News New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Disstevefan1]

They updated the wording on the site, it seems to me it wont make any difference -

The wording on the website previously stated:

“DAS is one of the programs offered at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”

With the update, Disney has removed the word “only.” This could now possibly change who can access the service.

It now reads:

DAS is one of the programs offered at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.

 

[Purduevian]

We didn't seek accommodation under the new program because although he likely would have qualified, the accommodations offered would not have been effective given the relatively short amount of time that we can be in the parks (aka a few hours). This means that having return times would not have been helpful.

I am probably mistaken, but hasn't the return times for DAS been the standard for ~11 years when it switched from GAC?

Also doesn't Universal also use return times for their disability program?

 

[jennab55]

Then I think you are misunderstanding what I posted. Not everyone who should qualify for DAS knows to apply for it.

Likely. However, most people who have disabilities are used to having to seek out information about accommodations on their own (or with the help of a care giver).

Are you suggesting something change?

 

[Jenn Finan]

I am probably mistaken, but hasn't the return times for DAS been the standard for ~11 years when it switched from GAC?

Also doesn't Universal also use return times for their disability program?

Yes the return times have been standard but my nephew was placed in an special upgraded program that I think was called Genie when he was evaluated 10 years ago that we were asked to never speak about publicly. This allowed us to bypass the regular DAS program at the time and immediately go to the Lightning Lane entrance for any ride that we wanted. The only proviso was that we could only do this for a maximum of 5 rides without a return time because that was Disney's standard of how many experiences a typical guest did in a day. This worked great for us for years and would have this time as well but when I looked into it for this trip, I was told that this particular accommodation was no longer available to him now that the new DAS program is in place.

As for Universal, yes, they are similar and to my mind, that also makes it not worth it but his mother wants to try it for at least one day so that's the plan right now.

 

[Chi84]

Likely. However, most people who have disabilities are used to having to seek out information about accommodations on their own (or with the help of a care giver).

Are you suggesting something change?

I didn’t understand that either. How would removing the word “only” make a difference to people who didn’t know to apply for DAS in the first place?

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

my nephew was placed in an special upgraded program that I think was called Genie when he was evaluated 10 years ago that we were asked to never speak about publicly.

The Genie pass is only granted to kids on Wish trips with specific organizations. It hasn't been available for CMs at WDW to give out since the change from GAC to DAS. If your nephew somehow managed to use that for 10 years, count yourselves REALLY pixie-dusted.

Did you consider trying LLMP and/or LLSP? That would have allowed you to pre-book 1-4 attractions within a relatively close time period (depending on availability). LL waits have been relatively short for the past 6 months or so, much shorter than most LLs were in recent years. Alternatively, your nephew could have waited outside the queue doing something else while some in your party did the standby. It sounds like your party didn't honestly try to make anything work if all you did was standby with him for 1 attraction.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

I didn’t understand that either. How would removing the word “only” make a difference to people who didn’t know to apply for DAS in the first place?

Maybe she's saying that if you're not a "Disney person", you'd take the "only" at face value and not apply, whereas the people who follow Disney would hear/know that they're continuing to make many exceptions?

 

[Chi84]

Maybe she's saying that if you're not a "Disney person", you'd take the "only" at face value and not apply, whereas the people who follow Disney would hear/know that they're continuing to make many exceptions?

I couldn’t tell from what was said.

 

[Jenn Finan]

The Genie pass is only granted to kids on Wish trips with specific organizations. It hasn't been available for CMs at WDW to give out since the change from GAC to DAS. If your nephew somehow managed to use that for 10 years, count yourselves REALLY pixie-dusted.

Did you consider trying LLMP and/or LLSP? That would have allowed you to pre-book 1-4 attractions within a relatively close time period (depending on availability). LL waits have been relatively short for the past 6 months or so, much shorter than most LLs were in recent years. Alternatively, your nephew could have waited outside the queue doing something else while some in your party did the standby. It sounds like your party didn't honestly try to make anything work if all you did was standby with him for 1 attraction.

Yes, we were enrolled by an area manager at Epcot when he was 2. It was a four hour process at EPCOT Guest Relations and not something that was just handed out casually like a Mickey sticker. As for the LLMP and LLSP, we did it for EPCOT but it was only useful to us for Soarin' as Frozen and Ratatoullie were either not available at all or only for late in the evening when we needed to be there earlier in the day. The LL passes are not available during parties or I would have definately purchased them at the Magic Kingdom as well.

