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

[gottalovepluto]

That's Interesting. The last time my child was registered for DAS in April the cast member said she could see she was previously approved, but that they do not keep a record of the reason for granting the accommodation. I then restated the reason and so on.

Yeah, they don’t store the health information for liability reasons…

 

[DiznyDiva]

I am wondering if she was going off the chat responses. Before it would ask what you needed DAS for in the chat and my responses are there. I could see all my previous wait chats before as it was usually the only way we registered except when she was younger and it was not online and only at the umbrellas.

Now, I know this in not correct, but she did also say I could go to any umbrella to have them help with adding or subtracting people from the DAS. We have a step daughter that may join us late but is not on the family account and would be buying her own pass. We are a family of 4 right now, with out her.

 

[Kerr84]

I applied May 16 or 18 for my daughter right before the changes. Then I applied again just about a week or two ago for her. The lady asked if we had had it before and I said yes. After we were approved, she said “she wanted to explain all the changes since the last time we visited” (10 minute cool down, etc.) so it seemed like she didn’t know when the last time we had it was since it was just a few weeks before and we had already experienced the 10 minute cool down. I thought maybe they wiped the system when they started new DAS but maybe not.

 

[Stefne]

If you don’t mind answering, how old is your daughter? I seem to see a lot of younger kids being approved but not as many teens so makes me wonder how it will go for my son next year.

Just to give you a little more peace of mind my 16 year old was also approved this week.

 

[jennab]

Just to give you a little more peace of mind my 16 year old was also approved this week.

Great! It’s nice to hear some positive stories as helps with us anxiously awaiting.

 

[SueM in MN]

Kiddo is 14. Looking at her, except that she won't make eye contact, you couldn't tell. CM never asked to speak with her, just asked if she was nearby. Kiddo walked through the room and sat in the corner drawing, After she asked if she could speak both of us when she explained the quiet places and waited until we both gave consent. Kiddo just nodded. There was never any pressure to speak to her.

The CM clearly could see her history and what she had gotten the DAS for before and for how long. Her question was more like had anything changed since the last time. The school question was how she did at lunch and assemblies. The other question was how she did outside of the lines at Disneyland. No questions about grocery stores.

I am wondering if she was going off the chat responses. Before it would ask what you needed DAS for in the chat and my responses are there. I could see all my previous wait chats before as it was usually the only way we registered except when she was younger and it was not online and only at the umbrellas.

Now, I know this in not correct, but she did also say I could go to any umbrella to have them help with adding or subtracting people from the DAS. We have a step daughter that may join us late but is not on the family account and would be buying her own pass. We are a family of 4 right now, with out her.

Were you registering for WDW or for Disneyland?
I have only registered for my daughter at WDW - twice a year since the virtual registration began in October 2021.
The text chat always had a message asking for our dates of visit and the names of the guests who would be in our party. It specifically said NOT to share any medical information or information about the reasons we were requesting DAS in the text chat.
So, I know my daughter's record has nothing in the text chat portion of the interaction about why we requested DAS.
I am certain there was/is another part of the record outside of text chat that is only available to the CMs doing DAS registration. That would include CM notes about registration

 

[AlineS]

Sadly I was denied today. Called at 2 p.m. only waited 5 minutes till I was connected to a CM. He was very friendly and respectful. I was offered RTQ and Rider Switch. I think we will risk it and buy genie plus, even if I’m not sure if my condition allow me to visit. It’s annoying , it would be helpful if there was another option.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Sadly I was denied today. Called at 2 p.m. only waited 5 minutes till I was connected to a CM. He was very friendly and respectful. I was offered RTQ and Rider Switch. I think we will risk it and buy genie plus, even if I’m not sure if my condition allow me to visit. It’s annoying , it would be helpful if there was another option.

What other option would you like to see (besides traditional DAS)?

 

[AlineS]

What other option would you like to see (besides traditional DAS)?

It would be easier for me if I could submit my medical reports to Disney and they would take them into account when making a decision. I am very curious to see how the return to queue will work. If I have to leave the queue for medical reasons, I don't want to look for a CM first. And be afraid if I can come back or need to leave my family alone. Perhaps they could store the RTQ feature in the MDE. Or something like that… ?

 

[DiznyDiva]

I registered online for Disneyland. Have been doing it for her since she was little. We are out of state so 4-5 for about a week every year. Last time was for Star Wars in April. That was when before they would go to video, why was I wanting DAS. I told them for my daughter because of her issues in line. I got the video then. The asked me basically same questions just asked the school one this time. In all it was basically the same experience except for the obvious call center.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

It would be easier for me if I could submit my medical reports to Disney and they would take them into account when making a decision. I am very curious to see how the return to queue will work. If I have to leave the queue for medical reasons, I don't want to look for a CM first. And be afraid if I can come back or need to leave my family alone. Perhaps they could store the RTQ feature in the MDE. Or something like that… ?

