"My Experience Using Disability Access Service with Rise of the Resistance By Rebecca Davis - January 5, 2020"

[RaySharpton]

"My Experience Using Disability Access Service with Rise of the Resistance By Rebecca Davis - January 5, 2020"

by KennythePirate

With Rise of the Resistance opening recently, many guests have questions about boarding groups and how it all works. Kenny has detailed the procedure here. But where do guests utilizing the Disability Access Service (DAS) Pass fit in?

Disney’s answer has been that guests utilizing a DAS pass still need to arrive early and obtain a boarding group the way Kenny describes. Then, once a guest’s boarding group is called, the DAS pass will allow that guest and their party to enter the currently unused FastPass line to avoid the 30-70 minute wait in the queue. They do not need to obtain a return time as with other rides.

Many guests, including myself and my son, have limitations that preclude us from arriving in the pre-dawn hours and standing in a huge crowd to obtain a boarding pass. If we have a DAS pass, there’s a reason, and we are no more able to follow the procedure for obtaining a boarding pass than we are able to wait in standard queues for all the other rides.

I followed my instincts and politely emailed guest services (guest.services@disneyworld.com) with my concerns. It took over a week for them to respond, which is atypical for inquiries sent to the email address. I emailed them on December 13, they called back on December 21.

They happened to call while my husband was at Hollywood Studios for his boarding group, which was just bad luck. I had said in my email that due to restrictions on mine and my son’s part, we would not be able to experience the attraction but would send my husband alone to get a boarding group and then do it.

The guest services person on the phone told me that he can, in fact, add me to the boarding group that he obtains once I arrive at the park. This was in contrast to what he had been told in person at Guest Services in the park that day.

The phone agent at first indicated that it was a “new policy” but seemed to backtrack on that in follow up e-mails.

The agent gave me a case number, which I was to give to the guest services team in the park. My husband agreed to go on another morning during our trip to obtain another group for himself with the intention of adding me later in the day.

On December 23, he was able to arrive at the park around 6:45 a.m. and obtain a boarding group. Once the My Disney Experience app said they were getting close to the boarding group, we headed over to Hollywood Studios to speak to guest services in the park.

With that case number, they were able to see that we had been told he could add me to his boarding group. It took some maneuvering on their part, but it worked.

Next, we had to speak to the Cast Members outside Rise of the Resistance. They could see that he had a boarding group, and they could see that I had a boarding group. It probably took them around 5 minutes to sort it all out. We also needed rider swap because our son was too afraid to ride it.

Finally, I was able to walk right up to the FastPass+ line and enter the deserted queue. After I rode, we swapped and he was able to ride this amazing attraction for his second time this trip!

I strongly encourage guests with disabilities both physical and cognitive to send an email to Disney and let them know that we can no more follow the above boarding procedures that Kenny helpfully lays out than we can queue for the other great rides that we come to Disney for.

If I can’t get through a Slinky Dog Dash queue, what makes them think I can physically show up at 6 am, stand around for an hour in a giant mass of people just to get a boarding time? It does not sit well logically.

I put off utilizing the DAS pass for some time, despite myself having Multiple Sclerosis and my son having Autism, ADHD and Anxiety. I finally gave in when they opened Toy Story Land as there is basically no respite from the heat.

Disney responded to my kind email about Toy Story Land with a phone call instructing me to obtain a DAS pass. I now encourage other guests with invisible disabilities to obtain one as well. It is there for us; it is for people who need it.

A Southwest airlines agent once told me that if people for whom the accommodations exist don’t use them for fear of being scrutinized, the only people using them will be ones trying to cheat the system. I still never ask to pre-board, but it made me reconsider my reluctance on the DAS and similar accommodations that I feel I actually need.

I hope this helps guests who are hesitant about using the DAS and have questions on using DAS along with the ROTR boarding groups. Prior to your trip, ask Disney what they recommend you do, and just see what they say. Please keep in mind that they made an exception for me, and my results are not typical.

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

As someone who has waited in the HS pre-opening queue, it is completely different than the Slinky Dog queue and reading any blog or watching a vlog would show the difference.

