Rumor New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[phillip9698]

Has anyone really claimed DAS while using Genie or taking advantage of short wait times while “waiting” in line virtually is on an equal playing field as a non DAS user… assuming they are in parks the same amount of time. Which may i add is a BIG assumption. But i dont think anyone would really argue that. Again blame Disney for this noone else. They created this mess and the fix is what? Now telling people who need DAS they are no longer eligible. Will now sell more Genies potentially and standby lines will imo not move a blink unless they stop fudging wait times and proclaim victory

A major issue is there doesn’t seem to be an admittance that people who NEED DAS and people who were approved for it in the past are not one and the same.

 

[Angel Ariel]

A major issue is there doesn’t seem to be an admittance that people who NEED DAS and people who were approved for it in the past are not one and the same.

I'm sure those people exist. Being that wdwmagic is a small subset of Disney fans, and an even smaller subset of DAS users, how many of those people are the people responding in this thread is not something any of us can know.

 

[Tha Realest]

A major issue is there doesn’t seem to be an admittance that people who NEED DAS and people who were approved for it in the past are not one and the same.

What a customer feels they “need” is not the exact accommodation that a company must provide. It only needs to be a reasonable accommodation for that person’s type of disability, and even then, one that doesn’t fundamentally alter the company’s business.

But back to your point, “I need DAS because I always got it and the parks will be miserable to me without it” isn’t going to win the day.

A nonverbal child that has reams of IEP documentation with their school? Absolutely, enjoy DAS.

The childless millennial who suddenly got anxious over the pandemic and convinced their HR to let them telework indefinitely yet goes to a half dozen EDM shows a year across the country? Welcome to standby with the rest of us.

 

[Jenny72]

One thing we can probably all agree on is that Disney has not been great about the communication on this. Where did all their PR/communication people go? I feel like so many of their moves in recent years have been so hamfisted. I mean, no company wants to be portrayed as heartless to people with disabilities. They definitely could have rolled it out better.

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

 

[flynnibus]

What confuses me is how is this abuse?!? Its literally what is allowed and what Disney encourages?!?

"abuse" in the sense that the system was never intended to be an 'advantage' to do more in a park - simply to facilitate accommodating for people's needs. When you combine power with the absence of real constraints.. you get a situation that was never the intended outcome.

You take offense with the word "abuse" because it's not forbidden - But it's not how the system was intended to function in practice. Call it 'unintended consequences' if you prefer...

 

[flynnibus]

That’s a huge difference.

I’ve seen the DAS lines get pretty backed up for some of the Disneyland dark rides that don’t have any genie or LL - there is no possible way they are using even half as that would mean every other vehicle getting dispatched is DAS and you can see that is not the case. 40% seems way more in line with reality based on what I’ve seen - and that’s not all day, that’s at specific times when the DAS line was super long.

Obviously I can only compare to what I’ve seen, but Peter Pan is the ultimate of popular rides and that’s visible.

Edit to add - I realize Disneyland Park has way more over all attraction Capacity than MK let alone other WDW parks.

Disneyland also has extremely small queues - and hence right from the get go can't allocate the # of slots to the high prority queue the same as a ride built with FP return in mind in the 90s onward. Compare the merge ratio of say Indy... to the merge ratio of a Fantasyland ride like Peter Pan or Toad. Without that ability to get a lot of people in the secondary queue, they have to limit it more tightly to avoid overflowing all the time with the variation of customer returns and DAS.

Basically, don't compare a F! ride operations to something like Indy, Star Tours, etc. And all of that is BEFORE you take into account differences in patterns due to DLRs ride density.

 

[Splash4eva]

"abuse" in the sense that the system was never intended to be an 'advantage' to do more in a park - simply to facilitate accommodating for people's needs. When you combine power with the absence of real constraints.. you get a situation that was never the intended outcome.

You take offense with the word "abuse" because it's not forbidden - But it's not how the system was intended to function in practice. Call it 'unintended consequences' if you prefer...

