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Credit: Dan Brace (left) Emianne (right) / FlickrDisney has been attempting to move in a direction of inclusivity, but it seems some guests with disabilities are now speaking out on how the park significantly favors guests without disabilities.
When guests visit Walt Disney World and Disneyland, many expect to wait in long lines. Attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom can quickly get to 120 minutes of waiting on a regularly crowded day, while attractions like Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios can climb to four hours or more on busy days.
For some guests, waiting in those long lines is a dealbreaker, which is why Disney Genie+ was created. Disney Genie+, the paid aspect of the system, allows guests to use the Lightning Lane when their return time strikes — which has replaced the previously free FastPass lane. Then both theme park resorts have a la carte options where guests must pay varying costs per ride, per person to ride the attraction. Disney Genie+ costs will vary depending on the day and Park you visit. Disney World has a sliding scale from $15 to $35 per ticket per day, and Disneyland ranges from $25 to $30 per day. As you can imagine, this can become quite costly and will still not allow you to skip all attraction lines all day.
For guests with specific disabilities, there is a Disability Access Service (DAS) pass, which allows you to wait virtually for your ride and scan into the Lightning Lane once your wait time is over. guests can now select the ride they want to stay for in their My Disney Experience app, making it even more convenient than the previous system, requiring you to go to the attraction to start your wait.
At Tokyo Disney Resort, things are a little different in Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland. There is a Tokyo Disney Resort Priority Pass which is basically like purchasing individual ticketed Lightning Lane attractions at Walt Disney World Resort. Each pass is separately priced, meaning it can run you to some expensive costs.
It can be used on rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pooh’s Honey Hunt, Raging Spirits, The Happy Ride with Baymax, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, and more. Some lines can be very long, so getting a pass can really help you enjoy and take advantage of your day.
In Walt Disney World, we recently spoke out on how their newest TRON Lightcycle / Run sizes warned guests that certain guests with larger body sized would be prohibited from riding, leaving some feeling that Disney is not being inclusive. In terms of guest size, there are many rides that do not have specific dimensions for lap bar seating, or specific seat widths for this purpose, but of course, some more thrilling coasters do have locking mechanisms that must be adhered to.
In Tokyo Disney Resort, the lack of inclusivity comes from a different set of circumstances. One guest with a disability recently shared their trip report online, and noted that if you are alone and disabled you “cannot go on anything” and are treated like a child. The guest stated, “We went on 20,000 leagues under the sea. They wouldn’t let me go on alone even though I explained I could walk and evacuate.”
The guest was traveling with a party; however, many of them are not fans of thrilling or scary rides, and the poster is a wheelchair user who noted that they can walk if needed.
When returning to Tokyo DisneySea, the guest had another issue attempting to ride something alone. They said, “Started with getting a fast pass to Journey to the centre of the earth . Because they still wouldn’t let me go on by myself, I had to get a fast pass and then stand for about 5ish minutes without my chair to go on. Made me feel pretty ill but mostly worth it, was a fun ride. The disability discrimination here is a really annoying part of an amazing park. That and being quizzed at the front of every ride, it’s much less efficient than USA.” In the States at Disney World and Disneyland, things are very discreet as there are protocols in place for wheelchair users, so it is not an issue.
When riding Raging Spirits, the guest once again had issues and had to be removed from their wheelchair during the entire queue in order to ride.
It seems that the guest enjoyed the parks, but did have this to say, “So in conclusion and a warning: if you’re a disabled person travelling on your own, you can’t go on anything. This is a giant shame, being treated like a child, even though I am a disabled adult who can evacuate and walk alone. When I asked, they said it was just the rules.
Not blaming the CMs, but as a park-wide rule, this is ridiculous. (I’ve been on Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain etc. on my own in USA). The food thing is a giant pain as well. It’s so difficult.” By food, the guest is referring to those with allergies. Not much is meant for those with allergies and meals are not very customizable at quick service locations, even getting things like salt is very difficult and requires cast members to go to the back and ask the chef.
Of course, Tokyo Disney Resort has its own set of rules, but it is good to know what challenges you may face when traveling to the other side of the world to go to Disney.
More on Tokyo Disney Resort
Because Disney does not actually own the resort, and Oriental Land Co. does, some things are quite different, and the detail that has been placed in Tokyo Disneyland Resort is jaw-droppingly stunning. That being said, as we mentioned because the resort is not owned by Disney (although the theme parks are considered Disney Parks and are licensed by Disney), Tokyo Disney Resort has the ability to change some of its practices on its own accord.
Tokyo Disneyland, is comprised of Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Toontown, similar to Disneyland Park in California. Tokyo DisneySea also includes areas like Mermaid Lagoon and Arabian Coast. as well as a shopping area, Ikspiari, and multiple Disney Resorts like Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, and Tokyo DisneySea, and Hotel MiraCosta. The resort has also recently welcomes Toy Story Hotel.
Have you ever been to Tokyo Disney Resort? What are your thoughts?
If you are looking to visit Walt Disney World Resort for a magical vacation, the Walt Disney World Website can be a great tool to begin planning your trip! You can begin exploring their theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can also take a look at their water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach (alongside new Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff), or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. When you get hungry or want to go shopping, Disney Springs is the place to be, especially with World of Disney there ready to help you pick up some souvenirs! You can also begin looking for your Disney World Resort! If you are looking to stay at a Deluxe monorail Resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa or a Value Resort where you can hop on the Skyliner like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it is always fun to begin looking for a room that would best suit you and your party. Plus, it has all the information you need to know on Disney Genie+ so that you will be ready to go on your My Disney Experience app once you download it! Click here to check it out today.