Can I just vent for a minute?

[BethCPTSD]

Sorry guys -- I hope this is okay. I'm just going to put it out there because I'm pulling my hair out. I HATE confrontation. And I usually avoid it at all costs. But I was on a disability-specific related Facebook forum just a few minutes ago where someone was asking about getting the DAS in Florida. Being from here, I gave all the pertinent information including reasons that people are often denied. I was landblasted by someone who said they were a castmember and had never heard of anyone ever being denied a DAS! She said everything I was saying was wrong and to bring a doctor's note! We went around for quite awhile. I wish people would come somewhere like this to ask questions such as these so that they can get relevant and timely information. Thank you all for all you do in keeping people informed and for being so nice about it (most of the time!)

Best,
Beth

 

[UncleMike101]

Sorry guys -- I hope this is okay. I'm just going to put it out there because I'm pulling my hair out. I HATE confrontation. And I usually avoid it at all costs. But I was on a disability-specific related Facebook forum just a few minutes ago where someone was asking about getting the DAS in Florida. Being from here, I gave all the pertinent information including reasons that people are often denied. I was landblasted by someone who said they were a castmember and had never heard of anyone ever being denied a DAS! She said everything I was saying was wrong and to bring a doctor's note! We went around for quite awhile. I wish people would come somewhere like this to ask questions such as these so that they can get relevant and timely information. Thank you all for all you do in keeping people informed and for being so nice about it (most of the time!)

Best,
Beth

You must remember that some people are ignorant of the facts, and quite happy to be so.

 

[BethCPTSD]

LOL -- thank you UncleMike!

 

[gap2368]

Some people you just have to let think what they want. I have a friend in my town that think because he uses a wheelchair full time ( his only need) that he needs a DAS and he should not even have to have a return time that he should just get to ride when he wants too. There is no telling him any different

 

[North of Mouse]

Doesn't matter the subject/question - if you call and ask several times, you will mostly get different answers!!! And, goes double for the general public!!

 

[mamabunny]

@BethCPTSD I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. It sounds to me like a "Cast Member" who isn't really a CM... or (possibly - let's assume positive intent) a CM who hasn't actually ever worked at GR (and so doesn't actually know anything about DAS) and isn't aware that both HIPPA and DAS have changed since they last bothered to look. The fact that they said to bring a Doctors note means they don't know what they are talking about, and we all know that.

Also, a true Disney CM wouldn't bully a Guest in an Internet forum - especially not one as visible as Facebook. Just sayin'

All you have in this situation is the sure and certain knowledge that when the poor person gets to the GR and their doctors note is politely handed back to them, they will realize you were right. You can't do anything else except just show up and be consistently correct, and eventually people will believe you and not the bully.

Just make like Elsa, and Let It Go. People like that are the biggest reason why I never joined Facebook in the first place; I deal with enough horrible human behavior on a daily basis!

 

[redberyl]

I am also on a facebook group for disney with disabilities, and it is insane how much misinformation is out there. I am constantly going round with people that a stroller as a wheelchair tag does not let you bring any stroller onto a bus. but it seems a lot of drivers allow it, even though they are not supposed to. what happens a lot is someone gets some pixie dust or a CM who breaks the rules, and then they insist that what they experienced is disney's standard. like one woman got 17 people put onto a single DAS (!!!!!) and now whenever someone asks "can I get 12 people put on a DAS" she will insist yes, you absolutely can. being on that site really makes me appreciate the "no scripts" rule on this one. it is amazing how many people who clearly don't qualify for a DAS will ask how to get one, and soooo many people will respond with "just say this" and give them a script. drives me nuts!

 

[Staren]

Yeah, I get the frustration. Those kinds of more unmoderated disability focused groups in my experience tend to shift into one of two ways of thinking. They either trend towards the independence and equality mindset, or the charity & special exception mindset. That would be the major divide of the disability community you dropped into right there.

 

[abinormal]

I am also on a facebook group for disney with disabilities, and it is insane how much misinformation is out there. I am constantly going round with people that a stroller as a wheelchair tag does not let you bring any stroller onto a bus. but it seems a lot of drivers allow it, even though they are not supposed to. what happens a lot is someone gets some pixie dust or a CM who breaks the rules, and then they insist that what they experienced is disney's standard. like one woman got 17 people put onto a single DAS (!!!!!) and now whenever someone asks "can I get 12 people put on a DAS" she will insist yes, you absolutely can. being on that site really makes me appreciate the "no scripts" rule on this one. it is amazing how many people who clearly don't qualify for a DAS will ask how to get one, and soooo many people will respond with "just say this" and give them a script. drives me nuts!

I think I’m in the same group. It drives me nuts because so many people give out such terrible misinformation. People who claim that you won’t be questioned or that the CMs can’t ask what your needs are, or who don’t seem to understand what it is in the first place.

