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

[nalababybear]

For my family, and many others we know in the local disabled community, Universal starting surpassing Disney as soon as Disney switched from GAC to DAS. And it's not even just that (or the FOTL option at the top resorts). It's also everything ELSE that Universal offers that Disney no longer does. Benches, for starters. If Dad needs a bench at Disney these days, he's going on a hike. If he needs a bench at Uni, he's walking a few steps. EXCELLENT, and very easy to access, disabled viewing for parades...that you don't need to arrive two hours ahead of time to get into. And for people like Dad, who don't want to use disabled viewing since they're not on wheels....there's annual passholder viewing...and APs are cheap enough that even if you go on one trip of more than a couple of days in a year, you've generally paid for it. There are three AP tiers: the bottom has a few blockout dates and doesn't include parking or discounts. The middle has no blockout dates, includes parking, and gives 10% discounts on darn near all food and merchandise. The top tier bumps the discount up to 15%, gives daily Express access after 4pm, AND includes a free one-night HHN ticket if you're into that. And for Mardi Gras, they now have tons of food booths that are easily comparable to Epcot Food and Wine...passholders can buy a $150 food card for $120 and STILL get their 10% or 15% discount on top of that.

I could go on and on, but the point is, as far as we're concerned Uni is now what Disney USED to be: a family-friendly, highly inclusive, laid-back place that bends over backwards for both its disabled community and its annual passholder community. Dad finds that he can go there on a whim, stay for an hour or a day, and be treated as an individual human being who matters, not a number or a dollar sign. For us, it's not JUST about rides. It's about the whole, overall experience. And Uni wins hands down.

I hope that you've communicated this well written response to Disney. If you have not, I am willing to send it to them on your behalf or as an anonymous.

I am sure FOTL offering will be a future paid feature if Disney becomes bogged down on vacancy or visits -- it hasn't.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I hope that you've communicated this well written response to Disney. If you have not, I am willing to send it to them on your behalf or as an anonymous.

I am sure FOTL offering will be a future paid feature if Disney becomes bogged down on vacancy or visits -- it hasn't.

They have VIP at Disney. And even that doesn’t promise FOTL. At that price it really should. ETA: Searched the group. They now have tiered vip. Land of Dreams up to 6 people $14000 is FOTL.

 

[Marshel]

As someone who is a single tourer and almost completely dependent upon my scooter, I'm aware that things are going to change; the only way I ever ended up using DAS was at the direct direction of CMs when asking for return times at non scooter friendly attractions. I can get by with Genie+but my issue is what's going to happen to single travellers on non scooter queues like SM and even Tron, no way I can tolerate the waiting and walking through the VQ line, I've always converted to LL as a DAS holder, I actually only used the advanced selection aspect twice in more than 7 trips under it.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

And yet they can't deny AP holders from holding DAS, so there's no way to prevent this.

Absolutely agree that they can’t (and shouldn’t) deny AP holders from getting access to DAS, but they can make it less attractive for some/all conditions and won’t necessarily be upset if some subset of DAS users take their business elsewhere (which seems to be the assumption here).

 

[jo-jo]

I have a question about the timing of DAS. You can request 30 days before and it last 120 days or length of ticket?

Is the 120 days directed only toward AP holders? So if you have a 1 day ticket, DAS ends at midnight?

If you are out of state, non AP, plan a trip, get DAS, 6 weeks later find out you now have a work trip and have time for a few days at disney. You have to apply again?

 

[sprem96]

This news of the new DAS system is extremely discouraging for a person like myself. I typically go once a year, live in Canada, so can't afford to go all the time like an AP holder. I suffer from a severe disability and for years the only way I could enjoy the parks is to have DAS and the old FP system (now I use Genie+ and LL) coinciding together to limit the amount of rides that I have to physical wait IN THE LINE for. Firstly, I hope that Disney still has the heart to include other disabilities because there are silent disabilities that no one can see physically or through actions. Sorry for the rant but it's important to know all the disabilities out there and can't be excluding all the legitimate ones. I would be glad to go through the same process Universal has with the IBCCES card which I have gone through and have been approved for. Hoping before I go in August, this is all sorted out for the best.