You have others have kept repeating the same thing yet refuse to also blame Disney & these unintended consequences are the results of allowing soooo many people they allow in groups more than the frauds who have obtained it. I just think its funny that people think standby us gonna drastically be reduced.

 

[Ayla]

One thing we can probably all agree on is that Disney has not been great about the communication on this. Where did all their PR/communication people go? I feel like so many of their moves in recent years have been so hamfisted. I mean, no company wants to be portrayed as heartless to people with disabilities. They definitely could have rolled it out better.

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

She's the perfect example of someone who doesn't need DAS. She functions just fine everywhere else BUT at Disney. I would have kept my mouth shut if I was her - though it is amusing how all these Gen Z "content creators" think their whining is going to change anything. Let them keep outing themselves...

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Compare the merge ratio of say Indy... to the merge ratio of a Fantasyland ride like Peter Pan or Toad.

That’s much more difficult to see though. So I can’t, personally, compare.

Where does Indy send DAS? I know where the wheelchair guests go, but does DAS just go with other guests into the cave? Cause that can still be a LONG wait based on my experiences.

 

[KaitlinGrace1990]

Blame Disney for allowing bigger party sizes. Blame Disney for allowing 2 pre books. Blame Disney for their policies. You cant blame maybe the 2% of guest who are lying to get it under completely fraud and selfish terms.

Agreed. If Disney had capped the party size, they probably would have been able to control the program better.

 

[Jrb1979]

You have others have kept repeating the same thing yet refuse to also blame Disney & these unintended consequences are the results of allowing soooo many people they allow in groups more than the frauds who have obtained it. I just think its funny that people think standby us gonna drastically be reduced.

It's never been about reducing standby waits. It's about making more availability for Genie+. Disney does share a lot of the blame for allowing the amount of guests in a group.

 

[Splash4eva]

It's never been about reducing standby waits. It's about making more availability for Genie+. Disney does share a lot of the blame for allowing the amount of guests in a group.

Genie rarely sells out… so they are looking to sell more imo. And if they really wanted to make more available they literally could have eliminated the 2 pre books years ago. It was NOT rocket science.

 

[KaitlinGrace1990]

One thing we can probably all agree on is that Disney has not been great about the communication on this. Where did all their PR/communication people go? I feel like so many of their moves in recent years have been so hamfisted. I mean, no company wants to be portrayed as heartless to people with disabilities. They definitely could have rolled it out better.

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

It does seem as though this is a really chaotic roll out for a change that can seriously impact people’s lives…

I sort of wonder if perhaps it would have been better if they announced the entire program was changing? Like if they just announced DAS was going away… and then tell people they will work them individually to address their needs.

What they have done by keeping DAS in place has created the implication that they are “down grading” some people’s accommodations.. and obviously when people have already used this service and it worked for them… they are not going to want to hear the program will still be there … but they can no longer use it.

If they said they were designing an entirely new system of accommodations for all guests who need them, it would have put everyone in the same “level” (for lack of a better word) and everyone would have to adjust to a new program .

Now they are going to have people that know the program still exists and that seems to be creating this divide of disabilities still covered and those that are not. It just seems like a lot of unneeded drama.

 

[Angel Ariel]

One thing we can probably all agree on is that Disney has not been great about the communication on this. Where did all their PR/communication people go? I feel like so many of their moves in recent years have been so hamfisted. I mean, no company wants to be portrayed as heartless to people with disabilities. They definitely could have rolled it out better.

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

The communication about the roll out was just as bad for the change from GAC to DAS years ago. TBH, given that they had 10+ years to learn from that cluster, this seems like it was the plan, not an accident.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

She's the perfect example of someone who doesn't need DAS. She functions just fine everywhere else BUT at Disney. I would have kept my mouth shut if I was her - though it is amusing how all these Gen Z "content creators" think their whining is going to change anything. Let them keep outing themselves...

