I will concede that it is possible that I have missed something important here, so I will just ask why since the DAS program started we have not had a huge influx of people posting complaints based on actual experience. So far, most of what I have seen are people leaping to judgment about something they and the rest of us do not even know about. Denied access for wheelchair folks. When was that a proven thing? That, in my mind, is just pure speculation brought on by someone with concerns, but, without actually experiencing the situation. And they all sound so sure of themselves. "now I can't go to Disney anymore, since they don't care about me anymore." I'm not there, they didn't consult me about what they were going to do, but, I do know that they are NOT going to leave severely disabled people out in the cold. They will be taken care of. The pity party has run it's course and it time to weigh in on the actualities of the situation. To me there are four main points to the changes.
This thread is dominated by posters who are not in WDW nor have been in recent weeks. I happen to be one person who was there during the GAC/DAS changeover. I reported my experiences and what issues I experienced.
Yes I was initially denied a DAS on the basis I use a power wheelchair and was not autistic. I reported that on this thread some 20-30 pages ago.
I was eventually approved for a DAS by a manager when I questioned what the first CM who denied me told me.
I reported on my experiences using DAS at two attractions (Test Track and TSM). And how I was treated as a wheelchair user at Star Tours (i.e. sent away with a longer wait time and not allowed to enter the air conditioned wheelchair line like I did before DAS was implemented). That bit I registered a complaint with Guest Relations over and really hope they adjust those admittance times to something more lax than the rigid 10 min Standbys.
I also posted in this thread days before DAS was employed bringing to light the discriminatory wording of DAS policy that specifically excluded folks using wheelchairs from obtaining DAS cards. The language is meant to prevent the marginally-disabled or cheaters who will use wheels to get from point a to b from obtaining DAS and abusing the new system. What practical effect it has is that those who are wheelchair-bound and have issues that make waiting inside a crowded queue difficult or dangerous are encountering a bias amongst CMs who mistakenly believe wheels solve all issues. So yes, the "severely disabled" (or what many people will think of as "severely disabled") are in fact being left out in the cold under DAS. My experience proved that unless you are willing to question and fight for your accommodation, you are more likely to be denied.
Meanwhile I know on at least two other forums people are posting their experiences of difficulties with DAS. The last few days the biggest reports have come in from the visually-impaired. Before with GAC these folks would get a GAC card that had a stamp directing attraction CMs where to send them for seating and boarding that accommodates their blindness. Under DAS, they're being denied DAS cards and having difficulty getting CMs at attractions to direct them appropriately. Several have reported having to explain their needs/requests to multiple CMs and still being sent along with sighted guests to areas that were dangerous and inappropriate to fulfill their needs. (i.e. blind guests being sent down dark, elevated walkways they cannot navigate safely, whilst others that should be sent down wheelchair access ramps to the front row theater seating are instead put in the crowd and seated in the middle to back of the theater where they cannot see).
Just because a lot of the regular posters in this thread are more likely to debate one aspect of the topic doesn't mean there aren't many others posting about the other issues. I know my posts got buried under the Autism Hippie rants (and in some cases I was chastised for having problems with DAS because to do so meant to some I had an "entitlement attitude").
FWIW and once again, my experience with DAS left me wth mixed emotions about my future WDW visits. My next one is NYE. I only used GAC for a possible 7 attractions in WDW and then only a few times per trip. I was not by any stretch of definition an "abuser" who lied to get a pass nor used it for revolving door access to an attraction. Since I have boarding issues that leave me using limited wheelchair-accessible vehicles, I primarily used GAC as an express entry to my wheelie line where I waited 10-30 mins to board. In some cases, DAS works just fine with me and the way I toured. (I just get a TSM Return Time to start my day instead of doing something else then lining up for TSM.) In other cases, it makes me wait longer than everyone else and becomes decidedly unfair. My next trip I'll have FP+ and Magic Band so I'll be able to incorporate both systems and see how they work for me.
I've been monitoring the FP+ situation as well so that gives me a whole new set of concerns. (For instance, I noticed while in WDW the MDE app on my Android phone was so slow it was basically unusable.) The past 5 years when I go to Disney for NYE I spend NYE itself at DHS. I go for dinner, fireworks then after midnight I go to ride TSM with my family. I spend the rest of the night (it's EMH after midnight in that park) enjoying Osborne Lights. Right now CMs have no idea how they'll handle DAS for this post-midnight EMH time. I asked specifically about it. The big test of DAS to me will be what happens after midnight when I go to ride TSM. I won't be able to schedule a FP+ time. DAS may mean I'll have to chose between spending my last hour at the park that night in line for TSM's wheelie car or enjoying an uncrowded Osborne Lights. That will affect how usable I find the program.
. Good for her. If she prefers Universal now over WDW no big loss. Disney will replace her with another guest and not skip a beat. The only people who may be harmed are people who visit her page and believe what she is saying rather than trying things for themselves. In that case a kid may miss out on a really fun experience which is sad, but I guess that is really the parent's fault for listening to her.
