DAS Approval/Denial with New DAS Guidelines START 5/20 WDW & 6/18 DL

[LuvinTheWorld]

My daughter was also approved and the rest of our party is 14+

That's good news for parties with mostly adults. Do you have more than 4 people in your party? Wondering if this only affects larger parties who go over the 4 person limit. The 2nd party who added our son was able to add our entire family (even the 14+ ones) as "rotational" people within the party without any problem via chat the day after their approval, but I also know of a party who had an adult approval with 3 kids 14 and under who were not able to add a 16 yr old family member without it affecting their approval, so they kept him off. Hopefully all of this will be more clear by our fall trip, but I'm glad we were able to figure it out this trip. ETA: I think this is why they are asking you to name all the people who will be on it before the video call begin so they can determine who to steer to return to the line instead of DAS. From my memory, they never did they before. They approved you and then asked for the MB for who will be in it.

 

[SueM in MN]

That's good news for parties with mostly adults. Do you have more than 4 people in your party? Wondering if this only affects larger parties who go over the 4 person limit. The 2nd party who added our son was able to add our entire family (even the 14+ ones) as "rotational" people within the party without any problem via chat the day after their approval, but I also know of a party who had an adult approval with 3 kids 14 and under who were not able to add a 16 yr old family member without it affecting their approval, so they kept him off. Hopefully all of this will be more clear by our fall trip, but I'm glad we were able to figure it out this trip. ETA: I think this is why they are asking you to name all the people who will be on it before the video call begin so they can determine who to steer to return to the line instead of DAS. From my memory, they never did they before. They approved you and then asked for the MB for who will be in it.

I have done the virtual video DAS registration since it began.
In my experience, we were always asked who was in our group before beginning the video call - actually way before.
While waiting in the text part of the chat, I've always gotten a message pretty much right away after entering the text chat asking me to make sure everyone in my group has tickets, park reservations (if necessary) and that they are linked to my account.
While waiting for the CM to begin the chat, I've always gotten a message asking who we are requesting DAS for, the dates of visit and the names of all the guests traveling with us.

 

[Bearval]

That's good news for parties with mostly adults. Do you have more than 4 people in your party? Wondering if this only affects larger parties who go over the 4 person limit. The 2nd party who added our son was able to add our entire family (even the 14+ ones) as "rotational" people within the party without any problem via chat the day after their approval, but I also know of a party who had an adult approval with 3 kids 14 and under who were not able to add a 16 yr old family member without it affecting their approval, so they kept him off. Hopefully all of this will be more clear by our fall trip, but I'm glad we were able to figure it out this trip. ETA: I think this is why they are asking you to name all the people who will be on it before the video call begin so they can determine who to steer to return to the line instead of DAS. From my memory, they never did they before. They approved you and then asked for the MB for who will be in it.

We are a family of 4. I am a little "shocked" that the size of your party would determine whether or not a person would be approved. I understand that they now limit the number of people to the person with the DAS +3 but not to give you the option if your party exceeds that number just to " sit out" or wait in line doesn't seem right. There are rides my (DAS) daughter wants to on that my older daughter does not want to. I would just split up and wait in a line with my older daughter while the rest of my family would go with my younger daughter.

 

[lanejudy]

FOLKS -- ANOTHER REMINDER THAT THIS THREAD SHOULD BE LIMITED TO FIRST-HAND REPORTS OF DAS VIDEO CHATS SINCE MAY 20th (for WDW). We are at 237 posts on a poll with just 56 responses.

All other discussions should be taken to the other thread. You can easily do this with the "multi-quote" feature:
click the "+Quote" button on the lower right of a post
Then open the other thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw-may-20-dl-june-18-2024.3943880/

Scroll down to the reply box, and click "Insert quotes..."


And it will insert the quote from this thread, type your response and click "Post reply" as usual. An alert will be sent to the PP (from this thread) that you had a question/comment.

