New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[C33Mom]

There may be a lawyer or 2 that would take on Disney if you are willing to pay their retainer and all the costs up front..but it will be a lot $$$$$ or more to fight Disney, especially since they "Disney" make you sign the no class action suit thing.

If there’s anything Americans should have learned in the past few years, it’s that if you have enough money you can find unethical lawyers willing to bring/defend cases irrespective of merit, especially if you pay them all their costs upfront.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

Who do you envision is doing this type of DAS cheating? You think the people who lie to get DAS, and now have a system where they can skip all lines, they just need to do something else while waiting, will nonetheless still wait in some lines? I can't imagine that is a thing that is happening.

This happens constantly, often by people who don't consider themselves cheaters. Before the changes were announced, one of the biggest topics on the DAS groups was people sharing touring plans for cramming in a lot by waiting in one long line while using DAS to simultaneously wait in another long line. People still defend this behavior -- usually by saying that their disability allows them to wait in line for 70 minutes but not 90 minutes.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The person in this thread tied up a human being on the phone for some time, and encouraged others to do the same.

Calling someone whose literal job it is to answer phones doesn’t seem like an issue to me. It’s not like the poster was encouraging people to call a politician’s personal cell. If there is a line for reporting issues, then using it to report perceived issues is 100% appropriate.

 

[TrojanUSC]

Who do you envision is doing this type of DAS cheating? You think the people who lie to get DAS, and now have a system where they can skip all lines, they just need to do something else while waiting, will nonetheless still wait in some lines? I can't imagine that is a thing that is happening.

This was happening all the time. Do you think every single influencer, live streamer, a disproportionate amount of APs were all just disabled to the point they simply couldn’t wait in queues? Of course not. DAS provides an immense benefit as it allows you to skip the 45 minute Space Mountain queue while going to ride tea cups or hitting your next G+ reservations.

I go to the parks 4-5x a year and I know at least 6 friends who have “IBS” or “medicine that makes them pee a lot” or “anxiety” that just happens to manifest the minute the step in a queue.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Calling someone whose literal job it is to answer phones doesn’t seem like an issue to me. It’s not like the poster was encouraging people to call a politician’s personal cell. If there is a line for reporting issues, then using it to report perceived issues is 100% appropriate.

How long before this becomes “Someone in this thread was saying you should call the ADA and yell at people on the phone to make them file a bunch of reports on Disney.”?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Calling someone whose literal job it is to answer phones doesn’t seem like an issue to me.

I mean, I guess it’s not an issue any more than using DAS when you don’t need to is an issue then. It’s using a scarce resource designed to help people with disabilities, and potentially wasting that scarce resource at the expense of people who actually need it.

 

[Hockey89]

I mean, I guess it’s not an issue any more than using DAS when you don’t need to is an issue then. It’s using a scarce resource designed to help people with disabilities, and potentially wasting that scarce resource at the expense of people who actually need it.

But Disney is expense and waiting in lines is painful so dammit I deserve it. Which is probably about 70% of the people using DAS

 

[Figgy1]

But Disney is expense and waiting in lines is painful so dammit I deserve it. Which is probably about 70% of the people using DAS

Maybe but here on the boards it's FAR more oh crud I no longer qualify and will have to tour differently or not go. Some are going to UNI where they still qualify, some local parks, some other types of vacations, some still going to Disney and planning on a much different vacation hoping the alternatives work.
edit by far more I meant nobody said things will remain as is and unless they've been lying for years previous to genie plus they have legit medical conditions

 

[DisneyHead123]

I mean, I guess it’s not an issue any more than using DAS when you don’t need to is an issue then. It’s using a scarce resource designed to help people with disabilities, and potentially wasting that scarce resource at the expense of people who actually need it.

In the school system, if a child has an IEP, the child’s parents can call an IEP meeting at any time for any reason. That means teachers, therapists, and an administrator step away from their work with other students, substitutes need to be hired, etc. No one tells parents that they must really limit their meeting requests to when it’s dubbed “really important” or some such thing. If they want to meet 12 times a year or more, they have the right to.

My point is that this is how we choose to address issues of disability in this country. A person with a disability is not asked to stand back, wring their hands, and wonder if they are taking up someone’s precious time when advocating for their needs. Advocacy is generally very much encouraged in our culture. Grumbled about, maybe, but generally enshrined as protected and necessary.

If a person is reporting a violation in bad faith or due to a personal dispute that has nothing to do with disability, not ok. If it’s a genuine concern, they have the right to make that complaint.

 

[KrzyKtty]

In the school system, if a child has an IEP, the child’s parents can call an IEP meeting at any time for any reason. That means teachers, therapists, and an administrator step away from their work with other students, substitutes need to be hired, etc. No one tells parents that they must really limit their meeting requests to when it’s dubbed “really important” or some such thing. If they want to meet 12 times a year or more, they have the right to.

My point is that this is how we choose to address issues of disability in this country. A person with a disability is not asked to stand back, wring their hands, and wonder if they are taking up someone’s precious time when advocating for their needs. Advocacy is generally very much encouraged in our culture. Grumbled about, maybe, but generally enshrined as protected and necessary.

