“Best Bets” for Disabled Guests: September 2024

The main thing I’ve been working on with the Return to Queue Database is compiling information that will help disabled guests who no longer qualify for the Disability Access Service have a better idea of what to expect in the parks.

This is my favorite part of the highlights. To be included on this list, at least 1/4 of the survey respondents attempted to experience the attraction and 4/5 of them were successfully able to ride the ride, see the show, or access the experience. This doesn’t mean that people asking for accommodations (return times, meet-at-merge, etc.) were successful in getting those accommodations, but it does mean that most survey respondents were able to ride, with or without accommodation.

I hope this is a helpful resource for anyone who was denied the DAS, but is unable to cancel their trips or passes. It’s not intended to be some kind of end-all-be-all definitive guide for what you should and shouldn’t try, but if you’re getting discouraged, maybe see if anything on this list catches your attention and hopefully it’ll give you a second to regroup. I’m planning to bring more of these numbers into the regular database post in a future update.

1. Definitions for this Guide
2. Note on the “Attraction Gap” Between the East and West Coast Parks
3. Walt Disney World
   1. Magic Kingdom (13 Attractions)
   2. EPCOT (9 Attractions)
   3. Disney’s Hollywood Studios (12 Attractions)
   4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom (7 Attractions)
4. Disneyland Resort
   1. Disneyland (4 Attractions)
   2. Disney California Adventure (2 Attractions)

Definitions for this Guide

“Attempt” – This is the percentage of disabled survey respondents who visited a specific park that wanted to ride a ride, watch a show, or participate in an experience. (To be included here, at least 25% of the people who went to that park decided to attempt the attraction.)

“Complete” – This is the percentage of disabled survey respondents who attempted the attraction, that were able to experience the attraction without accommodations (“No Accommodations Needed” responses) or reported that “Cast Member Attempted to Help” (meaning that an accommodation was offered – most often this was a return time or “reunification”/”meet-at-merge”) (To be included here, at least 80% of the people who attempted the attraction must have been able to secure an accommodation of some sort, or chose to access the attraction without requesting accommodations.

“Without Accommodations” – This is the percentage of disabled survey respondents who specifically were able to experience the attraction without requesting accommodations. (Most often, these were the attractions with <15 minute queues)

Note on the “Attraction Gap” Between the East and West Coast Parks

There is still a huge discrepancy between the East and West coasts, which I’ve spoken about this for a while. I recognize this post will be less helpful to guests visiting the California parks, and I’m going to make another Disneyland Resort-specific post soon about other attractions that didn’t quite hit this criteria but still have been the most successful options for survey respondents at those parks.

However, I’m leaving this post as it is, because it does a really effective job of illustrating just how stark the contrast is from Walt Disney World (41 attractions meet the criteria across 4 main parks) to Disneyland Resort (6 attractions meet the criteria across 2 parks) by looking at the number and types of experiences you see on the different lists.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom (13 Attractions)

1. Mickey’s PhilharMagic
   (58% Attempt, 100% of those Complete, 74% without accommodations)
2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
   (39% Attempt, 100% Complete, 62% without accommodation)
3. Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
   (52% Attempt, 94% of those Complete, 82% without accommodations)
4. Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
   (36% Attempt, 92% Complete, 75% without accommodations)
5. The Hall of Presidents
   (33% Attempt, 91% Complete, 64% without accommodations)
6. Pirates of the Caribbean
   (79% Attempt, 89% Complete, 67% without accommodations)
7. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
   and
   “it’s a small world”
   (TIE) (52% Attempt, 88% Complete, 82% without accommodations)
8. Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
   (73% Attempt, 88% Complete, 83% without accommodations)
9. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
   (67% Attempt, 86% Complete, 68% without accommodations)
10. Haunted Mansion
    (76% Attempt, 84% Complete, 44% without accommodations)
11. Walt Disney World Railroad
    (53% Attempt, 83% Complete, 78% without accommodations)
12. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
    (79% Attempt, 81% Complete, 65% without accommodations)

EPCOT (9 Attractions)

1. Living with the Land
   (65% Attempt, 100% Complete, 75% without accommodations)
2. Spaceship Earth
   (61% Attempt, 100% Complete, 89% without accommodations)
3. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
   (55% Attempt, 100% Complete, 94% without accommodations)
4. Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
   (52% Attempt, 100% Complete, 100% without accommodations)
5. SeaBase
   (32% Attempt, 100% Complete, 90% without accommodations)
6. Turtle Talk with Crush
   (26% Attempt, 100% Complete, 88% without accommodations)
7. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
   (63% Attempt, 95% Complete, 89% without accommodations)
8. Journey Into Imagination with Figment
   (45% Attempt, 93% Complete, 79% without accommodations)
9. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
   (65% Attempt, 80% Complete, 45% without accommodations)

Disney’s Hollywood Studios (12 Attractions)

1. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
   (57% Attempt, 100% Complete, 88% without accommodations)
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
   (50% Attempt, 100% Complete, 57% without accommodations)
3. Muppet Vision 3D
   (45% Attempt, 100% Complete, 85% without accommodations)
4. For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration
   (32% Attempt, 100% Complete, 89% without accommodations)
5. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
   (29% Attempt, 100% Complete, 88% without accommodations)
6. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
   (59% Attempt, 94% Complete, 65% without accommodations)
7. Alien Swirling Saucers
   (39% Attempt, 91% Complete, 73% without accommodations)
8. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
   (64% Attempt, 89% Complete, 50% without accommodations)
9. Fantasmic!
   (29% Attempt, 88% Complete, 75% without accommodations)
10. Toy Story Mania!
    (82% Attempt, 87% Complete, 57% without accommodations)
11. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
    (50% Attempt, 86% Complete, 64% without accommodations)
12. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
    (36% Attempt, 80% Complete, 70% without accommodations)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom (7 Attractions)

1. DINOSAUR
   (48% Attempt, 100% Complete, 82% without accommodations)
2. Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
   (35% Attempt, 100% Complete, 63% without accommodations)
3. It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
   (30% Attempt, 100% Complete, 86% without accommodations)
4. Kilimanjaro Safaris
   (83% Attempt, 95% Complete, 68% without accommodations)
5. Festival of the Lion King
   (57% Attempt, 92% Complete, 68% without accommodations)
6. Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
   (57% Attempt, 92% Complete, 85% without accommodations)
7. Na’vi River Journey
   (30% Attempt, 86% Complete, 71% without accommodations)

Disneyland Resort

Disneyland (4 Attractions)

1. Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
   (32% Attempt, 100% Complete, 100% without accommodations)
2. Disneyland Railroad
   (26% Attempt, 100% Complete, 80% without accommodations)
3. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
   (32% Attempt, 83% Complete, 50% without accommodations)
4. Haunted Mansion
   (26% Attempt, 80% Complete, 20% without accommodations)

Disney California Adventure (2 Attractions)

1. World of Color – ONE
   (23% Attempt, 100% Complete, 33% without accommodations)
2. Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
   (23% Attempt, 100% Complete, 100% without accommodations)