New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Comped]

For what it's worth I find it rather funny that of all the parks that the two US parks, until proven otherwise, may end up being the most restrictive in terms of what conditions get you the same kind of accommodation. The country which has the best disabled access laws in the world...

 

[Angel Ariel]

Wouldn’t that logic apply to those who come on here and claim a “need” for a certain accommodation?

They know their own needs. i might suggest it would be prudent at this time to wait and see what the accommodations are going to be before digging in on that since all of the communication is lacking so much, but in the end the disabled person is the only one that can speak to what accommodations they need.

Disney can choose to disagree with that, and Disney may - but no one on this board is in a position to say "that poster's needs don't require DAS".

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

It is pretty obvious he meant ppl throwing up in the lines BECAUSE of the line. Not after riding a roller coaster.

Most of the times I've seen people vomit at WDW, it was not due to motion sickness.

The guy that hit me after the Mummy admitted he felt sick before he went on the ride. (I would have much preferred pure motion sickness, so this was not a comforting thing to hear.)

Viruses are just part of being in close proximity with thousands of other people.

 

[StarBright]

Most of the times I've seen people vomit at WDW, it was not due to motion sickness.

The guy that hit me after the Mummy admitted he felt sick before he went on the ride. (I would have much preferred pure motion sickness, so this was not a comforting thing to hear.)

Viruses are just part of being in close proximity with thousands of other people.

That's true, but also has nothing to do with being unable to do lines or requiring DAS because they have a virus.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Which disabilities is Disney not accommodating though?

I’m not looking to belittle people’s needs like some here but it sure seems that Disney is working to accommodate everyone.

They just might not offer you the holy grail of accommodations, that very few people need but everyone would love to have.

Again, not all physical limitations are alleviated with a mobility device but for some time Disney has been increasingly insisting that mobility devices are the only accommodation.

 

[seabreezept813]

Its amazing how so many other theme/amusement parks exist without the level of service that DAS provided and ease of obtainment yet dont have queues that are a panic of people passing out, throwing up, bowling people over, etc.... What is it specifically about Disney that causes these issues?

Attendance caps could help. A local park in this area (Santa’s Village) caps admission sales so that people can have an enjoyable experience. So no lines get super long.

 

[Happyday]

Attendance caps could help. A local park in this area (Santa’s Village) caps admission sales so that people can have an enjoyable experience. So no lines get super long.

I know what state you are fromso am I I'll do you one better Storyland has specific days and even a wishing well that was set up to donate to a school for individuals with disabilities/autism in state. Now that that school has changed hands not sure if it is still donating there.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Which disabilities is Disney not accommodating though?

I’m not looking to belittle people’s needs like some here but it sure seems that Disney is working to accommodate everyone.

They just might not offer you the holy grail of accommodations, that very few people need but everyone would love to have.

We don't yet know quite what WDW will offer. That is part of the challenge right now.

WDW has a long history of welcoming guests with disabilities, and well beyond that. From everything I have read and seen, Disney is great about helping folks with all sorts of medical conditions, like food allergies and other special needs diets for example.

I'm mostly reading this thread in the hopes of learning about the changes. Off these forums, friends often ask me about WDW if they plan to visit. I'd at least like to have a basic understanding of the changes coming to WDW. If WDW is moving to some way that guests can exit the queue to use the restroom, for example, I should think that would be helpful for everyone to know. How will WDW make that work?

If WDW plans to extend a form of rider swap to adults/those over 48" tall, how will that work? Will anyone be able to use that option, or will parkgoers still need to pre-register?

This is the same company that has long garnered a reputation for having a variety of inclusive policies, so they have a tricky situation to balance here.

In addition to knowing what WDW plans to do, I am also concerned with how the broader public will react to the changes. Will this = good publicity for WDW, or bad publicity?

 

[Happyday]

We don't yet know quite what WDW will offer. That is part of the challenge right now.

WDW has a long history of welcoming guests with disabilities, and well beyond that. From everything I have read and seen, Disney is great about helping folks with all sorts of medical conditions, like food allergies and other special needs diets for example.

I'm mostly reading this thread in the hopes of learning about the changes. Off these forums, friends often ask me about WDW if they plan to visit. I'd at least like to have a basic understanding of the changes coming to WDW. If WDW is moving to some way that guests can exit the queue to use the restroom, for example, I should think that would be helpful for everyone to know. How will WDW make that work?

If WDW plans to extend a form of rider swap to adults/those over 48" tall, how will that work? Will anyone be able to use that option, or will parkgoers still need to pre-register?

This is the same company that has long garnered a reputation for having a variety of inclusive policies, so they have a tricky situation to balance here.

In addition to knowing what WDW plans to do, I am also concerned with how the broader public will react to the changes. Will this = good publicity for WDW, or bad publicity?

