DAS change

[Aladora]

How does anyone for sure know it was so badly abused before the changes? People in the LL did not have glowing signs over their heads stating if they were paying LL guests or DAS guests. DAS guests also did not have blinking neon signs over their heads either that read Abuse or Real. Not all disabilities are visible.
Disney wanted to free up space in the LL for paying guests. They decided that DAS users were the stopping them from making a profit off each ride that has LL. DAS does not skip the wait period. They are waiting outside the que. LL is skipping the line. Paid line skipping.
This put a price tag on each guest and each ride.

Well, we don't know for sure but it has been reported that DAS usage tripled over the past 5 years. Once free FP and FP+ went away the demand for DAS went up.

Also, under the old DAS criteria, more disabilities qualified and more people could be on each pass so the amount of people who were eligible to be on a DAS pass was just not sustainable.

As the ability to screen for issues becomes better, more people are being diagnosed with a disability these days but not every disability comes with an inability to wait in a line. Disney has narrowed their focus to where a DAS is given for those people who, due to their disability, are not able to wait in a stand by line. This means that many people who were previously able to get one are simply not qualifying anymore.

It also means that those who do qualify are no longer able to get the pass for large groups.

All of these is to say that yes, there was abuse but it was not solely abuse that made these changes necessary, it was also just the increase in use that did.

And there was actually a way at the tapstiles to see who had a regular LL and who either had a DAS or something else. The colour was different for LL than for DAS.

I say this as someone who has a child with autism who had used the GAC from 2011 and then the DAS until 2019, when he was at a developmental point where we could stop using the DAS along with FP/LL and switch to just using LL.

 

[jennab]

How does anyone for sure know it was so badly abused before the changes? People in the LL did not have glowing signs over their heads stating if they were paying LL guests or DAS guests. DAS guests also did not have blinking neon signs over their heads either that read Abuse or Real. Not all disabilities are visible.
Disney wanted to free up space in the LL for paying guests. They decided that DAS users were the stopping them from making a profit off each ride that has LL. DAS does not skip the wait period. They are waiting outside the que. LL is skipping the line. Paid line skipping.
This put a price tag on each guest and each ride.

People report seeing posts on social media telling others how to lie to obtain DAS (like what to say). There were also reports of people “renting”‘out their DAS (go to the park, link in MDE, and get DAS for up to 5 people).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

People report seeing posts on social media telling others how to lie to obtain DAS (like what to say). There were also reports of people “renting”‘out their DAS (go to the park, link in MDE, and get DAS for up to 5 people).

There have also been posters who have discussed their own family or friends as well as retelling what they overheard in the parks themselves. This is me just saying to the other poster's point while they may not have had neon signs above their head people aren't as subtle or mums the word as one would think about things.

 

[jennab]

There have also been posters who have discussed their own family or friends as well as retelling what they overheard in the parks themselves. This is me just saying to the other poster's point while they may not have had neon signs above their head people aren't as subtle or mums the word as one would think about things.

Oh yes agreed, there is no way to really tell when in line if it was someone who legitimately qualified or someone lying (unless someone stated they are lying).

 

[OurBigTrip]

How does anyone for sure know it was so badly abused before the changes? People in the LL did not have glowing signs over their heads stating if they were paying LL guests or DAS guests. DAS guests also did not have blinking neon signs over their heads either that read Abuse or Real. Not all disabilities are visible.
Disney wanted to free up space in the LL for paying guests. They decided that DAS users were the stopping them from making a profit off each ride that has LL. DAS does not skip the wait period. They are waiting outside the que. LL is skipping the line. Paid line skipping.
This put a price tag on each guest and each ride.

LL is no more line skipping than DAS is, which means it's not. They work the exact same way (other than one is paid). You get a return time, come back, and get in the LL.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Well, we don't know for sure but it has been reported that DAS usage tripled over the past 5 years. Once free FP and FP+ went away the demand for DAS went up.

