The person quoted in the article, ST Hammer, is a piece of work...
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New DAS System at Walt Disney World 2024
- Thread starter AEfx
- Start date
DoubleSwitchback
Well-Known Member
The issue is that DAS is better than standby and even better than LLMP, so giving it away so freely clogs the LL. A lot of people talk about DAS as if they're entitled to a hassle-free VIP-level experience at Disney. Lots of groups split up, whether for age reasons, riding preferences, etc. Lots of groups have to take mid-day breaks at the hotel because of heat and fatigue. Everyone has to actually walk to a ride before they can get in line for it, and then spend time confined by that line, not off shopping and eating. When people talk about return to queue or return times being a "headache", what others hear is "how dare they make me have the plebe experience?!?"
Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
Anyway, here now, and even with LLPP, the lightning lanes continue to be a pleasure. I haven’t had a single one backed up at the scan point (which always happened with DAS people), and most of the lightning lanes continue to be walk-ons to the merge points, or very close. A rare good job on Disney’s part for finally fixing this.
Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
There are some people that talk about DAS with entitlement, sure. A lot? eh. People who are vocal on social media aren't the majority of DAS users. They aren't the majority of who used to qualify and are now being denied either.
having to use a service like DAS because a person's day to day disabilities are incredibly challenging is not "better" than standby access.
Wow that’s amazing! Our trip 2yrs ago we had to skip or come back later for some of our DAS’s because the lines were out the queue and too long (which is the opposite of what DAS is supposed to be for). Hope it continues to be short and also helps standby to quicker!
DoubleSwitchback
Well-Known Member
Ok, fair -- neither of us know for sure what % of current and/or former DAS users talk or feel that way. But even if it's "just" a few very vocal and visible folks, that has a real impact on perception, which in turn has very real implications for guest satisfaction, what people complain to Disney about, etc. For example, I'm even starting to worry about a trip to Universal in May -- we're doing a signature hotel in large part because of express unlimited. Is it going to be moot now that so many people with anxiety, ADHD, diabetes, POTS, sun sensitivity, etc. are talking about how they've switched to Universal because they'll give it to anyone? Will the Express be throttled now, too? Should we cancel? It's frustrating to feel like you have to become an expert in theme park attendance data to understand if you're going to get any value from a product that you paid for.
Why do you think there are so few public voices from those who genuinely need DAS and for whom the other accommodations truly don't work?
Angel Ariel
Well-Known Member
I mean, let's be honest - this has been Disney for years. FP+ and prebooking attractions 60+days before arrival was the start of this (if not the 180-day dining window being the start). I felt this long before DD ever qualified for DAS, and being DAS eligible hasn't lessened this feeling at all. If anything, coming to understand DD's disabilities has increased this feeling significantly, even with her qualifying for DAS.
A whole host of reasons - including, but not limited to: people who genuinely need DAS and are getting it aren't going viral, because things rarely go viral/make the news when they work as they should; people who are getting it are seeing the vitriol about DAS - both from those who used to qualify and are now being denied AND from those who think people with DAS are entitled - and are actively choosing to just avoid attention and take care of their family; they just don't give two hoots about discussing their accommodation needs on social media...etc, etc.
As for why so few public voices from those for whom the other accommodations truly don't work? I mean. That's subjective. People are sharing that the accommodations don't work for them, and the response is often something along the lines of "well, there's no reason the accommodations shouldn't work." Identifying who among those people the accommodations "truly" don't work for is something that, after months of these conversations, I don't think anyone will agree on - so what's the point in the discussion? (as in, I see many people just not even bothering to share because no matter what's said, someone else will determine whether it was "truly" a need or not).
All of those are just my thoughts and feelings from experience in non-Disney related advocacy. Many families I know are so exhausted by the systems they have to work through constantly to get their family member what they need that they don't have the energy left to be vocal, public advocates - especially given the less than inclusive attitudes that are still quite prevalent when it comes to disability in society as a whole.
For Universal, at least the advertise it as “half the time of the regular line wait”. However, I’m guessing the whilst line was it has gone up a bit due to an influx of disability pass users, which in turn makes the express pass lane longer. I’ve not done universal in a long time. Are their express line waits usually over 20min?
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
It would somewhat depend on which attraction, what time of year, what time of day, and even what day of the week.
