Rich moms are paying disabled guides to get their kids to the front of long lines at Disney World. (Paul Thompson / Getty)
What’s the latest indulgence for wealthy parents? A day at Disney World with a disabled guide who can help you and your precious saplings jump to the front of long lines, according to the New York Post.
These parents are taking advantage of Disney World’s policy that allows guests in a wheelchair or motorized scooter, plus up to five members of their party, to use auxiliary entrances intended to offer disabled guests “a more convenient entrance to the attraction.” While the auxiliary entrances are “not intended to bypass waiting lines,” they are known to get guests on a ride much faster.
“My daughter waited one minute to get on ‘It’s a Small World’ — the other kids had to wait 2 1/2 hours,” one mom, who hired a disabled guide through Dream Tours Florida, told the Post. “This is how the 1 percent does Disney.”
The guides reportedly cost $130 an hour or $1,040 for an eight-hour day. This might seem high, especially since you’re also paying entrance fees, but Disney World’s comparable VIP service that gets groups to the front of lines costs $315 to $355 an hour.
The New York Post doesn’t quote any named sources in its article and messages left with the tour company singled out in the article remained unanswered, but Disney is still investigating the situation.
“We are thoroughly reviewing the situation and will take appropriate steps to deter this type of activity,” spokesperson Bryan Malenius, Yahoo.com. ”It is unacceptable to abuse accommodations that were designed for guests with disabilities.”
The New York Post was tipped off to the scam by social anthropologist Dr. Wednesday Martin, who learned about the underground network while doing research for her upcoming book “Primates of Park Avenue.”
“It’s insider knowledge that very few have and share carefully,” Dr. Martin told the Post.
While some New York Post readers are pointed out that the scam is a good deal for disabled people who are making some good money, I find it disgraceful. These people are clearly taking advantage of Disney policy. Plus, as someone who took her kids to Disneyland for the day last year, I don’t think the lines are that bad if you’re smart about planning out your day and using FastPasses. And if you have to wait in a 45-minute line, what’s the worst thing that might happen? You might have a conversation with your teenager or play patty-cake with your toddler.
Disability scams to make life a little easier aren’t anything new. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the trend of travelers faking a disability to get a wheelchair to speed through security. Officials at Los Angeles International Airport say that 15 percent of wheel chair users are phony. In San Francisco, drivers are known to “exaggerate injuries to convince doctors to sign documents” so they can obtain handicap placards that give them special parking privileges. In a city where street parking is scarce and meter rates high, these placards can save someone a lot of time and money.
