New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[JMcMahonEsq]

Dd doesn't really waited much in lines at the airport. DH has pre check, he takes her with him (I go through regular security). She qualifies for medical pre board, so we don't wait in the line to board. Even with that, the traveling itself still can be very stressful for us - but it's worth it to see the joy she has when she's at Disney. We do what we can to minimize the things that will cause the most issues - just like we do at Disney by using the DAS.

The alternative would be never leaving home because it's stressful to go places - and that's just not something I'm going to do to her.

I don't want to make it seem like I was diminishing the real hardship some could have in lines. I guess my question was would methods that you would see/use for long plane/drives for kids such as games, video, phones, ect., not work while in a line to help alleviate problems. Mainly based around the idea of kids and waiting in line, ect.

 

[Purduevian]

I’ve seen very rude and hostile CM’s over the years - maybe you should remind them not to take out their bad day on the guests?

How about no one be rude to each other at Disney World? Sorry if you've had bad integrations in the past, but that doesn't give anyone a right to be rude back to the CMs.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind and all that.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Their bad days are almost always because of "guests".

If they are regularly having bad days because of guests they need to be re trained or be looking for new jobs.

Even if a guest is out of line - it’s the CM’s job to understand and de-escalate the situation.

We are talking about guests who are frustrated about accessibility accommodations here - not drunks at Epcot.

 

[Ayla]

If they are regularly having bad days because of guests they need to be re trained or be looking for new jobs.

Even if a guest is out of line - it’s the CM’s job to understand and de-escalate the situation.

We are talking about guests who are frustrated about accessibility accommodations here - not drunks at Epcot.

I'm talking about every guest. No one gets a pass from bad behavior.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I don't want to make it seem like I was diminishing the real hardship some could have in lines. I guess my question was would methods that you would see/use for long plane/drives for kids such as games, video, phones, ect., not work while in a line to help alleviate problems. Mainly based around the idea of kids and waiting in line, ect.

I think that waiting in a vehicle and waiting in a line are vastly different experiences. First and foremost, in the US at least, most children start riding around in car seats quite regularly from pretty much two days after birth onward. In terms of desensitization practices, that is pretty much like the triple platinum standard. Start doing something constantly, literally from a day or two after the child is born and be totally consistent through every step of their development by doing it almost daily (And it’s one area where you just can’t make an exception. No matter how bad you feel for a crying baby, even the most sympathetic parents can’t just take them out of a car seat when the vehicle is moving.) Planes are fairly similar in terms of experience, and you can use a car seat on a plane as well. (Planes being a bit different, I’m sure there are some kids who are ok with cars but struggle with planes though.)

By contrast, standing in a Disney World style line is not something the average child is going to encounter regularly. Grocery store lines are typically a fraction of that length. Maybe if your local park has a merry-go-round or train, you might encounter a 15 minute line. But a 30-40-ish minute experience of just standing in place while being walled in by people on all sides is just not something that comes up a lot in most people’s lives (thankfully.) Also, a degree of low muscle tone is common in children with developmental delays, which makes standing in place even more difficult.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Pre-check is seriously the best! I’m totally fine paying for that every 5yrs. Makes air travel much less stressful for me

I chuckled a little today - I was flying from the west coast back east today, and I used normal security while my mom used pre check. I was through in 5 mins. I was waiting for her - had enough time to go to the restroom, and come back and wait a few more minutes, before she was through. I had a little Syndrome running through my head..

 

[Angel Ariel]

I don't want to make it seem like I was diminishing the real hardship some could have in lines. I guess my question was would methods that you would see/use for long plane/drives for kids such as games, video, phones, ect., not work while in a line to help alleviate problems. Mainly based around the idea of kids and waiting in line, ect.

Games, videos, phones are not things that help my child on any kind of consistent basis.

 

[jennab55]

I chuckled a little today - I was flying from the west coast back east today, and I used normal security while my mom used pre check. I was through in 5 mins. I was waiting for her - had enough time to go to the restroom, and come back and wait a few more minutes, before she was through. I had a little Syndrome running through my head..

Sometimes the regular line is shorter! I still prefer not to have to take off my shoes or take out my bag of liquids and electronics!

 

[Angel Ariel]

Sometimes the regular line is shorter! I still prefer not to have to take off my shoes or take out my bag of liquids and electronics!

I did have to take off shoes, but both airports were telling the regular line to keep everything in bags - no removing of electronics or liquids required! I don't know if it's new machines or standard across the country, but it worked well!

 

[Ayla]

Sometimes the regular line is shorter! I still prefer not to have to take off my shoes or take out my bag of liquids and electronics!

