New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024

[Ravenclaw78]

Of course people lie outside of WDW. That doesn't mean that Disney shouldn't seek operational improvements to a broken DAS system, though. They are still providing reasonable accommodations via AQR and Rider Switch (and RTQ in rare cases). There is a difference between saying, "I need to be accomodated," and "I want my accomodation to be superior to what other guests receive." The changes made still provide reasonable accomodation and have a better chance of holding up in court compared to requiring proof (which may or may not prove a need for DAS and may or may not be legal at all). I know you have said that you would be fine with having to provide proof but it is clear that Disney does not believe they can require it at this time, so it is not an option.

I guess it boils down to how well the accommodations work and how consistently CMs on the phone and at the rides explain and implement them. I've seen plenty of people declaring that the accommodations they've been offered instead of DAS are completely unacceptable, but a lot of that is noise from people who haven't actually gone to the park and tried to use them. Change can be very difficult, and anxiety about change can cause irrational responses and catastrophizing, including perceiving things like being laughed at by CMs that never actually happened. I know that when I compare notes with my wife about situations where I had a disproportionate response, our perceptions of what other people said or did differ greatly. I also know that the CMs were unprepared for the change, that official training was insufficient, and that the procedures can vary so much from ride to ride that the resulting unpredictability can be a huge problem for anyone who depends on structure and consistency. As I've said, I'm doing my best to keep an open mind, and I think that a lot of the struggles will settle out over time through some combination of refinements to the process and CMs getting more experience with process.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Of course people lie outside of WDW. That doesn't mean that Disney shouldn't seek operational improvements to a broken DAS system, though. They are still providing reasonable accommodations via AQR and Rider Switch (and RTQ in rare cases). There is a difference between saying, "I need to be accomodated," and "I want my accomodation to be superior to what other guests receive." The changes made still provide reasonable accomodation and have a better chance of holding up in court compared to requiring proof (which may or may not prove a need for DAS and may or may not be legal at all). I know you have said that you would be fine with having to provide proof but it is clear that Disney does not believe they can require it at this time, so it is not an option.

Disney has to offer equal access, not superior comfort.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

We could only ride about half the rides in the parks

What, exactly, do you think the average non-DAS user is experiencing?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

What, exactly, do you think the average non-DAS user is experiencing?

As much or as little as they want!

 

[Splash4eva]

What, exactly, do you think the average non-DAS user is experiencing?

Listen if someone rope drops gets Genie & buys ILL on most days i would comfortably say they can do an entire park easily and possibly head over to another

 

[Ravenclaw78]

What, exactly, do you think the average non-DAS user is experiencing?

The average non-DAS user can, and typically does, ride lines with queues longer than 30 minutes. Not everyone is willing or able to wait 2 hours, but 30-60 minutes is within most people's tolerances. I don't mean "I only had time to ride half the rides". I mean that only half the rides were even possibilities for me before I started using DAS, regardless of how much time I'm spending in the park.

Also, anyone approaching the parks with the slightest clue of how to navigate them (which is, admittedly, far from every guest) can easily fit in most of the rides in a single park in the course of one day. Rope drop it and stay till closing and you'll probably fit all of them in, but I don't expect many people can handle that.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

As much or as little as they want!

lol, no.

 

[DoubleSwitchback]

Listen if someone rope drops gets Genie & buys ILL on most days i would comfortably say they can do an entire park easily and possibly head over to another

Ding ding ding!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Listen if someone rope drops gets Genie & buys ILL on most days i would comfortably say they can do an entire park easily and possibly head over to another

I don’t agree with this for all but Ironman young adults without kids, but even if I did, it should be “the average guest without genie+” since that’s all that Disney is required to give access for.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I don’t agree with this for all but Ironman young adults without kids, but even if I did, it should be “the average guest without genie+” since that’s all that Disney is required to give access for.

We have to stop by 2 or 3 pm if wee get there at opening. No matter how hot, with average crowds or heavy. My kids just wear down, and my wife will put limits. She has told me I have to schedule a few non to extremely light park days next trip, and no we don't go for 10 days or anything, we go 5 to 7.
I believe most guests have a time limit on what they can do before they have to leave a park or take an extended break. The difference is if one has DAS and able bodied mentally and physically enough, they can do that and then immediately walk onto an e ticket ride as opposed to going into a 90 minute wait. Do that three times and it adds up to not doing everything you want. Which is fine but that should be ok for everyone.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Listen if someone rope drops gets Genie & buys ILL on most days i would comfortably say they can do an entire park easily and possibly head over to another

If you rope drop on a “normal crowds” day you should easily be able to do the entire park if we are talking about DHS, DAK, DCA, and probably MK as well. Epcot is the tricky one because “entire park” means different things for different people. If you really want to experience the whole park, you need 2 data. Same with Disneyland park 2 days is needed.

