New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Grantwil93]

I like the analogy.

Maybe tweaking DAS to where you have to scan before AND after your ride, only allowing one use on attractions that have ILL ...

I literally said exactly this suggestion to people about hypothetical change to make it less attractive to even try to get(if you don't need it) But this is so far out of those on the front lines of WDW's hands that it's kind of moot.

 

[Chi84]

No, that's not what the ADA requires. It requires that you accommodate a disability. If a disability prevents you from waiting in a queue, and in order to access the line you have to wait in a queue, they need to accommodate that.

If it does not fundamentally alter the nature of their business. Line accommodations have never been required by the ADA, although that hasn't been tested.

 

[TrojanUSC]

They aren’t making anyone buy anything though. The accommodation when you’re denied DAS is the exit and return to line (not go buy Genie), which unless I’m misunderstanding doesn’t even require approval to use.

If there’s one thing I know about Disney is that they covered themselves legally before making moves here.

This is basically I think where people are getting lost in what's required vs. not. Just because Disney has thus far been saying "sure you and your whole traveling party can avoid traditional standby queues for your physical disability" doesn't mean this wasn't going above + beyond what they had to do.

Think about waiting in line for a concert or something else. First of all, if you knew waiting in line wasn't an option, you might avoid the concert all together. Second, if you had a disability which became aggravated after waiting a while, you might tell your family "hey I'm going to go wait on that bench, I'll meet you when you're closer to the front." That's exactly what Disney is doing here, even providing a more formalized process to ensure there you're not walking past a bunch of people as you return to the line. Seems like a pretty fair workaround, especially considering you can bring a plus one with you when you exit + return.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I have started reading the thread referenced here and so far it is just talking about Genie+ how it works why it's bad... I have only found one post about the Universal system. Disclaimer there are over 1000 posts and there are still posts coming in, I have only scratched the surface.

My point was more that quantity of posts doesn't really 'prove' anything. People share opinions back and forth on this forum, and I was not referencing any specific G+ thread.

How to accommodate disabilities is a complicated topic, not just for Disney, but for our society as a whole.

 

[Angel Ariel]

How to accommodate disabilities is a complicated topic, not just for Disney, but for our society as a whole.

Amen. And it's not done very well in many (if not most) places. ADA compliance does not equal accessibility, as is easily on display at most playgrounds.

 

[Grantwil93]

This is think where people are getting lost in what's required vs. not. Just because Disney has thus far been saying "sure you and your whole traveling party can avoid traditional standby queues for your physical disability" doesn't mean this wasn't going above + beyond what they had to do.

Think about waiting in line for a concert or something else. First of all, if you knew waiting in line wasn't an option, you might avoid the concert all together. Second, if you had a disability which became aggravated after waiting a while, you might tell your family "hey I'm going to go wait on that bench, I'll meet you when you're closer to the front." That's exactly what Disney is doing here, even providing a more formalized process to ensure there you're not walking past a bunch of people as you return to the line. Seems like a pretty fair workaround, especially considering you can bring a plus one with you when you exit + return.

Yeah, you would be absolutely amazed at just how little is required by Disney to get the approval of the ADA law people(I don't know who they are) they talk to in the government. Believe me, many CM's are shocked by some of the things about lines, buildings, etc. That the ADA related officials will sign off on for Disney.

Even with these new changes Disney is still miles beyond what is required. Most businesses in the tourism area do more than they are required, because it's in their best interest to do so. As soon as it's not, they won't. It's unfortunate. But it's the reality we live in. Changing the ADA laws for theme parks would ironically be something more worthwhile

 

[Brian]

There seems to be some confusion about what exactly the ADA is. It's not a person nor an agency, it's a law. The public accommodation provision (Title III) is enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and, in most cases, disputes are resolved by the federal courts.

 

[ditzee]

There seems to be some confusion about what exactly the ADA is. It's not a person nor an agency, it's a law. The public accommodation provision (Title III) is enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and, in most cases, disputes are resolved by the federal courts.

I changed my post to if someone wants to file they should file with the Disability Rights Section (DRS) in the Department of Justice. I searched for ADA contact and got this: You can reach the ADA Information Line at 800-XXX-XXXX. I have the number but not sure if it's okay to post it.

