New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Ravenclaw78]

Occasionally? You definitely got to do more than any standby guest.

Genie+, when working as intended, or a decent touring plan will get you as many attractions as we did most days if you avoid the longest waits. Since we don't do thrill rides much, FoP and RotR are the only things we do that often have a >60 minute posted standby time. We did one trip where I bought Genie+ as well as using DAS, solely so I could compare the two in terms of availability and see whether the paid version would work for us instead of DAS, and the answer was that we had some trouble getting what we wanted for the morning because the requirement of getting up at 7 AM every morning to book stuff was extremely untenable for us, but otherwise the two were quite comparable on all but the two most crowded days of that visit. The trouble is that Genie+ wasn't always working as intended, because DAS abuse (including perhaps those of us with legitimate DAS use cases who are functional enough to handle 20 minute waits) was eating up LL availability for popular rides on busier days so people paying for Genie+ weren't getting value from it and standby wait times were increasing. Like I said, I'm all for the 10 minute rule, and I'd be in favor of any other reasonable compromise that adds value to the paid options without at least maintaining parity for disabled guests. I'm not going to not make the best use I can of the accomodations provided, but I'm also OK with those accomodations being somewhat reduced or altered to operate more fairly.

 

[Ravenclaw78]

As a DAS user ill agree some can do more than a regular guest… but for those of us not lying/cheating etc does it really bother you and others that much that a small subset of park goers who have disabilities and every day struggles may have a day where they can do more rides than others… may i add possibly not being able to do other things regular guests can? Like is this what people really think about while on vacation with their family?!? Life is way too short to truly give a hoot about this…. Disney could have found better ways to curb this they chose not to.

Right. For instance, fireworks shows are an absolute non-starter, and we have to find someplace like an out-of-the-way gift shop where they can't be heard at anywhere near full volume or we have to leave the park before they start. So we get a couple more rides, but neurotypical people can experience Fantasmic and the fireworks shows and other evening entertainment that I can't handle with or without DAS.

 

[Ravenclaw78]

This man took 3 trips to Disney before getting DAS. Most people need time to decompress from lines and crowds.

Yes, we did. And they were absolutely miserable. We could only ride about half the rides in the parks and I spent the whole week constantly on-edge, arguing with other guests or CMs who were triggering my fight/flight reflex, and barely avoiding a complete meltdown. We only went back because my daughter enjoyed it so much despite all that. With DAS, we were able to approach the park in a way that allowed me to only need the same amount of decompression as the average neurotypical guest would need.

 

[jennab55]

Genie+, when working as intended, or a decent touring plan will get you as many attractions as we did most days if you avoid the longest waits. Since we don't do thrill rides much, FoP and RotR are the only things we do that often have a >60 minute posted standby time. We did one trip where I bought Genie+ as well as using DAS, solely so I could compare the two in terms of availability and see whether the paid version would work for us instead of DAS, and the answer was that we had some trouble getting what we wanted for the morning because the requirement of getting up at 7 AM every morning to book stuff was extremely untenable for us, but otherwise the two were quite comparable on all but the two most crowded days of that visit. The trouble is that Genie+ wasn't always working as intended, because DAS abuse (including perhaps those of us with legitimate DAS use cases who are functional enough to handle 20 minute waits) was eating up LL availability for popular rides on busier days so people paying for Genie+ weren't getting value from it and standby wait times were increasing. Like I said, I'm all for the 10 minute rule, and I'd be in favor of any other reasonable compromise that adds value to the paid options without at least maintaining parity for disabled guests. I'm not going to not make the best use I can of the accomodations provided, but I'm also OK with those accomodations being somewhat reduced or altered to operate more fairly.

G+ seems to work well for those who do afternoon/evening touring, but not so much for those of us who do mornings and sometimes go back later. I’m excited for the switch to the new system where I can pre-book earlier time slots (hopefully). I hated trying to stack for afternoon as it was always up in the air how afternoons and evenings would actually end up going. Sometimes we made it back to the park and other times we didn’t. Rope drop was honestly the best time to get on the non headliner rides with minimal wait (or late at night but we aren’t park closers).

 

[Ravenclaw78]

But you did avoid it. And if you don't get DAS you can cope better but buying Genie and LLs, and utilizing rider switch..correct?

