Guide to Disability Access Service at Disney World
This post offers info & tips for using the Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World for those with special needs to experience attractions, plus new details for the Genie system. This is based on our experience with my dad, who has a service dog. (Updated October 13, 2021.)
This guide to using DAS at Walt Disney World comes in response to reader comments and questions, but I want to make it abundantly clear that this is anecdotal. We have a grand total of four days experience with DAS at Walt Disney World, and are far from experts on it.
Rather than relying solely on this post for DAS and other accessibility tips, I’d recommend reading the resources on DisneyWorld.com, as well as other sites specifically focused on disabilities at Disney. This post is only accurate to the extent of our experience. With that said, here’s a look at our experience with using DAS at Walt Disney World…
October 13, 2021 Update: Let’s start with the process for obtaining the Disability Access Service, and how it works. If a guest needs DAS, there are now 2 ways to obtain the pass (it’s really more a status in My Disney Experience than a pass like the old Guest Assistance Card). As before, registration can be done at Guest Relations locations near each park entrance.
In addition to that, there’s now a new way to register for the DAS program: pre-arrival via live video chat. Before you register, make sure to:
- Add your travel party to your Family & Friends list in My Disney Experience, so they can be included in DAS plans
- Link valid theme park admission for each member of your party
- Ensure that the guest who is requesting to use DAS is present at the time of registration
Eligible guests now have the option to pre-register virtually with a Cast Member via live video chat between 2 to 30 days in advance of a park visit. Video chat is available from 7 am until 11 pm Eastern, and requires logging into your Disney account.
When you’re ready to chat with a Cast Member to register for DAS, you can engage in a live video chat using the “Request Live Video Chat” button on DisneyWorld.com’s DAS page. Make sure the device has a working camera and a microphone. You must review and accept the Terms & Conditions before requesting a live video chat (you literally won’t have the option until accepting the T&Cs).
Once you’ve pre-registered via live video chat, you’re eligible to pre-select up to 2 one-hour return windows for select experiences (subject to availability) using Walt Disney World’s new DAS Advance planning option as early as 30 days prior to a park visit. These selections are in addition to the return times you can request throughout the day of your actual park visit.
More changes and additional features are on the horizon with the rollout of Disney Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. At this point, we don’t yet know how all of that will work in tandem with DAS. Keep an eye on our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World and Lightning Lane FAQs for more info.
As before, eligibility for Disability Access Service is based upon a guest’s need, not diagnosis. Cast Members will not, and by law cannot, ask for proof of a disability. Rather, they will ask fairly open-ended and vague questions about the type of accommodations a guest needs based on the disability or condition.
These Guest Relations Cast Members who issue the DAS are well-trained on this probably in equal parts because they are the creme-de-la-creme of Walt Disney World Cast Members, and because Disney wants to steer clear of ADA violations.
When the inquiry is complete, the guest with the disability has their picture taken and the Disability Access Service is added to their My Disney Experience account, and it’s accessible via MagicBand or theme park tickets at kiosks outside attractions. All family members who will be experiencing attractions with the guest obtaining the DAS need to be present at Guest Relations to have their MagicBands scanned, too.
After this is done, the DAS status is valid for 60 days across all Walt Disney World parks. Waiting in line was the longest part of this, with the whole process from start to finish taking us less than 5 minutes after that. It was painless.
Once a guest has DAS status, they or one of the other party members who had their MagicBand scanned can head to a Cast Member outside the attraction to obtain a return time. (In our experience, this Cast Member was usually holding an iPad-like device and standing under an umbrella outside the queue.) Since my dad has somewhat-limited mobility, we sometimes sent a “runner” to the attraction to obtain a return time, while he sat elsewhere.
The return time is determined by adding the current wait time for the attraction to the current time and subtracting 10 minutes (to account for transit to/from the attraction). For example, if it’s noon and Frozen Ever After has a 90 minute wait, the DAS return time would be 1:20 p.m. DAS is not a front of line pass or some sort of “Golden Ticket.”
While any party member can obtain the return time, the guest with the disability must be present for the other party members to board the attraction at that return time.
Note that you can use DAS in tandem with FastPass+ (or Genie+ and Lightning Lanes going forward), but we did not. Part of that is because it felt a bit like double-dipping (my dad’s a military man with a love of rules and order), and part was because that would’ve been too much for us to do in terms of walking with my dad and his service dog.
