New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[jennab55]

The whole WDW DAS system is a joke -you can't find out if your disability is covered or not no on line chat no phone number to call. --I tried. Talked to several people sorry can't help. As I posted I have a military disability and I was trying to find out if I was covered if not my Disney days are over. The way they have it you have to make reservations and then 30 days prior or on then day you visit a CM will determine if you are covered. I 'm not going to make a reservation to find out on the day I arrive sorry not covered. Another Disney big disappointment. Would it be so hard I am more than willing to supply my VA documentation ahead of time and be notified prior to planning a vacation.

But hasn’t that always been the case? One does not know for certain if they will be approved for DAS until in the park or 30 days prior (for those that chose online). People always ASSUMED they would be approved again if they were prior, but it was never a fact.

Also, while I don’t know your disability (it might be covered), I expect there are some 100% service related disabilities that didn’t even qualify for the old system (mobility being one). So just stating you are 100% disabled doesn’t mean that you can’t wait in a line. Not trying to state this about you specifically, just a general statement for anyone applying. It’s about why one cannot wait in line, not about what type of disability they have.

 

[Chi84]

I suppose I could do Gene+/ LL but I have verifiable disability which in my mind Disney should recognize

The issue is they're not tying accommodation to a disability; in fact, the ADA law currently advises against (and in some instances prohibits) businesses from asking its customers about the nature and extent of their disability. So Disney can't verify your disability under the law as it currently stands. Even the businesses like Six Flags that are asking for documentation are asking for documentation of the need for a specific accommodation.

So if you take verifying disability out of the equation, they are left asking about your need for a specific accommodation. And they've now decided to offer DAS only to people developmental disabilities such as autism (which again they cannot verify with proof of diagnosis), leaving in-line accommodations for everyone else. That's why I asked if in-line accommodations would work; I was not at all suggesting you don't have a verifiable disability.

 

[Figgy1]

If they qualify for DAS under the new rules, why would they need to split up? Isn’t the splitting up only for rider switch or AQR?

There have been reports of a few getting DAS but no other people allowed to be on their card but they were adults able to advocate for themselves.

 

[Figgy1]

Disney should offer free genie+ to all veterans - the good will and publicity would totally offset the missed money. Plus it’s the right thing to do.

They also need to bring back the ability to walk from Shades to Poly but lets not turn this into a what else should Disney do thread

 

[natatomic]

Yet & nothing against Len we take what he has provided to us as the Bible…. I do agree with what you are saying but again simple math. Remove 2 pre books for every guest that has DAS adds up…

Were the pre books only for the very first day of your trip? Or were they for every single day? And APs surely didn’t get two pre books every day they visited, did they? If they did, I can certainly see how that would be a huge issue, but also a huge incentive to cheat.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Were the pre books only for the very first day of your trip? Or were they for every single day? And APs surely didn’t get two pre books every day they visited, did they? If they did, I can certainly see how that would be a huge issue, but also a huge incentive to cheat.

I’ve never had DAS so I don’t think that was directed to me?

 

[Vacationeer]

To be completely clear I have never used DAS and hope I never have to.

I understand the potential immense advantage that DAS users can have by allowing re-rides on attractions, especially E-tickets. I also understand that this can affect operations for that particular ride.

However, I have a moral issue with disallowing access to something for a disabled person while allowing access to the same thing for a non-disabled person.

As a non-DAS user, I have the ability to wait in multiple hour+ lines a day if I so choose. I may not want to, my kid might be screaming there head off, I might be bored, hungry, and need to go to the bathroom, however, nothing is stopping me from doing this physically or in the Disney rules (for any non-VQ ride). This does have a high opportunity cost for me as every minute I am in this line is a minute I can't do anything else in the park.

Denying the DAS user the same ability as a non-DAS user feels morally wrong to me even though the opportunity cost of doing it is much much lower.

I have no legal background, but I also wonder if Disney would be worried about denying a person with a disability from doing something that a person without a disability is able to do (Even if basically no one does it).

I agree with this take. At the same time I feel that it cannot always be unlimited in every situation.

With DAS I think overuse was probably a bigger issue than straight out abuse, and when it got to the point of becoming detrimental to park operations and guest experience, WDW decided changes needed to be made.

It looks like WDW is trying to recalibrate the way public perceives the scope of assistance available and dial that back to some extent. Over time more and more people became aware they qualified for DAS as it stood, even when their issue(s) didn’t fall under ‘disability’ as technically understood in daily life outside the bubble, and that once your trip qualified there were no boundaries against maximizing it, and it accommodated up to party of 6 and in some cases more. If Disney decided it’s there to help and allow use as they did, then what’s the harm.

I don’t think it was necessarily unscrupulous people who fell into the overuse category. Rather the whole way DAS eventually came to be perceived made it snowball. If neighbor Dotty qualified because she might need to leave several lines over a 5 day visit, surely my issue qualifies too. If I’m sun sensitive and WDW welcomed similar issues to use DAS, and I was granted DAS and nowhere states not to maximize outside where necessary, then it seems like WDW intends my use and anyway we use it that is possible. It felt like it was meant to be very generous. Which is lovely. Until trying to correct such a wide scope of potential problems with one single service that covers all becomes too high of an expense on other people’s time/money and the way parks can function.

