i recently took my kids and a plus-one to the movies on a random monday. standard screening, not imax. it cost **$97** for just 4 tickets and 2 medium popcorns to share (we snuck in water and candy from dollar tree).

i like the theater experience, too, but who the fuck can regularly afford that???

God is real and loves us so he gave us Tim Curry as Long John Silver in "Muppet Treasure Island." Praise be.

“overcorrection “ sounds like the perfect way to phrase it!

There is never a perfect answer, but the current form feels like a sharp over correction & people needing DAS are getting stuck in the middle.

tl,dr: i agree, i trust the data you provided, *and* there is a nuance beyond the numbers informed by the perspective of disabled park guests. it’s messy! but i hope that changes moving forward help to better serve a range of access needs but is less likely to be misused by those who don’t need it.

(obv, i can only speak anecdotally for those i know and/or mutuals who‘ce had problems! i used to manage with fp/fp+ and touring plans, but my own needs have changed drastically; if wdw hadn’t priced me out ages ago, i would not be able to travel without some type of das, which isn’t guaranteed.)

i can’t say i have an answer, but i’d imagine there must be a way to provide more equitable access for varying disabilities without invasive verification that also does not incentivize misuse of the system. because the current system does not seem to work for many disabled guests.

that incentive utilized by those acting in both good- and bad-faith (what i feel is just one symptom stemming from the increasingly monetized system) *does*, from what you said, appear to rise in loose correlation with the disproportionate price hikes.

and again, i absolutely do not deny that pre-2024 das incentified use of the system, both for users who could have gotten by using fp/fp+ and now struggle, as well as those exaggerating symptoms or manipulating the system for personal gain.

all of this information is fascinating — i truly appreciate the thorough response!

given the complicated, fluctuating nature of disability, i would imagine there are some subtleties that are not captured by the raw data (eg: many disabled folks do not receive social security but may need dad)

why is the onus always on disabled folks to suffer in silence, or to “prove” that they “deserve” equal access to spaces? why is it never on those with money and resources to figure this shit out? accessibility doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all approach, but “it’s difficult!” is no excuse.

some bean counter is gonna see this and wonder how they can design an upcharge on top of paid admission for the privilege of being the trolley driver that runs over other paying guests (with optional cupcake add-on)

yup! plus, paying out the ass for LLs you book in advance won’t work if, like many disabled folks, your accessibility needs can change *moment to moment*. things like blood sugar, mast cells, chronic fatigue, sensory processing… not stuff you can count on to book a $25 return window for (per person)