New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[jennab55]

Universal has a few of their higher end hotels that provide free express pass for all room occupants check in and check out day. As much as we can argue weather DAS should or shouldn't be for this condition or that, I think of Disney would provide guests of Deluxe 3 LLs a day, Moderates 2 and Value 1, people would feel those Disney rooms costs were more justified and less people would have anxiety about losing DAS.

Oh I totally wish Disney did something like universal for deluxe resorts, but I also understand they have way more deluxe resorts than universal does. And then of course there’s the DVC crowd and are they “deluxe” for those types of benefits? I was talking the price though, people say G+ is too expensive but I guess I don’t see it that way.

 

[jennab55]

Universal's line-skipping system is far superior to WDW's in everything other than price.

I don’t disagree it’s better, but the price is what 3x as much right? That’s why I think G= was priced pretty fairly. As in can’t be too low or everyone will get it and it’s not to the level of Universals express pass so shouldn’t be that high either.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Oh I totally wish Disney did something like universal for deluxe resorts, but I also understand they have way more deluxe resorts than universal does. And then of course there’s the DVC crowd and are they “deluxe” for those types of benefits? I was talking the price though, people say G+ is too expensive but I guess I don’t see it that way.

Yeah maybe 3 is extreme, but there is not much value in paying rack rate for a Disney hotel, and I think that's where people start trying to figure how to game systems, they want to make up that value somewhere .
Honestly if they brought back Disney Express, with the off site luggage check in, that was such a huge advantage Disney had over other resorts, I would be a lot happier.

 

[Splash4eva]

Oh I totally wish Disney did something like universal for deluxe resorts, but I also understand they have way more deluxe resorts than universal does. And then of course there’s the DVC crowd and are they “deluxe” for those types of benefits? I was talking the price though, people say G+ is too expensive but I guess I don’t see it that way.

They basically do. Plaid service. My buddy just went to Uni for a day & i think he paid 250 a person for his family 8 for them… i know Disney charges per hour & price and time varies for each park but if you want to compare thats the comparison

 

[jennab55]

Yeah maybe 3 is extreme, but there is not much value in paying rack rate for a Disney hotel, and I think that's where people start trying to figure how to game systems, they want to make up that value somewhere .
Honestly if they brought back Disney Express, with the off site luggage check in, that was such a huge advantage Disney had over other resorts, I would be a lot happier.

Oh same! I think magical express and being able to send my park purchases to my room are the benefits I miss the most and wish they’d bring back.

 

[Kingoglow]

When did DAS completely go away

Well, if you believe the 'it's DAS or nothing!' crowd, DAS went away on April 7th, when this thread started.

 

[Splash4eva]

Oh same! I think magical express and being able to send my park purchases to my room are the benefits I miss the most and wish they’d bring back.

The luggage dropoff day of leaving was huge

 

[Chi84]

I can only speculate what the results of any of this would have been, but I think it could have been similar to what they've ended up with but less severe. Limiting the number of party members that can accompany the DAS holder helps address both the "VIP Tour Guides" situation and the groups who would rather lie to get DAS than pay the cost of Genie+ for their party of 8. The 10-minute rule helps limit a loophole for legitimate DAS users. Where I'd differ is tightening up eligibility less drastically. There was certainly a fair amount of scope creep over the years in the set of disabilities being granted DAS, and cast members being too reluctant to deny requests, but I think that could have been addressed by cutting out a smaller set of use cases and better training cast members. Especially if Genie+ had been designed better to begin with as well - the price was set too high, it should have been purchasable in advance, it should have allowed the same pre-booking capabilities as FastPass+, etc.

Who would be in the smaller set of use cases? If you have a set, you have to define it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Who would be in the smaller set of use cases? If you have a set, you have to define it.

Disney hasn’t defined it, why should we have to?

 

[Vacationeer]

Disney hasn’t defined it, why should we have to?

That comment was in response to:

There was certainly a fair amount of scope creep over the years in the set of disabilities being granted DAS, and cast members being too reluctant to deny requests, but I think that could have been addressed by cutting out a smaller set of use cases and better training cast members.

