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

[Jaay]

Even more excited for Epic Universe now lol

 

[mjr0483]

It doesn't seem like they're asking for proof at all, just an interview with health professionals (or CMs that have been trained by health professionals). I was eligible for DAS before due to a now-excluded disability, but my partner who is autistic now will have to do the interviews I guess.

I can't imagine managing a theme park with no accommodations. I don't think those in line with me would be interested in seeing me do subcutaneous injections on a moment's notice. With DAS I could set schedules for my day (by requesting or not requesting rides) that worked with medication and food, but with Genie+ that isn't really possible, it's mostly luck. I'm really frustrated with this change but looking forward to any news that comes over the next month and a half.

So sorry to everyone dealing with this. It's definitely bringing up feelings of internalized ableism for me. I'm really thankful for this forum giving us the space to discuss as disabled people and allies.

I am sure an a caregiver can advocate for the person requiring a DAS. I agree, if they solely needed to interview my son who needs the accommodation, that would be an interesting conversation.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I have been approved by universal for life as long as I keep my paperwork up. I have never used it there (on the rare trips there) because I find it hard to do. I pay for express passes or hotel that includes express. It makes a low stress trip. Problem with Disney is that isn’t an option there. The genie plus does not come close to providing similar access. Issue with universal is I can’t ride that much so we don’t go often. I really believe they are going to accept a lot of the same things at Disney they have. They are just going to learn better how to question people or whatever. I honestly believe it isn’t going to be as bad as is assumed. Unfortunately they are hitting us with a gut punch because we are vulnerable people. We are easily panicked. I am just going to take it one step at a time and see how it goes. Worst case scenario is we go to the parks and I wait while my daughter rides alone and we enjoy the small things that don’t have lines.

 

[Disneylover99]

That was their first mistake. Offering 2 free passes with DAS while charging everyone else for G+ ... made DAS a bit attractive since no proof was needed.

Yep. Disney did this to themselves. And for years. There was no reason to offer the 2 free passes at all. This was definitely a huge contributor to the DAS abuse IMO.

 

[wendyone]

Someone should start a petition demanding that Disney cover all disabilities, and if they want to “cut down on abuse” pony up the cash and use a third party like Universal. It’s worse than the system they had previously, but this is just total garbage.

 

[kylenne]

(And on a related note it’s incredibly depressing seeing how people are reacting on others sites and those of us with genuine concerns are being piled on.)

DAS discussions always bring out the worst kind of ableism in people.

Exactly, PTSD is indeed a disability under the ADA and they are required to provide accommodations for it.

Now, I also wonder if Disney may end up opening up a whole new can of worms so to speak though. There are many, many people who likely have Autism, ADD, ADHD and the like that were born in the early 80's and earlier that were never officially diagnosed with such disabilities. I wonder if people who feel like they may have such disabilities will now seek out an official diagnosis, even though they have learned how to mostly cope with it, maybe with some assistance like the DAS. If so, this may end up causing a minor (maybe major depending on how many people we are talking) upheaval over all the country.

Speaking as one of those Xennials who was not diagnosed in childhood, pretty much entirely due to cultural biases...in hindsight I exhibited a million red flags as a child, but was simply called "lazy" and accused of not applying myself once I could no longer compensate for my issues with being "gifted". Even today in 2024, people struggle to think of girls and women of color as being neurodivergent. We know from research these things tend to present differently in girls, add cultural biases on top of that, it results in a lot of people not getting diagnosed in childhood and struggling through life. The thing is people "mostly cope" until they can't any more...eventually you hit a wall. Believe me, I know.

As a 42 year old adult the process of getting diagnosed has been expensive, time consuming, confusing, and frankly hellish. My insurance only covers some of it. There is a pervasive belief that these things are "outgrown" as we age and thus a lot of ignorance about ADHD adults, it is very difficult finding resources for us because everything is aimed at children. I only began this process in the first place because my Canadian partner was diagnosed in childhood and asked me if I had ever been because she recognized many, many signs in me.

 

[Tatebeck]

No, they have addressed barriers to lines faced by DME such as wheelchairs. My underlying condition is biomechanical, not behavioral. I have limited ability to balance. I don't need to be jostled/knocked over/bumped into unnecessarily. A fall would be disastrous, triggering a flareup of my condition, resulting in permanent mobility loss..

Waiting outside the line mitigates this risk. Disney may be in a hard place to deny the accommodation as unreasonable if it offers the same service to people with another disability.

I don't want to pry but it sounds like your issue could then be solved by using a wheelchair or scooter, where other disabilities can't be. There is nothing that says they have to offer the SAME accommodation to every disability, just that any has to be reasonable

 

[Unity]

I'll be honest - I was 100% expecting it to be the other way around but either way this is absolutely devastating.

My mother has sensitivity and condtions that would fall into the physical side that isn't as easily as mitigated by simply being in a wheelchair/ECV.

I can do the interviews due to my my 'developmental disability' [I'd rather say neurodivergence than that, ugh...] but my mother really needed something for her. Gonna be honest, this blows hard.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Tom Bricker has a post up on his blog, which is how i found out about it.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/d...ility-access-service-reduce-abuse-misuse-das/

I'm very concerned about the loss of in person registration at WDW considering what a nightmare the video chat has been for neurodivergent folks in particular.

Ditto. And I’m concerned for international guests for who Disney IT connections are a nightmare/impossible. No in person surprised me.

 

[Evita_W]

For the sections or queues without them they will likely have a roaming cast member or cast member checkpoints so you just wave them down. Then they let you out the nearest exit or unclip some ropes. Doesn't seem that complicated to me.

