New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[jennab55]

I've seen a few of those posts as well, but no report of anyone who actually did take the photo or needed the photo to re-enter. And yes, re-entry is via the LL, not pushing your way through standby back to where you were.

I think the assumption is most people won’t actually need to leave the line. It doesn’t seem like it is happening very often.

 

[DisneyHead123]

This gets tough because let’s use autism for example. Not all people with autism need DAS, so what would they submit? Plus as someone stated before, dr’s offices may charge to obtain specific documentation from a doctor (like a note) which could be problematic for some people (don’t have insurance, deductible is high, etc). I just don’t feel like medical documentation is this end all answer people think it is. There are still many negatives.

There are negatives, definitely. But to some extent this is just how modern life is - exceedingly complicated. If I want my child to attend a day camp, they need proof of vaccination, maybe a physical, etc. I hear horror stories about the paperwork required when they register for school, lol. Making sure all families have access to timely medical care is a separate issue, but it’s not like Disney is an exception in this area. A lot of things involving children involve getting access to at least vaccination records, a lot of jobs want a yearly physical and TB test, etc. Such is life these days.

As far as what they would submit, I would say at a minimum an educational or medical diagnosis / documentation of the underlying issue. No, not everyone with autism needs DAS. But if someone says they need DAS due to symptoms of autism, then the autism diagnosis could be confirmed via a medical professional or maybe an IEP. Then the typical interview process could focus more on specific symptoms and type of accommodation needed.

Again, I get that this is not a perfect system. I am not in any way shape or form arguing that. In fact, in earlier posts, I actually argued against such a system. But my thinking now is that sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good. Yes, some cheaters would inevitably still get through. But it would deter a lot of them, in my opinion.

 

[Splash4eva]

This gets tough because let’s use autism for example. Not all people with autism need DAS, so what would they submit? Plus as someone stated before, dr’s offices may charge to obtain specific documentation from a doctor (like a note) which could be problematic for some people (don’t have insurance, deductible is high, etc). I just don’t feel like medical documentation is this end all answer people think it is. There are still many negatives.

My daughter needs proof of every vaccination required to go to school and this is not a public or she cant attend … this is school real life. Theme parks are not. They are luxuries. They are vacations. They are fun. Problem is some people want to get get get and do nothing for it and complain about certain requirements needed… and this is partly why we are here. The over use of a very friendly policy bc companies may have been afraid of drawbacks now Disney as have others have ripped the band aid off and many many people have suffered. But hey all i heard for months was wait times would be minimal if not walk ons and Genie/LL would be easier to get. Im still waiting to see this magically happen because noone i know that has gone since these changes can attest to that at all. Its not like parks are crowded all of a sudden if anything its the opposite. What gives?

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

So months later and still dealing with some of the same issues as when this all started

To be fair, my visit was almost a month ago. It is possible CM training has increased since then, but it was well after changes to DAS were announced.

I would encourage others to ask about the new policy while they are visiting the parks. I think this is a policy that sounds feasible on paper, but then the queues weren't really designed with the idea of people leaving them.

I know on a prior visit, GoG went down while I was in the standby, and people did eventually leave the queue. The front part of that queue is one of the better ones- the round room - where people were somewhat able to get around other people as they exited the queue. And it worked, because everyone was stuck for over an hour. At that point, many people need to use the restroom, so they empathize.

 

[jennab55]

There are negatives, definitely. But to some extent this is just how modern life is - exceedingly complicated. If I want my child to attend a day camp, they need proof of vaccination, maybe a physical, etc. I hear horror stories about the paperwork required when they register for school, lol. Making sure all families have access to timely medical care is a separate issue, but it’s not like Disney is an exception in this area. A lot of things involving children involve getting access to at least vaccination records, a lot of jobs want a yearly physical and TB test, etc. Such is life these days.

As far as what they would submit, I would say at a minimum an educational or medical diagnosis / documentation of the underlying issue. No, not everyone with autism needs DAS. But if someone says they need DAS due to symptoms of autism, then the autism diagnosis could be confirmed via a medical professional or maybe an IEP. Then the typical interview process could focus more on specific symptoms and type of accommodation needed.

Again, I get that this is not a perfect system. I am not in any way shape or form arguing that. In fact, in earlier posts, I actually argued against such a system. But my thinking now is that sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good. Yes, some cheaters would inevitably still get through. But it would deter a lot of them, in my opinion.

The issue is it’s causing a burden on only disabled people. Making them get paperwork and possibly pay more to get access to an accommodation. School and camps all children require the paperwork, not just disabled children.

 

[jennab55]

My daughter needs proof of every vaccination required to go to school and this is not a public or she cant attend … this is school real life. Theme parks are not. They are luxuries. They are vacations. They are fun. Problem is some people want to get get get and do nothing for it and complain about certain requirements needed… and this is partly why we are here. The over use of a very friendly policy bc companies may have been afraid of drawbacks now Disney as have others have ripped the band aid off and many many people have suffered. But hey all i heard for months was wait times would be minimal if not walk ons and Genie/LL would be easier to get. Im still waiting to see this magically happen because noone i know that has gone since these changes can attest to that at all. Its not like parks are crowded all of a sudden if anything its the opposite. What gives?

Interesting as I’ve heard the opposite. That both standby and LL lines have been shorter. Also, again with school. That’s required of all children. This would be singling out only disabled people and putting an additional burden on them for a theme park. I get in schools and workplaces documents are required, but theme parks are different.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The issue is it’s causing a burden on only disabled people. Making them get paperwork and possibly pay more to get access to an accommodation. School and camps all children require the paperwork, not just disabled children.