 

[Gussie Granger 1969]

What frustrates me is that people think that a DAS pass is this golden ticket for avoiding lines all day long. Well yes, it does avoid LONG lines but you still have to wait in the FP line, sometimes up to 15 minutes. Due to the return time, you find yourself adding a lot of walking because you aren’t going to sit and wait an hour for that ride. We used it for the first time on our last trip and honestly only used it a few times each day. I’m not complaining at all, I think it’s fair and helpful but people lying to get it frustrates me. Also, I knew someone who was going to DW and legitimately needed it for her son but was under the impression it was front of the line with zero wait. I had to explain to her, not the case.

 

[abinormal]

Or when you try to explain the mobility/stamina thing and people get insulted. Like you made the policy or are just lying, or making a judgment about how disabled they are. I just don’t want people to be disappointed but I’ve taken to keeping my mouth shut now.

 

[larissawbb]

I wouldn’t incur the headache of arguing with someone over it. People will find out once they get to guest services that you were right. The one thing that does really bother me is the scripts everywhere that people use. I figure though if someone didn’t really qualify for a das and the script worked for them, karma will eventually catch up. A local guy was outed by his sister on Facebook for faking PTSD. Guess who’s employer found out about it?

 

[gap2368]

I think it does go both ways in the fact some CM just do not care and will give a DAS to anyone that asks for one ( I have seen heard this first hand when I have gone in to GR and there is a youtube video of someone saying they need a DAS the CM said ok and asked them if they know how it worked the person said no and the CM explained how it worked. ( and the video started way before they when to gr) I have also been in GR when people were told no and the guest was not happy saying this like well online they said I would get one and you can not ask questions and so it. I do wish CM would at least ask what concerns they have as it has to do with waiting in lines. I know when I first went a few months after the DAS started it felt like an interrogation and was told no the first time went back an hour later completely melting down and asked if it was posable to cancel my trip the CM then told me about the DAS and wanted me to try it.( I think there should be a happy medium between how it was when first started and now) I have a feeling Disney will need to redo the DAS soon as there are too many people abusing it. And yes like I said I know some people that really do not need a DAS card that get one....

 

[Staren]

My guess is that most of the scripts only work a couple of times, and then maybe with some new guest relations CMs. After a bit though I bet the CMs get wise to them. I mean they have this conversation multiple times per day. It’s not like DAS requests are a rare thing. I would think that answers that sound like a known script get a set of follow up questions.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Sorry guys -- I hope this is okay. I'm just going to put it out there because I'm pulling my hair out. I HATE confrontation. And I usually avoid it at all costs. But I was on a disability-specific related Facebook forum just a few minutes ago where someone was asking about getting the DAS in Florida. Being from here, I gave all the pertinent information including reasons that people are often denied. I was landblasted by someone who said they were a castmember and had never heard of anyone ever being denied a DAS! She said everything I was saying was wrong and to bring a doctor's note! We went around for quite awhile. I wish people would come somewhere like this to ask questions such as these so that they can get relevant and timely information. Thank you all for all you do in keeping people informed and for being so nice about it (most of the time!)

Best,
Beth

from what I have read wonder if CM is from overseas park because it seems that is required there if I have read right

 

[mamabunny]

from what I have read wonder if CM is from overseas park because it seems that is required there if I have read right

That could be a possibility - but if that were true, I would hope that they would have the good sense to qualify their reply and say something like "You have to have a doctors note to get DAS at Shanghai, where I work" or something similar, especially if the discussion was clearly centered around WDW Orlando.

 

[BethCPTSD]

Betty, I understand why you might ask that, but the context of the conversation and the forum I was in suggests the "CM" was from the states

 

[BethCPTSD]

Abinormal, I agree about the stamina thing. That was part of what I was trying to explain. The person was affected by stamina issues but said she had no one to push her so 1. she said they couldn't ask her to get a wheelchair as that wasn't an accommodation and 2. if they did, they would have to provide her an electric one! I tried to explain that they didn't have to provide the accommodation of your choice, just an accommodation, period! Others argued that that wasn't ADA compliant and based on the ADA they couldn't even tell you "no" about the DAS. So people basically haven't ever studied the ADA either --what are you gonna do? lol

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I doubt she is truly a cast member. But it’s day enough to handle. If she’s in FB, send an email to first services with her name and the bad informations she is giving out. They will either retrain her or tell her to stop impersonating a cast member.

 

[BethCPTSD]

StitchesGr8Fan, I should correct myself here -- she later clarified that she USED to be a CM until her disability made it impossible. But it does seem she is trying to imply she was still working after DAS came about. Anyway, she doesn't work there anymore and shouldn't be giving out erroneous info!