It stinks for the guests caught up in this transitional phase where the new program isn’t fully established yet and there aren't clear answers for everything. This is the worst part. It could be a while before things settle down enough to see which new options work for who.

 

[natatomic]

I’ve never had DAS so I don’t think that was directed to me?

Whoops, totally quoted the wrong person. Sorry!

 

[Purduevian]

Last time I was at AK I rode Flight of Passage once via pre-booked fastpass and once via stand-by. I chose not to ride it more times because standby was two hours. Riding it 3 or 4 times is going to be unappealing for anyone. If you can do it via DAS, waiting virtually 3-4 times while you eat lunch or do other things, of course it's more likely.

You hit the crux of my issue with limiting people that have DAS from re-riding. you CHOSE not to ride it because that was not how you wanted to spend your time.

People want to take away this choice from people with DAS.

There have been numerous suggestions on how make a DAS user a higher "cost" to make it more similar to standby, but I haven't really heard a feasible one (not allowing people in standby, having a waiting room, ect.).

I'm actually kind of sad, with epic universe I was hoping they would make the whole park VQ like Volcano bay is, but the logistics of doing that on a theme park wide scale are kind of mind boggling. However, that would have really solved this problem as basically everyone would have DAS.

 

[John park hopper]

The reason why they cannot give you a clear answer that you are seeking is because it is not disability based but need. So simply having a diagnosis doesn't automatically cover authorization.

And two people with the same disability, one might get DAS and one might not based on their individual needs.

Sorry to disagree the diagnosis and end result (disability)caused the need which is documented with the VA and I am more than willing to supply Disney the documentation. Which spells out the need

 

[Vacationeer]

I suppose I could do Gene+/ LL but I have verifiable disability which in my mind Disney should recognize

It’s not so much that a disability is verifiable but how that disability affects you in the queue.

 

[Splash4eva]

Yes exactly.

I think the answer to ‘why didn’t they do it this way?’ to this kind of issue at its most basic is probably always going to be because it either causes a problem or doesn’t fix a problem.

They have the data and more intimate knowledge of park operations than most of us discussing this could ever have.

Or just want to sell more Genie+ to people

 

[Splash4eva]

The whole WDW DAS system is a joke -you can't find out if your disability is covered or not no on line chat no phone number to call. --I tried. Talked to several people sorry can't help. As I posted I have a military disability and I was trying to find out if I was covered if not my Disney days are over. The way they have it you have to make reservations and then 30 days prior or on then day you visit a CM will determine if you are covered. I 'm not going to make a reservation to find out on the day I arrive sorry not covered. Another Disney big disappointment. Would it be so hard I am more than willing to supply my VA documentation ahead of time and be notified prior to planning a vacation.

Thank you for your service sir!!!

 

[Splash4eva]

Sorry to disagree the diagnosis and end result (disability)caused the need which is documented with the VA and I am more than willing to supply Disney the documentation.

Thats what annoys me the most. As i have said. Anyone with a legit need and disability would 100% be willing to share that with any place that is willing to help and accommodate said needs… the cheaters and liars to me would take up 95-99% of the backlash against it.

 

[John park hopper]

It’s not so much that a disability is verifiable but how that disability affects you in the queue.

The disability is verifiable and it affects my balance I can not stand for long periods of time ie long lines

Thank you for your service sir!!!

you are welcome

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Or just want to sell more Genie+ to people

Of course they do. Not mutually exclusive, and actually probably pretty closely linked. Can’t sell more Genie+ when people are both unsatisfied with the product, and LL capacity is being used by a group not paying for it. Hence the need to get DAS usage controlled to a point they don’t consider it harmful to their operations.

 

[NotTheOne]

Sorry to disagree the diagnosis and end result (disability)caused the need which is documented with the VA and I am more than willing to supply Disney the documentation. Which spells out the need

Sorry, but the PP was not wrong. Diagnosis alone doesn't mean that someone needs the DAS. My partner is rated 100% disabled by the VA, but diagnosis doesn't impact their ability to wait in line.

Saying they're 100% disabled per the VA means nothing when it comes to line accommodations.

 

[NotTheOne]

The disability is verifiable and it affects my balance I can not stand for long periods of time ie long lines

you are welcome

Then Disney will most likely recommend you use a wheelchair or ECV.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Thats what annoys me the most. As i have said. Anyone with a legit need and disability would 100% be willing to share that with any place that is willing to help and accommodate said needs… the cheaters and liars to me would take up 95-99% of the backlash against it.

Disney is knowingly denying people DAS and providing alternate accommodations who have legitimate disabilities though. I’m not sure what proof changes here, when DAS specifically is about needs, and Disney has made it pretty clear not all legitimate (verified, diagnosed) needs will receive DAS.

They’ve changed who qualifies, they have not for the very most part denied that people are being honest with their situations.

 

[NotTheOne]

Disney is knowingly denying people DAS and providing alternate accommodations who have legitimate disabilities though. I’m not sure what proof changes here, when DAS specifically is about needs, and Disney has made it pretty clear not all legitimate (verified, diagnosed) needs will receive DAS.

They’ve changed who qualifies, they have not for the very most part denied that people are being honest with their situations.

Exactly. Denying one specific accommodation (DAS) is not denying accommodations.