New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[KrzyKtty]

It getting to a point that it was unsustainable and saying it was wrong are different things.

Virtually everyone in this thread has acknowledged it got to a point where it was unsustainable and required changes (myself included).

True. But I think the way they went about changing it signals at least on some level that they do not believe the major problem was people lying to get the system.

 

[KrzyKtty]

And let me just clarify that.I am not judging in anyway how anybody used the system. I honestly do not have a dog in that fight. Between touring plans and LL, I rarely wait more than thirty minutes for a ride anyway. And while the new system is not ideal.I am blessed enough to be in a tax bracket where it doesn't bother me.

I'm simply pointing out Disney's actions clearly point out where they thought the problem was.

 

[TrojanUSC]

I don’t really know why people think wait times will meaningfully change. The LL:SB ratio will remain unchanged. LLs will never be a walk on, so the standby differences will probably be negligible

I am a frequent reader and first time poster on this forum, and I had a few questions that I wanted to ask/ comments that I wanted to make.



I have used DAS in the past at WDW and its counterpart in Disney Land Paris. I have a well documented neurological disability that makes standing in queues impossible for me since I cannot stand for long periods of time, nor can I tolerate heat as it will cause me attacks. Given that I have been hospitalized before, and I can easily be hospitalized again, I use accommodations in my daily life to prevent exacerbations. This new system is scaring me that I might not be able to return to WDW again. I could never wait in a standard queue as it would be far too long and too much walking for me to handle. As it is, I struggle tremendously just walking in the parks. DAS was a savior as it enabled me to sit in a cool, shaded area while I awaited my time and then returned. The fact that they are now limiting this service, presumably, only to those guests with cognitive disabilities does not exactly seem fair. What about those of us who limit their use of mobility devices? I am honestly not supposed to rely on wheelchairs or mobility aids as it leads to setbacks in my ambulatory progress, so telling me that that is the only solution I can pursue seems unreasonable.



So now that I have explained my own personal feeling about DAS and what it means to me, my questions are as follows: would a person such as myself qualify for DAS under the new rules? And if not, what accommodations could they possibly provide?



The fact that you cannot even speak with a representative to get a determination of the approved accommodations before purchasing a ticket is unreasonable. I do not think I could feasibly return if the accommodations were completely removed. I would honestly rather WDW just ask me for all my proof of Disability like Paris did. I have the America the Beautiful Pass and a letter from my doctor. They did not even need the latter. They simply processed my pass and approved my accommodation. Why can’t they implement something like that here? I guarantee there will be less people seeking DAS since getting approved for the America the Beautiful Pass requires actual documentation.

Only Disney can say for sure, but you likely won't qualify. They would direct you to utilize a wheelchair or an ECV if you're unable to stand in a queue for long periods. While you're not supposed to rely on wheelchairs or mobility aids in your day to day life, a few day visit to a theme park is a big undertaking that does require lots of walking and standing, so it may be worthwhile to use these devices where needed to make sure you're able to enjoy what you love about WDW.

They're offering a few options apart from DAS which also may be beneficial. Your best bet would be to speak with a cast member at the attraction to see what they might suggestion. Such accommodations may be offering you:

1) The ability to leave the queue while the rest of your party waits, then you meet them just prior to boarding.
2) Giving you a return time to ride later in the day.
3) Offering a rider swap option, where you wait with someone in an air conditioned environment while the rest of your family rides. Once they finish, you and the person who waited can enter via the Lightning Lane to experience the attraction.

 

[Angel Ariel]

True. But I think the way they went about changing it signals at least on some level that they do not believe the major problem was people lying to get the system.

Agreed - but that still indicates unsustainability and not that anyone was doing anything "wrong" - just that Disney realized the number of people qualifying for DAS was increasing (keep in mind we had a pandemic that significantly increased the rate of disability identification beyond what had been typical prior) and they couldn't continue to offer this accommodation as the main accommodation for everyone. Recognizing that doesn't mean any judgment that people were doing anything wrong.

If Disney thought it was wrong for DAS users to use standby for a ride that has a short wait while waiting for a DAS return time to open they wouldn't still be telling those who qualify for DAS to do that. And the site still - after all the changes - explicitly tells DAS users to use DAS this way. Instead they're altering who qualifies for DAS, which speaks more to the fact that this accommodation couldn't keep up with the rising rate of disability identification.

From the site just now:

 

[KrzyKtty]

Agreed - but that still indicates unsustainability and not that anyone was doing anything "wrong" - just that Disney realized the number of people qualifying for DAS was increasing (keep in mind we had a pandemic that significantly increased the rate of disability identification beyond what had been typical prior) and they couldn't continue to offer this accommodation as the main accommodation for everyone. Recognizing that doesn't mean any judgment that people were doing anything wrong.

