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

[SueM in MN]

I have been using the wheelchair return time since October. You can hold only one and it doesn’t expire. It is possible to be holding a return time for one queue and immediately enter the exit for another if there’s no wait. Star Tours does have a separate line. You start by entering the Genie+ line but once you hit the building, there’s an entirely separate queue on the left. I always stop in each room and watch. The things I can’t see are the windows between the last two rooms, the droids as those are under the walkway, and the wanted posters. IASW seems to be the only one where they may let you in line if there’s no queue for wheelchairs regardless of wait time, and even if there is no wait if the wheelchair line is backed up you will be issued a return time- space is tight.

We've used wheelchair return times for a long time. But, we usually have had a DAS Return Time for the attraction.
I wasn't sure about Star Tours because with a DAS Return Time, we enter the Lightning Lane, but I've seen guests with ECVs and wheelchairs enter at the same time as us, but waiting in the regular line and we lost track of them.
Small World can sometimes get backed up all the way to the top of the ramp, so very congested.

 

[petrymom]

And will Disney pay for medical expenses when people step on you after you lost consciousness? I wish I could say people would not do that, but sadly, many would.

EDIT: Sorry, I changed my post as I responded to a comment before I read the posts about randoms comments. My apologies to @lanejudy as I meant no harm, just didn't see the previous posts until after I commented. I am generally a rule follower and if I could figure out a way to delete my comment all together I would as i am super embarassed by inadvertantly commenting incorrectly. If you can delete please do.

 

[lanejudy]

Again I repeat -- this thread is for reports of DAS interviews since May 21st. RANDOM COMMENTS NEED TO GO TO THE OTHER THREAD.

 

[mom23guys2]

I think you’re the first who has reported actually being assigned/approved for the actual return to queue option that is supposedly rare compared to the open to all Attraction Queue Reentry AQR. It sounds like you have the real RTQ as they mentioned paper pass or scanning your MB. The others have not mentioned that with AQR. I’ll be interested to see what you report back about how it works. Also, hopefully since you’ve been officially approved for it, I’d hope you wouldn’t be denied at the queue. But how you prove it to the CM will be interesting. I wonder if it says something on your account that they see? Clear as mud for sure.

My husband was told this today when he was denied for a DAS. We were told to go to the ride and get a return time from the cast member there. It will be added to the app is what she said. It seem to be up to the CM at the ride. We spoke to a Disney CM, the a “ health professional”who could hear diagnoses, and then back to the Disney CM. All very pleasant but not really helpful. They both seemed to be reading from scripts.
I don’t see how getting a return time at the ride would help with LL congestion.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

My husband was told this today when he was denied for a DAS. We were told to go to the ride and get a return time from the cast member there. It will be added to the app is what she said. It seem to be up to the CM at the ride. We spoke to a Disney CM, the a “ health professional”who could hear diagnoses, and then back to the Disney CM. All very pleasant but not really helpful. They both seemed to be reading from scripts.
I don’t see how getting a return time at the ride would help with LL congestion.

I can see how - people with this accommodation can no longer begin 'waiting in line' by booking their slot whilst in line for another attraction, or from across the park - they have to walk there, get a return time, come back at that time, and then walk to the next attraction to repeat the process.

Far fewer people will receive the same return time via this method as they would if they were to all select an e-ticket at the same time from wherever they are in the park (similarly, I suppose, to how the 7am VQs fill up much faster than the location-restricted 1pm VQs). Universal has a similar process for standard AAP holders, and it works just fine.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

My husband was told this today when he was denied for a DAS. We were told to go to the ride and get a return time from the cast member there. It will be added to the app is what she said. It seem to be up to the CM at the ride. We spoke to a Disney CM, the a “ health professional”who could hear diagnoses, and then back to the Disney CM. All very pleasant but not really helpful. They both seemed to be reading from scripts.
I don’t see how getting a return time at the ride would help with LL congestion.

I really don’t understand this either as it basically back to DAS before it was in the app. You’re back to asking at every ride queue with this option. Why not just give full Das for these needs?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I can see how - people with this accommodation can no longer begin 'waiting in line' by booking their slot whilst in line for another attraction, or from across the park - they have to walk there, get a return time, come back at that time, and then walk to the next attraction to repeat the process.

