New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[KDM31091]

Unfortunately these are the busiest theme parks in the world and at some point someone is going to be unhappy with the wait times. If you let too many people have DAS, now the standby line is going even slower, what with that and Lightning Lane. If you let too few people have it, some legitimate DAS users are going to be upset. If you just have one free for all line, it slows to a crawl and is overwhelmed.

There is no real magic answer here. Unfortunately, DAS was abused rampantly for increasingly silly reasons and now those who truly need it pay the price. None of us want to stand in the hot sun in Florida in August in a queue, for example, but somebody has to at the end of the day. The rides only hold so many people. Heat exhaustion (for example) is IMO not a valid excuse in Florida as it can happen to quite literally anyone, and no one should really be given preference for something like that, especially as no one is forcing you to go to WDW at a given time.

 

[brettf22]

*sigh* We had almost one entire, glorious week of discussing all the possible expansion info that dropped last Thursday.

I bet the Marketing folks are pretty ticked at the Operational folks (whom I assume are the ones who decided to drop these DAS changes). If only the left hand had worked with the right hand to release this DAS news two weeks ago.

 

[Splash4eva]

Well since my issues are bathroom related, they have posted that they will have a way to get in and out of line. I will have to speak to them about it since I travel solo for the most part now and there would be no one to hold my spot in line. Plus at times, I can easily have to go every 15-20 minutes. That is a lot of getting in and out of line for the longer queues.
And frankly, with the reports of the fights and arguments about people leaving and coming back into the line, I am not very confident that this won't end in some kind of confrontation with other guests.

Sadly i wouldnt disagree with you… just dont know how this would work. How many parents have told their kids. You need to hold it in. Now can easily say okay lets go to the bathroom. And imagine the pr nightmare disney faces if they only allow people that were “pre approved for bathroom access.

 

[UNCgolf]

They were selling plenty and it caused an issue with the lines being too long. You all don't remember that they reduced how many that they are selling? Disney created this mess by getting rid of free FP and selling Genie+, and inferior service even to the old FP system. They created the problem and now are punishing the people with disabilities to try to fix it.

They aren't punishing people with disabilities (although I do agree that Genie+ is terrible). They're trying to stop the apparently huge number of people who don't have disabilities from lying about it and abusing the system.

The lines weren't too long because they were selling too many. They were too long because most of the spots were being used up by people who lied about needing DAS.

This system, if it works as intended, should actually be better for people with legitimate disabilities as well as average guests. Obviously the system isn't in use yet, and it's certainly possible it turns into a disaster. But there seems to be a lot of unwarranted panic at the moment -- if you legitimately need it, it's unlikely that Disney is going to tell you to kick rocks.

 

[Tha Realest]

My issue is that I don't know why anyone is comparing DAS to Genie+. They are not the same service and Genie+ absolutely does not give the same opportunities in the park for people with disabilities that the average person gets. And Genie+ isn't even meant to keep you from waiting in any standby line, it was just supposed to give you those few extra return times. Not have your whole day only go on Genie+ rides.

DAS access is uniformly better. No repeat ride limitations, no 120-minute windows, gets free ILL, doesn’t cut off redemptions midday like G+ does.

 

[Trauma]

They aren't punishing people with disabilities. They're trying to stop the huge numbers of people who don't have disabilities from lying about it.

The lines weren't too long because they were selling too many. They were too long because most of the spots were being used up by people who lied about needing DAS.

This system, if it works as intended, should actually be better for people with legitimate disabilities as well as average guests.

The system hasn’t changed for people who cheat.

They just use a new lie.

The system is now unusable or more cumbersome for people with actual disabilities.

This isn’t about accommodating anyone.

It’s about pushing guests out of the parks that Disney has determined spend less then their able bodied counterparts.

 

[Tha Realest]

*sigh* We had almost one entire, glorious week of discussing all the possible expansion info that dropped last Thursday.

I bet the Marketing folks are pretty ticked at the Operational folks (whom I assume are the ones who decided to drop these DAS changes). If only the left hand had worked with the right hand to release this DAS news two weeks ago.

while this may deter some from booking trips, it makes others (like me) more willing to both visit and purchase G+

 

[mjspin]

Yea but the area of error just seems so vast. For instance, if a person needs to avoid lines and large masses of people by not waiting in line but yet has to wait in a large mass of people for fireworks because DAS is not offered for that. Are they abusing the service?

Trouble is that everyone is different and perceptions can change throughout a park day. Our eldest probably draws looks when using DAS as he is an elite swimmer and has the body and energy to go with it. At the same time he has a blood pressure issue that means that if he stands still for more than a few minutes he faints. His condition is fairly well controlled in the UK but combined with the heat and humidity of Florida it can be a struggle. We’ve used DAS on annual trips since 2015. If Disney have tracked us they would see we tend to spend most time between rides sitting somewhere cool. They will also see him striding through the park, using DAS, but always watching MK fireworks from the outside seating at Pinocchio Village Haus since he can sit and there’s no way he can stand in the hub or on Main Street - we’ve still to see HEA from the front of the castle! Even in the LL queue he is frequently sat down whilst in line. Sure he could use a wheelchair as an alternative, but that stigmatises his condition as he’s perfectly capable of walking around.
I’ve no idea whether Disney or this group think his need is justified, but it’s very real and can be demonstrated by his medical records, including a tilt table test that caused his heart to stop within 180 seconds.

 

[UNCgolf]

The system hasn’t changed for people who cheat.

They just use a new lie.

The system is now unusable or more cumbersome for people with actual disabilities.

This isn’t about accommodating anyone.

It’s about pushing guests out of the parks that Disney has determined spend less then their able bodied counterparts.

