ireland_nicole
<font color=green>No brainer- the fairy wins it<br
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
Definition of discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.
Disney is not doing anything against you. You can still do exactly what you've always done. There are other places you can eat where they don't have this policy and even at those places that do, it's only at certain times. You are also allowed to bring in your own food. Nobody is preventing you from eating. All that's happening is that you can't do what you current do if you CHOOSE to eat at the busiest times during the busiest times of the year. It is NOT discrimination to implement a policy that makes it more difficult (but not impossible) for a family to use a certain facility at a specific time when there are other facilities available at that time and the same facility is available at other times. There are still options for you at all times even if it's not the locations that you would prefer.
There are things that my family can not to at WDW because of our differences (I hate the term disabilities). Do I consider it discriminatory that WDW doesn't provide for every one of our special needs? No! I'm grateful that WDW does as much as they do to make our vacations even possible. I've walked away from many rides because even with our GAC the situation would not be good for my kids. I've missed out on many fireworks (I've only made it to 1; fantasmic and even then we had a total meltdown at the bus stop on the way out) and parades (I've only made it to 1 because so many people in such close proximity freaks out my daughter) because there is no accomodation for my kids. We have equal access to everything. Disney is not doing anything to prevent us from going. It's our own situation that makes us unable to do these things. Disney gives us just as much access as anybody else. The fact that my kids can't cope with some things does NOT mean that we're being discriminated against just because a company didn't bend over backwards even farther to make sure that we can partake.
You're worrying about a scenario that hasn't even happened (adding this to every CS location at all times) and playing the discrimination card when it doesn't apply. If you're truly worried about discrimination then make sure you understand exactly what discrimination is. It hurts cases of real discrimination when people throw that word around incorrectly.
currently up to one in 98 children is on the autism spectrum, add to that families of children with other developmental disabilities, add to that other families with multiple disability situations, and the solution offered to these families is to bring your own food. On so many levels, not equal access. I am most certainly not "throwing the discrimination word around incorrectly" although, as I am, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. And you are correct, Disney is not expanding this policy today... but it is never safe to assume Disney will not expand a policy. It has been my experience that people who do not deal with disabilities on a daily basis don't really think about the impact on those with disabilities when a decision is made. While this policy is being piloted is the ideal time for us to make Disney aware of our concerns. It's easier to not care about a safety concern or accessibility issue until it concerns our family directly. However, I don't find it a responsible response. I believe that I have an obligation to educate when equal access is denied. That will be the case with this policy for many families who struggle already. There is a big difference between choosing whether a specific attraction is appropriate for your family and choosing between being able to eat in a park or not.
I completely agree, these are issues which need to be dealt with. Thank you for your insight and for sharing your experience.Just a reminder to play nice.
There are some pretty strong emotions connected with getting tables. I have been on both sides of this situation - having gotten food with a child with multiple challenges and a wheelchair and not been able to get a spot to sit and having gotten a table and sat waiting for food because that worked best for us.
I think we need more reports of how this will be managed. I know they were doing it as a test at some of the places we ate last spring at WDW because I read about people who encountered it while we were there. We ate at off peak times and never did run into any times they were doing it.
One thing we DID run into, which greatly impacts our ability to wait in the ordering lines, was that each restaurant does have some wheelchair accessible lines, but they are not well marked and we found then closed much more than open. If they only have a few lines open, one of them has to be the accessible line.
Also, most of the lines are set up to accommodate a line of people ordering, but only a small number of people picking up food. The times we saw larger families waiting in line to get their food, they were in the way of the next groups waiting. And, sometimes, the next group's food came first because it was a smaller or easier to complete order.
You are not being discriminated against. You are not being catered to in the way that you want, but that's not discrimination.
If I go alone with my son, he can't go on Thunder Mountain, his FAVORITE ride. Because I can't take the dog and I certainly can't leave the dog. That's not discrimination, it's a point of fact. Dog can't go on roller coaster.
You want something to make it easier to manage with your children, totally understandable. You want to make things easier and more enjoyable for everyone, totally understandable. But this policy is not discriminating against you, nor would it be in any way a violation of the ADA (tables are for paying customers only. Until you've bought your food, you are not a paying customer). You are not being forbidden to enter the park or even eat, you are just being preventer from (as are we all) using facilities that are reserved for paying customers until you have become a paying customer. If they choose to allow you, given your unique circumstances, usage of the facility before that point, bully for you. But being given preferential seating, or use of reserved facilities for a non-customer (which, until you've purchased your food, you are) is not in any way required by the ADA.
It's similar to me saying that I plan on checking into a hotel tomorrow, but I am tired now, and because my child has a disablity they need to give me a room now. It's not the case in any way shape or form, and refusing my unreasonable demand is not discrimination.
No, it is not unreasonable to expect that my family or others like them will have the opportunity to eat. Unreasonable would be expecting them to change their menu to include my childs favorite food, unreasonable would be expecting them to clear a restaurant because of my childs increased anxiety in crowds... merely having the ability to use a facility is no where near the same thing.