Disney Implements Overhaul Of Disability Access At Parks Everybody deserves the right to experience hospitality, and Disney is getting it right
By Michelle Diament | May 20, 2024 / Disability scoop
As a result, Disney announced in April that it would rework the Disability Access Service, emphasizing that it’s meant to accommodate individuals “who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” Under the new system, Disney said it is adding cast members and investing in specialized training to help individuals with disabilities understand and identify accommodations based on their needs. The company is also working with a third party, Inspire Health Alliance, which will provide certified health professionals trained in psychology or behavioral health to help Disney cast members determine if people qualify for the Disability Access Service program. These decisions will be based on personalized conversations focused on questions about individual needs.
Despite pushback, Disney is pressing ahead with major changes to its process for providing disability accommodations at its theme parks amid concerns about rampant abuse of the program. New policies for Disney’s Disability Access Service will take effect Monday at Walt Disney World in Florida and June 18 at Disneyland in California. The program allows people with disabilities to request a return time for one attraction at a time in order to avoid physically waiting in line. However, in the last five years, Disney said that use of the Disability Access Service program has tripled, becoming the most widely- requested service at its parks and far exceeding the population for which it was intended. Overuse has meant longer waits for the people who legitimately need the accommodation, the company said.
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