Grim Grinning Ghostie
Keats Acolyte
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2022
For context, I am a thirty-year-old woman with Autism and ADHD.
As an adult, I don't wait in long lines at all (to me, anything over 15-20 minutes is too long), and mostly enjoy the parks by walking around with my headphones on. I usually put a good 16 miles in during park days because I don't like to stop moving / don't like to be surrounded by people / bumped into by strangers. I don't like being perceived and will hide if a costumed character tries to interact with me.
All that being said, I have an annual pass and like to visit Disney whenever I can. I don't do many rides anymore because the lines are now always over 30 minutes. I will purchase individual lightning lanes for rides occasionally, but this gets expensive quickly when done every trip. My psychiatrist recently recommended I try getting the DAS pass for future visits, which allows you to walk around instead of waiting in the physical queue, and to return to ride during a given time slot (similar to how the lightning lane operates).
I have a planned upcoming visit to Disney on April 13 and 14, and joined the web chat queue to see if I could register for the DAS pass via video call. After two hours, a cast member joined, and asked why I felt I needed the DAS pass / why I felt I couldn't wait in long lines.
I started off by explaining that I have Autism and ADHD, and she cut me off to angrily tell me that THEY DON'T DO DIAGNOSES HERE and to just tell her my symptoms. I don't do well with skipping ahead or with conversations deviating from how I scripted them to be, so I was at a loss for words and began to rock back and forth and flicking my fingers against my teeth to calm myself. It's the most common stress response for me. My visible stimming is partly the reason why I am allowed to work from home permanently at my job.
Anyway, she rolled her eyes like she thought I was hamming it up for attention and told me she would have to move on to the next person if I wasn't prepared. I tried to explain my issues ... and she sighed and said: "Okay, let's get you registered, then."
I was shuffled back to the chat window to do my preselects, but there was a sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the night. I felt like a criminal for asking to be allowed to enjoy the parks like others do without having to drop tons of money just to unlock accessible lines.
I wish they would just allow you to submit medical documentation and be done with it so you could get your accommodations without being treated like a liar/faker/cheat. I hope the cast members/guests at the park aren't just as cruel about it. I'd rather continue not riding anything at all if so.
We don't deserve to be treated like we're bad people just because others have tried to cheat the system. Some of us really do need it.
As an adult, I don't wait in long lines at all (to me, anything over 15-20 minutes is too long), and mostly enjoy the parks by walking around with my headphones on. I usually put a good 16 miles in during park days because I don't like to stop moving / don't like to be surrounded by people / bumped into by strangers. I don't like being perceived and will hide if a costumed character tries to interact with me.
All that being said, I have an annual pass and like to visit Disney whenever I can. I don't do many rides anymore because the lines are now always over 30 minutes. I will purchase individual lightning lanes for rides occasionally, but this gets expensive quickly when done every trip. My psychiatrist recently recommended I try getting the DAS pass for future visits, which allows you to walk around instead of waiting in the physical queue, and to return to ride during a given time slot (similar to how the lightning lane operates).
I have a planned upcoming visit to Disney on April 13 and 14, and joined the web chat queue to see if I could register for the DAS pass via video call. After two hours, a cast member joined, and asked why I felt I needed the DAS pass / why I felt I couldn't wait in long lines.
I started off by explaining that I have Autism and ADHD, and she cut me off to angrily tell me that THEY DON'T DO DIAGNOSES HERE and to just tell her my symptoms. I don't do well with skipping ahead or with conversations deviating from how I scripted them to be, so I was at a loss for words and began to rock back and forth and flicking my fingers against my teeth to calm myself. It's the most common stress response for me. My visible stimming is partly the reason why I am allowed to work from home permanently at my job.
Anyway, she rolled her eyes like she thought I was hamming it up for attention and told me she would have to move on to the next person if I wasn't prepared. I tried to explain my issues ... and she sighed and said: "Okay, let's get you registered, then."
I was shuffled back to the chat window to do my preselects, but there was a sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the night. I felt like a criminal for asking to be allowed to enjoy the parks like others do without having to drop tons of money just to unlock accessible lines.
I wish they would just allow you to submit medical documentation and be done with it so you could get your accommodations without being treated like a liar/faker/cheat. I hope the cast members/guests at the park aren't just as cruel about it. I'd rather continue not riding anything at all if so.
We don't deserve to be treated like we're bad people just because others have tried to cheat the system. Some of us really do need it.
NOTE: posted edited by moderator to remove personal information and scripted information
Last edited by a moderator: