DAS change

[Angel Ariel]

My idea is just go back to the system before COVID 19 with the complementary Fastpass+ system which is what made Disney truly magical. I went to Disneyland long time ago and the Fastpass system was enough for me (did not need DAS). It worked out perfectly and I had so much fun back then.

Free fast pass is nothing but a memory..it's never coming back.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Free fast pass is nothing but a memory..it's never coming back.

With all this park expansion coming up everything is going to go up I can’t imagine how it will cost to go to Disney World when all this is added to parks.

 

[jennab]

My idea is just go back to the system before COVID 19 with the complementary Fastpass+ system which is what made Disney truly magical. I went to Disneyland long time ago and the Fastpass system was enough for me (did not need DAS). It worked out perfectly and I had so much fun back then.

If FP worked well for you, LLMP should work too. I’d suggest giving it a try.

 

[Evita_W]

To be honest, they should have kept it like it is. Nobody should be dishonest and abuse the system, but unfortunately, it is completely impossible to have a foolproof system to prevent abuse. DAS users still are required to wait the entire standby wait time so DAS does not get anybody on the ride faster. All this does it make it more difficult for those who truly and genuinely need it. As for me, I am on the Autism Spectrum as well.

As for me, it is driving my motorhome to Tennessee to camp out in the Great Smoky Mountains and going to Dollywood and Grand Ole Opry. Dollywood also has a quiet sensory room for those who have Autism. Boarding Pass works similarly DAS system at Dollywood and can be used for cognitive and mobility disabilities as well to my knowledge. Dollywood is not nearly as premier and unique of a destination as Disney World and Disneyland is and would not be worth traveling over a thousand miles to do just by itself (comparing Disney to Dollywood is comparing apples to oranges), but it is perfect for those who love roller coasters, riding old fashioned amusement park rides, and love country music.

Dollywood is also great for those that like entertainment, DH went recently and spent two days doing mostly entertainment there, they really have a lot of great shows. Silver Dollar City has a lot of entertainment as well and also does a decent job with accessibility, just has a lot more hills to deal with. The nice thing with Silver Dollar City is if you don’t get the accessibility pass while entering the park, you can get it from ANY attraction, it just takes a few extra minutes, as they have to call up front to verify you don’t already have one and such, but from what DH came to understand, all attraction employees there are trained on providing their accessibility pass and verifying information properly.

Both parks are also working on large expansions according to the people in the know, so that could become very interesting.

It should be noted that this year, Silver Dollar City has been rated as the number one theme park in the U.S. on USA Today’s 10 best, Dollywood went up to number 5 this year. No Disney park even made the top 10 this year. It should be noted this is not referring to attendance, but what people prefer. 2021 did have Magic Kingdom on the list, so it’s not like they are excluding Disney.

 

[OurBigTrip]

My idea is just go back to the system before COVID 19 with the complementary Fastpass+ system which is what made Disney truly magical. I went to Disneyland long time ago and the Fastpass system was enough for me (did not need DAS). It worked out perfectly and I had so much fun back then.

Free Fastpasses wouldn't solve the problem of too many people having the DAS.

 

[traveler9]

Free Fastpasses wouldn't solve the problem of too many people having the DAS.

Fewer might apply if they could get 3 must do rides booked in advance.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Fewer might apply if they could get 3 must do rides booked in advance.

I doubt it would be enough to make up for the massive number of people that had it before the recent changes. Not to mention that DAS is far superior to LL.

 

[mccarthyag]

I think Disney could come up with some alternatives to a DAS pass to solve some of the legitimate problems that people have. I have both physical and psychological issues that make waiting in lines difficult for me. I can sometimes wait in a line depending on my health that day but a slow moving line with no space for me to pace is always extremely difficult as my physical issues make it so I can’t stand or sit for long but walking is ok. Allowing me to wait in a separate space (like the Baby Swap areas they used to have) while the rest of my party waits in the main line is one possible solution. It would likely be helpful for people with sensory and claustrophobia issues as well.

