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

[smartlabelprint]

If you are allowed a DAS, can you add people to your group at a later date? Thinking getting ticket for DH and if he is approved, buy ticket and add me later.

I hope not. Because people will use that to say but I’m alone I can’t use rider switch…

 

[OurBigTrip]

Absolutely. Which is why I am very happy Disney is starting to take measures to combat it so guests who truly need DAS can get it.


Where did I say that?


You are the one that said that folks with disabilities have it harder than everyone else. That's just untrue. I am not saying that folks with disabilities have it easy or shouldn't get accommodations. I am saying that DAS is not meant to compensate for real life hardships. It's simply meant to help guests make Disney possible for them.

“Possible” being the key word here - possible, not easier.

My youngest daughter and my husband both have disabilities recognized by the ADA, but so far, neither have needed accommodations at WDW. I recognize that not everyone is in that position, and there may well come a time when one or both of them need accommodations to make Disney possible.

Would having a DAS have made visiting Disney easier for them? Absolutely! Could they have explained their challenges in such a way as to qualify for DAS? Most likely yes. But both of them are proactive in using all available tools to address their needs themselves. Sometimes that means leaving the park for a few hours due to the heat or not eating something that they would really like to eat because they know they’ll “pay” for it later.

Again, I’m in no way suggesting that everyone with the same disabilities they have could do this; they may not be able to forever either. But for now, DAS (or other accommodations) aren’t needed to make Disney possible, just easier. And that’s not what it’s for, IMO.

But

 

[Unity]

I hope not. Because people will use that to say but I’m alone I can’t use rider switch…

That's a fair fear to have - but there's also cases where a family might use different people depending on the ride situation. It's an interesting query....

 

[OurBigTrip]

From Disney’s perspective legit DAS users are not getting extra benefits but are being reasonably accommodated and that’s why they will continue to allow DAS accommodations for them.

I think we both agree DAS abusers should be stopped and that is why the change is happening and is good for those of us that use it as well.

We agree that abusers should be eliminated to the greatest degree possible, but I’ll add that the overuse needs to be addressed as well, and it looks like Disney agrees.

 

[Disturbia]

I have a 29-year-old son with autism and developmental delays. We have been going to WDW since he was 5 months old. We started out with GAC when he was around 5. And now we use DAS of course. I am a little confused about the new rules. In one announcement that Disney put out they said "adjusting DAS party size to include no more than four, except for immediate family members" On the Disney website I read today it says 4 total. So I guess my question is do they count immediate family members as part of the 4 or not?
We are arriving on May 20th, the first date the new DAS starts. It will be me, my husband, my son who the DAS is for and my mother who lives with us. She has mobility issues and uses a scooter and we have never used DAS for her, so no changes there. We will also have my son, daughter-in-law, and 2 grandchildren ages 2 and 4. I read somewhere else that little kids that are family members would not be of the "count." I am so confused.

The CM on chat told me only immediate family members are given the LIMITED exceptions to the total 4 guest rule, say one parent with 4 kids and one kid has a disability all 5 can ride, but NOT extended family. So only the mom dad and siblings of the DAS guest, no grandparent. During the phone call they ask who is in the party and set it up so only those people can ride (that was the case last year with us).

 

[Disturbia]

If you are allowed a DAS, can you add people to your group at a later date? Thinking getting ticket for DH and if he is approved, buy ticket and add me later.

They specifically set up your party during the call so everyone needs to have a ticket. That’s how you go ahead and book your 2 tier 3 passes.

Edit: I may be wrong and you can ask guest services for modifications?

https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...d-already-made-das-advance-selections-498496/

 

[starlite_]

The paragraph:

“The answer of course is no. Guests at a theme park should not have to compensate for those issues at their own detriment. Which is what is happening currently with DASas an accommodation specifically.”

Starlite used being raised in a third world country as an example to say that guests with disabilities are getting extra benefits at the expense of other guests

I would seriously edit and remove that

That is literally not what I said. The poster I responded to thinks (or at least their post was interpreted that way by various folks here) accommodations and benefits at Disney should be given because people with disabilities "have it hard" in real life. Which is not true. I added my own experience as to why "having it hard" in real life should not be a qualification for accommodations and benefits. If they gave those for "having it hard" then everyone would be getting accommodations. And every accommodation does come at the expense of other guests, that's just reality. Which is why they should only be given to those who need them and not everyone who "has it hard".

