Disney has as soon as once more made modifications to its web sites, including step-by-step guidelines & suggestions for visitors with disabilities to entry rides within the Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks as a substitute for DAS. This covers particulars of the expanded insurance policies, which is a wanted and overdue clarification of the way to use the Incapacity Entry Service substitutes within the occasion of DAS denial, supplementation, and so forth.
As fast background, Disney overhauled DAS at Walt Disney World and Disneyland again in Could 2024. In keeping with the corporate, the modifications have been due largely to abuse, misuse, and proliferation of this system’s use–with issuances of DAS tripling from 2019 to the time of the reforms. For extra concerning the specifics of the overhauled DAS, see Incapacity Entry Service (DAS) Adjustments at Walt Disney World FAQ.
Though there have been no main coverage modifications since then, it’s been a veritable curler coaster of rule rollbacks, tweaks, and different extra minor–however typically significant–updates. A few of this has seemingly been in response to a category motion lawsuit filed final 12 months. There’s additionally a proxy proposal backed by the DAS Defenders looking for an “Impartial Assessment and Report on Accessibility and Incapacity Inclusion Practices” that will likely be voted on throughout the Walt Disney Firm’s 2026 Annual Assembly of Shareholders on March 18, 2026.
It’s price mentioning this shareholder proposal that’s on the proxy poll as a result of it’s been making headlines for the final month-plus, and particularly the final week when it was lastly added to the agenda for the annual assembly. The timing with that and the attraction queue re-entry rule revisions (clarifications?) could possibly be completely coincidental. However it’s price noting that within the time across the aforementioned class motion lawsuit being filed, Walt Disney World and Disneyland likewise additionally made quite a few rule relaxations, modifications and clarifications.
Accordingly, it wouldn’t shock us within the least if Disney is making ready for the shareholder vote by bolstering its guidelines and sources about and associated to DAS. Not essentially to affect the vote itself; as we’ve coated, it’s all however sure that the shareholder proposal will fail.
It’s nonetheless doable that Disney is bracing itself for a brand new wave of media protection on account of the DAS vote, is figuring out deficiencies in its accessibility literature, and bettering them to current as constructive of an look as doable. If that’s the case, we would see additional updates to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland web sites, rule modifications, clarifications, and so forth.
Or not! Once more, this expanded explainer for Attraction Queue Re-Entry is overdue and will simply be an bizarre replace, completely unrelated to the shareholder vote. It simply is curious that there have been a number of modifications coinciding with the category motion lawsuit, and now once more with the shareholder vote.
With that mentioned, it’s not as if these are main substantive rule modifications to Attraction Queue Re-Entry. This appears extra about transparency, and clearly conveying how this characteristic works. A few of this was beforehand printed, however there was additionally a number of confusion round this characteristic and the way to use it as a DAS various or complement. (Because of internationally-renowned Disney font knowledgeable Hastin for bringing these Attraction Queue Re-Entry modifications to my consideration–I might’ve missed them in any other case.)
Anyway, right here’s the brand new/revised/up to date/expanded verbiage that now seems on each Walt Disney World and Disneyland’s pages for Accessing Attraction Queues:
Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up
Friends with particular wants which will come up whereas ready in an attraction queue might exit the queue whereas the remainder of their occasion waits within the queue. The Visitor might then re-enter the queue previous to boarding the trip. A Visitor may additionally wait exterior the queue and meet up with their occasion earlier than boarding the trip if wanted based mostly on the character or situation of the queue at a specific attraction and the Visitor’s particular wants. Each attraction has an outlined course of to help these choices.
The right way to Use Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up:
To go away and Re-Enter a queue…
- 1) On the entrance of the attraction, speak with a Solid Member to find out about exit choices ought to it is advisable to go away the queue.
- HELPFUL HINT: In case you already know the way to exit the queue, you then don’t want to talk with a Solid Member prior – simply be part of the queue.
