One of the longest (and unresolved) complaints with Disney is that families pay an obscene amount to get into “The Happiest Place on Earth” only to face ridiculously long lines that severely limit the number of rides that they can enjoy. Disney actually makes money off the inconvenience by selling “guides” and offering fast passes. However, it is not the only one making money off its lines. New York City moms are reportedly hiring disabled people to pose as family members so that their kids can go to the front of lines. The cost: $1000 a day for your own personal line-cutting wheelchaired person.
One report states that such an outfit is called Dream Tours in Florida, which on its website claims to provide “quality based, memorable, and affordable vacations, to people with special needs.” The Disney guide charges $130 an hour, or $1,040 for an eight-hour day. The website reportedly cited a Manhattan mom who claims she hired a tour guide using a motorized scooter.
The Post quotes a Mom as saying “This is how the 1 percent does Disney.” By using its rent-a-disabled person approach, the Mom says that she and her husband and two boys avoided hours of standing in line at Disney.
The article identifies Jacie Christiano as the person who works at Dream Tours. She is reportedly the girlfriend of the tour company owner, Ryan Clement. Clement insisted that Christiano doesn’t use her disability to bypass lines and says that she has an auto-immune disorder.
What is interesting is whether Disney would run afoul of disability laws if it cracks down on such guides. If Christiano has a documented disability, can Disney bar her from being a guide who goes on rides with guests? Likewise, if you simply hire a disabled person for the day, how can Disney refuse the accommodation afforded to family and friends with disabilities? It can hardly impose a test on how well you know this person. People will say that they met yesterday but are now like family (an almost Disney like story).
I will not return to my theory that Michael Eisner is the Biblical Beast or that Disney is his Kingdom from Revelations 13. However, when people start hiring disabled folk to avoid your lines, isn’t it time for you to start to do something? Now most businesses would stop ripping off people by packing too many people into its parks or adding rides to shorten lines. If Disney is true to form, it will crackdown on faux guides to sell more fast passes. Indeed, initial reports show an outraged Disney — not at the fact that families are standing for hours for rides at its park but someone else is making money off Disney. I will only direct you again to Revelations 13: “And [the Antichrist] causeth all … to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark….”
Source: Post
ap,
yep … btw, that Strongbox thing was really interesting. I’m tempted to give it a go … emphasis on tempted.
“…we of the outspoken live dangerously.” -Blouise
We do, we do… (What’s that old saying about “well-behaved women”? A laugh. Thanks, Blouise.)
It’s a small minded world after all.
Everyone taking advantage of everyone else there in Disneyland, money, tricking the system to avoid lines, renting the handicapped; what a message to send to our children.
Mike A.,
There is always a time and placement risk involved when one leaves the keyboard to answer the phone after having typed but not yet clicked the Post Comment icon. Refreshing the thread before clicking the Post Comment icon might mitigate the risk, but we of the outspoken live dangerously.
My words were not a reaction to yours.
As a legal matter, I don’t see anyway of Disney eliminating the abuse. Almost anything which would cut down on this type of commercial activity would certainly lead to litigation. On a practical note, I thought the fast passes were free, though you can only obtain a limited number of them? At Disneyland we take two days off school in early March (assuming appropriate school performance). Almost no lines except for the really popular rides, and those lines aren’t terrible.
Blouise:
Gee, after reading your description, I guess I’ll just stick with practicing law.
Scum always finds its own level and covers itself in expensive perfume in a vain attempt to hide the stench.
I will say without embarrassment that the first thought to enter my mind reading this story is that I never realized this money-making opportunity existed so close to home. Why should only the disabled be permitted to profit from this scam? I know where I can pick up a good wheelchair at a great price. Besides, I can attest to the fact that I have a severe case of queue-intolerance disorder. And a thousand bucks a day to be wheeled around Disneyt World sure beats standing in a courtroom trying to pick a jury from a pool of Rickey Christopher clones.
In Colombia there are professional line holders for the long lines @ govt. offices. When I was there to adopt out son, I was very happy to pay the vig to “budge” in line. Those w/ kids know “budging” in line is a cardinal sin in grammar school. This story is different. But, as OS said, we all know disabled cards being misused. One of the more blatant examples was UCLA football players who used them to help get their asses to class on time. It turned into a mini scandal.
“This is how the 1 percent does Disney.”
What a charming thing. And I say “thing” not “woman” because I don’t want to give women a bad name. Bless her heart.
Disgusting. Disney should nip this in the bud immediately. Just one more reason to avoid Disney World.
Ah, yes, the 1%ers. Actually, I suspect that many of those doing this are in the next 9%ers, those aspiring to the 1% but who actually are well paid by the super wealthy to do their bidding. Of course it isn’t fair.
I’ve been to Disney World and Disneyland, both during the off-season so I got to do pretty much everything I wanted to do and didn’t have to wait in any lines. This was decades ago. I took my nephew to FL more recently and considered taking him to Disney World until I found out how much they wanted for admission and how crowded it was. Fortunately, he hadn’t been hyped on how great the place was. After careful evaluation of the situation, we went to SeaWorld and later played miniature golf. He especially loved the miniature golf – we were doing something together and interacting with each shot. What he really wanted was my undivided attention, not an expensive diversion.
I am not a fan of Disney and its products or venues, so standing in line is not an issue with me.
Everyone has seen handicap placards being misused. Borrow Grandma’s handicap placard so they can park closer at the supermarket. I live close to one of the most popular NASCAR tracks. I think they get their handicap area gate guards from the Mossad. If you want to use a handicap placard or license plate, all your paperwork must be in the vehicle with you, and up to date. They compare the name on the handicap paperwork with your ID (if a passenger) or driver’s license (if the driver).
Perhaps Disney could hire NASCAR security to help them with their problem.
The haves…. Have more…. But can you imagine the embarrassment to be seen with these wheelchaired folks outside of the park….OMG….
This abusive behavior is coded in our genes, strong eating the weak for survival. Why are we surprised over what the 1% says or does? When we eat animals, we’re doing it too. Different game, same principal. We can and do try to change things, which is good, but people will be animals.
Me first WAACO’s(Win At Any Cost Obsession) at their best.
Desperado consumers. Well trained. Salivated by the bell.
The wealthy have always gamed the system to their advantage and they always will. They believe it is their right to do so. It is doubtful Disney can win this thing no matter what they do. The only solution would be to make everyone wait in the same line. If your disability makes it impossible for you to stand on line there would have to be a place you could wait wait a proxy stood in line.
But that would cut out all that extra money they get from selling line skipper passes so that won’t happen.
It’s a small company after all!
While it may be a Disney story, the real issue is “This is how the 1 percent does Disney.” If the 99% were a less fawning to the wealthy, less sanguine about economic injustice, the 1% wouldn’t be so glib. It reminds me of Leona Helmsley and her “Only the little people pay taxes.” Many of the 1% feel that the rest of humanity is merely a plaything, a sometimes bothersome nuisance that they occasionally have to endure as they gaily meander through life and lines at Disney.