New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Vacationeer]

The sensory guide at WDW has been out a long time (at least 2015). It’s a great help!

Our family has a few timid riders and it helped put their mind at ease knowing exactly what to expect beforehand. Without the guide they would’ve skipped more rides due to fear of the unknown.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I think a huge part of the issue is that so many now say their medical issues are disabilities but funny how it only applies to their time at Disney.

That seems overly broad.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Putting out a page for each attraction saying "this is how it will be handled" will not only encourage too many people to try to get more accommodation than they actually need, it will result in unhappy guests who expect one thing but get something else due to all of the variables listed above.

Other than AQR, which is now available to everyone, what is the 'more' additional accommodation?

 

[Chi84]

Other than AQR, which is now available to everyone, what is the 'more' additional accommodation?

I agree. The accommodation is being able to leave the line and return. I think what the poster may be referring to is the idea that there's an extra accommodation that lets you skip standing in line at all. My understanding is that you go to the queue, tell them that you may have to leave the line and then they decide what to tell you. In some cases, it may be a return time, but that seems to be based on the number in the party and the specific configuration of the ride.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I agree. The accommodation is being able to leave the line and return. I think what the poster may be referring to is the idea that there's an extra accommodation that lets you skip standing in line at all. My understanding is that you go to the queue, tell them that you may have to leave the line and then they decide what to tell you. In some cases, it may be a return time, but that seems to be based on the number in the party and the specific configuration of the ride.

Disney should be able to easily explain AQR, even if it varies a bit by attraction. Disney should be proud that they are now able to offer this option to every parkgoer. If they want people to use it. then people need to know how to ask for it.

I have a feeling the new option is still in flux. Disney's testing to see if they can get away with this/make it work, but they don't want to broadcast it too loudly, so they can continue to tweak their policy.

If this doesn't work, then they will want to rework it. Aside from legality, there's just a question of logistics. As I said a while back, Disney's queues were not designed with AQR in mind. I suspect some queues themselves will need to be modified.

 

[Gomer]

Not sure if anyone here would know the answer to this question, but curiosity struck me while "on hold" for 3 hours this morning to do my DAS application. For guests who are instructed to do the virtual screening in the park, are they going through the same queue with DAS guest services as people doing it from home ahead of their visit?

I expected a somewhat hefty wait, so I carved out a block of time that made it work for me. But I'd imagine this could cause problems if a Day Guest who just dropped $175 per person to get into MK had to sit there with a cast member's iPad for 3 hours and lose a significant amount of their park day. Add to that the requirement to have the DAS recipient ready for the video chat. It was difficult for me to keep my son close by and at the ready for that length of time at home. That could become very problematic in a hot, crowded theme park.

On one side, I would expect that someone in park will be placed into an escalated virtual wait and get serviced first. But that is then increasing wait times for the people doing it ahead of time and rewarding those who didn't plan ahead. Basically it seems like this could either create a very bad experience for those in the park, or penalize those who were responsible and planned ahead. If its the latter I could definitely see people eventually opting to do their registration in the park as a way of forcing preferential treatment (which would in turn make waits at home even worse).

 

[Purduevian]

Disney should be able to easily explain AQR, even if it varies a bit by attraction. Disney should be proud that they are now able to offer this option to every parkgoer. If they want people to use it. then people need to know how to ask for it.

I have a feeling the new option is still in flux. Disney's testing to see if they can get away with this/make it work, but they don't want to broadcast it too loudly, so they can continue to tweak their policy.

If this doesn't work, then they will want to rework it. Aside from legality, there's just a question of logistics. As I said a while back, Disney's queues were not designed with AQR in mind. I suspect some queues themselves will need to be modified.

I don't think they even want AQR advertised too much. Too easy for people to discover the "Hack" of Dad waits in line at 7D while Mom and Jr go ride teacups, dumbo, and barnstormer, then meet up with Dad at the merge point. I realize it only works for parties of 3 (can get 1 person and 1 caregiver out of the SB line) but still not something Disney wants to advertise.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Not sure if anyone here would know the answer to this question, but curiosity struck me while "on hold" for 3 hours this morning to do my DAS application.

Nothing says “we care about Disabled guests” like keeping them on hold for 3 hours.

Maybe our resident lawyer can chime in - does a company need to require “reasonable” wait times for guests to make an interview?

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Reading this thread reminds me how overwhelmed I was planning my first Disney trip, and that was back in the simple days of Magical express (no transportation issues), not going with someone who needed DAS, no 7am scramble for a virtual queue, easy to use paper FP rather than a multi tier paid Genie system …

I don’t know how new people do it, we are doing a Disney cruise in January out of Port Canaveral so we are booking a WDW trip with it, we haven’t gone in 2 years and we’ll be in Orlando anyway so it makes sense, it‘s causing us so much anxiety we’ve gone from 4 park days, to 3, to only doing 2 days, and the Epcot day is the only one that sounds like a fun vacation since it’s not ride focused. We’re still on the fence whether we want to do MK, since we’ve never done Tron, or just do AK since that’s not a ride focused day either.

It shouldn’t be this stressful and complicated to go to the happiest, most magical, places on earth.

 

[nickys]

Not sure if anyone here would know the answer to this question, but curiosity struck me while "on hold" for 3 hours this morning to do my DAS application. For guests who are instructed to do the virtual screening in the park, are they going through the same queue with DAS guest services as people doing it from home ahead of their visit?

