TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Legoland and Sesame Place would most likely be the best comparisons - most parks don’t attract family audiences the way Disney does.
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New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024
- Thread starter AEfx
- Start date
hopemax
Well-Known Member
One thing to keep in mind, is that locals who rushed to get re-approved under the old guidelines might be planning to visit the park a bunch while they still can under the old rules; unsure of how much they will be visiting after if they aren't re-approved. People with Pixie Dust Passes, are blocked out on weekends, so weekdays could see more of this type of guest. This whole conversation is about how a few people can clog up the works, so we may be seeing something like that in action.
ditzee
Well-Known Member
Yes- the lines at the attractions our grandchildren wanted to ride were about 60 minutes and that's a no go for me.
In general, >60 min wait is a huge inflection point for me when I’m there. I’m willing to do 3-5 30-60 min waits in the middle of the day but I really try to avoid 60+ min wait and at most will do it once. At my snapshot every ride not in Pandora was less then 60 min at noon, that’s 4 hours post opening, I’ve usually ridden every ride by then (with maybe the exception of Everest) eating lunch and getting ready to watch my last show (FotLK or Nemo) and then head out. I made a decision to make the measurable >60 min wait because I feel that wait is too long for anyone.
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With genuinely rude CMs who aren't medical professionals and dismissive "medical" professionals who will hang up calls when questions about their credentials seemingly being the bulk of the people who handle the calls, this was the final straw (after consistently dealing with more rude CM's, Disney making fewer guest-centric decisions, and so much nickel and diming everywhere - the value proposition isn't there anymore) We've decided to not renew our APs come fall unless some policy changes come soon.
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Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
So people have back issues and use DAS...but then get on the Kilimanjaro Safari or a rollercoaster? I'm sorry but I can see why that person could be rejected for certain rides. If you have issues that you can't stand or sit for too long, how is it good to get on a vehicle that bounces around for 20 minutes.
Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
No one has to understand why something is a certain way for a person in order to accept that they have the right to make that choice for themselves just as a nondisabled person does. Perhaps they will end up in pain, but they find the experience worth that risk (or inevitability).
I mentioned an inaccessible field trip to a very physical place that DD was going to earlier in this thread. Trip happened. I helped her access as much as I could, despite knowing that I'd pay for it later due to some recent health issues of my own. Sure enough, that evening I was curled up in a LOT of pain. Prescription pain med level pain. Still recovering from it multiple days later TBH.
Was it worth it? Yep. To see her laugh and enjoy the activities her friends were doing, to see her try her hand at things she knew would be very very difficult for her -
worth it. I knew it would be painful for me, but I knew it would be a great experience and memory for her - and that was worth the later pain for me. There's too much she has to miss out on in life as it is. If there's anything I can do to help her access more of it, I will be all in, every time. I can appreciate others may choose differently if they were in my shoes, and that's ok - but it should be everyone's choice.
I mentioned an inaccessible field trip to a very physical place that DD was going to earlier in this thread. Trip happened. I helped her access as much as I could, despite knowing that I'd pay for it later due to some recent health issues of my own. Sure enough, that evening I was curled up in a LOT of pain. Prescription pain med level pain. Still recovering from it multiple days later TBH.
Was it worth it? Yep. To see her laugh and enjoy the activities her friends were doing, to see her try her hand at things she knew would be very very difficult for her -
worth it. I knew it would be painful for me, but I knew it would be a great experience and memory for her - and that was worth the later pain for me. There's too much she has to miss out on in life as it is. If there's anything I can do to help her access more of it, I will be all in, every time. I can appreciate others may choose differently if they were in my shoes, and that's ok - but it should be everyone's choice.
CampbellzSoup
Well-Known Member
No one has to understand why something is a certain way for a person in order to accept that they have the right to make that choice for themselves just as a nondisabled person does. Perhaps they will end up in pain, but they find the experience worth that risk (or inevitability).
I mentioned an inaccessible field trip to a very physical place that DD was going to earlier in this thread. Trip happened. I helped her access as much as I could, despite knowing that I'd pay for it later due to some recent health issues of my own. Sure enough, that evening I was curled up in a LOT of pain. Prescription pain med level pain. Still recovering from it multiple days later TBH.
Was it worth it? Yep. To see her laugh and enjoy the activities her friends were doing, to see her try her hand at things she knew would be very very difficult for her -
This whole argument is a straw man. Leaving out your personal anecdote aside there’s no way to qualify or have a system in place where everybody can now make a “choice” if they find the experience worth it.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Kilimanjaro Safari is a 20 minute ride, sometimes shorter, often longer. If standing or sitting in a 20 minute line is too much(because you can't just sit as you said earlier), how can being forced to sit in a jerky vehicle for 20 minutes be tolerable? You have complained on here about autistic children being the main ones who are getting approved for DAS under the new system, which you say is due to a stronger lobbying group? So I may not be an orthopedic doc but you are a lawyer? I know someone with autism probably doesn't have ride the ride cautions effecting them, but those with back issues do. I don't need to be a doctor to know what is recommended or not.
Per Disney..
Bumpy terrain
"Disney recommends that guests be in good health and free from conditions that could be aggravated by the ride's bumpy terrain, such as high blood pressure, heart or back problems, neck problems, or motion sickness. Expectant mothers should not ride. If you have a medical condition that could be aggravated by rough" roads, you should consult your doctor.
Per Disney..
Bumpy terrain
"Disney recommends that guests be in good health and free from conditions that could be aggravated by the ride's bumpy terrain, such as high blood pressure, heart or back problems, neck problems, or motion sickness. Expectant mothers should not ride. If you have a medical condition that could be aggravated by rough" roads, you should consult your doctor.
