Some of my fondest memories are of visiting Disney World with my family. From being a child entranced by the princesses around me to being a teenager eating Mickey Mouse ice cream bars with my mom, it’s undeniable that Disney has created a magical experience for so many people. Looking back at my own memories, I truly wish everyone could have the opportunity to experience what I did. And until recently, many people did.
Visiting the Disney Parks obviously involves a lot of standing around. Waiting in lines, potentially for hours, in the brutal California or Florida heat is no easy task. While I’ve always found that annoying, I have the privilege of being an able-bodied woman who can physically tolerate the waiting and heat. This is not the experience for everyone. Millions of people in the U.S. have physical disabilities, many of whom are unable to wait in those lines at Disney. As a result, Disney Parks created a Disability Access Service (DAS) Pass in 2013 for individuals unable to stand in line for long periods of time. This pass allows individuals to join a virtual queue in which they can wait from anywhere in the parks. Then, at their assigned ride time, they could enter the ride through a separate entrance.
The DAS Pass was extremely helpful for people with physical disabilities. For example, individuals with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) would not have to stand in the sun for hours and risk fainting—instead, they could sit on a bench until it was their turn to go on the ride. Unfortunately, the idea of being able to wait in a virtual queue rather than in a physical line was tantalizing to many; it wasn’t long until the DAS Pass began to be abused.
When able-bodied people realized they could pretend to have a disability in order to receive the DAS Pass, it became common to abuse this pass. People began using it as an unethical “life hack” to avoid waiting in physical lines. According to a Disney spokesperson, the use of the DAS Pass by able-bodied individuals has increased over three times since 2019. As a result, the experiences of people who actually required the pass declined in quality. Clearly, something had to change; and just a few months ago, Disney took action.
On May 24, 2024, Disney World altered the requirements for the DAS Pass. While it used to be available to anyone with a condition preventing them from standing in a physical line, it is now restricted to individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism. It is important to note that the DAS Pass is not black and white. Qualification is determined after a consultation with a Cast Member, so it is ultimately up to their discretion. Some autistic individuals have been unable to qualify, and some people with non-developmental disabilities have qualified. However, these cases are the exception—the new DAS Pass sets a dangerous precedent for how we treat the disabled community.
With so many people losing their access to the DAS Pass, Disney Parks have become a much less inclusive place. One TikTok user with narcolepsy stated she had to leave early and felt that she missed out on the full experience. Outside of physical disabilities, individuals with sensory issues may be unable to wait in crowded, noisy lines, preventing them from being able to access the attraction at all.
So what can disabled individuals do if they don’t qualify for the DAS Pass? Unfortunately, options are limited. One suggestion is to utilize Disney’s Attraction Queue Re-Entry policy. This would allow disabled guests to leave the line if they need medical attention and then return to their place by meeting with a friend who stayed in line. This policy has aided many Disney guests, but a quick examination reveals its many inadequacies. Returning to the example of POTS, it is not guaranteed that the individual would experience pre-fainting symptoms early enough to allow them to navigate out of the line and then return. Further, many people with POTS feel exhausted after fainting and would be unable or unwilling to return to the attraction, whereas the old DAS Pass could have prevented fainting in the first place.
In response to feelings of frustration towards Disney’s new DAS Pass, many disabled individuals have pointed out the accessibility policies at Universal Studios. Here, guests can register for an Individual Accessibility Card by providing the necessary documentation, reducing the possibility of abuse of disability services. While Universal’s disability services have not been without its problems, it is overall more accessible to a wide range of disabilities.
I am not claiming Disney Parks to have always been inclusive. Rather, it is clear that there has been an extreme change in who is allowed to enjoy the Parks. In an attempt to prevent abuse of disability services, Disney has made it difficult for many disabled individuals to experience the full extent of the Parks. It is necessary to commit to accessibility to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity within Disney and beyond. Equity does not have to come at the cost of disability rights.