Judge sides with Disney in case of autistic accommodation

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Associated Press
Updated 5:49 pm CDT, Wednesday, July 1, 2020

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A judge has sided with Walt Disney World in ruling that the theme park resort wasn't being unreasonable when it refused to give unlimited front-of-the-line passes to an autistic man whose mother said in court papers the accommodation should have been made under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. District Judge Anne Conway ruled last week that it was unreasonable to give Donna Lorman's son such access, saying it was ripe for abuse.

Lorman filed the lawsuit after Disney World changed its policy on disabled guests in 2013 in response to reports of tourists hiring people with disabilities and terminally ill children to help them go to the front of lines and ride multiple times.

Disney created the Disability Access Service Card which lets people with disabilities get return times for rides, similar to a FastPass, so they don’t have to wait in a line, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Judge-sides-with-Disney-in-case-of-autistic-15380717.php

---

😠 😠

[kimbutgar]

1. As a mother of a son with autism I am mixed about this

I actually saw people years ago abuse the front of the line pass but the come back at a specific time is just as hard. We were in Disneyland the last day it was open and because the place was not crowded because it was closing we went on more rides on that day than the previous two days. It was hard on my son to wait in between those times.

[Demsrule86]

2. Yeah well if you have enough money you can go to the front of the line.

[keithbvadu2]

3. I am handicapped and cannot stand in long lines.

I am handicapped and cannot stand in long lines.

The Disability Access Service Card is a good feature.

One, maybe two, front-of-the-line passes would be nice but unlimited is taking advantage.

[levp]

4. WTF?!

Just when you think you've seen everything:

reports of tourists hiring [...] terminally ill children to help them go to the front of lines

And if this to cover medical expenses, we are truly f-ed up as a society...

[Xolodno]

5. Its been a long well known abuse.

Remember reading when they finally analyzed this on the increased wait times, how many times people would jump to the front of the line, etc. Disney Theme Park executives had to pick their jaws up off the floor.

Think it also spurred the ride reservation system in Orlando.

I side with Disney on this one. Make a ride reservation and go explore other areas of the park. Plenty of attractions that don't get much traffic and you can just walk right in. In short, if you have someone that wants immediate gratification to hop on a ride, then they probably shouldn't be there.

[GulfCoast66]

6. Well, it won't matter in the short term.

Disney parks are reopening in the next couple of weeks. But it will be real different.

25% capacity attendance, mandatory masks, lots of shows closed, reservations to the parks required and no fireworks.

It will be safe, and if you get a reservation it will like Disney in the 70’s in February when it was not packed all the time.

[dreamland]

7. I have to agreed with the judge, people have abused the unlimited rides..

..even when they are not disabled. There are people who buy these passes from disabled persons and it's become a huge underground market. It's not fair for those truly disabled because they'll be waiting behind those who pretend disability. The disability service pass is like a fast pass and should serve well enough. Unlike the fast pass, it has the benefit to allow up to 6 people to accommodate the disabled person on the ride. This seems to me a case of someone using their child's disability to benefit themselves. Disney was accommodating but people abuse the system.