitches, but I don’t mean to distract from the fact that Matthew is going to need to find a new strategy for Disneyland.
I’m an annoying hippie about most things, but this is good policy.
Southwest DESPERATELY needs to implement this policy
Very much agree!
Let’s hope US airlines are watching. Time to end the miracle flights where deplaning handicaps can suddenly walk without a wheelchair. Preboard SCUM
Time for the airlines to do this for service animals and Southwest boarding. Lifetime ban is extreme – a set time period like X period first offense lifetime second offense could handle it.
If only Disney had an app where people with special needs could make a virtual wait in line. Get a notification when the ride is ready to accommodate them. Not to mention AI could customize park tours to minimize waiting in line at each attraction.
The do, it’s called Genie+
No comment on if this is good or bad but giving some employee the power to ban someone for life is concerning. Let’s not forget the Disney management has shown itself to be evil and support the abuse of kids through lgbt propaganda. Life time bans are a bad precedent no matter the reason.
Oof
Scammers gonna scam. There are even Facebook groups offering for people to join their DAS group. This will change nothing.
Now, if only the airlines would enact a similar policy.
Southwest should take a look at this. It’s interesting how so many people need a wheelchair to board, but then miraculously, they don’t need one to deplane.