When I get a chance I will try to move some of the discussion over to the other thread.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Approved for early July in DL.
I don't really want to post everything about myself, but adult autism/adhd i partially why I need DAS. Easy quick interview. I was allowed to pick 2 selections per day.

 

[lanejudy]

Approved for early July in DL.
I don't really want to post everything about myself, but adult autism/adhd i partially why I need DAS. Easy quick interview. I was allowed to pick 2 selections per day.

Again, though, this is still within the "old" rules at DL. The "new" rules will not fully take effect until DAS video chats on or after June 18th.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Oh I thought we used new rules in chat for trips AFTER the 18th. I thought the rules applied to the trip date itself (after June 18)

 

[CmdrThor]

I applied this morning for my son who has previously been approved for DAS. The call went basically the same as previous ones except the CM said a few things about the new process and stressed that even if my son was approved today he may not be in the future. I briefly explained my son's needs as I have done before and was approved. I asked about grandparents and the limit of 4 (not applicable to this trip but curious for the future) and was told they would not be an exception to the limit of 4.

 

[jeffp18]

Just got off the call for my daughter who previously got DAS from guest relations at the park before video chat was an option. She has a developmental disability. She was approved. The questions were similar to what I've heard was asked in the past.

I told the cast member that we were traveling with my parents and my brother and his family but I already warned them that we would probably be touring the parks on our own and could meet up for meals and shows. I asked if it was possible to add my parents on to the travel group for the DAS so she can occasionally ride with one of them. He said he could add them to my travel group so there is 5 of us total listed but said I would only be able to select my daughter and 3 others for the return time so 1 person would have to sit out. He did say if we wanted to ride some rides with the whole group we are going with that they could wait in line and text when they were close to the merge point and the 3 of us could let the cast member at the ride entrance know and they would facilitate us meeting up.

Edited to add: I waited 10 minutes for the chat. The chat itself took about 10 minutes and after approval, he explained the recent changes on how DAS works.

 

[disneyholic family]

I wanted to create a thread that was STRICTLY for feedback on your DAS conversation with MS.

First time DAS applicate or have had DAS in the past?
- If it is not your first time, did the process go differently?
Approved for DAS? Give other options?
- If given another option please explain the process!

As there is another thread for extensive conversation on DAS, I would like this to be all about the data and not a conversation on opinions or thoughts therefore being RESPECTFUL should NOT be an issue.

We were refused.
We've had the GAC/DAS for our son-in-law since 2011 (in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2022)
Just had the video chat 3 hours ago.
It was an extremely upsetting chat.
We spoke with two different people (the second supposedly a supervisor, but probably just another regular CM who came on pretending to be a supervisor)
In any case, long story short, it was refused.
We made our reservations almost 11 months ago, long before these changes were announced.
Had we known that he would be refused i very much doubt we would have chosen to visit disney world this year.
But it's too late to cancel now.
My son in law is so upset.
There is no way he will be able to enjoy himself

What was especially upsetting was the gaslighting.
Both CMs said he "might" be provided alternative accommodations.
That we should go to guest services and the attractions themselves to see if they can do anything for him.
No guarantees.
It's just gaslighting. Basically, anything to get you off the chat.

i understand they wanted to stop DAS fraud, but this isn't going to stop fraud.
The people who were abusing the system before will simply lie to disney and say they have someone with autism or one of the other allowed disabilities.
While those who really need it are refused.

