In the latest scam, some parents are reportedly hiring a "disabled" guide at Disney Land to get ahead in the line. The New York Post reported that some wealthy parents are doing this so they don't' have to wait in line for rides.
"According 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," reported The Huffington Post.
The New York Post said it was Manhattan moms who pay guides $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," said one mother to The New York Post, who hired a disabled guide through the organization Dream Tours Florida.
"You can't go to Disney without a tour concierge,'' she added. "This is how the 1 percent does Disney."
She hired the guide to escort her, her husband, one year old son and five year old daughter in a motorized scooter with a handicapped sign on it. They were sent to the front of each line at each ride. Disney allows each guest who needs a wheelchair or motorized scooter to bring up to six people with them to a different entrance.
The service for the guides ask for a reference before they even take your call.
"It's insider knowledge that very few have and share carefully," said social anthropologist Dr. Wednesday Martin to The New York Post. "Who wants a speed pass when you can use your black-market handicapped guide to circumvent the lines all together?" she said.
"So when you're doing it, you're affirming that you are one of the privileged insiders who has and shares this information."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
