Concerned about misuse, Disney World changes disability passes

Walt Disney World is changing how it handles a program that shortens wait times for theme park visitors with autism or similar developmental disabilities.

The adjustment affects the disability access service card, also known as DAS, which has gained popularity in recent years but has been misused.

As of May 20, Disney World visitors may request DAS at guest services outlets after which they will be connected to a cast member via virtual chat to determine their eligibility. Disney is bringing in Inspire Health Alliance, an outside company, for training and carrying out the new policy.

This process could guide visitors to other Disney services at the theme parks aligned for individual needs. Requesting DAS also can be done before traveling to Disney World.

Some people with autism or similar disabilities cannot endure waiting in lines for extended periods.

Inappropriate use of DAS forced Disney to clamp down, said Len Testa, who runs Touring Plans, a vacation-planning site. He also studies lines at theme parks.

“It’s the right thing to do for everyone. No one is saying that people who can’t stand in line should stand it,” Testa said. “We all understand accommodation, but it’s being abused so much that it’s affecting everyone else in the park.”

DAS is the most requested service at Disney, and its popularity has tripled in the past five years, a company statement said.

Folks eligible for the service are given a specific time to arrive at a ride or attraction. They and their party then join people in the Lightning Lane, a paid express service. They do not get front-of-line access. Participants have one assigned attraction at a time.

Testa said he recently overheard two men at Epcot talk about DAS. One man said he skipped the park’s lines after receiving DAS by claiming his child had autism. He said he had saved $500 on ride reservation fees.

“The other dad was incredulous,” Testa said. “He’s like, ‘How can this be true?’”

Scenarios such as that inspired Testa and crew to count the number of people using Lighting Lane as part of their service.

“It would not surprise me if you told me that somewhere between 60% and 80% of the Lightning Lane usage at popular attractions is DAS usage,” Testa said. “There’s no way that 60% to 80% of the U.S. population has a disability that prevents them from waiting in line.”

A bloated Lighting Lane queue translates into longer waits for standby lines and for people in need of a disability pass.

In 2021, Disney World introduced Genie+, an electronic service for ride reservations and access to Lightning Lanes. Pricing varies by park and date. On Tuesday, Genie+ prices ranged between $17 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to $27 at Magic Kingdom.

“Putting aside the ethical parts of lying about your kids’ disability to skip lines, you don’t want to be between Disney and money. That’s a bad place to be,” Testa said.

In 2020, a federal judge in Orlando ruled in favor of Disney after it was sued by an Orlando disability advocate to get immediate access to FastPass lines, a free reservation service now discontinued, for her autistic son. Tampa lawyer Andy Dogali said then he had filed about 60 similar civil lawsuits in Florida and California, but those have been dismissed, he said Tuesday.

Disney also won the appeal in the FastPass suit in 2022. The lawsuit came after Disney World changed its policy in 2013 after reports of tourists hiring people with disabilities and terminally ill children to help them get front-of-line access. From that, DAS was created.

The latest changes are to realign DAS with its original design.

“Disney is dedicated to providing a great experience for all guests, including those with disabilities, which is why we are so committed to delivering a wide range of innovative support services aimed at helping our guests with disabilities have a wonderful time when visiting our theme parks,” the company statement said.

Disney World is adding more cast members with specialized training, more options for the attraction queues and limiting DAS groups to immediate family members or a total of four people.

Similar changes will start at Disneyland in California starting June 18. Resorts on both coasts updated their websites Tuesday.

They include listings of services, downloadable guides, pre-arrival resources and information about elements such as disability parking, service animals, wheelchairs, Braille maps and audio descriptions.

dbevil@orlandosentinel.com

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