New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Dranth]

So basically they are doing nothing to really solve the problem but fool people into thinking they are and somehow make more money off it. They are fixing this just as good as how they are fixing capacity and entertainment issues.

So, your solution is to just let it keep happening?

Come on, that isn't an option. They have the data showing the ridiculous amount of abuse going on so it has to change. They can't just build a metric ton of new capacity overnight nor should they be forced to because pathetic people need to lie about little Timmy having Autism. It isn't reasonable to double the number of cast members to follow everyone around and keep an eye on people. They can't use a Volcano Bay like system that restricts people to one line at a time because many of the very disabilities they are trying to accommodate would be hurt by not being able to join a shorter line while waiting for DAS access.

So, what can they do? Seems to me the only realistic options is exactly what they are doing. Crack down on abuse by changing the system to make it more difficult and then change as needed if it doesn't work.

Blaming a company because people lack the moral fortitude to not cheat the system is not the answer.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Because 'not being able to stand in line for 90mins' is not the same thing as "I need a wheelchair full time"

In my case, I have multiple back injuries that make standing for long periods, especially with little movement, painful and difficult. But at the same time, sitting for long periods w/o movement also is difficult. So things like sitting on the F! bleachers... killer. Standing in place for fireworks for 60+mins.. killer. Having to sit in a wheelchair all day would be killer. But if I need a wheelchair to deal with a queue... that means I have this huge ball and chain to carry around full time... and limit all of my mobility all the time.. instead of a simpler solution of "just let me sit down when I need to or let me move around".

Forcing people to use ECVs or wheelchairs is not a good outcome because those things are HUGE nuisances - to both those using it and those around them.

For me, most of the time I am able to compensate in queues by being able to lean against something, which takes the pressure off my back. But issues like the parks removing seating everywhere have been a very significant problem for me and highly noticeable. I've never requested or attempted getting a GAC or DAS.... but situations like the fireworks have really tempted me because being able to have a place to sit and wait would be a game changer and avoid so much of my pain.

But if you told me "just take a wheelchair" - I'd be like "YOU try taking a wheelchair around a theme park full time and tell me how it made things more enjoyable..."

The return to queue concept can speak to someone like my needs... but I really gotta see how they do this. The scale at which people will try to use it just seems untenable.

I'd be happy if Disney just stopped taking benches out of everywhere and didn't make finding a place to sit such an adventure. If I can moderate my back strain, I can keep it from getting to the breaking point where I take hours to recover.

BRING BACK THE BENCHES!!

 

[Patcheslee]

Serious question, not trying to be rude or snarky. For people who are saying if they are denied DAS they will not go anymore, why not just purchase Genie+ and ILL? Wouldn’t that be a better solution than just choosing not to go?

Depends on a groups plans, budget, and ability to save more. We go for more days knowing we can't be in the parks as many hours. Luckily only a group of 3, but that's an additional $862 just for Genie+. Ride each ILL once is $268.38 Given the short lead time to implementing, larger groups may struggle to come up with additional funds.

 

[Happyday]

Please do not put words in my mouth. I never said the DAS users were abusing the system by doing this. I think Disney has a broken system and this would be one step towards fixing it.



Disney 100% allows and even encourages it. However, as a non-DAS user I am a little frustrated with the idea that a DAS user can get on more attractions that I can throughout the day (thus encouraging abuse, making standby lines longer, and reducing LL inventory). In my opinion people waiting for a DAS rides should be allowed to experience any aspect of the park that does not have a line (parades, shops, restaurants, any attraction that has no wait time), otherwise DAS will negativity affect non-DAS users.

Daily ride capacity is basically a fixed number. Every time someone gains an advantage, an equal disadvantage is felt by those that lost out on that advantage.

Just a clarification to your statement "a DAS user can get on more attractions that I can throughout the day" this is not accurate for some if not a lot of DAS users. There are some that yes go to other rides however you can not get another DAS when you already have one and some users have difficulty going back to that ride when it is their turn so... think of it this way the group in front of you ends up leaving when it is their turn then they get to the end of the line and wait again.

 

[pdude81]

BRING BACK THE BENCHES!!

I certainly wish they'd have more benches in the parks, but I don't know that you wouldn't just have more able bodied guests plugging those up and dropping their Mickey bar chocolate. Then again, many of them have moved on to plugging up tables at Cosmic Rays and Casey's to update their Instagram account.