I hope so. I'm keeping an open mind and willing to see what happens if I can't get DAS. I think it will be at least a little better than our trips were pre-DAS, especially since it helps that we've been doing this for enough years that I don't stress out if we can't do everything we want to in a given trip anymore.

 

[Kingoglow]

I'd spend the wait time sitting in one of the quieter areas of the park to decompress or aimlessly browsing the gift shops or getting lunch.

Typical activities for most parties/people visiting the parks.
Some groups have DAS and are in queues, some groups are waiting out the clock in a virtual queue (which are difficult to plan around), some are shopping for their next LL, some are lost at what they should be doing next and some are just vibing.

 

[Kingoglow]

As a DAS user ill agree some can do more than a regular guest… but for those of us not lying/cheating etc does it really bother you and others that much that a small subset of park goers who have disabilities and every day struggles may have a day where they can do more rides than others… may i add possibly not being able to do other things regular guests can? Like is this what people really think about while on vacation with their family?!? Life is way too short to truly give a hoot about this…. Disney could have found better ways to curb this they chose not to.

Personally? No, it doesn't bother me how many rides a DAS user gets on. Outside of when Disney stops an attraction that I am already riding to board someone who can't transfer (which is frequent and annoying), I don't care what anyone's Disney day looks like or what they can accomplish, but I also don't care what their normal life is like.

Editing to say this I believe accommodations are important but it is also important to recognize (to some extent) the affects on everyone which is a Disney issue NOT an issue for disabled groups.

However, Disney very much cares how things are shaking out in the parks; which is why they are making changes. I don't think the individual daily lives of people really come into play when they make these decisions and I don't think it would be helpful for them to take it into consideration. Disney may not have 'found a better way' in your opinion, but they are doing what they can to address park operations.

 

[Splash4eva]

This man took 3 trips to Disney before getting DAS. Most people need time to decompress from lines and crowds.
I don't know if they are qualifying for DAS now, but if they are then the changes to the system are not what I thought they were.
As for what people struggle with, again nearly every human has a struggle they deal with and they cope with them. What makes someone a liar? Those of us with agency to decide if we want to go to a park or not.
You asked if this is really what people think about on vacation. How can they not?
Want to know why the changes were made? Because every time we get in a line wait 50 minutes aboit to take a step and told, hold on then see a group of adults sometimes 8 or more load in front and your kids ask why? Then say book the LL next time and you say, since they are all sold out for the next 4 hours.
That's why people think about it.

You can say the same about Genie+
Daddy why cant we buy that and skip the lines
Or better yet the plaids. Daddy why cant we have that…
Listen this is something i felt the same about even before having DAS and something im even more aware since dating my GF who’s daughter falls into the category and being around other kids who are way worse than she is…
Did changes needed to be made 100% ive been on record countless times even before they were made but ive also said ways they could have handled it in a way which to me would have been a happy compromise for all and then go from there. They wanted to rip the bandaid off to sell a “new” product. End of day is this. Parks lack capacity and entertainment and hours that are needed until that changes nothing else will…

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I still don't understand the term over use as you can't do more as it's still waiting the same amount of time only elsewhere

Of course you can do more. Not every DAS user does more, but to say "you can't do more" is blatantly false. You can get a DAS return time for 7DMT and go ride Big Thunder while you wait. Nobody else can do that without paying. That's what makes the system so attractive to abusers - it was G+/ILL for free with no chance of selling out.

 

[Chi84]

Of course you can do more. Not every DAS user does more, but to say "you can't do more" is blatantly false. You can get a DAS return time for 7DMT and go ride Big Thunder while you wait. Nobody else can do that without paying. That's what makes the system so attractive to abusers - it was G+/ILL for free with no chance of selling out.

“Without paying” and “free” being the key words there. The business model has changed.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Do they issue handicap placards for people who only sometimes need them (well besides temporary ones)? I honestly don’t know, but if the answer is yes, then I guess if the person didn’t need it that day why would they use a spot?

What’s the definition of “need”?

 

[jennab55]

Out of curiosity, I wonder how many people with DAS also bought G+? I know we wont’t ever know for sure, but I just wonder. I feel like a lot of people with disabilities (especially with kids) are willing to pay for something that will get them an easier experience, even when awarded DAS. Like anything that can help the trip be easier and less stressful.