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Dranth
Well-Known Member
I can't speak for everyone but my back will start to hurt bad enough I need to take a break if I stand still too long. Can't explain why and it doesn't happen every time but I've never once had an issue on any ride or when sitting. I've even done a number of half marathons and not one back pain but standing around while the wife tries on cloths or in a line that doesn't move at Disney and there is a good chance it will flare up.
Right, and then one could argue that one could “choose” to wait in the line despite the pain, knowing the payoff is worth it.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
The person posting before said they were offered a wheelchair as accommodation, but said that won't work for her, which sounds different from you where sitting is ok. I have to admit I get a little confused with thos having issues both standing or sitting too long. Could not one use a wheelchair when in line and then get out of the wheelchair line when needed and stand...while still in line? Otherwise am I to believe that people need to be in a perpetual motion when standing, and only sitting for 10 minutes at a time? How would one even eat in a restaurant in this manner?
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DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
I'm not entirely certain but I think part of the issue is that wheelchairs have a small area for sitting and aren't particularly supportive.
Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
When my wife was pregnant she did not go on KS with the rest of us, and I’m glad she didn’t. Those warnings are there for a reason, that is a really bumpy ride.
DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
While I am sympathetic to trying to stop cheaters, I don't think that can be done by non medically trained people observing park habits. I think it's just very hard to know.
Medical conditions are weird. As a kid, I remember my mom telling me a story of a woman with arthritis who lived next to an amusement park and would wake up and ride a roller coaster every morning because the shaking loosened up her stiff joints enough to get started with her day. My son has sensory issues and I cannot for the life of me figure out why some things bother him and others don't. Loud music and loud video games he can tolerate all day. But the much quieter sound of a toilet flushing sends him running from the room. He has eaten food that is quite spicy before, likes sour gummies, and used to eat sauerkraut on the regular. But a brand of chicken nugget or mac n cheese that is not the one he is used to are a no go. Like come on, the blandest foods in the world!
Again, I am sympathetic to the idea that cheaters should be curtailed. They make the experience worse for everyone, most especially those who really need DAS. But I think that would need to involve a system of documentation from medical professionals (To be fair, I have also been critical of that idea in the past because there will be fakery there too. But I don't know that I have a better idea as of now, so that would probably help a little.)
Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
I am not talking about whether or not they qualify for DAS. I am talking about if someone *has* already qualified for DAS, then it's not a Disney CM's place to make a decision basically saying "well, you qualified for DAS for this reason, and I don't think this ride is appropriate for you based on why you were given DAS, so no you don't get to use the accommodation on this ride."
Every ride has posted warning signs for various medical conditions. Disney CMs aren't asking everyone entering a line if they have any of those conditions and then telling them not to get in line if they do. They don't tell a pregnant woman to get out of line when there's a warning for expectant mothers. They post the warnings so people know the risk, and it's up to the individual to decide if they're going to ride or not. That shouldn't change because someone also qualifies for DAS.
Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
I also want to add a- I understand and agree with why there needed to be changes to the DAS. I'm not arguing that at all. I hope DD will still qualify, but at 30 days we aren't going to cancel a trip so we will do what we can no matter what, and make future decisions after that.
But this idea that CMs should be able to deny using an accommodation already given is really problematic. I can see how it can seem easy to some when the disability is more physical in nature, but according to Disney's own site there's going to be significantly less people getting DAS for physical disabilities. It's a different discussion when talking about developmental disabilities. CMs shouldn't be put in a place to deny access to an accommodation already given by Disney.
But this idea that CMs should be able to deny using an accommodation already given is really problematic. I can see how it can seem easy to some when the disability is more physical in nature, but according to Disney's own site there's going to be significantly less people getting DAS for physical disabilities. It's a different discussion when talking about developmental disabilities. CMs shouldn't be put in a place to deny access to an accommodation already given by Disney.
Dranth
Well-Known Member
I honestly don't know. I was more pointing out that for each person different things or even things that don't make a lot of sense can cause issues. I don't doubt that there are people who get uncomfortable or start to hurt either sitting or standing and my guess is they are just always in some form of pain with their goal being to minimize it as best they can.
Where I tend to disagree with people who say DAS is the only answer to situations like that is that you are going to have to be sitting and standing no matter what the whole time you are at a park so doing so outside a line isn't necessarily a requirement or relieving anything.
Now if people had tried the new accommodations and found it to legit be aggravating their condition, made visiting the parks undoable or causing additional problems I would say Disney needs to make some more changes. On the other hand, I know what causes my issues so why wouldn't someone else? In that case, if I am pretty sure what they were offering wouldn't work or at least had questions, why would I want to be a guinea pig for this new system at the prices Disney charges?
The hard part for Disney is how do you take people at their word when you have reams of data showing people blatantly lying to gain access to DAS? In the end I think the system slowly morphs into something similar to Universal (assuming that survives the current lawsuits) where proof is required and only after being approved are you given one of a number of tiers of accommodation.
ditzee
Well-Known Member
Kilamanjaro was uncomfortable for sure. That said, how would I have known if I didn't try it? I did ride FoP and it was smooth and didn't bother me. Again, how would I know unless I tried.
Besides this, I don't know the anatomical mechanics but I do know what I can tolerate. Then theres what the doc told me after my MRI, "_____, your back is all up!". Backs are his specialty and he was shocked. He encourages me to do as much as I can now because there will come a time when I won't be able to do things.
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Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
The ride warnings are great for when it's an absolute. When it's a matter of degrees or tolerance level (ie you can handle some amount but there's a limit), then warnings are less helpful. Sometimes experience is the only way to know.