Far fewer people will receive the same return time via this method as they would if they were to all select an e-ticket at the same time from wherever they are in the park (similarly, I suppose, to how the 7am VQs fill up much faster than the location-restricted 1pm VQs). Universal has a similar process for standard AAP holders, and it works just fine.

Okay, yes I can see this would be true. But I don’t understand making disabled people do this instead of the more convenient full DAS. It’s kind of make the accommodation harder so they won’t use it strategy. If they qualify for the RTQ, why not just approve them for DAS. But you’re probably right, it’s reducing usage approving for this.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I don’t see how getting a return time at the ride would help with LL congestion.

I get less people will do it- but the cost is extraordinarily high since the user has to explain their issue at every single ride. I couldn’t handle that mental toll personally. If this was an accommodation on your MB and all the CM has to do is scan and issue, fine. That would be good for a number of people actually and it would limit use because people on the other side of the park or back at their hotel can’t join the line. But that doesn’t seem to be how it works

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

Okay, yes I can see this would be true. But I don’t understand making disabled people do this instead of the more convenient full DAS. It’s kind of make the accommodation harder so they won’t use it strategy. If they qualify for the RTQ, why not just approve them for DAS. But you’re probably right, it’s reducing usage approving for this.

I could see this making sense if it was something that everyone who cannot wait in queues but has full mobility to walk to the entrances of the attractions they want to experience - but it seems to be randomly assigned? I have full DAS and can walk just fine, so I'm not sure what the determining factor between the two is.

I also don't understand why they have to plead their cast to the CMs manning every ride entrance? Are those CMs trained on all disabilities? Shouldn't having that accommodation mean you just automatically get a return time?

I don't envy the CMs being put into the position of determining whether or not the person standing before them looks disabled enough to earn a return time. They couldn't have made that process any worse for guests OR their already-underpaid employees.

 

[lanejudy]

Why not just give full Das for these needs?

I can't speak to the PP's needs... but I'm wondering if it's only some attractions where avoiding the queue is needed? I have read a couple of other reports recently and it seems there might be a notation made in MDE. Not sure on that. And I have seen a CM posting (elsewhere) that the Return to Queue is very limited, CMs will need to account for each RTQ given out and the reason why, and if they are granting too many they could be disciplined. So I don't believe it's ripe for abuse -- which also makes sense something is noted in the system.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I can see how - people with this accommodation can no longer begin 'waiting in line' by booking their slot whilst in line for another attraction, or from across the park - they have to walk there, get a return time, come back at that time, and then walk to the next attraction to repeat the process.

But that's exactly how DAS worked prior to October 2021

 

[Evita_W]

But that's exactly how DAS worked prior to October 2021

Except you didn't have to explain your issues at every attraction.

 

[defrogger]

Well had to vote No, we got denied today.
The part that really stinks, both the Cast member and the Medical Consultant they had join the call both said my wife should get something and that they both believed the Return to Line Queue was not a good option for us, but they said there was nothing they could do as they only can give DAS for Autisim and things similar to Autisim.
This really changes our trips now, Ill pay extra for Genie + and lightning lane, but my experience in the past with Genie + on busy days we only got 3 rides. Not sure if its going to be worth it to us to keep going as much as we do if we only get on 3 or 4 rides a day.

Might have to goto universal and pay for Express. Granted thats really expensive on busy days. We have qualified for Universals version of DAS in the past, but they always seem to give us a haslte, its takes a while for us to explain things. Plus they changed how they sign up for that now to.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Well had to vote No, we got denied today.
The part that really stinks, both the Cast member and the Medical Consultant they had join the call both said my wife should get something and that they both believed the Return to Line Queue was not a good option for us, but they said there was nothing they could do as they only can give DAS for Autisim and things similar to Autisim… Might have to goto universal and pay for Express. Granted thats really expensive on busy days…

I’m so sorry, that’s ridiculous. I think you’re the first we’ve heard here on DIS being told your options won’t work but we basically accommodate Autism only, which we know isn’t true. Wow are these people inconsistent



