It’s because it’s not a myth. It’s just also not the whole story.
It is skip the line access. It’s just not instant.
Agreed. As someone who has toured the parks with family that needed the DAS (severely autistic young nephew) and then toured the parks without a DAS user in the party…
It is a skip the “line” access… but I think those who need it bristle at that statement because it’s not a skip the “wait” access.
So those using the DAS do wait (the amount of the standby and then the LL upon return)..
But they are able to do so outside the line.
Now for those that NEED it, it really isn’t an “advantage” (my nephew paces and stims while waiting, and that cant the done in a confined space ) .
But for the non DAS guests it does seem like an advantage, because if possible everyone would rather wait in a shaded quick service area eating ice cream .
But for those who really need it, there would be no other way to access the attractions.
That said, my sister and her husband have always assumed that Jonathan’s needs didn’t come before everyone else’s . And since they have 3 other kids they have always split up in longer lines so she does the DAS with Jon and then her husband does the regular line with the other kids and they meet up afterwards.
As I wrote in another chat, I know ideally families would stay together to experience everything and I’m not saying those who want to do that are wrong.
But the bottom line is that on a ride like Space Mountain taking up a spot for 2 people entering the LL after a return to ride time… is different than taking up spots for 5.
Because he wasn’t their first child, they knew what it was like to wait with typical kids in line and they knew it wasn’t fun… so they see it from both sides and realize there is a nuance between accommodations being offered and preferential treatment being offered.
I am not judging how others need to accommodate their disability, just saying that I think to solve this problem (and I think everyone agrees there is a problem) I think it will take the willingness to compromise some from those guests who use DAS and those who do not.
Also, I know that some who have needs for the DAS feel attacked by those who don’t need it… but in my experience other park guests have been very kind to my nephew. In the shorter lines where they take him and try to make space for him to do what he needs to do while waiting… other guests have been super kind to form a space around him and been accommodating.
And I think in person, people generally want to be kind to each other and I doubt there are many people that would really resent making accommodations for those with needs…
it is just a big ask to accommodate those with needs and 7 other people (and honestly on some low capacity rides, even 4 people is a challenge)
