News New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Purduevian]

IMHO
1) this woman does deserve some sort of accommodation for outdoor queues. She deserves to go on rides without extra pain
2) RTQ is all I think she needs to have a good experience at Disney
3) 7D LL should be viewed as pixy dust, not standard operating proceedure
4) Tron CM needs better training as they should have offered her RTQ

 

[Angel Ariel]

Not saying it's her fault the CM gave her and her friends a return time, but her sense of entitlement for DAS is off-putting and is a perfect example of someone who doesn't need DAS, but wants it because she understands that it is better than Standby or paid LL options (despite her contention that it isn't a line-skipping service, which is just splitting hairs since it IS a free - and superior - version of LLMP). On one hand, she's lamenting the loss of DAS for herself while on the other she's showing how the alternative accommodations actually did work as they should.

Edited to add: This is the same person who was featured in the People Magazine article about the DAS changes back in April 2024. In that article, she shared photos of herself at WDW during the day without her sunglasses on. I don't doubt that she has a legitimate medical condition, but i also have no doubt that she is capable of enjoying the parks like anyone else without DAS and was using Disney's leniency to take advantage. Now that her Disney Hack has disappeared, she's upset.

Woman with Eye Disorder No Longer Feels 'Welcomed' at Disney After Disability Guidelines Change (Exclusive)

Natasha Caudill tells PEOPLE more about her experience using Disney's Disability Access Services.

people.com

Oh, I agree re: the entitlement around DAS. It seemed the comments were around she shouldn't have gotten the LL access or the alternative accommodation either, and like you said - the video actually shows that process working really well.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I feel bad for folks with real limitations who previously qualified for DAS now do not.
Their limitation did not magically go away because they no longer qualify for DAS.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I feel bad for folks with real limitations who previously qualified for DAS now do not.
Their limitation did not magically go away because they no longer qualify for DAS.

Their condition may not have gone away, but new accommodations are being offered in place of DAS. Some may not like it and might take their business elsewhere, but it's not a matter of not being offered any sort of accommodation.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

IMHO
1) this woman does deserve some sort of accommodation for outdoor queues. She deserves to go on rides without extra pain
2) RTQ is all I think she needs to have a good experience at Disney

Agree.

3) 7D LL should be viewed as pixy dust, not standard operating proceedure

Yes, I am side-eyeing the cast members who refuse to say no as much as I am her posting this online.

4) Tron CM needs better training as they should have offered her RTQ

TBF, it's not clear what happened there. Strange that she was willing to fully record one interaction, but the "bad" reaction didn't get any recording at all.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Their condition may not have gone away, but new accommodations are being offered in place of DAS. Some may not like it and might take their business elsewhere, but it's not a matter of not being offered any sort of accommodation.

I agree and it goes along with Disney business plan "provide less and charge more", Its not limited to DAS, all around us at WDW we are all reminded we are getting less and paying more.

 

[Splash4eva]

Fwiw without getting into details as we know the RTQ for those denied DAS and go with at least another adult the way it works is pretty clear and imo serves the purpose for those who need it. Is it ideal to have to split from your party? Probably not the way you want to spend a family vacation but it again serves the need of the person who is denied. Those traveling alone or with a minor lets just say the alternative should work for those people as well …

 

[Chip Chipperson]

4) Tron CM needs better training as they should have offered her RTQ

TBF, it's not clear what happened there. Strange that she was willing to fully record one interaction, but the "bad" reaction didn't get any recording at all.

Good point. I wonder if the end of the Standby queue was already indoors. If the CM was truly unaware of their ability to grant this woman the ability to rejoin her friends at the merge point then why wouldn't she ask for a supervisor instead of just walking away?

 

[jennab55]

I don't think it's the case that 7D will always give a whole group LLs if there is an issue.

As I understand it, the CM at the front should always allow the return to queue (everyone waits in line except the disabled and 1 extra person then meet at LL merge). It is up to the CM if they want to give one of the other better accommodations (a LL set approximately the wait time in the future, or letting the group instantly access the LL).

Oh, likely not. I just wouldn’t go around advertising it as now there will be people who expect that to happen to them…

 

[jennab55]

According to her Instagram (I don't use TikTok so can't click on the video). it's not just colorblindness she has, but "achromatopsia". It sounds like this specific disorder also causes low vision, not just color blindness.

She was denied DAS as she should have been, and the DAS staff told her to ask for attraction queue re-entry. She did exactly as she was told by staff. She didn't ask for a return time either - she asked about AQR. CM at SDMT chose to do a LL instead - that's not the guest's fault.

But didn’t she say they skipped Tron because they couldn’t get a LL? Why didn’t her friends just wait in the queue and she join them? That’s what I’m confused on.

 

[jennab55]

IMHO
1) this woman does deserve some sort of accommodation for outdoor queues. She deserves to go on rides without extra pain
2) RTQ is all I think she needs to have a good experience at Disney
3) 7D LL should be viewed as pixy dust, not standard operating proceedure
4) Tron CM needs better training as they should have offered her RTQ

My understanding of the video is she just went up and asked the Tron CM for LLs. I believe her friends could have waited in line and she could have waited elsewhere then joined up with them.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Remember when the news was first trickling out about the changes and people were really upset that Disney wasn’t being clear with the confusing terminology like RTQ and AQR? I still think these terms werent really intended to be guest facing, rather internal processes for CMs to understand. I’d bet money the implication that you can go up to a CM and request one by name instead of just telling them you need assistance and them considering all factors to figure out what works best, is the reason Tron didn’t work out for that influencer.

I would not be surprised if they were told either that the standby is short enough that it’s all in the shaded portion, or that the party could split and she could join via LL.

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

Those traveling alone or with a minor lets just say the alternative should work for those people as well …

From reports that I've seen, the alternative does work for this situation.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

Good point. I wonder if the end of the Standby queue was already indoors. If the CM was truly unaware of their ability to grant this woman the ability to rejoin her friends at the merge point then why wouldn't she ask for a supervisor instead of just walking away?

She's an influencer. Influencers depend on clicks and views, which come most easily by generating controversy (yes, I realize we are feeding into her plan perfectly!). It's all about the Benjamins, baby.

 

[Splash4eva]

From reports that I've seen, the alternative does work for this situation.

I will say this the way she went about it was not 100% how its suppose to be done & possibly why she was turned away…. Unfortunately this will continue

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

I will say this the way she went about it was not 100% how its suppose to be done & possibly why she was turned away…. Unfortunately this will continue

I didn't watch the video. My comment was directed at your statement about an adult traveling alone with a minor.