New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[pdude81]

So we shouldn’t want people to be honest and only use DAS as they decide they need it? Aren’t you now encouraging abuse?

I honestly have no idea what you're saying here. My post is responding to someone who said they have no way of gathering evidence.

The basic point is that they will have video interviews with people making claims as to what they need, as well as at least the history of DAS issuance for users. If an issue arises, they have a lot of data available to see if they need to investigate further. If you go back to the beginning of the exchange, you'll see that I said that I think they would only ban people in extreme cheating examples. That wasn't to encourage cheating if that's what you were getting at. It's to say that I don't see Disney trying to ban people for minor infractions or mistakes. The few really egregious examples should be enough to scare others into compliance.

 

[Brian]

Does this mean DAS is only for developmental disabilities now? Not for physical disabilities? What are those of us with the physical disability to stand in a line supposed to do?

There will be means through which the disability services team can take care of you and/or make recommendations.

 

[jaklgreen]

It's really disheartening to see so much energy being spent to discredit posters' need for DAS in this thread. It should be about the changes to the system, and not about posters who know little about each other and little about the disabilities each experiences trying to suss out who really needs it and who is abusing it.

@wdwmagic @The Mom

Yes, thank you. The personal attacks hurt. I would give anything to be normal again. I have missed out on so much in life and with my kids. WDW has been one one safe place that I can go and feel halfway normal. I wish that these haters on here could experience what I, and many others do, for one week. If they did, they would be on the ground thanking whatever they believe in, that they don't have this issue.

 

[Happyday]

Yes, thank you. The personal attacks hurt. I would give anything to be normal again. I have missed out on so much in life and with my kids. WDW has been one one safe place that I can go and feel halfway normal. I wish that these haters on here could experience what I, and many others do, for one week. If they did, they would be on the ground thanking whatever they believe in, that they don't have this issue.

AMEN!

 

[KDM31091]

It's Disney's business. They get to decide how it's being implemented and used. What's that old saying that gets trotted out here frequently? Oh yes ~ if you don't like it, don't go.

This exactly. Believe it or not no one is forcing you to go to Disney world.

 

[UNCgolf]

Still flat earth territory?

Disney has confirmed it’s only developmental disorders.

Yes, because we don't know how the return to queue system will function. That could be an adequate accommodation.

I'm not saying it definitely will be (it could be awful) -- just that we don't know enough yet.

It's going to be impossible to draw any real conclusions about this new system until this summer when it's actually in effect and people are using it.

 

[UNCgolf]

But how does that usage compare to the baseline prevalence within the general population? If 1% of the population represents a single disability and then most are traveling with a party of four, you’ve now jumped to 4% of park visitors. Then you get into issues of such as self selection towards different attractions and the division between Stand-By and Lightning Lane which will push up those percentages.

We also know that Disney seems to attraction people with disabilities at a rate greater than the general population. It is not unusual to see Disney having to create overflow accessible parking space (and shame on Disney for not using their data to exceed minimum parking and room counts). While Disney has been trying to move physical disabilities out of DAS this still shows the greater rate of visitation than other venues.

I have no idea, since I don't have access to their data -- I agree with you, though, that they would almost certainly see a higher usage compared to the baseline general population numbers for a variety of reasons.

 

[Splash4eva]

You can’t demand sympathy from people. Good lord, the entitlement.

If you’re afraid of pushback for complaining about not receiving a benefit, you absolutely do not have to post about it.

Who is looking for sympathy or entitlement… and i will post to give people an idea on what happened. Personally i could care less about what some strangers on the internet think. My life will go on the same way either way.

 

[SamusAranX]

I honestly have no idea what you're saying here. My post is responding to someone who said they have no way of gathering evidence.

The basic point is that they will have video interviews with people making claims as to what they need, as well as at least the history of DAS issuance for users. If an issue arises, they have a lot of data available to see if they need to investigate further. If you go back to the beginning of the exchange, you'll see that I said that I think they would only ban people in extreme cheating examples. That wasn't to encourage cheating if that's what you were getting at. It's to say that I don't see Disney trying to ban people for minor infractions or mistakes. The few really egregious examples should be enough to scare others into compliance.

This is kind of what I was getting at.

I don’t think this will discourage most abusers. They’ll find a way to game it, and the threat of a ban won’t discourage it because 1. They already have that policy in place and 2. With no documentation required, and no way to gather solid evidence, it’s going to be difficult for WDW to prove a negative

 

[lazyboy97o]

It's Disney's business. They get to decide how it's being implemented and used. What's that old saying that gets trotted out here frequently? Oh yes ~ if you don't like it, don't go.

It’s not just their decision.

I honestly have no idea what you're saying here. My post is responding to someone who said they have no way of gathering evidence.

The basic point is that they will have video interviews with people making claims as to what they need, as well as at least the history of DAS issuance for users. If an issue arises, they have a lot of data available to see if they need to investigate further. If you go back to the beginning of the exchange, you'll see that I said that I think they would only ban people in extreme cheating examples. That wasn't to encourage cheating if that's what you were getting at. It's to say that I don't see Disney trying to ban people for minor infractions or mistakes. The few really egregious examples should be enough to scare others into compliance.

