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

[PrincessV]

For those of you who cannot do Disney without the DAS in its current form, how do you navigate other scenarios that have similar issues but no available accommodation? Airport, concert, festival, etc. Places that have long lines, large crowds, but no DAS.

Basically we don’t. Even with DAS, WDW parks are no longer a place my young adult son can navigate, so he very rarely goes. He accompanied me to EP on a slow day once last year and using DAS, avoiding crowds, taking lots of breaks away from noise and people, he made it about 5 hours before telling me we needed to leave because he was nearing a meltdown. He doesn’t travel (we’re local to WDW), he doesn’t socialize, he doesn’t attend events - frankly, he barely leaves the house. His condition has worsened significantly since childhood, unfortunately.

My condition is similar to his, but with different roots: the same situations are problematic for me, but don’t affect me quite as profoundly. There are queues that are difficult for me even with DAS (looking right at you, MMRRR), and I’ve had to leave even the LL because it was too much. I stay away from crowds. I run the WDW races, which can be VERY crowded at the start area - I have a host of tools to manage that, including positioning myself at the perimeters of crowded areas and hanging way back so that I’m not “swallowed up” by the crowd.

DAS is a really helpful tool for navigating the parks for us, but it’s one tool of MANY that we utilize.

I do know that when I contacted WDW last Fall and this Spring for DAS for my daughter, I was asked about multiple situations which might cause us to need to leave the line. The CM wanted to know the specific situation, whether we thought we would be able to rejoin the line and, if so, how long we would need to be out for each situation.
So, it appears they have been doing some research on 'line leaving' with guests who have been calling in for DAS.

My first DAS conversation was very much like that, and I was appreciative, as I was having a hard time figuring out how to explain my concerns without offering a diagnosis. The questions were very helpful for me to express what I needed, and how DAS could help - because I honestly wasn’t sure if it could. And I think of the CM it was really helpful that I’d had a few decades of park experience to draw on to provide real-life examples. I can’t imagine trying to navigate this as a first-timer!

I highly doubt they are removing the blue umbrellas. They're not just for DAS, they're guest relations umbrellas. And even for DAS use, it's not just for providing a DAS. They can help troubleshoot the MDE app when either glitches or errors occur and you can't clear a DAS even though you've already ridden the ride you had a DAS return time for. They can help clear the already used DAS out so that you can book another. I imagine they also troubleshoot MDE for Genie+ and other GR issues for all park guests.

The Blue Umbrella teams are the unsung heroes of the parks, IMO. They’ve taught me so many things!

I do think there may be some misunderstanding of Disney's wording:

...intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.​

I read this sentence with a PAUSE between the words autism and similar - as if there was a comma. "Developmental disability like autism" is one potential target group, "or similar" is other diagnoses/needs requiring similar accommodations. I do believe it may be more inclusive than most fear. But Disney is obviously trying to limit DAS to more restrictive needs. They may well require a guest to try another accommodation before agreeing to DAS for certain needs.

Thank you for this. I’ve re-read the phrase repeatedly because I, also, am taking it as you are, but keep second-guessing my interpretation of it. It helps to hear someone else getting the same message!

I have been thinking about this- I guess the question is at the end of the day if you or your family were denied DAS would you still go to Disney?

I can say for my family, even with 6 months left on our out of state APs that we would not. It is already difficult enough even with DAS that the cons would outweigh the positives. We have a trip planned later this month before a DCL trip. We would still go on the cruise but if my son did not have the DAS part we would have skipped the parks (and onsite stay) to stay home and only get a hotel for the night before at the port.

Curious for others- would you still attend WDW or DL without a DAS pass?

Yes and no…

As I mentioned above, my son largely doesn’t go to any theme park anymore: his needs have changed over time and while DAS is a helpful tool, it doesn’t resolve enough for him to find Disney an enjoyable experience anymore. It’s very sad for me, but it is what it is and he’s okay with it.

I’d almost certainly still go to WDW because I enjoy the overall experience enough to make it worth my time, and I’m local, so there’s no additional stress or expense of travel involved. But, I’d definitely spend less time in parks, avoid more attractions, downgrade my AP, and generally put fewer dollars into Mickey’s pocket.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

I think there’s every chance that a party of two, where one person needs to use the restroom frequently and requires the other person’s assistance, will still be granted accommodation similar to the existing DAS. Requiring rider swap for larger parties would still be very effective at putting a stop to someone in a large group (quite possibly inspired by a “TikTok hack”) pretending to have IBS so that the entire party gets to use LL all day long.

