Disney threatens lifetime bans for parkgoers who lie about disabilities after boom in guests claiming fake medical conditions to skip long lines
Walt Disney World has announced a crackdown on sneaky guests claiming to have fake medical conditions to avoid the park’s notoriously long lines.
Both Disney resorts in California and Florida will issue lifetime bans to park visitors who lie about disabilities, after the park updated its Disability Access Service (DAS) program on Tuesday.
On the official website, one of the frequently asked questions is: ‘What happens if one of the statements made by a guest during the DAS registration process turns out to be untrue?’
“If any of the statements made by a guest during the process of obtaining DAS are determined to be untrue, the guest will be permanently barred from admission to the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort,” the response reads.
These guests will also be permanently banned from using previously purchased annual passes, Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products, officials said, adding that services will be forfeited and non-refundable.
Walt Disney World has announced a crackdown on sneaky guests claiming to have fake medical conditions to avoid the park’s infamously long lines
Both Disney resorts in California and Florida will issue lifetime bans on park visitors who lie about disabilities, after the park updated its Disability Access Service (DAS) program on Tuesday
The new rule is part of the policy change announced Tuesday for Disney’s DAS program, which aims to “assist guests who have difficulty tolerating longer wait times in a conventional queue due to a disability.
The changes will take effect on June 18 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and on May 20 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, according to KTL.
Under the updated DAS program, guests with developmental disabilities such as autism would not be able to stand in line.
Instead, guests will be assigned a spot in the queue and instructed to return at a specific time for an experience similar to the current standby wait time.
According to Scott Gustin of Nexstar, DAS use in the parks has tripled in the past five years.
Gustin wrote after the updated policy announcement, “I hope these changes will help reduce the abuse of the system that has negatively impacted the experience of guests who actually need the service.”
But park officials did not specify how Disneyland would detect disability fraud, as reported by the Orange County Register.
According to Disney’s website, guests must communicate with a cast member via live video chat or in person at the park before registering for DSA.
The DSA registration is valid for the duration of the ticket or a maximum of 120 days, and existing DAS pass holders must submit a new application.
The new rule is part of the policy change announced Tuesday for Disney’s DAS program, which aims to “assist guests who have difficulty tolerating longer wait times in a conventional queuing environment due to a disability.”
Under the updated DAS program, guests with developmental disabilities such as autism or the like would not be able to queue. Instead, guests will be assigned a spot in the queue and instructed to return at a specific time for an experience similar to the current standby wait time
Tips for exploiting and cheating the DAS program have appeared widely on social media in recent years, with some users sharing their experiences claiming false medical conditions to obtain the DAS pass.
An it just ‘I don’t want to stand in line. ‘
Another user chimed in as they wrote, “I won’t pretend to be an expert on this and what’s right or wrong, but the abuse of this service at WDW is off the charts.
The added: ‘I was told that a ridiculously large proportion of LL scans are DAS; much higher than any national trend would suggest.”
Disney fans and park visitors have applauded the policy since it was announced, expressing hope that it will help guests who really need the service.
“The abuse is honestly very disrespectful to the people who actually need it,” one user wrote.
They added: ‘There are children in our families with disabilities where the doctors say they “qualify” and the parents refuse to do it because they are fine waiting in line despite the disability. I wish the rest of society would behave like that.”