A new shareholder proposal made on behalf of DAS Defenders is calling on the company to commission an independent and public review of its Disability Access Service policy changes. The group contends that restrictions to the program have contributed to lower theme park attendance at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This covers the shareholder proposal, along a recap of DAS changes this year, and our commentary.
As quick background, Disney overhauled DAS at Walt Disney World last May. According to the company, the changes were due in large part to abuse, misuse, and proliferation of the program’s use–with issuances of DAS tripling from 2019 to last year. For more about the specifics of the overhauled DAS, see Disability Access Service (DAS) Changes at Walt Disney World FAQ.
The new system has now been in place for well over a year, and there have been direct impacts for disabled guests as well as indirect ones for all guests. To the latter point, we’ve written a lot about the impact of the DAS changes on wait times at Walt Disney World. Most recently, in Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass Still “Worth It” at Disney World? Suffice to say, standby lines are shorter and faster moving, with wait times being lower year-over-year as a result of the DAS crackdown.
We’ve also covered the reports from readers and other guests applying for accommodations at Walt Disney World, many of whom have had negative experiences with the new process. We continue to receive regular reader comments to this effect, which comes as no surprise given there are likewise viral social media posts about DAS, none of which are positive.
Suffice to say, even over 18 months later, the DAS overhaul remains controversial. It’s also a sensitive subject that is personal since it’s make or break for some guests trying to experience Walt Disney World. There have been reports of guests who previously had DAS being denied and advised to use alternative accommodations, some of which are new–or are revised and highlighted more prominently.
The latest development isn’t just the shareholder proposal made on behalf of the DAS Defenders, but also the traction it’s starting to gain with the mainstream media. With background out of the way, here’s the full text of the shareholder proposal:
Shareholder Proposal Supporting Statement
Disney’s brand and financial stability are under strain from underperforming films, rising park costs, consumer boycotts, and waning trust. On the February 2025 quarterly call, Disney reported that the Parks and Experiences division experienced “lower volumes” tied to attendance (Newsweek, 2025).
A significant contributor is the company’s recent overhaul of disability accommodations at its parks. The changes have prompted negative press coverage, social media critique, a pending class-action lawsuit, and reports of customers canceling vacations and passes. Mishandling disability access risks eroding guest loyalty, consumer spending, and ultimately shareholder confidence.
The disabled community is one of the fastest-growing global demographics. In the United States, 1.2 million more people reported identifying as disabled in 2021 compared to prior years, with numbers projected to rise further (Burgess-Lefebvre, 2024).
A survey presented at the 2024 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Convention found that over 85 percent of disabled Disney guests reported being unlikely or refusing to return to Disney Parks due to the Disability Access Service (DAS) changes (Burgess-Lefebvre, 2024).
Regardless of the outcome of the current class-action lawsuit, Disney remains exposed to additional legal claims, regulatory scrutiny, and brand damage. Other companies have faced multimillion-dollar settlements under accessibility-related actions.
Future liabilities could include costly settlements, operational disruption, and weakened market positioning. Recent company decisions are not only straining Disney’s bottom line, they are exposing the brand to escalating consumer backlash, including boycotts.
With global tourism to the United States in decline, competition for international travelers has intensified. Disney’s reputation for accessibility has been a differentiator in attracting visitors who plan trips focused on reliable accommodations. Erosion of that reputation reduces competitiveness in a tightening market.
Commissioning an independent review of accessibility standards across all Disney operations would demonstrate leadership, validate best practices, and highlight areas to address gaps and mitigate risk. Transparent evaluation assures shareholders that Disney is actively managing compliance, competition, and fiduciary responsibility—protecting the “magic” that sustains its brand.
Shareholder Resolution
Shareholders request that Disney commission an independent review, conducted by a qualified third party, of the company’s accessibility and disability inclusion practices.
This review should assess legal, financial, and reputational risks; evaluate Disney’s policies against international accessibility standards and competitors; and identify opportunities for leadership improvement.
Shareholders further request that the Board provide a public summary and internal briefing on the findings to ensure accountability and transparency.
