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

[LSUmiss]

Exactly. They created a system that can be around twice as efficient as a normal park day (can effectively be waiting in 2 lines at once), and were giving it to anybody that knew the correct answers to the interview questions, whether they needed it or not. They made it far too attractive and too many people started using it. They need desperately to clean it up and limit access or the DAS/LL lines will end up the same length as the regular lines and anyone who truly needs it will have an hour long line either way with no actual accommodations anymore that differ it from a normal park day

Ok but those abusers will still learn the answers that will them approved. The proposed changes won’t change that.

 

[Evita_W]

What is most upsetting to me is the experience of the disabled person being diminished. Before the disabled person had the ability to ride with their family, now the disabled person will be left to sit alone and then will ride with one other person. Everyone else that goes to WDW has the ability to enjoy the park with their family, they can wait together and ride together. Because as it turns out it is not about riding the ride, it is about the memories you make with loved ones. I know my parents do not get joy from riding Toy Story alone, it comes from being with their grandchildren. That being taken away from a disabled person is heartbreaking. It is not the Disney I once bought my grandmother to with stage 4 brain cancer. It was her last wish, to come and do what little she could with her family. Now those kind of trips are gone. It just isn’t the same place anymore. I’m sorry to everyone this affects.

Hopefully this isn't how it actually works out, it is the person, plus 3 additional people for the DWS, hopefully other accomodations will be similar and if not, we need to vote with our wallets.

 

[tjmw2727]

Not just that, but then you have to explain to every CM about the issue.

Good point - and there is less (no) privacy!

Honestly, I will probably skip the attraction rather than trying the RS option for two reasons, I don't want to air my issues in public (and not every attraction CM will have the training the GS CM's do) and I really just want to ride with my family.

If I have to wait alone for RS I will just send them ahead and find something else to do while they ride.

 

[tjmw2727]

Hopefully this isn't how it actually works out, it is the person, plus 3 additional people for the DWS, hopefully other accomodations will be similar and if not, we need to vote with our wallets.

Hopefully - but the RS option is what I think the other poster was talking about.

With DAS its 4 which is fine, but the RS option will leave the prior DAS user alone waiting for the 2nd ride unless you have a party of 4 or more.

 

[Evita_W]

And yet that is collateral damage of what is happening, so I think this is just a step to something more.

Yep, them making the system so inconvenient that people will give up and spend money on Genie+ and individual lightning lanes. The cynic in me says that is what this is truly about, yet another company trying to make a buck off of those who are disabled and profiting from their disability and if that is the case, it disgusts me, so I really hope I am wrong there.

 

[SueM in MN]

Wagons are prohibited (this was done pre-pandemic)

• Strollers larger than 31” (79 cm) in width and 52” (132cm) in length are not permitted. Stroller wagons are also not permitted.

A stroller (that is still within the size guidelines and not a stroller wagon) I believe can still be tagged as a wheelchair. Have no idea if that's applicable to the prior poster but just mentioning that with the stroller conversation.

Wagons and stroller wagons are banned in general, but can still be used with a medical exemption

I thought they had been banned too, but I have seen multiple of these wagons at the last two visits to Disneyland. So they aren't being strict on that as much anymore.

There are processes to get a wagon approved for use as a medical stroller where a regular stroller won't work.
I'm not sure if the colors of the tags are the same at Disneyland as WDW. At WDW, the tag that authorizes the wagon to be used as a stroller is blue. If it's also authorized to use in lines, it will also have the red 'Stroller as wheelchair' tag. I've read that people sometimes hide the tags or carry them instead of having them on the stroller because people steal the tags

 

[Tatebeck]

Ok but those abusers will still learn the answers that will them approved. The proposed changes won’t change that.

