DAS changes coming WDW May 20/ DL June 18, 2024

[lowlight]

Man, this is rough. I’m one of the many people that wanted to see abuse dealt with, but damn if they didn’t throw out the baby with the bath water. People who legitimately need it are getting tossed aside. Not well done, Disney. Sorry to those affected by this.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Yes, my husband with MS was quite the DAS free rider.new post

new poster + inflammatory statements = ignore the troll.

 

[SueM in MN]

The new wording is strange to me and now I can’t figure out of if my daughter with Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD would qualify. I don’t think ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome are “similar” to autism but Tourette’s syndrome is a complex neurological disability that exists on a spectrum, ranging from mild to very severe. How can someone who has never met my daughter make a determination over a video call? I would actually prefer they just ask for the medical documentation. I plan Disney trips much farther out than 120 days so what happens when we plan our trip and then are told we no longer qualify under the DAS changes?

Developmental disabilities is a pretty big umbrella.

I think most of us would prefer medical documentation requirements and keeping the standard consistent. The current system is what - 2 years old? They don’t think things through and then have to keep changing them.

The current system was actually put into place in 2013. The changes that were made several years ago only really changed 3 things - the ability to do advance video registration and the addition of 2 DAS Advance Selections in connection with doing the video registration and guests being able to make DAS Return Times on the app instead of going to attractions to do it.

I PERSONALLY would not like a medical documentation system - especially not like the third party Universal is using. It has its own set of issues and ways it can be abused

The thing is we don’t know that they aren’t going to do that. Regardless of the wording on the website we just don’t know what they are going to be doing. I think the one worrisome thing is if you try to go without it after being denied and it is a failure there won’t be a recourse of going to guest services during your trip (as the wording reads now). Maybe that will change but that part is concerning - so often they say try this and if it fails come talk to us.
We really need to see what happens. I was supposed to set up my 30 day pre- trip rides as early as Saturday but I may have to do a video call again even though I am in the 60 days I was granted for March trip. No clue what will happen Saturday. I hate the unknown more than anything. But I also know I won’t know a thing until people start dealing with the new process. Nothing I can do about it but wait and see. Making alternate plans for the trip in my head now.
I hope you get the accommodations that work for you. I hope everyone does. We just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

Registration at WDW will be ahead of time by video chat the same as now. From what I've read, staff IN the parks won't be doing DAS registration, but it will still be available via a video chat with the Accessibility Group on a Guest Relations tablet in the park.
Not sure how that will actually work, but an in park option will be available, just not in person

 

[mercuryvenus]

ADA states very clearly that reasonable accommodations have to be made that allow people with qualifying disabilities to experience public places in the same way as non-disabled people.

Asking people to exit a line and then return clearly does not accomplish that.

 

[Gentry2004]

Developmental disabilities is a pretty big umbrella.

The current system was actually put into place in 2013. The changes that were made several years ago only really changed 3 things - the ability to do advance video registration and the addition of 2 DAS Advance Selections in connection with doing the video registration and guests being able to make DAS Return Times on the app instead of going to attractions to do it.

I PERSONALLY would not like a medical documentation system - especially not like the third party Universal is using. It has its own set of issues and ways it can be abused

Registration at WDW will be ahead of time by video chat the same as now. From what I've read, staff IN the parks won't be doing DAS registration, but it will still be available via a video chat with the Accessibility Group on a Guest Relations tablet in the park.
Not sure how that will actually work, but an in park option will be available, just not in person

I think the changes they made two years ago (2 advance selections and not needing to go to the ride for a return time) are what made it so desirable to abusers.

 

[MarBee]

From what I've heard and read usage has tripled in that time. Not all of it is abuse, a lot is most likely due to Genie+ not working for people as well as FP+ did.

I also attribute this to park hours not being as late as they used to be. People with heat intolerance often would go around sunset to avoid the heat/sun, then stay till parks closed at midnight or later (on property perks).
Now parks close much earlier so you’re not getting much out of it. DAS allows you to sit in an air conditioned spot while “waiting in line,” which eliminates the need to wait for late night hours.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

This is like asking why people with autism don't just wear noise cancelling headphones.