The line/crowd is stagnant and people are free to come and go. Anyone who needs to lean or sit down can remove themselves from the line for as long as needed. As someone who often goes to the parks solo, I’ve never had people around me not let me back into line if I explain that I’m going to sit and rest for a bit. This is mainly when a FP line is long outside before tapping in when a ride temp stops. Having an able-bodied group member stand in line while the DAS holder and another group member wait to the side seems a reasonable solution and is doable at HS. At most the HS line is 45 minutes from security to entering the park.

Now the DAS pass is supposed to accommodate those who don’t want to get up early?! Is it inconvienant or impossible? I rode RotR my first day in the park when I was most rested. I was on the first bus from my resort (5:30AM) and breezed through bag check and security. I had a spot to lean or sit during those 45 minutes, walked into the park and found a bench near the Guest Experience Team umbrella and waited to get my boarding group. I made my reservation while relaxed and then got a return time at 7:05 for another attraction. All of that seems completely reasonable and within the DAS pass system. I knew roughly when my group would be called and chose to relax during the next three hours taking photography so I could be at my best to enjoy the ride fully.

Should my DAS pass also guarantee me wheelchair reserved viewing 15 minutes before parades and fireworks, even on Christmas and New Years? Should my DAS pass eliminate waiting to order food, which can often be half an hour? Bus lines can easily exceed 45 minutes at busy times as well. Where does it end?

This guest came during the busiest time of the year and expected Disney to magically make her and her child’s waiting time completely disappear. Even last year at the same time FP lines were often 30-45 minutes. Bathroom lines were sometimes 20 minutes for women this year.

I get the feeling this woman had an agenda rather than truly wanting to experience the attraction and unable to without even trying. I don’t believe that this attraction was impossible while every other attraction, experience, food line, bus line, and bathroom line was doable.

Guest Experience Team kiosk lines were often 30 minute waits mid-day and 10-15 minute waits at popular attractions. Broadening the DAS pass so the holder doesn’t even need to be in the park and only one member of the group be in the park is going to open up the pass to even more abuse.

 

[gap2368]

As someone who has waited in the HS pre-opening queue, it is completely different than the Slinky Dog queue and reading any blog or watching a vlog would show the difference.

The line/crowd is stagnant and people are free to come and go. Anyone who needs to lean or sit down can remove themselves from the line for as long as needed. As someone who often goes to the parks solo, I’ve never had people around me not let me back into line if I explain that I’m going to sit and rest for a bit. This is mainly when a FP line is long outside before tapping in when a ride temp stops. Having an able-bodied group member stand in line while the DAS holder and another group member wait to the side seems a reasonable solution and is doable at HS. At most the HS line is 45 minutes from security to entering the park.

Now the DAS pass is supposed to accommodate those who don’t want to get up early?! Is it inconvienant or impossible? I rode RotR my first day in the park when I was most rested. I was on the first bus from my resort (5:30AM) and breezed through bag check and security. I had a spot to lean or sit during those 45 minutes, walked into the park and found a bench near the Guest Experience Team umbrella and waited to get my boarding group. I made my reservation while relaxed and then got a return time at 7:05 for another attraction. All of that seems completely reasonable and within the DAS pass system. I knew roughly when my group would be called and chose to relax during the next three hours taking photography so I could be at my best to enjoy the ride fully.

Should my DAS pass also guarantee me wheelchair reserved viewing 15 minutes before parades and fireworks, even on Christmas and New Years? Should my DAS pass eliminate waiting to order food, which can often be half an hour? Bus lines can easily exceed 45 minutes at busy times as well. Where does it end?

This guest came during the busiest time of the year and expected Disney to magically make her and her child’s waiting time completely disappear. Even last year at the same time FP lines were often 30-45 minutes. Bathroom lines were sometimes 20 minutes for women this year.

I get the feeling this woman had an agenda rather than truly wanting to experience the attraction and unable to without even trying. I don’t believe that this attraction was impossible while every other attraction, experience, food line, bus line, and bathroom line was doable.

Guest Experience Team kiosk lines were often 30 minute waits mid-day and 10-15 minute waits at popular attractions. Broadening the DAS pass so the holder doesn’t even need to be in the park and only one member of the group be in the park is going to open up the pass to even more abuse.