Disabilities are not a constant. People can have good days and bad days. The behavior that would be evidence, sometimes waiting in long queues, could be evidence of abuse or not using DAS when not needed. Changes in behavior from the interview could just be changes in need.

 

[jaklgreen]

Don't know what you were "using" but the Peoplemover does not have Genie+ lightning lane. It's only standby wait for entry

This was answered by a few others and me. You speak to the cast member at the ride and they set up a return time for you. Then when you return, you speak to them again and they let you in at the bottom of the ramp.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It's Disney's business. They get to decide how it's being implemented and used.

The ADA gets a word as well

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s not just their decision.


Disabilities are not a constant. People can have good days and bad days. The behavior that would be evidence, sometimes waiting in long queues, could be evidence of abuse or not using DAS when not needed. Changes in behavior from the interview could just be changes in need.

I'm not signalling you out but you happen to be the first I replied to.

I get the frustration cause of the changes. What did you want them to do? Disney sees the the LL queues are being overwhelmed more than they have ever been. It's not all due to abuse but the system can't handle the amount of people using it.

The only thing we do know is DAS usage has tripled in the last few years.

 

[KDM31091]

I realize the ADA gets to specify that they must provide reasonable access and accommodations. However, does that extend to allowing DAS users to skip wait times? Or only in certain situations? I was under the impression ADA is only really concerned with it being accessible, not really how long you must wait to ride.

 

[flynnibus]

That’s probably going to be how it works with most attractions, as merge in most lines has free space to hold a few extra people

But that's just it... 'a few extra people'

When they lob off a huge portion of DAS and say 'do this now' its gonna be a lot more than 'a few extra people'.

It's a complex problem - I really want to see what Disney is planning.

 

[jaklgreen]

I realize the ADA gets to specify that they must provide reasonable access and accommodations. However, does that extend to allowing DAS users to skip wait times? Or only in certain situations? I was under the impression ADA is only really concerned with it being accessible, not really how long you must wait to ride.

But DAS does not have anyone skip any wait times. We wait just as long, if not longer than those who are in the standby line. I would be more than fine if they got rid of the option to be able to go do something else while waiting. But I believe that they do that because they know that many will not spend the full day there and many can not wait for things like the parade and fireworks show, so they miss out on so much that the typical person is able to do.
I truly don't understand the hate some people show for those who need to use DAS. It is the cheaters that are the problem. Those with no issue that lie.

 

[flynnibus]

I realize the ADA gets to specify that they must provide reasonable access and accommodations. However, does that extend to allowing DAS users to skip wait times? Or only in certain situations? I was under the impression ADA is only really concerned with it being accessible, not really how long you must wait to ride.

There is not one flat answer here, as it depends on the disability in question.

But the high level message is, it's the attraction people are trying to get to... think of the queue as just the path to get to it. That path needs to be accessible within the scope of what the ADA covers and the company must make reasonable accomodations for the disabilities covered by the ADA. The fact the environment in in total causes conflicts is what is addressed with the reasonable accomodations... like a return time.

The court ruled in the last DAS case that requests to basically have skip the line was not a reasonable accommodation due to it's documented impact on operations... and that they weren't entitled to a superior experience, but the fact the return time gave a similar experience to others made it an equivalent experience while still addressing the plantiff's needs.

The thing being accommodated is not a specific 'how long you must wait' -- but the person's disabilities and how the queue situation causes conflict for those disabilities. Time is a factor, but not what is usually being targeted for elimination... but more how the time is being spent.

 

[RamblinWreck]

This is kind of what I was getting at.

I don’t think this will discourage most abusers. They’ll find a way to game it, and the threat of a ban won’t discourage it because 1. They already have that policy in place and 2. With no documentation required, and no way to gather solid evidence, it’s going to be difficult for WDW to prove a negative

I do think it’s interesting that most people reporting on the changes are focusing on the “lifetime ban” verbiage as if it’s something new or an escalation. It’s literally always been there.

 

[Chi84]

I realize the ADA gets to specify that they must provide reasonable access and accommodations. However, does that extend to allowing DAS users to skip wait times? Or only in certain situations? I was under the impression ADA is only really concerned with it being accessible, not really how long you must wait to ride.

The ADA doesn’t cover line wait times and no court (as far as I know) has ruled line accommodations are required. When Disney changed from the front of the line access of GAC to the current DAS, the court found that DAS was a reasonable accommodation that did not violate the ADA.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This exactly. Believe it or not no one is forcing you to go to Disney world.

For many it has been a sole (or one of very few) places of refuge. People are allowed to have feelings about what this change may mean for them, and want to process those feelings with a group of people who are more likely to understand.

It's really unnecessary to tell people they can just choose not to go. Do you really think they don't know that? That they don't make those choices and decisions every day?