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Threat Made Against Autistic Child by Adult at Disney World
While Walt Disney World Resort promises a magical experience for guests of all ages, families traveling with disabled or autistic children often face unique challenges. From long wait times to sensory overload, the journey through the park can sometimes be overwhelming. While the park’s Disability Access Service (DAS) provides valuable support to help alleviate these difficulties and ensure a more enjoyable visit for everyone, no parent can shield their child from all potential issues.
Related: DAS Defenders Challenge Disney’s Controversial Disability Changes
Autistic Family Experiences Rude Awakening
For many families, visiting Walt Disney World Resort can present a range of obstacles. Disabled and autistic children may experience difficulties with long lines, loud noises, and crowded spaces, which can lead to heightened stress and sensory overload. Additionally, the physical demands of navigating the park, including distance and accessibility issues, can pose further challenges.
To address these challenges, Walt Disney World Resort offers the Disability Access Service (DAS), designed to make the park more accessible and enjoyable for guests with disabilities. The DAS pass provides a range of accommodations to help mitigate the stress associated with visiting the park.
The DAS pass allows families to schedule return times for attractions, minimizing the amount of time spent waiting in line. Instead of standing in a physical queue, guests with a DAS pass can return to the attraction at a designated time, reducing the impact of long waits and providing a more manageable experience.
Unfortunately, the DAS pass cannot eliminate all potentially negative experiences for children at Walt Disney World Resort. For one parent visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park with their nonverbal autistic son, their trip took a turn for the worse when another guest chose to harass their child. They shared a report, saying:
“PSA: Please be kind to those traveling with individuals with disabilities. We were on ROR, and when our ship was taken captive, a women started shushing my autistic son… who was just doing his normal jibberish. He was not being loud… if anything he was quieter than most in the ship. But because he was behind her, she felt the need to turn to him and shush him… and then turned back to her party and said,” I will backhand that kid.”Of course she didn’t know I heard her…So just want to say, be kind. Individuals with disablities cannot always control themselves.ROR is one of my kiddos favorite rides. He was excited. He is nonverbal so he cannot show his excitement like everyone else.
Ok, rant over.”
Guest Rally Behind Family After Threat
The comments of this post received an outpour of support from fellow Disney fans who empathized with this family’s situation and condemned the actions of this rude guest. This incident truly highlights the fact that kindness and sympathy should be used when interacting with others at Disney, as you never know their situation or circumstances.
Walt Disney World Resort continues to strive toward creating a magical experience for all guests, including those with disabilities and sensory needs. The DAS pass is a testament to the resort’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, helping to make the enchantment of Disney accessible to everyone. While DAS cannot eliminate all bad experiences in the parks, it surely can help families enjoy their vacations.
