Rumor New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Happyday]

We haven't seen it in action yet.

Having been through the DAS process in the past, I'll tell you a few things that I've been able to do. On the pre-registration conversation you can approve any number of people to be attached to the DAS with the disabled guest. Under the old rules, once you're in the park, you can request a DAS for the disabled guest and 5 additional guests. I suspect none of that will change other than the switch from 5 guests to 3.

Then fast forward to being in the park, and my in laws join us for a day. We now have 7 ticketed guests but can only book the DAS for a particular ride for 6 guests. So a trip to a blue umbrella allows us to add an additional guest once we're in the park.

I'm sure some people on here will look down on that, and up thread I posted that the previous 6 person cap was a soft cap. They've already hedged their bets on this that they have the ability to move off the 4 person cap. What we don't know is if that is dictated as part of the pre-registration process or if CMs in the park have the ability to manipulate the cap.

We're 84 pages deep on this and I suspect the only material change of procedure will be the reduction of the soft cap from 6 guests to 4. It will curb usage for a short period of time and then usage will continue to trend higher.

If they want to fundamentally curb usage of DAS, they need to eliminate the costs associated with Genie+ and actually enforce their own rules and threats.

But this is fixing a lot of those issues you will no longer be able to change anything in the park it has to all be done during the video chat, no more blue umbrella it says it right on the website.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

I don't think it is legitimate DAS users causing the issue

Of course not.

it is a broken Genie+ and DAS system.

Exactly.

People need to stop trying to "fix" them and let them live their lives.

The system needs to be fixed, not the people.

 

[lentesta]

Help me out here, if it is VQ and ILL how does DAS come into play?

DAS goes in the ILL line, I believe. I could be wrong.

 

[Happyday]

I don’t think anyone wants to “hide” anyone away…

…but I also don’t think ADA And DAS can be reasonably expected to make crowds at the worlds busiest amusement parks which are huge to not be difficult for both all physical and sensory issues.

That’s not something that can be guaranteed.

I am not saying it needs to be perfect even with these accommodations things happen I have seen meltdowns, aggression to parents/caregivers but those that love them work through it because in the end the individual has a great time. It is just meant to make it easier.

 

[Happyday]

Of course not.

Exactly.

The system needs to be fixed, not the people.

AMEN

 

[DisneyCane]

We haven't seen it in action yet.

Having been through the DAS process in the past, I'll tell you a few things that I've been able to do. On the pre-registration conversation you can approve any number of people to be attached to the DAS with the disabled guest. Under the old rules, once you're in the park, you can request a DAS for the disabled guest and 5 additional guests. I suspect none of that will change other than the switch from 5 guests to 3.

Then fast forward to being in the park, and my in laws join us for a day. We now have 7 ticketed guests but can only book the DAS for a particular ride for 6 guests. So a trip to a blue umbrella allows us to add an additional guest once we're in the park.

I'm sure some people on here will look down on that, and up thread I posted that the previous 6 person cap was a soft cap. They've already hedged their bets on this that they have the ability to move off the 4 person cap. What we don't know is if that is dictated as part of the pre-registration process or if CMs in the park have the ability to manipulate the cap.

We're 84 pages deep on this and I suspect the only material change of procedure will be the reduction of the soft cap from 6 guests to 4. It will curb usage for a short period of time and then usage will continue to trend higher.

If they want to fundamentally curb usage of DAS, they need to eliminate the costs associated with Genie+ and actually enforce their own rules and threats.

Also the permanent ban if they catch somebody lying to get DAS. I think this is targeted at people using the "tour guides" and the guides themselves. Based on the public ejections a few months ago, I can only assume that Disney determined that these guides are a large part of the DAS abuse issues.

As far as the increase in Autism goes which I mentioned a couple of days ago and another poster also mentioned. There is no question that there has been an, as yet unexplained, significant increase in the incidence of Autism.

Now, since there is a very wide spectrum of Autism, every person diagnosed with Autism doesn't need to be given DAS. It should only be for those who have Autism and one of the symptoms is that they have significant issues with long waits. There are Autistic kids who don't have any more issue with a long wait than a non-Autistic kid does. A 6 year old with no developmental disabilities doesn't exactly love standing in line for 7DMT or SDD for 90 minutes.

 

[lentesta]

I think they would have to demonstrate that re-rides specifically (not just DAS in general) were causing infringement on standard guests or restrict standby for regular guests to a single ride on those attractions as well.

From the 2020 lawsuit A.L. v. Walt Disney Parks & Resorts US, Inc., in which Disney was sued over the pre-DAS Guest Assistance Card (GAC) service:

GAC guests were riding Toy Story Mania on average two to three times a day, whereas guests without a GAC had only a 0.3 chance of getting on the ride even once.

ETA: That was Disney's data, which the plantiffs did not dispute and which the court found convincing.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For sure. And to be clear as someone who has a long history with Disney as it pertains to people with disabilities: making sure people with disabilities can experience their parks to the best of their ability has always and will always be a top priority of theirs. Make no bones about it, Disney absolutely knows when and how the abuse is happening and it has simply reached a boiling point recently.

Thanks for the insight…very ominous.

We all probably know that Disney has always been a “disability enclave”…especially to children with developmental issues. It’s their “magic kingdom” and for the parents…where you can pause the day to day stress and be integrated as main stream as possible. It’s a gift. Which mean abuse lights my fuse.

Even if it’s counter intuitive. I’m always stunned when mobility issue people flocked to wdw. Like you notice that Epcot wasn’t built for anyone out of shape or with impairment?
But more power to them.

