Ahead of a recent Disney shareholders meeting, one thing one of the shareholders was going to suggest was conducting a third-party review of the controversial changes done to Disney’s Disability Access System (DAS). This is important because since the changes to the program took effect in April of 2024, many people with disabilities have been angry about what they have experienced as a result of the program. This included outright denying people the use of the program because their conditions aren’t what the program is looking for, to suggesting problematic alternate ways to handle the wait, like re-entering the queue to meet up with the rest of their party.

One example of the first problem in the system was when Disney denied a boy named Joseph, who has brain cancer, the ability to use the system when he had six months left to live at the time.

An example for the second problem of the system that became viral was the story of Charisma, a wheelchair user who was told to re-enter the line, as mentioned above.

“I wanted to make this video to show that no matter the severity of the disability, Disney has their own standards that they created that determines whether or not you apply for their specific accessibility service which mainly [means being] severely disabled or cognitively disabled.” Charisma stated in the video.

Charisma also pointed out that if she used the alternative they suggested, Genie Plus, every week, that would cost $400 per month, some of which she needs for her medical services. Instead, she suggested Disney puts out a service for disabled people who don’t qualify for the pass to use the Lightning Lane.

Why is the “return to line” substitution so controversial? Though it allows people who need to use the restroom or have a medical issue to return to the queue after they leave, it’s not helpful for people who have sensory issues, chronic pain, or have a mobility issue, all of which make it hard to stand in a crowded line. This could possibly make problems for those denied the system even worse, or lead to meltdowns in the case of those with autism.

I recently went to Disney World this February. Before the trip, I was rejected for the Disability Access Service despite falling under the requirements to get the pass. My twin sister wasn’t even given the ability to answer all of the Cast Member’s questions, and was cut off immediately. We were offered the return to queue option, but that wouldn’t be helpful for us. This shows that Disney doesn’t even respect neurodivergent people in some cases when it comes to queuing in lines. Even when I provided details and explained that I was on the spectrum, they still rejected me. This made me angry, because me and my sister were eligible for the pass in the past after they changed the rules.

Without the pass, I just ended up buying Lightning Lane passes I didn’t use often and cancelled or changed due to my plans being more sporadic. I also arrived to the parks early as a strategy to beat the crowds, but this made me exhausted and later on in the day, I found out it heightened my sensory issues, to the point where I would call it a day and go to my hotel.

I first noticed my sister was exhausted when we went to EPCOT. She believed this was due to her carrying around a big popcorn bucket, but when the same thing happened to me the next day, I realized this wasn’t the case. I didn’t like how rushing through the parks was making me feel awful and exhausted. In fact, I felt like I wanted to hop on a flight back home as soon as possible. This made me feel like even though I accomplished a lot on the trip, it wasn’t worth my mental health or sensory issues.

I would love for Disney to review the changes to their system implemented in 2024. Without the DAS pass, I didn’t feel like my recent trip was worth it due to how exhausted I became. If Disney said the pass was meant for certain people while still rejecting them, why even bother offering it without fixing the problems? I don’t want to be tired out from just riding attractions early in the morning, with less energy for the rest of the day, so I hope they do review the system. A trip should not make you feel horrible, it should make you happy!