A sad world after all

A story that appeared in the Huffington Post a couple of weeks ago caught my attention only recently. The story, about Walt Disney World, was written by Lisa Belkin, who I only wish I could claim as a relative.

It’s a smaller world for some of us than for others, apparently.

The New York Post reports that the latest “must have” for wealthy parents, is a “disabled” guide at Disney World, so that their darling children don’t have to wait on lines for rides. According to an exclusive by reporter Tara Palmeri, Manhattan “one percenters” have been passing around the name of a “black market disney guide” -- an adult who needs a motorized scooter for mobility, and whose presence can take advantage of the rule that “handicapped” guests can go directly to the front of the line and bring up to five other people along.

 “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are,” Jiminy Cricket sings. Unless, of course, you are wishing to bypass the line. Then it helps to have a lot of money. And very few scruples.

We are planning the first of what we hope will be four trips to Disney World over the coming years, one with each grandchild. The ten of us had all gone two years ago, and it was great fun, but we have long wanted to take each grandchild separately.

Two years ago, I rented a scooter each day. Disney World offers gracious accommodations for parties in which a member has disabilities, including allowing them to proceed to the front of the line (or use a separate line for people with disabilities) on most of the rides. It certainly did alleviate some of the long wait times, but in fact there were some rides Barry and I sat out because the wait in the wheelchair line was far longer than in the standard line but the standard line could not accommodate the scooter.

Waiting times were not the point. The point then, which is far truer now, is that it is simply not possible for me to do that much walking. But now, as the trip approaches, I am feeling sick to my stomach about the idea that someone may look at me, oxygen and all, and wonder whether I really need that scooter or am simply using it to cut lines.

A world in which someone is willing to “rent” a disabled person or put an able-bodied person in a wheelchair to gain the “perks” of traveling with a person with disabilities is a very sad world after all.

Love,

Rebecca