If Disney thought it was wrong for DAS users to use standby for a ride that has a short wait while waiting for a DAS return time to become available, they wouldn't still be telling those who qualify for DAS to do that. And the site still - after all the changes - explicitly tells DAS users to use DAS this way. Instead they're altering who qualifies for DAS, which speaks more to the fact that this accommodation couldn't keep up with the rising rate of disability identification.

I'm not sure this is something everyone will ever agree on and the only people that can speak to it are never gonna.

But no, I doubt the issue is ever using it when a shortline existed. If that was the case , they would also block LL in those cases. I think if they may have realized if anything was a mistake on their part ( as in Disney,) it would be giving somebody with heat intolerance a pass for example and then not having any limitations on using it on lines that were completely air conditioned indoors. But once again I think the company realized their fallacy more than putting the blame on individual users. See the birth of the AQR? Or whatever that acronym is. Paper DAS knock off from the best I can tell. One that would help somebody that could wait perfectly fine for a line indoors , but maybe not for one outdoors at 1 in 100 degree heat.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm not sure this is something everyone will ever agree on and the only people that can speak to it are never gonna.

But no, I doubt the issue is ever using it when a shortline existed. If that was the case , they would also block LL in those cases. I think if they may have realized if anything was a mistake on their part ( as in Disney,) it would be giving somebody with heat intolerance a pass for example and then not having any limitations on using it on lines that were completely air conditioned indoors. But once again I think the company realized their fallacy more than putting the blame on individual users. See the birth of the AQR? Or whatever that acronym is. Paper DAS knock off from the best I can tell. One that would help somebody that could wait perfectly fine for a line indoors , but maybe not for one outdoors at 1 in 100 degree heat.

AQR is the enter the line, leave the line when you need to, then you can come back and wait at the lightning lane merge for your party (or your party, I guess, waits for you there depending on how long it takes). This is available to everyone, regardless of disability.

Return to Queue (RTQ) is what you're talking about that is similar to DAS from pre-digital times. Except, unlike then, it's not approved by guest relations or accessibility team, it's something where needs now have to be explained at every attraction and the CM at every attraction now determines whether the need qualifies for RTQ or not. The Accessibility Team is telling people this is an option for them just as they are saying AQR is an option, but it is unclear at this time whether there are any behind-the-scenes notes for CMs to see that the Accessibility Team recommended RTQ for a person. It's also being tracked and has been reported by a CM (in this thread or somewhere else, I'm not sure) - that this is supposed to be given very infrequently, it will be audited, and CMs will get in trouble if giving it too often.

I feel bad for attraction CMs now being put on the front line for this in a way they never have been before, and I sincerely hope that Disney is making notes available on the backend for CMs to see whether the accessibility team recommended RTQ or not.

 

[KrzyKtty]

AQR is the enter the line, leave the line when you need to, then you can come back and wait at the lightning lane merge for your party (or your party, I guess, waits for you there depending on how long it takes). This is available to everyone, regardless of disability.

Return to Queue (RTQ) is what you're talking about that is similar to DAS from pre-digital times. Except, unlike then, it's not approved by guest relations or accessibility team, it's something where needs now have to be explained at every attraction and the CM at every attraction now determines whether the need qualifies for RTQ or not. The Accessibility Team is telling people this is an option for them just as they are saying AQR is an option, but it is unclear at this time whether there are any behind-the-scenes notes for CMs to see that the Accessibility Team recommended RTQ for a person. It's also being tracked and has been reported by a CM (in this thread or somewhere else, I'm not sure) - that this is supposed to be given very infrequently, it will be audited, and CMs will get in trouble if giving it too often.

I feel bad for attraction CMs now being put on the front line for this in a way they never have been before, and I sincerely hope that Disney is making notes available on the backend for CMs to see whether the accessibility team recommended RTQ or not.

Whatever it is called because I think it gets confusing lol. RTQ Pretty much is described as a situation where they want to be able to give that sort of accommodation in specific situations and not cart blanche. I.E, someone with heat intolerance and is showing symptoms on a hot August day. But it is pure conjecture at this point.

The reason why they want to control it is specifically so that they know it is only being given out in those situations where it is warranted and not as a open paper DAS.

 

[KrzyKtty]

And what I mean, is a cast member might be willing to give the RTQ to somebody with heat intolerance trying to go to Slinky's at 1 in July due to the line having no shade. But that same Cast member might refuse the RTQ to the same person If they went to the same line at 9 after it cooled down.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

This has been answered by several people already, the system was being used as designed and as Disney instructed people to use it, that was the point of the post, Disney could have made changes to the program to limit it to specific use for individual needs and salvaged it, instead they chose to simply scrap the whole thing.

