Disney's updated disability service leaves some feeling unwelcome

This weekend, a mobile billboard circling Disneyland Resort and D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event aims to protest recent changes to Disney Disability Access Service (DAS).

The DAS Defenders, a disability advocacy group, funded the billboard campaign to highlight concerns about Disney's updated DAS policy. According to a press release from the organization, the mobile display features messages from disabled individuals affected by the changes.

"The billboard campaign highlights the negative impact recent changes to DAS have had on disabled guests and their families," the DAS Defenders stated.

The group argues that Disney's new policy, which went into effect at Walt Disney World in May and Disneyland Resort in June, excludes many who previously relied on DAS accommodations. The updated guidelines restrict the service to guests with developmental disabilities like autism.

Shannon Bonadurer, a long-time Disney fan and disability advocate, said, "Disney makes movies that highlight disabled characters, and yet many of those characters would not even qualify for usable accommodations in the parks."

The mobile billboard displays "Wish We Were Here" postcard designs by artist Ad Michaeli, featuring messages from disabled community members. One such message reads, "I almost died for my country; I can't risk dying for a theme park. Have fun for both of us. Stacy, Proud Vet."

Critics of the new policy claim it contradicts Disney's stated values of safety and inclusion. They report that cancer patients, veterans with PTSD, and individuals with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and ALS are now excluded from using the service.

Annual passholder Angie Porter, who has multiple disabilities, described a frustrating experience applying for DAS under the new system. "I was on the video call for over three hours in the park. I was passed from cast member to 'medical professional' to coordinator and back around again, just to be denied," Porter said.

The DAS Defenders Facebook group has over 11,600 members, and their online petition garnered over 29,000 signatures. The organization is calling for a return to a more inclusive DAS policy.

Disney has not publicly responded to the billboard campaign. The company previously stated that the DAS updates were designed to improve the guest experience and reduce fraud.

The mobile billboard will travel around Anaheim on Friday and Saturday, passing the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center, where D23 takes place, as well as Disneyland Resort.