Disney's Line-Jumping For Disabled To Change Because Of Abuse, People Freak Out In Response
58 replies, posted
[quote=Huffington Post][B]
People with disabilities will no longer go straight to the front of lines at Disneyland and Walt Disney World after growing abuse of the system, park officials said.
Under the change, visitors will be issued tickets with a return time and a shorter wait similar to the FastPass system that's offered to everyone.
Currently, visitors unable to wait in the regular line can get backdoor access to rides or go through the exit and wait in a shorter line.[/B]
The move was a response to the phenomenon of disabled "tour guides" who charge money, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to accompany able-bodied guests and allow them to avoid long lines. Others who don't have a disability have been able to get an assistance card since no proof of disability is required.
"Given the increasing volume of requests we receive for special access to our attractions, we are changing our process to create a more consistent experience for all our guests while providing accommodations for guests with disabilities," Brown said in a statement.
[B]
The change takes effect Oct. 9 for guests with park-issued disability cards. Disney officials said more details will be released after park employees are briefed on the new rules.
[/B]
Some families of children with epilepsy and autism criticized the change, saying some kids' disabilities just don't allow them to wait in standard lines.
Rebecca Goddard said she takes her sons, ages 4 and 6, to Disneyland once a week. They have autism and can't stand in lines longer than a few minutes before they start pushing other people.
"My boys don't have the cognition to understand why it's going to be a long wait," Goddard told the Register. "There are so few things for my boys that bring them utter joy and happiness – to mess with it just makes me sad."
The advocacy group Autism Speaks consulted with Walt Disney Co. officials on the change and urged parents to see how it unfolds.
"Change is difficult," said Matt Asner, executive director of the Southern California chapter. "I didn't want it to change, but I understand there was an issue that needed to be dealt with."[/quote]
[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/23/disney-disabled-line-jump_n_3977409.html]Source[/url].
I am glad they finally did something about the abuse, but it is a shame that people with actual disabilities have been affected.
Way to ruin a generous system, assholes.
so is fastpass disabled too or is it just the handicap line?
[quote]Rebecca Goddard said she takes her sons, ages 4 and 6, to Disneyland once a week[/quote]
woha
It sucks that this had to happen. But people abused the system and ruined it for everyone and now everyone suffers
[QUOTE=Bentham;42341548]Way to ruin a generous system, assholes.[/QUOTE]
That unfortunately happens all the time when there's an advantage gainable by certain factors (mental or physical); people will falsify and/or abuse it for the simplest matters and ruin it for everyone else.
Here in Florida there is a law that says parks aren't allowed to ask if you actually have the disability or not, so you can just walk up to the help desk and get a handicapped pass by saying your friend next to you is blind and deaf, even if he isn't, and still get the pass because they're not allowed to check.
One of my friends goes to Disney world like once or twice a year and he does this and skips all the lines. Stuff you'd normally have to wait 30+ minutes for he got through in less than a minute because of how short the handicap lines are.
[editline]28th September 2013[/editline]
Oh, the fun part: the handicap passes are up to five people, so each pass can get you and four buddies into the handicap line.
I know people who have to use this and it's quite unfortunate, though I can't say it's unreasonable. It's a shame it has to be dumped due to the rotten attitudes some people have about it.
This is actually why Disney made the queues in Disney California Adventure handicap accessible.
They've added another system in its place, and it works just as well. It specifies times for the disabled to use the rides, so instead of just leaping ahead and getting the benefit of the doubt, it can be double checked and is much harder to abuse.
[QUOTE]The move was a response to the phenomenon of disabled "tour guides" who charge money, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to accompany able-bodied guests and allow them to avoid long lines. [B]Others who don't have a disability have been able to get an assistance card since no proof of disability is required.[/B][/QUOTE]
Wait, am I reading this wrong, but why didn't they fix that? Require a proof of disability to get an assistance card, then let them make use of the special services.
Implementing something like that without requiring actual proof is kinda stupid to begin with, so why couldn't they fix it?
[QUOTE=Wii60;42341558]so is fastpass disabled too or is it just the handicap line?[/QUOTE]
Basically they are moving people with disabilities into a Fastpass system that has a shorter wait time than the normal Fastpass system.
[editline]29th September 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=snookypookums;42341864]Wait, am I reading this wrong, but why didn't they fix that? Require a proof of disability to get an assistance card, then let them make use of the special services.
Implementing something like that without requiring actual proof is kinda stupid to begin with, so why couldn't they fix it?[/QUOTE]
If I recall correctly, the law was passed to not require ID after the previous policy was created.
[QUOTE=Andokool12;42341565]woha[/QUOTE]
If you live in Southern California, you can buy these annual passes straight up or do monthly payments. There's different passes with certain blackout dates, but most of the time you can go whenever you want (Most expensive one has no blackout dates)
I remember I had mine a few years ago and I went 2-3 times a month with my brothers.
