As I’m sure most of you have heard, Disney recently implemented some changes to their disability pass (DAS), leaving some people pretty upset, as it is now almost impossible to qualify. My daughter is one of the unfortunate ones who has suffered from no longer qualifying. I’m not going to blast all over the internet what her disability is as she is 8, and it’s her decision if she wants to share that information with anyone. Still, I wanted to caution anyone who might not be aware of the changes or will attempt to apply that it can be a pretty ugly process that leaves everyone with heightened emotions.
In June of this year, my mom and I took my kids (8, 5, 1.5) on a long weekend trip to Disney to celebrate my 8-year-old's birthday and get away for some fun while my husband was deployed overseas. Prior to going to Disney, I elected not to even attempt applying for DAS, given the horror stories. When we arrived at Disney on the first day, I purchased Genie+ (prior to the new changes to that system) in hopes that we would still be able to experience the rides with minimal wait time. The wait in Florida and the heat in outdoor queues can cause major issues for my daughter. We navigated the day with difficulty but made it through. At the end of the day, my mom happened to be talking to one of the cast members in our resort and they suggested we try applying for DAS. The wonderful cast member even told me to come down at 7:30 in the morning and she would walk me through the whole process. So, against my better judgment, I attempted to use all the verbiage that was suggested to me by the cast member, and we were denied. The woman on the line was incredibly rude, and it left my daughter tearful and with a ton of anxiety given the interaction. The cast member who was with me the whole time suggested we attempt going to guest services when we arrived at the park and speak with them. When we arrived at Epcot, guest services was unable to assist, except to suggest calling back through DAS and requesting to talk to a medical professional. So once again, I attempted to call back and was able to speak with a supervisor who did nothing, but I reiterated that we were denied the option to speak with a medical professional.
The accommodations we were offered…purchase Genie+ (at this point, it was too late in the morning to purchase it and get any of the rides my kids wanted) and return to the queue. Let me just say returning to the queue is not a reasonable accommodation at all. I explained while on my call that it was two adults with three children; my youngest at 1.5, could not ride several of the rides my 8-year-old wanted to do, so one of us had to stay back with him. My mother, the other adult, is also legally blind and can not navigate a queue alone nor treat my daughter, so I had to be with my daughter 100% of the time and couldn’t get in line with her and my middle son, and leave my 5-year-old alone waiting if we had to exit abruptly. I was assured this would not be an issue, I could go to a cast member at the beginning of the ride, explain my daughter has a medical condition and can not wait in line, and that I had no one to stand in our place, and just request a return time. I was also assured that I would not have to explain her medical condition at all. This is not at all what happened, I attempted to explain the situation, had to go into detail about her medical condition, to be told we had to attempt to wait in line. I explained there was no amount of time in the outdoor line that would be safe to stay with my daughter as her condition could lead to a medical emergency in an instant without any warning and was told, well, you have to try. When I said what if she has an emergency before I can get her out of line while I’m waiting this arbitrary amount of time? The answer I got was they would call 911. At this point, this whole interaction left my 8-year-old in tears and asking to go back to the pool and forget the park, which is what we did. We then bought Genie + the rest of the time we were there so she could enjoy the parks, and we wasted a park ticket day to scan in, walk to a ride, and have my daughter leave in tears.
We can all theorize why the changes, but today, that is not the point of my blog. I want to caution everyone that if you are applying, please look at the changes and be aware that what was once approved is now being denied. I would suggest to budget for Lightning Lane Multipasses for your trip.
Until next time...
Your Bibbidi Bobbidi Bestie,
Holly
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