New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Gomer]

Wait, no, that’s backwards. Or I’m backwards.

They’re approving developmental disabilities. Not revamping the approval for them. That’s the thing they’re keeping in the yes pile. Everything else goes into the no or maybe pile.

yes, but there is still an approval process.

If you have a physical disability and want to use their return to queue system you can do so without pre-approval. In fact, I would assume any guest can use it.

DAS still needs pre-screening and approval of your condition. And they have added third party medical support to assist the cast member in determining eligibility. This to me implies that they intend to more strictly review these than they have in the past (where pretty much anyone saying they had a developmental disability was approved).

They could still approve everyone and have it be a free for all, but then why would they be paying this 3rd party for their services. It would be an unnecessary expense.

 

[Dranth]

So let’s say that’s true. I have no reason to believe it isn’t.

What does this new system change?

It just changes the lie the liars are going to use.

At best you get some relief with the 4 person limit.

So maybe a 15% reduction at the expense of people with real disabilities being denied.

The idea is no one who legit needs an accommodation is left out. It may not be in the form of DAS for everyone going forward but they are going to provide options. As for how much abuse this will help stop, we don’t know because we are still missing information, at least not until it goes live.

I’d be willing to bet someone like Len will have people counting G+/ILL scans once they roll this out. That should give us a good idea of how much of a reduction they are seeing. It will also tell us if Disney goes greedy and massively increases G+ inventory to offset any reduction from reduced abuse.

If the changes don’t help much then I expect they will make more changes until we end up with a Universal like system.

 

[Trauma]

It will because there is no way Disney wants to have G+ lines be 30-45 min. They will increase the amount of G+ but not as much as the drop in DAS use. It will reduce standby by a little bit (15-20 min) but more importantly make standby lines move more regularly.

So the choice is make more $$$ or improve the guest experience.

Let me double check who the CEO is.

Yup.

They’re going to make more money..

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

, and may they step on lego.

…this wins the thread

 

[Angel Ariel]

What is to stop someone from saying they fit into the new DAS requirements, i.e. autism, if no paperwork is required?

Won't abuse / lies continue?

It seems the consensus in reading here has been that the elimination of day of DAS handled by in park GR CMs will dramatically reduce the abuse on its own.

I'm not sure I agree it's going to have a massive impact, but I'll happily be proven wrong. I just tend to be cynical. Cheaters gonna cheat.

 

[DryerLintFan]

yes, but there is still an approval process.

If you have a physical disability and want to use their return to queue system you can do so without pre-approval. In fact, I would assume any guest can use it.

DAS still needs pre-screening and approval of your condition. And they have added third party medical support to assist the cast member in determining eligibility. This to me implies that they intend to more strictly review these than they have in the past (where pretty much anyone saying they had a developmental disability was approved).

They could still approve everyone and have it be a free for all, but then why would they be paying this 3rd party for their services. It would be an unnecessary expense.

Yes but the people who need to see the third party health assessment people are the people without autism. As far as it seems so far at least.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It seems the consensus in reading here has been that the elimination of day of DAS handled by in park GR CMs will dramatically reduce the abuse on its own.

I'm not sure I agree it's going to have a massive impact, but I'll happily be proven wrong. I just tend to be cynical. Cheaters gonna cheat.

That is the premise.

Disney parks are very poorly managed. But they still have access to incredible
Amounts of data. I highly doubt they’re looking to “stir things” - where their main compound has declining attendance - if there isn’t something there?

 

[Disney Analyst]

…this wins the thread

It's probably the most vicious cruel thing you could wish upon someone, without delving into illegal territory.

 

[pigglewiggle]

It's probably the most vicious cruel thing you could wish upon someone, without delving into illegal territory.

You can also wish a toothache on someone! Or stub the same toe every day.

 

[Touchdown]

So the choice is make more $$$ or improve the guest experience.

Let me double check who the CEO is.

Yup.

They’re going to make more money..

Less G+ lines makes happier customers, getting better reviews and selling more G+.

