The happiest places on Earth are getting a little annoyed. And when the Disney empire gets perturbed, change is on the way.

Starting next month, Disneyland and Walt Disney World will no longer allow those who are disabled instant access to rides. Widespread occurrences of able-bodied park guests abusing the Disney policy have prompted the change.

This is really contemptible. It seems there have been wealthy visitors hiring disabled people to pretend to be family members so they can go to the front of the line and avoid the wait.

But beginning October 9th, Disneyland and Walt Disney World will issue disability access cards with guest tickets. These cards will indicate a time that the disabled guests will need to enter an attraction. The selected time will be based on current wait times so that these folks won't have to stay in line very long.

Since Disney can't ask guests to show proof of disability--either under the retiring policy or the new one--I'm gathering there may not be a whole lot they can do about these unethical and despicable people who are hiring "actors." Maybe delaying their entry onto a ride or into an attraction, rather than letting go straight to the front of the line, is the best they can do.

This is unfortunate, because those who REALLY need to be afforded the opportunity to get the instant access are--in a way--being punished, for lack of a better word. But, again, Disney cannot probe too deeply into the nature of a visitor's disability.

I'm not naive. I know there are tons of dishonest people out there. I guess we're just hearing more stories about them as time passes because the the incidents are increasingly egregious.

Maybe the happiest places on Earth will now be a little less annoyed. But considering the fact that they are also a little hamstrung, they still probably have a burr under their Mickey Mouse ears.

 

 

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