Disney bans disabled queue jumping

Disabled fans of Disney today attacked the organisation after it blocked them from going to the front of queues at its US theme parks.

Families of children with epilepsy and autism said some children’s disabilities did not allow them to wait for long.

Rebecca Goddard has two autistic sons, aged four and six, and says that they will not be able to understand why they have to wait.

She said the rides “bring them utter joy and happiness — to mess with it just makes me sad”. At the moment visitors to the “happiest places on earth" — Disneyland and Disney World — can get park-issued disability cards which gives them backdoor access to rides.

That will change on October 9. Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the move was an attempt to end abuse of the system. Disabled “tour guides” have been hiring themselves out to accompany able-bodied guests, allowing families to avoid the infamously long queues. These guides often charge hundreds of pounds for participating in the scam.

Erin Moya, whose four-year-old son has spina bifida, agreed there needed to be a change to stop the abuse. But she is worried that the new system will make things more complicated for families who need help.

Under the change, disabled visitors will be issued tickets with a return time and a shorter wait similar to the existing and more expensive FastPass system that is offered to everyone at Disneyland and Disney World.