New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[SamusAranX]

Best comment in the thread. Your point in #4 is the best. These systems can change overnight because they aren't any kind of formal pass or accommodation. If it's broken, they can adjust.

If people figure out how to get CM's to hand out return passes and it's becomes an issue, they can stamp that down with an easy update to CM's. Whether these changes are good or not is up for debate. But this upheaval with DAS is a harder adjustment than curbing abuse in the alternate accommodations will be.

Someone in the thread already referenced that they’re going to be watching how many RTQs are issued like a hawk. Too many and CM will invoke suspicion. Wonder if it’s true

 

[Chi84]

There’s a legal aspect to this but even more important, in my opinion, is the business aspect of it. Disney is known for being Disability friendly, Pooh size friendly, family friendly, etc, if they lose that image they’re going to lose a lot of guests.

If dad and son now spend half their day standing in lines separate from mom and disabled daughter that family vacation really isn’t a family vacation anymore.

And this is why I think Disney has started out overly generous and is limiting only as needed. Unfortunately, their business model now has them selling an expensive yet inferior product to both disabled and non disabled people. The fact that the accommodation given to the disabled is highly valued by those who don't need it but choose to buy an inferior version of it is an issue that's not going away.

 

[KrzyKtty]

I would actually say it slightly differently - in that there's a difference between ADA compliance and accessibility.

ADA compliance does not always actually mean something is then accessible to someone with disabilities. Look at playgrounds, for ex. Many if not most have an adapted swing. But to get to that swing, someone in a wheelchair or using a gait trainer often has to traverse mulch (which is also ADA compliant) - but mulch is not actually *accessible,* and so often the population intended to have access to that swing can't use it because they can't get to it.

The ADA is helpful in many ways, but it often falls short of actual accessibility.

I agree, but I was more speaking on the legal aspect. I have seen many posts speaking to lawsuits for not meeting Disability law with these new rules. Simplifying, legally what a company has to do, and maybe what they SHOULD do, are two very different things.

Take that very employee for example. He flies for us all over the world to do work for the DOD. He spends at least 1/3 of his year on the road. I would have loved to buy him that seat, because at that point, he deserves the comfort. But legally, what I can get the government to pay for is very different. If he is already getting more than the bare minimum of others, then all I can give him is the bare minimum of what his accommodation was written as and still bill the cost. Might not be the most fair or accessible for him, but legally, that is what was required. It is still a business, and the bottom line matters. Same with Disney. If they for some reason had a reason to believe that the current DAS was hurting their bottom line somehow, then all they have to do is make sure they are meeting legal minimums even at the cost of accessibility.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I agree, but I was more speaking on the legal aspect. I have seen many posts speaking to lawsuits for not meeting Disability law with these new rules. Simplifying, legally what a company has to do, and maybe what they SHOULD do, are two very different things.

Take that very employee for example. He flies for us all over the world to do work for the DOD. He spends at least 1/3 of his year on the road. I would have loved to buy him that seat, because at that point, he deserves the comfort. But legally, what I can get the government to pay for is very different. If he is already getting more than the bare minimum of others, then all I can give him is the bare minimum of what his accommodation was written as and still bill the cost. Might not be the most fair or accessible for him, but legally, that is what was required. It is still a business, and the bottom line matters. Same with Disney. If they for some reason had a reason to believe that the current DAS was hurting their bottom line somehow, then all they have to do is make sure they are meeting legal minimums even at the cost of accessibility.

We are saying the same thing ADA compliance is the bare minimum, and what is legally required. Accessibility is a different standard. One can be doing what is legally required by the ADA and still not be providing accessibility.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

A forum dedicated to making fun of really bad guest behavior, not disabilities.

Huh? When did I say the purpose was to make fun of people with disabilities?

I didn't.

 

[KrzyKtty]

I do think if people are on TicTok though, there is an air of more doom and gloom than what will be the reality for most people.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I do think if people are on TicTok though, there is an air of more doom and gloom than what will be the reality for most people.

Oh yeah that's a dark place I don't go.

 

[ditzee]

There’s a legal aspect to this but even more important, in my opinion, is the business aspect of it. Disney is known for being Disability friendly, Pooh size friendly, family friendly, etc, if they lose that image they’re going to lose a lot of guests.

If dad and son now spend half their day standing in lines separate from mom and disabled daughter that family vacation really isn’t a family vacation anymore.

Absolutely - Disney has turned off a lot of disabled people from what I'm reading. The theme parks known for inclusivity are no longer inclusive. Families are saying nope because they don't want to be separated during the trip. Some are afraid to even call Disney DAS reps because they're afraid they'll be refused. Instead, they're not going at all. Who would have ever thought that people would be afraid of Disney? This is a terrible look.
I know Disney did more. That may have been a stupid move in the first place. You give someone a beautiful chair and pull it when they go to sit. The chair is not so beautiful anymore.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Too many and CM will invoke suspicion.

Which is another issue - if the new accommodation os RTQ and that is being given out by attraction greeters that is giving judgement on who should and shouldn’t be granted a RTQ to front line CM’s.