 

[OoOHoldmyBowOoO]

I've been trying to write this for days but this is a little personal and I keep crying and deleting half of what I write, even when I try to use humor.

I'm a DAS user who only uses it for long lines. I'm physically disabled and my illness causes severe nerve pain when touched. Most of the lines are designed really well and I don't have to worry until a cast member asks for the space to get filled in. Then I have to deal with someone's dad using my wheelchair as a push up machine, thinking I won't notice. I do notice and the pain is akin to dousing me in gasoline and lighting me on fire.

This has happened every time I have not used DAS for longer waits. No exaggeration.

The rule is this for me; If the line is wide enough that my fiance can body block, we can do 80 min or less. If it's over that, we know there's going to be people around us needing to fidget and they'll use my chair first. It's happened every single time without fail so we know the limit to the normal human brain when presented with "ooh, shiny wheelchair".

I'm trying to minimize being hurt by people because if it's bad enough, that means calling the vacation over early and returning home for treatments so my illness doesn't spread to more limbs, intensifies, etc.

I am very aware I'm not the average DAS user. It's not about the length of wait. I can wait. It's the danger of people around me. I'm clearly not allowed to threaten people with my cane. I can't slap people away. I don't want to make CMs have a more difficult job and arguing that I need more space since I've been injured in the past seems selfish, especially since CMs are going to start a problem with me instead of someone else. It's not worth it.

I want to be safe and this gives me a lot of anxiety. I've been very lucky in the past and had transfusions to keep the pain and damage from worsening, but this just makes me on edge that without DAS I'll just stop being so lucky and that one time will happen and that'll be it. I'll be bedbound for life. It'll be over. I worked so hard to get this far so I could even sit in a wheelchair. I want to enjoy things safely.

I know Disney and life in general can't promise that but just work with me a little, right? I would have already got Genie+ if it meant that kind of safety but it doesn't.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Think about waiting in line for a concert or something else. First of all, if you knew waiting in line wasn't an option, you might avoid the concert all together. Second, if you had a disability which became aggravated after waiting a while, you might tell your family "hey I'm going to go wait on that bench, I'll meet you when you're closer to the front." That's exactly what Disney is doing here, even providing a more formalized process to ensure there you're not walking past a bunch of people as you return to the line. Seems like a pretty fair workaround, especially considering you can bring a plus one with you when you exit + return.

If this works.

Disney doesn't have many benches these days. They also have not designed queues to be easy to exit. I am immediately picturing the Remy queue, for example.

Or what about a person who asks to exit the Test Track queue to use the restroom? The nearest restroom is some distance away.

I'm just trying to picture what this will look like. I'm hoping we get some photos posted to this thread!

 

[Happyday]

My point was more that quantity of posts doesn't really 'prove' anything. People share opinions back and forth on this forum, and I was not referencing any specific G+ thread.

How to accommodate disabilities is a complicated topic, not just for Disney, but for our society as a whole.

As I said I just barely scratched the surface I am looking for the ones specific to Universal's system and why it won't work at WDW. That was the original reason for my checking it out.

 

[Splash4eva]

If this works.

Disney doesn't have many benches these days. They also have not designed queues to be easy to exit. I am immediately picturing the Remy queue, for example.

Or what about a person who asks to exit the Test Track queue to use the restroom? The nearest restroom is some distance away.

I'm just trying to picture what this will look like. I'm hoping we get some photos posted to this thread!

How is someone getting a CM attention in Space?

 

[pigglewiggle]

I've been trying to write this for days but this is a little personal and I keep crying and deleting half of what I write, even when I try to use humor.

I'm a DAS user who only uses it for long lines. I'm physically disabled and my illness causes severe nerve pain when touched. Most of the lines are designed really well and I don't have to worry until a cast member asks for the space to get filled in. Then I have to deal with someone's dad using my wheelchair as a push up machine, thinking I won't notice. I do notice and the pain is akin to dousing me in gasoline and lighting me on fire.

This has happened every time I have not used DAS for longer waits. No exaggeration.

