New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Angel Ariel]

I learned something today. Thank you!

glad to be of assistance!

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Know what else inflates standby waits? People getting into the standby queue.

Disney could also do the math so that posted wait times reflected DAS usage.

The difference is DAS users can enter a virtual queue even after regular Fastpass is sold out for the day. They can also enter a virtual queue at any time, without being restricted to four hours later or whatever the availability is at the time.

Hence, the program could result in unexpected wait times for the regular line, particularly at low capacity attractions like Peter Pan.

 

[RSoxNo1]

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

You mean the way that same system operated for 22 years? Yes.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You mean the way that same system operated for 22 years? Yes.

So you think they gonna go back to not charging for something?

I get levity…but that take is way beyond comedy.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The difference is DAS users can enter a virtual queue even after regular Fastpass is sold out for the day. They can also enter a virtual queue at any time, without being restricted to four hours later or whatever the availability is at the time.

Hence, the program could result in unexpected wait times for the regular line, particularly at low capacity attractions like Peter Pan.

That has not been my experience.

With Cosmic Rewind and TRON, we needed a virtual queue first. Then upon redemption of the virtual queue we could either enter the Standby Virtual queue, or speak with a CM to go into the Lightning Lane queue. In both cases, it was gate checked by having a virtual queue.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

That has not been my experience.

With Cosmic Rewind and TRON, we needed a virtual queue first. Then upon redemption of the virtual queue we could either enter the Standby Virtual queue, or speak with a CM to go into the Lightning Lane queue. In both cases, it was gate checked by having a virtual queue.

My comment was not referring the VQ system on those rides, but a general VQ available for ANY attraction via DAS.

 

[RSoxNo1]

So you think they gonna go back to not charging for something?

I get levity…but that take is way beyond comedy.

I don't think they'll revert back, I'm just giving my opinion on what they need to do to rectify the problem.

There is a long history of Disney creating a problem and charging for the solution. This case is a little backwards in as much as they started charging for the solution and in turn increased an existing problem.

 

[RSoxNo1]

My comment was not referring the VQ system on those rides, but a general VQ available for ANY attraction via DAS.

Those are the only rides that currently have a virtual queue. I suspect you intended to say LL. Virtual Queue has a different meaning in Disney nomenclature.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't think they'll revert back, I'm just giving my opinion on what they need to do to rectify the problem.

There is a long history of Disney creating a problem and charging for the solution. This case is a little backwards in as much as they started charging for the solution and in turn increased an existing problem.

No I get that

The problem now are 20 year old mistakes. They just don’t have enough seats to move people around. That’s the root of the trees and we complain about the leaves

 

[RSoxNo1]

No I get that

The problem now are 20 year old mistakes. They just don’t have enough seats to move people around. That’s the root of the trees and we complain about the leaves

Also true.

 

[lazyboy97o]

No matter what happens. People will come to accept it as the new normal. This is the way.

Businesses do not have sole discretion to determine their accommodations. It is entirely possible that these changes are successfully challenged.

 

[Chi84]

Businesses do not have sole discretion to determine their accommodations. It is entirely possible that these changes are successfully challenged.

I've thought about it quite a bit and I'm not really seeing how. Just my opinion.

 

[lazyboy97o]

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.

This though was under the GAC which did at the end allow true line skipping.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Obviously, but a theme park, by its very definition, is "crowded, loud and has long waits before the fun activity".

Knowing that, perhaps that is a poor choice for their entertainment option if they cannot handle the core dynamic of the activity that they will be subjected to throughout the day.

By that logic, should children in wheelchairs not be allowed because theme parks, 'classically', involve walking long distances? Should braille be removed because theme parks typically involve reading and sight seeing? That people with disabilities are not going to experience something in a way that is 100% cookie cutter and archetypal seems like it's pretty much part and parcel with what the definition of 'disability' is. Why should lines and noise be considered the 'core' experience of a theme park, as opposed to meeting Mickey and Minnie, riding Small World, eating in the castle, watching a parade, etc.?

Also, keep in mind that a lot of kids on the spectrum have a tendency towards “special interests” or are passionate about only a few things, so it’s not always a matter of just taking them somewhere else that a neurotypical kid would find fun. Options are often much more limited.

Here's the thing. If a child was miserable throughout the entire experience, yes, of course it would be horrible to drag them through a theme park. But of all the potential abuses of DAS out there, this one strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely - “selfish” parents dragging an escalated, tantruming or possibly aggressive child through Disney so that they, the parent, can live it up taking selfies on Thunder Mountain in their rose gold ears. That sounds like smashing your hand repeatedly with a hammer to score painkillers. I’m not saying no one does it, but if they do, they have a serious problem. Trust me when I say that dealing with autistic meltdowns is... no one’s idea of a good time. That doesn't mean that parents don't have different stances on the 'right' way to raise their child. Some parents will be big on getting their child out and exposing them to the world even if it's really hard, some will really avoid situations that might be triggering for their child. There will be a range of opinions on that. But what I don't see is a ton of parents who will drag their child out to a place where they will be pointlessly escalated because that would be a fun thing for them, the parent.

 

[Purduevian]

Those are the only rides that currently have a virtual queue. I suspect you intended to say LL. Virtual Queue has a different meaning in Disney nomenclature.

I believe that poster is calling DAS itself a VQ. Meaning DAS users do not wait in a standby line for all attractions, but instead a VQ for the posted wait time (minus 10 minutes).

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Obviously, but a theme park, by its very definition, is "crowded, loud and has long waits before the fun activity".

Not really. Some Theme Parks have crowded and loud areas that can easily be avoided.

 

[Happyday]

The difference is DAS users can enter a virtual queue even after regular Fastpass is sold out for the day. They can also enter a virtual queue at any time, without being restricted to four hours later or whatever the availability is at the time.

Hence, the program could result in unexpected wait times for the regular line, particularly at low capacity attractions like Peter Pan.

Yes but again they still have to wait the same wait time so it is like there are invisible people in the standby line. So just pretend the DAS users are standing in front of you the whole time.

 

[Happyday]

Not really. Sone Theme Parks have crowded and loud areas that can easily be avoided.

Thank you!

 

[Dranth]

Yes but again they still have to wait the same wait time so it is like there are invisible people in the standby line. So just pretend the DAS users are standing in front of you the whole time.

If they were, ironically, the standby line would be moving much faster because it wouldn't be stopping constantly to let 90% of the ride capacity walk by on the G+/ILL side.

Also, you keep mentioning in other posts that they gave the exact wait time as the return and maybe that is what you have experienced but others who used the system have commented on having a reduced time.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The difference is DAS users can enter a virtual queue even after regular Fastpass is sold out for the day. They can also enter a virtual queue at any time, without being restricted to four hours later or whatever the availability is at the time.

Hence, the program could result in unexpected wait times for the regular line, particularly at low capacity attractions like Peter Pan.

Take FastPass and Genie+ out of it. That’s not what is being accommodated. DAS was still available when the parks reopened before Genie+ debuted.

Anyone can enter the standby queue and the same is true of those being accommodated because that is what the accommodation is for.

There is no reason for the program to result in unexpected wait times. Disney does real time tracking and counting of standby queues. They know how many people are in the queue and where in the queue. They could easily add in a virtual person to their standby information whenever a DAS return time is requested.