This is not in any way the same thing as saying people with disabilities shouldn't get accommodations when they need them. Nor is it the same as saying people with disabilities do not have extra hurdles in real life. They do, that is undisputable. Wouldn't be a disability otherwise.

And threating me with getting banned by a mod simply because you disagree with me is not the way to go.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I hope not. Because people will use that to say but I’m alone I can’t use rider switch…

Exactly!

There are so many things that Disney will have to track…such as DAS being granted because single guest couldn’t use Rider Switch. So when Single User with DAS goes to add someone else to the DAS, CM can just say no.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We agree that abusers should be eliminated to the great lest abuse possible, but I’ll add that the overuse needs to be addressed as well, and it looks like Disney agrees.

I think part of this is a justifiable heightened awareness of being put into a bucket of "misuse" or "overuse" depending on the exact conversation at hand. At least at it stands Disney appears to be making changes that reach further than curbing abuse (the definition most people use like tik tok, influencers, etc), maybe that will adjust over time to be more lenient but the range of changes being made track more along the lines of multi-faceted problems they (meaning Disney) identified with their DAS program as it existed at the time of these changes. It's a lot of abrupt changes and certainly not something I would imagine Disney took lightly (even if communication and rollout-wise appears sloppy).

I think it's also talking about it from a more practical standpoint of misuse, overuse and abuse. Outside of one off comments found elsewhere on the DIS or pointing towards FB or other social media I can't recall someone accusing someone else of outright abusing the program but that doesn't mean people are blaming one another personally for their actions when talking about potential misuse or overuse, I think there's a recognition that the DAS program (and GAC) exists/existed in certain ways until changes needed to be made.

 

[lanejudy]

On the Disney website I read today it says 4 total.

Under the old system it has been 6 max, counting the individual with the disability. The new rules state 4. I'd like to think there will be exceptions, and some have been told there will be for situations such as 2 parents and minor children. I expect exceptions will be limited though.

Even under the old DAS getting it extended to include all 8 of you was probably a stretch. If anything, they may allow you to link all to the DAS, with only 4 obtaining a DAS Return Time together. But we won't really know for sure until May 20th.

 

[lanejudy]

If you are allowed a DAS, can you add people to your group at a later date? Thinking getting ticket for DH and if he is approved, buy ticket and add me later.

In the past you could add someone easily enough. Assuming there aren't already 3 other guests linked to your husband's DAS I'd be surprised if they wouldn't add you.

 

[Disturbia]

That is literally not what I said. The poster I responded to thinks (or at least their post was interpreted that way by various folks here) accommodations and benefits at Disney should be given because people with disabilities "have it hard" in real life. Which is not true. I added my own experience as to why "having it hard" in real life should not be a qualification for accommodations and benefits. If they gave those for "having it hard" then everyone would be getting accommodations. And every accommodation does come at the expense of other guests, that's just reality. Which is why they should only be given to those who need them and not everyone who "has it hard".

This is not in any way the same thing as saying people with disabilities shouldn't get accommodations when they need them. Nor is it the same as saying people with disabilities do not have extra hurdles in real life. They do, that is undisputable. Wouldn't be a disability otherwise.

And threating me with getting banned by a mod simply because you disagree with me is not the way to go.

I’m not threatening. I don’t have the power. It was a lonely and long 10 days without disboards for me. Sigh..

But I suppose in essence you’re talking about DAS abusers who overuse the system when they don’t need these accommodations. No one disagrees there.

 

[Disturbia]

Under the old system it has been 6 max, counting the individual with the disability. The new rules state 4. I'd like to think there will be exceptions, and some have been told there will be for situations such as 2 parents and minor children. I expect exceptions will be limited though.

Even under the old DAS getting it extended to include all 8 of you was probably a stretch. If anything, they may allow you to link all to the DAS, with only 4 obtaining a DAS Return Time together. But we won't really know for sure until May 20th.