Usually, the DAS return line was simply the FastPass+ return line. On some older attractions (particularly those in Magic Kingdom) the DAS line was different, or branched off from the FastPass+ line. In all newer attractions, the DAS process went smoothly; it was easy to use and felt genuinely accommodating.
That’s the process in a nutshell, but I’m sure that leaves plenty of questions unanswered. Disney has an official Disability Access Service FAQ that addresses additional questions (and I’m happy to answer other questions–within the scope of my knowledge–in the comments to this post).
On older attractions where retrofits were made to make reasonable accommodations under the ADA (enacted in 1990–Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Epcot in 1982, the Studios in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998), it was far less smooth and pleasant. This was particularly true in Magic Kingdom where there are several attractions built in the 1970s.
The retrofit would not have been a problem in and of itself. It was exacerbated by Cast Members who were (typically) performing double-duty managing FastPass+ lines and also trying to accommodate DAS guests. While I cannot say we had any negative or rude encounters directly, we did witness some attitudes that seemed less than “accommodating.”
I’m not sure whether there’s some causation or if it’s just correlation (again, we only did this for 4 days, so this is totally anecdotal), but these unpleasant encounters were almost exclusively on older attractions with more convoluted DAS procedures. These procedures no doubt stress out Cast Members, too.
This is not to give Cast Members a pass for being anything less than accommodating. It is what it is. I was a bit surprised that Disney does not have dedicated DAS Cast Members at each attraction, trained in the same manner as Guest Relations Cast Members.
Not only would this be a more guest-friendly approach, but it would behoove Disney to do so from a legal liability perspective. Again, there’s a narrow set of questions Cast Members can ask without running afoul of the ADA. (I’ll just leave it at that…)
With that said, our experience was resoundingly positive, particularly outside of Magic Kingdom. Cast Members were largely very friendly and eager to help, and this was particularly true at Epcot and at Toy Story Mania in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Cast Members at Toy Story Mania were, far and away, the best we encountered over the course of the trip. (And this was multiple Cast Members, so it was not a one-off.)
What follows is more specific to our experience with my dad using a service dog at Walt Disney World, and not necessarily representative of what anyone else using DAS will encounter. I figure it’s nonetheless (potentially) helpful to read others’ anecdotes…
In terms of using the pass, there were some limitations we would have faced by virtue of the service dog. For example, Big Thunder Mountain, Expedition Everest, and other intense attractions would’ve been off the table because of the service dog. My dad can’t do those anyway, so it was a moot point.
The service dog was allowed on boat rides, such as Gran Fiesta Tour and Frozen Ever After, but we should not have done the latter. When describing the attraction to my parents, I forgot to mention the backwards drop, which freaked his service dog out. Oops. (In my defense, they had been on Maelstrom countless times.)
Outside of DAS, our experience using a service dog at Walt Disney World was pretty positive. I know my dad would’ve preferred to stay at Shades of Green, but the Fort Wilderness Cabins were an excellent (and far better) option with the service dog. I’d highly recommend Fort Wilderness to anyone with a service dog.
The one caveat here is that you definitely want to specify that you have a service dog when completing online check-in and also additionally request being close to a bus stop. We were placed in one of the accessible cabins, but a bit farther from the bus stop than ideal. Fort Wilderness is a huge resort that can mean a good deal of walking and changing buses. However, it’s far more inviting to a service dog than a hotel.
Table service restaurants were a bit hit or miss. There were a couple of times when we were seated in the middle of a crowded restaurant when tables along the perimeter, away from other guests were available. Usually, requesting to be moved worked fine, but I was surprised we wouldn’t have been seated in these spots to begin with.
I want to give Disney the benefit of the doubt on this one. Perhaps staff at these restaurants do not want guests with service animals to feel ostracized? My parents’ take is that they’d prefer to have a bit of space away from others in the restaurant, and they also understand that a restaurant is a restaurant, and other patrons may not want to be around an animal. It’s quite possible others with service animals have different perspectives, though.
Beyond that, it felt like Cast Members went above and beyond more often. Even those who were not assisting with the DAS process were particularly helpful and friendly. In large part this was probably because my dad has a visible disability and a service dog wearing a vest, so I’m not sure it’s something every guest with disabilities will experience. It was nice, though.