I have often used EP (as part of staying onsite), and I would say most of the time my EP waits are less than 20minutes.
I suppose it also depends on what one considers to be 'the ride.' Escape from Gringotts is a little bit like Disney's Rise in that there are very heavily themed pre-shows that might be considered to be part of the attraction. (The only way to bypass the preshows is to do single rider.) I can't say exactly the length of the preshows, but if the ride had no wait at all before the 1st preshow, the Gringotts preshows would still take a solid 10+ minutes.
I also often do re-rides, meaning as soon as I finish, I get right back in line. As with WDW, waits for some rides can fluctuate considerably in just a few minutes. I don't mean just in the early morning, but throughout the day. Many times I've gone on the Mummy with almost zero wait, then get right back in line and the Express Pass wait has changed from under5 min to more like 15 min.
In the last year, I can't say I have noticed a big change in EP wait times, but I'm not ready to draw any conclusions from my anecdotal experince.
I just wonder as I see people saying they need DAS because they can’t wait more than 10-20min but if they go to universal they may need to right? The guests who get disability passes there also go through the express lane with the regular express guests correct? But no one gets mad at universal when their express lanes are over 20min because they are advertised as “half the wait of the regular line”
Purduevian
Well-Known Member
I think the issue was that a person that really didn't need DAS (even if they qualified for it), would have a better day with DAS than without DAS (even with LLMP/G+).
For instance An estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year. By the old DAS rules, all of them would qualify for DAS, but not all of them really needed it. However, why wouldn't someone with minor anxiety apply and get DAS to make their park visit easier?
The issue is that a certain % of that anxiety group probably does actually need DAS... but how does Disney differentiate it?
I’ve been hearing a few reports of people who were approved the first time around with new rules now being denied (the ones I saw reports of were for themselves, an adult). It sounds like they are trying to correct ones they don’t think should have gotten approved the first time (based on Disney’s guidelines) and denying now.
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
That's quite the statement.
WDW changed their policy. They have changed many policies over the years.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
I think think part of the challenge is DAS was the sole offering, for the most part. And a lot of people really do benefit from some accomodations but maybe didn't need "full DAS" but that is what was offered and they used it.
And now they still probably do need *something* but the alternate accommodations really aren't sufficient. So I get Disney needing to have to cut back on who they give DAS too, but think it swing too far the other way and the alternatives aren't enough to enable people to enjoy the parks to the extent that people with no special needs do.
And probably some people that did get DAS in the past and probably could deal ok without it but don't want to as is a lesser experience - no idea if that was 1% or 20% but a non-zero
I don’t believe they changed their policy again. I’m talking about people who were approved after the change, now being denied upon reapplying. There haven’t been any other policy changes since that have been announced… they are supposed still only supposed to approve those with developmental disabilities that are unable to wait in lines.
Basil of Baker Street
Well-Known Member
Disney solved that problem as well. They will sell you LL.
CJR
Well-Known Member
If it's not sold out.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
These changes were absolutely an over correction. With that said, Disney has adjusted this system several times over the last 15 years or so and it's all been fueled by overuse and/or abuse. I would certainly also categorize some of that "abuse" as retroactive outrage when many of the accommodations were 100% permissible by Disney. In other cases there was absolutely abuse.
I would argue that the previous version of DAS was the best version, but there were components to it that were absolutely unnecessary. There was no need to have the advanced DAS component. I believe (with no evidence) that this was done solely to justify the original cost of Fastpass+ which was effectively retired around the same time that benefit was added to DAS.
My biggest complaints personally with the updated system are as follows:
- Guests absolutely, undeniably must be able to have the conversation with a Disney cast member about their needs and anticipated accommodations before they spend a dime on their vacation. This conversation is currently behind a non-refundable paywall and that's abhorrent.
- The hard 4 person cap is too low. 6 is the approach at Universal Studios and Lego Land, and it has been the "soft" cap at Disney World for decades.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
This was done to incentivize guests calling ahead to register for DAS and take pressure off of guest relations locations.
This has always been the case and has not changed with the updated DAS system. People who do not have developmental disabilities should assume they will not receive DAS and plan that way. I’d even go as far to say that adults with developmental disabilities who are the ones planning the trip should probably assume they will be denied as well. This is just based on what Disney has listed as their criteria and what it appears they are approving.