Disney Theme Parks Want Able-Bodied Back In Line
[By Michele Himmelberg The Orange County Register.]
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/7884564.htm
Anaheim, Calif. KRT - The front of the line just got a lot less
crowded at the Disneyland Resort.
And some people are fuming.
After years of freely issuing passes to people who said they couldn't
stand in the regular lines because of an ailment or disability, Disney is
asking a lot more questions now before allowing anyone to head to the front
of the line.
The change, intended to limit the service to those who need it and
stop bottlenecks at boarding areas, has satisfied some and enraged others.
"The fact that they're making it harder to get help only means that
the people it was designed for in the first place are going to use it," said
John Kennerknecht of Fontana, Calif., whose son has cerebral palsy.
"Honestly, I'd rather stand in a two-hour line with a totally healthy son,
but it's irritating when you see people abusing the system."
But people with disabilities that aren't visibly apparent say the
guidelines seem so vague that they may quit visiting Disney parks.
Angela Valles of Garden Grove, Calif., can't stand for long periods
because of multiple sclerosis. She said Disney officials insisted she use a
wheelchair, but Valles didn't want to spend an extra $7 for something she
would hardly use.
"I want my (annual) pass refunded if they're not going to change the
system," said Valles, who bought a pass last month. "They've completely
ignored my class of disability. I went Sunday night, and it sucked all the
fun out of it."
So many visitors used the "special assistance passes" for so long that
a sense of entitlement developed, and several angry scenes erupted when
Disney began refusing requests for them in late December. Even Kennerknecht
said he had to appeal after first being denied a pass for his son, 5, who
uses a stroller-type wheelchair to get around.
The new system officially rolls out in March. Meanwhile, Disney is
directing visitors with special needs to waiting areas, which gives them
access to the ride but not necessarily expedited boarding. Under the old
system, anyone with a pass or in a wheelchair could go to the front of the
line with up to six people and quickly board an attraction.
"We want to provide a magical experience for all of our guests,"
Disney spokeswoman Sondra Haley said. "We work to accommodate their needs in
a variety of ways, including those with special needs."
The system could face more resistance as it closes the door on years
of abuse.
Gone are the days when groups of teenagers would flip a coin to see
who would rent a wheelchair that day - and then use the chair to get a pass
to the front of every line for a group of six.
Gone are the days when a person could say "I have a bad back" or "I
have a handicapped parking placard" and receive a pass that allowed them to
go through the exit line to quickly board a ride.
The system - intended to accommodate legitimate disabilities - became
so abused that special assistance lines sometimes became 30 or 40 minutes
long. As those lines converged with the regular line and the fast-pass line,
bottlenecks backed up the boarding system, and visitors from all three lines
complained.
Disney acknowledges that the old program was too lenient, creating
days when up to 20 percent of visitors had special passes. But even now it
will not issue a written policy because that could open loopholes that again
might be exploited. Also, Disney views it as an optional service, something
that goes beyond its obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Disney officials pointed out that the ADA requires them to provide
equal access, but not "superior access." They still will assist people with
special needs, but Disney will "tailor solutions" on a case-by-case basis
for anyone not in a wheelchair, officials said.
Instead of issuing one pass that fits all - from a broken arm to
mental retardation - new cards with up to eight stamps will offer various
levels of assistance. The "guest assistance card" will be similar to the one
used at Walt Disney World in Florida.
"They have a challenge," said Crystal Fernando of San Marcos, Calif.
She said her autistic son might begin screaming or pinching people in a
crowded line because claustrophobic conditions can trigger anxiety. She's
reluctant to drive to Anaheim "on the 50-50 chance that we might be refused
the opportunity of our son having a magical experience."
Disney consulted with several disability advocacy groups for guidance
on the new system. Disney also consulted the Department of Justice, and
attorneys advised the resort to stop accepting documentation of a
disability. Instead of addressing the disability, Disney officials want to
focus on the person's needs at the parks.
Representatives of the Dayle McIntosh Center in Anaheim, a nonprofit
that advocates for people with disabilities, praised Disney's new system.
The center also provides services without asking for proof of disability.
"I'm sure there will be some hiccups until they get it just right,"
said Rebekah McIlhenny, the center's community relations director. "But
(without limitations) it would be like passing out a handicapped sticker to
anyone who says they are disabled. The abuse would be extreme."
Other theme parks offer a variety of assistance, with most providing
special boarding to visitors in wheelchairs. Knott's Berry Farm, which does
accept documentation, allows people in wheelchairs to wait at the front
while their party goes through the line.
Disney plans extensive training for employees who will issue guest
assistance cards, officials said. Those employees will be instructed to
suggest use of the fast-pass system to reserve boarding times for those who
can't stand for long periods.
Several critics said the program will work only if the training works.
Fernando said she and her autistic son have had no problems getting
assistance at other parks, like Legoland and the San Diego Zoo.
"(Disney) needs to have people with more knowledge of what the
disabilities are and not look down their nose at a child and say, `You don't
look disabled to me,'" she said.
Sulynn Means of Orange, Calif., has similar concerns and advised
others to show their equipment to Disney employees when explaining their
special needs. Her visually impaired daughter uses a long white cane as a
guide.
Means said she asked for a pass three different times before a Disney
employee recognized that the cane presented safety issues if her daughter
used it in the regular lines.
"I didn't just want a shorter line," Sulynn said. "My concerns were
that somebody might get hurt.
"But I saw the old policy being abused, too, and it drove me nuts. If
your policy is not to ask anything, then anybody can get one, and that makes
it bad for those who really need it."