- 2) Within the occasion your particular want requires you to depart the queue, merely exit whereas the rest of your occasion stays within the queue.
- HELPFUL HINT: In case you want somebody that will help you – they’ll go away with you whereas the rest of your occasion waits within the queue.
- HELPFUL HINT: In case you are touring alone or with occasion members who can’t be left alone within the queue, please contact Accessibility Companies previous to your go to.
- 3) If you find yourself able to return, go to the entrance of the attraction and let a Solid Member know that you’re utilizing the Attraction Queue Re-Entry lodging and must regroup together with your occasion within the queue.
- HELPFUL HINT: You don’t want to debate your purpose for needing to depart the queue.
- 4) The Solid Member will enable you to meet your group to trip collectively.
To Meet Up together with your occasion that has been ready within the queue…
- 1) On the entrance of the attraction, the members of your occasion becoming a member of the queue ought to ask a Solid Member at what level they need to let you already know it’s time to affix them.
- HELPFUL HINT: Different members of your occasion should be part of the queue, and it is best to be sure your occasion can name or textual content you to satisfy up.
- 2) When your occasion lets you already know that it’s time so that you can be part of them, go to the entrance of the attraction and inform the Solid Member you’re utilizing the Attraction Queue Meet-Up lodging and wish to satisfy up together with your occasion within the queue.
- HELPFUL HINT: You don’t want to debate your purpose for ready exterior the queue with the Solid Member on the attraction.
- 3) The Solid Member will enable you to meet your group to trip collectively.
Word that a few of this had been defined beforehand, so it’s not completely new materials. It’s been expanded and clarified with the above steps and ‘useful hints’ added.
Our Commentary
The Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up characteristic was one which was anxiously awaited by many Walt Disney World followers previous to the launch of the overhauled DAS. Particulars have been minimal at first, however Disney has slowly provided increasingly more concerning the mechanics of utilizing Attraction Queue Re-Entry.
Within the final year-plus, we’ve heard a number of tales about Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up from readers who’ve used it. Whereas I’d nonetheless assess these as being very a lot a blended bag, the trajectory is clearly not off course. It looks as if there are fewer horror tales and extra success tales.
Actually, a number of readers have indicated that Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up has served their wants completely. Once more, this isn’t to say it’s a good system. There are nonetheless horror tales, and it’s not my intention to gloss over these and paint an image of rainbow and sunshine perfection for everybody.
As longtime readers may know, my dad beforehand certified for DAS below the pre-closure insurance policies. He virtually definitely wouldn’t qualify for the overhauled DAS, which is okay, as a result of a functioning Attraction Queue Meet-Up is the precise, optimum resolution for him. (We haven’t used it, as he hasn’t been to the parks for the reason that DAS modifications, so no firsthand expertise to share right here.)
The important thing parts of a “functioning” system or “optimum resolution” are Solid Member help and communications on the attraction entrance. That’s what really makes this an precise system or protocol, and never only a DIY resolution. Informally, it has at all times been doable to depart strains and rejoin them by awkwardly saying “excuse me…” whereas attempting to squeeze previous individuals within the standby line.
The massive subject with leaving strains and rejoining them is a matter of ‘visitor glares’ (for lack of a greater time period). It doesn’t take a incapacity to understand how judgmental different visitors could be. If visitors are completely comfy being vocally impolite to pregnant ladies or a solo mother or father with babies–two seen and apparent circumstances for needing to exit and reenter a queue–I can solely think about how a lot worse it will get for visitors with invisible disabilities.
It’s a bit surprising simply how comfy individuals have grow to be with being nasty. One of many better thinkers of our time, Mike Tyson, put it eloquently: “Social media made y’all means too comfy with disrespecting individuals and never getting punched within the face for it.” It’s disappointing how merciless individuals could be with out giving it a second thought, and that’s actually underscored at a contented and magical place just like the Disney parks. However I digress.