In theory submitting medical records is appealing, but the reality is that it would cause more problems than it would create.

It also sounds like what you are describing as RTQ is actually what most here refer to as AQR. RTQ is basically old DAS but set up with a CM (i.e. you get a return time). What Disney is (almost certainly) suggesting is that you join the SB line and then exit if you have to for medical reasons. Most people who have tried AQR with an open mind have been pleasantly surprised by how well it has worked.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

It would be easier for me if I could submit my medical reports to Disney and they would take them into account when making a decision. I am very curious to see how the return to queue will work. If I have to leave the queue for medical reasons, I don't want to look for a CM first. And be afraid if I can come back or need to leave my family alone. Perhaps they could store the RTQ feature in the MDE. Or something like that… ?

There is no need to store AQR in the MDE because it is open to everyone.

If you need to leave the queue, you tell a CM and they let you back in the LL to rejoin your family at the merge point. Obviously if you are traveling alone with little kids your kids are not expected to wait in the queue on their own. Also if you are traveling with a partner and need assistance, your partner can exit with you. If there is no one left in the queue to “rejoin” the CM will have to figure out how best to get your party back into the line.

 

[honeymo78]

It would be easier for me if I could submit my medical reports to Disney and they would take them into account when making a decision. I am very curious to see how the return to queue will work. If I have to leave the queue for medical reasons, I don't want to look for a CM first. And be afraid if I can come back or need to leave my family alone. Perhaps they could store the RTQ feature in the MDE. Or something like that… ?

Several people, including those who have used AQR (attraction queue return), have suggested speaking to a CM before getting in line if the wait time makes you think you may need to leave the queue and the CM can provide info on the procedure to leave/rejoin the queue based on your party make-up. This seems preferable to trying to get that sorted out when you might be leaving the queue in the middle of an emergency.

 

[2tinkerbell]

It would be easier for me if I could submit my medical reports to Disney and they would take them into account when making a decision. I am very curious to see how the return to queue will work. If I have to leave the queue for medical reasons, I don't want to look for a CM first. And be afraid if I can come back or need to leave my family alone. Perhaps they could store the RTQ feature in the MDE. Or something like that… ?

How would your diagnosis tell what accommodations you need in a queue at a theme park? For example, say your medical reports say you have xyz and therefore needs accommodations. What accommodations do you need? AQR and Rider Swap are accommodations.

Also keep in mind that people with the same diagnosis can have different needs.

 

[dizneedoll]

Were you registering for WDW or for Disneyland?
I have only registered for my daughter at WDW - twice a year since the virtual registration began in October 2021.
The text chat always had a message asking for our dates of visit and the names of the guests who would be in our party. It specifically said NOT to share any medical information or information about the reasons we were requesting DAS in the text chat.
So, I know my daughter's record has nothing in the text chat portion of the interaction about why we requested DAS.
I am certain there was/is another part of the record outside of text chat that is only available to the CMs doing DAS registration. That would include CM notes about registration

I have registered online for both DL and WDW since it began and its the exact same process for both. They never asked for any medical info in chat either.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have registered online for both DL and WDW since it began and its the exact same process for both. They never asked for any medical info in chat either.

I've never been asked for medical info in the text or video chat, but the text chat included a message that specifically said not to share any in the text chat

 

[figmentfan423]

How would your diagnosis tell what accommodations you need in a queue at a theme park? For example, say your medical reports say you have xyz and therefore needs accommodations. What accommodations do you need? AQR and Rider Swap are accommodations.

Also keep in mind that people with the same diagnosis can have different needs.

In my son's case he has accommodations for wait times for seeing his doctor including waits for virtual visits right in his records so he doesn't have to wait in the office or be on the line waiting for an extended period for virtual ones. I wish the doctor could just relay that info somehow

 

[sprem96]

Had my DAS meeting this morning for WDW
Waited 5 minutes
Have had DAS in the past, non DD adult

My rep was extremely cold and robotic, not even a warm greeting. She decided within 30 seconds she didn't want to award DAS because I wasn't saying anything with words relating to neurodivergent, and only when I got around to mentioning I suffer also from demyelinating disease did she transfer me to a medical expert. VERY CLEAR THEY WANT THE WORDS NEURODIVERGENT, AUTISM, DD, Sorry, but to the mods who keep pushing it should be needs based and not diagnosis, it was very diagnosis based (at least with my agent). She did not care about my ability to wait in queues, she kept mentioning they are only allowing a very select amount of people that meet a specific list

