DAS and guest relations kiosks - policy change?

[gap2368]

I think the 10 minutes taken off is because you wait the same as standby, but then you have to still get in the Fastpass line which is usually about 10 minutes more. This way it equals out to standby line plus fastpass line time. Otherwise your wait would be longer than just standby line.

I was saying that since you can get a return time at a GE kiosk and some were saying this give you an unfair advantage ( even tho something it dose not) I would not care if they did not take off 10 minutes

 

[Friendly Frog]

I was saying that since you can get a return time at a GE kiosk and some were saying this give you an unfair advantage ( even tho something it dose not) I would not care if they did not take off 10 minutes

Gottacha.

 

[SueM in MN]

I’m not sure it was actually a policy to give DAS Return Times at the Guest Experience umbrellas.
I think it’s possible it just Was something the some of the Guest Experience CMs have done.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I’m not sure it was actually a policy to give DAS Return Times at the Guest Experience umbrellas.
I think it’s possible it just Was something the some of the Guest Experience CMs have done.

And unfortunately, when given that latitude, people come to expect that it's always going to be that way.

 

[tzeitel]

We have not gone to WDW since they added the umbrella stands - we have gone when we had the GAC, did the card with the return times written in (that was a mess), and have gone to the ride to get a return time.

Last few years we have been going to DLR and they have the stands - what I am guessing is the equivalent of the umbrella stands at WDW. For us this is the best version of the program. We can go to any stand to sign up, add people, and get return times. At the ride we just scan in like a FP and go.

At WDW DD had trouble understanding when we had to go get the return time at the actual ride. Last time we went to WDW I had to be the runner (DH has a knee replacement so he is more of a hobbler ) and some CMs would tell me I had to have DD there to get the return time.

I had read about the GS umbrella stands a while back and got pretty excited since we are planning a trip in May. I will just have to adjust our plans and see how the new policy will affect how we tour. Really wish they would have the program set up like at DLR.

 

[SueM in MN]

We have not gone to WDW since they added the umbrella stands - we have gone when we had the GAC, did the card with the return times written in (that was a mess), and have gone to the ride to get a return time.

Last few years we have been going to DLR and they have the stands - what I am guessing is the equivalent of the umbrella stands at WDW. For us this is the best version of the program. We can go to any stand to sign up, add people, and get return times. At the ride we just scan in like a FP and go.

At WDW DD had trouble understanding when we had to go get the return time at the actual ride. Last time we went to WDW I had to be the runner (DH has a knee replacement so he is more of a hobbler ) and some CMs would tell me I had to have DD there to get the return time.

I had read about the GS umbrella stands a while back and got pretty excited since we are planning a trip in May. I will just have to adjust our plans and see how the new policy will affect how we tour. Really wish they would have the program set up like at DLR.

the bolded is not correct, so CMs should not have been making your DD be there to get a DAS Return Time.
Disney’s own website information says anyone in the group linked to the DAS can get a Return Time.
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../wdw-disability-access-service_2015-04-30.pdf
The one exception is that there are several attractions which are not wheelchair accessible thru the regular entrance. Guests using mobility devices don’t need DAS to use their mobility device in line and are not usually used DAS. For those few non-accessible lines, the CM will issue a wheelchair return time, which is different than DAS. They may ask that the guest with a wheelchair be in view of the CM before giving the wheelchair return time.

 

[tzeitel]

the bolded is not correct, so CMs should not have been making your DD be there to get a DAS Return Time.
Disney’s own website information says anyone in the group linked to the DAS can get a Return Time.
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../wdw-disability-access-service_2015-04-30.pdf
The one exception is that there are several attractions which are not wheelchair accessible thru the regular entrance. Guests using mobility devices don’t need DAS to use their mobility device in line and are not usually used DAS. For those few non-accessible lines, the CM will issue a wheelchair return time, which is different than DAS. They may ask that the guest with a wheelchair be in view of the CM before giving the wheelchair return time.

This was last time we were there which was like 6 years ago so what the site says today was not what I experienced then. We do not have a wheelchair.

 

[SueM in MN]

This was last time we were there which was like 6 years ago so what the site says today was not what I experienced then. We do not have a wheelchair.

it‘s actually been that way since the start when they had cards that the CM wrote the return time on.

in the beginning, there may have been some confusion with individual CMs, but it was supposed to work that who had the card could get a return time. The person the card was issued for had to be there to go on the attractio.

 

[gypsy_at_heart]

I recently took my dad to DLR and had the opposite idea of most people I suppose. I kind of found having to go to the kiosks a bit of a pain. We would head toward the ride and do something or get a snack in the area, (on top of the waiting in line issue, he can't walk far distances) and I would have much preferred to check in at the ride for return time. Instead I kept getting my parents set up and then running back to kiosks. It was a minor thing, but I kept wondering why i couldn't get a return time at the ride, or better, on my maxpass app. Like I said, it was for my father, so it's not something I would regularly need or use, so I'm sure people who need to use DAS all the time have better insight.

