Are Disney Parks Eliminating Their Disability Access Services?
On Oct. 30, 2023, Mouse Trap News published an article positing that Walt Disney World parks would be ending their "Disability Access Service" (DAS for short) due to increased abuse of the system by people who are not eligible for the benefit. The article read:
Disney Eliminating Disability Access Service (DAS)
Disney is all about inclusivity. For example, this is why they cast Jada Pinkett-Smith to play Rapunzel, which we reported on here. Also, allowing men to be princesses in their parks. Both of these are examples of being more inclusive as a company. However, they are about to fall short when it comes to inclusivity with the elimination of their Disability Access Service or DAS.
A post from the Mouse Trap News TikTok page repeating the claims from the article garnered over 490,000 views, with most commenters deriding Disney for abandoning the practice.
@mousetrapnews This is why we can’t have nice things… people abused it!! #disneyworld #disneynews #das #disabilityaccessservice #disneyrides ♬ Married Life (From "Up") - Sergy el SomHowever, neither the article nor the TikTok post describes actual events. Mouse Trap News is a website that describes all of its articles as fictitious and satirical. The website includes a disclaimer on its About page explaining:
Mouse Trap News is the world’s best satire site. We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park announcements to Disney Hotel and resort news to made-up Disney partnerships, you can be assured that anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun. So technically our slogan The Moused Trusted Name in Disney News isn’t true, but we thought it was creative and funny, so we are running with it.
Disability accommodations and requirements change from country to country, but in the United States, they are governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the most recent ADA guidelines, all new attractions at amusement parks are required to meet certain accessibility guidelines, including accessible entrances and seats on rides, but there is no provision regarding lines and queueing.
That said, in late 2013, Disney introduced DAS as an additional accommodation for guests who might have difficulties waiting in long queues frequently found at Disney parks. The service works similarly to the FastPass system by giving DAS-eligible guests a later time to return, allowing them to wait in a more comfortable area or ride other attractions in the meantime.
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
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