If RTQ = reasonable accommodation and that reasonable accommodation is denied…. What now?

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Absolutely - Disney has turned off a lot of disabled people from what I'm reading. The theme parks known for inclusivity are no longer inclusive. Families are saying nope because they don't want to be separated during the trip. Some are afraid to even call Disney DAS reps because they're afraid they'll be refused. Instead, they're not going at all. Who would have ever thought that people would be afraid of Disney? This is a terrible look.
I know Disney did more. That may have been a stupid move in the first place. You give someone a beautiful chair and pull it when they go to sit. The chair is not so beautiful anymore.

Disney has replaced everybody’s chair with something less beautiful in recent years.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Disney has replaced everybody’s chair with something less beautiful in recent years.

DAS didn't make people immune to this, despite assertions here to the contrary.

 

[flynnibus]

If RTQ = reasonable accommodation and that reasonable accommodation is denied…. What now?

Your point is right on…

Disney isn’t going to have greeter attraction CMs making judgement calls that can result in a lawsuit like this. They don’t trust CMs like that… and default to being cautious. So this notion that CMs are going to be some judgement based gatekeeper is completely counter to everything else Disney does.

And there won’t be the bandwidth to be invoking leader intervention all over the place.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

DAS didn't make people immune to this, despite assertions here to the contrary.

Not entirely no, but my point is that they’ve done this across the board in recent years. They’ve forced all of us to accept what can feel like a lesser experience for more money, or opt out of visiting.

This isn’t a unique concept they’re reserving for guests with disabilities, they are not just ‘taking their chair’ while everybody else is running around with the promised beautiful ones.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Your point is right on…

Disney isn’t going to have greeter attraction CMs making judgement calls that can result in a lawsuit like this. They don’t trust CMs like that… and default to being cautious. So this notion that CMs are going to be some judgement based gatekeeper is completely counter to everything else Disney does.

And there won’t be the bandwidth to be invoking leader intervention all over the place.

Exactly.

Last time I was at WDW was summer of 22. While we were waiting in line for Splash Mountain to begin running, daughter has to use the RR. Luckily there was the rare CM close by. Let us right out, and got back in line with our family closer up by the stairs, with CM assistance again. Wasn't a big deal, and wasn't even a formal thing then. No big parade about it really. Granted, we weren't the only ones since we had been waiting for the line to move for 40 minutes, but they did the same for the other.

Now, the stupidity of waiting for the ride to start in the morning rather than get out and do something else is another thing ROFL. But I wanted to make sure we rode on it one last time before it went down.

 

[George]

I’m gonna save up my RTQs and AQRs for years and years, and then after a decade or so have the vacation of a lifetime. Might even be able to legally have them re-open a defunct attraction. “On May 18, 2025 you said I could return to queue. At no time was the day specified.” It will be like the Dixie Landings refill mugs.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Huh? When did I say the purpose was to make fun of people with disabilities?

I didn't.

You posted that in response to some posters indicating that cast members were laughing at people with disabilities on these calls, which most of us found to be unbelievable.

 

[Grantwil93]

Your point is right on…

Disney isn’t going to have greeter attraction CMs making judgement calls that can result in a lawsuit like this. They don’t trust CMs like that… and default to being cautious. So this notion that CMs are going to be some judgement based gatekeeper is completely counter to everything else Disney does.

And there won’t be the bandwidth to be invoking leader intervention all over the place.

I can confirm I was told directly that Disney was tracking how many of these new passes greeter CM's are giving out(CM'S have to sign in to use the podiums and ipads) and you should almost never be giving them out. If they are giving out some every couple minutes, they will get pulled into an investigation about how many they are issuing. Disney is not encouraging the widespread distribution of these passes

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Your point is right on…

Disney isn’t going to have greeter attraction CMs making judgement calls that can result in a lawsuit like this. They don’t trust CMs like that… and default to being cautious. So this notion that CMs are going to be some judgement based gatekeeper is completely counter to everything else Disney does.

And there won’t be the bandwidth to be invoking leader intervention all over the place.

Yeah, this isn’t going to be an issue. If it’s abused though they’ll just tighten it systemically further. I also think people keep conflating the RTQ return times with the (whatever they’re calling it) queue exit and return to lightning lane to meet party thing. The latter isn’t going to be denied IMO.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I can confirm I was told directly that Disney was tracking how many of these new passes greeter CM's are giving out(CM'S have to sign in to use the podiums and ipads) and you should almost never be giving them out. If they are giving out some every couple minutes, they will get pulled into an investigation about how many they are issuing. Disney is not encouraging the widespread distribution of these passes

To be clear though, you’re talking about the passes that essentially give you a return time, not the situation where someone leaves a standby queue (with the rest of their party still in it) for an emergency, and then is permitted to enter the LL to meet their party at the merge, right?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I thought anyone can use that.

There are two separate things and people are conflating them. One is the return time, whic h should be given out sparingly, the other is the emergency leave the queue and then meet your party at the merge by re-entering the lightning lane. At least that’s what’s being posted by insiders/cast members on several different forums.