 

[aVASTGrl]

We were refused.
We've had the GAC/DAS for our son-in-law since 2011 (in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2022)
Just had the video chat 3 hours ago.
It was an extremely upsetting chat.
We spoke with two different people (the second supposedly a supervisor, but probably just another regular CM who came on pretending to be a supervisor)
In any case, long story short, it was refused.
We made our reservations almost 11 months ago, long before these changes were announced.
Had we known that he would be refused i very much doubt we would have chosen to visit disney world this year.
But it's too late to cancel now.
My son in law is so upset.
There is no way he will be able to enjoy himself

What was especially upsetting was the gaslighting.
Both CMs said he "might" be provided alternative accommodations.
That we should go to guest services and the attractions themselves to see if they can do anything for him.
No guarantees.
It's just gaslighting. Basically, anything to get you off the chat.

i understand they wanted to stop DAS fraud, but this isn't going to stop fraud.
The people who were abusing the system before will simply lie to disney and say they have someone with autism or one of the other allowed disabilities.
While those who really need it are refused.

This sounds exactly the way my chat today went. I wonder if we had the same two people. At one point, the CM even started yelling at me while I attempted to explain my needs further through my tears. It was a horrible experience. I asked to elevate, and the second person who was supposedly the "medical expert" said she understood but couldn't override what the CM decided, which is either a change in policy, or a flat-out lie. I sent emails to guest services and disability services expressing my disappointment. I also posted on Threads and will continue to advocate against this ableist policy as publicly as possible. I urge everyone to do so.

 

[starlite_]

What was especially upsetting was the gaslighting.
Both CMs said he "might" be provided alternative accommodations.
That we should go to guest services and the attractions themselves to see if they can do anything for him.
No guarantees.
It's just gaslighting. Basically, anything to get you off the chat.

That ...that is not what gaslighting means. I understand being upset and angry but lets avoid using important words like that just for the sake of using buzz words.

 

[disneyholic family]

That ...that is not what gaslighting means. I understand being upset and angry but lets avoid using important words like that just for the sake of using buzz words.

it is gaslighting.
you can think what you want.
the conversation we had was clearly gaslighting.
that CM had one job, to get us off the chat.
he repeated his mantra over and over.
I doubt he actually listened to what my son in law was explaining.

I'd be happy with a GAC rather than a DAS if they still existed.
With the GAC, you had a piece of paper with lines on it and someone (not the person himself) had to go to the attraction to have a time entered into the GAC.
It wasn't at all convenient so it was subject to a lot less abuse.
But it was very helpful for our son in law.

 

[starlite_]

it is gaslighting.
you can think what you want.
the conversation we had was clearly gaslighting.
that CM had one job, to get us off the chat.
he repeated his mantra over and over.
I doubt he actually listened to what my son in law was explaining.

I'd be happy with a GAC rather than a DAS if they still existed.
With the GAC, you had a piece of paper with lines on it and someone (not the person himself) had to go to the attraction to have a time entered into the GAC.
It wasn't at all convenient so it was subject to a lot less abuse.
But it was very helpful for our son in law.

Gaslighting: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator

So, no.

The CM could have been the rudest CM to ever work for Disney Parks. I am not questioning you on if he listened or not to your SIL or if he seemed like he didn't want to help you. I wasn't there, so I will take your word for it. It's still not gaslighting.

 

[SueM in MN]

it is gaslighting.
you can think what you want.
the conversation we had was clearly gaslighting.
that CM had one job, to get us off the chat.
he repeated his mantra over and over.
I doubt he actually listened to what my son in law was explaining.

I'd be happy with a GAC rather than a DAS if they still existed.
With the GAC, you had a piece of paper with lines on it and someone (not the person himself) had to go to the attraction to have a time entered into the GAC.
It wasn't at all convenient so it was subject to a lot less abuse.
But it was very helpful for our son in law.

Just for clarification, that wasn't GAC (Guest Assistance Card).
It was how DAS worked in the beginning, before it switched to being digital. From what I heard, there was considerable abuse with the cards with lines - people getting duplicate cards so they could get more than one DAS Return Time, people writing their own times on the cards and when attractions changed to using colored pens, some people brought colored pens with them. They rode one time to find out the color, then added more DAS Return Times themselves with that color ink.


