NYC Moms Using Handicapped Tour Guides to Skip Lines at Disney World?
A new book by Dr. Wednesday Martin, a social anthropologist, alleges that wealthy Manhattan mothers are rebelling against the tradition at Disney World and hiring handicapped tour guides so their children can get on the rides quicker.
One woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told Martin that she had hired a handicapped person from Dream Tours to escort her, her husband, and two young children through the park. They were allowed to get on rides much faster than those who had to wait in the traditionally long lines.
"My daughter waited one minute to get on 'It's a Small World'– the other kids had to wait 2 1/2 hours. You can't go to Disney without a tour concierge. This is how the 1 percent does Disney," the mother bragged.
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The guides do not come cheaply, though, according to Martin. They charge $130 per hour or $1,040 for a full, eight-hour day. Meanwhile, the Disney parks offer a VIP guide and fast pass with the same benefit for $310 to $380 per hour. It's an exclusive insider tip that is shared among students' parents.
"It's insider knowledge that very few have and share carefully. Who wants a speed pass when you can use your black-market handicapped guide to circumvent the lines all together? So when you're doing it, you're affirming that you are one of the privileged insiders who has and shares this information," Martin told The New York Post.
Ryan Clement allegedly runs Dream Tours Florida with his girlfriend, Jacie Christiano. The New York Post was unable to get ahold of Christiano directly, but Clement insisted that his girlfriend does not use her disability for profit but does offer tours on her scooter.
Martin's book, "Primates of Park Avenue," focuses on the way that an elite caste of Manhattan mothers raise their children. It "illustrates the quest, anxieties and ambitions – for a healthy, happy child, a good night's sleep… financial security and a concealer that actually works – that connect women with children all across the country and all over the world," her website states. The book will be released next year.