I do think that part of their goal is to make the non-genie plus days of DAS users and their guests be as similar as possible to the possible day of a normal guest. That is technically what the ADA letter of the law is. Requiring the part of the group that is able to wait in the standby line to do so first cuts down on the both popularity and usefulness of DAS to deter fakers wanting to abuse it as there is no longer a great benefit to be gained. If the fakers will always find a way in if they want it bad enough. You may just have to make them NOT want it

And then the more I think about it, it isn't just about making the able part of any group wait in a standby line. They would have to do that anyway if they weren't with their DAS guest. The "accommodation" they are providing for the disabled guest is that guest (and a caretaker if needed) doesn't HAVE to wait in the long standby line if they feel they can't, and can go in the lighting lane later. This comes at the cost of splitting a group larger than 2 or so into 2 groups, which again would decrease the appeal for a group of fakers. Now it just depends what they do for a group of 1 or 2 fakers. We will see

 

[Evita_W]

Hopefully - but the RS option is what I think the other poster was talking about.

With DAS its 4 which is fine, but the RS option will leave the prior DAS user alone waiting for the 2nd ride unless you have a party of 4 or more.

Unless they make some modifications to the rider swap program. But then how does rider swap work with a party of two? I still maintain this hasn't been thought through properly.

 

[CarlyMur09]

Curious - why would they take the picture before your DM explained the need for DAS? If the answer had been no, then they would have the picture for no reason?

He’s had DAS in the past and I’m guessing it’s because she assumed she was giving it to him anyway since he obviously has Downs and was already getting antsy? I was kind of surprised too since all the other times, they’ve done it after.

 

[Evita_W]

I do think that part of their goal is to make the non-genie plus days of DAS users and their guests be as similar as possible to the possible day of a normal guest. That is technically what the ADA letter of the law is. Requiring the part of the group that is able to wait in the standby line to do so first cuts down on the both popularity and usefulness of DAS to deter fakers wanting to abuse it as there is no longer a great benefit to be gained. If the fakers will always find a way in if they want it bad enough. You may just have to make them NOT want it

And then the more I think about it, it isn't just about making the able part of any group wait in a standby line. They would have to do that anyway if they weren't with their DAS guest. The "accommodation" they are providing for the disabled guest is that guest (and a caretaker if needed) doesn't HAVE to wait in the long standby line if they feel they can't, and can go in the lighting lane later. This comes at the cost of splitting a group larger than 2 or so into 2 groups, which again would decrease the appeal for a group of fakers. Now it just depends what they do for a group of 1 or 2 fakers. We will see

And for legitimate users that are groups of one or two.

 

[Liquidice]

Disney either needs to fully commit, or go back to where it is now. If autism and related DD’s are the only thing to get a full DAS pass, then all the fakers will suddenly have autism. The way they’ve announced it harms those who actually have disabilities that aren’t covered any longer who would gladly prove it (I assume from reading here at least, sorry if I’m wrong), and doesn’t punish the fakers because no documentation is being required. Unless I’m misreading and the DAS pass as it exists now will be totally gone and only accommodations will be given in the future, meaning nobody at all gets a virtual waiting pass, even those with DD. Is there a reason I’m missing why people think autism can’t be faked, or the actual needs level for a real disability can’t be exaggerated? The only change I ever wanted to see for DAS was to punish the fakers, but I feel guilty that they’ve really gone and harmed people with actual disability without even affecting the fakers. It’s like the worst of both worlds.

It will not be an automatic - you have autism therefore you get DAS, I am sure a lot of additional questions will be asked to understand the need.

I wonder if Disney / Inspire Health feel that they can ask enough questions during the interview to help weed out fakers or even if the fakers figure out the script, Disney would be able to find out they are lying by tracking them and then ban them from the park.

 

[tjmw2727]

I do think that part of their goal is to make the non-genie plus days of DAS users and their guests be as similar as possible to the possible day of a normal guest. That is technically what the ADA letter of the law is. Requiring the part of the group that is able to wait in the standby line to do so first cuts down on the both popularity and usefulness of DAS to deter fakers wanting to abuse it as there is no longer a great benefit to be gained. If the fakers will always find a way in if they want it bad enough. You may just have to make them NOT want it

And then the more I think about it, it isn't just about making the able part of any group wait in a standby line. They would have to do that anyway if they weren't with their DAS guest. The "accommodation" they are providing for the disabled guest is that guest (and a caretaker if needed) doesn't HAVE to wait in the long standby line if they feel they can't, and can go in the lighting lane later. This comes at the cost of splitting a group larger than 2 or so into 2 groups, which again would decrease the appeal for a group of fakers. Now it just depends what they do for a group of 1 or 2 fakers. We will see

I would be ok with this if we could all ride together!