I really wish I was allowed to provide medical evidence if this was the case to prove I wasn't faking anything. I'll just bring a print out of my bowel, bladder and spine x-rays to demonstrate how screwed up my insides are

 

[audrey2580]

Solos would probably be allowed to use the system as it is currently. As would a party of two where the person requiring accommodation needed the other person’s assistance to use the restroom. Of course anyone lying about this would need to bear in mind that there are cameras everywhere, and if they were seen using the bathroom unassisted multiple times during the day, they may well be pulled aside and banned for life.

So they are going to watch who people go to the bathroom with? I doubt they have the staff for that. Let's not forget that sometimes a caregiver waits outside the companion restroom and are only called in as needed.

 

[Disneychick75]

I really don’t think that’s going to happen. Any cancelled trips due to not getting DAS will not even be a blip on their radar. People are angry about this now, but I’m guessing most/many will learn/try to adapt without it.

According to some statistics I read up to 50% of those in LLs had a DAS. Now say if half of those were legitimate, that would mean a possible 25% of those in LLs might cancel their trips. That would not be a blip.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

So they are going to watch who people go to the bathroom with? I doubt they have the staff for that. Let's not forget that sometimes a caregiver waits outside the companion restroom and are only called in as needed.

Yeah, my partner waits for me outside the bathroom in case I need anything but she doesn't enter unless I do.

 

[GoingSince1990]

So they are going to watch who people go to the bathroom with? I doubt they have the staff for that. Let's not forget that sometimes a caregiver waits outside the companion restroom and are only called in as needed.

I don’t know, but it would not surprise me at all if they decided to make an example of a few people to ensure that the “lifetime ban” threat is taken seriously. Like if someone asks for a DAS claiming “I can’t do long lines”, is turned down, and nevertheless ends up waiting in multiple long lines that day with seemingly no ill-effects.

 

[JOLT]

Rider switch sounds like their solution for bathroom issues, not autism.

what would stop Disney from using rider swap for a solution to a family of 4 with an autistic kid?

 

[Unity]

According to some statistics I read up to 50% of those in LLs had a DAS. Now say if half of those were legitimate, that would mean a possible 25% of those in LLs might cancel their trips. That would not be a blip.

I've heard 50%, 75% and even 80%. I would really like actual Disney statistics on this rather than word of mouth. [Real quick, not blaming you but in the past week I've seen all sorts of numbers thrown out.]

Either way I'm not sure the difference will be made by people choosing not to go. I suppose we can only see in time though.

 

[SCWildcat04]

I'm much happier that my next trip is a few months off because the implementation of this is gonna be a total nightmare it seems. Hopefully there will be a good consensus on what to expect by September...

 

[smartlabelprint]

Has anyone posted the expanded rider switch on here? At Disneyland it’s available on all rides. https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...AlzXNHXwVbNw1zvSWQz_dyn9RrAXJmi6Xk7K7yfWGKF_8
They’re (possibly lightly) starting to implement it now. In one of my social media groups someone was denied DAS and told to use rider switch. Disneyland’s disability guide specifically mentions cannot wait the duration of the queue, needs access to restrooms, queue may trigger anxiety or claustrophobia, mobility concerns and prefers not to use a mobility device. This is a screenshot from the above link.
Here’s the WDW link and it doesn’t have the same language. https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...ge/WDW-Access-Planning-Guide-FINAL-4-5-24.pdf

 

[diablodancer]

Anxiously awaiting the first reports of solo travellers virtual calls and how Disney deals with this. I’m a solo traveller and have got a variety of long-term health conditions that mean most of the options I’ve seen discussed don’t work for me and I’m really hoping they actually take a social model of disability approach still (aka needs based, not prescriptive).

Very much hoping that this won’t be my last visit to DL/WDW for a long time (going in a few weeks) but it just makes me appreciative that I spend most of my visits at Tokyo Disney now where the paid passes work well for my disability as you get nearly straight on the ride.

 

[Disneylover99]

Honestly, the more I think about this giant push to cut down on DAS abuse the more I think that the only reason Disney cares is because they can’t sell as much genie plus and lightning lanes as they would like. The fact that they are partnering to ensure better training for their cast members to hopefully cut down on DAS to me says they’re going to recoup that cost of the partnership and offer more genie+ to purchase…

Which makes me wonder why everybody is super up in arms about DAS abuse when Disney will likely use fewer DAS as a reason to sell more Genie +\LL and make more profit. I don’t see how it fundamentally change guests experience for not utilizing DAS in that case.

I’m sure they will end up selling more Genie+ and LL down the line once they decrease Das users.

But I’m also thinking people are hoping they improve the Genie+/LL experience for those who do buy it, by having more ride availability once there are fewer Das users.

