A two-year-old heart transplant recipient was denied accommodations from Disney’s Disability Access Service. The family was forced to repeatedly disclose medical trauma, face unsafe queue conditions, and incur significant added costs to access the parks safely.

Disability Access Service

Disney updated its DAS eligibility requirements for Walt Disney World in May 2024 and Disneyland in June 2024. Those changes have proven controversial, as many guests with disabilities outside those mentioned are no longer eligible for the service.

Some changes have been implemented, like extending the validity period and adding more details for eligibility video call guidelines. Most recently, a disabled Disney shareholder is urging the company to review the impacts of the overhaul. However, a recent SEC rule change is helping Disney block the shareholder’s resolution.

Caitlin’s Story

Caitlin, a mother from Ohio, shares the story of her daughter’s heart transplant and how she attempted to receive accommodations for the family’s Disney World vacation.

She shares how Frankie received a new heart:

Eighteen months ago, I stood in a hospital room and prayed for a miracle. My daughter’s heart was failing, and we were running out of time. When the call finally came – that a donor heart was available – it felt like the world stopped. We knew another family was losing everything, so ours could have a chance. That is a weight I carry every single day…

In October 2025, the family visited Disney World as a birthday and recovery celebration. While Frankie is brave, she is also medically fragile. She needs medication to help her new heart function, and crowded indoor spaces pose a risk to her immune system.

However, the family faced many hurdles and obstacles in trying to receive accommodations for their visit:

This Disney trip – the one we just took – was supposed to be a celebration of survival… It wasn’t supposed to feel like a fight. But the new Disability Access Service (DAS) system turned what should have been a magical experience into a series of hurdles no parent of a medically complex child should ever have to navigate.”

When Caitlin applied for DAS, she sat on the video call with the cast member, explaining Frankie’s transplant, her suppressed immune system, her limitations, and the medical guidance she were given: avoid long waits in crowded, enclosed queues.

Disney responded by saying, “You can wait in the regular line. If she struggles, she can leave and return later when you are closer to the front of the attraction or ask for a return time.”

Caitlin knew this was not a realistic solution. Her family could be separated. Frankie may miss a dose of medication. They may miss their chance to experience rides and other attractions.

In the Parks

So, they went to Disney World without any accommodations put into place ahead of time. During application process, Caitlin was told attraction cast members may offer a return time if she explained Frankie’s needs. She states that when the family went to each attraction and asked for accommodations, she was asked the same question: “Why?”

I have a two-year-old who had a heart transplant… she’s immunosuppressed… she can’t stay in crowded lines… we need to minimize exposure… she’s non-verbal… she takes medication throughout the day…

She recalls how exhausting it was to have to re-live the trauma of having a medically fragile child who had a heart transplant each time she explained her daughter’s needs.

Every time I said the words “heart transplant,” I felt the ground shift beneath me, tears filling my eyes — the same way it did the day we almost lost her shortly after she was born. Trauma lives in your body. And reliving it 20+ times a day is a special kind of exhaustion.

Some cast members were kind while others looked unsure what to do. Some suggested they get in line and try to wait, which the family would do. However, they would have to exit the ride and talk to the cast member because it was not a feasible solution.

So, instead, they decided to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to safely wait in line.

We needed to secure some way of avoiding the longest, most crowded queues — especially indoors.

I’ve heard people say the DAS changes were designed to stop “abuse.” But the system is now punishing families whose needs were never abused in the first place.

It became a large expense that the family was not expecting.

Caitlin did have Frankie’s stroller flagged as a wheelchair, which was a huge help for the family. It became her safe place where she could be shielded from others and rest. The family was able to take the stroller into the attraction queues, which made a real difference in the experience.

Despite the hurdles, the family tried their hardest to create magical moments.

We took photos. We laughed. We watched her eyes light up when she saw characters. We celebrated the fact that she is here — that she’s alive – that we get to have these moments at all.

Have you been denied DAS since the program overhaul in 2024? We invite you to share your story with us in the comments and on social media.

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Source: Crip Life