We do. Even with ear defenders, I personally still suffer self-injurious meltdowns brought on by being trapped in a line longer than 20 or so minutes. Too much noise, too much touch, too much happening too nearby.

Someone else here suggested Autistic adults be given the leave-the-line-and-come-back pass, which is silly. If I'm overstimulated to the point of being on the brink of meltdown or if a ride is shut down unexpectedly whilst I'm waiting and my expected flow for the day is majorly disrupted, I'm leaving the park, not taking a five-minute breather and coming back to my spot. That's not even to mention the risk of becoming physically aggressive because people won't get out of my way when I'm trying to exit an enclosed line during meltdown even if I were to try to leave to prevent it from affecting others too much.

The DAS pass is the only reasonable accommodation for many people - including those who need to leave the line frequently to use the restroom or who will be in the restroom a while.

 

[Gentry2004]

We do. Even with ear defenders, I personally still suffer self-injurious meltdowns brought on by being trapped in a line longer than 20 or so minutes. Too much noise, too much touch, too much happening too nearby.

Someone else here suggested Autistic adults be given the leave-the-line-and-come-back pass, which is silly. If I'm overstimulated to the point of being on the brink of meltdown or if a ride is shut down unexpectedly whilst I'm waiting and my expected flow for the day is majorly disrupted, I'm leaving the park, not taking a five-minute breather and coming back to my spot. That's not even to mention the risk of becoming physically aggressive because people won't get out of my way when I'm trying to exit an enclosed line during meltdown even if I were to try to leave to prevent it from affecting others too much.

The DAS pass is the only reasonable accommodation for many people - including those who need to leave the line frequently to use the restroom or who will be in the restroom a while.

I agree. I didn’t intend any insult to people with autism - I was trying to demonstrate how silly that poster’s solution was.

 

[Ash10]

For people who can't wait in line because they might need to use the bathroom (IBS etc). What would you do if you got stuck on a ride and couldn't get off? Not being sarcastic, just wondering, if you got stuck on spaceship earth, haunted mansion, pirates etc. and had to just sit and wait to be walked off it could take a long time. What would you do then? Do you go on the skyliner, in case that stops and you can't get off?

So we have planned timing and add time in our wait for these things. If we aren’t feeling it, we miss the ride at that time and come back later if we can. Many times, an hour doesn’t cut it. Luckily, the breakdowns have not been long, if they were, we would probably have no choice if an episode hit. This is why a lot of times, those with IBS have corresponding anxiety and are super planners for bathroom needs. And that anxiety also feeds IBS issues in some so it is a double whammy. Which is why the planning has worked well for us with DAS (we have 2 IBS in our party). Many with IBS won’t see a benefit from the leave and return scenario imo. Better to let them hang out near a bathroom until they feel confident they can manage the expected wait and let their group do whatever they want in the meantime. If the waitimes are hour+, most likely they won’t even attempt to stay in line and just never ride it.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

I agree. I didn’t intend any insult to people with autism - I was trying to demonstrate how silly that poster’s solution was.

I completely misunderstood, my sincere apologies. Thank you for the correction.

 

[dreamer17555]

I think the changes they made two years ago (2 advance selections and not needing to go to the ride for a return time) are what made it so desirable to abusers.

Those changes rolled out the same time as Genie+.

Under the old fast pass + system Our family often got by with the three fast passes and the DAS system was so hard to use with my son that we did not get much use out of it.

I think there are many families like mine that were making do with FastPass+ but genie is not the same product at all. Throw the additional cost on and more people might be using DAS that they qualify for when they would have made do under the old system

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I also attribute this to park hours not being as late as they used to be. People with heat intolerance often would go around sunset to avoid the heat/sun, then stay till parks closed at midnight or later (on property perks).
Now parks close much earlier so you’re not getting much out of it. DAS allows you to sit in an air conditioned spot while “waiting in line,” which eliminates the need to wait for late night hours.

This is a great point about how shortened park hours are contributing to more people using DAS (I’d forgotten how much we used to use the full hour in the AM and the more frequent extended hours) when they might otherwise adapt without it, and it’s also probably making lines longer during the middle of the day generally.

