Credit: Shanghai Disney ResortA Disney park has come under fire after telling a visually impaired guest that they couldn’t use their cane in the park.
Disney’s theme parks welcome millions of guests each year, including visitors who rely on mobility and accessibility aids to navigate crowded spaces. That makes clear and consistent rules around equipment such as white canes especially important, particularly when those aids are essential for independent movement.
Disney Apologizes After White Cane Incident
The incident happened on September 3, when a visually impaired guest – named as Ms. Song by 21 Jingji – visited Shanghai Disneyland with her boyfriend. The pair entered at around 7:40 a.m. and obtained a disabled access pass before heading further into the park.
Later that morning, Ms. Song said they stopped to take photos in front of the castle when a staff member questioned whether she needed to keep using her white cane. According to her account, the employee cited the number of people in the park and asked whether she could put it away instead.
Ms. Song raised the issue with Guest Services on the same day, but said the matter was not effectively resolved. She returned to the park on September 4 to discuss it again and said Disneyland apologized, although the immediate response reportedly amounted to little more than being given two stickers.
The situation became more confusing when a reporter later contacted Shanghai Disney Resort customer service while posing as a guest. The representative reportedly said white canes were treated as “sticks” and suggested sending photos and measurements by email in advance so staff could determine whether the canes could be brought inside.
Shanghai Disneyland later clarified that visually impaired guests do not need to give advance notice before bringing or using a white cane. Ms. Song said Disney identified the two employees involved as security staff, apologized, promised stronger employee training, and invited her and her boyfriend back to the park with park tickets and VIP access for two attractions.
Disney Has Faced Accessibility Complaints Before
This is not the first time Disney has faced scrutiny over how its parks accommodate blind and visually impaired guests. In 2010, visually impaired annual passholders filed a class action lawsuit accusing Disney of failing to provide equal access, including accessible maps, signage, and adequate viewing areas.
Court records also detailed complaints from visually impaired guests who said cast members refused them access to designated viewing areas because they were not wheelchair users. One guest alleged that her visually impaired daughter was told she was not considered disabled unless she used a wheelchair (via Casemine).
More recently, blind and low vision visitors have continued to report inconsistent experiences.
In 2024, one guest said a trip to Walt Disney World with her blind boyfriend was complicated by problems with its advertised disability access services (AKA DAS), including audio description devices and uncertainty around what accommodations were actually available (via Reddit).
Disney currently advertises specific services for blind and low-vision guests at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, including audio-description devices and Braille guidebooks. Its own planning guidance also states that walking canes are permitted in the parks, although security may inspect them at entry.
Earlier this year, guests also complained that Walt Disney World Resort is no longer providing the specialized beach wheelchairs that previously helped guests navigate its water parks.
Have you ever encountered similar issues at Disney theme parks in the past?
