I'm sorry but the ADA has just gotten completely out of control. I understand the why behind its creation, but things are starting to get more and more out of hand as the years go on. Especially nowadays when every Fatty McFatterson with an eating disorder can somehow manage to get a handicap placard and claim that morbid obesity is a disability.
If we have to start designing every little thing with a question of "Will this be 100% ADA compliant both now and in the future?" we're going to get more and more away from aesthetically pleasing architecture that the parks should be known for, and more towards a 'boy in the plastic bubble' atmosphere where everything is sterile, accessible, and free from the potential for litigation (although in our sue-happy society, people will always find ways to try and hold Disney accountable for things that are in no way their fault).
As one who is affected by ADA regulations every day, I would tend to agree that the Act itself was indeed a noble premise, but just like everything else the government is involved with, it spiraled out of control.
The original concept was to ensure that persons with mobility and vision issues could safely enter, exit and navigate buildings - especially in an emergency. Since then, "disabilities" have been added to the list, and accommodations have been added to the code.
While it too frustrates me that being Super Sized grants you a parking pass that keeps you from having to park more than 20 feet from the door to McDonalds, we can't be so quick to say that every oversized person is that way because they wolf down McBurgers all day. There are medical and genetic conditions that simply cause "fat" to happen.
But with that said, I hope they don't go writing into the law that every doorway has to be 4' wide so that jumbos can get through every door. Right now, minimum widths are set at 36" for doors, purely to allow wheelchair access.
And not everything has to be designed for possible
future ADA compliance - only what is currently law when your permit is filed. However, as I've said a few times, water features and pools are under extreme scrutiny right now. Nobody knew if the law would pass at any given moment over the last year...and it was rumored that there would be a clause requiring all water facilities to go back and upgrade within a given time frame, which hasn't happened in any other ADA revision. Thus, everyone reacted to the worst case scenario. In Disney's case, they put up a fence around the part of the water feature that would be considered inaccessible.
