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

[lanejudy]

The only eligible disability is Autism or similar.

Sorry but this statement has been simplified a little too basic. The actual statement from Disney is "DAS is ... intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time."

Autism is not a green-light to DAS approval. Many with autism are not approved for DAS. Guests with other diagnoses do get approved for DAS. DAS is not diagnosis based.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm having a hard time understanding the new DAS.

And what if I was going to DW alone? There is no way I could do a line with people in front and behind me for long periods of time with no way out.

This current thread has been reserved for those reporting that they were/were not approved for DAS. You might want to check this discussion thread which had more about DAS and the new accommodations: https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw-may-20-dl-june-18-2024.3943880/

As others have pointed you, you are confusing DAS with an alternate accommodation officially described as Attraction Queue Re-entry but also commonly referred to as Return to Queue. Single guests can be accommodated, you would simply need to inform the CM there is no one else in your party for you to join in the queue.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

And what if I was going to DW alone? There is no way I could do a line with people in front and behind me for long periods of time with no way out.

Other former DAS users have visited Disney in the new regime. As described above, they have to ask the CM at each line what the procedure is, and it will vary based on the conditions of the queue at that time (among other factors). You may be asked to enter the standby line (if short), or be given a return time, or be allowed to enter the LL immediately, or any other accommodation that the CM deems appropriate. People cannot give you a straight answer because there is no straight answer to give.

If you cannot handle that uncertainty, the only other option that you have is to buy one of the new paid products (multi-pass, single pass, or premier pass). The premier option is outstanding, but very expensive.

Thank you for your service.

 

[honeymo78]

My niece was recently reapproved (about 2 weeks ago) for a non-autism issue that closer aligns with PTSD and anxiety. I don't know if her age (13) is taken into consideration and whether she will continue to be approved if her issues continue once she is an adult, but they are definitely still approving DAS for situations unrelated to autism.

I personally have used an alternative accomodation (joining my party once they reached the LL merge). I did not need to go into detail on the why, I just said I was unable to wait in that particular traditional queue and asked if I could meet up with my party once they hit the LL merge. Since this particular issue only presents itself with a select number of traditional queues, and there is an alternative available to me that works, I have not reapplied for DAS since the changes (other issues I deal with that I was previously approved for are almost certainly no longer covered).

 

[OurBigTrip]

In the past.. we've gone and done things away from crowds and it worked pretty well for me. I can ensure I stay away from crowds as best as possible so it doesn't trigger anxiety and roll right into a panic attack. Now, without DAS I basically don't spent time with my wife at DW and stand off by myself? This has got to change..

I’ve never understood this argument…people ONLY spend time with family members when they’re either in line or riding? They don’t walk around together, they don’t eat together, they don’t shop together, sit by the pool together?

 

[voxparse]

I’ve never understood this argument…people ONLY spend time with family members when they’re either in line or riding? They don’t walk around together, they don’t eat together, they don’t shop together, sit by the pool together?

I don't think its that you don't get to spend ANY time together but as a percentage of time for folks that enjoy riding rides, the time spent standing in queue is not insignificant. So if you are forced to separate for that time, its a decent chunk of the day gone. I would also argue that being disabled can be an isolating experience for people, especially if it isn't something they have dealt with all their life, and so even if you isolate them in small ways, it can FEEL outsized.

 

[voxparse]

I bounced over to thrill data just to look at averages and if I rode Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, 7 dwarfs, Space Mtn, Tron, Tianas, and Pooh I would theoretically spend 319 minutes in line. Lets assume LL takes around 20 minutes (probably too high but whatever), so we can subtract that for each ride to estimate meet up time. So now we are down to 179 minutes (2.98 hours) of line time someone would have to spend away from their family for an average day at Magic Kingdom.

 

[Disneylover99]

In the past.. we've gone and done things away from crowds and it worked pretty well for me. I can ensure I stay away from crowds as best as possible so it doesn't trigger anxiety and roll right into a panic attack. Now, without DAS I basically don't spent time with my wife at DW and stand off by myself? This has got to change..

Adjusting your touring style might help you to better manage things and help you stay together more.

Maybe you do some of these things already. The regular queues at many rides are fast moving and short for the first hour or so. Middle of the days are good for shows. And regular queues later in the evening during parades/fireworks/towards the end of park hours see some low wait times.

Now none of this is perfect, and it may not always help with the super popular rides, but it will help keep you together more for the bulk of your day.

 

[Freakinhobo]

Adjusting your touring style might help you to better manage things and help you stay together more.