"Alternatively, your nephew could have waited outside the queue doing something else while some in your party did the standby. It sounds like your party didn't honestly try to make anything work if all you did was standby with him for 1 attraction."

Wow... as I stated earlier, we are only in the park for a max of 4 hours including the walk both from the parking lot and back, as well as the monorail wait and ride which means that we realistically are actually IN the park for about 2.5 hours. We did a couple of pavillions at EPCOT but rides were definately out as both Frozen and Rat were over an hour when we were there and as I say, there was no availability in a reasonable time frame for us to pre-book. Magic Kingdom during the party does not have LL available for purchase so we did what we could with what we had. Based on past experience at other parties, we did not think that the DAS return time accommodation was helpful and I still stand by that. Lines were longer than they had been on previous parties and again, because of our limited time window before a melt down, we had as best a time as we could. I see no value whatsoever in visiting Disney given the current circumstances. The cost of admission + LL's for a few hours is very high and that, combined with our experiences with CM's and within the Parks make it an experience that we do not enjoy so we are doing what makes sense and doing other things.

As for getting majorly pixie dusted, I disagree. It took me over 4 hours to get what we did, having to go through through multiple levels of staff and it was a suitable accommodation that we were promised by an area manager, would be in place for him as long as he was alive and wanted to visit Disney. At that point, we had been dealing with major meltdowns and the day was over so we left. There is much more to our experiences at the parks this time as a party that included people with disabilities that I don't have either the interest or time to get into but suffice it to say that based on my party's experience in October, we no longer see the value in visiting the parks and feel that the changes that have been made, both including DAS and otherwise, make it a unpleasant experience. I have worked for major corporations and government across North America as both a Management and DEI/Belonging consultant for almost 20 years and I can tell you that Disney is riding the nostalgia train on these efforts, just like they do with their parks.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It sounds like your party didn't honestly try to make anything work if all you did was standby with him for 1 attraction.

This is uncalled for. People shouldn’t act like they know what will or will not work for guests with disabilities and their families.

I don’t know what the perfect solution is - because Disney parks are crowded and a bit chaotic by nature - but the blame should never be put on guests with disabilities and their family.

 

[Purduevian]

Yes the return times have been standard but my nephew was placed in an special upgraded program that I think was called Genie when he was evaluated 10 years ago that we were asked to never speak about publicly. This allowed us to bypass the regular DAS program at the time and immediately go to the Lightning Lane entrance for any ride that we wanted. The only proviso was that we could only do this for a maximum of 5 rides without a return time because that was Disney's standard of how many experiences a typical guest did in a day. This worked great for us for years and would have this time as well but when I looked into it for this trip, I was told that this particular accommodation was no longer available to him now that the new DAS program is in place.

As for Universal, yes, they are similar and to my mind, that also makes it not worth it but his mother wants to try it for at least one day so that's the plan right now.

Wow, I never knew this was a thing. I do feel sympathy for you, but I am also confused why you didn't even try the new DAS system? Even with only 2.5 hours in the park, your nephew still could have gotten on 2-3 E-tickets or many more smaller wait time rides.

It certainly would not be the 5 skips he used to do, but still would have been better than what LLMP could offer.

 

[Ayla]

Wow, I never knew this was a thing. I do feel sympathy for you, but I am also confused why you didn't even try the new DAS system? Even with only 2.5 hours in the park, your nephew still could have gotten on 2-3 E-tickets or many more smaller wait time rides.

It certainly would not be the 5 skips he used to do, but still would have been better than what LLMP could offer.

I gotta say, if we had gotten accommodations that were only supposed to be for Make-A-Wish kids, I'd be unhappy with anything else, too! But, I guess all gravy trains come to an end.

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

This is uncalled for. People shouldn’t act like they know what will or will not work for guests with disabilities and their families.

I don’t know what the perfect solution is - because Disney parks are crowded and a bit chaotic by nature - but the blame should never be put on guests with disabilities and their family.

When the guest admittedly doesn't attempt any other alternative to DAS and then claim it's all Disney's fault -- yep, they had a responsibility to at least try. Other accommodations are available but one must attempt them to know whether it works or not blame Disney for not being accommodating.