I see that, but at the same time, when you live in a world where people outright pretend to be disabled to access disability accommodations, what's a better idea?

 

[Splash4eva]

Interesting as I’ve heard the opposite. That both standby and LL lines have been shorter. Also, again with school. That’s required of all children. This would be singling out only disabled people and putting an additional burden on them for a theme park. I get in schools and workplaces documents are required, but theme parks are different.

This is my point. Are you & others really gonna say asking for docs to prove something go gain special access is some major crime and insulting. As a DAS user i embrace it as it would help get rid of some cheaters and liars and make it more difficult for others. To late now as Disney has basically told a good amount of people who legit need it. Bye bye

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

I see that, but at the same time, when you live in a world where people outright pretend to be disabled to access disability accommodations, what's a better idea?

100% And the only way to fix that is to extinguish the humans.

 

[jaklgreen]

There isn’t a federal certification process, which puts businesses in a difficult position if they want to accommodate disabilities right now. Unless and until the law is changed, third parties will be used by those theme parks asking for documentation.

My suspicion is that Disney decided against requiring documentation because it would not have made a big enough difference. They had to significantly limit the impact of the DAS program. Just requiring people who previously received DAS to prove they needed it wouldn’t have achieved their purpose.

I suppose it’s possible that if the current program is still resulting in overuse, they may go even further and ask for documentation. But I doubt they want to do this.

I KNOW that there is no Federal process, that is literally why I said that there should be. And there is no reason for the parks to have a third party "verify" a person's medical condition. Especially one that is not in the healthcare business and is under the HIPAA law.

 

[jaklgreen]

I think the assumption is most people won’t actually need to leave the line. It doesn’t seem like it is happening very often.

Well that is a good way to weed out the fakers. I wish they would track everyone. Those of us with legitimate issues would stand out right away.

 

[jennab55]

I see that, but at the same time, when you live in a world where people outright pretend to be disabled to access disability accommodations, what's a better idea?

Not causing an undue burden on the disabled person.

 

[jennab55]

This is my point. Are you & others really gonna say asking for docs to prove something go gain special access is some major crime and insulting. As a DAS user i embrace it as it would help get rid of some cheaters and liars and make it more difficult for others. To late now as Disney has basically told a good amount of people who legit need it. Bye bye

I just don’t think it will fix the issue. I doubt they would open it back up to everyone who had DAS prior, so if it’s staying the small group it is, why burden them more? I honestly don’t think it was the liars causing the overuse, it was mostly used by people with legit medical problems.

Also, if they require docs, someone has to make sure the medical document is protected or disposed of properly. It just opens them up even more problems.

 

[Angel Ariel]

No, I am saying that not all kids the have an IEP are actually disabled. My daughter being bad at math in no way makes her either disabled or incapable of waiting in the standby line. I am not sure how that was lost in translation to you. You have numerous times intentionally "misunderstood" people's comments and have been confrontational. Why? Why are you so nasty to people on this forum?

What is your definition of disabled?

IDEA has a list of 13 eligibility categories to qualify to have an IEP. These are disability categories. You have to have re-evaluations every 3 years and go through the forms for the appropriate eligibility category(ies) to determine as a team if a child exhibits the characteristics of that disability category.

IDEA literally stands for Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. Those with an IEP do have an educational disability. That isn't the same as a medical disability, but it is still a disability.

 

[jennab55]

Well that is a good way to weed out the fakers. I wish they would track everyone. Those of us with legitimate issues would stand out right away.

I wouldn’t call them fakers. Lots of people have medical issues that only come up sometimes. Let’s say for example my husband has IBS. He might need to leave the line sometimes, but not all the time. So in the past he could have qualified for DAS, but didn’t really always need it.

 

[Chi84]

Not causing an undue burden on the disabled person.

How, though? That’s the question businesses struggle with.

 

[jennab55]

How, though? That’s the question businesses struggle with.

For my work I had to get paperwork filled out, but for ADA paperwork is was just once I believe. I’m not sure the rules on workplaces but definitely shouldn’t be the same as a theme park .

 

[Angel Ariel]

Yes, many of people advocating for a documentation requirement seem to think that if Disney did that, they'd go back to accepting any disability. More likely is that they'd keep it restricted to "intellectual disabilities that make one unable to wait in line" and furthermore, require documentation of that, not just the ability to give a good spiel on the DAS call.

and TBH, the moment that I'm required to show an IQ test for DD to get accommodations at a theme park, I'm out. There are limits.

 

[Chi84]

For my work I had to get paperwork filled out, but for ADA paperwork is was just once I believe. I’m not sure the rules on workplaces but definitely shouldn’t be the same as a theme park .

Oh I thought you were saying Disney should not require paperwork for accommodations.

The issue is it’s causing a burden on only disabled people. Making them get paperwork

 

[jennab55]

Oh I thought you were saying Disney should not require paperwork for accommodations.

I am saying Disney shouldn’t require paperwork. That doesn’t mean I don’t think workplaces shouldn’t. I don’t think they are equal places at all. One I have to go to and work every day to make money and live, the other is a theme park I’m choosing to go to for fun. I don’t think the same should be required for both situations.

Also a lot of disabled people getting DAS are minor children, which again I think differently submitting medical info for my child at a theme park than myself at my work. Parents might not have the $ to get the dr to sign a form or whatever to go to Disney.