New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The key difference is that RTQ makes abusing it a pain in the a*s. If you're a party of 4, two people in your group still have to wait. Then you + 1 other have to backtrack through the queue, go wait somewhere for an indefinite amount of time, then try to coordinate getting back to merge to meet them. It's not a free for all.

Yes technically a party of 2 someone could enter the line, then 10 minutes later leave and request a RTQ to enter the LL, but these feel like the fact you're now dealing with actual people and having to lie to them multiple times throughout the day would be enough of a deterrent, especially if there's some process they have to determine who is using it with regularity and/or not meeting up with their party.

I think the risk of abuse will come from parties of two or families with only 1 adult present. No CM is going to ask young kids to stand in line alone while mom takes the third to the bathroom, they’ll let them leave and give them a return to line pass, how long is it going to take for that family to discover they can skip the 45 minute line and return to the LL before it becomes a trend? Likely the same for parties of 2, I can’t imagine a CM is going to make 1 stand in line while the other is having an anxiety attack or other medical issue, they’re going to let them both leave and give them a return pass for the LL.

Maybe they have safeguards built in to prevent this but until we actually experience the system it’s all speculation. Those saying it’s doomsday are speculating, those saying it’ll be fine are speculating, until we all experience it it’s all speculation.

 

[Chi84]

People will cheat less when it’s more difficult or they won’t get as much.

 

[Dranth]

No, I did not. I don’t know what you’re finding so hard to understand. The operational problems caused by DAS are because it is a virtual queue system. There are other virtual queue systems in use that could also be targeted for reduction instead of just the one intended for those with disabilities.

According to insiders the biggest use of VQ is DAS so why would Disney target G+? One has rampant abuse/overuse and an unlimited potential to clog lines with no restrictions while the other is 100% legit users who paid for a service that has built in limits.

 

[DisneyHead123]

People will cheat less when it’s more difficult or they won’t get as much.

It’s a very interesting question. I think you could make the case that they will cheat more when they won’t get as much. Which feels more palatable - calling in sick for one day when you’re not really that sick, or taking short term disability for three months when you’re not really that sick? Smaller gains are easier for people to morally justify.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I think everyone is picturing a large family group though. Plenty of the people who go to the parks are couples and small friend groups. I don’t know that they’ll care about riding a handful of rides at similar times but not seated together.

But in that scenario they would benefit from rider swap, not RTQ, and if they want to do that, who cares? The point of this is to reduce the terribly disruptive impact that giving so many people DAS has, and this will definitely do that.

 

[Chi84]

It’s a very interesting question. I think you could make the case that they will cheat more when they won’t get as much. Which feels more palatable - calling in sick for one day when you’re not really that sick, or taking short term disability for three months when you’re not really that sick? Smaller gains are easier for people to morally justify.

No, I don’t agree with that at all. The stakes are much higher with a job as opposed to a theme park.

 

[dreamfinder912]

I feel like we should all place our wagers now so we can come back in a year and see who owes who a beer.

I don't actually see why it would be difficult for people to get away with fake "bathroom skips" multiple times. Or whatever - fake anxiety skips, fake sensory overwhelm skips, etc. It might be inconvenient for large parties - but even there, people surprise me. But for a party of two or three friends who came to the parks together? Disney has no record of when they entered the line. Is the harried CM overseeing a steady stream of people going to recall two or three random faces? If they're planning on leaving the line, they could easily stagger themselves vs. entering together. Furthermore, if questioned, they could easily say they have IBS / anxiety / etc. and they are doing exactly what Disney wants people with those conditions to do - utilize the RTQ option.

Or, alternately, maybe they don't plan it that way. But this system becomes fairly normalized, and a husband and wife or two or three friends are standing in line and go "Ugh. This line is taking forever. Does that special effect look scary to you? Yeah me too. I think maybe my "anxiety" is flaring up". Nudge nudge giggle giggle. Again, they stagger their exits. If anyone asks (which why would they,) they met and bonded online specifically because they both have the same medical issue.

DAS users are tracked in Disney's system. RTQ users, as I understand it, will not be. That gives them a great deal of leeway. They can say they have whatever medical condition, assume the CMs will not remember them (which they probably won't), and so on. The TikTokers will have a field day with this because it's a new "hack" that will drive tons of new views.

I may be totally wrong of course. I totally accept that at this point, none of us know for sure. But if we're placing bets and want to check back a year from now - my bet is that abuse of this system will be as bad or worse as abuse of DAS has been, and will be more disruptive because it involves people shoving their way out of lines.

