Disney said that those with disabilities who are ineligible for the Disability Access Service program may be offered other accommodations like the line-return option for those who need to visit the restroom frequently or wheelchair access and location return times for people using mobility devices.
That has not dissuaded Disney, however, with park officials saying they will proceed with the changes as planned. To participate in the Disability Access Service under the updated policies, Disney recommends that visitors use its virtual video chat system to speak with a member of the accessibility team before arriving at Disneyland or Disney World. Guests can also request access in person at Disneyland by visiting the designated windows at the esplanade between the main entrances. At Disney World, guests can do a virtual chat on-site. Enrollment in the updated Disability Access Service is valid for 120 days, Disney said. However, it will now be limited to the immediate family of the individual who qualifies or up to four people.
The company also plans to take a hard line against those who try to skirt the rules.
“By limiting the DAS program to developmental disabilities only, Disney is effectively telling us that we are not welcome or recognized in their parks anymore,” the group wrote in a letter asking Disney’s leadership to rethink the new policy. A DAS Defenders petition opposing the changes has more than 13,000 signatures. The new approach has some people with disabilities feeling left out. A group known as DAS Defenders said that the needs of people with a wide array of conditions ranging from cancer and multiple sclerosis to long COVID and rare diseases cannot properly be met under the revised policies and will lead to discrimination. “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, and any previously purchased Annual Passes, Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products and services will be forfeited and not refunded,” Disney says on its website.
HOSPITALITY NEWS JUNE | Page 69
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