Rumor New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[DisneyHead123]

Can any of you explain to me why Disney before looking to change all the rules yet again did not eliminate the 2 pre books immediately explain to me why they didnt reduce party size to 4 immediately and remove the in park approval at GS. Why would they not change when you can book another DAS after tapping in? Alllll of these changes are perfectly legal and allll of them can come with zero backlash from any DAS user then see what it looked like.

I think from Disney’s perspective… say they were projecting that DAS use would reach around 10% of park users with current growth rates. Then say that even with a 4 person soft limit, some people legitimately do have large immediate families, so the average people in a DAS party is still 5. That’s 50% of park guests using DAS, right? (Math is not my thing. But 10% x 5 people equates to 10% x 5 or 50%, right?) Or say it’s 8% x 4, or 32% of visitors. Still quite high.

I don’t necessarily disagree with Disney’s assessment that what they are doing with DAS is not sustainable and that they need to make changes. Where I disagree is in their approach. At best they get a temporary reduction followed by lawsuits, cheaters finding new ways to game the system, and angry patrons - and in the end rates of DAS users will continue to grow anyways. I think that long term they need to make bigger changes. Rates of true disability will likely steadily increase in the US for a multitude of reasons. Attitudes about disability and asking for accommodations are markedly different in younger generations, and I think people will increasingly ask for accommodations. And people will continue to try avoiding paying for Genie+ by cheating. Rates of DAS users will increase. Long term, I think they will need to: 1. Invest in capacity and people eaters - or, alternately, cap attendance levels 2. Separate DAS and LL lines so they’re not using the same physical space 3. Return to incorporating some form of unpaid “ride reservations” the way they did with FastPass (that probably sounds like wishful thinking, but if they are going to continue to cram higher and higher numbers of people into the parks, I think they will have to utilize a reservation based style of thinking in order to make that feasible. Maybe FastPass is for Nemo and parades while paid LL is for Mine Train, but logistically I think they’ll have to do that for crowd management purposes.)

 

[phillip9698]

I get you there

Th Problem is fastpass plus didn’t work well…at all…

And they had to kill it for that reason. Then they decided the replacement had to be monetized.

I’ll keep saying it: the problem is they don’t have enough to do to place an average sized crowd. It’s the only reason any access system is being schemed or drawing resentment

In MK they certainly have enough to do. I’d argue they do at Epcot as well, at the other parks not so much.

Issue is the Disney experience has turned into E ticket or bust. I understand not everyone has the money or time to spread a vacation out and take thing slow, but there really is a lot to do if you don’t go into it with the mindset that if you don’t ride every D-E ticket in one day then the day was a failure.

Last trip to Epcot me and my wife went without the kids. We weren’t stressed to ride everything, in fact we were there the entire day and only rode 2 rides. It was amazing just taking everything in and exploring for once.

The narrative around Disney parks used to be “you can’t possibly do everything in one day”, now it’s “Disney needs a better system to allow me to do everything in one day according to my schedule”.

 

[Trauma]

I’ve made no such argument. By limiting DAS to developmental disabilities (after they pass the screening evaluation) it cuts off the “doctor’s note” for physical ailments off from the get go.

You’re also deliberately misstating the new DAS guidelines, which require telehealth conference for the third party to independently assess whether purported disability /extent of disability qualifies.

Seriously, have you even read the new policies? It says repeatedly anyone seeking DAS must meet eligibility requirements, as opposed to those who “just lie and say they have autism that no one can question.” They will be questioned; that’s the point of the independent evaluation.

The already have telahealth.

They already question you.

Give the cheaters 6 months to figure out how to game the system and we will be back at square one.

All it requires is for you to lie. The cheaters have already been lying so this is nothing new.

You will once again have a Lighting Lane filled with 70% DAS users with autism or some other developmental disorder.

Then Disney will have to crack down again and where do we end up?

Requiring medical records.

This can’t be stopped by shuffling rules around when all it requires is a lying guest.

Apparently there is more than enough of those to go around.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Or they just want to sell more Genie + to people they plan on denying access too going forward and playing the odds here…. You dk how far it would have went until you try it. And everyone back in line does what to a guest experience. I just dk why people think this is going to make a big difference on wait times. Capacity is the major driver here and thats not changing anytime soon.

I think we’re probably all in agreement Disney is money driven, no matter where we stand in this conversation.

I think they want to sell more Genie too. I don’t think they’re attempting this by trying to push people who formerly qualified for DAS to buy Genie though. I think they’re trying to make Genie a better product, and this is an attempt to increase its value by both stabilizing LL waits and also allowing them to add more capacity to Genie to help with selection throughout the day.

Again just my thoughts, but I don’t think they want people to be begrudgingly buying Genie as the lesser of two evils. I think they want people to be happily forking over money for it, like they do with other extras such as parties and after hour events.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The difference is the demand for it isn't as high compared to Disney due to there being no benefits to having it. At most other parks having a skip the line pass isn't a must as it's expensive and limited.

Look at how much DAS usage has risen since Genie+ started.

You’re not answering the question. How are those systems different? How does a more expensive, true line skipping system being available somehow make a virtual queue less desirable? If the argument is Genie+ creates incentive for abuse then more expensive programs should create more incentive.

 

[Jrb1979]

You’re not answering the question. How are those systems different? How does a more expensive, true line skipping system being available somehow make a virtual queue less desirable? If the argument is Genie+ creates incentive for abuse then more expensive programs should create more incentive.

