New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I’m not sure how helpful it is to talk in terms of fault. It seems that GAC and now DAS offered a better accommodation than what they are now offering.

The ultimate goal is to have society as a whole become more accessible so the disabled are able to have access without being segregated. That’s probably Disney’s thinking in improving the return to queue system so no one is excluded.
Disney’s implementation does require segregation and people were just arguing in support of that segregation.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
That’s true. A paid option would be relevant. Now Disney’s business model is to sell access to the LLs to both disabled and non disabled guests. I don’t believe that’s going to weigh in favor of DAS like accommodations.
But if it’s so critical to Disney’s business model then it can’t actually offer what is promised because the product fundamentally cannot work at such a scale.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
Disney’s implementation does require segregation and people were just arguing in support of that segregation.
I don’t think it does. Disney is trying to make its lines more accessible to all with AQR. But people aren’t happy with the accommodation so they want to avoid the lines and have their party wait with them outside of the line. That’s not Disney’s doing.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I don’t think it does. Disney is trying to make its lines more accessible to all with AQR. But people aren’t happy with the accommodation so they want to avoid the lines and have their party wait with them outside of the line. That’s not Disney’s doing.
Making people be alone is segregation. Allowing a companion is not the same as an entire party.

I didn’t say it was a good business model. It’s not.
It’s not about being good but being fundamental. The supposed concern is with satisfaction and continued sales of Lightning Lane products. But the way to truly optimize satisfaction with Lightning Lane products is to reduce admittance, something that would have a far bigger negative impact on the business. The entire larger operation of the business negatively impacts this supposed fundamental that has to be protected with decreased accommodation.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
Making people be alone is segregation. Allowing a companion is not the same as an entire party.


It’s not about being good but being fundamental. The supposed concern is with satisfaction and continued sales of Lightning Lane products. But the way to truly optimize satisfaction with Lightning Lane products is to reduce admittance, something that would have a far bigger negative impact on the business. The entire larger operation of the business negatively impacts this supposed fundamental that has to be protected with decreased accommodation.
Again, Disney’s system contemplates the disabled being accommodated in the standby lines.

No one thing will make the system better. Disney gets to choose which changes it makes.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
You specifically, along with others, have repeatedly tried to deny agency to people with disabilities. People routinely discount the challenges people face and insinuated that they are exaggerating or faking. GI and mental health issues in particular seem to be dismissed out of hand. People have been routinely questioned about their conditions and why they even go to the parks. Just going on about people being afraid of losing DAS is itself an attempt at shame that often comes along with calling people selfish that completely misses that some of us do not use DAS.

I do not use DAS. I have had experience with conditions that might have previously qualified me that people have routinely mocked and dismissed. Thankfully I do not foresee that part of my life recurring. What I do do almost every day is deal with access and compliance with relevant legislation. I want to argue semantics because that’s actually where the facts you claim to be interested lie and become incredibly important.
I applaud you then for your arguments. I had thought you or members of your travel parties had used it and were worried about these changes. Again, myself and I think most posters have no issue with people who truly need these accomodations.
 
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TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
VIP is not a line skip. Even at those extravagant prices line skip is not a given.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/private-vip-tours/
“The ability to enjoy some of your favorite attractions efficiently through most Lightning Lane entrances”
If it’s very popular or new WDW makes a point of VIPs not skipping everyone else (there’s some crazy next level extremely expensive version that’s not widely advertised that does offer line skip, but it’s well over 5 figures and meant for multi-millionaires aka super duper extra rich). They have to wait for FoP, 7DMT, GotG and many more. If LL is backed up 40+ minutes then the ‘plaid’ families are waiting too.

This isn't accurate. VIP Tours have access to all attractions, including FoP, GotG, Tron, etc. However, they use the Lightning Lane except in a few cases (Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear and a few others where they take you on quicker). They also restrict how many times you can do the newest rides, but you have access to them all via LL for those rides.

What IS frustrating about VIP Tours is that they force you to use the Lightning Lane. When the FoP LL is 40 minutes and you're paying $750/hour, it is incredibly frustrating. The guides should have the ability to bypass then once it gets to a certain point - but they only do this for celebs and high profile people.
 

C33Mom

Well-Known Member
This isn't accurate. VIP Tours have access to all attractions, including FoP, GotG, Tron, etc. However, they use the Lightning Lane except in a few cases (Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear and a few others where they take you on quicker). They also restrict how many times you can do the newest rides, but you have access to them all via LL for those rides.

What IS frustrating about VIP Tours is that they force you to use the Lightning Lane. When the FoP LL is 40 minutes and you're paying $750/hour, it is incredibly frustrating. The guides should have the ability to bypass then once it gets to a certain point - but they only do this for celebs and high profile people.
I’ve seen that Disney now offers a VVIP* tour that’s over $1000/hr where they do actually let you skip the whole line almost all of the time if you want…but I assume I’m not the only parent who feels that sets a horrible example for their children. I would absolutely be beside myself waiting in a 45+ minute queue for Test Track as I mentally calculated what the tour cost me per minute. It would be darkly hilarious if the actual motivation for finally cracking down on DAS capacity was because they were having a harder time selling VIP tours as wealthy park guests got fed up with 20-40m LLs being a regular occurrence. (NB: I really do not think this is the case.)

