*The views and experiences expressed by the author in this article are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of the DIS.
Disability inclusion at Disney Parks is now as hollow as this mannequin seated in a wheelchair on display at the MouseGear store in EPCOT.
When I read the news in May (followed by worsening ongoing coverage) about Disney’s DAS (Disability Access System) policy change, my heart dropped. I slowly realized that Disney had more than merely adjusted DAS to prevent cheating of the system, as that would have involved truly updating their disability qualification process (such as medical documentation, which is what they implemented at Universal and other theme parks). Instead, they decided it was more cost-effective to exclude most disabled people from the theme parks by denying an important accessibility accommodation.
To be clear, DAS is not a line-skipping service. It is an accommodation where disabled people who are unable to comfortably or safely wait in the physical queue, are permitted to wait elsewhere and return after a period of time equivalent to the queue wait. It is a disability accommodation, as opposed to an accommodation for nondisabled people like chairs at the restaurants (because wheelchair users like myself bring our own and don’t need them). For many people with a variety of disabilities, DAS was the primary reasonable accommodation that made visiting and enjoying Disney Parks possible.
With horror and disappointment, I read the many stories of people with significant disabilities who previously used DAS as it was intended – as a reasonable accommodation for a disability that made waiting in lines difficult, if not impossible – being rejected and excluded under Disney’s new DAS policy.
DAS Rejection
I knew it was coming for me when I set my alarm early to attempt to register for DAS for my annual vacation to Disney World. Yet I had to try.
During the video chat, I explained that I have a severe childhood onset condition that significantly impacted my development and ongoing physical functioning, which qualifies as a developmental disability and should have met the new DAS rule. In sum, I have a serious, progressive disability that significantly impacted my development. I use a custom-fitted motorized wheelchair ordered by prescription from my doctor. I need continuous care for my basic needs, which (thankfully) is provided by my spouse. I have comorbid conditions, which make heat and sun dangerous. In fact, it was after I was overheated in a WDW queue and had to go to their infirmary that I started using DAS. It was actually Disney cast members who convinced me that I needed DAS and encouraged me to use this accessibility accommodation in the first place. After sharing this background during my DAS interview, I offered to provide medical documentation, but the cast member quickly said Disney did not want to receive any such factual verification.
The cast member proceeded to tell me I did not qualify for DAS under the new policy. That it now is only provided to people with developmental disabilities, like Autism. Since I have a developmental disability, I believe they either don’t understand the definition (intentionally or accidentally) or they are restricting DAS only to people diagnosed with Autism. This would also be inappropriate as not all people with Autism need the DAS accommodation. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations should be tailored to meet the individual needs of the disabled person (who could have any number of disabilities) to provide an equal opportunity to enjoy or participate in an experience. Restricting accommodations to a specific diagnosis is questionable at best, and doesn’t meet the basic definition of why accommodations exist.
She said that all of the attraction queues are wheelchair accessible and I could take my “scooter” through them. Immediately, I corrected her that I use a specialized motorized wheelchair specific for my disability and that the queues are in fact not all totally accessible. She admitted her mistake and said for those (and how exactly would I know which ones if I didn’t already know the parks?! It is an ongoing complaint that accessibility information online about the parks and attractions is inadequate). I should go to the cast member and they would direct me to the accessible entrance. (Let me interject here that while the cast member was polite, she was not disability competent and well-trained in understanding disability issues nor language. This is the fault of Disney. But it also suggests that anyone who is disability competent would not like to work in such a position because the new DAS policy and determination process is disability incompetent and discriminatory.)
Author rolling through Animal Kingdom in her motorized wheelchair. Disability inclusion means more than merely accessible pathways.
No Other Accommodations Available
Despite the Disney website and the limited information statements the company has made stating that those denied DAS would be offered other accessibility accommodations, the cast member had no other accommodations to provide me, other than to say I should speak with the cast members at every attraction about my disability and need for accommodations. She even acknowledged that line exit and return was not an option for my husband and I because we cannot be separated (as he provides my care) and the impossibility of getting my wheelchair backward out of line safely. Disney has no workable plan for reasonable accessibility accommodations for disabled patrons except to beg cast members for mercy at every individual attraction. This is not actually a plan for an enjoyable accessible vacation.
First, I don’t think I should have to share my personal disability details with every cast member working at an attraction. Second, the cast members are not and should not be expected to be disability experts. (It makes me wonder, what is Disney telling them on how to handle guests asking for disability accommodations on site at the parks?) Third, this is an extremely time-consuming and exhausting activity for what is supposed to be my vacation. And fourth (just how high do we have to go here), there is no indication that after all this effort, I will receive any sort of reasonable accommodation that will provide equal access and inclusion, which I had previously been granted.