 

[Disney Analyst]

You can also wish a toothache on someone! Or stub the same toe every day.

A bed that is always too warm!

 

[Trauma]

That is the premise.

Disney parks are very poorly managed. But they still have access to incredible
Amounts of data. I highly doubt they’re looking to “stir things” - where their main compound has declining attendance - if there isn’t something there?

It still stinks of a money grab.

Why didn’t they just go to a system like Universal?

That way EVERY actual disabled person can be accommodated.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The idea is no one who legit needs an accommodation is left out. It may not be in the form of DAS for everyone going forward but they are going to provide options. As for how much abuse this will help stop, we don’t know because we are still missing information, at least not until it goes live.

I’d be willing to bet someone like Len will have people counting G+/ILL scans once they roll this out. That should give us a good idea of how much of a reduction they are seeing. It will also tell us if Disney goes greedy and massively increases G+ inventory to offset any reduction from reduced abuse.

If the changes don’t help much then I expect they will make more changes until we end up with a Universal like system.

Observing a reductions does not mean you are observing a reduction in abuse.

 

[Trauma]

Less G+ lines makes happier customers, getting better reviews and selling more G+.

Nothing Disney has done in a long time suggests they care at all about the happiness of their customers.

 

[Gomer]

Yes but the people who need to see the third party health assessment people are the people without autism. As far as it seems so far at least.

All we know, unless I missed something (its a long thread), is that "Autism and similar" is the disability Disney is using as the primary reason for requiring DAS. But as the email posted earlier in this thread specified, the pre-screening will offer "individualized conversations" that go over all accommodations to determine which is appropriate. That could mean anything really. It could mean people with physical disabilities and extenuating factors might be able to petition for DAS. It might mean someone who comes with a less intrusive or restrictive developmental disability might be steered towards alternative accommodations before DAS. We really won't know until people start applying through the new process and seeing how restrictive or flexible it is.

Lucky me, I'll get to be a guinea pig since I have to do my son's DAS in mid-June. Looking forward to being one of the lucky people who gets to help all those brand new cast-members work the kinks out in the process.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It still stinks of a money grab.

Why didn’t they just go to a system like Universal?

That way EVERY actual disabled person can be accommodated.

I can’t explain that…no clue?

As far as money grab? Yes. All roads lead back to genie and what they thought they’d be able to sell. If the parks distributed people fairly and allowed for people to get value out of their prices…there wouldn’t be much of a reason to game genie.

There would be some…like when people took old tickets to rob the fastpass dispensers…but it wouldn’t be an operational blip.

They think this…for some reason?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Less G+ lines makes happier customers, getting better reviews and selling more G+.

I agree…but I don’t think they can do a thing about it.

They know it. The math isn’t there. But don’t expect a press release

 

[Jrb1979]

It still stinks of a money grab.

Why didn’t they just go to a system like Universal?

That way EVERY actual disabled person can be accommodated.

They are accommodating every disabled person. Just it's in different ways now. That's been the point even before Genie+.

 

[Trauma]

They are accommodating every disabled person. Just it's in different ways now. That's been the point even before Genie+.

Whatever you have to tell yourself to be happy about this I guess…

 

[TrojanUSC]

To give Disney the benefit of the doubt (a losing proposition usually) we haven't really seen the part of this that is likely intended to curb abuse yet.

They are moving physical disabilities to alternative accommodations that don't require approval as one half of the equation. The other half is how the DAS approval with third party medical support will work in practice. Most of the abuse is presumably happening in the developmental disability space, and that is where they are revamping the approval process. How that plays out and how strict it is will tell us whether they are actually serious about curbing the abuse or not.

I think most of the abuse is people knowing which lies to tell them and I don't think lying about autism is one. Multiple people I know say they get anxiety in lines or have frequent urination/bathroom issues.

Disney already said they're addressing the latter with a "bathroom pass" type thing, but it's gonna be a lot trickier to deal with someone who is diagnosed with anxiety. How do you weed through the fakers there? Do you turn everyone away?