I did learn when I asked at Epcot guest services about the new DAS rules this past weekend that you can have a medical provider present on the call with you to explain your needs. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but it could be very helpful for some.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

The FastPass system did not work perfectly for everyone. There was a detailed video , I think on YouTube about why it did not work. For example, local passholders who go with short notice were basically cut out of the headliners.

 

[lanejudy]

The FastPass system did not work perfectly for everyone.

Correct. And unfortunately no system is going to work perfectly for everyone. For each poster who says old paper FP was best, someone thinks FP+ worked better and yet someone else thinks G+ worked.

 

[lanejudy]

I did learn when I asked at Epcot guest services about the new DAS rules this past weekend that you can have a medical provider present on the call with you to explain your needs. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but it could be very helpful for some.

I don't know of any official restriction to having someone (anyone) on the video chat with you... but how helpful that may be is probably questionable. A healthcare provider can speak to the medical needs, but that isn't necessarily what Disney wants to hear about; they want to know your personal needs while waiting in a standard queue environment, how you handle other situations, what works for you or doesn't work for you. Plus I simply can't imagine the cost to schedule my healthcare provider to be part of such a video chat since the chat can't be scheduled.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

Correct. And unfortunately no system is going to work perfectly for everyone. For each poster who says old paper FP was best, someone thinks FP+ worked better and yet someone else thinks G+ worked.

I read about Orange County officials who had a meeting with Disney representatives to discuss disabilities and DAS changes. Disney talked about more training for CMs and responding to guests who complain through the normal channels at Guest Relations. But, the take-away is Disney is not going to tweak or modify DAS 2 and Orange County is not going to intercede.

 

[lanejudy]

the take-away is Disney is not going to tweak or modify DAS 2 and Orange County is not going to intercede.

At this point I'm not surprised. I think Disney intended to stand firm on the changes all along. Adjustments such as listening to complaints and trying to resolve specific individual circumstances doesn't surprise me. But reversal of the changes or other big adjustments -- nope. The changes have been in place for almost 3 months now at WDW.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I read about Orange County officials who had a meeting with Disney representatives to discuss disabilities and DAS changes. Disney talked about more training for CMs and responding to guests who complain through the normal channels at Guest Relations. But, the take-away is Disney is not going to tweak or modify DAS 2 and Orange County is not going to intercede.

Orange County can't really intercede.

 

[Evita_W]

Orange County can't really intercede.

No, but the federal government can and should at this point, there are too many situations that simply are not be accommodated and we know they can be. I am not saying not accommodated in the preferred manner, I mean not accommodated at all.

 

[OurBigTrip]

No, but the federal government can and should at this point, there are too many situations that simply are not be accommodated and we know they can be. I am not saying not accommodated in the preferred manner, I mean not accommodated at all.

There is a long way to go before the federal government intervenes, and it won't be because a bunch of people don't like the new accommodations.

 

[mcall12]

No, but the federal government can and should at this point, there are too many situations that simply are not be accommodated and we know they can be. I am not saying not accommodated in the preferred manner, I mean not accommodated at all.

There’s a huge difference between what we know, as in what is factually accurate, and what we perceive to be the situation. No one but for probably a very few folks in the organization actually know all of the reasons Disney made the changes they did. Not all of those were likely communicated to the public, and what we know, as in fact, is that they did make updates to the DAS process.

What we perceive of the situation is certainly colored by the accounts shared here and experiences folks are having. Which are personal, in many cases emotional and highly subjective to their own interpretations. It is absolutely possible to feel sympathy for those being denied, for whatever reason, and still believe that the DAS changes needed to happen in some form. Not being an expert in the area of disability law, or theme park management, I can have an opinion about what I would have liked to see or what they should have done, but that doesn’t make it a fact. I don’t have any of the information I would need to make declarative statements about the coulda/shoulda/woulda here.

These two things are not the same, as we should treat them as two different streams of information.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I did learn when I asked at Epcot guest services about the new DAS rules this past weekend that you can have a medical provider present on the call with you to explain your needs. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but it could be very helpful for some.

Given the often long wait times to get on the online chat - especially for Disneyland - I'm not sure how one could manage to coordinate that with having your own medical provider present to help you advocate. Planning for a friend or family member to be on a call with someone to help them advocate for themselves would be much more possible.