Depending on the TSA agent you get, if you go through the regular line but have Pre Check on your boarding pass, they may give you a card to bypass the body scan and use the metal detector, as well as leaving things in your bag and shoes on.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don't know if it's new machines or standard across the country, but it worked well!

I think it’s the newer machines - my home airport has them and everything can stay in the bag but larger airports I’ve been through it’s still laptops out for now.

 

[jennab55]

Depending on the TSA agent you get, if you go through the regular line but have Pre Check on your boarding pass, they may give you a card to bypass the body scan and use the metal detector, as well as leaving things in your bag and shoes on.

I find at my home airport precheck doesn’t save much time, but it has always in MCO! Normally because I’m traveling with my child I don’t have to go through the body machine and follow him through the metal detector . I always found it stressful to try to take stuff out of my bag then put it all back in which people behind me. Always felt rushed, which is why I preferred pre-check. Glad to hear they aren’t making everyone take everything out of their bags now though!

 

[Ayla]

I find at my home airport precheck doesn’t save much time, but it has always in MCO! Normally because I’m traveling with my child I don’t have to go through the body machine and follow him through the metal detector . I always found it stressful to try to take stuff out of my bag then put it all back in which people behind me. Always felt rushed, which is why I preferred pre-check. Glad to hear they aren’t making everyone take everything out of their bags now though!

MCO was the only reason I got Pre Check. LOL Too bad I never fly through there, anymore.

 

[Jenn Finan]

I did have to take off shoes, but both airports were telling the regular line to keep everything in bags - no removing of electronics or liquids required! I don't know if it's new machines or standard across the country, but it worked well!

I had that experience too about a week ago when I went down to the Parks. It is surprising how much removing those little steps reduced stress and wait times.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I wanted to bump this thread to share my recent experiences / frustrations.

For those that don't know, I have an autistic older brother Matt. He's in a group home, he has behavioral issues, he is who this program is designed around. He was eligible in the past and remains eligible now. We verified that this weekend on the video call.

I understand why Disney has made these changes, but I completely view this as an over correction. I recognize that there are 547 pages of differing opinions on this, but I wanted to now share my firsthand knowledge of the experience.

Our traveling party has typically been 5, 6 or 7 over the last 10 years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, hence the variability. We've also occasionally been joined for a day by additional family members and prior to the changes earlier this year they could often be added as additional capacity in park at a Blue Umbrella / guest services. We all know now that this is no longer the case.

This upcoming trip has my two 76 year old parents, my 47 year old brother (The DAS guest), myself and my wife, and my two children. 6 ticketed guests and a 2 year old. Disney has limited us to 4 guests on the DAS standing by the "immediate family" description. I have tried to make the case that an expansion to 5 is necessary simply because certain 2 seater attractions require a minor guest to be accompanied by an adult and my brother would also need to be accompanied by an adult (5 tickets guests + 2 year old). That fell on deaf ears as well.

Honestly, none of that surprised me. The real issue I'm having with all this is that Disney will not talk with anyone unless they have valid ticket media. For a family dynamic like ours, that means spending $5K+ on tickets to see if we can work with the accommodations they're willing to provide. That in itself is unacceptable. The IBCCES approval process and subsequent 6 guest limit at Universal and Legoland do not face that same concern.

I tried framing this a few different ways, including the hypothetical scenario about my 2 year old being 3 (she turns 3 in April). Would we then see an increase to 5 guests? They won't comment on that until I'm within 30 days of a trip with tickets in hand for her and the other applicable guests.

My brother loves Disney, as does the entire family. I'm hopeful that our upcoming trip works well enough (hopefully the crowds will be light enough where this will be largely moot), but I'm not optimistic.

The last piece of this is that there's no real avenue for feedback. There is a general e-mail address for Disability Services and my interaction with that e-mail address has been form responses with a direction to return to the video chat conversation. It's circular and frustrating.

 

[Vclguy90]

Just want some feedback. How is this new system working for everyone? Positive or negative?

 

[Purduevian]

I wanted to bump this thread to share my recent experiences / frustrations.

For those that don't know, I have an autistic older brother Matt. He's in a group home, he has behavioral issues, he is who this program is designed around. He was eligible in the past and remains eligible now. We verified that this weekend on the video call.

I understand why Disney has made these changes, but I completely view this as an over correction. I recognize that there are 547 pages of differing opinions on this, but I wanted to now share my firsthand knowledge of the experience.

Our traveling party has typically been 5, 6 or 7 over the last 10 years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, hence the variability. We've also occasionally been joined for a day by additional family members and prior to the changes earlier this year they could often be added as additional capacity in park at a Blue Umbrella / guest services. We all know now that this is no longer the case.

