It's been just about two weeks since the Walt Disney Company announced a massive overhaul to its Disability Access Service (DAS) program at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort, and the backlash has been severe.
Those who previously qualified for the DAS program but no longer will have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to circulate a petition to get Disney to keep the current program, and some have even threatened to sue over the changes.
Walt Disney World announced that effective May 20, it will be switching to a new system for its Disability Access Service (DAS) program. Before this, the DAS program was open to guests who could not wait for extended periods in a conventional queue due to their disability.
However, these loosely defined qualifications led to rampant DAS abuse. In response to that, Disney World has changed the system to accommodate “only those guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar,” are unable to wait in long lines.
Walt Disney World guests who request Disability Access Service must have a virtual chat with a cast member to verify their disability. Disney will work with Inspire Health Alliance's health professionals to help Cast Members determine if the guest meets the eligibility requirements for DAS usage.
However, this new system will leave thousands of Walt Disney World guests unable to use the DAS system and force them to wait in long lines despite their disability.
So, while guests fume over being shut out of the DAS program at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, another guest took to X to call their anger “misplaced entitlement” and to show just how little legal ground they have to win a lawsuit against Disney.
Those threatening to sue say Disney violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires Disney to make “reasonable accommodations” for guests with disabilities. @QueenDreamers87 writes:Â
This wild sense of entitlement naively ignores the fact that Disney is a business operating within a theme park industry that is more competitive than ever. Its accommodations for guests must adhere to legal requirements while also considering operational feasibility, and that is undoubtedly what's triggered the changes to DAS.
She also notes that the Walt Disney Company has already won several lawsuits over its DAS program. In those victories, courts upheld that Disney World and Disneyland were free to deny anyone a Disability Access Service pass as long as they had other “reasonable accommodations” available to those people, which they do.
https://twitter.com/QueenDreamers87/status/1781523699662754233
For those wishing to sue Disney, it's important to note that courts have usually given businesses discretion in defining a “reasonable accommodation.” By offering elevators and ramps for guests to access a ride and skip the line, Disney is within the law's definition.
It's very important for the “DAS Defenders” to realize that their specific idea of a “need” may well actually legally be a want. Businesses are mandated to provide reasonable accommodations, but those accommodations are not specifically spelled out.
So, while you may not like the changes to the DAS system, and it makes Disney officials look bad when they deny someone an accommodation to access an attraction, it is not necessarily against the law. This new system will stay for every Disney DAS guest; it's just something everyone must get used to.
What do you think about the changes to the Disney DAS system?Â
This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.Â
I am torn between agreeing with Disney, that a change is necessary, to agreeing this is a harsh and will effect many people with disabilities that paid thousands of dollars months in advance thinking one thing and getting a totally different experience. I also think Disney has been sued, but I won’t say they won every time, many times Disney made a settlement rather than go to court, or the courts say there was not enough evidence. Disney will pay off someone rather than get a judgement. The one thing I can say! Because I have been saying it for years. Disney will find a way to limit DAS, because it is abused, and because ADA does state they do not have to alter the business. DAS alters there business, they have thousands paying for Genie+, while thousands are getting the same thing for free. Many more people are abusing it due to not wanting to pay for Genie+.
I think for me the biggest problem I have with the whole issue, is that they name autism, a developmental delay as a qualifier. I think it is well known that autism is a spectrum disorder, and is one of the most abused of the DAS system. No disability should be giving a DAS without proving first the need for the DAS. DAS should be giving to anyone who needs access to the fast entrance and exit, developmental delay or not.
I will say that Disney has made many changes in the past and they always work in the end. Service dogs are not a dime a dozen since they now allow dogs in 4 resorts. W/C and scooters have become a huge industry and money maker, on the side of Disney making people use them instead of DAS. So I believe this will work, but I do believe Disney can get sued, because they still have DAS they are stating it is only for autism and dev delays. Which will be used in court as it is a favoritism to other disabilities. If they want all disabilities to use genie plus, than do so, but to say every other disability must use genie plus, but those with autism will get a free pass. That is where you will have huge issues and open to lawsuits. If you can prove in court that blindness is more of a disability than autism, or that cancer is more of a disability than autism, or that heart conditions are more of a disability than autism, at least while standing in a line for 60 min, than I think Disney may have a problem.
This isn’t even a legal expert what are you talking about it’s just a random person on Twitter with too much time on their hands it doesn’t even say they’re a lawyer wow