*not what Disney actually calls it
 

Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
Not saying this will happen, but how would you feel if the line and availability becomes the same after the upcoming LL changes?
I don’t believe it will so this hypothetical is not worth thinking about. Disney is basically on record stating that they couldn’t make these changes unless/until they fixed all the DAS abuse and power use. They needed to free up some of the capacity that DAS power users were hovering up so that **everyone** could have a better experience by utilizing prebooks.*

*Except international guests. That’s a problem they need to fix.
 

Kingoglow

Well-Known Member
We comprehend that there is abuse and a problem. But punishing the people with disabilities is not the way to go about fixing it. They didn't even try to cut down on the scammers, they just went to the extreme of cutting almost everyone off from DAS. I don't know why so many are ignoring the fact that Genie+ is the problem here. Their greed is what caused these issues, not the disabled people.

Punishing? Disney has a program targeted at some families with some Disabilities. Persons either qualify for the program or they don't. Disney provides a variety of accommodations for groups that don't qualify for their program. There is no punishment here. I suppose one could argue that standby guests are punished in some way but I think Disney, and a majority of people here, deem that as reasonable to accommodate those with needs that qualify under the program.
 
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Vacationeer

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
This isn't accurate. VIP Tours have access to all attractions, including FoP, GotG, Tron, etc. However, they use the Lightning Lane except in a few cases (Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear and a few others where they take you on quicker). They also restrict how many times you can do the newest rides, but you have access to them all via LL for those rides.

What IS frustrating about VIP Tours is that they force you to use the Lightning Lane. When the FoP LL is 40 minutes and you're paying $750/hour, it is incredibly frustrating. The guides should have the ability to bypass then once it gets to a certain point - but they only do this for celebs and high profile people.
What wasn’t accurate?
 

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
It’s really not that hard to understand. DAS was being abused and overused by people who didn’t need it. I think we can all agree on that one.

In order to crack down on the abuse you have only 2 options: 1. Gatekeep-make it more difficult to obtain by requiring things like doctors notes, etc or 2. Make the accommodation less desirable. As has been mentioned multiple times do too much of #1 and you will run afoul of the ADA and get sued, but so long as #2 meets the standard of giving the disabled person similar access as a normal guest you have a lot more leeway there. Disney ultimately decided to do the latter for all but the individuals affected by the most serious developmental afflictions, just like they did last time when they allowed Make a Wish kids to keep their GAC access. It was the easier and safer choice to do once the company decided it was a problem. Companies, much like people, usually choose the easier safer option.

This is going to happen again, and soon, Southwest Airlines and other budget carriers that only have one seat class have been dealing with an increasing horde of “miracle passengers” who need wheelchair assistance to get on the plane (assuring them overhead bag space and seats up front) but experience a miracle on the flight and don’t need assistance getting off. This not only hurts other revenue streams (Early Bird) but actually adds costs for the airline (who do you think pays for the wheelchair drivers.) Southwest is strongly rumored (and conducting surveys) to upend their entire flight model and introduce premium seats up front that will slow boarding and end their fast turnaround at the gate model all because of grifters. That way the benefit of a wheelchair entrance either puts you in the middle of the plane far from a bathroom or in the back of you need easy access to the bathroom.

It is a shame that we as a society can no longer give people extra benefits who otherwise have a hard life due to their disabilities because there is a large minority who feel they too are entitled to those benefits even if they are not disabled but here we are. I don’t think anyone on this thread is happy that life is being made harder for disabled people, we just recognize that the status quo could not continue and it was hurting everyone else. The ADA makes it very hard for companies to do the most logical thing (gatekeep) so unfortunately they have to downgrade the benefit so that grifters don’t have as much of an incentive to try and get it. People suck.
 

Chip Chipperson

Well-Known Member
It’s the only case dealing with line accommodation so it’s relevant even though the systems are not the same.

The fact that DAS is different doesn’t mean it can’t be abused. Disney is literally selling a system that isn’t as good. Of course there’s a potential for abuse.
We also KNOW it was being abused. There have been stories shared about CMs hooking their friends and co-workers up with DAS. Unauthorized tour guides were using their DAS to sell their services in the parks. There was the "influencer" who whined to People magazine about how she "needs" DAS because of a medical condition that makes the sun cause excruciating pain in her eyes even when wearing sunglasses in the gift shops, uet shared a picture of herself in front of the castle on a sunny day without sunglasses. Those aren't guesses. It happened. There will likely still be abusers/liars/exaggeraters now, but it seems a little harder to pull off between the video calls and new accomodation options.
 

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