This upcoming trip has my two 76 year old parents, my 47 year old brother (The DAS guest), myself and my wife, and my two children. 6 ticketed guests and a 2 year old. Disney has limited us to 4 guests on the DAS standing by the "immediate family" description. I have tried to make the case that an expansion to 5 is necessary simply because certain 2 seater attractions require a minor guest to be accompanied by an adult and my brother would also need to be accompanied by an adult (5 tickets guests + 2 year old). That fell on deaf ears as well.

Honestly, none of that surprised me. The real issue I'm having with all this is that Disney will not talk with anyone unless they have valid ticket media. For a family dynamic like ours, that means spending $5K+ on tickets to see if we can work with the accommodations they're willing to provide. That in itself is unacceptable. The IBCCES approval process and subsequent 6 guest limit at Universal and Legoland do not face that same concern.

I tried framing this a few different ways, including the hypothetical scenario about my 2 year old being 3 (she turns 3 in April). Would we then see an increase to 5 guests? They won't comment on that until I'm within 30 days of a trip with tickets in hand for her and the other applicable guests.

My brother loves Disney, as does the entire family. I'm hopeful that our upcoming trip works well enough (hopefully the crowds will be light enough where this will be largely moot), but I'm not optimistic.

The last piece of this is that there's no real avenue for feedback. There is a general e-mail address for Disability Services and my interaction with that e-mail address has been form responses with a direction to return to the video chat conversation. It's circular and frustrating.

Not trying to antagonize or minimize, but I am struggling a bit to understand why the current DAS system doesn't work for your family.
4 people (your brother plus 3) can stay outside of the line as they previously did under DAS (I assume this would be 1 child, 1 parent, and 1 grandparent). While the other 3 (grandparent 2, parent two, and child two) wait in the standby line. Once they near the LL merge, call/text the outside group and have them tap into the LL and meet at the merge.

I know it isn't ideal as I know people want to keep the family together, but I guess I don't really see why all 7 people need to wait outside of the standby line? I assume I am missing something though. I hope everything works out and you have a magical vacation regardless of what happens.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I wanted to bump this thread to share my recent experiences / frustrations.

For those that don't know, I have an autistic older brother Matt. He's in a group home, he has behavioral issues, he is who this program is designed around. He was eligible in the past and remains eligible now. We verified that this weekend on the video call.

I understand why Disney has made these changes, but I completely view this as an over correction. I recognize that there are 547 pages of differing opinions on this, but I wanted to now share my firsthand knowledge of the experience.

Our traveling party has typically been 5, 6 or 7 over the last 10 years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, hence the variability. We've also occasionally been joined for a day by additional family members and prior to the changes earlier this year they could often be added as additional capacity in park at a Blue Umbrella / guest services. We all know now that this is no longer the case.

This upcoming trip has my two 76 year old parents, my 47 year old brother (The DAS guest), myself and my wife, and my two children. 6 ticketed guests and a 2 year old. Disney has limited us to 4 guests on the DAS standing by the "immediate family" description. I have tried to make the case that an expansion to 5 is necessary simply because certain 2 seater attractions require a minor guest to be accompanied by an adult and my brother would also need to be accompanied by an adult (5 tickets guests + 2 year old). That fell on deaf ears as well.

Honestly, none of that surprised me. The real issue I'm having with all this is that Disney will not talk with anyone unless they have valid ticket media. For a family dynamic like ours, that means spending $5K+ on tickets to see if we can work with the accommodations they're willing to provide. That in itself is unacceptable. The IBCCES approval process and subsequent 6 guest limit at Universal and Legoland do not face that same concern.

I tried framing this a few different ways, including the hypothetical scenario about my 2 year old being 3 (she turns 3 in April). Would we then see an increase to 5 guests? They won't comment on that until I'm within 30 days of a trip with tickets in hand for her and the other applicable guests.

My brother loves Disney, as does the entire family. I'm hopeful that our upcoming trip works well enough (hopefully the crowds will be light enough where this will be largely moot), but I'm not optimistic.

The last piece of this is that there's no real avenue for feedback. There is a general e-mail address for Disability Services and my interaction with that e-mail address has been form responses with a direction to return to the video chat conversation. It's circular and frustrating.

I’m going to step out on a limb and say that if you’re whole party goes up to the cast member at the entrance and plead your case, POLITELY, they’ll bend the rules and let your group through…it’s not WHAT you say, it’s HOW you say it…

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

I wanted to bump this thread to share my recent experiences / frustrations.

For those that don't know, I have an autistic older brother Matt. He's in a group home, he has behavioral issues, he is who this program is designed around. He was eligible in the past and remains eligible now. We verified that this weekend on the video call.

I understand why Disney has made these changes, but I completely view this as an over correction. I recognize that there are 547 pages of differing opinions on this, but I wanted to now share my firsthand knowledge of the experience.