GAC was a card with different stamps on it to indicate to the CM different levels/types of assistance. It was shown to the CM at the attraction. Some of the stamps included waiting outside of the sun when the queue was in the sun for a significant period of time, front row seating, avoiding stairs. The 'alternate entry' and 'green arrow' stamps usually

 

[Bearval]

Gaslighting: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator

So, no.

The CM could have been the rudest CM to ever work for Disney Parks. I am not questioning you on if he listened or not to your SIL or if he seemed like he didn't want to help you. I wasn't there, so I will take your word for it. It's still not gaslighting.

Gaslighting was something we had to do in the past when kitchen stoves had pilot lights that went out...........

 

[disneyholic family]

Just for clarification, that wasn't GAC (Guest Assistance Card).
It was how DAS worked in the beginning, before it switched to being digital. From what I heard, there was considerable abuse with the cards with lines - people getting duplicate cards so they could get more than one DAS Return Time, people writing their own times on the cards and when attractions changed to using colored pens, some people brought colored pens with them. They rode one time to find out the color, then added more DAS Return Times themselves with that color ink.


GAC was a card with different stamps on it to indicate to the CM different levels/types of assistance. It was shown to the CM at the attraction. Some of the stamps included waiting outside of the sun when the queue was in the sun for a significant period of time, front row seating, avoiding stairs. The 'alternate entry' and 'green arrow' stamps usually

his first card was a GAC card as it was back in 2011, when they had GAC.
and you're right, it just indicated what kind of assistance to give him
Whatever his was sent him into the fastpass line (not sure it was called that, but whatever it was called).
The second time he went was in 2015 - not sure if he had a GAC or DAS that year
Maybe that was the early DAS?

 

[Bearval]

This sounds exactly the way my chat today went. I wonder if we had the same two people. At one point, the CM even started yelling at me while I attempted to explain my needs further through my tears. It was a horrible experience. I asked to elevate, and the second person who was supposedly the "medical expert" said she understood but couldn't override what the CM decided, which is either a change in policy, or a flat-out lie. I sent emails to guest services and disability services expressing my disappointment. I also posted on Threads and will continue to advocate against this ableist policy as publicly as possible. I urge everyone to do so.

Probably not the same people. It appears that they are following a " flow chart" and based upon the response they are given determines which path on the chart you go to next. From all the posts I have seen and people I know who went thru the video chat a physical disability pretty much sends you to the DAS Denied path, for developmental disabilities it depends on your answer whether you go to DAS Denied or on to the "next" question. I know two other individuals besides me who were approved and it was after the third question that we were notified that we were.

 

[Aridge1]

Just finished our interview and even though I was nervous for my daughter she did receive her DAS.

First time DAS applicate or have had DAS in the past?
- If it is not your first time, did the process go differently?
Approved for DAS? Give other options?

3rd time applying, 2nd time for my daughter. 1st time was for my mom at Guest Services.

The only 2 things that were different was the wait time to chat with a cast member, the first time we did it in 2022 it took days to get someone on chat and this time it only took a couple minutes, and the option to divulge diagnosis if it would help explain why my daughter could not wait in the conventional queue. The cast member stated although they would never ask for it, if it would help explain the situation it is allowed because the session is not recorded.

Approved for DAS.

So, without giving any details for others to mention/copy, my daughter does not have autism. She does have several diagnoses, all of which are neurological, neuro developmental, and autonomic nervous system related. But looking at her and interacting with her you would not know.

The cast member was very pleasant, smiled when coming on the chat, and actually made me feel very at ease when talking about my daughter’s disabilities.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

 

[DVCBeachBum]

Have had whatever version of accommodations with DL and WDW since DS has been a toddler...so more than 25 years. Got on chat today in less than 2 mins, super nice CM, talked about 30 seconds. Approved for 120 days. Pointed out that covers our Sept trip as well. We go to WDW about 4 times a year. Did not discuss RTQ or any other options. Both developmental and physical issues and I briefly explained both.