From the skin wanting in, Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up would work greatest if one of many choices for Solid Member assistance is an precise escort to rejoin the remainder of the half. Or if the process is one thing extra substantial than the aforementioned weaving again by the standby line whereas saying “excuse me…” on loop.
In any other case, visitors with disabilities needing to exit and re-enter the queue are on the mercy of different visitors being amenable to individuals passing them–going within the “unsuitable” path to depart after which “reducing” them to rejoin the queue.
It’s not arduous to think about this main to harm emotions, disabled visitors feeling small or humiliated, and even precise confrontations. All of that may appear to be hyperbole, however I might truthfully dread somebody saying one thing impolite to my dad, as a result of he’s at that filterless ‘zero forks given‘ level of his life. No matter they are saying shouldn’t be going to harm his emotions, however his response will harm theirs. Most likely not one thing that needs to be caught on digital camera and unfold on social media.
As with all the incapacity and accessibility lodging, there’s no good resolution, solely compromises. For the Attraction Queue Re-Entry characteristic to be a very good compromise, the method must be a clearly-communicated, clear, and ideally seen to different visitors.
If it’s not realistically possible for a Solid Member escort, what about one thing so simple as a corridor cross from the grade college days. I’m not saying that Disney wants handy out keys tied to obnoxiously outsized rulers, however one thing seen may be greatest.
Disney has already used the same system prior to now–the crimson FLIK playing cards with lanyards for monitoring precise trip wait instances. One thing like that may work. The objective with this might be conveying to common visitors that these utilizing Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up aren’t attempting to cheat the system or minimize in entrance of them.
I’m on file repeatedly saying that all of us ought to err on the aspect of courtesy and never decide others–that disabled visitors would commerce locations with you in a second and stand in lengthy strains if it meant not being disabled. That you just don’t know what somebody’s circumstances are, whether or not they have an invisible incapacity, and so forth., so it’s greatest to only thoughts your individual enterprise.
Regardless that ‘disproportionate line-jumping’ is certainly one of our Walt Disney World pet peeves, I might by no means even take into account being impolite to a different visitor. And that’s in conditions which might be fairly blatantly line-cutting, with a ton of individuals becoming a member of a single ‘spot-saver’ on the entrance of the road.
There’s simply no upside. Initiating a confrontation shouldn’t be going to alter something, and is tense for all concerned, your self included. It’s higher to have a stay and let stay angle, slightly than sweating stuff that’s fairly inconsequential within the grand scheme of issues. Sort of like my angle in direction of the Cosmic Rewind pre-show; the stress and discomfort isn’t price shaving 1-2 minutes off your wait time.
I’m in all probability preaching to the choir with the above. The issue is that the overwhelming majority of visitors will not be studying this weblog, and the individuals that almost all must learn admonishments like that aren’t receptive to them. In different phrases, I’m additionally a realist.
If the Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up characteristic/course of/no matter shouldn’t be performed in such a means that different visitors learn about it and the way it works, it’s going to result in extra disdain in direction of the disabled amongst different visitors. Given all the different ache factors of the DAS overhaul, that’s the very last thing these visitors want. Extra importantly, it additionally wasn’t going to be utilized by those that might use it (however have been denied DAS or have opted towards making use of after listening to horror tales) if what’s printed is imprecise or complicated.
The underside line is that clarifying how these DAS alternate options or supplments work through a step-by-step coverage on the official web sites is a step in the correct path. Right here’s hoping the on-the-ground implementation of Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up makes the system intuitive and simple to make use of for many who want it.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Any firsthand experiences being suggested to make use of the Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Meet-Up protocol? Anybody really use these choices but? Was your expertise constructive or adverse? Have been these options simple to make use of? Was the implementation per what’s on the web site? Agree or disagree with our evaluation of the modifications or coverage as a complete? Please attempt to keep on matter–we’ve observed a few of these DAS feedback sections get heated and private. Talk about the coverage itself, not others’ use (or lack thereof) of it.