This is what I'm worried about, but because I don't know how bad I have to let myself get before I leave a line so Disney doesn't accuse ME of gaming the system they've told me to use.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

This is what I'm worried about, but because I don't know how bad I have to let myself get before I leave a line so Disney doesn't accuse ME of gaming the system they've told me to use.

As indicated I doubt Disney will do anything ever, just like they haven’t really done anything (except to ban third party tour guides) during every previous iteration of this system even when confronted with massive abuse. The effort/benefit analysis of this newest system is also so skewed as to make most methods of “abuse” just not worth a whole lot, and minimally disruptive to overall ops anyway. It’s really pretty well designed in that regard. That’s also probably part of the reason why so many people are so angry about it.

 

[Chi84]

According to insiders the biggest use of VQ is DAS so why would Disney target G+? One has rampant abuse/overuse and an unlimited potential to clog lines with no restrictions while the other is 100% legit users who paid for a service that has built in limits.

He can’t be saying to reduce Genie+ or ILL capacity instead of addressing DAS. I admit I don’t understand but I don’t think it’s because I’m simple-minded.

 

[DisneyHead123]

But in that scenario they would benefit from rider swap, not RTQ, and if they want to do that, who cares? The point of this is to reduce the terribly disruptive impact that giving so many people DAS has, and this will definitely do that.

?

I mean same aged friends. Not sure how rider swap would apply.

 

[DisneyHead123]

No, I don’t agree with that at all. The stakes are much higher with a job as opposed to a theme park.

I think the general principle applies across the board though. People can justify minor things as no big deal.

I guess we’ll see though. Like I said, let’s revisit this thread in a year and see who owes who a beer, lol.

 

[DisneyHead123]

This is what I'm worried about, but because I don't know how bad I have to let myself get before I leave a line so Disney doesn't accuse ME of gaming the system they've told me to use.

Sadly I think it’s honest people who worry about things like this, while cheaters will do their thing with no qualms.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Sadly I think it’s honest people who worry about things like this, while cheaters will do their thing with no qualms.

Dreamfinders concern matches my girlfriend’s, she hasn’t done her call yet but she said she’s going to present her medical paperwork and doctors notes (that we still have from our DL Paris trip) and if she doesn’t qualify based on that she’s not even going to try to argue her case, she’s far more worried about getting banned than she is about keeping DAS.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Dreamfinders concern matches my girlfriend’s, she hasn’t done her call yet but she said she’s going to present her medical paperwork and doctors notes (that we still have from our DL Paris trip) and if she doesn’t qualify based on that she’s not even going to try to argue her case, she’s far more worried about getting banned than she is about keeping DAS.

It’s so crappy that honest people are in that kind of position right now. I hope as the dust settles with this new protocol that they come up with better solutions for people with genuine needs.

 

[Joel]

I feel like we should all place our wagers now so we can come back in a year and see who owes who a beer.

I would bet my car against some of the predictions made in this thread (especially the more histrionic ones that make it sound like the standby lines are going to turn into a scene from Mad Max). Unfortunately for everyone else, my car is a 20+ year old Cavalier. It's still in pretty good condition, though, all things considered.

DAS users are tracked in Disney's system. RTQ users, as I understand it, will not be.

They apparently will be, according to this:

If none of these things work, CM's can give out the "return to queue" passes. But CM's have to sign into the podiums or iPads when they are in charge of the scanners or issuing redemptions. And Disney will be heavily auditing when these passes are given out. CM's better have a good reason to give one out and it's been made clear that if they even remotely question how many you are issuing, you will have to explain yourself in a formal meeting/investigation. Basically, CM's aren't going to give these out like candy unless they are stupid. Abd it's not even a good option, cause it's essentially DAS but you have to physically walk to the ride and you are beholden to your pass being based on the posted wait time. And if you are getting tons of these passes all the time, Disney is gonna know and will follow up(tour guides/influencer prevention), because they aren't a DAS alternative. It's a different accommodation.