 

[pigglewiggle]

I certainly wish they'd have more benches in the parks, but I don't know that you wouldn't just have more able bodied guests plugging those up and dropping their Mickey bar chocolate. Then again, many of them have moved on to plugging up tables at Cosmic Rays and Casey's to update their Instagram account.

Even able bodied guests get tired and need to sit down. This is a weird take.

 

[Vclguy90]

I understand what everyone is saying about abusing the DAS but I still don't see this crack down as being warrented or used as a way to plus the truly disabled patron experience. This is just a cash grab and an attempt to get more G+/LL sales. Of Fastpass were still around and free this wouldn't be a headline because Disney wouldn't care at all. Let's not be fooled by them truly caring about the disabled persons experience. DAS patrons are now undesirables and Disney is trying to weed them out to the side of buying G+

 

[DryerLintFan]

They can start by firing and banning all those cast members who they have evidence abused the DAS program as well as the Vloggers who need a DAS for the parks but are able to do other things like attending Taylor Swift concerts just fine. Everyone would take this warning more seriously if they actually saw it used in practice to emphasize that this program is intended for people who need it and not those who wish to scam their way into a free version of Genie+.

I was with you until the end. Disabled people are allowed to go to concerts, lol

 

[brettf22]

4) The return to queue model sounds great, but operationally it sounds absolutely nuts. I can't wait to see how Disney will tackle this over its diverse layout.
…
It's a difficult problem to solve at scale and with the physical constraints they have around the park.

This. I’m interested to see what their “return to queue” strategy is. If they could magically transport me from a spot in line to a bathroom stall and back, I’d wait in Standby every time. But as somebody who, before getting DAS, has frantically jumped over queue chains in an attempt to get to a bathroom, the thought in having to make my way out of a crowded queue in a very short period of time scares the figurative (and, unfortunately, literal) crap out of me.

 

[Purduevian]

Just a clarification to your statement "a DAS user can get on more attractions that I can throughout the day" this is not accurate for some if not a lot of DAS users. There are some that yes go to other rides however you can not get another DAS when you already have one and some users have difficulty going back to that ride when it is their turn so... think of it this way the group in front of you ends up leaving when it is their turn then they get to the end of the line and wait again.

100% agree that many DAS users are not physically, mentally, or emotional able to get on more attractions than a non-DAS user. However, I hope you would agree with me that under the current system some legitimate DAS users and all DAS abusers have an advantage to get on more attractions than non-DAS users.

I do not blame the DAS user on this. I blame Disney's system.

 

[AdventurersClub]

I understand what everyone is saying about abusing the DAS but I still don't see this crack down as being warrented or used as a way to plus the truly disabled patron experience. This is just a cash grab and an attempt to get more G+/LL sales. Of Fastpass were still around and free this wouldn't be a headline because Disney wouldn't care at all. Let's not be fooled by them truly caring about the disabled persons experience. DAS patrons are now undesirables and Disney is trying to weed them out to the side of buying G+

But to play devil's advocate, if anyone was paying for Genie+, especially on a day where the price is at its highest, why would those people want the line saturated with a high number of people who scammed their way into the DAS program so they can avoid paying for the service. It’s extremely unfair that one family might have to pay $200 for their family to use a more limited Genie+ they pay top dollar for while others lied their way in and besides getting it for free, now make the wait longer for those who are paying.


This problem has clearly gotten out of hand and the fact that it has been confirmed that many of these cases of abuse are Cast Members and DCP demonstrates that they need to rein it in and go back to square one.

 

[Happyday]

You did an interview you gave them a reason and they said yea or nay… What is changing now. They still are not requiring any docs. So people can still say whatever they want to say to get approved if they were “abusing” or “lying” and if they limit legit people all that does is screw the guest over. Anyone who thinks this is not backed bc of a money grab imo is fooling themselves. If someone lied before. Do you really think they will not lie again?!? Noone can be that naive. And im sure it will not take too long for “leaks” to happen on how they got DAS under the new system

I am not saying you are wrong but I did notice one change that makes me think... At Disney world in Florida you HAVE to have a video chat which makes me think they will have better trained cast members handling DAS I'm not saying it will help but we can always be hopeful .

 

[Splash4eva]

So, your solution is to just let it keep happening?