I would like to add how Disney works with Make a Wish.

 

[rtmachine]

Who remembers when it was FP+ and DAS, there was never long lines for that line with both and there probably was not as much abuse.
G+ and LL change everything...and now we have this mess from excessive greed.

 

[seabreezept813]

I know what state you are fromso am I I'll do you one better Storyland has specific days and even a wishing well that was set up to donate to a school for individuals with disabilities/autism in state. Now that that school has changed hands not sure if it is still donating there.

Not the exact state lol it’s a 4 hour drive. But being able to go on a Saturday in December and enjoy the park is really great. You just need to get tickets early!

 

[Happyday]

Not the exact state lol it’s a 4 hour drive. But being able to go on a Saturday in December and enjoy the park is really great. You just need to get tickets early!

Absolutely agree.

 

[phillip9698]

I really hope Disney takes this opportunity to really examine who NEEDS skip the line access.

A person who can wear shades while outside does not NEED skip the line access.

A person who can’t sit, stand, or walk doesn’t NEED skip the line access.

A person who doesn’t like being hot doesn’t NEED skip the line access.

I honestly wish they would go to a system that requires a doctors note and 3rd party verification. If Six Flags can do it so can Disney. And it’s not a burden, surely if people going to Six Flags can make that happen people spending thousands on trips to Disney can as well.

 

[Tha Realest]

They know their own needs. i might suggest it would be prudent at this time to wait and see what the accommodations are going to be before digging in on that since all of the communication is lacking so much, but in the end the disabled person is the only one that can speak to what accommodations they need.

Disney can choose to disagree with that, and Disney may - but no one on this board is in a position to say "that poster's needs don't require DAS".

And Disney knows its own operational and guest service needs. Those must be considered against the claimed “needs” of guests.

 

[flynnibus]

Who remembers when it was FP+ and DAS, there was never long lines for that line with both and there probably was not as much abuse.
G+ and LL change everything...and now we have this mess from excessive greed.

Remember when it was just Fastpass... but GAC abuse was still so bad they had to kill GAC and introduce DAS?

Yeah... that's the reality... no need to try to blame Genie+... the abuse is as old as the clickbait articles and slimly people that encouraged others to lie to get an advantage.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

That's true, but also has nothing to do with being unable to do lines or requiring DAS because they have a virus.

It was a lighthearted response to a specific post some pages back, post #3845. Sorry if the attempt at levity fell flat.

I've seen plenty of people puke in amusement and theme parks over the years. More people throwing up wouldn't make the news because it is already so very common.

(Though after Googling the topic, well, I don't advise it. )

 

[Angel Ariel]

And Disney knows its own operational and guest service needs. Those must be considered against the claimed “needs” of guests.

And I never said otherwise. In fact, I said that very thing in the post you just quoted of mine.

My comment that you originally engaged me about was stating that *posters on this forum* are not in a position to make such a determination - it wasn't a comment about Disney. Please don't move goalposts.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

This is the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen. And this is exactly why people are getting upset and defensive. This attitude is very much in the vein of the idea that those with disabilities should not be engaged in public activities.

Sadly, that attitude does run through our society.

A member of my extended family is a civil engineer. Some of the work he's done over the years has been things like reworking sidewalks to include tactile paving. Tactile paving is very effective, low-cost, and though originally meant to help the blind, it helps all pedestrians. Yet many locations were resistant to installing it.

He often convinced them by having folks walk in an area that has tactile paving. Once they saw how it helps everyone, they could get behind it.

Disney has been developing queues for a long time. I would like to think the queues are designed with ideas like tactile paving in mind.

But then, we have the GoG exit queue with steep steps. The exit is handicapped accessible, but exiting the ride in a wheelchair/stair-free requires 2 elevators.

The Remy queue also seems like a bit of problem if the plan is to allow folks to exit the queue for breaks.

As I said, I'm reading this thread for information. It would be useful to know if any queues are changed.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Is this the wrong thread to ask how exactly is the blind person supposed to find the braille map podium at Epcot by the lagoon?

Most people who are blind are not totally blind and have some level visual sensation.

 

[Comped]

Is this the wrong thread to ask how exactly is the blind person supposed to find the braille map podium at Epcot by the lagoon?

As a visually impaired person, who does happen to be able to see enough that I never had to learn Braille luckily (even though Perkins, the blind school not the restaurant chain, advocated to do so when I would visit to tour there accessible technologies on occasion as a kid) - I actually had to look this up.

Disney's website says that they also offer large print and Braille guide books, and even Braille maps. (I have to assume you can't keep those unlike normal maps.) Undoubtedly those would be easier to use for most rather than trying to poke around the large maps that do exist. Certainly more portable and easier than having to track around to find the limited number of standalone Braille maps resort wide.