The rule is this for me; If the line is wide enough that my fiance can body block, we can do 80 min or less. If it's over that, we know there's going to be people around us needing to fidget and they'll use my chair first. It's happened every single time without fail so we know the limit to the normal human brain when presented with "ooh, shiny wheelchair".

I'm trying to minimize being hurt by people because if it's bad enough, that means calling the vacation over early and returning home for treatments so my illness doesn't spread to more limbs, intensifies, etc.

I am very aware I'm not the average DAS user. It's not about the length of wait. I can wait. It's the danger of people around me. I'm clearly not allowed to threaten people with my cane. I can't slap people away. I don't want to make CMs have a more difficult job and arguing that I need more space since I've been injured in the past seems selfish, especially since CMs are going to start a problem with me instead of someone else. It's not worth it.

I want to be safe and this gives me a lot of anxiety. I've been very lucky in the past and had transfusions to keep the pain and damage from worsening, but this just makes me on edge that without DAS I'll just stop being so lucky and that one time will happen and that'll be it. I'll be bedbound for life. It'll be over. I worked so hard to get this far so I could even sit in a wheelchair. I want to enjoy things safely.

I know Disney and life in general can't promise that but just work with me a little, right? I would have already got Genie+ if it meant that kind of safety but it doesn't.

This sounds awful. All I can say is I feel terrible for you and I'm honestly impressed you can even leave your house without the fear of accidentally being touched.

I wish you all the best.

 

[Happyday]

I've been trying to write this for days but this is a little personal and I keep crying and deleting half of what I write, even when I try to use humor.

I'm a DAS user who only uses it for long lines. I'm physically disabled and my illness causes severe nerve pain when touched. Most of the lines are designed really well and I don't have to worry until a cast member asks for the space to get filled in. Then I have to deal with someone's dad using my wheelchair as a push up machine, thinking I won't notice. I do notice and the pain is akin to dousing me in gasoline and lighting me on fire.

This has happened every time I have not used DAS for longer waits. No exaggeration.

The rule is this for me; If the line is wide enough that my fiance can body block, we can do 80 min or less. If it's over that, we know there's going to be people around us needing to fidget and they'll use my chair first. It's happened every single time without fail so we know the limit to the normal human brain when presented with "ooh, shiny wheelchair".

I'm trying to minimize being hurt by people because if it's bad enough, that means calling the vacation over early and returning home for treatments so my illness doesn't spread to more limbs, intensifies, etc.

I am very aware I'm not the average DAS user. It's not about the length of wait. I can wait. It's the danger of people around me. I'm clearly not allowed to threaten people with my cane. I can't slap people away. I don't want to make CMs have a more difficult job and arguing that I need more space since I've been injured in the past seems selfish, especially since CMs are going to start a problem with me instead of someone else. It's not worth it.

I want to be safe and this gives me a lot of anxiety. I've been very lucky in the past and had transfusions to keep the pain and damage from worsening, but this just makes me on edge that without DAS I'll just stop being so lucky and that one time will happen and that'll be it. I'll be bedbound for life. It'll be over. I worked so hard to get this far so I could even sit in a wheelchair. I want to enjoy things safely.

I know Disney and life in general can't promise that but just work with me a little, right? I would have already got Genie+ if it meant that kind of safety but it doesn't.

I am sitting here getting upset for you! As someone who has been around a lot of different disabilities both developmental and physical this brings up feelings of wanting to 'train' everyone so I will start here and ask that you pass this along. DO NOT touch someone's wheelchair unless you ask, if you accidentally do touch it apologize. Treat a person's wheelchair as part of their body, you wouldn't walk up to a stranger and lean on their shoulder or any other part of their body uninvited would you?
Sorry but this is just common courtesy and really rude.
While I'm on a roll watch where you are walking and don't expect to just cut in front of someone in a wheelchair you are opening yourself up for bruises and scrapes. Yes there are people that use strollers and other devices as a weapon but just be aware that if you would not cut in front of someone walking don't do it to a stroller, wheelchair or ECV.
Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine!

