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

[diablodancer]

I just had a call back from the UK WDW team. The interesting part is that theoretically, I cannot do the video call process over here in advance. I can use a VPN (and have done my past two visits), but Disney cannot endorse that.

She said therefore I’d have to try when I arrive. I stated that I do not want to fly 9 hours and arrive to be turned down and not offered a suitable accommodation.

She understood but stated she could not share the list of conditions eligible for DAS and I’d have to just try the process. A) I don’t think there should be a list of conditions, it should be needs but B) I suspect therefore there are going to be more conditions that they will consider than they are making out right now.

It’s incredibly unfair that as an international guest, I have no way of even finding out if I can still get DAS without using a VPN (is that even allowed under the ToS?)

It also makes me think - are they going to be more lenient when looking at international guests who have already made journeys, have no cancellation rights and are stood there in front of them?

That’s really grim. And bizarre too, I had a video call for DAS at Disneyland from the UK last week. The video took a few attempts to load but otherwise worked fine.

Edit: just catching up on the thread an apparently it’s only meant to be open to the US? Had no clue when I called and wasn’t using a VPN, how odd.

 

[PrincessV]

I have another question about the vide chat: if you use that, does the expiration date of your approval end 30 days after the call, or 30 days after the next time you enter a park?

 

[koszmok]

One solution that might work is to have a waiting area with a bathroom near the boarding area. Anyone qualified for “bathroom issue” accommodations would be allowed to enter via the LL, while the rest of the party would use the standby line. The qualified person (after getting through the LL queue) could then wait in comfort in the waiting area for the rest of their party, with a bathroom available whenever they needed it, and when the rest of their party arrived through the standby line everyone could ride together. Solo travelers would be required to wait in the waiting area for a period of time to ensure that their total wait was equivalent to the standby line.

My problem/question about this...

So my next holiday I would be sitting ALONE in a room and My Husband would be standing in lines alone? For hours?

That would be a lovely vacation! Spending most part of the day alone.....

 

[SCWildcat04]

I would pay for it - assuming it is the same service it is now (with unlimited ride availability). It’s a service my children need, and the way genie + is set up would not work for them.

I don’t think we should pay for it, but if push came to shove and that was the only option, it would be better for us to have this than not have this

Yeah I'd be miffed about having to pay for it, but it's the main reason I always go to Disney because it's the easiest park for us to navigate with my son.

 

[ryang25]

Its a good question - essentially a paid Fastpass+. I assume though rides like Rise of the Resistance would still not be included and require an extra charge. The one hour return time would also likely present a problem for some I imagine.

On a similar note, I was thinking last night I wonder if Disney decided to keep the same qualifications they previously had for DAS, eliminate the DAS Advance Selections, implement the 10 minute rule but also charge for DAS (roughly the same price they would charge for Genie+) - would you be willing to pay?

Ignoring for a second any thoughts on ADA and whether or not they legally could charge for it (since this is hypothetical anyway) and multiple people have mentioned that Disney charges to rent an ECVs or wheelchair.

Charging for DAS would certainly stop the abusers since if they were paying, they'd be paying the same as Genie+ anyway. If they did charge for it, my only wish would be is that they did not have the blue light come on when you first scan in, treat it just like any other Lightning Lane access. You could still require the DAS holder to be the first to scan.

I think I'd be more willing to pay for DAS then to pay for Genie+ with pre-selections.

If I arrived and was denied DAS, I’d pay - it’s either that or lose the entire vacation, plus I’d already be there! I don’t think we should be paying, though the comparison between the wheelchairs and ECVs being chargeable is interesting.

I think it’s because you can choose to use an ECV for convenience. If it was a necessity for your needs, and you needed it at home, you could bring it with you to facilitate your journey and use it in the parks. As someone pointed out yesterday, you obviously can’t bring DAS. Still interesting though - maybe they should be free/at least the wheelchairs?

 

[xipetotec]

Lots of times on trips with our adult kids and their partners we will do different ride schedules; for example my wife and I love IASW but some of our kids prefer rides like SM (which my wife refuses to ride). So we will often go to the park together, do our own ride schedules, meet up for shows, lunch and/or dinner, and probably have a better time than if we forced ourselves to all do the exact same rides, all together, on the exact same schedule. And we’ve never thought that this “misses the point” of a family trip.

I mean sure, in fact, we actually travel in very large family groups ( grand parents, cousins, etc ). And we've registered DAS with our kids. But that's the thing, we've always toured the parks with our kids ( even as adults ), while other members of the family did their own thing and we get together for meals or whatever. Of course *not every ride* , but to say "hey now we can't ride any long wait ride together. We'll see you later" just sucks.

