New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[lazyboy97o]

Sorry but, again, according to Disney DAS usage has "more than tripled" in the last 3 years alone. Prior to that the number they last confirmed was 3% of guests using GAC. It's impossible for it to be 8%.

Maybe @lentesta can clarify where he got the current 8% number, because from the ops people I know it's nearly double that.

It is only impossible if you erroneously assume usage was a constant. Could something have been happening three years ago that might have decreased usage?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

It's not unfair. It applies to everyone. I think you and splash are overestimating how often people with legitimate needs will fake the need to leave a line shortly after joining - just in case they actuallydo have an issue later. What happens when they do that, have no issues during their wait, and then DO have an issue while waiting in the LL queue? The argument was made that this system is too intrusive/embarrassing for guests who have to explain why they need to leave the line. Now the argument is that doing so is so appealing that there will be widespread abuse?

What's amazing is that people keep saying what happens if they have issues after five minutes.....sorry but if that is something why would anyone even consider getting on a ride? Some of these rides can take half an hour, like the safari with no way off. But people are lobbying they can't wait 20 minutes for tea cups.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What's amazing is that people keep saying what happens if they have issues after five minutes.....sorry but if that is something why would anyone even consider getting on a ride? Some of these rides can take half an hour, like the safari with no way off. But people are lobbying they can't wait 20 minutes for tea cups.

Once again denying agency and a spectrum of issues. You do not get to force more discomfort onto people because they sometimes chose some discomfort.

 

[TrojanUSC]

It is only impossible if you erroneously assume usage was a constant. Could something have been happening three years ago that might have decreased usage?

This assumes there wasn’t growth from 2014-2021. Do you really think that the same number of people using GAC in 2014 was the same number of people using DAS in 2021?

 

[Splash4eva]

What's amazing is that people keep saying what happens if they have issues after five minutes.....sorry but if that is something why would anyone even consider getting on a ride? Some of these rides can take half an hour, like the safari with no way off. But people are lobbying they can't wait 20 minutes for tea cups.

Some people can maybe deal with something and push thru it once or twice but to be asked to do it constantly over 6 days jts impossible…

 

[jaklgreen]

It's not unfair. It applies to everyone. I think you and splash are overestimating how often people with legitimate needs will fake the need to leave a line shortly after joining - just in case they actuallydo have an issue later. What happens when they do that, have no issues during their wait, and then DO have an issue while waiting in the LL queue? The argument was made that this system is too intrusive/embarrassing for guests who have to explain why they need to leave the line. Now the argument is that doing so is so appealing that there will be widespread abuse?

I think that you all are UNDER estimating how many will figure it out pretty quickly how to wait outside of the line. As others have said, the fakers have no moral compass. They will say that one parent is solo with a child or children so that they don't have to worry about meeting back up with the other parent. They will just return at the same time and pretend like they don't know each other. There will ALWAYS be people that scam the system. All this does is just make it harder for those with legitimate issues.

 

[jaklgreen]

Tbh having this “policy” imo will definitely lead to “abuse” by people with legit needs. People who know they most likely cant stand in a line longer than x amount of time will rationalize that waiting for c amount then having to leave and wait God knows how much longer is a waste of time. You can agree with it or not and call it whatever you want to call it but i can clearly see that happening…
And in regards to people who lie/cheat with No disability yes i can easily see this being the next “hack” thoSe true abusers use next.

Absolutely. If several of us here have already figured this out, so will a bunch of others. They absolutely will justify it, and frankly, I don't blame them. Why do the right thing when they punish you by making you wait even longer to get on the ride just because you have medical needs.

 

[Jrb1979]

I think that you all are UNDER estimating how many will figure it out pretty quickly how to wait outside of the line. As others have said, the fakers have no moral compass. They will say that one parent is solo with a child or children so that they don't have to worry about meeting back up with the other parent. They will just return at the same time and pretend like they don't know each other. There will ALWAYS be people that scam the system. All this does is just make it harder for those with legitimate issues.

Sure that can happen. I don't think it happens as much as many here think will happen.

I don't see what any one gains by doing this. You leave the line but still have to wait however long standby is. There is no advantage in doing it other than maybe finding another attraction with a short standby.

 

[jaklgreen]

How do you ride the buses?

Watch the app to see when the next one is coming and get there right before it shows up. Sometimes it is late and I have to run back to the restroom and wait for the next one if I miss it. Lately, I have been either renting a car or taking Lyft.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

I don’t think there’s gonna be an influx of new liars as it’s a bit of a pain to ‘earn’ and the upside isn’t that high.