What smaller set being cut would work?

I’m not sure how you missed the quote inside that comment though?

 

[Chi84]

Disney hasn’t defined it, why should we have to?

I’m not sure what you mean. Disney has defined it as limited to people with developmental disabilities like autism or similar which makes them unable to stand in a conventional line. This is a specific set of people who qualify.

The poster I questioned said Disney should have included people who do not fall into that set, but fewer people than the ones previously given DAS. So I asked who would be in the set that poster proposed.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’m not sure what you mean. Disney has defined it as limited to people with developmental disabilities like autism or similar which makes them unable to stand in a conventional line. This is a specific set of people who qualify.

But it’s been reported they seen to be favoring children, and have also granted DAS to guests without developmental disabilities- so it’s not that simple.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

They do. But since Figment has a disability - and was previously granted a DAS pass because of that disability - they think it is unfair to be forced to pay for the same access that was previously free.

So a reasonable accommodation would be give a DAS user 3 free LLs per day?

 

[Chi84]

But it’s been reported they seen to be favoring children, and have also granted DAS to guests without developmental disabilities- so it’s not that simple.

You're confusing policy with anecdotal reports of how it is being applied. Disney's definition of who qualifies is clear. The poster I questioned proposed that more people should be included in that definition, but fewer than those who qualified previously. I was asking that particular poster to clarify what they meant - who should Disney include in that set of people.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The poster I questioned proposed that more people should be included in that definition, but fewer than those who qualified previously. I was asking that particular poster to clarify what they meant - who should Disney include in that set of people.

I think that as well - why do you need it defined? You can understand the concept correct?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

You're confusing policy with anecdotal reports of how it is being applied. Disney's definition of who qualifies is clear. The poster I questioned proposed that more people should be included in that definition, but fewer than those who qualified previously. I was asking that particular poster to clarify what they meant - who should Disney include in that set of people.

Exactly. It's like saying, you heard about someone who got off getting a ticket for not stoping at a stop sign and another person got the ticket. It's not always going to be uniform or even fair. Honestly if it's going to be people screaming about unfairness, it will be a shame when DAS is scrapped all together, because it won't be worth the trouble. I could see it being replaced by a much more limited program, maybe something that will be limited to only so many people applying a day, maybe to the point where CMs have groups they lead.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I think that as well - why do you need it defined? You can understand the concept correct?

We all understand the concept, but having it defined would give clarity into its feasiblity. The poster that suggested it would, I assume want their condition to be included in this newly defined acceptable group. Given what they have written, that doesn't leave much room for excluding anyone at all.

 

[Chi84]

We all understand the concept, but having it defined would give clarity into its feasiblity. The poster that suggested it would, I assume want their condition to be included in this newly defined acceptable group. Given what they have written, that doesn't leave much room for excluding anyone at all.

If someone is proposing a different "set" of people than the one defined by Disney, it's up to that person to say who should be in that set and who would no longer qualify. My opinion is that Disney has done the best it can to define who is eligible, although I have no idea on how they are handling the DAS interviews to ensure that only those people are included.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

So a reasonable accommodation would be give a DAS user 3 free LLs per day?

I don't think many people would consider that an equal accommodation by any means, but it brings up how the changes to Fastpass may be a factor.

Three free fasptasses, booked in advance, was probably enough to:

a) reduce the desire to lie in order to get DAS.
b) meet the needs of people with a more moderate disability.

That system generally allowed one to be guaranteed to bypass one or two significant wait times, and bypass some additional moderate wait times. I imagine that would be sufficient for someone who struggles with wait times but is fine with some waiting in line.

 

[Angel Ariel]

As has been posted elsewhere in this thread, there is a real difference between an adult with a disability (who has agency) and a child who has a disability (who does not). This is especially true for those disabilities this new system seems designed for, those with severe developmental/neurological disabilities. Disney should absolutely be giving preference to children over adults.

This makes a huge assumption that those with significant developmental and neurological disorders have that agency and independence as an adult. For many with these diagnoses, the intensity of need stays the same - or increases - as they age.