You’re blaming people for using the program as they were instructed to use it.

I am. Had people used this very generous accommodation only as needed, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Reminds me of the take a penny, leave a penny at stores. It literally says take a penny. But if you don't need it....don't take it!

Welcome to the human race.

 

[AJT607]

We are visiting in July for the first time under these new rules and I'm trying my best to be patient and hope that Disney has worked out many of the kinks in these systems by then.

Our group has a couple of family members with "invisible" chronic conditions that previously qualified for DAS. We buy Genie+ nearly every day of our visit already - so I'm hoping that our disruptions will be fairly minimal. In the past, we would often start our trip and try to go without DAS, only enrolling if we were experiencing frequent disruptions/challenges due to our family members' special needs.

I am almost certain that we will be told we aren't "disabled" enough to qualify for the "new" DAS qualifications. I think these RTQ/AQR options could work well for us - but I am concerned about situations where the urgent need to exit the queue to reach a cool/quiet space and/or a restroom may not allow for time to wait to speak with a cast member / get park tickets scanned.

We had a situation where we needed to leave a lightning lane queue for Winnie the Pooh at MK on a recent visit unexpectedly after scanning for our Genie+ return time and we were unable to make additional reservations there later in the day, since you can only "reserve" each ride one time per day. Without DAS, we would've just been "out of luck", leading to a significant amount of disappointment for our four year old.

 

[natatomic]

We are visiting in July for the first time under these new rules and I'm trying my best to be patient and hope that Disney has worked out many of the kinks in these systems by then.

Our group has a couple of family members with "invisible" chronic conditions that previously qualified for DAS. We buy Genie+ nearly every day of our visit already - so I'm hoping that our disruptions will be fairly minimal. In the past, we would often start our trip and try to go without DAS, only enrolling if we were experiencing frequent disruptions/challenges due to our family members' special needs.

I am almost certain that we will be told we aren't "disabled" enough to qualify for the "new" DAS qualifications. I think these RTQ/AQR options could work well for us - but I am concerned about situations where the urgent need to exit the queue to reach a cool/quiet space and/or a restroom may not allow for time to wait to speak with a cast member / get park tickets scanned.

We had a situation where we needed to leave a lightning lane queue for Winnie the Pooh at MK on a recent visit unexpectedly after scanning for our Genie+ return time and we were unable to make additional reservations there later in the day, since you can only "reserve" each ride one time per day. Without DAS, we would've just been "out of luck", leading to a significant amount of disappointment for our four year old.

I would hope in your last example that if you talk to a CM on your way out of the line if that happens again, you’ll qualify for a RTQ. Or the other one (I forget the acronym)

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Because everyone knows the unwritten rule with the lollipop bowl and the trick or treating bowl is to take one. That wasn’t the unwritten rule with DAS, or the written rule, or the spoken rule… Disney said use it whenever you want to.

I'm sure a lot of people used it to bypass a 15 minute Peoplemover wait, simply because they could, not because they needed to.

If people used it only when they absolutely needed to, the system might have been less overwhelmed, and perhaps we wouldn't see some of the increased restrictions.

Which is not to say that wouldn't be a valid use for someone who can only do four hours in a park for example, but I imagine many people overused the DAS.

Could there not be an unspoken rule, that using the system above and beyond what is needed by an individual, could result in the system providing less benefit in the future?

Because that seems to be, at least in part, what has happened.

 

[SamusAranX]

Watering your lawn and using a system designed to make rides accessible for people with a disability at times and in manners that aren’t necessary to make rides accessible for your disability are not the same thing. This is a bad analogy. The lollipop at the bank or the bowl of Halloween candy analogy is better. Do you really need someone to tell you not to upend the entire bowl of candy into your purse? If your partner has a handicapped placard/plates for your car, would you park that car in a handicapped spot when not with your partner?

Except in your scenario, the bank put up a sign saying take as many lollipops as you want.

Aka Disney actively stated you should go experience other attractions or stores or dining

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Except in your scenario, the bank put up a sign saying take as many lollipops as you want.

Aka Disney actively stated you should go experience other attractions or stores or dining

We are talking about two different things. Waiting in two lines at once is a little more gray since Disney advertised it (although that overuse definitely helped kill this system). What is not gray at all is using your DAS for an attraction when you don't need to. IE: the person earlier in this thread who posted they had DAS for heat intolerance but used it for indoor queue's because "Disney didn't stop me." That's not gray at all, and Disney never advertised "Get DAS for your disability and use it even when you don't need to!"

