Disney Investigates "Handi-Scam"

Disney executives say they are looking into a New York Post report which claims that "wealthy Manhattan moms" are hiring disabled people who pretend to be family members in order to cut into the head of the lines at popular theme park attractions.

The “black-market Disney guides” run $130 an hour, or $1,040 for an eight-hour day. “My daughter waited one minute to get on ‘It’s a Small World’ — the other kids had to wait 2 1/2 hours,” crowed one mom, who hired a disabled guide through Dream Tours Florida. “You can’t go to Disney without a tour concierge,’’ she sniffed. “This is how the 1 percent does Disney.” The woman said she hired a Dream Tours guide to escort her, her husband and their 1-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter through the park in a motorized scooter with a “handicapped” sign on it. The group was sent straight to an auxiliary entrance at the front of each attraction.

Disney allows patrons in wheelchairs to bring up to six people to the head of the line. CNN has more:

"It is unacceptable to abuse accommodations that were designed for guests with disabilities," [Disney] spokesman Bryan Malenius told CNN Wednesday. "We are thoroughly reviewing the situation and will take appropriate steps to deter this type of activity." Reports of the alleged practice sparked fury on social media, with some people calling the actions "crazy," "awful," and "despicable." But others defended the idea, arguing it's a way to help some disabled people make good money.