New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Kingoglow]

After years of using DAS, my wife was denied DAS for our upcoming trip.

She has Autism and ADHD that make standing in long lines very hard for her. Anxiety will overtake her and she will leave the ride. DAS helped a lot...there were times she didn't stay in the LL because even it got too long.

When Disney made the announcement to change, we were very happy. We know there were abusers of the system that made the lines long and sometimes useless for its intended purpose.

We were shocked at the CM simply telling my wife: You don't qualify. She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way and explain to them why (even though Disney approved) might be too much for her.
The CM said she will have to do that or buy Genie+ because that was the CM's decision based on what she told her.
When we said: But I truly meet the criteria based on your website. I even have my medication here and a Doctor's note. The CM shut her down and I said "I am not supposed to see that".

We asked if "Rider Switch" was an option, we were told "No, we have to try the method she approved first".


We will buy Genie+...thats fine. We will be fine. But I am now wondering who DAS is for now?
I guess it's for the more extreme cases that may involve physical reactions (that is what I've heard). I'm hoping every CM is different and the majority of the people get the service who need it like us...

Do you have a recording of the phone CM telling your to purchase Genie+? That would be pretty big.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

After years of using DAS, my wife was denied DAS for our upcoming trip.

She has Autism and ADHD that make standing in long lines very hard for her. Anxiety will overtake her and she will leave the ride. DAS helped a lot...there were times she didn't stay in the LL because even it got too long.

When Disney made the announcement to change, we were very happy. We know there were abusers of the system that made the lines long and sometimes useless for its intended purpose.

We were shocked at the CM simply telling my wife: You don't qualify. She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way and explain to them why (even though Disney approved) might be too much for her.
The CM said she will have to do that or buy Genie+ because that was the CM's decision based on what she told her.
When we said: But I truly meet the criteria based on your website. I even have my medication here and a Doctor's note. The CM shut her down and I said "I am not supposed to see that".

We asked if "Rider Switch" was an option, we were told "No, we have to try the method she approved first".


We will buy Genie+...thats fine. We will be fine. But I am now wondering who DAS is for now?
I guess it's for the more extreme cases that may involve physical reactions (that is what I've heard). I'm hoping every CM is different and the majority of the people get the service who need it like us...

I am guessing it's for those that are not audible l, and more for children. Adults have more agency and will leave when they want, not feel compelled to stay for the family etc.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

After years of using DAS, my wife was denied DAS for our upcoming trip.

She has Autism and ADHD that make standing in long lines very hard for her. Anxiety will overtake her and she will leave the ride. DAS helped a lot...there were times she didn't stay in the LL because even it got too long.

When Disney made the announcement to change, we were very happy. We know there were abusers of the system that made the lines long and sometimes useless for its intended purpose.

We were shocked at the CM simply telling my wife: You don't qualify. She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way and explain to them why (even though Disney approved) might be too much for her.
The CM said she will have to do that or buy Genie+ because that was the CM's decision based on what she told her.
When we said: But I truly meet the criteria based on your website. I even have my medication here and a Doctor's note. The CM shut her down and I said "I am not supposed to see that".

We asked if "Rider Switch" was an option, we were told "No, we have to try the method she approved first".


We will buy Genie+...thats fine. We will be fine. But I am now wondering who DAS is for now?
I guess it's for the more extreme cases that may involve physical reactions (that is what I've heard). I'm hoping every CM is different and the majority of the people get the service who need it like us...

I am guessing it's for those that are non verbal and more for children. Adults have more agency and will leave when they want, not feel compelled to stay for the family etc. just

 

[Chi84]

She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way and explain to them why (even though Disney approved) might be too much for her.
The CM said she will have to do that or buy Genie+ because that was the CM's decision based on what she told her.

Just as a clarification, did the CM tell your wife that she would have to enter the line at the beginning and make people move out of her way and explain why to them? Or did the CM say that she would have to try AQR?

The reason I ask is because people who are anxious about certain situations (I'm diagnosed with anxiety) tend to interpret things in terms of worst-case scenarios. Many of the AQR reports I've seen on other sites involve the party calling the person and that person being allowed in the LL to meet up with the party. "Might not work" doesn't seem like a good enough reason to override the CMs offered accommodation.

