Report: Disney to Remove In-Park Disability Access, External Ruling Takes Charge

If you use the Disability Access Service, or DAS pass, when you visit Walt Disney World, listen up because things may be headed for a dramatic change.

At Walt Disney World, there are services set in place for guests with any disability to ensure that they have an inclusive experience on their visit. From boat rides having wheelchair access ride vehicles to elevators and ramps being present in any location that requires it, the Disney experience is meant to be equally magic for all guests. 

The Disability Access Service pass allows guests who are visiting the park the chance to use the Lightning Lane instead of waiting in the actual queue if they have a medical condition that would make the wait unsafe for them. Guests with the pass can select what ride they plan to ride, and the My Disney Experience app will issue them a return time, which will equate to the wait time that the ride has at that moment.

So, for example, if you want to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and it has a 120-minute wait, your return time will be two hours after you have made your selection, so that you are still waiting in the line, but doing so virtually. Then, you can use the Lightning Lane when your return time is up, so that you can wait in a much shorter line than the regular queue.

The Disability Access Service pass is something that guests must attain at guest relations, explaining their condition and why they cannot wait in line. It should be noted that mobility issues are not valid for this pass, as Disney offers wheelchairs and scooter rentals.

Guests have the option to pre-register as early as 30 days before their visit but must do so at least 2 days prior to arrival through a live virtual chat. Alternatively, they can register in person at a guest relations location during their trip; either way, the pass will last for 90 days if accepted.

Now, there are reports that this pass will no longer exist, and a third-party company will be taking over.

Disney news site WDWNT is reporting this change as a rumor; the outlet stated, “The service may be similar or even the same as the IBCCES (International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) Attractions Assistance Pass that Universal switched to last year.”

If this new system comes into place, first, you would have to sign up for IBCCES online before your visit. Uploading documentation like a doctor’s note would be required. Disney would then review your information and if everything seems in order, they’d pre-qualify you for an accessibility card.

Once pre-qualified, Disney would reach out to discuss any accommodations you might need during your visit. However, it’s important to note that pre-qualification wouldn’t guarantee an Attractions Assistance Pass. Disney has the final say and would provide you with a case number to present at guest services upon arrival.

You would have to show your digital accessibility card through the My Disney Experience app – screenshots and printed copies wouldn’t be accepted. Guest services would then issue your Attractions Assistance Pass. The pass itself is valid for a year, but you would need to pick up a new digital accessibility card every two weeks to ensure continued access. That is how it works for guests at Universal Orlando Resort at the moment, and if things remain the same for Disney, that is likely the process that guests would have to undergo to get their Attractions Assistance Pass or Disability Access Pass.

In the past, we have shared reports of guests believing that others are abusing the DAS system that Disney has at the moment.

Others accuse guests of lying about their medical needs and getting a pass when it is not actually warranted. It should be noted that there are many medical needs that are not physical, and just because a guest does not present as disabled, they may have other conditions that can be triggered or become dangerous if stuck waiting in a long line.

This new system would remove any possibility of lying about a medical condition, as it would require a doctor’s note to confirm the medical need that requires the pass.

While the report suggested this is a change that would be made at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort utilizes the same system in order for guests to attain a pass for their attractions, and if a change was made, it would likely be wide-spread.

That being said, this is a rumor at the moment, and there have been false reports on this happening in the past. 

Do you think that Disney should make their DAS system more complex?