We did book a VIP tour guide for one day and I wrote in to Disney to tell the how AMAZING he was with my dad. He even convinced my dad to get a wheelchair and let him push him part of the time when he needed to sit - he has to alternate between sitting, standing and walking. Sadly, the cost makes it a real splurge and I couldn't do it for him for more than one day.

 

[SueM in MN]

some people like the way Disneyland did it from the beginning with kiosks, some prefer getting a Return Time at individual attractions and other would like a combinatio.

 

[Sandisw]

I did not see any CMs at kiosks or at blue umbrellas tell DAS guests they could go right on a ride somewhere without a DAS time. I only saw an occasional CM at a ride letting an occasional guest at that respective ride go right on without first getting a DAS time. This last move way back when has reportedly been offered to Guest Assistance Card holders and many negative comments have appeared on this board relative to that.

I had it happen once this summer at Soarin. I was by myself and there was a 40 minute wait. When I went to get it and said I was a party of 1, the CM let me in.

But, it was not the same at other rides.

I didn’t know, though, that I could get a return time without visiting the ride, I can see where at certain parks this would be helpful.

 

[SueM in MN]

I had it happen once this summer at Soarin. I was by myself and there was a 40 minute wait. When I went to get it and said I was a party of 1, the CM let me in.

But, it was not the same at other rides.

I didn’t know, though, that I could get a return time without visiting the ride, I can see where at certain parks this would be helpful.

Don’t count at getting a Return Time at WDW without visiting an attraction.
People have been reporting varying experience at getting Return Times from the Guest Experience spots. You can certainly try, but don’t be surprised to be told you need to go to the attractio.

I also do not know if there are any at Epcot - they were not rolled out there the last I heard.

 

[seashoreCM]

I was reading some articles mentioning autism and meltdowns and a lawsuit against Disney relative to the preceding. One account mentioned a person having a meltdown after seeing the ride entrance and its catchy scenery and being told he could not go in and ride immediately because of the line of other guests outside.

Being able to get a Disability Access Service return time prior to reaching the ride (read: at a blue umbrella station or at a kiosk) can be strategically advantageous here in that the ride exterior and scenery are not visible to the person with the disability.

Supposedly a person subject to sudden meltdowns would be accompanied by another person who would interact with the CMs and obtain the DAS access times.

DAS time should still/also be obtainable at the ride.

 

[fiasco32]

Don’t count at getting a Return Time at WDW without visiting an attraction.
People have been reporting varying experience at getting Return Times from the Guest Experience spots. You can certainly try, but don’t be surprised to be told you need to go to the attractio.

I also do not know if there are any at Epcot - they were not rolled out there the last I heard.

As of a few weeks ago Epcot didn't have any kiosks (wonder if it has to do with the extensive construction).

I even tried going to guest relations (near Spaceship Earth) to get a return time and they consistently told me I had to go to the attraction.

 

[gap2368]

As of a few weeks ago Epcot didn't have any kiosks (wonder if it has to do with the extensive construction).

I even tried going to guest relations (near Spaceship Earth) to get a return time and they consistently told me I had to go to the attraction.

You have never been able to get s return time at guest relations even when getting the DAS set up I have been told no one times then yes

 

[PatMcDuck]

I got return times at the Guest Experience umbrella stands all last week, in the 3 participating parks. (geez I wish Epcot had them). On Friday I was given a paper DAS (like the old days) because of system issues. One CM said she could not fill those out, I had to go to the actual ride. But at the next one the CM said sure, of course. (I asked 2nd one because I saw another guest getting one).

The CM at one of the stands did explain that we could go to the ride for the DAS return time as well. I much prefer using the Guest Experience team stands, like the way they do it at DL.

 

[Lauren in NC]

I wonder why they can't do both - let the guest choose whether the kiosk or the ride entrance is most convenient for them. Are there frequently long lines at the Guest Experience booths in WDW?

My only DAS experience has been at DL, and I can't imagine walking the longer distances in WDW to go to the actual ride entrance and possibly dealing with a meltdown due to not being able to go on the ride right then. I assume they do it this way at DL because the CMs at the ride entrances are often dealing with families who don't understand what FP is or how it works and having them also issue DASs require a lot of waiting for both guests trying to scan in their FPs and the DAS families.

 

[gap2368]

I wonder why they can't do both - let the guest choose whether the kiosk or the ride entrance is most convenient for them. Are there frequently long lines at the Guest Experience booths in WDW?

My only DAS experience has been at DL, and I can't imagine walking the longer distances in WDW to go to the actual ride entrance and possibly dealing with a meltdown due to not being able to go on the ride right then. I assume they do it this way at DL because the CMs at the ride entrances are often dealing with families who don't understand what FP is or how it works and having them also issue DASs require a lot of waiting for both guests trying to scan in their FPs and the DAS families.

In my 8 day and 11 day trip the longest line I saw at GE was about 3 groups