Maybe you do some of these things already. The regular queues at many rides are fast moving and short for the first hour or so. Middle of the days are good for shows. And regular queues later in the evening during parades/fireworks/towards the end of park hours see some low wait times.

Now none of this is perfect, and it may not always help with the super popular rides, but it will help keep you together more for the bulk of your day.

We've done that a bit.. and are a little more flexible nowadays. We actually spent the $ on premier passes this last trip. It just limits our frequency of visits. Back in the day waiting in line was part of the experience. We used to play trivia games on our cell phones, pokemon GO.. it was part of the fun. However, my last deployment in 2019 did a number on me and I just can't do that anymore.

 

[Freakinhobo]

My niece was recently reapproved (about 2 weeks ago) for a non-autism issue that closer aligns with PTSD and anxiety. I don't know if her age (13) is taken into consideration and whether she will continue to be approved if her issues continue once she is an adult, but they are definitely still approving DAS for situations unrelated to autism.

I personally have used an alternative accomodation (joining my party once they reached the LL merge). I did not need to go into detail on the why, I just said I was unable to wait in that particular traditional queue and asked if I could meet up with my party once they hit the LL merge. Since this particular issue only presents itself with a select number of traditional queues, and there is an alternative available to me that works, I have not reapplied for DAS since the changes (other issues I deal with that I was previously approved for are almost certainly no longer covered).

I'll go ahead and try and apply.. doesn't hurt I suppose. The last time we went the party was too large for DAS anyways so it defeated the purpose.

 

[AngusIsMySpiritAnimal]

We did get DAS approved this morning for DS (neuro-muscular and neuro-social challenges) and it was thankfully a seamless process. I will second what others have said that the CM probably greatly impacts your approval chances, as we interviewed with an extremely warm and empathetic fellow who clearly wanted to help. Having read of others' experiences here, I went in prepared not only with details about current support and accommodations DS receives, but also examples of challenging experiences we have already had in the parks and in other similar venues. From interview to approval was probably only 15 mins. CM was also very helpful describing places in parks to take DS to help him reset as needed. Edited to add: we did not encounter an outside "medical expert", we were thankfully not asked any overly invasive or personal questions, and DS was only required on the interview at the end for a quick and pleasant chat with the CM about his favorite Disney characters.

 

[kagmypts]

Here is the problem with that, the way we accommodate in the real world doesn't work at Disney. Basically if there is too long of a wait, we just go to a different business that can staff appropriately or order online if that doesn't work. But it is very rare for anywhere we go to have more than a 5 minute wait anyway, with the exception of the doctor's office, but they simply text us when it is our turn, so even there no special accommodations are needed, everyone is treated the same.

This is why we do not go to Disney. We still have several days left on tickets without expiration dates, and I am getting ready to ask for a refund of the unused days. In every other area of the my child's life, he is able to be accommodated. Even when going to large sporting events, we are able to make arrangements to enter through a special gate to avoid large lines. The condition makes my child unable to wait in long lines. I am not sure why this is so hard for Disney to comprehend.

My child has a 504 plan. He even has accommodations for standardized testing (such as the SAT, ACT, AP exams, etc.). He is allowed to get up at any point during the exam for any reason, and they stop the clock. He does not get more time to test than his peers, but unlike them, he has the ability to take breaks in the middle of that allotted time. Disney doesn't care that they discriminate against those with medical conditions.

 

[lanejudy]

This is why we do not go to Disney. We still have several days left on tickets without expiration dates, and I am getting ready to ask for a refund of the unused days. In every other area of the my child's life, he is able to be accommodated. Even when going to large sporting events, we are able to make arrangements to enter through a special gate to avoid large lines. The condition makes my child unable to wait in long lines. I am not sure why this is so hard for Disney to comprehend.

Has he been denied DAS? It would seem you likely have enough experience advocating for him that you’ll be able to answer their questions.

 

[voxparse]

Has he been denied DAS? It would seem you likely have enough experience advocating for him that you’ll be able to answer their questions.

If only that were enough to get approved.

 

[lanejudy]

If only that were enough to get approved.

True enough. I just didn't see that PP has mentioned her son was denied DAS. And reading between the lines he may well qualify. I'd hate for someone to give up going to WDW just assuming they won't qualify.

 

[voxparse]

True enough. I just didn't see that PP has mentioned her son was denied DAS. And reading between the lines he may well qualify. I'd hate for someone to give up going to WDW just assuming they won't qualify.

100%. Always worth asking. I’m just salty that the system isn’t better.