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

[Evita_W]

Mixed feelings about this for sure. I have had to use das in recent years as my symptoms have worsened and I can’t navigate the parks like I used to be able to with older fast pass versions. Genie plus is very hard for me to use due to restricted times. DAS made that so much easier. But week before Easter, the lightning lanes were so backed up and long. Sometimes we simply couldn’t do them as they were too crowded and long for me. I was watching as people tapped in ahead of me and didn’t see that many that appeared to be DAS but it was hard to tell with so much going on. The parks were just so ridiculously crowded it was much more stressful. Idk if I will qualify now or how. We got the pass 30 days before the March 23 trip and I was thinking it might be good for our May 13 really short trip. (If it was 60 days after first use not 60 days from registration). Now I am thinking they will have it expire after 30 days during this in between period. So I am thinking I will have to do another video call. I will find that out Saturday which is my 30 days before May date. We are going mid December and early March next year (got annual passes). Not really sure how it will go. Maybe it will bake the lightning lanes shorter but will it be to the detriment of people who can’t go anymore or at least can’t ride? Where will I fall? Will find out a bit on Saturday I guess if I can schedule a few pre trip ride times.

Yes, something does need to be done, although a lot would be alleviated if they would bring back all of the shows, entertainment, streetmosphere (like the Citizens of Hollywood), etc. that eat up the crowds.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Also a thought is maybe they are just trying to get some fakers to not do the call and cut down on it by scaring them. But realistically I think they are probably scaring legitimate people and the fakers don’t care

 

[Tatebeck]

Someone who had previously waited outside the line with a DAS who now needs to join the line but now needs to leave the line to use a facility, the lines are tight, how do they "get out". Does the rest of the party stay in line or does the entire party get out? You leave the line and it takes you 15 minutes to get to a facility and back, now where do you join the line? Do you go to LL? Do you go to the back of the line? Does a CM say well you are 15 minute farther down the line, how do they get them back in line?

I get why they are doing this. I am just anticipating a backlash.

How do you envision this to be easy?

This is what I figure they would do https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw.3943880/post-65429359

 

[Genie+]

I’m expecting changes to Genie+ to happen once the wrinkles with new DAS are ironed out?

 

[Jaay]

The terrible irony is that this announcement/change is going to cause a lot of stress and anxiety for those that already struggle.

Like others have said, it isn’t as black and white as Disney seems to think.
I’m extremely disappointed and as a local who requires DAS myself; this has me very worried about going to the parks in the future.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I'm not understand one thing - my daughter was diagnosed with IC this year. This was the first time we were ever going to apply for DAS. Now I understand that she won't qualify. In order to get the pass to leave the line to use the restroom would she have to apply online like the DAS system or does she just ask the cast member?

 

[Evita_W]

This is what I figure they would do https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw.3943880/post-65429359

But as I said, that doesn't work, as most queues don't have those options or such options have stairs. For example, how would this work at Peter Pan's Flight (either coast)? Haunted Mansion? Space Mountain (especially at Disneyland where the CM hallways that do exist all have stairs)?

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

I'm not understand one thing - my daughter was diagnosed with IC this year. This was the first time we were ever going to apply for DAS. Now I understand that she won't qualify. In order to get the pass to leave the line to use the restroom would she have to apply online like the DAS system or does she just ask the cast member?

It appears she would just ask a Cast Member in the queue.

Issue being... regular Guests are going to start abusing this to leave the line and get something to eat, etc. etc. etc.

Disney is resolving one issue but creating another.

 

[Evita_W]

I’m expecting changes to Genie+ to happen once the wrinkles with new DAS are ironed out?

Even if there are of if they add options for Genie+, how does it help with the attractions that don't have lightning lanes? Or how about for those that want to ride some attractions more than once and don't ride others? I mean Genie+ only works once per day per attraction after all.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Robert Niles is a reputable Disney reporter and has a good article with Theme Park Insider ..

- Health Alliance is training Disney CM to better handle the process, ask the right questions, understand the information.
- Without third party Disney can not ask for medical history.
- There does not appear to be any paperwork like Universal, that has to be costing Universal plenty.
- NO MORE advance reservation times.
- For regular tickets it expires with tickets, with AP 120 days.
- Limits on number on DAS.
- New return to queue pass - in the past they have tested this, I saw it, for any guest needing to leave for bathroom.