There are no ropes where there are physical walls, seems extremely complicated, also they can't hire enough cast members as it is, do you really think they are going to have extras that a roaming the queues? Not going to happen,

 

[mjr0483]

I think Disney needs to redesign the entire queue process. All rides should be like Gideon's. You join the virtual queue and then called back to join the physical line.

 

[Tatebeck]

There are no ropes where there are physical walls, seems extremely complicated, also they can't hire enough cast members as it is, do you really think they are going to have extras that a roaming the queues? Not going to happen,

Then you go out the nearest exit you see. Even after waiting for DAS as it is now now you have to wait a few minutes through the lightning lane after.

 

[Smugpugmug]

DAS discussions always bring out the worst kind of ableism in people.



Speaking as one of those Xennials who was not diagnosed in childhood, pretty much entirely due to cultural biases...in hindsight I exhibited a million red flags as a child, but was simply called "lazy" and accused of not applying myself once I could no longer compensate for my issues with being "gifted". Even today in 2024, people struggle to think of girls and women of color as being neurodivergent. We know from research these things tend to present differently in girls, add cultural biases on top of that, it results in a lot of people not getting diagnosed in childhood and struggling through life. The thing is people "mostly cope" until they can't any more...eventually you hit a wall. Believe me, I know.

As a 42 year old adult the process of getting diagnosed has been expensive, time consuming, confusing, and frankly hellish. My insurance only covers some of it. There is a pervasive belief that these things are "outgrown" as we age and thus a lot of ignorance about ADHD adults, it is very difficult finding resources for us because everything is aimed at children. I only began this process in the first place because my Canadian partner was diagnosed in childhood and asked me if I had ever been because she recognized many, many signs in me.

Are we the same person? I have ADHD but was not diagnosed until my mid 20s. It's been a struggle but it feels kind of relieving to know what exactly is "wrong" with me (using big air quotes, not trying to insinuate something is wrong with people who have ADHD).

I'm coping better now than I did in the past but I do feel like younger me would've benefited from DAS. I'm still very fidgety in lines and need something in my hands to keep myself occupied (ex. phone, handheld game system, etc.)

 

[Tatebeck]

I think Disney needs to redesign the entire queue process. All rides should be like Gideon's. You join the virtual queue and then called back to join the physical line.

That would work extremely well if they did it for all rides, but only if they added a lot more attractions/shows etc. People standing in line lowers congestion on walkways. If all those people in line spend the first half of their time just walking around, it would seem a lot more crowded unless they had something to do

 

[StarGirl11]

Well there about to get me saying my rare diagnosis I guess… (I have a neurodevelopmental disorder that about 50 people have).

Kind of wonder what’s going to happen to those who are stuck in the middle of not having a developmental disorder, not having needs covered by the bathroom pass, and not having physical needs that are covered by a wheelchair.

Because I used it a lot to get out of lines that would trigger my migraines. Which can knock me out for days.

Honestly, this makes sense to me. Will it "hurt" a lot of people, yes. But at the end of the day, Disney is a private business and as far as I know, they are allowed to modify the DAS program in a lot of ways.

They will still be giving accommodations to many types of disabilities in various ways.

As far as ADA...I don't think certain things, like anxiety, are considered disabilities, right?

I have school accomodations related to my anxiety. So yeah it can be counted. Just because base line anxiety isn’t disabling doesn’t mean that’s the case for all of us who deal with it.

 

[Evita_W]

I also bring up PTSD because genuinely, there is no way a return to line pass helps a person having a PTSD episode or symptoms. And, Disney literally has a military hotel and tickets. The number of military persons (current and former) with PTSD is very high, and given Disney offers so much for them incentive wise to visit, to bar them from accessing the DAS service for a disability they acquired in their service? Insane to me.

And also using PTSD because so many specific things about Disney can be PTSD triggers, and I frequently hear from military families who use DAS for this reason.

Just a friendly reminder here that PTSD can happen to anyone, not just those in the military. For example, we have a friend whose husband tried to strangle her to death (literally) because she confronted him about his cheating on her. She escaped by biting his arm hard, but then when she divorced the, well, you fill in the blank anything I do would get me banned, the courts sided with him, even the police did, despite medical evidence and testimony saying it was clear she was defending herself with any means necessary. Something like that will leave you with PTSD and she was not in the military.

Yes, it is more likely that someone with PTSD was in the military, but being in the military isn't a requirement to have PTSD.

 

[Tatebeck]

There are no ropes where there are physical walls, seems extremely complicated, also they can't hire enough cast members as it is, do you really think they are going to have extras that a roaming the queues? Not going to happen,

If even just a fraction of those who no longer qualify for DAS buy genie+ I think it would be enough to pay for some more cast members. I'm sure they've done a lot of calculating and I'm 100% sure Disney wouldn't do something unless they come out ahead lol

 

[Evita_W]

Then you go out the nearest exit you see. Even after waiting for DAS as it is now now you have to wait a few minutes through the lightning lane after.

And the nearest exit is either the exit to the ride, where you had to wait in the queue (unable to leave) or the entrance, those are literally the ONLY two options in many queues, especially for those with mobility devices.

 

[disneydad7281231]

I know someone that had huge intestinal surgery and is in the bathroom every 30 minutes regardless of what they do. If they had to get in line for Mine Train is there going to be a CM to hold their place 2-4 times during that wait... there could be 10 people in line with same issues and I don't see Disney putting hundreds of CM's on the schedule as line holders.

Feel like the idea is with good intentions to cut down on the abusers but this is going to change going to Disney for a lot of people.

 

[Evita_W]

If even just a fraction of those who no longer qualify for DAS buy genie+ I think it would be enough to pay for some more cast members. I'm sure they've done a lot of calculating and I'm 100% sure Disney wouldn't do something unless they come out ahead lol

Even if they pay for them, there are still physical obstacles and the fact that they literally can't find enough people for the positions they have open already.