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

[Kgrace1989]

They could let Genie (free) book your next pass automatically when it accounts for location and interests.

I bet that would be pretty popular actually, and you’re right, if they could do that it would really do a lot to make those in the standby lines less salty about what DAS guests might get.
But honestly, the 10 min really does make it pretty equal at this point since the DAS guests are waiting the standby time and then the LL…. Now if Disney just stands firm on the party size (within reason, I mean they need to allow all minor children in the same family to be on the DAS)… but if they stop the parties of 8 and 10+ … I really think they will have a better handle on who is using the LL and when.

 

[Kgrace1989]

These changes could be an unfortunate ending of a friend's visit to the parks. Really sad. Are there abuses, yes, but penalizing a group of individuals due to the abuse of others is not the solution.

Encourage them to reach out… Disney isn’t wanting to punish anyone (well, except those blatantly lying and abusing the program).. but they are not looking to make the trips harder for those with disabilities.
Your friend should do the interview and tell them what they need help with… I have a cast member in my family, he continues to encourage me to iterate to others that Disney, to the best of their ability, wants to help EVERYONE who needs it.

 

[Just_another_figment]

A question that few will probably run into, but I’m throwing it in the ring in case anyone calling over the next few weeks happens to have the same situation! (I don’t want to clog up the lines calling myself, when I don’t have a need yet.)

Has anyone received information about how DAS users can change their party members after May 20? I think I saw someone say that nothing DAS-related will be handled in parks after May 20, and am wondering how one would change who’s part of their 4-person party on the fly - or if the ability to do so will simply cease to exist. This mostly pertains to APers who visit with different people at different times, but maybe also to ticket holders traveling as a non-family group larger than 4 in which the DAS user might want to have fellow Guests A, B, and C ride with them day 1, but Guests B, C, and D ride with them day 2. Surely that wouldn’t require a virtual call every day, would it???

If my daughter qualifies, and I think there is a fair chance she might, I will know this July. She’s spending part of the trip with me, and the other part of her trip with other family. I’ve wondered about that myself, but I figure first things first to see if she still qualifies.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I understand that! So much of the same sentiments really has been repeated as nauseum. My point was moreso getting into the discussion of the rollout and how it's probably very difficult to initiate a new system while not creating expectations for people.

Thank you for your understanding

 

[rastuso]

Or get an ECV so that no one has to push anyone around. Seems reasonable.

And they aren't allowed in lines

 

[Just_another_figment]

And they aren't allowed in lines

ECVs are allowed in lines. And the ones they aren’t allowed in have a separate entrance.

 

[mommy2paisley]

That's actually not the case for all developmental disabilities. My child's developmental disability is genetic. She's had a brain MRI, and it's normal. The genetic disorder doesn't impact her nervous system either, it impacts a very specific gene and its expression. It's not a nervous system issue.

And this is without going into the fact that "mental issues" and "mental illness" are pretty much synonymous in current society.

So, again, I restate. Developmental disabilities are not "mental issues".

Thank you!! I hate that I keep seeing this on all the forums and Facebook! My twins also have a specific gene that is affected that causes their disability.

 

[Disturbia]

I bet that would be pretty popular actually, and you’re right, if they could do that it would really do a lot to make those in the standby lines less salty about what DAS guests might get.
But honestly, the 10 min really does make it pretty equal at this point since the DAS guests are waiting the standby time and then the LL…. Now if Disney just stands firm on the party size (within reason, I mean they need to allow all minor children in the same family to be on the DAS)… but if they stop the parties of 8 and 10+ … I really think they will have a better handle on who is using the LL and when.

It doesn’t make it equal in reality. We got out in 45 mins of a 60 min posted wait (posted vs actual varied 15-30 mins for other rides) for FOP.

So the DAS guest waits 60+20 LL+10 extra. So they have to wait almost twice as much as a standby guest to get their next pass.

 

[OurBigTrip]

And they aren't allowed in lines

In many, if not most lines, they are.

 

[OurBigTrip]

It doesn’t make it equal in reality. We got out in 45 mins of a 60 min posted wait (posted vs actual varied 15-30 mins for other rides) for FOP.

So the DAS guest waits 60+20 LL+10 extra. So they have to wait almost twice as much as a standby guest to get their next pass.

Not when you include the time it takes to ride the attraction plus what it would take a non-DAS user to walk to the next standby line.

Not to mention that Disney has always stated that DAS users may have to wait longer.

 

[shosh1530]

I've been trying to keep up with the thread, but it have probably missed some posts (especially early on).

I get why many people are anxious and upset about this change. But one thing that confuses is me is that many seemed to have assumed DAS was previously guaranteed when planning their trips.

Even though my son has qualified for DAS on each of our trips to DL and WDW over the past 7 years (and also for similar accommodations at Legoland and Universal), I never assume that we will qualify each trip (maybe I've read a few too many stories about people getting a randomly difficult CM). I've chosen in the past few years to purchase tickets through Undercover Tourist both for cost saving and the fact that they are refundable in case we don't get qualified. I will be doing that again for our trip this June.

I've really appreciated that Disney has offered the 30-day in advance registration so that I can have the peace of mind knowing whether he qualifies before the trip and can prepare by either canceling (granted we aren't coming from abroad) or making some alternate plans. Getting to the park and then finding out that there were no appropriate accommodations would be so much worse – I do worry that might happen to some people who don't read online forums like this though!

