Disney and the Disabled (Part 3)

Yes, I am having to write another segment on this topic yet again because guess what happened this week? Yep, the Mouse got sued again. Most of this post will be a commentary on this article.



Now back in October of 2013, Disney revamped the assistance card system because of abuses, including handicapped guests hiring themselves out as tour guides in order to skip lines. No really. So what was created was basically a "virtual wait". Using the new card you are given an appointment time depending on the current wait time. For example, if you show up at noon and present your card at an attraction that has a 45 minute queue, then 12:45 will be written on the card and you can return at that time to enter a separate line, normally the Fastpass queue. It basically only angers the guests who can't abuse the system anymore.

(Want more abuse stories? Check out my previous posts here: Part 1, Part 2, and the NSFW An Effing Dog?)

Basically what I gather from the lawsuit, is that these people do not want to wait in lines AT ALL. Umm, do you know where you are? Do you know how many millions of people go to Disney parks per year? DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE PARK WITH DISABILITIES?

In the suit, a mother known as M.B. alleges that she waited in line for an hour and a half to receive a Disability Access Card for her 6-year-old with autism who is referred to in court documents as A.B. Even though she offered park officials medical documentation about her child’s inability to tolerate waits, the mother says she was given no choice but to schedule a return time at “It’s a Small World” which A.B. wanted to ride repeatedly. After riding twice, A.B. faced another hour-and-fifteen-minute wait and entered a “full-fledged meltdown,” the lawsuit alleges.

Wait, so you're saying there was a line just to get your access card? What does that tell you? You are not the only handicapped person in the park! Hello!?! And your child (who got to ride the attraction of his choice twice) got upset because he couldn't continually ride it over and over? How is that fair and equal to everyone else?

In a separate case, the suit indicates that a mother known as L.C. tried to take her 7-year-old with autism, referred to as J.C., to Disney World several times since the new policy took effect. L.C. said her child has had multiple meltdowns after learning of wait times to ride “Peter Pan” and “Winnie the Pooh,” with J.C. falling to the ground or jumping up and down with arms spinning around. As a result, L.C. is no longer taking her child to Disney parks and does not plan to renew the family’s annual passes.

Wait, another second here. The kid had a meltdown just from hearing the wait times? Huh? So there wasn't even any waiting in lines at all? Did they even try to use the access card? Wow, next time I want to ride Splash Mountain and the wait is 120 minutes I guess I can get mad and sue the park. Also, here at Disney World those attractions are packed daily, regardless of time of year. Have a little perspective. Oh wait, I see you are an annual passholder. Scratch that. You think you are entitled to more than you actually get as most annual passholders do (but that's a different story of abuse cast members receive).

In their suit, however, the families allege that there was no abuse, but rather that the company wished to “cleanse its parks of what Disney views as the anti-Magic of such persons’ stimming, tics and meltdowns.”

Yeah, right. There was "no abuse", Disney just doesn't want special children in the parks causing a distraction. If that were true, children under 10 would not be allowed in at all. Do you know how many times a day day we hear crying, whining, screaming spoiled kids throwing a fit because they aren't getting what they want? Dozens. How many times total have I ever seen an autistic "meltdown"? None (and I have been in the parks with a friend who has an autistic son).

The lawsuit also alleges that Disney has a secret offering known as the “Magic List” whereby the company extends to select individuals five passes to gain immediate access to rides without even obtaining a Disability Access Card.

Umm, what? This is complete bullshit. And what passes would those be? Each attraction is trained on assistance card and Fastpass procedures. I guarantee you if someone presented these "passes" to an attraction they would be dealing with a manager ASAP. And possibly guest relations and/or security. People make up the weirdest crap sometimes when they think someone else is getting something they are not. It's rubbish.

Now, to me this all boils down to one thing: Disney has a system where you can return to a separate, shorter line if you follow the procedures, but some people (mothers of 16 kids in this lawsuit) don't think they should have to wait in lines of any kind. I'm sorry, but this place is just too huge and too busy to completely satisfy 100% of everyone who comes through the gates. We do the best we can, and sometimes the best just isn't good enough for some people. 

What's next, families with aquaphobic children suing Sea World for having so much water all over the place? Ugh.