 

[lanejudy]

I have a question about the timing of DAS. You can request 30 days before and it last 120 days or length of ticket?

Correct. When you pre-register for DAS that pre-registration is valid for up to 30 days. Once you are at the parks, it remains valid on your ticket for the length of the date-based ticket; once the ticket expires the DAS also expires. You will need to pre-register each visit. The 120 days is for APs and other non-date-based tickets (military Salute, etc.) who presumably may have more visits within a that window.

If you end up cancelling the visit and pushing it out by 6 weeks, yes you will need to pre-register again less than 30 days out from the new trip dates.

 

[Vampiress88]

This news of the new DAS system is extremely discouraging for a person like myself. I typically go once a year, live in Canada, so can't afford to go all the time like an AP holder. I suffer from severe UC and for years the only way I could enjoy the parks is to have DAS and the old FP system (now I use Genie+ and LL) coinciding together to limit the amount of rides that I have to physical wait IN THE LINE for, with the frequency and duration of my bathroom breaks, it makes standing in lines impossible. Firstly, I hope that Disney still has the heart to include people who have IBD's because it really is a silent disability that no one can see physically or through actions. Secondly, if they think they can try to accommodate IBD's with some form of return to queue, it doesn't work. Having someone have the ability to leave the line and being able to return to their party in line sounds simple enough but let me run an example for you. When you suffer from an IBD (in my case I tend to go 6-10 times in a day and can vary from anywhere from 5min to 40 min - yes 40 min and if you don't believe me, well then you live my painful bloody life and you judge for yourself). If I go into a line that is 90 min wait time, and let's say luckily I made it through 70 min of waiting so far, then oops here comes the bathroom calling, I supposedly take a couple min to find a CM they grant me a leave, I rush to leave the ride for a few min to get to the nearest bathroom, and lets say I wait under 1 min for a stall (still looking at 5-10 min process at best). I do my business but it was a bad one and took 30 min, and then return a few min later to front of line to be able to return to my spot (according to my math, I'm sitting at minimum 40 min now and my party has either had to ride the ride without me because unsure how long I will be and I wasted 70 of my own minutes OR they have the wait extra 20-25 min which hurts the whole party. I can't operate a normal schedule at a park with sort of all day experience. My local theme park Canada's Wonderland, tried something similar to that where you wait at the end for your party and ultimately had to change it and give me the full disability function of return times because I had a high frequency of being trapped in a flare bathroom visit by the time my party got to the front to ride and missed out. Lastly, because of my constant bathroom visits, with 2 young kids 4 and 6 years old, we generally need to bring either grandparents, other family, or friends to tag along at theme parks so my wife is able to take the 2 kids on smaller kid rides or short wait times while I'm away because kids need a supervised adult with them. The new 4 person rule would hamper my family as well. Sorry for the long rant but it's important to know all the disabilities out there and can't be excluding all the legitimate ones. I would be glad to go through the same process Universal has with the IBCCES card which I have gone through and have been approved for. Hoping before I go in August, this is all sorted out for the best.

Did universal give you the accommodations? As I’ve been told even though I have been approved for IBCCES then they still could reject it when I Get the call from universal team.

Also does anyone know if you have to have tickets before you can apply for these as it won’t work for me and if I can’t get DAS then I won’t spend money on tickets.

 

[lanejudy]

So... now that things have calmed a bit I will remind everyone: PLEASE DO NOT OVER-SHARE ABOUT YOUR/YOUR FAMILY MEMBER'S DISABILITY NEEDS. This thread really is quite a dump of info that anyone with ill-intent could easily cull.

I posted this yesterday but it is buried 5 pages back... I realize folks are worried and frustrated with the changes. That's understandable. But everyone sharing all the details of why they request DAS and why another option may not work is just over-sharing. Nobody here can take that and say "yes, you'll qualify, here is your DAS." And the cheaters love threads like this where everyone spills all. You aren't helping the system when you share such details publicly. Please watch your posts. Keep the details for your video chat.

