Disney is More Transparent Than the VA

For almost eight years, the Obama Administration has regularly insulted the men and women who are on the front lines defending and protecting our freedoms. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald made headlines earlier this week for comparing VA hospital wait times to lines at Disneyland. Speaking to reporters at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast, McDonald claimed that Disney doesn’t measure its success by how long patrons wait in line, but by the satisfaction of the overall experience. There are a couple of issues with that comparison. First, people don’t die waiting in line for their turn to ride the Flying Saucers at Disneyland, but veterans have died waiting for treatment from VA hospitals. Losing your life due to wait times at a hospital is not the same as waiting too long to get on Splash Mountain. Second, to say that Disney does not care about how long park attendees wait in line is utterly false. Wait times are most certainly part of the overall experience, which is why Disney continuously works to alleviate wait times with its Fast Pass and mobile apps, making for an overall better experience at the parks. [pullquote]Disney, a private entity, has more transparency with wait times than our VA hospitals.[/pullquote] Disney, a private entity, has more transparency with wait times than our VA hospitals. And that’s shameful. If the Secretary believes that measuring a veteran’s overall experience is what matters, then getting veterans in the door is a major part of that goal, something the VA fails to do. In no way should Secretary McDonald’s uninformed belief that Disney doesn’t care about wait times exempt the VA from finding a solution to long queues in its system. You’re comparing apples and oranges, Mr. Secretary. Show some respect.