If my dd's could wait standby and then I could somehow join them at the boarding I would be fine with this. A few of the CA parks do this and it worked for us. My dd's would let me know when they were close to boarding and then I had a pass that allowed me to join them at the loading area.

As a family of 3 it makes no sense for 1 of my dd's to wait the line while I wait with the other or for them to ride together while I wait and then ride alone. I would just send them to ride together and again this increases the time spent apart during a family vacation.

Again, I think they need to go back to training and then trusting the GR CMs to make the best accommodations for each family in person. Back in the day my sil had a card for a shady wait -that is the only accommodation she needed and the only one she got, today she would qualify for DAS as it is all or nothing.

 

[Tatebeck]

And for legitimate users that are groups of one or two.

Very true.

 

[Gentry2004]

And for legitimate users that are groups of one or two.

I think the groups of 2 will need to have a reason why one of them cannot be left unsupervised for any reason. And groups of one who are not trying to add anyone to their DAS I'm guessing will just be given a solo DAS? But it sounds like groups of 3+ people will just be directed to split up and send at least one person through the standby line.

 

[Evita_W]

It will not be an automatic - you have autism therefore you get DAS, I am sure a lot of additional questions will be asked to understand the need.

I wonder if Disney / Inspire Health feel that they can ask enough questions during the interview to help weed out fakers or even if the fakers figure out the script, Disney would be able to find out they are lying by tracking them and then ban them from the park.

How would tracking them do any good? I mean no matter what the needs are, most of us have good days and bad days. And sometimes tools like the DAS allows more good days than without the tools. So, if you have DAS and it makes all days of the trip good (which would be a very successful use of a DAS) and they track you, then that would be considered abuse, even though without the DAS, melt downs and bad days? You see the problem with trying to wed out the abusers? If the tools work as intended, then it should appear that the person doesn't need it because it did it's job properly.

 

[LSUmiss]

I don't think G+ being unattractive is the problem. It's selling out after all. The issue is DAS is too attractive to fakers because it provides them a better experience than other guests (including guests that truly need DAS).

It’s unattractive as in how well it works. We never utilized das until fp plus was gone.

 

[tjmw2727]

Unless they make some modifications to the rider swap program. But then how does rider swap work with a party of two? I still maintain this hasn't been thought through properly.

You wouldn't use RS with a party of two as it is now, if the child can't ride then they can't be left alone either. You would need at least 2 adults to use RS with a child who didn't meet the height requirement.

/ Agree!

 

[Evita_W]

I think the groups of 2 will need to have a reason why one of them cannot be left unsupervised for any reason. And groups of one who are not trying to add anyone to their DAS I'm guessing will just be given a solo DAS? But it sounds like groups of 3+ people will just be directed to split up and send at least one person through the standby line.

Considering any nondisabled guest doesn't have to be in the queue alone, those with a disabled guest in their party shouldn't have to either.

 

[PrincessV]

It will not be an automatic - you have autism therefore you get DAS, I am sure a lot of additional questions will be asked to understand the need.

^This. In all of my experiences, there are very specific questions and answers used to make determination. It hasn’t ever been “I have Autism” and BAM - DAS approved. In fact, my son never even mentioned that he was Autistic. Because Autism is a diagnosis and tells nothing about WHY an attraction’s line may be problematic for someone. This is the part I think so many are tripping on, and understandably - because Disney went and specified a DIAGNOSIS in the new verbiage, after telling us all for so long they aren’t interested in the diagnosis!

 

[tjmw2727]

I think the groups of 2 will need to have a reason why one of them cannot be left unsupervised for any reason. And groups of one who are not trying to add anyone to their DAS I'm guessing will just be given a solo DAS? But it sounds like groups of 3+ people will just be directed to split up and send at least one person through the standby line.

Agree, although I hope its groups of 3, as well. The only reason I even ride many of the attractions I do still ride is to do it with my dd's. If one of them has to wait the line alone, then I would send them together and just skip my RS option. As it is we already do this on many of the rides that only seat 2 and I find something else to do.