I brought my cousin (who has Down syndrome) and his family to Disney World a few years ago. There's no line jumping system for the disabled at all, they bring you through the exit (or tertiary line if available, ie. in parks other than Magic Kingdom) and then have you wait for however long the fastpass line would have taken. The only line jumping system is for people who issued a complaint and get to skip lines as compensation.
[QUOTE=Dippeggs;42341943]If you live in Southern California, you can buy these annual passes straight up or do monthly payments. There's different passes with certain blackout dates, but most of the time you can go whenever you want (Most expensive one has no blackout dates)
I remember I had mine a few years ago and I went 2-3 times a month with my brothers.[/QUOTE]
Annual passes are actually cheaper then tickets.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;42342230]Annual passes are actually cheaper then tickets.[/QUOTE]
because they are hoping you will spend alot of money in the park to make money
-snip-
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342315]Lady. I don't care if your sons are living vegetables, when you take them that much, you have no right to complain about waiting in line.[/QUOTE]
People with Autism are not 'living vegetables'.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342315]Lady. I don't care if your sons are living vegetables, when you take them that much, you have no right to complain about waiting in line.[/QUOTE]
Holy shit, words cannot describe your genuine ignorance.
Unless you're saying "Even if they were veggies", but, come on, look at people with serious mental/physical illnesses, they were born fucked up. give em a fair shake!
LEAST you could do is wait slightly longer because its like, life's no test, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't act like its one.
[QUOTE=J!NX;42342341]Holy shit, words cannot describe your genuine ignorance.
Unless you're saying "Even if they were veggies", but, come on, look at people with serious mental/physical illnesses, they were born fucked up. give em a fair shake!
LEAST you could do is wait slightly longer because its like, life's no test, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't act like its one.[/QUOTE]
"human vegetable" was an example.
Don't get me wrong. I feel bad about every other family w/ disabled members who could maybe go to disneyland once a year. I just got angry hearing that specific family's complaining about having to wait in a line even though she already spoiles her children from the sounds of it.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342409]"human vegetable" was an example.
Don't get me wrong. I feel bad about every other family w/ disabled members who could maybe go to disneyland once a year. I just got angry hearing that specific family's complaining about having to wait in a line even though she already spoiles her children from the sounds of it.[/QUOTE]
Still, remember, I don't think it should entirely be explained as to why they are unlucky and should get inherent advantages. After all, autism is not easy to live with by a long shot.
Best we can do is bandage the scars and just take one for their bad luck. Even if they get a "MUCH better deal" here and there, they have been dealt a really bad hand, so they're better off getting the spoils of being allowed to complain like that then not getting advantages at all.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342315]Lady. I don't care if your sons are living vegetables, when you take them that much, you have no right to complain about waiting in line.[/QUOTE]
ok hitler
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42342500]ok hitler[/QUOTE]
He must be British Hitler. Rounds up all the minorities and the disabled and makes them wait in queues.
[QUOTE=J!NX;42342423]Still, remember, I don't think it should entirely be explained as to why they are unlucky and should get inherent advantages. After all, autism is not easy to live with by a long shot.
Best we can do is bandage the scars and just take one for their bad luck. Even if they get a "MUCH better deal" here and there, they have been dealt a really bad hand, so they're better off getting the spoils of being allowed to complain like that then not getting advantages at all.[/QUOTE]
I detest parents who spoil their kids, be they autistic or not. It teaches them bad values and is all around anti-proactive.
Is this for all disabilities?
I remember reading a couple of stories a while back about the rich paying handicapped people to go to Disneyland with them so that they could bypass lines.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342992]I detest parents who spoil their kids, be they autistic or not. It teaches them bad values and is all around anti-proactive.[/QUOTE]
looks like you have no experience with low-functioning autism
[QUOTE=Andokool12;42341565]woha[/QUOTE]
More money than sense.
Paying to get a disability card is just sad. If you want to get on a ride faster and don't mind splitting up from your friends, use the single-rider queue.
I went this year and there was this asshole who was carrying a wheelchair and was just being a bitch to his girlfriend by saying "DO I HAVE TO CARRY THIS ALL BY MYSELF??" or something along those lines. Annoyed me the entire trip that people blatantly did that.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342315]Lady. I don't care if your sons are living vegetables, when you take them that much, you have no right to complain about waiting in line.[/QUOTE]
If anything the frequency of their trips should make their complaint even more valid as people like her will be the most effected.
[QUOTE=borisvdb;42342992]I detest parents who spoil their kids, be they autistic or not. It teaches them bad values and is all around anti-proactive.[/QUOTE]
She probably lives close by and Disneyland is a cost effective way to have quality time with her children once a week. Trust me, the presence of roller coasters in a child's upbringing does not automatically make them grow up into douche bags. Learned that watching Dr. Phil.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42342500]ok hitler[/QUOTE]
murphy's law
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