Disney guests who lie about disabilities to cut long lines will face lifetime bans from both parks
The happiest place on Earth is bringing down the hammer.
Walt Disney World updated its protocols Tuesday to crack down on guests who lie about having a disability in order to cut the parks’ notoriously long lines.
Those caught cheating the Disability Access Service (DAS) program will be hit with lifetime bans from both the California and Florida resorts.
The new rule was added to Disneyland’s frequently asked questions web page under: “What happens if any of the statements made by a Guest in the process of registering for DAS are found to be not true?”
“If it is determined that any of the statements a guest made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true, the guest will be permanently barred from entering the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and any previously purchased Annual Passes, Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products and services will be forfeited and not refunded,” the drop-down response reads.
The strict policy change was one of several announced Tuesday as Disney overhauls its DAS system, which was previously described as a program “to assist guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”
DAS guests would not get to cut lines, but their passes would allow them to virtually save a spot in the queue and wait out the designated time elsewhere in the park — an opportunity past abusers used to go to souvenir shopping, grab lunch or meet cast members.
Not all disabilities qualify for DAS, but Disney clarified Tuesday that it is intended for guests who have a “developmental disability like autism or similar” that makes it difficult for them to wait in conventional lines.
The program should only accommodate a “small percentage” of guests, Disney said — not the growing number of people that the iconic parks theorized have been abusing the passes over the years.
DAS usage in the parks has tripled over the past five years, Disney officials told Nexstar’s Scott Gustin.
In order to crack down on misuse, park officials are now requiring that all DAS guests enroll in the program via a virtual video meeting with Inspire Health Alliance experts ahead of their trip.
While documentation of a disability is not required, the health professionals will evaluate whether the guest needs the DAS pass.
Cast members were previously conducting such meetings.
All existing DAS pass holders will be required to re-apply — so that the cheaters can be weeded out.
The new rules will go into effect on June 18 at Disneyland and May 20 at Walt Disney World.
Disney did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