 

[vspenn]

Which makes me wonder why everybody is super up in arms about DAS abuse when Disney will likely use fewer DAS as a reason to sell more Genie +\LL and make more profit. I don’t see how it fundamentally change guests experience for not utilizing DAS in that case.

when something is free, the bar to say "i need it" is much lower than when you have to pay. Right now, for each DAS person who qualifies, there are up to 5 people who don't need DAS who get to benefit from it anyway for free. If there was a cost attached to it (as Genie+ or some other), the maybe those 5 people may decide they dont' really need to use DAS so badly.
Some people who are currently using DAS for themselves and their whole party may now be accommodated with Rider Switch. That reduces LL usage from 6 people to 2. That will be a meaningful improvement in experience for everyone else. If the rest 4 people in this example choose to buy Genie plus, that's ok. but that conversion won't be 100%. This means those who DO buy Genie+ will have more availability and a better use experience.

 

[Disneylover99]

According to some statistics I read up to 50% of those in LLs had a DAS. Now say if half of those were legitimate, that would mean a possible 25% of those in LLs might cancel their trips. That would not be a blip.

The key word is might. I know many people on this thread have weighed in to say yes for sure they’d cancel. But the reality is, many/most probably won’t cancel.

 

[ryang25]

what would stop Disney from using rider swap for a solution to a family of 4 with an autistic kid?

I think the difference is in the needs - my brother’s autism is fairly mild but he particularly has issues with groups being split up and it causes him to panic. He doesn’t like theme parks so not a concern for him, but I think that could explain partially why Rider Swap wouldn’t be as appropriate for some with developmental disorders.

 

[TwoMisfits]

what would stop Disney from using rider swap for a solution to a family of 4 with an autistic kid?

They may. It will probably depend on the age of the other kid and the severity of the autism.

Autism symptoms can (but don't always) diminish over time - sometimes that diminishment would allow autistics to wait in the lines or to use a rider swap vs needing a DAS. I'm sure Disney is not looking to say "100% autistics get DAS", but will be doing an analysis of needs, possibly including data from past visits or advice from the medical consultant.

 

[joyjanet]

I really wish I was allowed to provide medical evidence if this was the case to prove I wasn't faking anything. I'll just bring a print out of my bowel, bladder and spine x-rays to demonstrate how screwed up my insides are

It sounds to me like there are not many rides you can enjoy with these symptoms. I would definitely avoid the rides that would put more stress on your spine and those are usually the rides with the longest waits. I would go somewhere else and avoid Disney if you are only going there to ride the rides.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm sure Disney is not looking to say "100% autistics get DAS", but will be doing an analysis of needs, possibly including data from past visits or advice from the medical consultant

Autism (ASD) is a diagnosis. While Disney has mentioned it as an example of a person who qualifies for DAS -- I do not think they have any intention of a blanket accommodation for anyone claiming ASD. Individuals will still have to explain their needs related to waiting in a queue environment to qualify for DAS.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

It sounds to me like there are not many rides you can enjoy with these symptoms. I would definitely avoid the rides that would put more stress on your spine and those are usually the rides with the longest waits. I would go somewhere else and avoid Disney if you are only going there to ride the rides.

You make a really good point, I have to get Doctors approval before I go to Disney, well I don't have too, but I choose too.

Fortunately I am fine at the moment in terms of any injuries in that area!

 

[SueM in MN]

Couldn't get on right away this morning - life interferes with Internet. There are already like 6 pages since I closed it last night.

Anyway, I wanted to post some 'ground rules' based on what I've read on this thread, other forums, Facebook, etc.
OK to say: I think the new accommodations will work for me.
NOT OK to say: I think the new accommodations will work for me, so it will work for everyone.

OK to say: My (non disabled) child used return to line to leave and go to the bathroom.
NOT OK to say: It worked for me/my child, so it will work for anyone with a disability.

OK to say: I/my child has a developmental disability, so we think we will still be covered.
NOT OK to say: I/my child has a developmental disability, I think other people should be happy with whatever accommodations they get.
NOT OK to say: Developmental Disabilities are the only ones that deserve accommodations.
NOT OK to say: You are lucky you/your child has a developmental disability.

OK to say: I'm worried because the accommodations for my disability are changing.
OK to say: Things are too unclear and unsettled for me to feel safe
NOT OK to say: Anyone who is upset because accommodations are changing for them is just upset they won't get 'free Fastpasses'
NOT OK to say: Anyone who is upset is faking/didn't really need DAS

OK to say: I wouldn't mind providing proof of disability/I think proof of disability should be required
NOT OK to say: Anyone who is against documentation or doesn't want to provide it feels that way because they are faking a disability or don't have proof

NEVER OK:
Saying someone else's disability doesn't matter
Dismissing, minimizing or making fun of anyone's disability or concerns
Telling anyone what to say to try to obtain DAS