New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[KrzyKtty]

But equal access includes the ability to re-ride as much as you want during park hours...

We can debate what they should or should not be able to do between re-rides, but not allowing access to something that people without DAS have access to really feels like crossing a line to me.

I'll also throw my hat in as someone that has ridden the same ride/attraction 3+ times a day. Granted the biggest one was Everest through the SR line, but certain people may not be able to ride EE SR.

Heck, my family rerode Gaurdians 2x in one day 2 years ago. VQ and ILL. Rode it 5-6 times during our trip

 

[flynnibus]

Yes, I believe it’s a thing that exists. However people are getting mad at Disney now based, as near as I can tell, over an assurance that it would be made available as a DAS alternative that exists only in this thread, and maybe on some third-hand anecdotal reports.

Maybe go back and look at your own posts talking how authoritatively it was going to be done - based on one person retelling the CM 'training' tales. And you can see how these contradictions become even more inflammatory when the story changes...

 

[RamblinWreck]

i wouldn't wait to ride only 3 rides a day but for some with autism it's the only 3 rides they'll ride

I don’t think that’s some major issue.

Ride the rides the kid likes. Enjoy the rest of your day.

But equal access includes the ability to re-ride as much as you want during park hours...

We can debate what they should or should not be able to do between re-rides, but not allowing access to something that people without DAS have access to really feels like crossing a line to me.

I'll also throw my hat in as someone that has ridden the same ride/attraction 3+ times a day. Granted the biggest one was Everest through the SR line, but certain people may not be able to ride EE SR.

I’ve easily ridden the same ride 3 times.

It has been a while. But it usually occurred during extra magic hours, after midnight, when the park’s clock was ticking down and everything was practically a walk on.


But I disagree that allowing das users to book the same 90 minute wait ride all day long is in any way “equal access”. Regardless, “equal access” isn’t the standard, it’s “reasonable accommodation.”

And you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn’t think skipping every line but only getting to do it once per day per ride isn’t reasonable.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Heck, my family rerode Gaurdians wx in one day 2 years ago. VQ and ILL. Rode it 5-6 times during our trip

Many people did this.

I’m not sure it’s relevant at all to the discussion though.

 

[Disstevefan1]

But equal access includes the ability to re-ride as much as you want during park hours...

We can debate what they should or should not be able to do between re-rides, but not allowing access to something that people without DAS have access to really feels like crossing a line to me.

I'll also throw my hat in as someone that has ridden the same ride/attraction 3+ times a day. Granted the biggest one was Everest through the SR line, but certain people may not be able to ride EE SR.

If someone using DAS has the same ability to re ride as someone using Genie+ then that's fair.

I am leaving out non DAS users and non Genie+ users as its not possible to do this Unless its the WDW RR or something else with no demand whatsoever.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Many people did this.

I’m not sure it’s relevant at all to the discussion though.

The discussion has dovetailed for better or worse into whether rerides should or should not be a part of DAS. My post was basically agreeing with the post I quoted stating we all kind of do that through ancedotal evidence. It was directly related to the discussion in the way it has moved to, for some reason.

Now if you want to state the discussion about whether rerides should or should not be allowed in DAS is not on topic, I would agree that's not really relevant. Because they are allowed, And to date disney has not had a problem with it. So i'm not entirely sure why the discussion came up.

 

[Purduevian]

If someone using DAS has the same ability to re ride as someone using Genie+ then that's fair.

I am leaving out non DAS users and non Genie+ users as its not possible to do this Unless its the WDW RR or something else with no demand whatsoever.

G+ shouldn't enter the conversation as it is a tool available to both DAS and non-DAS users. DAS needs to be compared to Standby.

I am saying as a non-DAS user I have ridden the same ride more than twice a day (not during extra magic hours or ticketed event or anything). Granted the rides were Pooh, Star tours, and Everest(through SR line).

I don't think it's reasonable to tell 1 person sorry you can't get a return time for this ride (which is supposed to be your substitute for a standby line) because you've already ridden it twice. While telling someone else, go ahead, the back of the standby line is here.

If you want to limit it to E tickets, where do you draw the line?

I will 100% agree the opportunity cost for the DAS user with a return time is much much lower than the opportunity cost of a non-DAS user. However, the only solutions I can think that problem (DAS holding/waiting area, infrastructure to now allow DAS users to wait in standby lines, ect) seem like expenses that Disney would not be willing to do or would actively cost Disney profits from DAS users.

 

[Disstevefan1]

DAS needs to be compared to Standby.