I expected a somewhat hefty wait, so I carved out a block of time that made it work for me. But I'd imagine this could cause problems if a Day Guest who just dropped $175 per person to get into MK had to sit there with a cast member's iPad for 3 hours and lose a significant amount of their park day. Add to that the requirement to have the DAS recipient ready for the video chat. It was difficult for me to keep my son close by and at the ready for that length of time at home. That could become very problematic in a hot, crowded theme park.

On one side, I would expect that someone in park will be placed into an escalated virtual wait and get serviced first. But that is then increasing wait times for the people doing it ahead of time and rewarding those who didn't plan ahead. Basically it seems like this could either create a very bad experience for those in the park, or penalize those who were responsible and planned ahead. If its the latter I could definitely see people eventually opting to do their registration in the park as a way of forcing preferential treatment (which would in turn make waits at home even worse).

Those doing it in the park have reported being asked “are you in the park now”?

And in the main these will be those who didn’t know about it or international guests who cannot do it ahead of time (a few can with a vpn but Disney have been blocking VPNs in some cases).

Why someone would choose to do it in the park with the uncertainty but already having used their ticket to get in is beyond me. I think your fears of “preferential treatment” are unfounded.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Why someone would choose to do it in the park with the uncertainty but already having used their ticket to get in is beyond me.

why do some guests buy tickets from the ticket booths when they can purchase them in advance?

 

[Gomer]

Those doing it in the park have reported being asked “are you in the park now”?

And in the main these will be those who didn’t know about it or international guests who cannot do it ahead of time (a few can with a vpn but Disney have been blocking VPNs in some cases).

Why someone would choose to do it in the park with the uncertainty but already having used their ticket to get in is beyond me. I think your fears of “preferential treatment” are unfounded.

The uncertainty is somewhat temporary. As of now no one knows if they will qualify. But a year from now many people (especially locals and AP holders) will have found out if they qualify a few times and have some certainty (nothing is guaranteed obviously) whether they will continue to qualify. At that point a person may say "why call ahead of time and wait hours when I can do it in the park and wait 5 minutes?"

I very well may be blowing it out of proportion and its possible the wait times aren't always that different. But if you are reasonably sure you will qualify and have been through the process before, doing it in park may be quicker and more predictable.

 

[pdude81]

The uncertainty is somewhat temporary. As of now no one knows if they will qualify. But a year from now many people (especially locals and AP holders) will have found out if they qualify a few times and have some certainty (nothing is guaranteed obviously) whether they will continue to qualify. At that point a person may say "why call ahead of time and wait hours when I can do it in the park and wait 5 minutes?"

I very well may be blowing it out of proportion and its possible the wait times aren't always that different. But if you are reasonably sure you will qualify and have been through the process before, doing it in park may be quicker and more predictable.

Remember though that any time this takes in the park reduces your available ride or attraction time. And if there is a big line at GR for iPads, it will take even longer.

 

[Gomer]

Remember though that any time this takes in the park reduces your available ride or attraction time. And if there is a big line at GR for iPads, it will take even longer.

That's true. And i suppose its a somewhat self-correcting process. If any significant number of people tried to take advantage of doing it in park, those lines would become longer and reduce the advantages of doing so. And i would imagine if Disney saw the number of AP holders choosing to register in park growing, they'd just start throwing incentives at people doing it in advance again.

 

[nickys]

That's true. And i suppose its a somewhat self-correcting process. If any significant number of people tried to take advantage of doing it in park, those lines would become longer and reduce the advantages of doing so. And i would imagine if Disney saw the number of AP holders choosing to register in park growing, they'd just start throwing incentives at people doing it in advance again.

The CMs may well be able to prioritise guests when giving them the iPad. Presumably they set the video call up for the guest.

So they could just put the local AP holder into the regular line, whilst putting the international guest straight to the “hot line”.

 

[NotTheOne]

Other than AQR, which is now available to everyone, what is the 'more' additional accommodation?

Reports are showing return times being issued in rare cases, as well as rider switch being offered. I can absolutely see trying to insist on a return time for their entire party rather than rider switch or AQR.

 

[Splash4eva]

That's true. And i suppose its a somewhat self-correcting process. If any significant number of people tried to take advantage of doing it in park, those lines would become longer and reduce the advantages of doing so. And i would imagine if Disney saw the number of AP holders choosing to register in park growing, they'd just start throwing incentives at people doing it in advance again.

That worked so well with ride capacity the 1st time around. Dare i ask the question would disney be in its right to tell someone sorry you need to use your phone etc to try and qualify for das esp a local ap who should be welll aware if the rules

 

[NotTheOne]

That worked so well with ride capacity the 1st time around. Dare i ask the question would disney be in its right to tell someone sorry you need to use your phone etc to try and qualify for das esp a local ap who should be welll aware if the rules

I agree, giving incentives isn't going to be a good idea. But I don't even think it will be necessary, as it will balance out on its own at some point - simple supply and demand.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Reports are showing return times being issued in rare cases, as well as rider switch being offered. I can absolutely see trying to insist on a return time for their entire party rather than rider switch or AQR.

Rider switch as it's stated on Disney's site, though, requires there to be a non-rider. So if it is an attraction that all in the party want to ride, that doesn't appear to work as a disability accommodation.

 

[Splash4eva]

Rider switch as it's stated on Disney's site, though, requires there to be a non-rider. So if it is an attraction that all in the party want to ride, that doesn't appear to work as a disability accommodation.

How is rider switch for das any different than its been with parents who have children under height limits etc? My ex and myself used it before our daughter was tall enough to ride