 

[docdebbi]

This "I'm not allowed to see that" is exactly Disney's problem. With no proof needed of disability, anyone could and WAS claiming disability.
"Yup, you just have to say you have a problem and you get the pass, so go ahead, tell them anything and we're good."
I don't understand why they can't do it like Universal, you need to produce medical records and a note from the doc saying you need accommodations to a third party. We have loved the IBCCES system, we're legit in our autism statement and it's easy to prove.

We don't want to play the leave the line once the meltdown starts and hopes it ends so that we can go back game, it may not end for the rest of the day once he's been set off.

I understand the need to change something, but this wasn't it! We are planning Universal next year, don't know if we'll be back to Disney unless this gets straightened out. But I'm not sure that isn't their plan..........cut down on LL use and only lose the ?small? proportion of DAS user who were legit.

 

[Chi84]

Do you have a recording of the phone CM telling your to purchase Genie+? That would be pretty big.

I don't think it would be, unless the CM was saying it was a disability accommodation.

The paid system is available to everyone and many disabled people purchase it; Disney could get in trouble for assuming a disabled person didn't have the capacity or wherewithal to decide for themselves whether a paid system would be beneficial if the offered accommodation was not to their preference.

 

[NotTheOne]

Rider Switch is available for all guests now - you need to report this CM as they told you incorrect information.

CM’s also shouldn’t be recommending Genie+ as an accommodation for a disability.

Rider Switch is available to all guests at DL, I don't believe that's the case for WDW.

And there is nothing at all wrong with recommending Genie+ to someone who chooses not even try the recommended accommodation.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Rider Switch is available to all guests at DL, I don't believe that's the case for WDW.

Oh, I have not heard that. The only difference I was aware of was in person DAS approval at DL - I thought everything else was the same.

Any other differences?

 

[NotTheOne]

Oh, I have not heard that. The only difference I was aware of was in person DAS approval at DL - I thought everything else was the same.

Any other differences?

I don't know, I just know that Rider Switch is described as "for all guests" on the DL site, and for guests "who can't or don't want to board an attraction" on the WDW site.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Exactly.

And now that the "DAS Defenders" are getting some media attention using this woman, they're all giddy that Disney is going to cave.

I haven't been on this thread in a few weeks in a few weeks. Is disney caving and going back?

 

[NotTheOne]

I haven't been on this thread in a few weeks in a few weeks. Is disney caving and going back?

No, I don't believe so - just saying that the "DAS Defenders" are confident that they will due to bad publicity.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

I haven't been on this thread in a few weeks in a few weeks. Is disney caving and going back?

If anything, the past few days suggest that many of the CMs who were ignoring the new DAS standard are being weeded out. But it's hard to say -- lots of anecdotal posts, and the most fantastic stories are always posted anonymously.

 

[KrzyKtty]

No, I don't believe so - just saying that the "DAS Defenders" are confident that they will due to bad publicity.

They might be a bit emboldened in the thought because Iger/Disney has been Change or rolling back quite a few of Chapek era policies. However this one so new, I don't really think it has the same correlation. At least disney has shown recently that when they get enough flack for something they do change it eventually.

 

[NotTheOne]

They might be a bit emboldened in the thought because Iger/Disney has been Change or rolling back quite a few of Chapek era policies. However this one so new, I don't really think it has the same correlation. At least disney has shown recently that when they get enough flack for something they do change it eventually.

True enough, but I always go back to 2013 when they got rid of GAC. The uproar was huge, tons of bad publicity, multiple lawsuits, and Disney stuck by their guns, even to the point of fighting a lawsuit for 8 years. I think with the LL changes that start the end of this month, there is no way that Disney can go back to the DAS free for all that existed until recently. They realize that they have an obligation to all of their guests, not just the disabled ones.

ETA: I'm of the opinion (just that, an opinion), that they'll eliminate DAS except for solo travelers or guests who need a caretaker and offer alternate accommodations to everyone else before they allow DAS to go back to the way it was. After all, they have to offer accommodations, they don't have to offer DAS specifically.

 

[NotTheOne]

Rider Switch is available to all guests at DL, I don't believe that's the case for WDW.

And there is nothing at all wrong with recommending Genie+ to someone who chooses not even try the recommended accommodation.