She really didn't help her case at all. Saying she needs DAS because the sun in outdoor queues is too painful on her eyes even when wearing sunglasses and then sharing a photo of herself in MK in daylight without sunglasses is a bad look. Following that up by saying, "I can endure the sun if I have to," shows that she doesn't really need DAS, it was just a nice thing to have. Disney is now realizing that cases like that are overwhelming their system. Add in liars and it is unsustainable.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

What a customer feels they “need” is not the exact accommodation that a company must provide. It only needs to be a reasonable accommodation for that person’s type of disability, and even then, one that doesn’t fundamentally alter the company’s business.

But back to your point, “I need DAS because I always got it and the parks will be miserable to me without it” isn’t going to win the day.

A nonverbal child that has reams of IEP documentation with their school? Absolutely, enjoy DAS.

The childless millennial who suddenly got anxious over the pandemic and convinced their HR to let them telework indefinitely yet goes to a half dozen EDM shows a year across the country? Welcome to standby with the rest of us.

There’s a lot of gray area between those two examples, I know someone who‘s a veteran who has (had) DAS because of PTSD and severe panic attacks, honorable discharge and full disability from the army… should they get it? 99% of the time they'd probably be fine without it but I’d hate to be in line next to them the 1% of the time they freak out, chances are very high they’re going to barrel over half the line to get out of that situation. The same is probably true of the IBS people and others who technically don’t need DAS until the exact second they do.

The changes are bound to reduce abuse but I also expect more stories coming out of the parks about people pushing their way out of lines in a panic, people fainting in lines, people throwing up in lines… guess that’s just the price that has to be paid to prevent abuse.

 

[Sparksfly]

Remember: Disney must only make reasonable accommodations.

Nothing about the current iteration is reasonable, and nothing about the move to a third-party verification service is unreasonable.

That's easy to say for those who don't have to trust a third party with a not so great reputation with their personal medical documentation... especially that of children who even in the court system, their medical information is typically kept under seal to protect them, but if they want to go to Disney and be accommodated through obsenely long/hot/sensory impairing/restrictive lines so they can actually enjoy their time there...they have to give this third party their medical information? Something about it doesn't sit right tbh....

I agree the people who have been abusing the system are gross, but I'm almost positive the Genie+ $30 per person per day was the catalyst to people abusing it recently. Not excusing those people by any means....but Disney just keeps going further down the rabbit hole of greed and mistreating and possibly compromising guests (via this third party)...all for the sake of money. Disney keeps making the choice to not update their parks in a way that would combat the lines while also increasing costs. It was a no brainer people would get desperate and start abusing the system...and it's people with disabilities who truly need the accomodations that will suffer the most if this 3rd party has a data breech and its those with disabilities whove been dealing with those abusing the system the most. This is yet another example showing Disney doesn't know what it's doing nor does it care about its guests. And for those who want to try and give input in this....make sure you are disabled before speaking about it, because unless this directly effects you, you don't have a valid opinion on it.

And the arguments about providing documentation to schools/government offices etc. Yes people with disabilities have piles of documentation...yes we as parents of disabled children are typically asked for it for school and other offices (typically government). However, Disney is neither of those...they're an amusement park (who has proven to have very poor crowd control management and instead places their focus on revenue), and those schools and government offices are very good at keeping medical information protected and confidential....this rumored third party site is not. It is not the same.

 

[Sparksfly]

Again, this is true - and a much broader scope of discussion. That said - it all depends on how a third party handles it, as they can do much more than the CM's at Disney ever could. Example, they could easily track doctors - if suddenly there is one rogue doctor who is writing a huge amount of these, to people who live in other states, etc. - they can see those red flags and investigate more.

In the end, this is no perfect solution - and true scammers will always find a way to scam. But it doesn't mean that this won't enormously help the issue of people "fibbing" or exaggerating because normally rule-abiding folks that just can't resist the urge to do something to enhance their experience by just saying a few words aren't going to go the extra mile to actually get fake doctors notes.

