3Here at Inside the Magic, we often report unique Disney Parks guest experiences, which often include complaints. In 2022, a The Price is Right model requested a $4,000 refund for her family’s Disneyland Resort VIP Tour. Weeks ago, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star June Shannon (“Mama June”) shared her negative experience bringing a service animal to Walt Disney World Resort. This week, a popular meteorologist used his platform to talk about using Walt Disney World Resort’s Disability Access Service (DAS).
DAS is an accessibility offering at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort given to guests unable to wait in line for extended periods. Guests must meet a Disney cast member virtually via DAS Advance Selection or at Guest Services to explain their need for the service–those with issues that can be fully solved by a wheelchair, ECV, or other mobility device don’t qualify for a DAS pass.
If approved, up to six guests in the Disney DAS Pass user’s party can use the My Disney Experience app to book return times for attractions one at a time. Return times reflect the ride’s posted wait time. Instead of standing in the queue, guests wait virtually and use the Lightning Lane entrance during their return window.
Meteorologist Rob Jones (@tvmeteorologist), who left television to create social media content, recently visited Magic Kingdom with his family. A party member used DAS, but the experience wasn’t what they expected. The internet weatherman spoke out to over 17,000 followers in numerous TikTok videos.
In his initial video, Jones joked that he became a “Karen” after a My Disney Experience app issue prevented his family from ending their day at Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. When they requested a DAS return time, the app told them to come back no earlier than 11:00 p.m. The only problem? Magic Kingdom closed at 11:00.
@tvmeteorologist Replying to @Anna Gregerson #greenscreen #waltdisneyworldparks #karenstorytime #magickingdom #buzzlightyearride #badcustomerserviceskills #disneydisabilityaccessservice @Rob Jones – Meteorologist
Despite being confused about the app glitch, Disney cast members said they couldn’t let the family into the attraction. Jones was even more frustrated after noticing that the ride was still operating, cycling through guests who got in line before 11:00 p.m. and Deluxe Disney Resort hotel guests enjoying Extended Evening Hours, he said.
“There was really no help involved…,” Jones said. “[A manager] essentially reiterated the same thing, that if we were not guests at a Deluxe Resort, then we couldn’t get in after 11:00 p.m., no matter what it said on the app.”
He asked if they could still ride, as the six-year-old in their party had a disappointing day of ride breakdowns and wanted to depart on a positive note. After the manager denied him, Jones requested a supervisor, who he claimed took at least 15 minutes to arrive because of unrelated issues on TRON Lightcycle / Run.
The supervisor was aware of the glitch but said they couldn’t allow the family in. Since they were leaving that night and not staying at a Disney Resort hotel, she scanned their tickets to see if there was any way she could make it up to the family.
Her scanner didn’t work correctly the first time, so the supervisor asked to scan them again. At this point, Jones refused: “Why am I going to continue to help you? You’re wasting our time.”
In an e-mail to Inside the Magic, Jones further explained that “it didn’t seem practical that we were continuing to waste time on a seemingly futile cause.”
Before leaving, Jones insisted on taking a picture of the supervisor’s name tag, which he shared in the video.
Later, Jones made another video. In it, he explained that multiple rides broke down throughout their day leading up to the DAS issue at Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. In numerous instances, the ride closed after they’d already scanned into the Lightning Lane line, meaning they had to make a new DAS reservation for the attractions when they reopened later:
@tvmeteorologist Replying to @KeyWestBanana #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen @Disney @Disney Parks #customerrelations #waltdisneyworldmagickingdom #waltdisneyworldparks #disneyparkstiktok @Rob Jones – Meteorologist
“Where’s the contingency plan?” Jones asked. “Where’s the customer service? Why was that not handled better?”
Some commenters agreed with Jones.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous they wouldn’t let you go,” @coopchar1 wrote.
“As a former cast [member] this actually surprises me,” said @poisedpiglet. “Not typical in my experience.”
Others felt that, despite the glitch, Jones’ family shouldn’t have tried to enter a ride after Magic Kingdom closed.
“Magic Kingdom stays open past 11 as an amenity for those staying at a deluxe hotel,” @biancaamendola0 argued. “They have to draw the line somewhere. If they let one then they will have to start letting everyone.”
“This park brings in $50 million a day and you’re OK with the customer being screwed for the sake of corporate profits and poor customer experiences no fault of the customer’s by a glitchy app?” Jones replied.
Despite the unfortunate end to his day, Jones told Inside the Magic in an e-mail that he found DAS “overall favorable.” Days after posting his initial videos, he shared his positive experience with the disability service in another TikTok:
@tvmeteorologist Replying to @KBug #greenscreen in my previous videos, I have mentioned DAS disability access service, which is available at Disney parks and can help people with disabilities or medical issues that may make a difficult for them to wait in long lines. In this video, I talk about my experience on January 3, 2024 using DAS. #disneyDAS #disneydaspass #disneydasquestions #disneydisabilityaccessservice #disneydisabilitytiktok #ulcerativecolitis #ulcerativecolitiscommunity @Rob Jones – Meteorologist
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“It’s difficult to imagine how much more difficult my day, and our day, would’ve been without it,” Jones said.
Besides the issue with the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin return time, the only other critique Jones had centered around temporarily closed attractions.
“I think Disney should be able to do a better job in getting people back to attractions where they have scheduled DAS access but have had some sort of issue due to rides having to be shut down,” he explained.
All in all, Jones said this experience hasn’t changed his mind about visiting Walt Disney World Resort.
“I’ve been visiting Disney World since 1984 when my parents first brought me as a kid,” he told Inside the Magic. “…I know that my friends from Greece would like to come back to bring their daughter to visit the other Disney World Parks. I wouldn’t want to miss my time with them or other friends and family so expect I will visit again one way or another.”
What do you think of Jones’ experience using DAS at Walt Disney World Resort? Have you had difficulty with the service at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disneyland Park, or Disney California Adventure Park? 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.