Here Now and a Major Suggestion to Improve DAS

[mizzougrad91]

We are currently at WDW and have utilized DAS. So far no huge complaints. We have figured out how to use the system with the fp+. I do have one huge complaint and that is all the backtracking and running ahead to get return times. Since they have fp+ kiosks all over the park why can't they extend that service to the DAS cards. You go to there and they can look up wait times and assign your return time from the kiosk. Then by the time you get there you have already cut down on your wait time in some cases. It would just be nice to have that as an option.

 

[Michigan]

But what if they told you the wait time is 10 mins so you don't need a time and then you get there and it now is 20 mins.?

 

[mizzougrad91]

I think if they pull up the wait time at the kiosk and it says wait time 10 min they they can note on your pass immediate entry. Today we were at AK and the wait for Triceratops Spin was 10 min so they were going to just let us on. We were expecting to wait to I told my son he could go the bathroom as we got our return time not expecting it to be under 10 min. We told the CM we needed to use the bathroom and he marked on our card and let us on when we came back even though the wait was now 20 min.

 

[PatMcDuck]

OP has a great idea.

It would bring the system more in line with the way they do it at DL/DCA, a superior system using CM-manned kiosks for return times.

 

[OurBigTrip]

OP has a great idea.

It would bring the system more in line with the way they do it at DL/DCA, a superior system using CM-manned kiosks for return times.

But I've seen people from DL/DCA complain about having to go to the kiosks instead of the rides.

I think they should either have both available or allow a return time for any ride to be obtained at any other ride.

Or better yet, link the DAS to the Magic Bands an allow people to get their own return time at a kiosk or a via the MDE app.

 

[mizzougrad91]

I agree that having this available at the ride and a kiosk would be ideal. I also agree that this could one day be integrated into the current magic band system. If you have a kiosk system as an option then that helps the families who struggle with explaining to their child that even though they are at the ride they can't ride.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Das reserves you a wait time in line once you get to the ride. So when your at splash mountain and want to do das at buzz light year you actually have to get there first to get your das spot. If you could do das right at splash mountain for buzz lightyear lets say then your travel time to buzz light year is now time you are actually waiting in line on your das. While other people who do not use das have to get over there first then wait in line.

 

[HopperFan]

- I think being able to get a return time at the FP+ Kiosks is a good idea in addition to obtaining at the rides. Kiosk lines can be long so they need to keep the process at the rides in place.
- If at the Kiosk the standby is 10 minutes then they just need to write down a time 10 minutes from then. No need to adjust you have no backtrack.
- In an effort to equalize and keep the program undesirable to abuse, maybe it should be that at the Kiosk you get the full standby time because they do not need to account for the time you took to return. At the rides they could still subtract the 10 minutes. I would have no problem with that.
- Ride CMs are having a hard enough time getting the correct return times for their own ride, they don't need the addition of doing it for other rides, especially if the FP+ Kiosks can do it.
- While it would be great in a MB, that would open it up to abuse unless the MB also triggers the DAS holder's photo to come up on the screen. More times than not the CMs have checked the photo to my DS to make sure he was riding.

Just an FYI, the DAS holder does not have to be present at the ride to get a return time now, but agree the Kiosk could help those that travel alone with a card holder who does not understand.

 

[Goddesstree]

The main purpose of the DAS is to offer equal access - I think Disney is trying to be very careful about how it applies the DAS so that it doesn't get abused like the GAC. If they offer return times from any location, it starts to look like preferential access.

 

[OurBigTrip]

The main purpose of the DAS is to offer equal access - I think Disney is trying to be very careful about how it applies the DAS so that it doesn't get abused like the GAC. If they offer return times from any location, it starts to look like preferential access.

I would agree, if it weren't for the fact that at DL/DCA, you don't have to go to the ride to get the return time, you get it from a kiosk.

Also, Disney has taken away the biggest incentive to cheat the system by eliminating the unlimited FP (or better) access that the GAC provided.

- In an effort to equalize and keep the program undesirable to abuse, maybe it should be that at the Kiosk you get the full standby time because they do not need to account for the time you took to return. At the rides they could still subtract the 10 minutes. I would have no problem with that.

My understanding is that the 10 minutes off is to account for the time spent in the FP line; it has nothing to do with where you get the return time.

 

[SueM in MN]

I would agree, if it weren't for the fact that at DL/DCA, you don't have to go to the ride to get the return time, you get it from a kiosk.

Also, Disney has taken away the biggest incentive to cheat the system by eliminating the unlimited FP (or better) access that the GAC provided.



My understanding is that the 10 minutes off is to account for the time spent in the FP line; it has nothing to do with where you get the return time.