How? This is the unwarranted panic I'm talking about.

There's absolutely nothing about this system (that's been revealed so far, at least) that will make it easier (or the same) for liars to get access while making it harder for people with legitimate disabilities to get access. That's just not real.

It's bordering on wild conspiracy theory takes at this point, with people throwing out crazy speculation about what's going to happen with absolutely no logical reasoning behind it.

Your last line fully encapsulates why this is bordering on flat earth territory, by the way, because that would be clearly illegal and Disney would get absolutely hammered over it in the legal system.

If the system does turn out that way, then I'll be the first to denounce it. But nobody knows that yet, and people are foaming at the mouth over literally nothing because nothing has actually happened. Everyone should just calm down and wait and see how the new system plays out instead of getting themselves into a frenzy over imagined scenarios.

 

[nickys]

I’ve just seen this email transcript posted from Disability Services in response to a query.

“International Guests visiting May 19, 2024 or earlier may request to register for Disability Access Service (DAS) directly with Guest Relations Cast Members.

For International Guests arriving May 20, 2024 or later, Guest Relations Cast Members will have devices available to lend to our Guests so they may chat with DAS Cast Members on-site should they be necessary.

Please note that if a DAS is provided, Guests only need to do this on the first day of their visit, not every day. The DAS will be valid for the duration of your visit. No documentation is needed. "

So you won’t know whether you qualify for DAS in advance. You essentially have to be willing to do without it if you book.

 

[Trauma]

I’ve just seen this email transcript posted from Disability Services in response to a query.

“International Guests visiting May 19, 2024 or earlier may request to register for Disability Access Service (DAS) directly with Guest Relations Cast Members.

For International Guests arriving May 20, 2024 or later, Guest Relations Cast Members will have devices available to lend to our Guests so they may chat with DAS Cast Members on-site should they be necessary.

Please note that if a DAS is provided, Guests only need to do this on the first day of their visit, not every day. The DAS will be valid for the duration of your visit. No documentation is needed. "

So you won’t know whether you qualify for DAS in advance. You essentially have to be willing to do without it if you book.

LOL way to go Disney great customer service.

Spend all your $$$$$$ then we will let you know if you can use the product.

Thanks !

 

[Tha Realest]

I’ve just seen this email transcript posted from Disability Services in response to a query.

“International Guests visiting May 19, 2024 or earlier may request to register for Disability Access Service (DAS) directly with Guest Relations Cast Members.

For International Guests arriving May 20, 2024 or later, Guest Relations Cast Members will have devices available to lend to our Guests so they may chat with DAS Cast Members on-site should they be necessary.

Please note that if a DAS is provided, Guests only need to do this on the first day of their visit, not every day. The DAS will be valid for the duration of your visit. No documentation is needed. "

So you won’t know whether you qualify for DAS in advance. You essentially have to be willing to do without it if you book.

If this is true, then it seems they are outsourcing all of these determinations.

It sounds like they hand you an iPad for a video interview with someone offsite who will make that determination.

 

[nickys]

LOL way to go Disney great customer service.

Spend all your $$$$$$ then we will let you know if you can use the product.

Thanks !

Yeah, this will discourage international guests who have perhaps used DAS before or think they might need it from booking to stay onsite.

They’ll save their money and stay elsewhere so they can spend more time at the other parks if they don’t get the DAS.

 

[Tha Realest]

Wonder what’s going to happen to all those friendships that a certain vlogging family cultivated with people that had DAS access and used it on their livestreams?

 

[nickys]

If this is true, then it seems they are outsourcing all of these determinations.

It sounds like they hand you an iPad for a video interview with someone offsite who will make that determination.

That’s what others have said.

But I hoped that they’d finally allow the video calls. Looks like Disney are still unwilling to deal with European data protection laws.

 

[Trauma]

Yeah, this will discourage international guests who have perhaps used DAS before or think they might need it from booking to stay onsite.

They’ll save their money and stay elsewhere so they can spend more time at the other parks if they don’t get the DAS.

A lot of straws have been put on the camels back over the last few years.

 

[el_super]

Disney thinks it has; that's why they're changing it.

That's probably not accurate.

Fundamentally altered, within the context of the ADA and reasonable accomodations is akin to making the Disneyland Submarines wheelchair accessible. It can't be done without completely changing the nature of the attraction. So they get pass and another reasonable accomodation was created instead.

"I had to wait longer" would not be an unreasonable accomodation or speak to the overall experience being fundamentally altered.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They're trying to stop the apparently huge number of people who don't have disabilities from lying about it and abusing the system.

There’s also those with disabilities that are perhaps exaggerating the need for DAS.

 

[Indy_UK]

I’m one of the few who has never had an issue doing DAS registration online from the UK and on a VPN so hopefully I can still make it work.

First test for us will be our first trip to Disneyland on August.

If I can’t do it online then I want the option to do it at my Disney resort when I check in as I don’t want to be faffing around with it on my first park day. I guess this also exempts us from the registering 2 days before arrival

 

[el_super]

Are guests needing this assistance now required to show proof of the disability?

They cannot, and will not ask for any proof. The law will not allow it.

What they can do instead, and what they have always done, is ask questions about what a person can or cannot do, and assign them an accessibility option that best meets their needs. Sometimes this will be DAS and sometimes this will be something else.

What has changed is that they are offering up a new option to allow people to freely leave and re-enter a queue in the hope that this new option will reduce the number of people needing DAS to completely bypass the line.

But DAS is staying and the process of how one requests and recieves assistance isn't changing all that much. Except now they are moving online, and hiring more people so there won't be a 2+ hour wait at City Hall.