The ‘limited’ word was emphasized

 

[lowlight]

This thread has now come full circle. It started with people discussing their fears that their legitimate physical disability would no longer be accommodated in a manner that would allow them to enjoy the parks, who were then asked why by several posters who subsequently told them rider switch would work for them but not for their ASD children because of reasons they couldn’t say because it would either be writing a script for fakers or we just wouldn’t understand, to mods saying not to create a disability hierarchy, to a disability hierarchy being created, to saying that those with physical disabilities are overusing DAS if not abusing it, to arguing that DAS was only ever meant for ASD, to people arguing that DAS was likely changed because of all the physical IBS fakers that abused the system. I could sum this whole thread up with “but you don’t understand, my kids needs are greater than yours and that’s who it’s intended for, try rider switch”. I think you effectively chased out all the original posters by making them feel like worthless people hogging up space in the parks. I’m sorry, some old lady who has been going to the parks for 40 years and is struggling to get a last few visits in is just as important as a kid with ASD trying to enjoy the parks, it made me genuinely sad to hear the fear these people had with the changes and they were met with zero compassion. They should both get DAS for all I care. The real enemy is the fakers, which again, will prosper.

 

[OurBigTrip]

In the past you could add someone easily enough. Assuming there aren't already 3 other guests linked to your husband's DAS I'd be surprised if they wouldn't add you.

Depending on how Disney handles guests that would normally be advised to use RS, but can’t because they’re alone, it might or might not be as easy to add people to a DAS that was initially issued for a single user.

 

[Disturbia]

This thread has now come full circle. It started with people discussing their fears that their legitimate physical disability would no longer be accommodated in a manner that would allow them to enjoy the parks, who were then asked why by several posters who subsequently told them rider switch would work for them but not for their ASD children because of reasons they couldn’t say because it would either be writing a script for fakers or we just wouldn’t understand, to mods saying not to create a disability hierarchy, to a disability hierarchy being created, to saying that those with physical disabilities are overusing DAS if not abusing it, to arguing that DAS was only ever meant for ASD, to people arguing that DAS was likely changed because of all the physical IBS fakers that abused the system. I could sum this whole thread up with “but you don’t understand, my kids needs are greater than yours and that’s who it’s intended for, try rider switch”. I think you effectively chased out all the original posters by making them feel like worthless people hogging up space in the parks. I’m sorry, some old lady who has been going to the parks for 40 years and is struggling to get a last few visits in is just as important as a kid with ASD trying to enjoy the parks, it made me genuinely sad to hear the fear these people had with the changes and they were met with zero compassion. They should both get DAS for all I care. The real enemy is the fakers, which again, will prosper.

Maybe Disney should have some DAS guest appreciation days. We should get to experience the parks without standby guests lunging infront of our wheelchairs for a change!

Just kidding but the thought just crossed my mind

 

[Kgrace1989]

I still disagree. It is not for you to decide that people shouldn't be mad or feel unfairly treated. When random pixie dust happens, that's random. When one group of individuals consistently getting "more" -- that's not OK. That said, I don't think any program can be created to fully create "equal" but it also should not be designed or intended to give extra.



There will continue to be accommodations. What features other than the Advanced Selections will be removed? Unless you also mean delaying the ability to book another DAS for 10 minutes, which in the grand scheme isn't really all that much of a feature.

Qualifications for one accommodation are changing. Accommodations will continue to exist in various forms, hopefully tailored more closely to the needs. Are folks so locked into the name "DAS" that they prefer to identify by that? I personally would be glad to not have my family labeled as "disability" and instead have something with a less negative or obvious connotation. Rider switch, return to queue, both are much less labeling.

Those are all really well made points

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Maybe Disney should have some DAS guest appreciation days. We should get to experience the parks without standby guests lunging infront of our wheelchairs for a change!

Just kidding but the thought just crossed my mind

I know you were joking but that would discrimination. Not only discrimination based on mobility but cognitive ability but also whether someone qualifies for a program set up by a company that still complies with laws and discrimination towards those who have no need for a program set up by a company. And does nothing to make things less divisive in the conversation.

 

[nalababybear]

That's a fair fear to have - but there's also cases where a family might use different people depending on the ride situation. It's an interesting query....

For the record, DAS parties currently CAN be adjusted ahead and day of visit.

It's a potential loophole which can be addressed simply as : DAS single rider holder status; if party is desired; reassessment of need and type of accommodation will be indicated at that time.

 

[nalababybear]

I know you were joking but ..... does nothing to make things less divisive in the conversation.

Breathe....Stay Calm.

We're all here because we're fans of Disney and invested in that. Levity and humor can help and is appreciated by most.