Handicapped Lines Being Abused at Disney Paris

[msnewfie]

I just returned from a 3 day visit to Disney Paris . I had some time in the Disney village and a 2 day 2 park hopper style ticket.

From what I can see the wheel chair accessible line is being abused or being used as a priority entrance ...for the more elite hotels perhaps?

While some people ( and their parties). using this entrance were mentally or physically challenged, not everyone using this quick bypass to rides and character greetings were deserving of this extra courtesy. I even saw 2 adult women turned away from a character greeting handicapped line because they were not on the list. ( with big smiles/smirks on their face as they walked away)

I am in no way anti or against a priority line for true physical or mental issues, but favouritism has to stop.

I pay my money and I expect fair treatment. I line up, sometimes for an hour, in hot temperatures , to enjoy a few minute ride. Everyone capable of doing the same should do so. That is only fair.

 

[Karin1984]

That is all you took from your trip to DLP that the WiFi isnt working properly and the handicapped line? Was there anything you liked about your stay? Or was it a miserable trip because of these 2 things?

Not all handicaps are visible. But as far as I am aware, isnt this more a problem in the US parks? In Paris you need to bring in a doctor's note to be able to make use of those lines, I thought. While in the US you can't ask your guests to 'prove' your illness due to privacy laws. Thats how I always understood the abuse in the US parks works.

It is perhaps more visible in Paris as especially for characters meeting in open air, as the queues aren't hiding the other guests waiting. So it is easier to see if someone gets access before you.

 

[BadPinkTink]

there were huge huge issue in Disneyland California with the disabled pass being abused. People would rent wheelchairs for the specific purpose of getting a disabled pass from City Hall and then use it during the day to store their bags.

 

[cazspence]

Not every disability is visible. I have arthritis in my spine and other joints and I’m unable to queue for this reason. No one can telll from looking at me! I think your attitude to this is disgusting

 

[msnewfie]

I am well educated on disabilities.

I know what I saw.

No, this is not the only thing I took from my visit.

When as many people access an attraction in the handicapped line as the regular line, one has to wonder.

People running down isles to a ride are not physically hurting.

 

[A Small World]

When as many people access an attraction in the handicapped line as the regular line, one has to wonder.

People running down isles to a ride are not physically hurting.

Which rides in particular did you see this on? Some rides share the disability entrance with the fast pass entrance. Also other family members (up to a certain number ) are allowed to ride with the person with the disability

Not everyone with a disability is 'physically hurting' and may be able to run/skip/walk/jump towards the ride if they want to

As already mentioned to get a disability pass in DLP is very difficult as you have to have a recent Drs letter or other proof of disability, the passes are checked vigorously at every ride and the CM asks to see the person the pass belongs to.

Also you mentioned above that it may be being used by guests from the more elite hotels - this is not true. Guests who get VIP fast pass as part of their hotel room use the fast pass entrance of the rides and it only gives access to the rides with fast pass so they never use the disability entrance

 

[helenk]

I just got back from a 4 day stay at Disneyland Paris and I am surprised at this post because we certainly did not see what the original poster saw. We did see people showing what appeared to be a note of some type for the disabled entrance at some of the rides. Maybe we were not paying attention but we did comment on the fact that there were only a few people in wheelchairs and we did not see 1 scooter our entire stay.

 

[msnewfie]

I saw hundreds of people access the go cart ride in the main park via the handicapped line. Some had visible disabilities. Others ran through the aisles towards the ride.

I also saw numerous people access crush coaster ... on the crush ride, 2cars are filled at a time -8 people.

Each time, people were seated from the handicapped line...2. - 4 people. And the remainder seated from the regular line. So, my point is, that comprises 25-50 % of the people accessing a ride via the handicapped line. Some were deserving of the faster access, no doubt. But , I maintain, (even if it is not a popular viewpoint) the handicapped line is being abused.

How is that reasonable.?

Is there any protocols put in place to prevent persons using a handicapped line from riding multiple times? Just asking?