DAS provides massively superior access compared to standby. Not even close.

 

[Fantasmik]

I'll throw myself into this conversation. No pity party here, just providing an example. I'm in a seemingly odd spot that needed the former DAS program for queues, no longer qualify for it, and cannot reliably use a mobility device at the current advice of Cast. I have three separate rheumatological diseases that affect a lot of things, with the bottom line being my knees, back, and sense of balance may work perfectly normally, get kinda out of whack, or completely crap out. Any combination of the three affected areas could act up at any point, or just one; there's no way to tell.

Using a wheelchair gets very painful quickly due to pressure on my back (prolonged touch = pressure in this case), but it does save my knees and occasionally my sense of balance. Walking around the park is an unknown, but it provides the best odds of things staying on the positive side since I can compensate mild to moderate mobility problems a bit. I've taken 30+ trips, so I have a very strong sense of what does and does not work for me. Standing in the typical stand-by queue is miserable. The combination of standing and lack of movement, especially if combined with the hear, is guaranteed to make my knees swell horribly. A good if not exaggerated example is Flight of Passage. By the time one simply gets up to the show building, that's a lot of walking to then stand for quite some time in the queue and preshows. It's also not feasible for me personally to roll a chair toward (yes I know there is at least the possibility of powered chairs).

So, all that said, there is no longer a box for the parks to check for me that is genuinely helpful, since I'm told I'm considered a general mobility disability (which is technically not false, while also not true). I've had/chosen to cancel an upcoming trip to see how things shake out and for the cost/benefit of going under my particular circumstances.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

If you want to limit it to E tickets, where do you draw the line?

I think it's pretty easy for Disney... they could easily design an experiment to figure out how many the average SB rides in a day (if they don't already know). Make that the limit. I don't care if it's rerides or not.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

This isn’t a situation where return passes were given out on request or one would have been given.

Obviously.

 

[KrzyKtty]

There is a weird amount of , " What about me ism" in this thread. So many posts Is ring with an air of, "Well I can't do that thing, so it's not fair the disabled person can." That is such a weird take to have.

The disabled person might have physical or mental limitations that proclude them from riding a decent number of rides. So, what does it matter if they choose to ride the three or four over and over again that they can.

They might also only be able to be in the park for a limited number of time directly related to their disability, so what does it really matter if they can use DAS for 1 really long line, while waiting in two or three shorter ones in the mean time. I know that I cannot do the same thing, but I also have the option to choose to be in the park for twelve hours that day with minimal impact to my health.

The better way to take these discussions is when somebody comes in concerned about how to prepare, Advice is given. Or when somebody is denied and doesn't know what to do, Advice is given.

Arguing about the would of, should have, could've of what disney should have done might be more fun, but is definitely more fruitless. Thay have made their decision regarding DAS for now.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

I have to agree. The DAS system should provide equal access not superior access.

Didn't the DAS system give you a return time based upon the standby wait duration at the time you are trying to use DAS? If that is the case why should it matter, as you are providing equal access. Just like someone could choose to wait in line for the same ride twice, someone should be able to use DAS twice.

 

[flynnibus]

Many of the DAS users who post in this thread live in an alternate reality where neurotypical non-disabled 5 year olds are perfectly capable of waiting in a 2 hour line multiple times in a day.

We called that 'Disney world' for decades...

I mean, it's what WDW was known for in terms of being different.. their ability to make massive waits more tolerable through queue design and various forms of interest/entertainment in the queue. EPCOT era and onward especially. Then around the MGM/USO period monitors being added to the queues with videos was all the rage.

I mean people today take all this extended queue and work in the queue for granted... before WDW it was all just endless switchbacks. WDW was renowned for how hour+ waits were common but tolerable compared to the alternatives.

 

[Splash4eva]

Of course it matters. If there is a policy breakdown, and the policy itself is not working, then Disney is responsible and knowing that is the fault point would be important because the whole policy would need to be reviewed/changed.

If the CM's don't know what procedures they are supposed to be following (and this is a very new program so it could be possible they just don't get it yet) then its important to know that is the failure point, and arguably this too would be Disney problem, but the solution here might not be scrapping the whole system. It might be instead more/different training programs on the new policy are required in order to see it is being implemented properly.

But if the problem isn't a CM lack of awareness of the policy, but they are choosing to exercise their discretion but don't want to "own" their decision or are trying to avoid the confrontation with the guest, then that really isn't a policy problem, nor is it a Disney training problem. Its a CM who knows what his/her job is, but doesn't want to deal with doing their job. That's an entirely different problem and more of an individual employee one, not Disney as a whole.