Disney Intends to Exclude Shareholder Proposal
In a response letter, the Walt Disney Company wrote that it intends to exclude from its proxy materials for its 2026 annual meeting of shareholders, the aforementioned shareholder proposal.
Disney further requested that SEC advise the company that it would not recommend any enforcement action if it excludes the proposal, on the basis that the shareholder proposal is materially false and misleading in violation of Rule 14a-9, (ii) Rule 14a-8(i)(7) of the Exchange Act on the basis that the shareholder proposal relates to the Company’s ordinary business operations, or (iii) Rule 14a-8(i)(10) of the Exchange Act on the basis that the Company has substantially implemented the Proposal.
Disney also argues that the proposal is materially false and misleading in violation of Rule 14a-9. We’re not going to recap the full response, as it contains a lot of legalese and redundancies, but in a nutshell, Disney argues that any attendance decrease was attributable to hurricanes. Moreover, park operations are ordinary business and not subject to shareholder micromanagement; that they’ve already done their due diligence on this, and there’s no duty to disclose any nonpublic information.
You can read Disney’s full response (which incorporates the original proposal) here.
DAS Changes in 2025
There have been four changes to Disability Access Service this year. The most recent of these was that Walt Disney World Added New Rules for DAS Call Eligibility.
Namely, that the guest for whom DAS is being requested must be present during the video chat. Additionally, that the recording of this video chat is strictly prohibited. There were other tweaks, but nothing particularly consequential.
Prior to that, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland extended the validity period for Disability Access Service upon a guest being accepted into the program to one year or the length of the ticket (whichever is shorter). Prior to this up to 365 day window, DAS was valid for up to 240 days before re-registration.
That made DAS more convenient for Annual Passholders and other regulars, while also adding a layer of predictability. It came right as the first wave of DAS Annual Passholders would’ve been up for renewal, so it also eased the burden on Disney’s processing of requests.
Another major change was the extension of the DAS registration window to 60 days prior to their park visit, which also occurred on both coasts. Previously, the process could begin no sooner than 30 days prior to your visit. That occurred back in early February.
That extension was aimed at making it easier for guests to plan around DAS and potentially cancel or modify their vacations if they do not receive DAS as an accommodation.
Going from 30 to 60 days resulted in a negligible increase in DAS applications, but it doesn’t materially change the equation on approvals. It was all about reducing friction for guests who apply and are denied DAS, as it put the earlier-applicants outside of the penalty-free cancellation period.
Disney also revised its policy language to remove “only” from the Disability Access Service eligibility criteria to potentially broaden the qualifying guests.
As we pointed out at the time, that likely involved involvement from an army of attorneys, and even then, its motivations and outcomes are open to interpretation and debate. My best guess is that Disney wants to soften the perceived limitations in the policy among prospective applicants.
To make it appear less harsh or stringent, to encourage guests other than those with developmental disabilities to apply for DAS. It could be a way of unofficially expanding the scope of eligibility without making any substantive changes to the policy or overhauling the program yet again.
While we’ll never know for sure what prompted the “only” change or what result it’ll have on the ratio of approvals to denials, our view is that it’s fairly consequential in the quantity of DAS issued despite being only a single word.
The motivation for the “only” change might’ve been the Disability Access Service Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Disney Parks. The complaint relies heavily on the presence of “only” in Disney’s previous DAS policy, and a demand letter from last December that preceded the lawsuit.
I would also add that there all of the previous changes in 2025 came right around the time of that lawsuit. Otherwise, Walt Disney World has been pretty quiet as to the Disability Access Service program. Whenever DAS does make headlines, the company offers a superficial statement about their commitment to providing a great guest experience to all, and their strong track record with accommodating disabled guests. There’s been very little beyond that–everything else has been quiet policy tweaks on the official websites.
Our Commentary
From our perspective, the big ‘story’ remains the non-news and lack of material changes over the last 7+ months. Between DAS now being over a year old and the lack of meaningful changes since its anniversary, it would seem Disney has settled into a comfortable policy position with the program.