There are a lot of misconceptions about the Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World. The biggest is that it’s a front of line pass. Again, it’s not. There is the potential for abuse, but the system is imperfect out of legal necessity. (I’ll reiterate for the third time that this is by virtue of the ADA.)
However, since the controversy a few years ago about the Guest Assistance Card, there’s a lot more scrutiny concerning guests using DAS and this lingering belief among some other guests that they are being ‘disadvantaged’ by the system. This manifests itself in the form of disdain towards other guests using DAS. We did not experience these attitudes firsthand (my dad’s disability is plainly visible), but I’ve witnessed it both over the course of our visits and in reading online discussions.
My advice here would be to, respectfully, mind your own business. There are myriad invisible disabilities from which other guests could suffer, and the judgmental gaze of guests ‘scanning’ a person using DAS to ‘make sure’ they really have a disability and are not gaming the system is…I don’t even know. I can only imagine how it’d make me feel if I were on the receiving end of those judgmental stares.
Unless you’ve recently been nominated to the post of World Police, don’t give it any thought. Even if people are still gaming the new system (if there’s a system to be gamed, it will be gamed), what does fixating on it accomplish? There is absolutely zero upside.
Not only is the weight of your eyes invariably falling on someone with an invisible disability (an unpleasantness they likely feel all too frequently) but you’re upsetting yourself with something that’s entirely outside of your control. Life is too short for that, and it’s far better to be happy at Walt Disney World.
Overall, I would say our experience with Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World was mostly positive. I’ve struck a few cautionary notes here, and that’s mostly so those first-timers with disabilities go in with realistic expectations. Walt Disney World has a deserved reputation as being incredibly accommodating, and going above and beyond. This does not mean your visit will be without hiccups, though.
Anything with humans is an imperfect system with the potential for inconsistency, and that’s true with DAS and Walt Disney World. There’s also the balancing act Disney has to perform between using DAS to reasonably accommodate guests in need, while also discouraging widespread abuse, and maintain normal attraction operations. It’s a very tough needle to thread, and to Walt Disney World’s credit, I think that by and large, the system is pretty good from that perspective. But again, we only had 4 days of experience, and my opinion of the system is entirely predicated upon that limited exposure.
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Your Thoughts
If you have experience with using the Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World, what do you think of the experience? Anything we didn’t cover here? Other things to know? Strengths of DAS? Weaknesses? Any other Disability Access Service tips of your own to add? If you have not yet used DAS but are considering it, do you have any questions that we did not answer here? Please feel free to share your personal anecdotes about DAS and other thoughts in the comments below!
It’s been really helpful to us this year. We didn’t have to use it previously. When it works it works great.
It’s not great at cracking down on fraud though. They widened the queues for wheelchairs (like at Universal) which is great for a practiced wheelchair user but then they expect people with mobility issues who are not skilled wheel chair users to navigate them for long periods of time. It’s a little baffling that this is the hill Disney wants to die on. You CAN use a wheelchair in theory so you WILL use a wheelchair. Have you ever wheeled yourself in a wheelchair for a day? It requires a lot of arm strength and you are going to START at Disney?
I get the alternative to is to crack down on less visible disabilities and that seems like a minefield too. We have some “delightful” stories about fakers at Guest Services including one woman yelling at her daughter “I didn’t come to Disney to wait in lines all day!”
So I’m interested in seeing the guidelines after the initial wave of G+ abuse which is for sure coming.
They really need to work out the kinks of the online registration process. I waited 4 hours last night & never got through. Since my son needs to be present & had to go to bed, we will try again today. I also tried at 7am but he had to go to school & I didn’t get through again. We will be giving it another try tonight, but this is a huge pain. I greatly appreciate being able to use this pass, but this is one more thing to add to the list of really long hold/wait times with Disney right now.
I just went through the registration process today and it looks like Disney has addressed this…they now allow a guardian to complete the whole process; including the picture. 🙂
@ Chalea–-Your daughter will have to scan her magic band to get the return time. Then if she does not want to ride the attraction upon return time, she will just have to scan her magic band and your husband and you could ride the attraction/ride swap
This has happened to us, my daughter requires the DAS pass. (For autism ) we usually don’t get too many stares Most of the cast members are very nice. Especially the ones in toy story land
Excellent post… and you did an excellent job of addressing potential abuse.