 

[SueM in MN]

So, anyone who decides they want to use RS in the future will just have to request it?

I am skeptical on that based on how strict they are now (pre-changes) with regard to having a child who doesn't meet the height requirement.

I don't know about Disneyland, but WDW changed their website maybe around 5 years ago to change the name from 'Child Swap' to 'Rider Switch' and include wording similar to "anyone who can't or doesn't wish to experience the attraction." The new wording makes it more clear, but it has been more than just kids who are too small for quite a while.
My husband and I have used it multiple times for attractions our daughter can't do, but because of her disability, she can't be left alone. We've just told the CM at the entrance that we want Rider Switch because she's not riding, but can't be left alone. They have set us up with no other discussion. Because she is tall enough, we've usually all gone into the attraction and switch at the unload area.
Maybe not all CMs at the attractions eligible for Rider Switch were aware of it not being restricted to 'too short' children. I think that will be part of the re-education

I don't presume anything. In fact I stated I don't understand. I'm trying to point out that communicating one's needs in a manner that the CM can understand will be essential under the new system. Sometimes we think we've made ourselves clear, only to learn the intended message did not get through.

It's apparent that Disney plans to limit access to DAS and instead offer some other form of accommodation(s) for many. Regardless of what that other accommodation option(s) are... if someone claims that only DAS will work for them, they will have to find the words to communicate why so the CM can understand. Simply saying "if you have not experienced my situation then you cannot understand" is not likely to get the accommodation that person desires. While I don't know for certain, it is highly possible those who have had a DAS in the past may be prodded more to explain why they need it and that could be asking what they've done while waiting for a DAS Return Time.

Thinking about it now -- a month or more before their visit -- instead of waiting to be denied on the video chat, might help. Some posters have already starting thinking about it, and decided that maybe they can give a different accommodation a try. Obviously that may depend on the alternative accommodation. Others may decide they still feel they really do need DAS, in which case they will have to find a way to explain that.

I think those are 2 very important points to keep in mind.

Currently (or until now) rider swap with a too-short child is digital -- it's requested in advance and a return put on the MB/tickets of the 2nd party, those waiting outside the queue with the child. After the first party rides, the waiting adult plus 1 other may enter via the LL. This is only available at attractions with a height requirement.

However, if a child is tall enough to enter the queue, or that attraction doesn't have a height requirement, Rider Swap has taken place at or near boarding with the full party going through the queue and then someone steps aside to wait with the child while the 1st part of their group rides.

That's what we've experienced with our 'tall enough' adult child who can't ride for other reasons.

Gotcha -

For RS as it is now you have to bring the entire party to the CM prior to entering the line, they measure the child (if they are borderline) and if the child doesn't meet the height restriction the CM will issue the RS to 2 riders / the party riding second to return and ride via LL. Until this recent change you could not use RS unless the child was too short to ride and can't enter the line.

My hope is that people who are advised to use RS instead of DAS will have this on their profile to eliminate the need to request the RS form the CM and disclose whatever issues qualified them for the RS/DAS accommodation.

I we have done Rider Switch multiple times at WDW over the past 5 years with our daughter who is not able/doesn't want to do some rides. She is tall enough, so just comes into the line with us. We have never had to do any big explanation of why.
We just said, "she's not riding and can't be left alone".

I don't know, but imagine there might be something put into the profile for Rider Switch for people with disabilities. Currently, Rider Switch is only available for rides with height requirements, but there are a lot of others that might be problematic for some people that could be included ONLY with some kind of Rider Switch accommodation - for example, Spaceship Earth isn't generally considered scary and doesn't have a height restriction, but is one that might be triggering for some people with disabilities

 

[sprem96]

Did universal give you the accommodations? As I’ve been told even though I have been approved for IBCCES then they still could reject it when I Get the call from universal team.

Also does anyone know if you have to have tickets before you can apply for these as it won’t work for me and if I can’t get DAS then I won’t spend money on tickets.