*that being said*, if there was a way to coordinate THEM waiting in line with OUR DAS, we would gladly do that. In fact, we have done a couple of "Everyone together" rides with the whole family where THEY had a Genie+ booking, and we lined up our DAS pass with their genie+ booking to ALL ride together. And that *can* work as long as Genie+ has availability.

 

[GoingSince1990]

My problem/question about this...

So my next holiday I would be sitting ALONE in a room and My Husband would be standing in lines alone? For hours?

That would be a lovely vacation! Spending most part of the day alone.....

That’s a reasonable point. Maybe the person with accommodations could be allowed to be accompanied by one other person so that you are not alone. You would then wait in the waiting area so that your total wait time (LL time to get to the waiting area, plus time spent in the waiting area) was equivalent to the standby wait time.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

My problem/question about this...

So my next holiday I would be sitting ALONE in a room and My Husband would be standing in lines alone? For hours?

That would be a lovely vacation! Spending most part of the day alone.....

This is what I'm confused about too. My family is just me and my young DD - so trying to understand how this would work since obviously I would never leave her alone in the ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

It’s interesting that they mention “rider switch” as an accommodation now. Not sure if that was specifically mentioned in the initial press release

Rider Switch wasn't in the original press release, but it was featured on the updated website page that debuted on April 9 with the press release.

I just had a call back from the UK WDW team. The interesting part is that theoretically, I cannot do the video call process over here in advance. I can use a VPN (and have done my past two visits), but Disney cannot endorse that.

She said therefore I’d have to try when I arrive. I stated that I do not want to fly 9 hours and arrive to be turned down and not offered a suitable accommodation.

She understood but stated she could not share the list of conditions eligible for DAS and I’d have to just try the process. A) I don’t think there should be a list of conditions, it should be needs but B) I suspect therefore there are going to be more conditions that they will consider than they are making out right now.

It’s incredibly unfair that as an international guest, I have no way of even finding out if I can still get DAS without using a VPN (is that even allowed under the ToS?)

It also makes me think - are they going to be more lenient when looking at international guests who have already made journeys, have no cancellation rights and are stood there in front of them?

Doing the virtual registration was never actually open to anyone outside of North America. People figured out that if they used a VPN that made them look like they were in North America, they could connect. Interestingly, at first I saw a lot of posts on other Social Media where a person used a VPN set to a specific area, but the next time it didn't work. From what I heard, Disney IT was trying to block areas as they came up, but there were too many. I also had one time where the CM could not connect me to the video portion. She asked if I was using a VPN - I have one that shouldn't connect if I'm home, but it had connected. I had to turn it completely off and use my phone as a hotspot for my iPad for it to work.
individual Cast Members are not going to be able to give information outside of what Disney has authorized them to share.
There will still be the option to register at a park, but it won't be an 'in person' conversation. It will be with the Accessibility Team via a tablet.

Out of curiosity - has anyone found out what will happen if their trip OVERLAPS with 5/20?

In other words, you arrive on 5/18 for a 7-day trip lets say and you have qualified for DAS with the old system - do you then have to qualify again for DAS with the new system starting on 5/20?

I just realized I have a trip to Disneyland starting on 6/16/24, 2 days before the changes occur at Disneyland. I wonder if that means I'd need to pre-register twice.

I haven't seen an answer to that. I've seen various guesses, including that it will still be in effect based on the program in effect when you applied. Or, all being registered at this time having a 30 day expiration. I've also seen guesses with all DAS expiring on May 20. It might also depend on your ticket - if you have an Annual Pass, the DAS may continue. If it's a park pass, once all the days are used, the DAS expires (that is how it will be going forward anyway)

My interpretation is that Inspire will be training CMs and CMs will be the frontline for fielding video chats and issuing approvals/rejections. If a Guest’s issue is beyond the training a CM received, and/or the Guest or CM wishes to escalate the case, an Inspire employee could be brought it. I feel like this is the equivalent of a customer service rep in retail handling they bulk of everyday customer issues, with a manager stepping in when necessary: it offers some protection from the wolves to the CMs and the ability for Disney to say, “we brought in an outside medical professional to make determinations, don’t blame us.”

That has to be mis-worded, I’d think - surely you can still call 30 days out. But now that gives me a question…


ALL, any other APers here who’ve done the online chat without a specific trip/day booked in advance? I’ve only ever visited GS in the parks for DAS because I don’t always know what day I might head over there until a day before, sometimes day of. Can you do the virtual chat for a blanket 30 (previously 60, soon to be 120) days without having a park reservation already booked?