I do feel there is probably a not-insignificant amount of abuse — Between people using it who really don’t need it. And those using it as an unlimited FP/G+, doing lots of lines in standby while waiting for their DAS return.
But I agree that the imperfect system is likely the best way. I certainly wouldn’t want WDW being a strict policeman second-guessing a disability. As you correctly noted, not every legitimate disability is immediately physically apparent.
But to the extent the point of the DAS is an inability to wait on a lengthy standby queue, I do wonder whether there should be some attempt to prevent someone from getting a DAS pass for a 90-minute return time on Mine Train (for example), and they go hop on a 40 minute Peter Pan line and 40 minute Haunted Mansion line while they wait. Technically, this is completely an allowable use of DAS currently. But in this case, the user is simply getting a free Genie+ (potentially slightly better than Genie+, as DAS return times may be better than Genie+).
In other words — The point of DAS is supposed to be so that the user doesn’t have to wait in long queues. So they can sit down and relax instead of having to stand in the line. While still getting to do the same attractions as someone without disability. Not so they can do extra attractions, thanks to a specialized VQ system.
That said, if abuse really is de minimis, then it really isn’t worth putting in a system to prevent abuse.
I have to say this still kind of criminalizes you for being disabled and using the service. I am autistic, I’ve never used DAS but I’ve definitely needed it before (anxiety issues and sensory overwhelm can be unexpectedly meltdown-inducing on a Disney trip for me). And although you don’t have to document your disability, that language on the webpage literally threatens to trespass you from Disney forever if they think that you’re lying. It’s really unsettling language, especially for folks with hidden cognitive issues like mine. They can do so much better than ominous threats on a disability page.
I was at Disney World 10/3-10/9. I was able to use the DAS Pass, as I have one of those invisible illnesses you mentioned! I did encounter several cast members who looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told them I had a DAS Pass and needed a return time. It was frustrating for sure, but I’m used to that with my condition. No one ever said anything to me, but that “scanning” to be sure I’m actually eligible was real from both Cast Members and guests. The DAS Pass made my visit SO much more enjoyable though, and I am so glad they offer this to their guests. I can’t wait to return and use the new system!
Be sure to thank your dad for his service! Without it, we wouldn’t be enjoying places like Disney as much we do.
I want to thank you for kindly discussing invisible disabilities. My daughter falls into this category and although anyone with her for a bit would notice, it’s not necessarily noticeable on first glance. Our very first trip to Disney was yesterday, and we did not use any special services because when I called to inquire I was told nothing was available- from a Disney employee. I guess I should’ve pushed the issue but this was a last minute trip and I was a bit rushed. I will most definitely have longer to plan next time and will dive deeper into this topic.
Hi! Would a recent appendectomy grant us a DAS pass? The friend I’m traveling with just got an emergency procedure done and we are 2 weeks away from our trip, although the doctors believe it will be fine I am afraid all that waiting around in line might take a toll on him. We would reschedule but most of what we’ve booked is non refundable
Quick question…We are taking my daughter back to WDW in a few weeks (her first time back snce her Wish Trip in 2010) and I have a letter about her autism if we have any problems getting the pass. What I want to know is, if we want to ride a ride but she doesn’t or if she backs out at the last minute, can we ride swap ( have her cross over and wait) or do we all have to leave without riding?
Hi, cm’s are not to read Dr Letters per Disney’s rules. Letters are quite easily forged. Im not saying that you would but that is part if their rationale.
Also DAS riders Must ride the attraction. If they cannot everyone must leave the line. We have occasionally been given pixie dust and been allowed to ride but its been very rare.
Enjoy your trip!!
I used DAS on my family trip to WDW in October. I have anxiety and standing in large groups of people for an extended period of time can throw me into a panic attack. I got my pass at Animal Kingdom on our first day with no problem. The whole process was less than 5 minutes. I don’t remember getting any dirty looks when asking for a “come back time”, but then again I don’t care what people think when I’m on vacation.
We regularly go to Disney World and Disneyland/CA with our adult son who has Down Syndrome and mobility issues and use the DAS system (and have seen it evolve over the years). It has been a godsend for us and really makes the difference between going or not going at all (and he really loves Disney). He doesn’t understand the concept of waiting and can tend to freak out if he’s not moving). I think Disney is doing a pretty good job with the program.