I haven't been to universal just yet since their change to IBCCES system, going in August, but I did apply for IBCCES in December and was approved after showing my medicinal proof and doctor contact. I know for DAS you need to sadly need to purchase tickets before approaching them 30 days before your visit. Universal if I'm remembering you need to apply for IBCCES (they recommend 30 days away but you can do it earlier), still need to go in person on your visit and present them your card and like before will decide at that point to issue your AAP but once again, would need to have purchased tickets before finding out.

 

[sprem96]

I posted this yesterday but it is buried 5 pages back... I realize folks are worried and frustrated with the changes. That's understandable. But everyone sharing all the details of why they request DAS and why another option may not work is just over-sharing. Nobody here can take that and say "yes, you'll qualify, here is your DAS." And the cheaters love threads like this where everyone spills all. You aren't helping the system when you share such details publicly. Please watch your posts. Keep the details for your video chat.

I can understand your thought process, I joined recently and was away from the threads over the weekend and missed your post

 

[Vampiress88]

I haven't been to universal just yet since their change to IBCCES system, going in August, but I did apply for IBCCES in December and was approved after showing my medicinal proof and gastroenterologist contact. I know for DAS you need to sadly need to purchase tickets before approaching them 30 days before your visit. Universal if I'm remembering you need to apply for IBCCES (they recommend 30 days away but you can do it earlier), still need to go in person on your visit and present them your card and like before will decide at that point to issue your AAP but once again, would need to have purchased tickets before finding out.

Unfortunately that’s me out then. We are in U.K. so for family of 4 it’s £2100 for Disney and about £1300 for universal.
That’s too much money on a maybe.

 

[jo-jo]

Correct. When you pre-register for DAS that pre-registration is valid for up to 30 days. Once you are at the parks, it remains valid on your ticket for the length of the date-based ticket; once the ticket expires the DAS also expires. You will need to pre-register each visit. The 120 days is for APs and other non-date-based tickets (military Salute, etc.) who presumably may have more visits within a that window.

If you end up cancelling the visit and pushing it out by 6 weeks, yes you will need to pre-register again less than 30 days out from the new trip dates.

Thank you.

I was hoping I was wrong. We are ones that would cancel the whole trip if DAS was not granted. We've only used it for a few times since health concerns changed.

Last trip, we spent every other day as a rest day, but I would not want a resort only trip. Even on park days, we were becoming professional bench warmers.

 

[sprem96]

I don't presume anything. In fact I stated I don't understand. I'm trying to point out that communicating one's needs in a manner that the CM can understand will be essential under the new system. Sometimes we think we've made ourselves clear, only to learn the intended message did not get through.

It's apparent that Disney plans to limit access to DAS and instead offer some other form of accommodation(s) for many. Regardless of what that other accommodation option(s) are... if someone claims that only DAS will work for them, they will have to find the words to communicate why so the CM can understand. Simply saying "if you have not experienced my situation then you cannot understand" is not likely to get the accommodation that person desires. While I don't know for certain, it is highly possible those who have had a DAS in the past may be prodded more to explain why they need it and that could be asking what they've done while waiting for a DAS Return Time.

Thinking about it now -- a month or more before their visit -- instead of waiting to be denied on the video chat, might help. Some posters have already starting thinking about it, and decided that maybe they can give a different accommodation a try. Obviously that may depend on the alternative accommodation. Others may decide they still feel they really do need DAS, in which case they will have to find a way to explain that.

These are very good points, it will be probably similar to my experiences with Universal the past 7-8 years where they tend to question you a little more and ask more questions than Disney did (or lack thereof to be honest) and you will be trying to explain things to the CM and 3rd party consultant which means you really better be able to explain things medically speaking because they'll have someone who has a lot more knowledge of all the various issues that people will be presenting. In terms of what people do on their free time, this is an interesting issue because Disney has always promoted people being able to do whatever they wanted while they waited for DAS return times INCLUDING riding other rides. Personally, like I mentioned, I don't rely on just DAS, I use it as an aid alongside Genie+ and LL's because all 3 guarantee I can get into a lineup and wait under 30 minutes so I can ensure myself riding a ride safely without leaving. I literally pay my way onto as many rides as possible so I can actually ride with my family because I am only visiting for a few days a year and the DAS has been life changing but its not enough, if you truly cannot wait in the physical lines, you literally need to get Genie+ to help out, which is why FP was so great back in the day.

