Kids & Family

Mom: Celebrities Cut Lines at Disneyland, But Not Autistic Kids?

Disneyland lets Kris Jenner and Chris Paul cut in line, but not children with severe neurological disabilities?

"I would be happy to wait in a 90-minute line to get on a ride, without one thought."

That comes from Mission Viejo mom Rebecca Goddard, whose two young sons are on the autism spectrum. She said she'd rather wait in line at Disneyland with everyone else than to endure daily meltdowns and regular all-night tantrums that come with her boys' condition.

Instead, Disneyland has provided Goddard and her family with a Guest Assistance Card that lets her socially anxious children skip lines and sometimes enter through a ride's exit. It helps them enjoy the park and avoid disturbing other guests, she said. But in two weeks, that will change.

Disneyland will curb its program for the disabled following reports that some wealthy park visitors were skipping lines by paying disabled people to accompany them at the park, according to CNN.

Goddard is angry that the change could deprive her kids of one of their few pleasant activities. And she is furious after spotting Kim Kardashian's mother Kris Jenner and Los Angeles Clipper point guard Chris Paul skip lines in the last two weeks thanks to their celebrity status.

Goddard's son Franklin will have a hard time enjoying the park without the disability card, she said.

"He has a problem with large crowds, background noise, people bumping into him," she said. "Do you want to listen to someone saying 'ya ya ya ya ya ya' for 45 minutes? And he will push through the line if he has to stand in line. He just doesn't have the cognition to understand there are a lot of people here who all want to do the same thing."

After speaking up, Goddard's story has been picked up by NBC, KFI, and even a local newspaper in Florida. She said the attention has drawn some unwanted criticism.

"Some of the comments were, 'If you want to be treated equally, wait in line for the rest of us,'" she said. "Never once did it come into my head, 'Yippee! I get to go to the front of the line at Disneyland.'"

Goddard said she fears Disney's decision could have a ripple effect at other parks as well.

In place of their former disability program, Disneyland will now issue one fast pass ticket at a time to disabled children, Goddard said.

To read more about Goddard's struggles with her sons' autism, read her Mission Viejo Patch blog here.

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