Want to correct something - when you go to the rider switch page at WDW, it says it's for guests who can't or won't ride, but when you go to the accessibility section, it does say it's available for all guests.

Apologies for the previous misinformation.

 

[NotTheOne]

Want to correct something - when you go to the rider switch page at WDW, it says it's for guests who can't or won't ride, but when you go to the accessibility section, it does say it's available for all guests.

Apologies for the previous misinformation.

Or maybe not...very poorly worded, IMO:

Rider Switch​

Rider switch is a program available to all Guests. With Rider Switch, Guests can wait with member(s) of their party who aren’t riding due to any of the reasons listed below. Once the first Guest returns the waiting Guest can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

Rider Switch is available for Guests who meet one of the following:

• Does not meet the boarding requirements
• Has a service animal that cannot board the attraction or does not want to use a provided kennel
• Meets boarding requirement and does not want to ride but cannot wait outside queue on their own

Rider Switch is available at most attractions throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

 

[jennab55]

After years of using DAS, my wife was denied DAS for our upcoming trip.

She has Autism and ADHD that make standing in long lines very hard for her. Anxiety will overtake her and she will leave the ride. DAS helped a lot...there were times she didn't stay in the LL because even it got too long.

When Disney made the announcement to change, we were very happy. We know there were abusers of the system that made the lines long and sometimes useless for its intended purpose.

We were shocked at the CM simply telling my wife: You don't qualify. She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way and explain to them why (even though Disney approved) might be too much for her.
The CM said she will have to do that or buy Genie+ because that was the CM's decision based on what she told her.
When we said: But I truly meet the criteria based on your website. I even have my medication here and a Doctor's note. The CM shut her down and I said "I am not supposed to see that".

We asked if "Rider Switch" was an option, we were told "No, we have to try the method she approved first".


We will buy Genie+...thats fine. We will be fine. But I am now wondering who DAS is for now?
I guess it's for the more extreme cases that may involve physical reactions (that is what I've heard). I'm hoping every CM is different and the majority of the people get the service who need it like us...

Did they say she would need to go back through the regular line and push past people, or was that just your wife’s assumption? What I heard was the person who has to exit (or is waiting elsewhere) goes through the LL to meet up with their party who was in the standby line. So then no need to push by everyone. Maybe that would work for her?

 

[jennab55]

This "I'm not allowed to see that" is exactly Disney's problem. With no proof needed of disability, anyone could and WAS claiming disability.
"Yup, you just have to say you have a problem and you get the pass, so go ahead, tell them anything and we're good."
I don't understand why they can't do it like Universal, you need to produce medical records and a note from the doc saying you need accommodations to a third party. We have loved the IBCCES system, we're legit in our autism statement and it's easy to prove.

We don't want to play the leave the line once the meltdown starts and hopes it ends so that we can go back game, it may not end for the rest of the day once he's been set off.

I understand the need to change something, but this wasn't it! We are planning Universal next year, don't know if we'll be back to Disney unless this gets straightened out. But I'm not sure that isn't their plan..........cut down on LL use and only lose the ?small? proportion of DAS user who were legit.

But are all people with autism unable to wait in a longer line? The answer is no, so why would everyone with autism be approved for DAS just because they have autism? That doesn’t make sense either and one reason medical documentation like proving one has autism would not work. I’m not saying this about you or anyone else specifically, just in general terms.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

We were shocked at the CM simply telling my wife: You don't qualify. She said she can leave the line and come back and rejoin her party if she needed. My wife said, even that might not work, since going back through the line and making people move out of her way

Alternative Queue Re-entry (what was suggested) does not involve your wife cutting her way back to your party. Instead, what happens is she tells a CM that she needs to exit the queue. She is then allowed to re-enter the queue utilizing the lightning lane to meet you back at the merge point. The accommodation will likely work for her given the issues you are describing, although purchasing Genie+ is certainly another option that is available.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

What is wrong with having an AP discount on Genie+? Consider it a perk for their loyal customers. How quickly Disney has forgotten that their AP/DVC members are the ones that came back to the parks after reopening when everyone else was still scared to. Nothing wrong with giving them a bit of a perk.

They could do something like what Universal does and offer an after 5pm G+ perhaps, or an AP that includes an evening G+.