As I understand it, the reason DL has kiosks and WDW doesn't has to do mainly with 2 things.
1) WDW already has had greeters at each attraction for many years. So, they had CMs available at each attraction who could give out the DAS Return Times.
To put kiosks for DAS at WDW would have meant adding additional CMs to staff the kiosks when they already had CMs who could do it.
WDW is larger than DL, so walks between kiosks would be farther.

2) DL did not have greeters at each attraction (at least from everything I know). To add a greeter for each attraction would be adding a lot of CMs, and in some cases, adding a CM at an area/entrance that is already tight.
Kiosks were chosen apparently because of efficiency - one CM could handle a number of attractions and since the parks are relatively small compared to WDW, the distance between the kiosks would not be that far.

I have no idea if there are any plans to allow DAS Return Times to be given out at WDW kiosks. If they do, I don't see it happening for some time. They just rolled out Fastpass Plus to include off-site guests in April 2024 and just recently expanded to allow more than 3 Fastpass Plus times.
I think it's too new and too many people have questions to make those CMs also responsible for DAS Return Times.

My ne'er standing about the 10 minutes off was the same as yours - to help account for the time spent in the Fastpass Line. The goal for the Fastpass lines is a wait of around 10 minutes or less once you enter the Fastpass line.
So, nothing to do with walking back to the line.

 

[VicMom]

Actually, just by going from my last two trips at DL/DCA (where I was supporting clients from work who have multiple disabilities and I had no clue about the GAC and no one there mentioned it to us even though I had a client who would have greatly benefited from it's usage instead of missing things-but that's neither here nor now), they do have CM's at the entrance to every ride and attraction. We would often have to talk with them before entering things to confirm some information in the disability guide as our idea of "no steps" was often a bit different from the reality when we got to the end of a 40 minute line-up.

So the CM's are at each ride entrance and I wish that we had the option of being able to use them for timing the DAS instead of having to continually hoof it across the park in the areas that don't appear to have kiosks set up. I mean, there is enough walking in a day in Disney already and all the extra walking that we are being set up for is just not something that seems like something that is going to be extra exhausting and a lot of extra work on our part.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I wish that we had the option of being able to use them for timing the DAS instead of having to continually hoof it across the park in the areas that don't appear to have kiosks set up . . .

1) But, DAS (and the ADA) are meant to allow "ACCESS, not EXCESS".
2) Other folks have to "hoof it" and this would not be fair to them.
3) Everyone pays about the same to enter, and should be treated equally.
4) As long as handicapped folks have access to the attractions, the spirit and text of the law is met.
5) Just as it should be.

 

[Coonhound]

They're trying to make DAS equal to regular guests- regular guests have to go up to the ride and get in line, so they probably figure it is equal and fair for DAS users to have to actually get TO the ride before they can start waiting in the virtual line for it...you can't start waiting in line for something you're halfway across the park from.

 

[OurBigTrip]

They're trying to make DAS equal to regular guests- regular guests have to go up to the ride and get in line, so they probably figure it is equal and fair for DAS users to have to actually get TO the ride before they can start waiting in the virtual line for it...you can't start waiting in line for something you're halfway across the park from.

You can at DL/DCA, with a DAS.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

You can at DL/DCA, with a DAS.

1) That is because the majority of the ride lines at DL are not made accessible.
2) Almost all rides lines at WDW were made accessible at the design stage.

 

[OurBigTrip]

1) That is because the majority of the ride lines at DL are not made accessible.
2) Almost all rides lines at WDW were made accessible at the design stage.

1) I'm talking about DAS return times
2) Which has zero to do with wheelchair accessibility in the lines.

 

[sunshinehighway]

It's interesting that posters are now saying kiosks are a great idea when that was a huge complaint before DAS was rolled out and there were rumors of kiosks.

I wonder if the backtracking or much of it would be solved with more planning. Often, using the old system allowed people to just go without having to come up with a plan for efficiently working their way through the various lands or areas.

 

[aaarcher86]

I feel like kiosk users would rather go to the ride and ride goers would rather have kiosks.

It'd be great if they could do both, but until they do planning FP times and DAS times in the same area will keep the walking minimal.

 

[Coonhound]

It's interesting that posters are now saying kiosks are a great idea when that was a huge complaint before DAS was rolled out and there were rumors of kiosks.

I wonder if the backtracking or much of it would be solved with more planning. Often, using the old system allowed people to just go without having to come up with a plan for efficiently working their way through the various lands or areas.

This. Unfortunately I've heard from many people that we don't want to have to do so much planning, this is vacation, it's supposed to be a break, etc What isn't being realized is that back when the GAC was being used as an unlimited fastpass, people didn't have to plan because they were able to do so much more than regular guests in a short amount of time, but now with the GAC gone, people are realizing how much planning is involved in a Disney trip.