while we waited 5 minutes, she didn't say even a word to me, very awkward, he came on and was nicer and he took the time to listen to me, but it felt like he was under pressure to agree with her. The biggest reason why I felt she controlled the decision, when he was giving advice for accommodations, he was stating that after I try things like "return to queue" which the way they both described was in reference to AQR where you rejoin the line midway with party, not getting a return time, if I still struggle to work with the cast member at the rides (I know he was trying to hint at return times but was trying to work around wording it like that) then he said I could go to guest services and she overstepped him immediately and shut that down immediately and said you have your accommodations and that they are better than what I have in the past of not being able to leave lineups before (that is a lie because I have been able to leave in the past, plus DAS was clearly better too), her only 2 advices she had if AQR fails is to understand time of day and go to rides when they have low queue times, and I could request a coordinator and build up a history of which rides I tried, which employees, plus wait times and explain to them at that point, and then she just brushed me off pretty fast after that

That was an overall pretty awful experience, zero care from agent, health expert seemed to hint that CMs might be able to do more for me, he mentioned they are "humans after all", but agent was policing the whole convo and gave really only AQR strategy, LLMP was never mentioned as advice. I may try just 1 more time in a few days and see if I get another agent who isn't apparently reading off a script and can actually talk through things, and if still denied at that point, then at least I can feel comfortable that I was given a fair chance.

This trip will definitely be affected, but I guess I'll have to try talking to CMs at each ride and seeing what they can do for me, not ideal and really felt small and unheard, but they have really shifted away to only catering to DD, neurodivergent and autism guest as a whole (there may be some others that got lucky that don't have those conditions, and others that have those conditions and are denied still)

Good luck to everyone when they request DAS for their trips, I will try to follow up after my trip in 4 weeks

 

[jennab]

Had my DAS meeting this morning for WDW
Waited 5 minutes
Have had DAS in the past, non DD adult

My rep was extremely cold and robotic, not even a warm greeting. She decided within 30 seconds she didn't want to award DAS because I wasn't saying anything with words relating to neurodivergent, and only when I got around to mentioning I suffer also from demyelinating disease did she transfer me to a medical expert. VERY CLEAR THEY WANT THE WORDS NEURODIVERGENT, AUTISM, DD, Sorry, but to the mods who keep pushing it should be needs based and not diagnosis, it was very diagnosis based (at least with my agent). She did not care about my ability to wait in queues, she kept mentioning they are only allowing a very select amount of people that meet a specific list

while we waited 5 minutes, she didn't say even a word to me, very awkward, he came on and was nicer and he took the time to listen to me, but it felt like he was under pressure to agree with her. The biggest reason why I felt she controlled the decision, when he was giving advice for accommodations, he was stating that after I try things like "return to queue" which the way they both described was in reference to AQR where you rejoin the line midway with party, not getting a return time, if I still struggle to work with the cast member at the rides (I know he was trying to hint at return times but was trying to work around wording it like that) then he said I could go to guest services and she overstepped him immediately and shut that down immediately and said you have your accommodations and that they are better than what I have in the past of not being able to leave lineups before (that is a lie because I have been able to leave in the past, plus DAS was clearly better too), her only 2 advices she had if AQR fails is to understand time of day and go to rides when they have low queue times, and I could request a coordinator and build up a history of which rides I tried, which employees, plus wait times and explain to them at that point, and then she just brushed me off pretty fast after that

That was an overall pretty awful experience, zero care from agent, health expert seemed to hint that CMs might be able to do more for me, he mentioned they are "humans after all", but agent was policing the whole convo and gave really only AQR strategy, LLMP was never mentioned as advice. I may try just 1 more time in a few days and see if I get another agent who isn't apparently reading off a script and can actually talk through things, and if still denied at that point, then at least I can feel comfortable that I was given a fair chance.

This trip will definitely be affected, but I guess I'll have to try talking to CMs at each ride and seeing what they can do for me, not ideal and really felt small and unheard, but they have really shifted away to only catering to DD, neurodivergent and autism guest as a whole (there may be some others that got lucky that don't have those conditions, and others that have those conditions and are denied still)

Good luck to everyone when they request DAS for their trips, I will try to follow up after my trip in 4 weeks

So I don’t think it is fully “needs based”. Because if I called and explained I had bathrooms issues they would most likely deny me. I think it’s “needs based” within the neurodivergent category, if that makes sense.

You are probably better off to actually try the suggested accommodations, then if they don’t work for you call back and explain in detail that you tried them and how they did not work.

 

[nalababybear]

Best explanation.
Accommodations are needs based.

Per Disney. DAS accommodation is revamped to primarily serve a target group...neurodivergent WITH needs.

Per Disney, Other standard accommodations should meet the needs of most other guests. Engage with the entrance CM to see best to match the need at that moment.

If those standard accommodations fail to meet ones need, reengage with the accessibility team.

That's about as clear as we're getting for now and see how that settles out over the summer.