Imagine this, you’re visiting one of your favorite Disney parks. You’ve enjoyed a delicious meal with your friends and now, you want to go on an exciting ride. You look at the line. It looks a little long, but you think, “I should be okay.” You get halfway through the line and then it happens. You get massive pain in your lower abdomen, you break out in a sweat, noticeable pressure moves through your digestive tract, you feel nauseous, break out into a rash, and start to get lightheaded.
You stand there for a minute and hope that maybe it’s just a spasm and it’ll go away. But nope, this is a full-on attack. You examine the line behind you and realize you don’t have a choice. You have to make your way backward, asking every single person to move, so you can get out of the line.
Finally, once you manage to get out of the line, you have to power walk to the nearest restroom and pray that there isn’t a line. If there is, and it’s a long one (like women’s restrooms so often have), you have to hope it either moves quickly or you have to power walk to the next nearest bathroom. All of this happens while you are still dealing with pain, nausea, and lightheadedness.
Oh, and you are also hoping that you don’t have an accident, because you are an adult.
This is what a day at Disney can be like when you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Over the past couple of years, Disney’s Disability Program has been launched into the spotlight — thanks, in part, to social media. Those who have a Disney DAS pass will share how they got it. And the way some people frame it, it sounds like they aren’t being completely honest about why they need the pass.
In order to get a Disability Pass, guests must either have a video chat with a Disney cast member before their trip, or they can head to Guest Relations/Guest Services once inside the theme park.
Related: Fact Check: Is Disney Ending Its Disability Program?
So many guests have lied and abused Disney’s Disability Access Service that Disney had to change the system. Now, instead of going right into the Lightning Lane, guests will use their DAS Pass to pick which attraction they want to ride and receive a return time.
When Disney issues a Disability Access Service Pass — also called a DAS Pass — they are not allowed to ask you what your medical condition is. All they can ask are things like, “Why do you need the pass? What symptoms do you experience that makes it hard for you to wait in line?” They frame the questions this way, so they don’t violate HIPAA laws.
Now, as a person living with severe IBS-D (there are several types of IBS), I am very honest about why I need a DAS pass. I say outright what I have and how it affects me. However, more and more frequently, I worry that Disney cast members will think that I am lying just so I can get a pass.
Saying that you have IBS is one of the most common ways people lie, so they can have front-of-the-line access. And, while lying in general is not okay, this type of lie is particularly gross.
IBS is not a fun medical disorder to have. There is no cure for IBS-D. All you can do is try different types of supplements to see if they will help. But, for right now, it is just something you have to deal with. But it is embarrassing.
Eventually, the people that you befriend will learn that there is something wrong, because it’s not normal to spend 20+ minutes in the bathroom. Then, they’ll notice that your face is red, and your upper chest is splotchy.
So, for dishonest people to just decide to use IBS as an excuse to need a DAS Pass is insulting not only Disney cast members, but also those who live and deal with this debilitating disorder every single day.
I, for one, would have zero problems if Disney began requiring medical documentation for those who want a DAS pass. Because if you have a disorder that qualifies you for a pass, it’s going to be well-documented. At least I wouldn’t feel like the cast members are questioning my veracity because the DAS system is being so abused.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Vacationing at Disney World With a Disability
It’s not okay to lie to Disney about any disability because they can’t prove it. Whether you are like me and have IBS, or you have ADHD, or something else, having guests so easily lie about it is disgusting. Try living with these issues, and then see if it’s so easy to just lie about it. Or think about how you would feel if people were so nonchalant about your medical issues.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiments of Disney Fanatic as a whole.
How do you feel about people lying about a disability just so they don’t have to wait in line? Let us know in the comments!
I totally agree with what you’ve said. I also deal with IBS-D. It is not only painful but also embarrassing. Many times at Disney I’ve had to leave the ride line and find a restroom. To think that people are lying about this painful and embarrassing issue makes no sense. Walk one day in OUR shoes. You’ll easily be proud to stand in line and wait. Thank you for touching this untouchable subject.
Thank you for this!!! My niece also has IBS-D. She has missed out on so many things because of it. The DAS pass has been such a blessing for her. The struggle is real.
It’s never going to change until Disney change their policy about medical proof. Guests using DAS should be made to wait near the attraction and not allowed to just wander round the park, go for meals, go on other attractions etc until the wait time is up or if in bigger parties some of the group should be made to stand in the queue and the person needing the pass be allowed to join them when they are near the front. It’s far too attractive the way it currently is which is why it is getting abused. Also it is really unfair for people who pay for lightning lanes / Genie + that large groups of people join their queue for free making their wait longer. It’s currently a case of the majority suffering because of a minority