Come on, that isn't an option. They have the data showing the ridiculous amount of abuse going on so it has to change. They can't just build a metric ton of new capacity overnight nor should they be forced to because pathetic people need to lie about little Timmy having Autism. It isn't reasonable to double the number of cast members to follow everyone around and keep an eye on people. They can't use a Volcano Bay like system that restricts people to one line at a time because many of the very disabilities they are trying to accommodate would be hurt by not being able to join a shorter line while waiting for DAS access.

So, what can they do? Seems to me the only realistic options is exactly what they are doing. Crack down on abuse by changing the system to make it more difficult and then change as needed if it doesn't work.

Blaming a company because people lack the moral fortitude to not cheat the system is not the answer.

How does this crack down?!? If the wording is correct & accurate its literally limiting people who 100% need it & as you said allowing someone who lies about an autistic child access….

 

[Trauma]

It's quite simple....Person A can sit in a wheelchair and be fine...Person B doesn't have that same accommodation. The physical issues have always been weird to me...So if I'm missing a leg(and can't hop down a full queue) and "refuse" to use a provided wheelchair then I can just get DAS and skip the line?

Yeah sorry not that simple.

Many physical disabilities can’t be resolved by just sitting in a wheelchair.

 

[Dranth]

When it comes to whether an accommodation is "reasonable" or not, that is up to the business owner, but they must be prepared to defend denying a requested accommodation should the requestor choose to file a lawsuit, as the burden of proof would be on the business owner to show why the requested accommodation would pose an undue hardship. The plaintiff (requestor) would also have to show that the defendant could have provided the accommodation, but chose not to. Source.

Sure, and Disney has done pretty well on this front. Best I can tell they have not lost a single lawsuit brought against them based on disability access and I checked as far back as the last time they changed in 2013 and a good number of suits were filed that time.

I do think they will get in trouble if the return to line system isn't robust enough to handle a lot of these issues that have come up in the forums.

When it comes to whether or not visiting WDW is appropriate for a special needs child, the decision-maker there should always be the parent, not Disney, and certainly not random users on a forum such as this.

This is true most of the time but we have real world examples where Disney has been sued by people who claim things like their child needs front of the line access to everything in the park. The parents in cases like that made the determination that their child could go to the park based on their own fantasy of what Disney had to provide them instead of making that call based on what Disney actually provides. In one case they KNEW they weren't going to get that and sued anyway after Disney didn't cave.

 

[Splash4eva]

I am not saying you are wrong but I did notice one change that makes me think... At Disney world in Florida you HAVE to have a video chat which makes me think they will have better trained cast members handling DAS I'm not saying it will help but we can always be hopeful .

The video chat has been going on i think 3 years now ive done it… they ask you why you feel you need DAS. I tell them exactly why i feel i need and my issues and they say okay approved. How is that changing

 

[Eric Graham]

I'm so very happy that they're doing something about this. I truly believe that only people with real disabilities should use DAS. My wife was telling me today at lunch where she has read on reddit where people believe since they have ailments and totally non-disabilities such as IBS that it is a legitimate excuse to skip the lines.....

 

[AdventurersClub]

I was with you until the end. Disabled people are allowed to go to concerts, lol

They absolutely are, and everyone should live their best! My point was to highlight that some people request DAS for a specific purpose at theme parks, but when they go to other venues suddenly, they do not need those same accommodations which contradicts their need for the DAS at the theme parks. Most of the time that cannot be proven, but if someone films themself doing it and puts it on the internet, it’s fair game.

 

[AEfx]

People Mover doesn't have Genie+, so you're standing in line, regardless.

And the unfortunate thing is that - you have to be able to stand. It's one of the only rides in the park that you literally cannot ride if you cannot walk, due to the escalator/loading area. And I don't mean that it just doesn't accommodate having a wheelchair on it - you literally cannot go up there in a wheelchair, and of course it doesn't stop so they could transfer anyway.

Along with how difficult Pan is (possible, basically if someone can pick a disabled person and carry them), it's so ironic that two of the most gentle rides in the park (including the one where everyone can "fly") are only for able-bodied guests.

(Sorry, that's my one soap box issue, as generally Disney is one of the most accessible places otherwise...)

 

[pdude81]

Even able bodied guests get tired and need to sit down. This is a weird take.

What I'm saying is that if they add more benches in response to DAS restrictions, it won't necessarily help anyone that's disabled. The first part of what you quoted shows that I'm in favor of them for all guests.