I'm sorry, but this sounds insane. A third party tracking a child's medical history/Drs just so Disney doesn't lose some money? It's like HIPAA rights just went out the window all in the name of amusement park lines. I promise this change will not change a thing for typical park goes...those lines are still going to be unmanageable after filtering out the handful of people who might have been wrongfully getting DAS. I say this as a parent of a child with a rare genetic disorder who 1000% needs DAS to be able to enjoy the park (which he LOVES and really helps him through the hard days he has at home...the excitement of getting ready/planning fir the trip, the trip itself, and the memories after are so incredibly special to him and yes beneficial to him overall) and has been getting it for years. Do the people who abuse the system irritate me? Absolutely. My child and I typically deal with these people first hand so yes...it can be upsetting to see people abuse it while knowing DAS is the only way your child could even go in a ride at all. With that said....in my experience, it's not nearly as much as you'd think. Granted, I don't know everyone's medical situation in line... And tbf neither does Disney to even assume people are infact abusing the system rather than we are seeing an influx in medical issues lately due to a plethora of reasons. With that said... Asking my child to allow a third party site (which has shown to not be fully secured in the past mind you) to "track" his medical history and treatment etc is not only extremely violating...all for money btw....but raises HIPAA concerns as well.

 

[Sparksfly]

I remember they had to change the GAC program when people started increasingly gaming the system.

Also, while there is now a monetary incentive for those willing to lie to get DAS, they waited a long time to make this change after G+ came about. Since FP+ went away in early 2020 we've seen a major rise in influencers and "life hacks" showing people how to get things for free or greatly reduced cost. And as the SB lines get worse while the abuse gets worse, more and more seem willing to make the jump. It truly sucks that people who need line accomodations will have a higher burden, but if this reduces the abuse it should also help overall wait times, which will be far better for the DAS users who do qualify moving forward.

The parks were literally shut down in 2020 due to Covid...and after that capacity was significantly limited. The metric has to be based on when Genie+ was fully integrated and capacity was at normal levels to be able to have a valid statistic. Based on when Disney is deciding to implement this... this is definitely driven by Genie+ l.

 

[Tha Realest]

That's easy to say for those who don't have to trust a third party with a not so great reputation with their personal medical documentation... especially that of children who even in the court system, their medical information is typically kept under seal to protect them, but if they want to go to Disney and be accommodated through obsenely long/hot/sensory impairing/restrictive lines so they can actually enjoy their time there...they have to give this third party their medical information? Something about it doesn't sit right tbh....

I agree the people who have been abusing the system are gross, but I'm almost positive the Genie+ $30 per person per day was the catalyst to people abusing it recently. Not excusing those people by any means....but Disney just keeps going further down the rabbit hole of greed and mistreating and possibly compromising guests (via this third party)...all for the sake of money. Disney keeps making the choice to not update their parks in a way that would combat the lines while also increasing costs. It was a no brainer people would get desperate and start abusing the system...and it's people with disabilities who truly need the accomodations that will suffer the most if this 3rd party has a data breech and its those with disabilities whove been dealing with those abusing the system the most. This is yet another example showing Disney doesn't know what it's doing nor does it care about its guests. And for those who want to try and give input in this....make sure you are disabled before speaking about it, because unless this directly effects you, you don't have a valid opinion on it.

And the arguments about providing documentation to schools/government offices etc. Yes people with disabilities have piles of documentation...yes we as parents of disabled children are typically asked for it for school and other offices (typically government). However, Disney is neither of those...they're an amusement park (who has proven to have very poor crowd control management and instead places their focus on revenue), and those schools and government offices are very good at keeping medical information protected and confidential....this rumored third party site is not. It is not the same.

Where does it say Disney requires medical documentation? There are plenty of things I as a consumer opt out of because I don’t want my information out there; Venmo and Apple, for instance, are not getting a copy of my driver’s license no matter how many times they ask and prompt me. Am I deprived of their services as a result? Sure. But I choose not to share that information.