 

[gap2368]

I've seen 1 report that the 10 minute waiting period will start 5/20 at WDW. But that party's visit doesn't start until 5/20 anyway.

I thought I'd seen another report over the weekend that party-size limit, valid length and the 10-minute wait were all in effect already. But I'm not finding that post at the moment to confirm.

I am here now and there is no 10 minute wait for the next DAS. I think this goes in effect on the 20 for WDW

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

It doesn’t make it equal in reality. We got out in 45 mins of a 60 min posted wait (posted vs actual varied 15-30 mins for other rides) for FOP.

So the DAS guest waits 60+20 LL+10 extra. So they have to wait almost twice as much as a standby guest to get their next pass.

I can’t speak for all DAS users, but I would happily trade waiting an extra 50% out of line to (a) help disincentivize abusers (and give them fewer opportunities to skip the line) and (b) actually, consistently have less than 10m waits when I do return (not sure that this would be guaranteed but if it could help I’d make the trade in a heartbeat). Unless Disney changes the rules, the extra wait can also be spent doing several other pleasant activities with no lines or short lines (and the average return time is often faster than many DAS users can take advantage of anyway).

Making the system fair doesn’t require making all visitors waits exactly the same.

 

[SirDuff]

Not when you include the time it takes to ride the attraction plus what it would take a non-DAS user to walk to the next standby line.

Not to mention that Disney has always stated that DAS users may have to wait longer.

Also ignores the 10 minutes subtracted from the posted wait times.

Also, the 10-minute delay only affects people who are trying to set up their next ride before they even get on their current ride and ride the next ride at the very beginning of their window.

 

[Jellybean9]

It doesn’t make it equal in reality. We got out in 45 mins of a 60 min posted wait (posted vs actual varied 15-30 mins for other rides) for FOP.

So the DAS guest waits 60+20 LL+10 extra. So they have to wait almost twice as much as a standby guest to get their next pass.

The das wait is 10 min less the posted wait time plus they’re allowed to scan in 5 min early. So if posted stand by time is 60 min, they wait 45 min + whatever the LL is.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The das wait is 10 min less the posted wait time plus they’re allowed to scan in 5 min early. So if posted stand by time is 60 min, they wait 45 min + whatever the LL is.

Assuming the posted standby wait time is accurate. There's been lots of discussion in the last year about inflated posted standby waits. In some cases it being as bad as the posted wait being twice what the actual wait was. DAS return times are based on Disney's posted waits, not the actual wait.

 

[nalababybear]

Assuming the posted standby wait time is accurate. There's been lots of discussion in the last year about inflated posted standby waits. In some cases it being as bad as the posted wait being twice what the actual wait was. DAS return times are based on Disney's posted waits, not the actual wait.

Those wait times are notoriously wrong at the beginning and later evening times. Comical at times at disneyland.

 

[Kgrace1989]

It doesn’t make it equal in reality. We got out in 45 mins of a 60 min posted wait (posted vs actual varied 15-30 mins for other rides) for FOP.

So the DAS guest waits 60+20 LL+10 extra. So they have to wait almost twice as much as a standby guest to get their next pass.

Hopefully they can continue to tweak things to make them as “equal” as possible… I’m sure ideally, they are trying to get it pretty equal to be fair to all. They really don’t want folks with challenges to feel as though they are dealing with more or extra challenges at Disney.

 

[Kgrace1989]

I can’t speak for all DAS users, but I would happily trade waiting an extra 50% out of line to (a) help disincentivize abusers (and give them fewer opportunities to skip the line) and (b) actually, consistently have less than 10m waits when I do return (not sure that this would be guaranteed but if it could help I’d make the trade in a heartbeat). Unless Disney changes the rules, the extra wait can also be spent doing several other pleasant activities with no lines or short lines (and the average return time is often faster than many DAS users can take advantage of anyway).

Making the system fair doesn’t require making all visitors waits exactly the same.

That is a really great attitude you have, and you are right not every wait will be equal all the time
That said, you shouldn’t have to wait an extra 50% of the time for attractions over the non DAS guest. The ADA states that disabled patrons can’t have more “burdens” placed on them than any other customer seeking a good and service. And your time at the parks is just as valuable as that of a non disabled guest.
I think with the new measures Disney is putting in place they should be able to make it a little fairer and more pleasant for everyone.

 

[AndyPandy59]

I bet that would be pretty popular actually, and you’re right, if they could do that it would really do a lot to make those in the standby lines less salty about what DAS guests might get.
But honestly, the 10 min really does make it pretty equal at this point since the DAS guests are waiting the standby time and then the LL…. Now if Disney just stands firm on the party size (within reason, I mean they need to allow all minor children in the same family to be on the DAS)… but if they stop the parties of 8 and 10+ … I really think they will have a better handle on who is using the LL and when.

Sorry if this has been mentioned, I’m new to this group, but looking at the official Disney wording on MDE they seem to have taken out the immediate family wording and it now just mentions 4 people will be allowed including the DAS holder. Is this a deliberate rewrite of the words to avoid the immediate family discussion and who would be included.