No, guests with disabilities aren't skipping lines at Disney parks

• Disney's Disability Access Service (DAS) allows guests who cannot wait in a conventional queue to wait elsewhere.
• Changes last year specify DAS is for guests with developmental disabilities like autism who cannot wait in long lines.
• Some guests and advocates argue the stricter DAS policies exclude many people with disabilities who need the accommodation.

No one is skipping lines because of disabilities at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. 

It’s not a VIP tour. 

However, some guests may wait for their turn outside of a traditional, physical queue with Disney’s free Disability Access Service (DAS). 

It's one of multiple accommodations available to guests with disabilities, but not everyone with a disability qualifies. 

Here’s what travelers should know before visiting Disney World and Disneyland. 

What qualifies for DAS at Disney? 

DAS used to be for guests “who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”  

It was overhauled last year, after Disney said it had become the most requested service at its parks, with a user volume eclipsing its intended audience. 

Now, Disney World and Disneyland specify DAS is for “guests who, due to a developmental disability such as autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”  

But that still doesn’t guarantee approval. Disney Vacation Club member and former annual passholder Jayce Trent told USA TODAY he’s been denied DAS twice since the overhaul even though he's autistic and gets overstimulated in conventional queues. "Before they came out with the changes ... I did use DAS and was always granted DAS. It was after they made those changes, I was first denied in September of 2024, and then I tried again because my entire family went to Disney World two, three weeks ago. I was denied again."

How to get DAS at Disney 

Guests must speak with a cast member to determine DAS eligibility, up to 60 days before their visit. This is done by live video chat for Disney World. Disneyland guests may choose a live video chat or in-person chat at the Accessibility Services Kiosk on the resort’s Esplanade.  

The cast member will ask about access needs and any challenges with extended waits in conventional queues. A third-party health professional may join the conversation to help determine DAS eligibility or other types of accommodations.  

The guest requesting the accommodation must be present. It’s also important to note that DAS is location-specific and not transferable between Disney World and Disneyland.  

Does Disney ask for proof of disability? 

No doctor’s note nor other certification is required for DAS. Having one doesn’t necessarily help either.  

Eligibility decisions are based on the registration conversation and individual needs.  

How does DAS work at Disney World, Disneyland? 

DAS-registered guests or their caregivers may select the attractions they want to experience through the resort’s app on the day of their visit, like with Lightning Lanes.  

However, unlike with Lightning Lanes, guests with DAS wait just as long as guests in traditional standby queues. The difference is they can wait for their turn elsewhere in the park. 

“It was great being able to stay out of that line, wait somewhere else, like on a bench, in a store, just walking around outside where it's not so entombed,” Trent recalled. “Helped contribute to not getting that panic attack feeling and that anxiety building.” 

Up to three guests may be included in the DAS registration party, in addition to the registered guest. Registration is valid for the length of the DAS guest’s ticket or up to a year. Guests must reapply after their registration expires.  

Prior approval or denial does not guarantee future approval or denial. 

What are the alternatives to DAS at Disney World, Disneyland? 

Disney offers a wide range of accommodations for guests with varying disabilities, including tactile maps and handheld devices with audio descriptions for guests who are blind or have low vision, sign language interpretation and handheld captioning devices for guests who are deaf or have hearing loss, wheelchair-accessible ride vehicles and queues for guests with mobility issues, sensory guides for neurodiverse guests, and more.  

Guests who are not granted DAS but have challenges in long conventional queues may be offered alternate accommodations. Those may include Attraction Queue Re-entry, Meet-Up or Rider Switch, allowing them to leave or sit out lines as needed and join the rest of their party later on. Disneyland also offers Location Return Times at select attractions for guests with “mobility devices or other physical restrictions who are unable to negotiate some of our older queues, which may not be wheelchair accessible.”  

"Disney is committed to providing a great experience for all who visit our theme parks, and particularly our guests with disabilities who may require special accommodations,” Disney said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Disney offers a broad range of effective disability accommodations and has worked extensively with experts to ensure that our guests’ individual needs are properly matched with the accommodation they require." 

Demands for DAS changes 

Guests like Trent and disability advocate Sarah Todd Hammer have told USA TODAY the accommodations they’ve been offered don’t meet their access needs the way DAS did. 

Hammer has a variety of medical issues stemming from a spinal cord injury she suffered as a child. Her TikTok videos about her DAS experiences have gotten millions of views. 

“They told me to, at every attraction that I wanted to ride, approach the cast member at the front of the queue and explain that I had a disability and ask what accommodations they could provide,” she told USA TODAY, adding that she was also told she could leave lines if she felt a medical emergency coming on. “I did not feel like doing that over and over on my trip cause it's exhausting and nerve-racking.”  

She didn’t ride any rides on her first trip to Disney World without DAS last fall, and she’s not sure if she’ll try to register again for upcoming trips to Disneyland and Disney World. “For the rides that I really do want to do ... I'll probably just use a Lightning Lane pass, and it really annoys me cause I shouldn't have to pay for this,” Hammer said. “But that's probably what I'll end up doing, just so that I get the most out of the experience.” 

Trent said he canceled two trips to Disney World, one to Disneyland, and a Disney cruise since being denied DAS last fall. He also let his annual pass lapse and doesn’t plan to go back unless something changes. 

More than 35,000 people have signed a Change.org petition by the grassroots group DAS Defenders, calling on Disney to "restore DAS eligibility to reflect the full spectrum of disabilities that require accommodation.” 

A separate class-action lawsuit was filed against Disney over its updated DAS policies, in February.  

More recently, a Disney shareholder submitted a proposal calling for an independent review of the company’s accessibility practices. Disney’s lawyers called the proposal “false and misleading” and notified the Securities and Exchange Commission in November that the company planned to exclude the proposal from proxy materials handed out at Disney’s upcoming annual shareholder meeting. The SEC has since said it's not planning to respond to such notices for the current season.