Even if you don’t want to stay at a UOR Deluxe 1 night of a throwaway room will get you Express Pass for 2 park days…

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I can't speak to the PP's needs... but I'm wondering if it's only some attractions where avoiding the queue is needed? I have read a couple of other reports recently and it seems there might be a notation made in MDE. Not sure on that. And I have seen a CM posting (elsewhere) that the Return to Queue is very limited, CMs will need to account for each RTQ given out and the reason why, and if they are granting too many they could be disciplined. So I don't believe it's ripe for abuse -- which also makes sense something is noted in the system.

What I don’t understand is how you can be approved for the RTQ accommodation on the call, but then the CM can deny you at the queue? That’s contradictory. If they approve you for it, why would the CM turn you down. Yet at the same time the CMs can only give so many out or get in trouble. How in the world does that work, as you’ve been approved for RTQ? I don’t understand how they are both giving an accommodation and at the same time possibly denying the use of it in practice. That sounds crooked and not a reasonable accommodation at all. An accommodation that can be denied at the time of use is no accommodation at all.

 

[Kerr84]

Well had to vote No, we got denied today.
The part that really stinks, both the Cast member and the Medical Consultant they had join the call both said my wife should get something and that they both believed the Return to Line Queue was not a good option for us, but they said there was nothing they could do as they only can give DAS for Autisim and things similar to Autisim.
This really changes our trips now, Ill pay extra for Genie + and lightning lane, but my experience in the past with Genie + on busy days we only got 3 rides. Not sure if its going to be worth it to us to keep going as much as we do if we only get on 3 or 4 rides a day.

Might have to goto universal and pay for Express. Granted thats really expensive on busy days. We have qualified for Universals version of DAS in the past, but they always seem to give us a haslte, its takes a while for us to explain things. Plus they changed how they sign up for that now to.

I encourage you to try out their tips and other accommodations for your first morning in the parks. Then if it isn’t working, go back to the DAS chat and explain further and have your proof/data to back up why you need DAS.

 

[lanejudy]

What I don’t understand is how you can be approved for the RTQ accommodation on the call, but then the CM can deny you at the queue?

That’s why I suggested maybe there IS some kind of note in the system. It’s not DAS so not visible to the guest but visible to the CM.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

That’s why I suggested maybe there IS some kind of note in the system. It’s not DAS so not visible to the guest but visible to the CM.

I hope so. If so, I’d think you’d just have to say you’re approved for RTQ and need a return time and not have to go through explanations of your disability needs.

 

[Evita_W]

What I don’t understand is how you can be approved for the RTQ accommodation on the call, but then the CM can deny you at the queue? That’s contradictory. If they approve you for it, why would the CM turn you down. Yet at the same time the CMs can only give so many out or get in trouble. How in the world does that work, as you’ve been approved for RTQ? I don’t understand how they are both giving an accommodation and at the same time possibly denying the use of it in practice. That sounds crooked and not a reasonable accommodation at all. An accommodation that can be denied at the time of use is no accommodation at all.

I'm wondering if maybe it is more dependent on the queue and the needs. If someone's needs would not be an issue in the queue, then why would you need a return time. For example, say you need a shaded place to wait and the entire queue is indoors, then no need for a return time. Or the queue at the moment is a walk on, but for whatever reason the wait time posted doesn't reflect that or you might not know that the wait time specified is a walk on (i.e. 13 minutes at Haunted Mansion), again the CM might deny it at that point because there really isn't a need.

I don't want to go into too many details of scenarios that I can think of, but I am wondering if that is what they mean and they just aren't communicating that clearly or stating it other ways to discourage abuse.

Another option I can think of is there could be xx number of slots at any time per attraction and if those are filled, they deny it until someone returns.

Of course this is just my guess, but it could explain some things.

 

[Maryrachel713]

I was approved with friends.

Here is a post I made in the other thread about how the DAS travel party works.

Thank you! I’ve been wondering how it works with a larger group. We’re a family of 4 but will be traveling with 7 around thanksgiving.