DAS changes coming WDW May 20/ DL June 18, 2024

[mercuryvenus]

No, they don't have to provide ANYTHING that they don't normally have or if they feel it is unreasonable. They just must allow you use if you bring it yourself

Where does it say that in the law?

 

[Tatebeck]

I already quoted a section before, but here is more. From their devices section, though they only specifically mention mobility devices as they are the most common.

"People with mobility, circulatory, or respiratory disabilities use a variety of devices for mobility. Some use walkers, canes, crutches, or braces while others use manually-operated or power wheelchairs, all of which are primarily designed for use by people with disabilities. Businesses must allow people with disabilities to use these devices in all areas where customers are allowed to go"

It clearly says that they must allow you to use devices. It does not say that they must provide them. Those are VERY different things. If you have a device that you absolutely need to function, it seems that ADA assumes you must already have said device and that you should bring it if you need to use it.

 

[Gentry2004]

But Disney is even cracking down on that a bit more - as I posted above, the DAS website now says you have to wait 10 min before selecting another ride. Some may argue that's not long enough, but it's now not necessarily always true that you can select your next ride while you're waiting.

Two separate things. Disney is addressing the issue of getting in a second DAS virtual queue while still waiting in the first virtual queue. Nothing is changing about the ability to get in a standby line while also waiting in a virtual queue.

 

[Disturbia]

CMs in the chat are not aware of the changes

 

[mercuryvenus]

I already quoted a section before, but here is more. From their devices section, though they only specifically mention mobility devices as they are the most common.

"People with mobility, circulatory, or respiratory disabilities use a variety of devices for mobility. Some use walkers, canes, crutches, or braces while others use manually-operated or power wheelchairs, all of which are primarily designed for use by people with disabilities. Businesses must allow people with disabilities to use these devices in all areas where customers are allowed to go"

It clearly says that they must allow you to use devices. It does not say that they must provide them. Those are VERY different things. If you have a device that you absolutely need to function, it seems that ADA assumes you must already have said device and that you should bring it if you need to use it.

Ok. But what about lines? If you can’t wait in the line without it making you so sick that you can’t ride the ride, then Disney has to do something about that.

 

[Smugpugmug]

CMs in the chat are not aware of the changes

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CMs in chat/phone calls are notorious for giving out false info and/or are misinformed. I wouldn't take their responses at face value.

 

[Jellybean9]

Ok. But what about lines? If you can’t wait in the line without it making you so sick that you can’t ride the ride, then Disney has to do something about that.

They let you bring the equipment necessary to wait in the line. That's what they're legally required to do. Allow you to meet your medical needs.

 

[PrincessNelly]

We didn't really find the pre-selects that useful either. I think we only used them 1-2 times over the week because we generally weren't in the right area at the time they came available, and weren't able to backtrack all the way across the park. So losing those doesn't really impact our experience much.

As for the ability to 'stack', as I said, they are starting to limit that, and it wouldn't surprise me if that too goes away someday. We do enjoy it, just because it enables us to get things done faster within the limit of capacity my neurodivergent family members have, and the sooner we can do all that, the sooner we can leave the park and get back to the hotel room for essential quiet time.

You've never been able to stack DAS times. You can only book another after scanning in.

 

[Tatebeck]

Ok. But what about lines? If you can’t wait in the line without it making you so sick that you can’t ride the ride, then Disney has to do something about that.

The minimum seems like they must allow you to do what you need to do in order to wait in the line. Like allowing the use of a cooling vest, towel, fan, etc. Anything else they do would be going above and beyond what is required.

 

[razlime]

@Unity I was thinking of this graphic specifically!

A perfect world would be the last graphic in this series where the wooden fence is replaced with a fence that can be seen through making all accomodations, or the boxes in this instance, unnecessary.

That's usually used as an example of either "liberation" or "justice"!

 

[Gentry2004]

CMs in chat/phone calls are notorious for giving out false info and/or are misinformed. I wouldn't take their responses at face value.

Or they have just been told to say that until May 20th when the changes take effect.

 

[Disturbia]

So has anyone tried getting DAS for 2 kids. How does that even work with booking rides as availability changes in seconds. This is horrible for parents who are already spending so much money and dealing with kids with special needs and having to jump through these new hoops.

And for kids under 15 they should have DAS stay on your account for at least a year (the IEP doesn’t change and it’s not like the disability is going to disappear).

 

[PrincessNelly]

Yes, you would have to implement a scan station at each ride. The idea is to make it a accommodation and not a benefit to get a DAS. One member of the party could scan for the ride they want while the other party members could wait somewhere more comfortable or get something to eat. If you didn’t have a DAS pass then you have to wait in the line and you couldn’t use the waiting time to ride more rides. It is essentially giving people a more comfortable wait experience without giving them more time to fit in rides

some people travel solo

 

[mercuryvenus]

They let you bring the equipment necessary to wait in the line. That's what they're legally required to do. Allow you to meet your medical needs.

Well that’s not how it worked up until now.

And what if there isn’t equipment that will allow you to wait in line? Then what?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Or they have just been told to say that until May 20th when the changes take effect.

Right, so I wouldn't take anything a CM says in a text chat or a video call as the truth until more info is released. Even then, it's a mixed bag. I've been told straight up incorrect information when I called about certain issues I had (non DAS related).

 

[Tatebeck]

Well that’s not how it worked up until now.

And what if there isn’t equipment that will allow you to wait in line? Then what?

Right, that's why they can change it, because technically they were going above and beyond what is required before. Unfortunately that meant that a lot of people were taking advantage of it.

For the second part, that's probably when someone will "qualify" for whatever the new DAS will be. But their goal it seems to cut down on DAS use as much as possible so that only people that absolutely NEED it have it and that nobody who just WANTS but doesn't NEED it gets it

 

[Unity]

That's usually used as an example of either "liberation" or "justice"!


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The reality one is Disney stacked on all those boxes. /hj

 

[Gentry2004]

I've never been able to stack DAS times. I've only been able to book another after scanning in.

Right, but it effectively stacks a little because after you scan in, you often have another 10-15 minutes in line, plus the length of the attraction. So for the first 15-20 minutes you effectively have two DAS bookings.

 

[mercuryvenus]

Right, that's why they can change it, because technically they were going above and beyond what is required before. Unfortunately that meant that a lot of people were taking advantage of it.

For the second part, that's probably when someone will "qualify" for whatever the new DAS will be. But their goal it seems to cut down on DAS use as much as possible so that only people that absolutely NEED it have it and that nobody who just WANTS but doesn't NEED it gets it

It’s pretty insulting to say that people with a disability might just want DAS and not need it. My husband needs it. But under the new guidelines, he won’t get it.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Right, but it effectively stacks a little because after you scan in, you often have another 10-15 minutes in line, plus the length of the attraction. So for the first 15-20 minutes you effectively have two DAS bookings.

You can’t do it until the final scan in at the end of the line. It’s more like 1-2 minutes plus the length of the attraction.