 

[jennab55]

Honestly, DAS abuse (by which I mean websites and so-called "tour guides" advising people without disabilities to game the system) has existed since day one, but anecdotally and backed up by Len's data and insider accounts, it got orders of magnitude worse when Genie+ was introduced. I put 100% of the blame on Disney's shoulders for not having foreseen the inevitable and glaringly obvious consequence of switching to a paid system. They could have made smaller changes to DAS simultaneously and ended up with Genie+ having more value to guests and fewer people seeking to cheat their way around it. Instead, they created a huge mess that they then couldn't solve without drastically altering both DAS and Genie+ 2 years later, and they compounded the problem further by providing such uselessly vague guidance to both disabled guests and CMs.

So you are blaming Disney wanting to make money by adding a line skipping service for purchase for the reason people lied to get DAS? A lot of other parks out there also offer a paid line skipping option and no one seems to get mad at them for wanting to make money. No, the people who lie and exaggerate are partially to blame there. Disney is also partially to blame because they should have been more strict to begin with and not just approved every single person (like people with only mobility issues they said they weren’t approving but then did anyway).

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So you are blaming Disney wanting to make money by adding a line skipping service for purchase for the reason people lied to get DAS?

I mean it is part of the reason, we all agree with that correct?

I also wouldn’t say “people lied to get DAS” - the majority were being honest and giving legit disabilities.

 

[Ravenclaw78]

So you are blaming Disney wanting to make money by adding a line skipping service for purchase for the reason people lied to get DAS? A lot of other parks out there also offer a paid line skipping option and no one seems to get mad at them for wanting to make money. No, the people who lie and exaggerate are partially to blame there. Disney is also partially to blame because they should have been more strict to begin with and not just approved every single person (like people with only mobility issues they said they weren’t approving but then did anyway).

Well, that's fair. I'm not saying the people lying are justified, but they're a symptom of a larger problem. Likewise, I'm not blaming Disney for implementing a paid system, but I think it's clear that the way they implemented was less than optimal and a better implementation might have resulted in fewer guest complaints about Genie+ and not required altering DAS this drastically in order to fix the problems with their paid service now.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I also wouldn’t say “people lied to get DAS” - the majority were being honest and giving legit disabilities.

Agreed. And now they are just limiting which disabilities qualify. I don't know how that can be done in any quicker or slower..

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Likewise, I'm not blaming Disney for implementing a paid system

I am! I’d be interested to know what guest surveys really say about Fastpass vs. Genie.

 

[jennab55]

I mean it is part of the reason, we all agree with that correct?

I also wouldn’t say “people lied to get DAS” - the majority were being honest and giving legit disabilities.

True, there was a portion of people who outright lied or exaggerated and there were people who truly do have disabilities but didn’t need it for every queue all the time.

I just don’t think it’s fair to say that someone only needed DAS when they went to a paid system. Why didn’t they NEED it before? If it’s because they got by with only FP, then G+ should have worked for them too no?

 

[Splash4eva]

I don’t agree with this for all but Ironman young adults without kids, but even if I did, it should be “the average guest without genie+” since that’s all that Disney is required to give access for.

Again we know the theme game park has changed people unfortunately have to adapt or deal with a lesser experience. Listen it s*cks we need to pay extra for the ultimate experience but lets face it. Thats not changing.

 

[Splash4eva]

Ding ding ding!

See my other response again it stinks but this is the new game in town thats not going anywhere…

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I just don’t think it’s fair to say that someone only needed DAS when they went to a paid system. Why didn’t they NEED it before? If it’s because they got by with only FP, then G+ should have worked for them too no?

The guests name is Figment, figment has a disability that prohibits them from waiting in long lines. Figment is able to use Fastpass to experience the attractions they enjoy.

When Fastpass goes away, so does Figments ability to enjoy those attractions. So now, Figment stops at guest relations, explains their situation and is given DAS so Figment can continue enjoying attractions.