If someone truely needs faster access, then fine, but after one ride maybe they should have to wait like everyone else.

 

[A Small World]

I saw hundreds of people access the go cart ride in the main park via the handicapped line. Some had visible disabilities. Others ran through the aisles towards the ride.

I also saw numerous people access crush coaster ... on the crush ride, 2cars are filled at a time -8 people.

Each time, people were seated from the handicapped line...2. - 4 people. And the remainder seated from the regular line. So, my point is, that comprises 25-50 % of the people accessing a ride via the handicapped line. Some were deserving of the faster access, no doubt. But , I maintain, (even if it is not a popular viewpoint) the handicapped line is being abused.

How is that reasonable.?

Is there any protocols put in place to prevent persons using a handicapped line from riding multiple times? Just asking?

If someone truely needs faster access, then fine, but after one ride maybe they should have to wait like everyone else.

Im assuming you were standing in line for the autopia ride and saw people going past you in the disabled line - is that correct? What very likely happened is that people in the regular line saw a party go past in what appeared to be a shorter line and so they ducked into that line hoping to beat the queues. However the green card (which is the card given to the person with a disability for length of stay) has to be shown again to the CM at the point where you get on the cars - so if someone reached that point without a card they will have been sent out via the exit and back to the beginning of the queue again - they will not have been allowed to ride.

Also people with this card do often have to wait just as long they are just given a separate area to wait in or given a time to return. Most rides only allow one disabled person on the ride at a time (in case of evacuation) so yes there are protocols about riding multiple times

 

[msnewfie]

That doesn’t explain how people were seated on crush coaster ever time the buggies/turtle shells were filled.

I assume more than 2 coasters are going at a time.

 

[Karin1984]

I'm sorry, but I have problems with believing what you exactly saw was the abuse of the handicapped line. In over 25 visits to DLP, I never see more than a handful in any of the handicapped lines. I never saw running, as people are waiting their turn in that queue too. The only exception I remember is Big Thunder Mountain, right in the morning when the ride opened, as also people with a handicap pass are schedulling this ride as first thing in the morning. Then it's usually busier.

And at Crush Coaster the line is use not more than 1 family as the ride requires to transfer, which is not always possible for those in wheelchairs. The handicap line is usually shorter here.

I really doubt it was abuse, there must be some other reason. The French CMs are a lot of things, but they are very good at say 'non', they are not that indifferent to let everyone run through.


I admit, I do get frustrated myself sometimes with seeing the handicapped line, but first, I remember myself how priviliged I am to not have those burdens. And second, it's only at character meetings in the open, like when there are special characters meeting in the Animation building in the studios, or in Frontierland, in front of the Haunted Mansion, as it's visible there (in contrast with Mickey or the princesses), because these meets are very slow 'loading', and character meets tend to be short, before they take their break. I never have it at rides, as there is plenty of capacity for all of us.

 

[msnewfie]

I didn’t post this comment to exaggerate.
I didn’t post this because I have. Any issue with priorities granted to those who really need it.
I posted this because st any time 25-50% of attending groups should not need handicapped access .

That is excessive.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I didn’t post this comment to exaggerate.
I didn’t post this because I have. Any issue with priorities granted to those who really need it.
I posted this because st any time 25-50% of attending groups should not need handicapped access .

That is excessive.

I think people who live in glass houses should not throw stones

I guess the huge amount of abuse of the system in Disneyland and Walt Disney World is not concerning to you? Every year when I go to Disneyland California I am just astounded by the huge amount of electric scooters. Whats the deal Americans, why cant you walk like everyone else, oh wait, when you have an electric scooter you can use the disabled entrances..aha bingo, lets rent an electric scooter, and then "pretend" Im disabled, so that I dont have to wait in line.

 

[msnewfie]

I’m sorry, I didn’t comment about abuse at other parks.

I’m my experience, Florida does seem to have its share of abuse with scooters and priority access. I’ve never been to California p.