I understand that having a DAS is not a golden ticket, but it does help me to endure the activity of the day. I have been in 6 car accidents and injured by 2 students and have degenerative disk disease in 3 different areas. There isn’t a day where I haven’t been in pain. I have a disability access card and placard issued by the state that I live in, but it is not recognized by Disney properties. I have trouble standing for long periods of time, trouble at times stepping onto or off of the moving walkways and stairs. Disney says to rent a scooter. I don’t own one and driving one which causes tension in my back and more pain. Why can’t Disney recognize the disability access card issued by the states which is recognized throughout the states even while traveling? I too don’t feel comfortable standing at the desk and having to talk about why I need a DAS in front of lines of people. Why question someone when they produce a state document and identification. I can send someone to stand in line for me as was suggested, but you have to endure the dirty looks of people who do not see your disability while you try to get to the front of the line. I have been prevented from using the elevators and ramps. A few times I was able to get a DAS and other times not. Consistency is lacking and asking someone about their disability in front of others is not right.
My husband and adult daughter both have mobility needs and have difficulty standing. Waiting for the bus to transport us to/from the hotel was the most challenging. No place to sit while waiting. Priority seating was only given to people using scooters. Even if we-arrived early and waiting for the bus – my daughter sitting on the ground as she could no longer stand and my husband leaning against the chain railing (I know – cast members don’t like when you lean against the railing… they will let you know that)… we would have to wait as scooters arrived and were immediately seated along with their family and friends. Many times we would have to wait for a second bus to arrive before we could get a ride back to the hotel. Once on a bus, there was no available designated seating for people with physical disabilties (spots were taken by the scooters)… resulting in my family having to stand as we rode back to the hotel. (Only once did someone offer my husband a seat on the bus… I get it, everyone is tired… but it breaks my heart to see my husband and daughter in pain).
My family only needed a place to sit while waiting for the bus… and more seating around the parks would be appreciated.
I realized that we could have rented scooters for my husband and daughter (adding an additional $100 a day to our family expense)… but won’t it make more sense for Disney to simply put benches back in the park? (Disney Services told me that benches were removed because of the children climbing on them and getting into flower beds). How sad that Disney is more concerned about their flower beds.
Other aspects of Disney were wonderful… but there are areas that need improvement. From my experience, Disney does not plan to make any accomodations for people with mobility needs. If you need assistance, their recommendation is to get a scooter. They will not bring back benches or make any further accommodations.
One of the highlights of my latest trip was sitting behind a small service dog on It’s A Small World, and watching him watch the ride. It was just the cutest thing you never expect to see at Disney.
Thanks, thank you, thank you for this post! I’m a young woman with an invisible disability (30, Parkinson’s); in my daily life, I am mange on my own terms but WDW is the most physically taxing part of ANYONE’S year so I use accommodations there that I don’t always need elsewhere. Planning for these trips requires me to engage with access services at a much higher level than I would need when I go to the grocery store, so it’s good to know what’s available and how to use it. It’s also good to remind everyone that my disability is not a trick I’m playing on you–in fact, it’s none of your business at all!
Our family makes an annual trip to WDW and I just got back from a visit–it was the only time I’ve had a less than stellar time. There was not a single thing that a Disney did or could have done–we went to Epcot on Sunday and there were (to my surprise) some very drunk crowds there; a person in the crowd had a very loud, very unsolicited, and very wrong opinion about my body and my presence at the park. She surely thought it was an off-hand witticism to her friend, and probably didn’t even know I heard her, but the whole incident caused my day to earthquake. Instead of staying for the Illuminations show (my absolute favorite thing at WDW), I found a tree to cry under (to my embarrassment), restrained my husband from physically fighting the drunk woman, and went home early.
(Just kidding– my husband would never fight anyone–he was the one who had to take the scooter keys away from me!)
In my experience, using the scooter does get you some ‘perks,’ but like you said, it’s no Golden Ticket. And–duh alert– having a limited body is very rarely easier than having full capabilities.
Yes, there are some rides where I get to scoot in through a backdoor, but I still do less in any day than anyone else in my group. Even controlling for my limited physical energy, using a mobility device guarantees that I need longer to cross the park, will never have a great view of parades and or street shows, and have to do a little extra planning at every stop we make.
In my experience, the only true hidden “perk” of Disney While Disabled is that I can put a packed cooler on the back of my scooter. My family definitely views the access to endless cold bottles of water and snacks as the side benefit of scootergrouping, not the fact that we can use a sometimes-shorter line to Small World.