 

[SteveMouse]

Yes, as anyone who has spent years using child swap for children too small for a ride is aware, the process does take a bit of extra time. But the key point is that everyone gets to ride and disabilities are accommodated. Yes, everyone would like a "perfect" solution (a "perfect" solution for child swap would be a team of friendly Disney CMs ready to provide babysitting services at each ride so my wife and I could ride together while our too-short child was supervised) but there is always going to be a balance between a "reasonable" accommodation (which is what the law requires for disabilities) and a "perfect" accommodation. "My family doesn't get to do as many rides as a party of healthy young people zipping around the park" is an argument that would probably go nowhere in court.

There's a big difference between a few minutes for one or two riderswitch waits and over an hour of time gone. I'm not saying DAS is the only solution. Disney's data suggests that using DAS alone vastly increases the number of rides possible in a day.

A fact of the matter is that from a purely equal perspective, Disney could advance equality by blocking DAS users and the other members of their party from entering a second ride queue until after they'd waited the time it takes to go through the standby queue (minus 10 minutes), and allow entrance only to the selected ride or allowing the abandonment of the wait, in the same manner anyone can leave the queue of sn attraction. This approach reduces the overall load on the lightning lanes. It does not enable individuals to repeat rides with very short gaps. That's not possible for the general guest so may not actually require accommodation.

 

[JLTraveling]

Thanks so much for this information! Does it take a long time to go through the vetting process with the third party? Wondering how much in advance I need to send in my information.

Dad applied right after they announced the program, and it took about 3 days to get approved through the third party and then another couple of weeks to get his call from Universal. I've heard that it's running a little faster now, but it wouldn't hurt to allow a month just to be sure. That said, if you get to a week out from your trip and haven't heard, just call Universal and specifically ask to be transferred to the disability accommodations team.

 

[SueM in MN]

only problem is universal is, overall, a much less accessible park. If it ever came to a point where we decided we couldn't do Disney because DD's needs weren't being met, we would just be done with going to Florida. I posted here about our experience in Universal Hollywood yesterday. there's a lot less for DD to do there that's safe for her (she's a tween, so it's not an age thing).

I hope that day never comes, but if it does it won't be us going to universal.

I agree about Universal parks being overall much less accessible. Islands of Adventure especially is primarily thrill rides. There is very little there for my disabled daughter.

I've been to Universal Orlando twice all by myself and twice with other family members. We've thought of going there with my disabled daughter - she'd seeing enjoy the Hogwarts/Hogsmead area, but there is very little she could do anywhere in Islands of Adventure. Hogwarts Express is the only Harry Potter thing that is wheelchair accessible, but you need park hopper tickets to ride it. So taking her to Universal would be a very expensive day to spend mostly just walking around in a very sensory heavy environment

 

[Jrb1979]

Here is some numbers as the reason Disney had to change things.

8% of visitors are DAS
70% of a rides capacity is given to DAS
74-85% of LL users are DAS

15-26% of LL users are G+
10-25% of a rides capacity is given to G+

5-20% of a rides capacity is given to standby guests

8% of visitors get 70% of a rides capacity
92% of visitors get 30% of a rides capacity, which is unevenly given to G+ users

This is a huge problem and needs a radical solution, I’m sorry it’s causing heartache to some of the most vulnerable in our society but the company cannot function, nor is it fair to the rest of us, for this to continue.

 

[JLTraveling]

I hope that you've communicated this well written response to Disney. If you have not, I am willing to send it to them on your behalf or as an anonymous.

I am sure FOTL offering will be a future paid feature if Disney becomes bogged down on vacancy or visits -- it hasn't.

If you'd like to send it anonymously, have at it. I'm not really at a place in my head to want to deal with their whole canned response thing, but I certainly don't mind having them hear my thoughts