 

[Jrb1979]

But that’s not true. An return to the queue setup is not a reasonable accommodation for many people, like myself. I can’t wait in long outdoor queues for half the year, so being able to leave and come back does me no good. While a return to the queue system eliminates the need for some guests to need DAS, it does not help all. Therefore this new policy, at least as written, discriminates against those who have physical disabilities that prevent one from waiting in a queue even if a return to queue system exists.

It's unfortunate they are doing all these changes. I can Disney's side of it. They have the data and they see the uptick in DAS usage since Genie+ started.

In their view Genie+ is the answer for those who physically can't wait in long lines.

 

[dreamer17555]

My honest opinion of the changes is the Disney doesn’t care about making the guest experience better for guests or Genie+ users. They are hoping to limit DAS usage so that they can sell more Genie+

Yes, absolutely there are people that cheat the system. But this feels like something Disney is doing so that they have less people in the lightning lanes so they can sell more.

 

[mercuryvenus]

It's unfortunate they are doing all these changes. I can Disney's side of it. They have the data and they see the uptick in DAS usage since Genie+ started.

In their view Genie+ is the answer for those who physically can't wait in long lines.

Requiring disabled people to use Genie+ for their accommodation is illegal. You can’t require people to pay for their accommodation.

 

[Ash10]

Those changes rolled out the same time as Genie+.

Under the old fast pass + system Our family often got by with the three fast passes and the DAS system was so hard to use with my son that we did not get much use out of it.

I think there are many families like mine that were making do with FastPass+ but genie is not the same product at all. Throw the additional cost on and more people might be using DAS that they qualify for when they would have made do under the old system

This has been true for us as well. And we have even paid for Genie+ so not trying to get out of the extra cost part. We now mainly do after hours and maybe a few shorter park days. I miss the old system.

 

[EEPETEZ]

My mother has qualified for a DAS and before that a GAC pass for 20 years due to her disability and inability to wait in a normal line. Today we learn that Disney has changed their policy. Nothing about my mother’s disability changed today-she is still unable to wait. And yes we always get genie+ as well so that is not an option alone.

We just purchased AP’s (last week) and have not activated them,( I realize you normally cannot get a refund), but for a full scale change that fundamentally alters our ability to go to the parks-what do you think my chances are of getting refund.

 

[nalababybear]

LL wait timws has clearly become an issue and DAS abuse being a leading contributor. Understandably Disney wants to address this.

We've used GAC. DAS 1.0 AND DAS 2.0. The core essence has always been this....without this accommodation, visiting most of the park would simply not be possible.

Each change had its adjustment period for everyone for sure. We all managed to adjust, as did the abusers. Mind you, some of the worst abusers took.full on advantage of their disability and even sold access. Todays TikTok videos aren't much different.

So changes are being instituted, and they will be adjusted as implementations all need to be tweeked at rollout.

LL wait times of over 40minutes simply is a nonstarter for all stakeholders that use it. G+ and DAS and VIP tours.

Disney may lose some folk over changes, it always does as a leader of change. However, by not revising DAS, the intent of it for users will fail everyone.

 

[SueM in MN]

NOTICE: I AM TEMPORARILY CLOSING THIS THREAD AT 11pm Central Time.
I can't monitor it all night and don't want to get up and find 60 pages or going off the rails.

I will open it again at some point tomorrow morning after my daughter is gone

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Requiring disabled people to use Genie+ for their accommodation is illegal. You can’t require people to pay for their accommodation.

I think the history of GAC and DAS has confused people about what level of accommodation is legally necessary. I seriously doubt that the state of FL would force Disney to develop a system so that all people who can’t wait in line for more than 20 minutes don’t have to and can ride all the rides they want each day. Disney tried to do it anyway but they built a system that was so generous and attractive that it’s started collapsing under its own weight (between the people who need it, their families/guests, the scammers and the guests of scammers). Regrettably, they haven’t increased ride capacity to keep up with the number of people who rely on it while also ensuring it works to deliver short lines. They need to come up with alternative systems to allocate a limited resource and no solution is going to make everybody happy— trying to determine which disabilities can be accommodated in other ways appears to be their current plan.