I guess being overweight does impede ones ability to enjoy Disney. ( again a hot topic I did not wish to point out.)

I could not even look at most / if any of the people in the handicapped lines and say, well your weight is the issue in Paris.

Most people, (not all, but most) were very able bodied, and in no way seemed to be limping or moving poorly as they climbed into rides.

I did not see cast members ask to see special cards or proof before riding. And I looked.

I guess your comments say that abuse is occurring at other parks as well.

Being sick or having an illness does not necessarily mean you absolutely need priority access.

It just means you have a medical condition.

Maybe next time, I’ll have to decide in my age is reason enough to access the handicapped line, or the heat rash I get or the blisters on my feet.

Anyway, I’ve had my say.
Thanks all for listening.

 

[GillB]

You have to have a note. I was at DLP last year and had trouble standing in the queues for meet & greets (I use a walking stick as I have arthritis in my feet); I asked if I could be put on the disabled list but you have to have a doctor's letter. I wish I'd known before I went as I could easily have got one from my doc but it's not something they tell you ... so I sadly had to miss out the characters with long queues.
I can't see anyone getting a disabled pass who wasn't eligible because, though it was fairly obvious I was disabled, it still wasn't allowed.

 

[Karin1984]

You have to have a note. I was at DLP last year and had trouble standing in the queues for meet & greets (I use a walking stick as I have arthritis in my feet); I asked if I could be put on the disabled list but you have to have a doctor's letter. I wish I'd known before I went as I could easily have got one from my doc but it's not something they tell you ... so I sadly had to miss out the characters with long queues.
I can't see anyone getting a disabled pass who wasn't eligible because, though it was fairly obvious I was disabled, it still wasn't allowed.

I am sorry to hear you had to do without the pass. Nowadays they do announce on the waiting tape of the reservation line, that all hotels are accessible. I think that is a change in French laws.

A friend really wants to take his mother to Disney in Paris, but her doctor back home refuses to write a note, as he thinks her illness is visible enough for Disney to give her the pass. However they don't agree with that in Paris, so his mom has never been.

 

[Absimilliard]

There is a sliver of truth to what the OP saw. It is known around DLP fans that there is a handful of people with a green card for disabilities that sell their services as front of the line passes. It is a very touchy subject as they do have a valid reason to hold the card, but what they do after is complete abuse.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[kathleendsm]

We were in DLP in July. Our son, who has developmental/cognitive disabilities, was granted a Priority Pass. We brought a letter from his doctor, and the cast members nearly didn't give it to us because it wasn't specific enough (if we go again we'll see if she can write more, but she was concerned about HIPAA). I'm surprised to hear the OP thought there were violations or abuse, because in our experience, they were extremely strict. Both at the entrance to the disability queue and just before boarding, cast members scrutinized his card, which included the nature of his disability, then asked for his name to show that he was indeed the person who needed the service. Now, I will say that on several rides like Pirates and Small World they did sometimes seem to hold the disability line and then fill one or two boats from there. I asked about that, and they said it was because of emergency procedures and the way they needed to unload in the case of an issue with the ride. Perhaps that's the kind of thing the OP was seeing? I will say, there were a fair number of families with kids who probably also had cognitive disabilities that were using these queues, while (as others indicated), far fewer people overall using scooters and wheelchairs than in the US parks.

 

[HappyPanda]

OP, not all illnesses/disabilities are visible. When I went to DLP with my SIL who is registered blind we were given a green card; I literally lost count of the amount of dirty looks we got, from people like you, when we used the disabled entrance. This is probably because she doesn't walk with a limp or have any other obvious physical signs of her terrible disability. What she does have is no sight at all in one eye and very limited sight in the other, making queuing - especially ones that go from light to dark, really difficult. I therefore find your comments abhorrent, I'm sorry that you had to queue slightly longer because of the disabled guests but I'd challenge you to put yourselves in the shoes of someone facing this kind of "invisible" disability and she how hard life really is.