Disney World’s recent overhaul of its Disability Access Service (DAS) program has ignited a wave of frustration among disabled park-goers, some of whom now claim they’ve been denied access to a system they relied on for years. The updates, which limit the program primarily to guests with developmental disabilities like autism, exclude many with mobility impairments and other health conditions. Disabled Disney fans, who previously used the pass to avoid standing in long lines due to medical needs, are calling the new process “invasive,” “humiliating,” and even “dangerous.”
The DAS pass allows individuals who cannot wait in standard queues to receive a return time, granting them access to a shorter line for attractions. However, the new system now requires guests to go through an interview process to qualify, leaving many feeling exposed and degraded.
Shannon Bonadurer, a 52-year-old mother of three from Michigan, is one of those who was denied. Despite her serious health conditions—including the use of an ostomy bag and a PICC line—she was rejected after being forced to share intimate medical details during a video interview with a Disney cast member.
Shannon explained that her conditions, which include dystonia, Cushing syndrome, and Hashimoto’s disease, make it impossible for her to stand in line without risking severe health complications. Her reliance on the DAS pass in the past allowed her to manage her needs at the park, including staying near restrooms and in cooler areas. After being denied the pass, she was told she could use the park’s “Return to Queue” system, which allows guests to leave the line temporarily and return when the rest of their party reaches the front. However, this option wasn’t practical for Shannon, who often visits Disney with her disabled, non-verbal, and blind son, Bradley. Leaving him alone in a busy line wasn’t a viable solution.
“It’s not an accommodation, it’s a brush off,” Shannon said, calling the new system a “disaster.” Her story, shared exclusively with DailyMail.com, highlights the growing frustration felt by many disabled visitors, who say Disney’s changes fail to consider the wide range of physical disabilities and medical conditions that make waiting in line unbearable or even life-threatening.
Other advocates and disabled Disney fans are echoing Shannon’s concerns. Aaron Baker, a disability rights advocate and former professional motocross athlete who became paralyzed after a spinal cord injury, warned that Disney’s exclusion of physical disabilities from the DAS program could have serious “negative psychosocial effects.” He pointed out that many physical disabilities, though less visible, involve complex medical challenges, such as difficulty regulating body temperature or managing incontinence, which could be exacerbated by Disney’s new restrictions.
Baker also criticized the contradiction between Disney’s mission of inclusion and the reality of these policy changes, which, he fears, could have a “negative ripple effect” on the entire disabled community. He emphasized that the park experience, often billed as “the Happiest Place on Earth,” must account for these nuanced needs to truly be inclusive.
For many disabled individuals, the new DAS system has already proven to be a barrier to enjoying Disney World. Another park-goer, who asked to remain anonymous, shared that they had witnessed an “overwhelmingly high” number of disabled guests being rejected for DAS, including individuals with visible disabilities like wheelchairs and assistive devices, as well as those with autism or Down syndrome—the very conditions the new program was supposedly designed to support.
As the backlash grows, Disney has remained silent on the issue, with multiple requests for comment from DailyMail.com going unanswered. The controversy over the DAS program represents a deeper struggle within the disability community, where advocates argue that true inclusion requires more than just surface-level policy changes. For families like Shannon’s, the updates have not only altered their view of Disney, but have made what was once a safe and joyful place feel inaccessible and exclusionary.
