New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Vacationeer]

60 minute standby is nothing. My local park today has 120 minute waits for a lot of rides.

Local park. That’s going to change tolerance levels in so many ways.

Our local park is Great Adventure. It’s convenient for a day trip. It’s a much smaller time/expense commitment than WDW. It’s one thing to compromise on accepting 120min waits when major values in time, cost and convenience are added. If I had to travel hours by plane, stay at least 4 nights to make it worthwhile, have us all get those same days off from work, save up between 10 to 20 times the budget… Great Adventure gets much less attractive, especially where 120 minute lines for lots of rides is concerned.

Being acceptable locally is just that.

I’d imagine most non-local people who visit local amusement parks have planned an itinerary that includes other things and helps make it worthwhile. Is anybody spending all that time and money to get there so they can stand on 120 minute lines all day and go home. Probably not (many). It’s a totally different mindset for locals though.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Not really, that's normal for most regional parks. It's why Fast pass at most parks cost $150 to $200 a person each day

Its terrible in my opinion .

So we are now comparing WDW to regional parks just so we rationalize WDW is not so bad?

 

[Touchdown]

Folks you are going to wait at a theme park. Midday waits less then 60 min are acceptable, under 30 ideal, but under 60 acceptable.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Folks you are going to wait at a theme park. Midday waits less then 60 min are acceptable, under 30 ideal, but under 60 acceptable.

Depending on on the attraction, I am walking past a 60 min wait time, or if I must ride it, I am forced to purchase a skip the line pass.

 

[Touchdown]

Depending on on the attraction, I am walking past a 60 min wait time, or if I must ride it, I am forced to purchase a skip the line pass.

Or you could wait for later in the day. All but a handful of rides drop to less then 30 min in the last hour of operation.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Realitively slow Monday, Mondays have been quieter but not this quiet.

At the end of the day we can compare with previously Monday For magic kingdom -

Monday June 17, longest average wait time - 7 dwarves mine train @ 67 / peak @ 85
Peter Pan @ 52 / peak @ 70

Monday june 10 - longest average wait time -
7 dwarves mine train @ 61 / peak @ 75
Peter Pan @ 54 / peak @ 75

Monday June 3 -
7 dwarves @ 59 / peak @ 75
Peter Pan @ 48 / peak @ 80

 

[Angel Ariel]

Or, some folks think the guy on the left should just wave to the other two as they head to a seat right next to the team bench.

That's not what most here - even DAS users - have been saying.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Because there are tons of rides and nothing else to do but ride them.

Folks you are going to wait at a theme park. Midday waits less then 60 min are acceptable, under 30 ideal, but under 60 acceptable.

This is something Disney has always done well - spread out crowds and build attractions that are high capacity.

It's why they get scrutinized or criticized for moving away from that.

Universe of Energy was a great attraction to have because there was never a wait and it was long. Something to "just do" on a busy day and get a reprieve from the waiting. Now it's another attraction where you wait a long time for a short ride.

Expansion of Genie+ has also made high capacity attractions that used to generally have a reasonable wait have long lines. See Haunted Mansion.

I think this pertains to DAS as Disney has moved away a lot of those low-wait attractions that balanced out the headliners. I imagine an autistic guest might be stressed by a 60-minute wait for Soarin but that can be balanced out by saying, okay let's do Nemo now because it's five minutes. Except it's not because Genie+ has impacted so many standby wait times.

This makes more people want to use DAS because there's less "accessible" attractions.

 

[Angel Ariel]

It's also not super relevant to the DAS discussion as Universal is not the same draw for the younger kids with disability who respond so much to Disney.

And it's not only the bolded - but universal's attractions are not as accessible for many kids (or people) with disabilities either. We will go to UO at least once soon to experience diagon alley, but UH didn't impress us much with anything else, and so much of it - even the newly opened super Mario world - had many inaccessible features (and Mario kart was less than impressive even for DH and I, who have no disabilities).

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

And it's not only the bolded - but universal's attractions are not as accessible for many kids (or people) with disabilities either.

Even outside of disabilities- I can only do so many universal attractions in a day. They are great - but most of them are pretty intense.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

And it's not only the bolded - but universal's attractions are not as accessible for many kids (or people) with disabilities either. We will go to UO at least once soon to experience diagon alley, but UH didn't impress us much with anything else, and so much of it - even the newly opened super Mario world - had many inaccessible features (and Mario kart was less than impressive even for DH and I, who have no disabilities).

Very true, there are many height restrictions, or they are rides kids won't want to do. Uni is great but limited in family rides.

 

[Comped]

And it's not only the bolded - but universal's attractions are not as accessible for many kids (or people) with disabilities either. We will go to UO at least once soon to experience diagon alley, but UH didn't impress us much with anything else, and so much of it - even the newly opened super Mario world - had many inaccessible features (and Mario kart was less than impressive even for DH and I, who have no disabilities).

Yep. Biggest reason why I continue to have a Disney AP, despite heavily interviewing to work at Universal. The rides at Disney are simply more accessible for me (insofar as there are more I can actually ride).

 

[Angel Ariel]

Very true, there are many height restrictions, or they are rides kids won't want to do. Uni is great but limited in family rides.

