Cast Member Accuses Humiliated Disney Guest of "Faking Disability"

Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort are often touted for best-in-industry accessibility. The offerings are unmatched among competition Theme Parks, with widespread wheelchair-accessible queues, the Disney Disability Access Service (DAS Pass), allergen menus, and varying Disney Park maps customized for Guests’ differing needs.

At Walt Disney World Resort, wheelchairs and ECVs/scooters are available for rent through the Disney Parks or third-party services. These mobility devices make Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios traversable for disabled Guests.

Using a mobility device doesn’t mean that someone can’t walk. Some Guests need to stay in wheelchairs on attractions, while others transfer out. Unfortunately, not everyone understands varying accessibility needs.

Reddit user u/ldevree recently recalled a decades-old experience with a Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member. The then 8-year-old visited the Central Florida Disney Park with their older sister, who had recently been in a car accident.

“We went to Disney to celebrate her recovering enough to leave the hospital/rehab,” the Guest wrote. “She had a regular wheelchair for her weak muscles and her sustained balance issues. We did the wheelchair lanes for rides at the time.”

“One of my most vivid memories from that trip is when a Cast Member who helped us on a ride in the morning past us later in the day walking elsewhere in the Park,” they continued. “My sister was walking and my dad was pushing me in the chair. The Cast Member came over to us and called us out for ‘cheating the lines’ and whatnot. My parents had to explain the situation to the worker and the manager that eventually came over.”

Related: Disney World Guest Struggles to Register For DAS Advance, Demands Change

Though the family enjoyed their trip, the Guest’s memories were forever tainted.

“Hopefully, people are more understanding now than 25 years ago,” they said. “That shouldn’t be an 8 year olds Disney memory.”

Are the Disney disability access programs sufficient? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.