 

[Jenn Finan]

Wow, I never knew this was a thing. I do feel sympathy for you, but I am also confused why you didn't even try the new DAS system? Even with only 2.5 hours in the park, your nephew still could have gotten on 2-3 E-tickets or many more smaller wait time rides.

It certainly would not be the 5 skips he used to do, but still would have been better than what LLMP could offer.

In theory, yes, DAS could possibly have worked for us but I don't think people realize just how far rides are apart once you include getting to different buildings, walking queues, waiting, getting on and off, etc. It all adds up way more that you would think. In Epcot, in a perfect world of LLMP's, timing and booking far enough ahead, we could have possibly gotten the 2 or 3 rides that he wanted and maybe a quick little bit of food from a booth but that would have been basically it for the day, but it's not a perfect world. Whereas we used to be able to work it out, as it is now, we can't. So, we just did the best we could at EPCOT with the LL's. DAS was not an option there because of the distances between the rides and the queuing. Soarin' to Ratatoille to Frozen or some other combination takes too long with the walking, the waits and the sheer distances. There just isn't enough time when you have a child in a wheelchair and another person in your party in an ECV because of back injuries (his mother). That was a new twist this trip. We're slow unfortunately and we've tried to optimize fun as best as possible. Before I was a Management Consultant, I was an analyst for a large bank so I worked out all of the possible scenarios and outcomes based on the available data and my experience of the parks gathered over the past 40 years of going. I would have loved to have gotten him on more rides or experiences. It's not a lack of knowledge of the programs, policies or other random planning trips, nor is it a lack of desire to work with new realities. I helped raise him until he was 8 years old and we worked with reality everyday. Sadly, the new DAS program and other changes that Disney has implemented make it extremely difficult to enjoy the parks for the time we are there. It was $200 each for the Halloween party ($1,000+ total) and whereas in the past, we were able to execute a plan that made sense, it no longer does. So we'll go do Gatorland, or go-carting or the Crayola Experience or other things that suit our abilities better. I don't think that Universal will be any better but his Mom wants to try so we'll try. As I say though, Disney used to be a leader in this space and I am saddened that the changes that they have made force us to spend our time elsewhere.

FWIW, I think if we were chatting, I could help you understand the fullness of the situation but I can't get into that level of detail on a public forum so it is what it is. No worries.

 

[Purduevian]

Just because I was curious.

Starting January 10, the Genie Wish Pass is being renamed to Disney Wishes Passes. It will be given to all families checking into Give Kids the World Village (a reminder that this is a separate charity and provides 100% of a family’s needs while in Orlando), though the offerings will remain the same. These special privileges include:

• Express and/or alternate entry to all theme park attractions
• Stroller and wheelchair access through attraction queues
• Free wheelchair or single stroller rental
• Access to the Disney Wish Lounge at the Magic Kingdom

Check out Disney's Change to the Make-a-Wish Pass

Disney and Make-A-Wish work together to make children's dreams come true. Now, Disney is making a change. Check out details here. Children's Charities

www.kennythepirate.com

Yeah... seems like that was only for Make-A-Wish kids. I'm not mad at anyone that got it outside of make-a-wish, because Disney can do what Disney wants. However, I also don't think people should be upset if Disney took away this special pass for them as it seems like they were a rare exception to the norm.

 

[Purduevian]