--- © 2004, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).
Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
[By Michele Himmelberg The Orange County Register.]
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/7884564.htm
Anaheim, Calif. KRT - The front of the line just got a lot less
crowded at the Disneyland Resort.
And some people are fuming.
After years of freely issuing passes to people who said they couldn't
stand in the regular lines because of an ailment or disability, Disney is
asking a lot more questions now before allowing anyone to head to the front
of the line.
The change, intended to limit the service to those who need it and
stop bottlenecks at boarding areas, has satisfied some and enraged others.
"The fact that they're making it harder to get help only means that
the people it was designed for in the first place are going to use it," said
John Kennerknecht of Fontana, Calif., whose son has cerebral palsy.
"Honestly, I'd rather stand in a two-hour line with a totally healthy son,
but it's irritating when you see people abusing the system."
But people with disabilities that aren't visibly apparent say the
guidelines seem so vague that they may quit visiting Disney parks.
Angela Valles of Garden Grove, Calif., can't stand for long periods
because of multiple sclerosis. She said Disney officials insisted she use a
wheelchair, but Valles didn't want to spend an extra $7 for something she
would hardly use.
"I want my (annual) pass refunded if they're not going to change the
system," said Valles, who bought a pass last month. "They've completely
ignored my class of disability. I went Sunday night, and it sucked all the
fun out of it."
So many visitors used the "special assistance passes" for so long that
a sense of entitlement developed, and several angry scenes erupted when
Disney began refusing requests for them in late December. Even Kennerknecht
said he had to appeal after first being denied a pass for his son, 5, who
uses a stroller-type wheelchair to get around.
The new system officially rolls out in March. Meanwhile, Disney is
directing visitors with special needs to waiting areas, which gives them
access to the ride but not necessarily expedited boarding. Under the old
system, anyone with a pass or in a wheelchair could go to the front of the
line with up to six people and quickly board an attraction.
"We want to provide a magical experience for all of our guests,"
Disney spokeswoman Sondra Haley said. "We work to accommodate their needs in
a variety of ways, including those with special needs."
The system could face more resistance as it closes the door on years
of abuse.
Gone are the days when groups of teenagers would flip a coin to see
who would rent a wheelchair that day - and then use the chair to get a pass
to the front of every line for a group of six.
Gone are the days when a person could say "I have a bad back" or "I
have a handicapped parking placard" and receive a pass that allowed them to
go through the exit line to quickly board a ride.
The system - intended to accommodate legitimate disabilities - became
so abused that special assistance lines sometimes became 30 or 40 minutes
long. As those lines converged with the regular line and the fast-pass line,
bottlenecks backed up the boarding system, and visitors from all three lines
complained.
Disney acknowledges that the old program was too lenient, creating
days when up to 20 percent of visitors had special passes. But even now it
will not issue a written policy because that could open loopholes that again
might be exploited. Also, Disney views it as an optional service, something
that goes beyond its obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Disney officials pointed out that the ADA requires them to provide
equal access, but not "superior access." They still will assist people with
special needs, but Disney will "tailor solutions" on a case-by-case basis
for anyone not in a wheelchair, officials said.
Instead of issuing one pass that fits all - from a broken arm to
mental retardation - new cards with up to eight stamps will offer various
levels of assistance. The "guest assistance card" will be similar to the one
used at Walt Disney World in Florida.
"They have a challenge," said Crystal Fernando of San Marcos, Calif.
She said her autistic son might begin screaming or pinching people in a
crowded line because claustrophobic conditions can trigger anxiety. She's
reluctant to drive to Anaheim "on the 50-50 chance that we might be refused
the opportunity of our son having a magical experience."
Disney consulted with several disability advocacy groups for guidance
on the new system. Disney also consulted the Department of Justice, and
attorneys advised the resort to stop accepting documentation of a
disability. Instead of addressing the disability, Disney officials want to
focus on the person's needs at the parks.
Representatives of the Dayle McIntosh Center in Anaheim, a nonprofit
that advocates for people with disabilities, praised Disney's new system.
The center also provides services without asking for proof of disability.
"I'm sure there will be some hiccups until they get it just right,"
said Rebekah McIlhenny, the center's community relations director. "But
(without limitations) it would be like passing out a handicapped sticker to
anyone who says they are disabled. The abuse would be extreme."
Other theme parks offer a variety of assistance, with most providing
special boarding to visitors in wheelchairs. Knott's Berry Farm, which does
accept documentation, allows people in wheelchairs to wait at the front
while their party goes through the line.
Disney plans extensive training for employees who will issue guest
assistance cards, officials said. Those employees will be instructed to
suggest use of the fast-pass system to reserve boarding times for those who
can't stand for long periods.
Several critics said the program will work only if the training works.
Fernando said she and her autistic son have had no problems getting
assistance at other parks, like Legoland and the San Diego Zoo.
"(Disney) needs to have people with more knowledge of what the
disabilities are and not look down their nose at a child and say, `You don't
look disabled to me,'" she said.
Sulynn Means of Orange, Calif., has similar concerns and advised
others to show their equipment to Disney employees when explaining their
special needs. Her visually impaired daughter uses a long white cane as a
guide.
Means said she asked for a pass three different times before a Disney
employee recognized that the cane presented safety issues if her daughter
used it in the regular lines.
"I didn't just want a shorter line," Sulynn said. "My concerns were
that somebody might get hurt.
"But I saw the old policy being abused, too, and it drove me nuts. If
your policy is not to ask anything, then anybody can get one, and that makes
it bad for those who really need it."
--- © 2004, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).
Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