 

[Goldelpack]

The changes to DAS are not meant to be discriminating (though it seems lots of people believe they are) because the bottom line is that we are talking about a THEME PARK where people CHOOSE to go knowing there are challenges, long lines, boiling hot temperatures, sun, more sun, heat and more lines. (to name a few) ADA compliance is not meant to be a punishment and for the most part if a facility, location, business makes reasonable accessibility changes to serve the majority of people - all is good. For every given situation there will be exceptions - if it is stated that people will get a "return time" - as soon as someone posts that they were not given this - the entire internet erupts with anger. No context. No details. No proof. Our expectations of Disney are generally out of reality - Disney is a for profit business. If, let's pretend, Disney creates a system that limits occupancy of any given park on a day - or asks people to reserve in advance which park they're going to - (so they can in theory adjust staffing, etc) - people complain. When the park is crowded with not enough staff - people complain. There is a large amount of people/families who absolutely benefit from the DAS system. Unfortunately it became a widely abused system. I personally don't agree that it should be limited to Group A with such and such disability. It should, I think, be completely need based. It should be appreciated for what it is - not condoned for what it isn't. Choosing to visit a place puts the responsibility on the guest - not the for profit business.
We all need to take responsibility for ourselves - and having the gov't intervene seems rather extreme based on the fact that we choose to go to a place that has challenges.

 

[SueM in MN]

I can sometimes wait in a line depending on my health that day but a slow moving line with no space for me to pace is always extremely difficult as my physical issues make it so I can’t stand or sit for long but walking is ok.

I don’t know if you’ve thought of using a mobility device, but many people never considered one before because they can walk. I have seen quite a few posts on Facebook where people who were denied DAS tried a rollator or wheelchair and were surprised it was helpful in lines because they were able to alternate sitting and standing.
They parked it when they were in places where they could move freely, like shops or just walking around an area. Canes with fold down seats are also allowed

Allowing me to wait in a separate space (like the Baby Swap areas they used to have) while the rest of my party waits in the main line is one possible solution. It would likely be helpful for people with sensory and claustrophobia issues as well.

I don’t know about Disneyland, but as far as I know, WDW didn’t ever have separate ‘baby swap’ places to wait.
If waiting outside the line while your family waits in the line would work for you, but people are reporting this is how it worked for them:

• Before getting in line, talk to the CM at the entrance and ask, “I need to wait outside of the line. My family will wait in line. How do we do this?”
• The CM explained how it would work; the usual seemed to be that when the group in line got to the point where LL and Standby Line merge, they would tell the CM they have someone waiting outside of the line. That group waits at the merge point for the waiting person to join them.
• The waiting person finds a place to wait for the other group to contact them. People have texted, sent a photo message and FaceTime for contact.
• Go to the CM at the entrance and let them know your group in line has contacted you.
• The CM directs where to go/what to do. Most reports say they entered the LL and joined with the rest of their group when they got to the merge point.

I did learn when I asked at Epcot guest services about the new DAS rules this past weekend that you can have a medical provider present on the call with you to explain your needs. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but it could be very helpful for some.

There IS a health professional available to the Accessibility Services CMs doing DAS registration for consultation. I think there was a misunderstanding on how the CM understood this or explained it.

Guests can have someone they trust on the call to help them explain their needs. It’s probably not realistic for guests to have their doctor or other health professional on the call with them because of the time situation.

I don't know of any official restriction to having someone (anyone) on the video chat with you... but how helpful that may be is probably questionable. A healthcare provider can speak to the medical needs, but that isn't necessarily what Disney wants to hear about; they want to know your personal needs while waiting in a standard queue environment, how you handle other situations, what works for you or doesn't work for you. Plus I simply can't imagine the cost to schedule my healthcare provider to be part of such a video chat since the chat can't be scheduled.

I totally agree with this.

Given the often long wait times to get on the online chat - especially for Disneyland - I'm not sure how one could manage to coordinate that with having your own medical provider present to help you advocate. Planning for a friend or family member to be on a call with someone to help them advocate for themselves would be much more possible.

Agree with this