A masked family walks in front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS)
Another major change is coming to the system for providing accommodations for people with disabilities at Disney theme parks.
The company announced this month that it would be “making several improvements” to what it calls its Disability Access Services (DAS) program. The move comes nearly eight years after Disney revised its access policies that prompted lawsuits from families of people with developmental disabilities.
The Disability Access Services program allows people with disabilities who cannot tolerate long wait times to get time to return to rides and other attractions so they don’t have to physically wait in line.
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Visitors have had to wait until they arrived at Disney World or Disneyland to find accommodations, but with changes coming this fall, Disney announced they’ll be able to register via live video chat with a Cast Member up to 30 days before they arrive, at which point they’ll be able to select two experiences per day through the DAS Advanced Planning option, and then resume those activities within an hour on the day of their visit.
Additionally, the Disability Access Services program will be adjusted to allow visitors to find out re-entry times for rides and other experiences through an app, rather than having to go to each attraction or kiosk.
The update is part of a larger shakeup happening at Disney World and Disneyland this fall, as the company moves away from its free FastPass system, which allows people to skip lines at a select number of attractions, in favor of a paid model.
Disney is also launching a digital tool called “Disney Genie,” designed to provide personalized itineraries that include current and expected wait times for attractions.
Disney made significant changes to its disability access system in 2013. Previously, guests with disabilities at its theme parks could receive a Guest Assistance Card, which allowed them to get to the front of lines for rides. Disney said it was eliminating this option because it was “abused and exploitative.”
Instead, disability access services were introduced, which prompted dozens of families with children with autism and other disabilities to file lawsuits arguing that the more limited access was a violation of their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The first lawsuit went to trial last year, and a federal judge ruled in Disney’s favor.
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