Disneyland Paris updating accessibility program, allowing guests to evaluate autonomy for attractions
On Dec. 3, 2021, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Disneyland Paris will introduce a new accessibility program which will empower guests with disabilities and special needs to experience the parks according to their own autonomy evaluation.
With this update, Disneyland Paris will no longer determine access to attractions based on disability categories and guests will evaluate their own autonomy to decide which attractions they could experience.
“Our new accessibility program is a major step forward in our commitment to accessibility at Disneyland Paris, enabling every guest to experience the magic of Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park,” said Daniel Delcourt, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Disneyland Paris. “Our guests and cast members have always been at the heart of our approach to accessibility. Disneyland Paris is committed to listening and learning from our guests, cast members and accessibility experts to develop new standards of inclusion in the French theme park industry.”
Disneyland Paris’ new accessibility program will:
- Focus on guest autonomy
- Increase the number of accessible attractions by revising priority and easy access conditions and evacuation procedures
- Remove the requirement for disabled guests to be accompanied on attractions
- Provide a 25% discount for disabled guests presenting official disability documentation and for one potential accompanying careperson
“With the launch of a new accessibility program, Disneyland Paris is setting a new standard for best-in-class practices in how we think about accessibility by offering more individualized attention for the unique circumstances of each guest,” said Michaël Jeremiasz, a Paralympic athlete and a key resort partner for many years, who continues to contribute his knowledge to help improve the experience for guests with disabilities.
Disneyland Paris has invested in recent years to make the entire resort even more accessible for disabled guests, while engaging in an ongoing dialogue with key accessibility stakeholders to push the boundaries even further for the inclusion of disabled guests.
“Disneyland Paris has always made the accessibility of its parks a top priority for its guests,” said Sophie Huberson, Executive Director at SNELAC. “This new accessibility program, rooted in guest autonomy, is a very positive turning point for our industry that will most certainly inspire other theme park operations in France.”
The resort is also focused on providing equal opportunities for employees, continuing to recruit cast members with disabilities for all types of roles according to their skills and unique needs. Cast members with disabilities now represent 5.9% of the total cast members at the resort.
For more information, visit DisneylandParis.com.