In theory, yes, DAS could possibly have worked for us but I don't think people realize just how far rides are apart once you include getting to different buildings, walking queues, waiting, getting on and off, etc. It all adds up way more that you would think. In Epcot, in a perfect world of LLMP's, timing and booking far enough ahead, we could have possibly gotten the 2 or 3 rides that he wanted and maybe a quick little bit of food from a booth but that would have been basically it for the day, but it's not a perfect world. Whereas we used to be able to work it out, as it is now, we can't. So, we just did the best we could at EPCOT with the LL's. DAS was not an option there because of the distances between the rides and the queuing. Soarin' to Ratatoille to Frozen or some other combination takes too long with the walking, the waits and the sheer distances. There just isn't enough time when you have a child in a wheelchair and another person in your party in an ECV because of back injuries (his mother). That was a new twist this trip. We're slow unfortunately and we've tried to optimize fun as best as possible. Before I was a Management Consultant, I was an analyst for a large bank so I worked out all of the possible scenarios and outcomes based on the available data and my experience of the parks gathered over the past 40 years of going. I would have loved to have gotten him on more rides or experiences. It's not a lack of knowledge of the programs, policies or other random planning trips, nor is it a lack of desire to work with new realities. I helped raise him until he was 8 years old and we worked with reality everyday. Sadly, the new DAS program and other changes that Disney has implemented make it extremely difficult to enjoy the parks for the time we are there. It was $200 each for the Halloween party ($1,000+ total) and whereas in the past, we were able to execute a plan that made sense, it no longer does. So we'll go do Gatorland, or go-carting or the Crayola Experience or other things that suit our abilities better. I don't think that Universal will be any better but his Mom wants to try so we'll try. As I say though, Disney used to be a leader in this space and I am saddened that the changes that they have made force us to spend our time elsewhere.

FWIW, I think if we were chatting, I could help you understand the fullness of the situation but I can't get into that level of detail on a public forum so it is what it is. No worries.

I'm not saying DAS would have magically made things perfect... It's just odd to me that you didn't even try. At a minimum you could have gotten on soarin+ either RAT or Frozen (DAS passes don't expire and stay there until you get there). Also at the Halloween party, DAS would have made it better, not perfect.

Also of course EPCOT is huge... but you stated you were looking for LLMP for Frozen and RAT and couldn't get it. You could have gotten it using DAS.

 

[Ayla]

I'm not saying DAS would have magically made things perfect... It's just odd to me that you didn't even try. At a minimum you could have gotten on soarin+ either RAT or Frozen (DAS passes don't expire and stay there until you get there). Also at the Halloween party, DAS would have made it better, not perfect.

It sounds similar to the mother who sued Disney because they weren't giving her child a walk-on pass to anything they wanted. Nothing else was acceptable.

 

[Jenn Finan]

I gotta say, if we had gotten accommodations that were only supposed to be for Make-A-Wish kids, I'd be unhappy with anything else, too! But, I guess all gravy trains come to an end.

Wow that is cold and unbelievably privileged. The program was NOT exclusively for Make A Wish kids. There were MANY people who were part of that program beyond that particular cohort and I am not advocating for my nephew to get the same treatment he used to. I am simply pointing out my party's experience under the new policy and that it no longer makes sense to visit Disney based on that experience. I had hoped for a better DAS program than the one that has been rolled out by a company that trumpets their "best in class" customer care and satisfaction but that is not the case, so we are going to take our business elsewhere and that is fine. More room for you to enjoy the parks without all of those pesky ECV people taking up space in the busses or having to stop a ride for a minute to allow someone with mobility issues to get onto a moving vehicle.

Your world view is... shocking arrogant but sadly seems to be all too prevalent these days.

 

[Ayla]

Wow that is cold and unbelievably privileged. The program was NOT exclusively for Make A Wish kids. There were MANY people who were part of that program beyond that particular cohort. I am not advocating for the same treatment even though it was promised to us by Disney. I would, however, HOPE for better than what we are being offered by a company that trumpets their "best in class" customer care and satisfaction.

It actually was, as proved above.

 

[jennab55]

Wow that is cold and unbelievably privileged. The program was NOT exclusively for Make A Wish kids. There were MANY people who were part of that program beyond that particular cohort and I am not advocating for my nephew to get the same treatment he used to. I am simply pointing out my party's experience under the new policy and that it no longer makes sense to visit Disney based on that experience. I had hoped for a better DAS program than the one that has been rolled out by a company that trumpets their "best in class" customer care and satisfaction but that is not the case, so we are going to take our business elsewhere and that is fine. More room for you to enjoy the parks without all of those pesky ECV people taking up space in the busses or having to stop a ride for a minute to allow someone with mobility issues to get onto a moving vehicle.

Your world view is... shocking arrogant but sadly seems to be all too prevalent these days.

I’m just curious. What in the current DAS system would not have worked for you? Enter the park and grab a DAS. If it takes you awhile to cross the park, there is ok as you are waiting in a virtual line anyway. Once your time comes up you go through the LL. Rinse and repeat. I think this could have worked, especially because you said it takes awhile to get from wide to ride anyway. There is no end time on DAS, just a start time.