 

[Tsuri'limay]

If this is true, it's long overdue. I'd love to be a fly on the wall to some meltdowns, though.

The verification is supposedly via a video call instead of at the park in Guest Relations. That should greatly reduce the public drama.

 

[TrojanUSC]

How is someone getting a CM attention in Space?

I don't know why people keep thinking they will be lost without a CM in sight. In Space, if you're before the merge point, you either return up the long hallway and speak to a CM at the front. If you're past the merge point, you'd go back and speak to a CM at the merge point who will probably direct you downstairs to the main exit walkway.

Even trickier rides like Rise of the Resistance have CMs at several points along the way.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

How is someone getting a CM attention in Space?

Yes, it would be great to have more information on how this will actually work.

I'd like to think it is possible for guests to be able to exit and re-enter a queue, but none of the current queues were designed for this option.

Today's parkgoers are also not always inclined to be kind to each other.

If the person in front of you needs to leave the queue, how are they going to do that- WITHOUT having to disclose why they are leaving the queue? (potentially sensitive information)

Do you really want to know that the guy in front of you is about to lose his bowels? How magical!

 

[TrojanUSC]

I've been trying to write this for days but this is a little personal and I keep crying and deleting half of what I write, even when I try to use humor.

I'm a DAS user who only uses it for long lines. I'm physically disabled and my illness causes severe nerve pain when touched. Most of the lines are designed really well and I don't have to worry until a cast member asks for the space to get filled in. Then I have to deal with someone's dad using my wheelchair as a push up machine, thinking I won't notice. I do notice and the pain is akin to dousing me in gasoline and lighting me on fire.

This has happened every time I have not used DAS for longer waits. No exaggeration.

The rule is this for me; If the line is wide enough that my fiance can body block, we can do 80 min or less. If it's over that, we know there's going to be people around us needing to fidget and they'll use my chair first. It's happened every single time without fail so we know the limit to the normal human brain when presented with "ooh, shiny wheelchair".

I'm trying to minimize being hurt by people because if it's bad enough, that means calling the vacation over early and returning home for treatments so my illness doesn't spread to more limbs, intensifies, etc.

I am very aware I'm not the average DAS user. It's not about the length of wait. I can wait. It's the danger of people around me. I'm clearly not allowed to threaten people with my cane. I can't slap people away. I don't want to make CMs have a more difficult job and arguing that I need more space since I've been injured in the past seems selfish, especially since CMs are going to start a problem with me instead of someone else. It's not worth it.

I want to be safe and this gives me a lot of anxiety. I've been very lucky in the past and had transfusions to keep the pain and damage from worsening, but this just makes me on edge that without DAS I'll just stop being so lucky and that one time will happen and that'll be it. I'll be bedbound for life. It'll be over. I worked so hard to get this far so I could even sit in a wheelchair. I want to enjoy things safely.

I know Disney and life in general can't promise that but just work with me a little, right? I would have already got Genie+ if it meant that kind of safety but it doesn't.

First of all I can't imagine what you go through on a daily basis. Sounds absolutely awful. I'm so sorry.

I'm genuinely curious, though, and this is not to downplay what you're going through, at all, but nearly all of the "please fill in all of the available space" type requests happen at points after which DAS will be useful. For example how do you cope with situations like at The Haunted Mansion pre-show, the Tower of Terror library, etc. It's the "large open room" type spaces where guests are often forced to huddle together to fit everyone in. It's exceedingly rare for cast members to be in standby queues asking guests to fill in the available space. By the same token, I'm surprised that LLs are any less dense than the standby lines, they just are often shorter and getting more people through per hour.

None of this is to doubt what you're going through, but I'm just trying to understand how DAS can be helpful in your case (and others like it) given the above.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

what Disney is doing now is similar to Universal

Universal’s Express Pass Queue’s are not similar to Disney’s Lightning Lanes. In theory they are supposed to be half the posted wait of standby. They are often better than that but they’re certainly not the 5–15 minutes you can expect at WDW either for the headliners.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The only tweak will be reverting back to the original system. Wait and see.

Lol, the odds of them going back to the original system are roughly the same as them going back to free fast pass. 0.0 percent.