 

[Chi84]

We are talking about two different things. Waiting in two lines at once is a little more gray since Disney advertised it (although that overuse definitely helped kill this system). What is not gray at all is using your DAS for an attraction when you don't need to. IE: the person earlier in this thread who posted they had DAS for heat intolerance but used it for indoor queue's because "Disney didn't stop me." That's not gray at all, and Disney never advertised "Get DAS for your disability and use it even when you don't need to!"

I don’t agree with that at all. If Disney provides a service, it’s expected that it will be used unless limited. If Disney wanted to limit DAS it could have expressly stated that the service is intended to be used only as necessary or some such thing. They didn’t.

I don’t think it’s useful to blame people for using a service they were given. It’s Disney’s system and they’re the ones at fault if they didn’t tell people its limits.

 

[flynnibus]

What you’re doing is essentially saying we were abusing the water system back in 2005 when we were using it exactly as we were being told to.

Had Disney let DAS users know there was a problem, especially if they’d combined that with a deterrent, we most likely could have fixed DAS also.

But your example worked because the government used the big stick to influence behavior.

Imagine if the Government only said "please use less water" - do you think you'd gotten the same result? Without the individual pain a person would feel if they didn't?

With DAS, they couldn't add that same kind of disincentive.. they would be reliant on people to self-police and try to do less 'for the greater good'... That usually doesn't work out well when you're dealing with a system like 'do this, and you can wait longer because of it..'

 

[KrzyKtty]

I don’t agree with that at all. If Disney provides a service, it’s expected that it will be used unless limited. If Disney wanted to limit DAS it could have expressly stated that the service is intended to be used only as necessary or some such thing. They didn’t.

I don’t think it’s useful to blame people for using a service they were given. It’s Disney’s system and they’re the ones at fault if they didn’t tell people its limits.

I agree. Ultimately it was Disney's failing. But I think they realized that which is why they overhauled the system in such a way that will limit its uses to only those who basically need it in all circumstances.

I think the stress comes from people that were used the freedom the previous system gave and are now stressed on the restrictions Disney is putting on them. Whether those restrictions should have been there self placed or not before is not the issue really.

 

[flynnibus]

Except in your scenario, the bank put up a sign saying take as many lollipops as you want.

Aka Disney actively stated you should go experience other attractions or stores or dining

The discussion was about people using DAS on rides they didn't need it... not so much about going on a second attraction while holding a return time.

Of course Disney isn't going to tell someone 'Don't visit other attractions!' - It has no way to enforce it, and 'attractions' mean a ton of things besides just major rides.

DAS was never intended to be a jail while you waited... but like many things in life... there is behavior that has consequences for others, even if 'allowed'.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I don’t agree with that at all. If Disney provides a service, it’s expected that it will be used unless limited. If Disney wanted to limit DAS it could have expressly stated that the service is intended to be used only as necessary or some such thing. They didn’t.

I don’t think it’s useful to blame people for using a service they were given. It’s Disney’s system and they’re the ones at fault if they didn’t tell people its limits.

Thank you.

The focus on blame in this thread is beyond not productive, as the changes are what they are. How or why they came to be really doesn't matter anymore, it's here, it's happening.

Yes, the new additional accommodations will work well for some, for some even better than DAS. And for some, DAS will still be a need. Some will be rightfully denied and pushed to accommodations they may not be comfortable with but find will work when they get there. And there will be others who are denied and yet did actually have a legitimate need for DAS that was missed by the accessibility team. All of these things (and likely scenarios I didn't think of too) will be true.

But blame at this point addresses nothing helpful or productive.

 

[flynnibus]

If Disney wanted to limit DAS it could have expressly stated that the service is intended to be used only as necessary or some such thing. They didn’t.

I don’t think it’s useful to blame people for using a service they were given. It’s Disney’s system and they’re the ones at fault if they didn’t tell people its limits.

If the argument is 'there was no rule against it' - then the assessment should come from people's conscious. To know you are given a privilege because of a specific constraint, but to use it outside of that really is a matter of self regulation.

Disney isn't going to hammer anyone.. they were offering the service as a way to help someone, and from an organization that at least in it's roots, is service oriented. Disney isn't going to clamp you down - but just because they don't, that doesn't mean you should shutdown your own internal beliefs.

This is like the old salad/toppings bar scam... No Disney didn't tell you NOT to use the food for other things or meal substitutes... but when enough people take lack of enforcement to mean encouragement or those that are simply selfish... things normally crash eventually.