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Background Image Credit: Johnny9s, FlickrDisney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) is a program offered by the Walt Disney World Resort and other Disney Parks to “to assist Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.” While its application represents Disney’s commitment to inclusion, reports of insensitive behavior from Cast Members assisting DAS users have recently emerged, and the community is feeling far from magical.
Yesterday, Inside the Magic reported on a post from r/WaltDisneyWorld involving a DAS-using Guest who was verbally insulted by an attending Cast Member. Naturally, Disney’s very vocal fanbase was all too quick to respond.
DAS Disaster at Disney World
It should be thoroughly understood that while the program was implemented to assist disabled Disney Guests, not all disabilities are as obvious as something like a wheelchair. Many Guests, like the one featured in the original post, live with neurological, internal, or otherwise invisible conditions.
Related: Cast Members Break Illusion, Disney Demanded to Sue
While there has been a history of Guests abusing the system in the past, there has also been a shocking consistency of rude Cast Members confronting Guests trying to legally make use of the program. Multiple Disney fans have reportedly experienced familiar scenarios.
u/GuardianNovator writes,
“More than once, I’ve had a CM decline to register me because they wouldn’t listen, and I had to try again to get someone that took the two seconds to understand. I have had multiple surgeries on my left knee… The problem is standing in place (or a slow-moving line) or sitting in a chair for more than 15-20 minutes, my knee starts to stiffen and can lock up, making moving around very difficult.The cast members that declined basically just said “mobility issue, get a wheelchair or ecv,” completely ignoring the fact that I said sitting in a chair is just as likely to cause a problem.”
Additionally, physical ailments aren’t the only debilitating conditions some Disney Park Guests have to deal with. u/discipleofhermes adds their experience with,
“My fiancee has schizophrenia, and clinical anxiety. Both of which can be made worse when under stress or packed in crowds or feelings of being trapped like in a long line for an extended period of time. She gets DAS, she has a series dog and gets comments like that all the time, it seems so small but it devastates her every time.”
And u/EmployeeHandbook adds,
“I have PTSD and no visible disability. If someone said that to me I’d politely remind them about my two tours in Iraq and my Purple Heart; and make them feel like doodoo.”
Walt Disney World’s problem has apparently gotten so frequent that many Guests are urging other DAS users to report the offending Cast Members for the shameful behavior.
u/keefandqueefs writes,
I hope you reported that cast member. That’s incredibly disrespectful! You never know if someone has a disability as a LOT of them are invisible, and shame on them for making such an ignorant comment.
To which u/MathematicianLoud965 responds,
“I think you should absolutely report it. They can probably see who was working in that spot at the time you checked in. That’s disgusting. As someone who also have an invisible illness that makes me so angry. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.”
The true problem at the heart of the matter is Guests using the DAS program as a way around the lines and queues, but that still doesn’t mean Cast Members can insult Guests who utilize the system for their needs. The fact that this seems to be a repeated offense from Disney’s team is what truly has Guests up in arms, and it definitely doesn’t represent the experience Walt Disney World is trying to promote.
Do you think Disney should take action? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!