The news cycle has largely moved on, which is not to say that there isn’t still outrage or heartbroken guests, but that they’re not garnering as much attention or negative coverage. The latest AP headline about changes to DAS at Walt Disney World and Disneyland might change that, but our guess is that it will not. More likely, it’ll bring awareness of the changes to a new, more casual audience.
As for the shareholder proposal, it’s an interesting angle to get the DAS changes back into the newscycle and reach a new more mainstream audience. But honestly, I can’t see it going anywhere beyond that.
Even assuming, arguendo, that the shareholder proposal is included in proxy materials (as opposed to being excluded)…there’s no way it’s being approved. Anyone who has listened to the annual meetings knows that there are a lot of politically-charged and niche causes presented.
All of them are summarily shot down without much in the way of further discussion. There’s absolutely no reason to believe the fate of this one would be any different. While we strongly believe Disney should do a better job at finding a middle ground, it’s hard to see this as something with which shareholders–especially large institutional ones with the most sway in votes–would concern themselves.
As we’ve covered in earnings call reports and crowds coverage, attendance was down year-over-year (by about 1%), but that was largely attributable to hurricanes ($120 million disclosed losses). Meanwhile, the parks continue to set revenue records and hotel occupancy continues to rise. Right or wrong, that’s what matters to shareholders–this proposal would be DOA even if it weren’t excluded.
With that said, we once again reiterate our position that Disney should find a middle ground and make the process more humanizing. If anything, they should do this precisely because DAS changes don’t garner the same kind of attention, so reform could be accomplished without inducing as much abuse.
The company has an exemplary reputation for guest service and accommodations. The need for DAS reform was absolutely understandable, as there was rampant abuse exacerbated by social media, entitlement, and Disney creating an incentive for DAS scammers by monetizing line-skipping via Lightning Lanes.
There’s no un-ringing that bell and going back to 1990s or 2000s versions of accommodations. The world is a different place. Disney cannot relax its rules too much, or else risk a return to the system being scammed.
However, there have been heartbreaking stories of DAS denials, many of which have gone viral for good reason. These have made clear that a more flexible and humane approach offering greater discretion to Cast Members is optimal.
This strongly suggested that Disney went too far with the DAS overhaul; the pendulum swung from one extreme to another, and there has been a lot of collateral damage among disabled guests who needed DAS and have been denied under the overly-stringent system.
Cranking the DAS dial to its maximum setting hasn’t just eradicated the scammers, it has hurt guests who are actually disabled. It’s time to recalibrate from the extremes to the center.
Ultimately, we do not anticipate any major changes to DAS at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Nor do we view there being any likelihood of success with the shareholder proposal. There is not going to be another overhaul to Disability Access Service, absent the aforementioned class action lawsuit or other litigation prevailing.
That happening is highly doubtful–Disney has been sued over every single iteration of these accommodations, and I’ve yet to find any record of them losing on any count. I can’t see anything different about this lawsuit; if anything, Disney might be able to better argue that lines and crowds are inherent to the theme park experience.
The company has already endured a lengthy PR hit over these changes, there’s zero chance they’ll voluntarily endure that again with another overhaul. What, if anything, does happen will be a slow trickle of rule relaxations. But with no major changes in the last 5 months, even that is now looking increasingly unlikely.
The most obvious change we’d like to see is a “humanizing” of the interview, not just expanded rules and policies for the mechanics of that process. We’ve heard from many readers who have been denied, and there’s a word that has been used repeatedly to describe the process: interrogation.
While we can appreciate how stressful this process is for Cast Members and the verbal abuse they take for disgruntled guests, there’s a better way of handling the process that feels less adversarial. Even if the letter of the DAS policies isn’t going to change, the company still should live up to its reputation by finding a gentler way to handle the process.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the shareholder proposal for an independent review of DAS changes at Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Hopeful that further changes will be made that result in increased approvals for those who truly need DAS while keeping abuse low? Agree or disagree with our assessment of the changes or policy as a whole? Please try to stay on topic–we’ve noticed some of these DAS comments sections get heated and personal. Discuss the policy itself, not others’ use (or lack thereof) of it.
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