Also, under the old DAS criteria, more disabilities qualified and more people could be on each pass so the amount of people who were eligible to be on a DAS pass was just not sustainable.

As the ability to screen for issues becomes better, more people are being diagnosed with a disability these days but not every disability comes with an inability to wait in a line. Disney has narrowed their focus to where a DAS is given for those people who, due to their disability, are not able to wait in a stand by line. This means that many people who were previously able to get one are simply not qualifying anymore.

It also means that those who do qualify are no longer able to get the pass for large groups.

All of these is to say that yes, there was abuse but it was not solely abuse that made these changes necessary, it was also just the increase in use that did.

And there was actually a way at the tapstiles to see who had a regular LL and who either had a DAS or something else. The colour was different for LL than for DAS.

I say this as someone who has a child with autism who had used the GAC from 2011 and then the DAS until 2019, when he was at a developmental point where we could stop using the DAS along with FP/LL and switch to just using LL.

So very well said, thank you!

 

[Evita_W]

I realize tube-feeds take time to do but don’t see why it can’t be worked around; and if the child needs to wait outside a queue that’s part of AQR. There must be an angle I’m missing. I fail to see why tube-feeds cannot be done without DAS.

There was a reason and I will admit the person explained it much better than I, it had something to do with vomit potential though.

 

[Evita_W]

How does anyone for sure know it was so badly abused before the changes? People in the LL did not have glowing signs over their heads stating if they were paying LL guests or DAS guests. DAS guests also did not have blinking neon signs over their heads either that read Abuse or Real. Not all disabilities are visible.
Disney wanted to free up space in the LL for paying guests. They decided that DAS users were the stopping them from making a profit off each ride that has LL. DAS does not skip the wait period. They are waiting outside the que. LL is skipping the line. Paid line skipping.
This put a price tag on each guest and each ride.

The problem is, even if they magically eliminated all abuse (impossible, but go with me here), the sheer number of people who truly do need accommodations was unsustainable with the system as it was. Even I understand that much and I understand much of why and how we ended up in this situation, but that is a conversation for another thread and board.

Now, Disney’s solution to the problem though is where I have issue, in that their solution is really nothing more than a money grab. I could make suggestions how they could have reformed the DAS, keeping it where it accommodates those who need accommodations, while reducing the impact of the system and still keeping it fair for all sides. But again, those suggestions are for another thread, just suffice it to say my way would indeed reduce the number of disabled people that would end up buying lightning lanes in some form or another. It would also reduce the number of non-disabled guests buying because part of it would be to bring back a basic free tier for lightning lanes, it wouldn’t look like it did with FastPass, but it would be a key element.

 

[Evita_W]

Before they even made changes on our last trip we watched someone on an ECV have to leave the line at MMRR. They told people they needed to leave, and people scootched and got themselves out of the way, helping them find the nearest way to escape. About 25 minutes later, they wanted to come back and similar happened (this time the party was inside, but people still made a way. There's no reason to think it's going to be worse now that that's officially allowed. For real, the typical guest doesn't want people to suffer, nor does the typical CM. If you want out, or need to get to your group (now entering through LL seems easier) it's going to be the exception where other guests block you in and refuse on the grounds that they prefer being a jerk to letting someone get out.

Yes, that is one attraction where it is possible, not easy, but possible, but many attractions it is not doable due to the design. But even in this case, yes people moved out of the way, but generally it is pretty urgent by the point you know you need to leave the queue, so you may not have time to do so.

 

[CariadMartin]

We just used DAS in Disneyland for the first time since the system was changed and they made an exception for our family of five, no problem. That was three adults and 2 children.

Just to share my experience of getting it as well, our son is autistic and they just asked about our concerns, about what can happen in long queues and I explained, and they said it was a suitable accommodation for him. I hate doing it as it feels intrusive to share his details but it did make a difference for him.