My stance is this:

1. DAS was zero risk, high convenience, extremely high reward and was available to anyone who wanted to get it. None of these other accommodations are remotely as good as DAS, are much less convenient, and entail at least some risk of you getting caught if done often enough.
2. AQR is essentially something people have been able to do since forever (they just had to wade through the standby line instead of rejoining via the Lightning Lane). It's very much not ideal, which is why people are rightly concerned about how it will work for those needing to use it for legitimate reasons.
3. RTQ is probably not going to be something you'll get away with using frequently without a really good reason.
4. If these line return systems are abused, Disney will simply adjust/restrict them further without so much as an announcement. It will be far easier to do than the upheaval going on now.
5. Even if literally everyone who previously used (not just "abused") DAS engages in constant line-return trickery throughout their entire trip (obviously not a realistic scenario), they will still use up far less overall attraction capacity than they were able to with DAS and will have to do a lot more walking to do it. With DAS, you could virtually wait in line for Space Mountain while physically waiting in the standby line for Big Thunder. No one is ever going to do the equivalent of that using any of these "totally awesome park hacks", and it doesn't even make much sense to bother with at all in EPCOT or AK.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I would bet my car against some of the predictions made in this thread (especially the more histrionic ones that make it sound like the standby lines are going to turn into a scene from Mad Max). Unfortunately for everyone else, my car is a 20+ year old Cavalier. It's still in pretty good condition, though, all things considered.

I have probably made some of the more “histrionic” predictions! I’m quite anxious, and anxiety tends to be a chronic state of fearing worst-ish case scenarios.

They apparently will be, according to this:


My stance is this:

1. DAS was zero risk, high convenience, extremely high reward and was available to anyone who wanted to get it. None of these other accommodations are remotely as good as DAS, are much less convenient, and entail at least some risk of you getting caught if done often enough.
2. AQR is essentially something people have been able to do since forever (they just had to wade through the standby line instead of rejoining via the Lightning Lane). It's very much not ideal, which is why people are rightly concerned about how it will work for those needing to use it for legitimate reasons.
3. RTQ is probably not going to be something you'll get away with using frequently without a really good reason.
4. If these line return systems are abused, Disney will simply adjust/restrict them further without so much as an announcement. It will be far easier to do than the upheaval going on now.
5. Even if literally everyone who previously used (not just "abused") DAS engages in constant line-return trickery throughout their entire trip (obviously not a realistic scenario), they will still use up far less overall attraction capacity than they were able to with DAS and will have to do a lot more walking to do it. With DAS, you could virtually wait in line for Space Mountain while physically waiting in the standby line for Big Thunder. No one is ever going to do the equivalent of that using any of these "totally awesome park hacks", and it doesn't even make much sense to bother with at all in EPCOT or AK.

I see your rationale. But I also think RTQ will be far more accessible to a much broader audience. Quite possible that people who never would have applied for a “formal” accommodation will see no issue with ducking out of line for a moment to pee. We’ll see I guess.

 

[maemae74]

Happy to see this. I hope all folks who cancel because of this flawed new DAS system can cancel in the same way.

Is the system flawed or the many of the users flawed? The amount of people in the DAS TIK TOK community who claim they need DAS but don't is astonishing. There is a young woman on there who said she could spontaneously throw up at any time so she needs it. When questioned about what if you need to throw up while on the ride she claims that never happens :O . Another one saying he can't regulate his body temperature but only wants to visit in the summer months which sounds dangerous to me. He was given the option of waiting somewhere in the AC but is complaining about being split up from his family for the wait which IMOP is not an unreasonable suggestion . I think many of them want what they want and that is it. This is an extra Disney offers and if it no longer fits your needs than a reevaluation of your vacation destination may be in order. No one is entitled to a Disney vacation in fact many people never get the opportunity much less multiple visits. Once again the old saying of the good will now suffer for the bad fits.

I have a parent who qualified under the old system because of a stroke. Looks like now they will be eligible to join us in line when we are ready to ride . That seems fair.

 

[dreamfinder912]

Sadly I think it’s honest people who worry about things like this, while cheaters will do their thing with no qualms.

While comforting in a forum (not being believed is a very common issue for disabled folks) Disney can't see my intent. They can only track my stats. And having Drs notes on hand if I'm ever questioned won't save me either, because they refuse to look at them. So I have to balance protecting myself and protecting my pass. I hope in practice it's much easier than how it's been explained so far.

 

[maemae74]

Is Disney basically offering a free G+ do individuals who now qualify for DAS?

 

[The Mom]

Again, please be polite. Choose your words carefully - try not to make replies personal. This leads to arguments.

Please remember that no one has experience using this new system. It may be a disaster and unworkable for some; it may be fine for others; it most likely will be somewhere in the middle for most guests, depending upon individual needs.

But constantly arguing about it here is not going to change anything.