That’s what makes Disney shine in many ways. They know how to do the right thing. Or at least they did.

Anecdotal. We had a family show up around 2001 ish where the grandfather had a heart attack in the magic kingdom the first day. Just distraught. The daughter and two grandkids aged like 5 and 7. Someone I worked with had the idea to try and do something as they lost a lot of time trying to make out of state funeral arrangements.

So she spent days (and I had to help grease the wheels) getting woody and buzz lightyear into a ballroom for those kids. A little catering…some toys.

It meant the world to them. I can still feel mom’s hug. Not a dry eye in the house.

Why am I critical of Disney and demand so much? Because they have the means and funds to do THAT. Not be soulless and rapacious.

 

[Splash4eva]

Yes, that's true but short of putting you in a holding cell while you wait for your ride time, there has to be an accommodation for people who want to re-ride but can't wait in a traditional queue.

Also the people who actually can't wait in a traditional queue won't be getting in line for other rides in the interim, but they should be allowed to eat or shop.

Here is the “advantage” of DAS and again as you use it over the years you learn to maximize the system. Say i get a DAS for 7Ds at a 60-70 minute wait. Most days right in that areas Ariel/IASW/Philharmagic are usually a manageable line of like 10-15 minutes give or take. We can handle that so im able to basically get in 3 attractions add in my Genie+ selection and i have say 5 rides/attractions done in a say 90 minute max period

 

[Happyday]

That’s over with. We lost that battle about 15 years ago. They rejected expansion for flexible capacity in favor of implying the micro Econ curve to the park operations. Limiting supply to increase demand and price. b-rate thinking.

There’s one way to legitimately fix it and this management will not

Sad

 

[lentesta]

60%???

That is not reasonable and implies heavy abuse.

You don't have to believe me. But I'm confident the real number is significantly higher than 60% at some rides.

 

[Patcheslee]

Waiting for a bus in the morning is usually not the problem. Waiting in the lines at the end of the night could be. That leaves a guest with 2 options…leave the parks earlier before the lines get long, or wait in the parks until the lines lessen. You could use the restroom several times before you get in line.

We rent a car and drive if we plan on leaving at a high demand time.

I can’t wait to look for a CM and raise my hand like a second grader for a bathroom pass, then the confrontation when I attempt to turn around in line to leave…then attempt to get back into the same spot I was in. People complaining about DAS users “cutting” the line..I can’t WAIT for the complaints about the people cutting the line to get back in…

Would a QRcode that time stamps in the app work? They could station them at approximate 10 minute? intervals. The only part to figure out is reasonable paths. CMs could then focus on reentry assistance.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

We haven't seen it in action yet.

Having been through the DAS process in the past, I'll tell you a few things that I've been able to do. On the pre-registration conversation you can approve any number of people to be attached to the DAS with the disabled guest. Under the old rules, once you're in the park, you can request a DAS for the disabled guest and 5 additional guests. I suspect none of that will change other than the switch from 5 guests to 3.

Then fast forward to being in the park, and my in laws join us for a day. We now have 7 ticketed guests but can only book the DAS for a particular ride for 6 guests. So a trip to a blue umbrella allows us to add an additional guest once we're in the park.

I'm sure some people on here will look down on that, and up thread I posted that the previous 6 person cap was a soft cap. They've already hedged their bets on this that they have the ability to move off the 4 person cap. What we don't know is if that is dictated as part of the pre-registration process or if CMs in the park have the ability to manipulate the cap.

We're 84 pages deep on this and I suspect the only material change of procedure will be the reduction of the soft cap from 6 guests to 4. It will curb usage for a short period of time and then usage will continue to trend higher.

If they want to fundamentally curb usage of DAS, they need to eliminate the costs associated with Genie+ and actually enforce their own rules and threats.

Your solution is for them to not charge for their maxed out ride booking system?

 

[lentesta]

Disney largely created this problem by replacing FP with G+

A hypothetical discussion I had this week, entirely in my head, went like this:

Me: I'm sure y'all modeled various 'DAS abuse' outcomes before rolling out G+, right?

Industrial Engineer: Yeah, but this is so far beyond what the models said that if the models had said X%, we wouldn't have believed the models.

 

[pigglewiggle]

That costs money and they will not do it

It's just my Blue Sky project.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You don't have to believe me. But I'm confident the real number is significantly higher than 60% at some rides.

There has never been a reason not to Believe you on any matter regarding the operational patterns

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Your solution is for them to not charge for their maxed out ride booking system?

Most of us long for the days of classic FP don’t we?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

A hypothetical discussion I had this week, entirely in my head, went like this:

Me: I'm sure y'all modeled various 'DAS abuse' outcomes before rolling out G+, right?

Industrial Engineer: Yeah, but this is so far beyond what the models said that if the models had said X%, we wouldn't have believed the models.

So might the problem be charging $150 for a ticket, $35 for a booking system, and $18 for one ride on a “headliner” that is likely not very good?

Just spitballing here.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Most of us long for the days of classic FP don’t we?

Two types of people:
1. Those that know fastpass 1.0 was the best
2. Those that are wrong.

 

[Florida Man]

You’re not wrong

All roads lead back to roam here.

Genie is a “circular” problem. People don’t want to pay for genie…then they break down and buy it…then it doesn’t work well at all…so they are even more embedded hating it and the fees.

Lather rinse

I agree. It’s ends up turning into a feeling of resentment instead of the previous feeling that you got your monies worth.

I wonder if the execs think about that—the long term implications and guest satisfaction when deciding things like Genie+. It’s not fun to Apple Pay an extra $120 right off the bat when you enter the park.