Our traveling party has typically been 5, 6 or 7 over the last 10 years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, hence the variability. We've also occasionally been joined for a day by additional family members and prior to the changes earlier this year they could often be added as additional capacity in park at a Blue Umbrella / guest services. We all know now that this is no longer the case.

This upcoming trip has my two 76 year old parents, my 47 year old brother (The DAS guest), myself and my wife, and my two children. 6 ticketed guests and a 2 year old. Disney has limited us to 4 guests on the DAS standing by the "immediate family" description. I have tried to make the case that an expansion to 5 is necessary simply because certain 2 seater attractions require a minor guest to be accompanied by an adult and my brother would also need to be accompanied by an adult (5 tickets guests + 2 year old). That fell on deaf ears as well.

Honestly, none of that surprised me. The real issue I'm having with all this is that Disney will not talk with anyone unless they have valid ticket media. For a family dynamic like ours, that means spending $5K+ on tickets to see if we can work with the accommodations they're willing to provide. That in itself is unacceptable. The IBCCES approval process and subsequent 6 guest limit at Universal and Legoland do not face that same concern.

I tried framing this a few different ways, including the hypothetical scenario about my 2 year old being 3 (she turns 3 in April). Would we then see an increase to 5 guests? They won't comment on that until I'm within 30 days of a trip with tickets in hand for her and the other applicable guests.

My brother loves Disney, as does the entire family. I'm hopeful that our upcoming trip works well enough (hopefully the crowds will be light enough where this will be largely moot), but I'm not optimistic.

The last piece of this is that there's no real avenue for feedback. There is a general e-mail address for Disability Services and my interaction with that e-mail address has been form responses with a direction to return to the video chat conversation. It's circular and frustrating.

Would you be able to use DAS for 4 members of your party and LL multipass for the others? Try to plan the return times close enough so you can all enter the LL queue at the same time?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I wanted to bump this thread to share my recent experiences / frustrations.

For those that don't know, I have an autistic older brother Matt. He's in a group home, he has behavioral issues, he is who this program is designed around. He was eligible in the past and remains eligible now. We verified that this weekend on the video call.

I understand why Disney has made these changes, but I completely view this as an over correction. I recognize that there are 547 pages of differing opinions on this, but I wanted to now share my firsthand knowledge of the experience.

Our traveling party has typically been 5, 6 or 7 over the last 10 years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, hence the variability. We've also occasionally been joined for a day by additional family members and prior to the changes earlier this year they could often be added as additional capacity in park at a Blue Umbrella / guest services. We all know now that this is no longer the case.

This upcoming trip has my two 76 year old parents, my 47 year old brother (The DAS guest), myself and my wife, and my two children. 6 ticketed guests and a 2 year old. Disney has limited us to 4 guests on the DAS standing by the "immediate family" description. I have tried to make the case that an expansion to 5 is necessary simply because certain 2 seater attractions require a minor guest to be accompanied by an adult and my brother would also need to be accompanied by an adult (5 tickets guests + 2 year old). That fell on deaf ears as well.

Honestly, none of that surprised me. The real issue I'm having with all this is that Disney will not talk with anyone unless they have valid ticket media. For a family dynamic like ours, that means spending $5K+ on tickets to see if we can work with the accommodations they're willing to provide. That in itself is unacceptable. The IBCCES approval process and subsequent 6 guest limit at Universal and Legoland do not face that same concern.

I tried framing this a few different ways, including the hypothetical scenario about my 2 year old being 3 (she turns 3 in April). Would we then see an increase to 5 guests? They won't comment on that until I'm within 30 days of a trip with tickets in hand for her and the other applicable guests.

My brother loves Disney, as does the entire family. I'm hopeful that our upcoming trip works well enough (hopefully the crowds will be light enough where this will be largely moot), but I'm not optimistic.

The last piece of this is that there's no real avenue for feedback. There is a general e-mail address for Disability Services and my interaction with that e-mail address has been form responses with a direction to return to the video chat conversation. It's circular and frustrating.

I understand the frustration. Here’s the problem though. The difference between 4 people and 6 people in your party might not seem like a lot, but translated across all of DAS that would actually represent a 50 percent increase in the number of DAS-affiliated users in the lightning lanes. DAS as it existed was not sustainable. The lightning lanes have **noticeably** improved since they made these changes, to the benefit of everyone using them (including, by the way, legitimate DAS users such as your brother). Staying on the current path meant that DAS was going to be untenable for everyone. You ever experience a 30-45 minute backup in the lightning lanes at the really popular rides during peak times? That’s not really happening anymore absent extraordinary circumstances. Disney did what it had to do. They simply can’t support DAS for extended families/large parties.