For some waiting out side the park can case a big problem that could take a few hours to even get back to some normalcy. Just because you have a way that works for you great but it may not work for everyone. There are things that are very hard for me at Disney and some times the CM can help other times they can not I have found that going to GR or emailing Disney and saying exactly what your concerns are and what you are trying to do ( not I do not want to wait for anything will not fly but something very specific will normal have some way to work around ). I see no problem if someone contact Disney and esplan there concerns to Disney and Disney work with them to provide the help they need ( and it might not be the same accommodation for everyone) then Disney is doing what they should

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

For some waiting out side the park can case a big problem that could take a few hours to even get back to some normalcy. Just because you have a way that works for you great but it may not work for everyone. There are things that are very hard for me at Disney and some times the CM can help other times they can not I have found that going to GR or emailing Disney and saying exactly what your concerns are and what you are trying to do ( not I do not want to wait for anything will not fly but something very specific will normal have some way to work around ). I see no problem if someone contact Disney and esplan

For some waiting out side the park can case a big problem that could take a few hours to even get back to some normalcy. Just because you have a way that works for you great but it may not work for everyone. There are things that are very hard for me at Disney and some times the CM can help other times they can not I have found that going to GR or emailing Disney and saying exactly what your concerns are and what you are trying to do ( not I do not want to wait for anything will not fly but something very specific will normal have some way to work around ). I see no problem if someone contact Disney and esplan there concerns to Disney and Disney work with them to provide the help they need ( and it might not be the same accommodation for everyone) then Disney is doing what they should

If these hypothetical others can be so exhausted by waiting up to 45 minutes, even with a courtesy wheelchair, access to a bathroom, and the ability to wait to the side out of the sun in cooler temps and away from the crowd...then how are these hypothetical people able to manage in the parks in worse conditions while vacationing during the busiest time of the year? See the inconsistency?

I’m dealing with the information included in the article...the crowds were claimed to be so unbearable at one particular time yet post-opening every park pathway was crowded with long travel times and long wait times for rides, food, and the toilet and that was deemed manageable...I know because I was there. My brain can’t handle crowds well and yet the pre-HS crowd was a breeze compared to the other crowds I faced during my trip. I also waited much much longer for parade and fireworks viewing locations so I question how the person in the article was able to handle all those wait times and any accommodations made and any health consequences suffered due to extended waiting.

Disney has their hands tied because theoretically someone could truly not manage getting up at that hour and they don’t want to discriminate and face a lawsuit. The reality is that there is a workable solution for probably 99.9% of DAS holders and yet it is more convenient to use this exception which isn’t truly needed and invites even more abuse of the system which makes it harder for disabled people to even use the normal system.

Like you I have spoken with GR or coordinators at the attraction for accommodations (Autotopia is not accessible for those needing the transfer seat the first and last few hours each day, WDW-SM is not safely crutch-accessible in the rain, WDW-PP belt actually does stop as long as you can evacuate using a ladder) but these accommodations take equal or more time to deal with than something big like not even needing to be in the park to get a return time for the most popular Disney attraction ever that only a tiny fraction of guests can even ride.

 

[gap2368]

I do not know what you are trying to prove but there is no way I can( or anyone around me would want me to wait) wait in a 45 line. I have also been to the park where it took me a good 20 minutes just to get in. And there is only so much room after security to the rich points. So for some thst needs the help they should contact Disney if you do not then do not contact Disney Some people that 45+ miutesjust to get up due to medical/medication they must do / take everyday that must be done on time. So what should they do if it happens at 8 am they must do 3 15 minute long breathing treatment with a vibrating vest on and the park open up at 8 just becuse you found away around your problems or the problem of the people you know dose not mean it would work for all.

 

[camper06]

"The reality is that there is a workable solution for probably 99.9% of DAS holders and yet it is more convenient to use this exception which isn’t truly needed and invites even more abuse of the system which makes it harder for disabled people to even use the normal system."

And how would you know this?? you really have no idea what people deal with as far as their individual disabilities go... yet you know there is a workable solution for 99.9 percent of them???

 

[lanejudy]

I’m going to close this thread since it is a third-person report from another website; the author would not be responding.

We have another thread about using DAS at RotR here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-for-rise-of-the-resistance.3781626/