In any case the "finger pointing" as you call it is vitally important in order to identify where the problem may be, and how to implement a solution.

But end of day in the guests eye its a Disney problem. Thats where they are vacationing and thats who they are getting their info from. Thats all im saying.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

The discussion has dovetailed for better or worse into whether rerides should or should not be a part of DAS. My post was basically agreeing with the post I quoted stating we all kind of do that through ancedotal evidence. It was directly related to the discussion in the way it has moved to, for some reason.

Now if you want to state the discussion about whether rerides should or should not be allowed in DAS is not on topic, I would agree that's not really relevant. Because they are allowed, And to date disney has not had a problem with it. So i'm not entirely sure why the discussion came up.

It's relevant because it is a factor that may impact standby wait times for all guests, and is one of the major benefits of DAS that contributes to people lying to get it.

Legitimate DAS users who don't want to budge on this issue should consider that. The more a service like DAS provides 'advantages', the more likely it is to be cut back because of various impacts.

To what degree it's an impact we can only speculate. The issue isn't so much riding Pirates 3 times, it's if a lot of people are joining a virtual queue for something like rise 5 times a day. That's where it can impact everyone and isn't equitable.

I sympathize with the extremely autistic kids who only want to ride the same thing over and over, but that's not the intent of any theme park for any guest. Equal access doesn't mean getting an experience way outside the norm.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I'll throw myself into this conversation. No pity party here, just providing an example. I'm in a seemingly odd spot that needed the former DAS program for queues, no longer qualify for it, and cannot reliably use a mobility device at the current advice of Cast. I have three separate rheumatological diseases that affect a lot of things, with the bottom line being my knees, back, and sense of balance may work perfectly normally, get kinda out of whack, or completely crap out. Any combination of the three affected areas could act up at any point, or just one; there's no way to tell.

Using a wheelchair gets very painful quickly due to pressure on my back (prolonged touch = pressure in this case), but it does save my knees and occasionally my sense of balance. Walking around the park is an unknown, but it provides the best odds of things staying on the positive side since I can compensate mild to moderate mobility problems a bit. I've taken 30+ trips, so I have a very strong sense of what does and does not work for me. Standing in the typical stand-by queue is miserable. The combination of standing and lack of movement, especially if combined with the hear, is guaranteed to make my knees swell horribly. A good if not exaggerated example is Flight of Passage. By the time one simply gets up to the show building, that's a lot of walking to then stand for quite some time in the queue and preshows. It's also not feasible for me personally to roll a chair toward (yes I know there is at least the possibility of powered chairs).

So, all that said, there is no longer a box for the parks to check for me that is genuinely helpful, since I'm told I'm considered a general mobility disability (which is technically not false, while also not true). I've had/chosen to cancel an upcoming trip to see how things shake out and for the cost/benefit of going under my particular circumstances.

Its totally wrong you no longer qualify for DAS.

Welcome to the new Disney.

A sincere question.

Genie+ and/or ILL does not work for you?

No judgment here, just an honest question.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

And that nobody, nobody, who is a standby rider would ever ride those rides several times in a day. And if they did, their day would be absolutely miserable.

Why would the day be miserable? If rise is my favorite attraction and I wanted to ride it 3 times vs. riding it, slinky dog, and tower (assuming they all had similar wait times) wouldn’t my day be less miserable waiting for my favorite attraction?

If waiting in a 60 minute line 3-4 times in a day = miserable then everyone must be miserable at Disney! Haha

 

[Disstevefan1]

Didn't the DAS system give you a return time based upon the standby wait duration at the time you are trying to use DAS? If that is the case why should it matter, as you are providing equal access. Just like someone could choose to wait in line for the same ride twice, someone should be able to use DAS twice.

IF the DAS user literally does NOTHING during that time, just like the folks in the standby, then yes.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

But end of day in the guests eye its a Disney problem. Thats where they are vacationing and thats who they are getting their info from. Thats all im saying.

But I/Disney don't really care about that, at least from a macro level. Meaning what's in the guest's eye, or their subjective opinion doesn't matter in the realm of fixing the problem. I want the systems to work as well as the possibly can. To do that you need to figure out why something is happening, not just gloss it over when there is an incident of customer complaint in order to "fix" or make the guest in that limited situation feel better.

Plus i don't know about all consumers, but I can usually tell when I am dealing with a bad company policy, or a bad employee, and try not to hold the later against the former.