 

[jennab55]

I actually just made my post… ive always boughten Genie+ and ILL even with DAS

We bought G+ as well. Honestly anything to make the trip easier on our family in hopes there will be less problems. BUT we also aren’t APs going every week. So it’s something I just factor into the cost of our vacation. And even before G+ we did both DAS and FP

 

[Splash4eva]

We bought G+ as well. Honestly anything to make the trip easier on our family in hopes there will be less problems. BUT we also aren’t APs going every week. So it’s something I just factor into the cost of our vacation. And even before G+ we did both DAS and FP

Exactly. That was my theory as well. Listen noone wants to pay more but if its making my trip a little better its a small price to pay and as ive stated here and in the Genie thread ive had tremendous success with it. So ive definitely gotten my moneys worth

 

[Ravenclaw78]

I'll just say that I do go plenty of places that can be challenging for me but not impossible without asking for the accommodations they make available, especially if there's a quiet area I can go to if I get overwhelmed. WDW is a special sort of challenge, for I think pretty much everyone regardless of abilities, and while I can and do go on rides without DAS if they have a posted wait time of >30 minutes (I'm usually good to around 20-30 minutes before hitting overload, unless there's something like a malfunctioning light in the queue that's strobing), I'd definitely have a return time booked for something else while I'm doing that. Honestly, I often hit the return queue as much as an hour after the window because there were other things I was able to use the standby queue for on the way there or we got hungry and stopped for food. The thing is, that I can only do that because the accommodations that Disney offered give me enough peace of mind that my overall stress levels are low enough for me to enjoy most of the park in a way that is closer to a typical guest. The new alternative accommodations may be sufficient to get me to that point. If they are, I'll be happy enough to just buy the Multipass thing if I can't get DAS anymore, but I won't know that until I can actually try them out myself.

 

[jennab55]

Exactly. That was my theory as well. Listen noone wants to pay more but if its making my trip a little better its a small price to pay and as ive stated here and in the Genie thread ive had tremendous success with it. So ive definitely gotten my moneys worth

G+ wasn’t my favorite. It’s been awhile since we’ve been but I remember one of the times was before the modify option. Once they added that is was a little better. Also it works better in some parks than others. I think the new system sounds like it will work even better, that’s my hope.

 

[Splash4eva]

G+ wasn’t my favorite. It’s been awhile since we’ve been but I remember one of the times was before the modify option. Once they added that is was a little better. Also it works better in some parks than others. I think the new system sounds like it will work even better, that’s my hope.

Time will tell and im sure before im back there there will be more changes to both DAS & Whatever paid system they have in place now lol

 

[Ravenclaw78]

Also, the last time we did MVMCP (pre-COVID), they offered a thing at Tony's where you could have a calm "home base" with some mediocre food, air conditioned seating, and a fireworks viewing spot that was relatively far from the castle and not very crowded (we stayed inside the restaurant for that, but most everyone else went out on the balcony to watch). IIRC, it cost over $500 for the three of us on top of what we'd already paid for the event tickets. I booked it without a moment's hesitation, and I'd do it again every time if it were available. We also buy tickets to After Hours events when they're an option, because the lower crowds and cooler temps make everything so much easier. I do similar things elsewhere like buying premium passes to cons so we can use the VIP lounge and skip-the-line vouchers. I'll pay for things like Multipass if it will make a significant difference for us, but FastPass+ really didn't and Genie+ wasn't much better.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

Do you feel the same way for handicap parking spots?

I do. Handicap spots are often the only place with enough room for someone in a chair to exit/enter. If someone has a placard for another reason and feels fine parking a little further away that day, they absolutely should.

 

[Splash4eva]

That backlash wasn't from me, though, so I can't answer for what others said. I'm only saying why DAS was attractive to cheaters and liars without making any judgment of how legitimate users should deal with G+/ILL.

I truly dk who and who was liking it all so i wasnt pointing you out just stating what was going on….
But ill ask you this. Do you think lying and cheating is only attractive at Disney for DAS or it basically exists in every day life where someone sees a way to get something for free? Lets face it. No matter what they do people who lied and cheated will continue to do so. All this did was take away and granted a very favorable system from people who legit needed it and legit will not lie to obtain it now and those who lied will continue to do so. And if i recall someone said that local APs were a decent makeup of th DAS system. Again not saying they should not be included but my guess a smaller percent of who goes to disney annually is taking up a larger percent of DAS