Disneyland and Walt Disney World have come under fire from a group representing guests with disabilities regarding the changes coming to its Disability Access Service, or DAS, program.
The group, DAS Defenders, wrote a letter to Walt Disney Co. executives, including CEO Bob Iger, and started a petition urging the company to change the new updates coming to the program.
The new DAS changes would limit assistance to only theme park visitors with developmental disabilities like autism and other neurodivergent disorders. The changes go into effect on June 18 at Disneyland and May 20 at Walt Disney World,
However, the group argues that the changes don’t support everyone who has a disability.
DAS Defenders noted in the letter that the new changes exclude guests that are “cancer patients (including childhood cancers), veterans and survivors with PTSD, narcoleptics, POTS sufferers, multiple sclerosis patients, individuals with Parkinson’s, ALS and more.
“By excluding a broad range of disabilities that cannot tolerate lines for medical reasons, Disney is putting individuals in jeopardizing situations. The new policy fails to meet the genuine needs of all disabled guests; it is ableist and belittling,” the letter said.
“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 popularity of DAS increased over the years, likely due to social media “Disneyland line hack” videos that show guests how they can use the program to skip the line without paying for the Genie+ service.
Due to this, officials hope that the changes coming to the program will allow guests who need the service to use it.
But, in the letter, the group expressed that the new changes don’t reflect that.
“Punishing disabled individuals for the actions of able-bodied individuals who abuse the system is not a solution. These changes fail to adequately address abuse; people who abuse the system will still lie. This only punishes the disabled people who truly relied on DAS and will not be able to attend the parks at all without it,” the letter said.
The group is requesting that Disney revise the DAS program to include a diverse range of disabilities, not just developmental disabilities, incorporating the option to provide documentation, among other things.
“We implore Disney to uphold its values of inclusivity and accessibility – values represented in disabled characters like Dahlia, Nemo, Destiny, Dory, Bo Peep, Mama Coco, Mama Odie, Piglet, and in Roy Disney himself,” the letter continued.
“Disney must ensure that all individuals, regardless of their disability, can experience the magic of Disney parks without barriers.”