If we’re being honest I think the liars are still going to have DAS. And I still don’t think the outright shameless liars are really the focus here.

 

[jaklgreen]

What's amazing is that people keep saying what happens if they have issues after five minutes.....sorry but if that is something why would anyone even consider getting on a ride? Some of these rides can take half an hour, like the safari with no way off. But people are lobbying they can't wait 20 minutes for tea cups.

I have explained this before. Many medical conditions have good and bad times. People have to take into consideration how long that they will be on the ride and that factors into how long they can wait in the queue. I know that I can not go on the longer rides, like Soarin because between the time that you are on the ride, the loooong walk to make your way out, and the wait after the merge point puts the ride well beyond my capabilities. You all are assuming that every person tours like the rest of you do, and that is just not the case.
I don't do rope drop or stay until the fireworks, neither do many with those who qualify for DAS with autism because they can't handle those waits and crowds.

 

[jaklgreen]

Sure that can happen. I don't think it happens as much as many here think will happen.

I don't see what any one gains by doing this. You leave the line but still have to wait however long standby is. There is no advantage in doing it other than maybe finding another attraction with a short standby.

I think that the same type of people that lied about having a disability to get DAS will absolutely figure out their new "tricks". If people think that it will save them any time or lets them get out of the queue, they will do it.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This assumes there wasn’t growth from 2014-2021. Do you really think that the same number of people using GAC in 2014 was the same number of people using DAS in 2021?

No. I think there was a massive drop in DAS use after wdw reopened from the pandemic closure, as many people with disabilities still refrained from travel for quite a while. We didn't return to a Disney park until 2022, so we'd be considered part of that "tripling" of use over the past 3 years.

 

[Jrb1979]

I think that the same type of people that lied about having a disability to get DAS will absolutely figure out their new "tricks". If people think that it will save them any time or lets them get out of the queue, they will do it.

It doesn't save anyone any time. In fact your adding on time with the amount of time you waited in standby, the time it takes you to get out the line plus the additional wait of the return time. Leave the queue as much as you want, Disney doesn't care. The problem always had to with the amount guests using the LL queue and Disneys control over how many use it.

 

[jaklgreen]

It doesn't save anyone any time. In fact your adding on time with the amount of time you waited in standby, the time it takes you to get out the line plus the additional wait of the return time. Leave the queue as much as you want, Disney doesn't care. The problem always had to with the amount guests using the LL queue and Disneys control over how many use it.

But the people that are solo or a parent with child/children, will not be given a return time to come back. So people will be free to go do whatever they want. This is basically DAS with you waiting in the standby line for 10 minutes first. You don't think that people are absolutely going to go that route? It is not about saving time, it is about being able to go do whatever you want because you scored that return time. Even those that are not solo will lie and say that they are to be able to bypass the standby queue.

 

[C33Mom]

It seems like there are a number of people complaining “the fakers will abuse AQR” and also the same people complaining “AQR isn’t as much better than pure standby for me as DAS is.” Just to belabor the obvious one more time: the best hope of preserving sufficient capacity for accommodations for people who actually need it is to make them way less attractive for people who don’t. Saying “oh, but how dare Disney expect me to spend 15-30min in lines most times [but not the full 60-180 wait in line], and then I’ll have to do short wait rides, shows, or return to my hotel to rest while the much longer virtual wait runs down from the beginning” feels as tone deaf as the folks two months ago who said “it’s not a sufficient accommodation of my IBS if I can’t have all of my adult children and their spouses and children on my DAS rider group at once.”
I also don’t understand the outrage about having to start a less than hour wait over again virtually if you have a flare— or need to leave the line… isn’t the whole idea that you’re going to need time to rest, decompress, use the bathroom, etc? Allowing no time at all to be lost is far more useful to fakers than people with genuine needs that prevent them from being in line.
Finally, if you hate longer virtual waits for leaving the queue as a solo traveler, you can find friends, family, or groups of fellow Disney parks enthusiasts to visit with— then you can use AQR and return to the line with even less waiting than DAS.

 

[C33Mom]

But the people that are solo or a parent with child/children, will not be given a return time to come back. So people will be free to go do whatever they want. This is basically DAS with you waiting in the standby line for 10 minutes first. You don't think that people are absolutely going to go that route? It is not about saving time, it is about being able to go do whatever you want because you scored that return time. Even those that are not solo will lie and say that they are to be able to bypass the standby queue.