If a person is reporting a violation in bad faith or due to a personal dispute that has nothing to do with disability, not ok. If it’s a genuine concern, they have the right to make that complaint.

But I have also seen many teachers point out that the # of kids in a class with IEPs/504s is almost unsustainable. Class of 35 kids, over half have IEP/504s, all with very different, sometimes conflicting requirements, and only one teacher. That is why so many parents have issues with all of the requirements being met, there aren't enough teachers to meet all needs of every requirement for every student.

My point is even schools are reaching a breaking point, but unlike Disney, a school's options are limited. Disney is able to try to change their program to still get the people who need it, the accommodations they need.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

My point is even schools are reaching a breaking point, but unlike Disney, a school's options are limited.

A little off topic but schools are and have been underfunded and understaffed for many years now. We can’t go into all of that but we can make a comparison that if the parks were properly funded and staffed we may not have had the same issues with DAS.

Does anyone have any data on DAS use before and after Genie?

 

[Figgy1]

A little off topic but schools are and have been underfunded and understaffed for many years now. We can’t go into all of that but we can make a comparison that if the parks were properly funded and staffed we may not have had the same issues with DAS.

Does anyone have any data on DAS use before and after Genie?

Len Testa does

 

[KrzyKtty]

that if the parks were properly funded and staffed we may not have had the same issues with DAS.

They would still inevitably have the capacity issue though. So not sure more funding/staffing would help when only so many people can fit through a line at one point.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They would still inevitably have the capacity issue though. So not sure more funding/staffing would help when only so many people can fit through a line at one point.

The Florida parks are very under built. So properly funded would mean a lot more attractions. The GAC numbers Disney used to defend themselves were from Midway Mania at a time when it was the only family ride in the park.

Properly staffed means a lot more live entertainment and characters which pulls guests from the attractions and eases the load as well.

 

[KrzyKtty]

The Florida parks are very under built. So properly funded would mean a lot more attractions. The GAC numbers Disney used to defend themselves were from Mudwsy Mania at a time when it was the only family ride in the park.

Properly staffed means a lot more live entertainment and characters which pulls guests from the attractions and eases the load as well.

Ah, I see. Agree.

 

[DisneyHead123]

But I have also seen many teachers point out that the # of kids in a class with IEPs/504s is almost unsustainable. Class of 35 kids, over half have IEP/504s, all with very different, sometimes conflicting requirements, and only one teacher. That is why so many parents have issues with all of the requirements being met, there aren't enough teachers to meet all needs of every requirement for every student.

My point is even schools are reaching a breaking point, but unlike Disney, a school's options are limited. Disney is able to try to change their program to still get the people who need it, the accommodations they need.

My point was that it is not rude, inappropriate or inconsiderate in our culture to call a disability compliance line with a good faith complaint. I wanted to provide some context for Fido as I don’t think he is familiar with the world of disability and how such things work in other contexts.

Whether or not that’s sustainable long term is another big conversation. It would probably be considered too political for the boards so I’ll leave my thoughts at this - I do think that DAS will become unsustainable as disability rates grow. And I think the solution is for Disney to make the parks more accessible overall. Their lines are out of control and they need to make the line experience in particular more user friendly for everyone.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Does anyone have any data on DAS use before and after Genie?

Off the top of my head, I think it tripled. It was definitely a very big increase that went beyond all of Disney’s projections. The consensus is that this is partly from cheaters and partly from people with a true disability who could make FastPass and strategies like rope drop work for them, but not Genie+.

 

[Angel Ariel]

But I have also seen many teachers point out that the # of kids in a class with IEPs/504s is almost unsustainable. Class of 35 kids, over half have IEP/504s, all with very different, sometimes conflicting requirements, and only one teacher. That is why so many parents have issues with all of the requirements being met, there aren't enough teachers to meet all needs of every requirement for every student.

My point is even schools are reaching a breaking point, but unlike Disney, a school's options are limited. Disney is able to try to change their program to still get the people who need it, the accommodations they need.

The issue with lack of teachers is much more complicated, and goes into the lack of systemic support and appropriate pay and benefits for the profession over the course of multiple decades - for ALL teachers, not just special education teachers. The National teacher shortage isn't *because of* students with disabilities. This country also, on a federal level, promised funds and supports for students with disabilities that have never appeared.

Please let's not get into likening this complicated national systemic issue to DAS changes.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

More generally, it doesn't make much sense to compare public accommodations to individualized education plans. They aren't even part of the same law (ADA v. IDEA).

 

[Hockey89]

The issue with lack of teachers is much more complicated, and goes into the lack of systemic support and appropriate pay and benefits for the profession over the course of multiple decades - for ALL teachers, not just special education teachers. The National teacher shortage isn't *because of* students with disabilities. This country also, on a federal level, promised funds and supports for students with disabilities that have never appeared.

Please let's not get into likening this complicated national systemic issue to DAS changes.

Teachers have some of the best benefits in this country.... Their medical plans destroy the private sector which pays for those benefits,,,