I've seen references that DAS requests have tripled, likely since Genie+ became a thing. No surprise that this is happening. Not looking forward to the process, but I understand just based on observations at the park.

The no more pre selections is probably a good idea. They are hard to use anyway. I don’t even schedule them some days and only hit some I have scheduled if I am lucky. I think that they were not needed.

 

[wendyone]

Picking one subset of disabilities to accommodate and deciding to ignore all others is the worst and most disgusting choice they could have possibly made. There is very little that could have made me turn against Disney, but I think I’m about done. That’s just so ugly.

 

[HavendishSquare]

Also a thought is maybe they are just trying to get some fakers to not do the call and cut down on it by scaring them. But realistically I think they are probably scaring legitimate people and the fakers don’t care

I wonder the same thing. When universal rolled out their new system, everyone was very concerned about what qualified for the pass. But overall, it seems most people were still approved for the reasons they gave previously. I have a feeling Disney will hear out families with medically complex kids without developmental disabilities. I am doubtful about how many adults without developmental disabilities will qualify though.

 

[HopperFan]

The no more pre selections is probably a good idea. They are hard to use anyway. I don’t even schedule them some days and only hit some I have scheduled if I am lucky. I think that they were not needed.

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.

 

[bambialways4ever]

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?

PTSD is. PTSD is also not considered a developmental disability which is who Disney is saying the DAS is for.

 

[Evita_W]

It appears she would just ask a Cast Member in the queue.

Issue being... regular Guests are going to start abusing this to leave the line and get something to eat, etc. etc. etc.

Disney is resolving one issue but creating another.

I think you are right, except it almost sounds like you are going to have to register for the ability to do this like you do with the DAS.

 

[Jaay]

I also wonder if you’re going to have to have this video call every 120 days/every trip?
Or will their system update with the new process to say it’s been approved and can be activated again with GS?

 

[Marrila]

It appears she would just ask a Cast Member in the queue.

Issue being... regular Guests are going to start abusing this to leave the line and get something to eat, etc. etc. etc.

Disney is resolving one issue but creating another.

So for a scooter user...
Would it be turn the scooter around, drive back thru the line, visit facilities, rejoin line entrance and drive up to the CM who allowed the pass?
(If so, this is likely to be incredibly annoying to other guests in line.)

 

[Mulder3]

Ironically, I applied for the IBCCES card over the weekend and was approved this morning for Universal. There is also a phone call with Uni whenever they call me this week to go over whatever accommodation I need-in this case I can’t wait in a line longer than 10-15 minutes because I have pudendal neuralgia and my nerves are constantly on fire. I can’t sit in a wheelchair in a normal queue because the nerves are located in my sacrum, so unless that wheelchair is a soft mattress, I can’t do it. I have to constantly be in motion to keep the pain subsided. I’m a local to WDW and DAS allowed me to actually get back into the parks a few times a month for a couple hours at a time and feel “normal” after my diagnosis 2.5 years ago. I was really hoping Disney would go via the third party route like IBCCES to weed out the abusers but allow for conditions like mine and others that are internal, not just autism/dev. disorders. Wow, just wow.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

Picking one subset of disabilities to accommodate and deciding to ignore all others is the worst and most disgusting choice they could have possibly made. There is very little that could have made me turn against Disney, but I think I’m about done. That’s just so ugly.

I'm just about at that point as well. I am disgusted by whoever was in charge of the decision-making process here.

I am totally OK with a more stringent process for DAS... I think that partnering with Inspire Health Alliance was a smart move.

But picking-and-choosing which disabilities qualify means that, somewhere in corporate, there was a board room meeting where somebody made a decision as to which disabilities are "worse" than others. That is my gripe here.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I agree with the stopping of the pre selections. We very rarely made ours anyway and I never understood why people with DAS should get them, seems to me to just be an incentive for fakers to lie about needing a DAS. The DAS pass works well enough without the pre selections. It is sad about the new restrictions though but something has to be done, the amount of DAS users were taxing the system and it was unsustainable.