Also safety issues. DD would probably love some of the coasters at IOA, but I have serious concerns with her on coasters with inversions even if she meets the height requirement.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

That's not what most here - even DAS users - have been saying.

Not all, but you must be honest with this, not speaking of you or anyone specifically but let's say a person who is capable, mentally and physically of getting a DAS but also able to ride other rides, have lunch etc. in the hour or more time they have to wait is having a significantly different experience than the persons waiting in standby. An experience that will allow them to see much more of the park and get more for their dollar for the day. Its ok to admit that at the very least.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Not all, but you must be honest with this, not speaking of you or anyone specifically but let's say a person who is capable, mentally and physically of getting a DAS but also able to ride other rides, have lunch etc. in the hour or more time they have to wait is having a significantly different experience than the persons waiting in standby. An experience that will allow them to see much more of the park and get more for their dollar for the day. Its ok to admit that at the very least.

There are people who can do that throughout the day all day long, and I would assume at this point those are the people who no longer will qualify for DAS. So, TBH, a month into the program being changed at WDW, I just don't see the point of focusing on these people anymore.

Are there instances where someone could snapshot even our family's personal experience and see, for ex - pulling a DAS time for a 65 min wait for SDMT, and while waiting we ride teacups (twice if the wait is short enough, as DD fixates on it and would ride it all day long if allowed - DH and I have to limit it at 2 in a row or we will not be able to walk), maybe get a churro from the cart outside storybook circus, hit up a bathroom,and return to SDMT? Yep. That's happened even for us.

Yes, that's a different experience than the people in standby for that moment in time - not arguing that at all. But that's also not all day long for us. It's just a single snapshot that doesn't tell the whole story of DD's needs or all that it takes to meet them over the course of an entire day or where else she's missing out where that family that may have been in that SDMT SB wait isn't. But anyone could look at that snapshot and make judgments on very limited information that we're getting to see much more of the park and more for our dollar, when that's actually not the case at all.

That's why I don't like these hypothetical snapshots of a moment in a day. It's really not helpful to the discussion or representative of the families that are currently qualifying for DAS.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

There are people who can do that throughout the day all day long, and I would assume at this point those are the people who no longer will qualify for DAS. So, TBH, a month into the program being changed at WDW, I just don't see the point of focusing on these people anymore.

Are there instances where someone could snapshot even our family's personal experience and see, for ex - pulling a DAS time for a 65 min wait for SDMT, and while waiting we ride teacups (twice if the wait is short enough, as DD fixates on it and would ride it all day long if allowed - DH and I have to limit it at 2 in a row or we will not be able to walk), maybe get a churro from the cart outside storybook circus, hit up a bathroom,and return to SDMT? Yep. That's happened even for us.

Yes, that's a different experience than the people in standby for that moment in time - not arguing that at all. But that's also not all day long for us. It's just a single snapshot that doesn't tell the whole story of DD's needs or all that it takes to meet them over the course of an entire day or where else she's missing out where that family that may have been in that SDMT SB wait isn't. But anyone could look at that snapshot and make judgments on very limited information that we're getting to see much more of the park and more for our dollar, when that's actually not the case at all.

That's why I don't like these hypothetical snapshots of a moment in a day. It's really not helpful to the discussion or representative of the families that are currently qualifying for DAS.

I agree with you, that's where I am at with this, let's see what the changes result in. I bring it up because there are folks, that don't understand or refuse to see why Disney would enact the changes. And as much as we want to say they hypothetical, between the forums and youtubers out there, we know there were folks gaming DAS like Billy Mitchell on Donkey Kong.

 

[NotTheOne]

The difference is that the average park goer is not going to have to leave almost every single line like those with disabilities will likely have to do. Imagine if every single ride that you go on, you wait 20+minutes and then your issue flairs up and you have lost all of that time for EVERY RIDE. So no, that is not everyone being treated the same because everyone does not have medical needs that keeps them from being able to wait in the longer lines.

I've seen a few cases where solo guests were granted DAS, but couldn't add anyone to them, i.e., AQR wouldn't work well for them since they're alone, so they a DAS just for them. If someone comes with them, then they can't add them to the DAS, but will use AQR instead. This might be such a case.

 

[Splash4eva]

I've seen a few cases where solo guests were granted DAS, but couldn't add anyone to them, i.e., AQR wouldn't work well for them since they're alone, so they a DAS just for them. If someone comes with them, then they can't add them to the DAS, but will use AQR instead. This might be such a case.

I was wondering the same thing if i traveled with my daughter would they grant it or not…

 

[mkt]

Rejected by a Disney CM who has no medical experience, yes approved for IBCCES (and renewed) who is run by medical doctors and requires evidence for approval.

Absolutely ridiculous. Disney deserves as much bad press as possible over this.

 

[Splash4eva]

Rejected by a Disney CM who has no medical experience, yes approved for IBCCES (and renewed) who is run by medical doctors and requires evidence for approval.

Absolutely ridiculous. Disney deserves as much bad press as possible over this.

View attachment 794343

This is why anyone with a legit concern would love showing proof or go through a 3rd party system.