Disney does a great job of making the trade-off worth it; like I said, we go every year and i feel like the park thinks about and provides for my limitations in advance so that I don’t have to spend as much energy on it. I’ve also noticed that there tend to be 3 groups of Special Access Visitors: all-the-time-pros (your dad, people using permanent chairs)– people who probably know how to and how what to plan for well in advance ; one-time users (I’ve seen a ton of teenagers with crutches tucked into wheelchairs) who are thinking about restrictions and access for the very first and maybe only time; and the nebulous third group of special-day/ special-need folks like me, who can keep their daily limitations a little private but need more energy and help in the parks (which literally every visitor needs, but we run into deeper consequences much faster than the regular pushing-it-for-vacation visitor).
Disney really does an excellent job (to my eyes) of welcoming and providing for all of these groups–from people who have a history and very specific needs to those who are just figuring out how to manage in this particular crazy day.
My major lesson learned after this weekend is that I need to change my approach to park crowds; on a seated device, it’s easier to navigate a stand-in-line crowd (Magic Kingdom) than a stand-around crowd (Epcot). If both parks are going to be packed, I’ll spend the busier day at MK since the fun of Epcot is usually in the Be There– See It was element, and that gets lost quickly when you spend the day with a Tush-Eye view of other guests or need to keep constantly to the perimeter to move. It’s countintitive, but if you’re seated/ wheeling at the parks, I think you’ll get the best experience by going to Epcot on the very slowest day, rather than saving it for a day when MK is going to be bananas.
I’ll also be a lot more careful about anticipating big drinking crowds (in retrospect, Epcot Food & Wine Fest, Sunday, Halloween weekend– I definitely would have wanted to party there too!) since it’s always Muggles who ruin the Magic.
Thank you, Tom, for this article. It helped make our most recent trip (2 weeks ago) much more enjoyable. Something though that needs to be added is that the disability has to be a cognitive disability, not just mobility. My wife and I had to argue with a cast member at guest relations at Animal Kingdom and eventually find a cast member leader at the tapstiles to get my wife’s pass. She is a disabled veteran who has mobility issues that are not visible as well as PTSD and anxiety from time in Iraq. When we got to the window to get the pass, the cast member asked what we needed it for and we told her that my wife can’t stand for long periods of time. The cast member stated that all attractions are ADA accessible and we needed to rent a scooter or wheelchair. She told us the pass wasn’t for mobility issues, but was vague about what it was actually for. I get they are trying to prevent abuse, but when my wife presents her military ID that states she is %100 Disabled Veteran there shouldn’t need to be an argument. My wife got frustrated and got out of line. When we went through the tapstiles, I saw a guy who was clearly a team leader because he was dressed in business casual clothes. I told her we were going to talk to him. My wife doesn’t like to discuss her PTSD or anxiety, so we never mentioned it to cast member at the window. Once we talked to the team leader and he explained the pass was only given for cognitive disabilities, I apologized to my wife and said, “we’ve got to tell him.” Once we explained her invisible disability and the issues she had on our previous visit, he was more than happy to help us. It was a much easier process at Universal. They didn’t even question her since she presented her military ID.
Hi.
I appreciate a lot your post, then I also have an invisible anxiety with panick attacks disorder and it is not easy a lot of times for me then I live in Mexico City, and here there is no ADA legislation for this kind of disabilities, however with my psychiatrist recipe, in a lot of places public and not, they become empathic. But sometimes I do not like or want to explain what happens to me. I am about to travel at to Disneyworld with my service dog, so your experience helps me a lot to not have high expectations. I have been already in Orlando with great experience, but have not been in Disney yet. Thank you again for sharing and receive my best wishes.
I have a question. Walking around with the service dog, what can you do to prevent their paws from damage to the hot ground? Is there anything you can do or try to go during a cooler season?
You could use sled-dog booties. They are pretty common here in Alaska to protect dogs feet, I imagine you can find them online.
Local passholder with a service dog here, I’ve gone during summer a few times and go to great lengths to keep my dog comfortable in the heat. My dog has a set of boots that he wears only during the hottest part of the day. You don’t really want to leave them on all day as dogs also cool themselves through their paws to some extent. But usually around noon or even earlier if it’s a hot day I’ll start feeling the pavement temperature and put his boots on if it’s too much. We also almost always make sure to get a long sitdown lunch in around 1 or 2 to give us both a break from the heat.