In the last 10 years, my health conditions and disability have progressed, and I am constantly working to find ways to continue to enjoy the activities that I previously had, including visiting Disney World. I can only stay outside in heat and sun for limited amounts of time despite using 50 SPF, a hat, sunglasses, and other protection. Otherwise, I get quickly overheated and seriously ill. DAS had provided me with the reasonable accessibility accommodation I needed to minimize my time in the heat and sun, manage pain and fatigue levels, and still enjoy the Disney World theme parks. My husband and I have many tactics to support my health while visiting, such as arriving early when temperatures are cooler, limiting our time at the parks, and maximizing indoor time at restaurants, shops, and attractions during our visits. Frankly, you would think Disney would love all the extra time we spent in shops spending money.
A Disney bus parked with ramp open for accessible entry.
Disability Inclusion Denied
We have our current trip to Disney World booked and paid for, so we are not going to cancel. To be honest, I’m really anxious now. Previously, Disney was my “accessibility vacation” – it was the (one and only) place I could go with my husband and we could truly relax knowing I would be included, safe, and comfortable. This trusted feeling has been shattered, likely beyond repair. I don’t know if I will want to return. (Some research into Universal indicates they are very accessible and provide accommodations to those who need them and can provide medical verification. They may lure us away next year.) I am trying to keep an open mind about visiting Disney World, but expect I may have to hide out indoors somewhere and watch everyone else have fun while I try to recover my energy.
I have thought long and hard about what is really happening here and I don’t think it is truly about cracking down on DAS cheaters faking disability. In my previous visits, I never experienced long DAS lines filled with fakes. And it is definitely not about helping people with disabilities enjoy their Disney Parks experience. No, what this honestly is may be a combination of two things.
First, it is ultimately a money grab. When Disney dropped free FastPass, there were people who moved to DAS because they didn’t want to pay. So the crackdown is about getting more people to pay for the new line services. It is not about protecting people with “real” disabilities or actually trying to get the appropriate accommodations assigned to disabled people who need them. If this frequently-repeated Disney statement were true, other accommodations would be available and offered.
Second, to my absolute dismay, it is a rejection of disability inclusion. Eliminating DAS for the variety of disabilities who need this accommodation is an easy way to get disabled people to stop visiting the parks. Perhaps it is a variation of the old Ugly Laws where laws were passed to restrict disabled people from public view. It may not be how this policy is intended, but it will be how it works. I am weighing whether I can risk visiting Disney World any more due to not having the accessibility accommodation that I need to participate. And why would I want to pay a company significant money for a vacation when they don’t want to include me in an equitable experience? I know I am not the only disabled person considering these factors when planning travel.
Readers may point out that I could just pay the fee to go in shorter queues. My husband and I have discussed this and my personal feeling is that it is extortion. In my everyday life, I pay a huge disability tax – for accessible housing, transportation services, health care, assistive equipment, and more. This is one more fee I could pay for accessibility. Returning to my earlier analogy, it would be like Disney charging extra for the chairs at restaurants for nondisabled people (we have accommodations for all kinds of things. We just don’t think of them that way because nondisabled people use them). People would be outraged by this, but are not as outraged by the inherent ableism and discrimination in denying disabled people reasonable accessibility accommodations. In sum, I don’t believe disabled people should have to pay more for inclusion, for equal access. And so, I refuse to do so.
A Cast Member has placed a metal ramp over the gap and step up into the Monorail for accessible boarding. Training for Cast Members about accessibility accommodations is important for maintaining safety, inclusion, and smooth operations.
The Magic Is Gone
What hurts me most of all is that the illusion is destroyed. I fell for it, I admit it. I bought into all that Disney said about wanting and working to include everyone. As I wrote to Disney after my DAS rejection (only to receive a form-letter response with all the previously lame excuses featured in media coverage about the DAS policy change):
“What I once admired in Disney, being a truly welcoming and inclusive company – even for disabled people (which is a rare thing, indeed) – I now realize was merely vaporous words with no meaning. I once asked a cast member if I could take a photo, if it would be accessible for me, and was told: “this photo is for everyone.” It touched my heart to tears because I really felt Disney wanted me, as a severely disabled person, to also be included and experience their parks with everyone else. Today, I am educated that this is no longer so.”
I was a fool to believe that when Disney said they are inclusive of all, that they really meant disabled people like me.