That is my understanding - Accessibility Cast Members will be trained by Inspire and can use them as a resource.
We are Annual Passholders out of state, so we know what dates we will be coming. My understanding has always been that APs have to have a park reservation to register for DAS.
That is where it being authorized for 120 days instead of 60 for AP will be helpful. You would need to have a start date, but after that, you could go on spur of the moment trips without re-registering.

A couple of thoughts.

By making it virtual call only, Disney is eliminating the possibility of being declined virtually and then showing up at Guest Services in person and getting the DAS card. I have read the advice on the boards here. While I don’t believe it is “cheating” the system, Disney is trying to eliminate that practice, so it seems.

Along the same line, the virtual call only also eliminates the possibility of initially being declined, trying to make it work and returning to Guest Services and having concrete evidence that accommodations need to be made. If I take what is happening to international guests, will they then be given an iPad to access the call center virtually? How will that work? I know I waited over 4 hours for our virtual call last year. We got on the call and were disconnected twice. It seems to me that those who truly need accommodations are having to jump through impossible hoops.

Disney needs to somehow control the Return to Line thingy. I know there isn’t much information and things are speculation right now. However, what is stopping someone from getting in line, saying they have an “emergency” of some kind, and going to have something to eat, shop, or ride another ride and then come back? I know it happens sometimes now with people, especially the teens, sending someone to stand in line and then “joining” their group. This bothers me the most and seems to affect the overall “guest experience.” Hopefully Disney has figured a way to control things for those who have a legitimate need for the accommodation or those times when there is truly an emergency. Personally I think Disney needs to do a better job of controlling their lines. I have witnesses groups of people going either underneath or over the chains from the standby line into the LL line, especially at Radiator Springs Racers in Disneyland.

For Disneyland, the information we have says there will be one on-site registration area in the Esplanade between the 2 parks.
For WDW, the information says they will provide video registration using tablets. That could be done easily with short waits by having Accessibly Program staff on video who are dedicated to the parks.

 

[xipetotec]

We may be splitting hairs here but doesn’t that come down to need vs. want. Eg. you or your wife may need to have a helper with you for safety, but you want to ride with your kids. So from Disney’s perspective the disability need is covered by the DAS, but the other 6 people can wait through the standby line. There is plenty to do at Disney that doesn’t involve rides but still has a lot of family time.

That’s why I would not be surprised if we eventually got to a place where 2 adults plus some number of children are all that is attached to the DAS.

I don't necessarily disagree. Just that *for us* it's about how we've always had this place to go have fun together. That might no longer be the case if it's always "anyway, see you later at this place or that place". I don't know. I'm not demanding anything and I understand where it's coming from. Just that it's a bummer for us.

 

[Evita_W]

I know we always say autism is a spectrum but I would go as far as to say all disabilities are a spectrum and that’s why accommodations should remain needs based vs based on the general concept of what a particular disability entails.

And please don’t ever assume that just because you can wait in a line with a certain disability that others with it must be able to as well.

And that goes in reverse, just because you can't wait in line with a certain disability, don't assume everyone else with that same disability can't. It really does need to be based on needs.

 

[jo-jo]

I’m concerned with DVC. If we called 30 days ahead and get denied, we won’t go on trip. But at that point, our points go into holding.

Last trip we did few hours park, few hours rest resort, few hours park. Next day at resort, Repeat 5 times. We thought our trip last year was our last trip. This trip really will be our last trip and even a bit slower.

But if we get denied , not going to Disney to spent two weeks in resort. Yes, we did do some things like roasting marshmallows, pretending we knew how to play pool, and counting the lizard population at BLT. I can stay home and count cicadas instead.

 

[Jibrille]

We arrive May 31. It sounds like we can't even do the 30-day pre-registration? We have to wait until May 20?

This is what I want to know too, because my trip is May 28 - June 1. I want to raise heck to get a refund on my tickets if this is the case because without DAS I am physically incapable of going. As it was, we were taking a risk going to Florida when all we know is CA Disneyland; I can't even imagine navigating this new place without the flexibility that DAS provided me for my physical limitations from cancer (which can't be solved with a line pass or a wheelchair).

 

[cruisingtwins]

Virtual queue for every single ride is the solution. There is no reason anyone needs to stand for hours in a queue. I feel like everyone has a diagnosis these days. IBS is so common something needed to change.

 

[Liquidice]

I would pay for it - assuming it is the same service it is now (with unlimited ride availability). It’s a service my children need, and the way genie + is set up would not work for them.