I’ve also heard good things about using musher’s wax, but haven’t really tried it much myself.
Please help me with this issue.
Hello,
I have a mobility service dog. He provides balance and counter balance, bracing, and help with steps, curbs, and entrances. He has been trained professionally to be my service dog. He has passed all his tests. I have notes from both of my doctors. My dog has been licensed by San Diego County and has assistant dog tags which are special license tags from the county and state he is a service dog, it has his Id number and telephone number of the county offices on his county tag. ,While not mandated by California it is helpful to easily identify him when someone questions about whether he is my service dog.
We will be traveling to Disney World at the end of July and staying at Kadani Animal Kingdom. My reservation number is
As you probably aware, the cement and asphalt pavement is very hot during the day. My service dog cannot walk on the very hot pavement by the pool as it would burn his paws on cement and pavement.
I feel that my dog should not risk serious injury because of this rule. My issue is that Disney require that I do not leave my service dog in my room. However,regular dogs are allowed in resorts that allow dogs and can stay alone for up to 7 hours.
I talked with three ada accommodation staff regarding allowing my service dog to stay in our room when it would be harmful to my service dog because of the risk of injury.. My husband and son can help me to the pool or short distances. Disney said they are complying with the ADA law which states that I must have my service dog with me at all times. This makes no sense to me. They said it is a Disney Policy and required by the ADA.
Disney allows pet dogs to stay in some resoirt rooms alone for up to 7 hours where regular dogs are allowed but service dogs cannot be left in the room alone. If my dog becomes injured by the burning pavement and cannot help me walk because of his burned paws, I could not safely navigate any distances over several feet. If I do not take him, I risk falling on the resort property or parks.
For areas where I cannot take my service dog with very hot pavement, I have my son and husband who will help me to the pool or short distances. If my service dog was injured by the hot pavement, I could not go to the parks or around the hotel but sit with him in the room and wait for his recovery.
This rule seems unjustly harsh. In fact, I wonder if it is being misinterpreted by Disney when the rule is meant that Disney cannot separate me from my service dog. It should not force me to take my service dog when it might be dangerous to him. Especially when a regular dog is allowed to be alone in rooms for up to 7 hours.
Is it true that Federal Law states I must be allowed to have my service dog with me at all times except certain restricted areas such as surgery etc, It does not require that I have to have him with me at all times even if taking him would be harmful to my service dog and myself as I could not take him anywhere if his feet are burned. I thought Disney could not separate me from my service dog not make me take him with me even when it would be dangerous or harmful to him and myself.
My service dog is very well trained. He does not bark when alone, he does not chew or cause damage to property. He even goes to poddy on command. The training of my service dog was very expensive and he has saved me from falling several times. He even goes to poddy on command.
All I am asking reasonable accommodation. Please help me to have an enjoyable visit to disney.
My reservation number and dates are listed below.
[redacted]
Booties are not an option as my service dog looks at his own feet when in booties not mine.
Kathleen Bauer
Hi Kathleen,
I’ve removed your reservation info from your comment as that’s personal info that you might not want to display publicly. You’ll want to contact Disney directly about this.
Best of luck! 🙂
-Tom
We were at Disney world in September 2016 with my in laws and my mother in law has severe rheumatoid arthritis in both knees(thankfully she just had a double knee replacement in December). They rented one of the scooters after one day of misery with attempting to walk everywhere. The cast members were very friendly and helpful with her. Our entire group was escorted through the fast pass line on the attractions. It’s funny you mentioned toy story mania because I have to say they were fantastic! It seemed to me they were the most familiar with the process. Getting in/out of Indiana jones and Kilimanjaro safaris was a PAIN however. We actually waited longer in the line at safaris than the regular line. Overall though we were very pleased with the service, friendliness, and ease of the whole process.
I just wanted to say thank you for this post, and for your comments about minding your own business and treating people with respect. My dad has MS and needs to use a scooter to get around Disney. I know that he often feels embarrassed and worries that other people are looking at him or judging him, especially when he has to load his scooter onto a bus. It breaks my heart, for him and for anyone else who has ever felt this way. I really wish people could just be kind to each other and let everyone be.