It doesn't cause the other difference is at those parks including Universal, the majority of guests understand waiting in long lines is part of going.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It doesn't cause the other difference is at those parks including Universal, the majority of guests understand waiting in long lines is part of going.

You told us we should look at the accommodations offered elsewhere. But now you’re saying it’s the guests. Which is it?

 

[Jrb1979]

You told us we should look at the accommodations offered elsewhere. But now you’re saying it’s the guests. Which is it?

It's both.

 

[Angel Ariel]

It doesn't cause the other difference is at those parks including Universal, the majority of guests understand waiting in long lines is part of going.

I mean, come on. This is just disingenuous. Whether I'm talking to a Disney fan or a Disney newbie, literally one of the first things mentioned are the long lines that will have to be waited in.

That people exist who want to cheat that doesn't mean the majority of guests don't understand that long lines are part of going (as it isn't a majority of guests who are cheating the system).

 

[lazyboy97o]

It's both.

Then explain to us the meaningful differences. Where someone walks up to board doesn’t change the operational impact.

 

[Jrb1979]

Then explain to us the meaningful differences. Where someone walks up to board doesn’t change the operational impact.

In general no it doesn't but at other parks there isn't any where near the amount of people using boarding passes compared to Disney. It doesn't impact operations as much.

For Disneys sake it is having a major impact on Genie+ capacity. When DAS is taking up 70% of LL capacity its a problem.

 

[lazyboy97o]

In general no it doesn't but at other parks there isn't any where near the amount of people using boarding passes compared to Disney. It doesn't impact operations as much.

For Disneys sake it is having a major impact on Genie+ capacity. When DAS is taking up 70% of LL capacity its a problem.

Then why say to look at how other parks provide accommodations if it’s not much different?

DAS does not take capacity from Genie+.

 

[Jrb1979]

Then why say to look at how other parks provide accommodations if it’s not much different?

DAS does not take capacity from Genie+.

Not directly it doesn't take capacity. You can't tell me if they cut that DAS number down they won't add it to Genie+ capacity.

I worded it poorly but was trying to respond to your argument on how do people know what the minimum accommodations for those with disabilities are.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Not directly it doesn't take capacity. You can't tell me if they cut that DAS number down they won't add it to Genie+ capacity.

Except we keep hearing that genie+ is rarely selling out, so they don't need to increase genie+ capacity, they need to make genie+ more attractive - which the general consensus here has been, they do that by lessening the number of people in lightning lane. Taking whatever the number of DAS users is in that capacity and simply adding it to genie+ wouldn't seem to address the making it more attractive (as once people see shorter lines, which won't take long in this era, and more people buy genie+, they're right back at the same issue with too many people in LL to make genie+ attractive). There's a sweet spot they're trying to find.

 

[Jrb1979]

Except we keep hearing that genie+ is rarely selling out, so they don't need to increase genie+ capacity, they need to make genie+ more attractive - which the general consensus here has been, they do that by lessening the number of people in lightning lane. Taking whatever the number of DAS users is in that capacity and simply adding it to genie+ wouldn't seem to address the making it more attractive (as once people see shorter lines, which won't take long in this era, and more people buy genie+, they're right back at the same issue with too many people in LL to make genie+ attractive). There's a sweet spot they're trying to find.

IMO what they need to do is be like most other parks and raise the price of Genie+ to the point that most people don't buy it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

IMO what they need to do is be like most other parks and raise the price of Genie+ to the point that most people don't buy it.

But according to you that would make abuse more attractive.

 

[Chi84]

Why argue about the need for a system that Disney has already decided to adopt?

 

[Jrb1979]

But according to you that would make abuse more attractive.

Not with the changes coming for DAS. Now with a limit of 4 guests and no pre books DAS is less attractive for those who don't need it.

As posted earlier by another poster, prior to the new changes DAS had better benefits than Genie+ and was free.

 

[Chi84]

Whether looking at the proposed changes from either a macro level or a micro level, Disney World has always promoted itself as a place that supports family togetherness. If due to a disability(ies), Disney insists upon splitting up families as an accommodation in order to allow disabled people to enjoy attractions, Disney World will no longer be seen as a place that supports families with disabled family members. According to an ADA training manual:

"The ADA says people with disabilities are entitled to “the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations” that a public accommodation provides to its customers. In other words, every type of good or service a business provides to customers is covered by the ADA. All businesses that serve the public must provide equal opportunity for customers with disabilities."

Asking disabled people to wait away from their families in order to ride is not full and equal enjoyment. Others who are able bodied might choose to participate in rider switch but Disney is basically telling a portion of the disabled community that it's rider switch or nothing.

But wouldn’t the planned return to line system satisfy this? Everyone stays together in line and the disabled person and a caregiver can leave when needed and then return to their companions in line.

 

[flynnibus]

DAS does not take capacity from Genie+.

They have a capacity portion they want to target to LL/G+ users knowing what that volume of users will result in wait times. DAS becomes an overhead that consumes that capacity, and if not accounted for would balloon the wait times in the high priority queue and in result on the low priority queue.

No way they aren't assuming an portion of their high priority queue is in use by DAS and in turn impacting the LL/G+ capacity they are making available to guests.

It's a drag on their high priority queue's predictability and limiting what they can sell (until they close their eyes to the customer experience).