I don’t think we should pay for it, but if push came to shove and that was the only option, it would be better for us to have this than not have this

If I arrived and was denied DAS, I’d pay - it’s either that or lose the entire vacation, plus I’d already be there! I don’t think we should be paying, though the comparison between the wheelchairs and ECVs being chargeable is interesting.

I think it’s because you can choose to use an ECV for convenience. If it was a necessity for your needs, and you needed it at home, you could bring it with you to facilitate your journey and use it in the parks. As someone pointed out yesterday, you obviously can’t bring DAS. Still interesting though - maybe they should be free/at least the wheelchairs?

I definitely understand not wanting to pay for it, I don't either Just a curiosity if Disney had gone that route of saying you're now required to pay for DAS, if people would have paid. I honestly think I'd rather that then where we landed with limiting DAS to only those with developmental disabilities and I suspect it would curb a lot of the abuse.

I also definitely get that paying for Genie+ doesn't work for a lot of folks while DAS has been working.

I was surprised that wheelchairs are not available for free, I thought they were but the Disney World website shows that there is a rental fee for a normal wheelchair.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Virtual queue for every single ride is the solution. There is no reason anyone needs to stand for hours in a queue. I feel like everyone has a diagnosis these days. IBS is so common something needed to change.

The problem with virtual queues is that everyone needs somewhere to go while they wait. There simply aren’t enough shows, shops, and restaurants to accommodate everyone who isn’t standing in line. We saw that pretty clearly when the shows were shut down during COVID, and that was at drastically lower attendance.

 

[Liquidice]

I have another question about the vide chat: if you use that, does the expiration date of your approval end 30 days after the call, or 30 days after the next time you enter a park?

It should be 120 days from the date you first enter a park if it works the same way DAS works today (which is +90 days from first park entry).

So if you register on 4/20/24 and your first park date is 5/20/24, your DAS would be good until 9/17/24.

 

[ryang25]

The problem with virtual queues is that everyone needs somewhere to go while they wait. There simply aren’t enough shows, shops, and restaurants to accommodate everyone who isn’t standing in line. We saw that pretty clearly when the shows were shut down during COVID, and that was at drastically lower attendance.

Yeah that would be the issue. I loved being at Volcano Bay and not needing any accommodation as everyone could virtual queue anyway. The perk of it being a water park being people had plenty to do still - sunbathe, chill in the pool. There just wouldn’t be enough space in the parks if you took everyone out of the queues.

 

[Nikkimouse44]

I definitely understand not wanting to pay for it, I don't either Just a curiosity if Disney had gone that route of saying you're now required to pay for DAS, if people would have paid. I honestly think I'd rather that then where we landed with limiting DAS to only those with developmental disabilities and I suspect it would curb a lot of the abuse.

I also definitely get that paying for Genie+ doesn't work for a lot of folks while DAS has been working.

I was surprised that wheelchairs are not available for free, I thought they were but the Disney World website shows that there is a rental fee for a normal wheelchair.

I’m wondering if / what the changes to G+ will be

Will they go more towards the universal route (deluxe resorts get it free?, make it a super expensive fee to reduce the amount the sell but not reduce their bottom line?)

Open it up to be able to ride whatever ride you want to ride as many times you want?

I wonder when this announcement (if at all) will be rolled out, because it will impact a lot - for my family at least.

We bought into DVC because Disney was one of the easiest vacations we are able to do with our kids because how accommodating they are and it feels more like a “vacation” for us. I got a little personal with one of my sons earlier in the thread and his breathing issues but have another son who has benefited from DAS greatly - even going to the grocery store with him can be difficult - we often send one parent to the store unless it’s a dire need to go as a family.

 

[Baytothemax]

I definitely understand not wanting to pay for it, I don't either Just a curiosity if Disney had gone that route of saying you're now required to pay for DAS, if people would have paid. I honestly think I'd rather that then where we landed with limiting DAS to only those with developmental disabilities and I suspect it would curb a lot of the abuse.

I also definitely get that paying for Genie+ doesn't work for a lot of folks while DAS has been working.

I was surprised that wheelchairs are not available for free, I thought they were but the Disney World website shows that there is a rental fee for a normal wheelchair.

For rides where scooters are not allowed in line, there are free wheelchairs available. They are usually pretty beat up though, don’t know if it’s due to excessive use or they purposely put the bad ones there so others dont try to take one for free to use for day. Last time I was on Winnie the Pooh, the chair i had was pretty much drifting sideways instead of rolling forward