I forgot to address this in my earlier post— Disney absolutely already has the technology to see who is lying about party size to get a return time instead of meeting up with family in line, and they can check to see how many times a day each guest is using it as well—if they pull a 75m return time for Peter Pan, and then request a Big Thunder 85m later, the CM would be able to see the abuse (not sure if Disney is doing it off the bat, but they certainly could).

They actually have a lot of big data resources to catch cheaters/abusers and folks who try to use it to get DAS level accommodations Disney doesn’t think they need…I think Disney hopes it won’t come to that, but they could choose to make examples of abusers if they wanted.

 

[jaklgreen]

It seems like there are a number of people complaining “the fakers will abuse AQR” and also the same people complaining “AQR isn’t as much better than pure standby for me as DAS is.” Just to belabor the obvious one more time: the best hope of preserving sufficient capacity for accommodations for people who actually need it is to make them way less attractive for people who don’t. Saying “oh, but how dare Disney expect me to spend 15-30min in lines most times [but not the full 60-180 wait in line], and then I’ll have to do short wait rides, shows, or return to my hotel to rest while the much longer virtual wait runs down from the beginning” feels as tone deaf as the folks two months ago who said “it’s not a sufficient accommodation of my IBS if I can’t have all of my adult children and their spouses and children on my DAS rider group at once.”
I also don’t understand the outrage about having to start a less than hour wait over again virtually if you have a flare— or need to leave the line… isn’t the whole idea that you’re going to need time to rest, decompress, use the bathroom, etc? Allowing no time at all to be lost is far more useful to fakers than people with genuine needs that prevent them from being in line.
Finally, if you hate longer virtual waits for leaving the queue as a solo traveler, you can find friends, family, or groups of fellow Disney parks enthusiasts to visit with— then you can use AQR and return to the line with even less waiting than DAS.

WOW, this post is completely insensitive to those with disabilities. Saying that they should be happy to have to wait longer than everyone else is going too far.

 

[C33Mom]

WOW, this post is completely insensitive to those with disabilities. Saying that they should be happy to have to wait longer than everyone else is going too far.

You’re making a lot of incorrect assumptions. I have a major physical disability that limits my life (and my kids’ life) in significant ways every day…I expected to lose DAS in the overhaul because there’s simply too many disabled Americans to let us all (and our loved ones) be able to avoid lines at a theme park all the time, and frankly DAS failed us a lot and I regularly had to make my kids sacrifice a return because the LL was too long. I’m choosing to be grateful that Disney set up AQR so I can do rides with my kids from time to time that way— on the rare occasions that we visit a park without my husband, I will make a judgment call about letting my elementary aged kids stay in line with a device that allows them to reach me or I will be grateful to get any return to queue time a CM chooses to give us, even if it’s longer than current standby wait.

I want every park guest (disabled or able bodied) to be able to ride with their loved ones—but I also recognize DAS and endless RTQ options aren’t sustainable beyond small fraction of park guests, and shift a significant burden to other families. Pointing out unreasonable entitlement does not make me “completely insensitive” to people like myself, even if it makes people feel better to attack me instead of grapple with the facts I pointed out.

 

[jaklgreen]

You’re making a lot of incorrect assumptions. I have a major physical disability that limits my life (and my kids’ life) in significant ways every day…I expected to lose DAS in the overhaul because there’s simply too many disabled Americans to let us all (and our loved ones) be able to avoid lines at a theme park all the time, and frankly DAS failed us a lot and I regularly had to make my kids sacrifice a return because the LL was too long. I’m choosing to be grateful that Disney set up AQR so I can do rides with my kids from time to time that way— on the rare occasions that we visit a park without my husband, I will make a judgment call about letting my elementary aged kids stay in line with a device that allows them to reach me or I will be grateful to get any return to queue time a CM chooses to give us, even if it’s longer than current standby wait.

I want every park guest (disabled or able bodied) to be able to ride with their loved ones—but I also recognize DAS and endless RTQ options aren’t sustainable beyond small fraction of park guests, and shift a significant burden to other families. Pointing out unreasonable entitlement does not make me “completely insensitive” to people like myself, even if it makes people feel better to attack me instead of grapple with the facts I pointed out.

I didn't assume anything. That is what you said, that people with medical issues should be happy with having to wait longer for a ride than everyone else does, just because they have to leave the line for their medical issues.
You might be fine with "starting an hour wait over again", but that doesn't mean that everyone should be happy about it. Many don't go a full day as it is and to have the rides that they do go on take twice as long, is not acceptable.