DAS changes coming WDW May 20/ DL June 18, 2024

[elvispursley]

Trying to decipher if APs will have 120 day expiration of DAS after registering after May 20? Or is that still something that we won’t know until after May 5?

 

[SueM in MN]

Trying to decipher if APs will have 120 day expiration of DAS after registering after May 20? Or is that still something that we won’t know until after May 5?

This is what the FAQs on the Disney World DAS webpage says:

"DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 120 days, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.

Please note: for Guests visit from April 9 through May 19, 2024, DAS is valid for up to 30 days, or when a new ticket is required."

 

[Angel Ariel]

That wording is alarming and very discriminatory.

Like “since you understand how a line works, it doesn’t matter if you can’t tolerate standing in one due to your disability”

Hilarious if they think I haven’t been using coping mechanisms all this time just to be able to get through their lightning lanes.

It's also discriminatory from a perspective of a huge lack of presuming competence. A person having ID or DD and having related reasons why they *can't* wait in a line doesn't mean they aren't capable of *understanding* what a line is and how it works.

 

[bambialways4ever]

Disneyland (the California parks) will transition to the new rules about a month behind WDW, so it currently isn't anywhere near the cut-off for qualifying under old rules. At this point, I wouldn't take a DL CM at their word as gospel since I'm not sure the training has rolled out there yet (we're still getting reports of incorrect info from WDW CMs). Plus that sounds more like a hearsay statement than any official wording of the policy.

I'd also like to add, Land is our home park. I'm in many groups about it- disability wise and not.

The amount of misinformation reports I've read from people of CMs on the disability calls for Land specifically is much higher than what I see in my World groups.

I don't know what or where the discrepancy seems to be, but it happens often.

 

[PrincessV]

The amount of odd information/misinformation being reported by randoms no the Internet has really increased over the last few days. I don’t follow DAS talk anywhere but here, but am being served up various reports from people I don’t follow on social media platforms now - and much of it is clearly way out there. I’d love to know who would benefit from a disinformation campaign, because that’s what it sure feels like.

 

[keishashadow]

We registered for DAS for a trip 5/26 at Disneyland and qualified for this trip.
The cast member did state that in the future we likely won’t, as they are trying to draw a hard line in the sand between an adult/someone fully cognizant of what a theme park entails vs those who don’t understand.
She mentioned leaving the line, or waiting outside the line while the rest of the party stays in the line, as well as using coping

Assuming, this is is indeed more verbatim than a paraphrased account, was stunned to read this last night.

Note: no swipe at the poster for sharing their experience, it is just so dismaying to think a CM could be so tone-deaf

Before I posted, figured best to sleep on it. Not sitting any better with me this morning

The amount of misinformation reports I've read from people of CMs on the disability calls for Land specifically is much higher than what I see in my World groups.

I don't know what or where the discrepancy seems to be, but it happens often.

Haven’t had that experience with WDW CMs.

In the past had wondered, if a call does go sideways from the guest’s viewpoint, whether there was an option to ask to speak to a supervisor, another CM or just have the ability to call back in at a later date & restart the process. Going forward, the soon to be ‘official/knowledgeable’ back up available to CMs when they have questions will hopefully help.

 

[shosh1530]

Registered my son for DAS this morning for our 5/31 WDW visit (just one day)

-Total wait was maybe 10 minutes online (I'm used to 2-3 hours!) on a Saturday morning.
-Total call took maybe 10 minutes
-DAS was granted (he does have developmental disability)
-Party of 3 total
-Was told DAS would expire June 29
-Was offered advanced selections.

Interestingly when discussing the issues my child has waiting in the standard queue, she repeated back some of what I said and stated that was why he qualifies for DAS. I've never had a CM say that before. Not sure if that was part of the changes coming or if it was just this particular CM.

I did mention that I knew changes were coming and she confirmed that we were being booked under the current rules not the new rules. She said that they are in a period of transition and still be trained on the new system and that no one knows yet all the details.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Applied yesterday for DAS and was approved (non-developmental disability) with no issues. Only waited about ten minutes to get online with someone which was such a good improvement.

The CM I had was very... chatty and was going on about the new changes and saying it was long overdue because so many people abuse it and said something along the lines of "I've even seen people read from a script off a piece of paper!" which rubbed me the wrong way a bit just because I've read so many reports on here with folks that have a hard time talking about their needs so they write it down. Just a heads up for those folks, apparently by some CMs that's seen as a red flag.

She did tell me that I shouldn't read anything on social media and that I should still plan on reapplying in the future, they will figure things out, etc etc.

 

[disneymum58]

DisneyLAND
I phoned yesterday for my June 6 trip and was able to renew DAS (non-developmental issue) that had recently expired. I've been approved in the past many times. She ended by saying that I wouldn't qualify in future, and added, "You really shouldn't qualify this time, but I see you were approved in the past, so I will approve it today." She noted that I was probably travelling solo when I was approved. (I do often travel solo, but not always) She added that I should still call, since there might be some accommodations that could be made,, but couldn't say what those might be.

 

[mommy2paisley]

Follow-up from my previous post because this was a big surprise to me.

My SIL who registered the other day and was told nothing about party sizes or any other changes to the rules reached out today to get details. She was informed she had been given an exception to the 6 person party size, and was allowed to book all 8 people on her trip in late June at a time. Which is not something she had discussed or asked for on her call.

That seemed very surprising to me. Both the party size being at 6 as a standard rather than 4, and the fact that she was given an exception without so much as discussing it.

Follow-up from my previous post because this was a big surprise to me.

My SIL who registered the other day and was told nothing about party sizes or any other changes to the rules reached out today to get details. She was informed she had been given an exception to the 6 person party size, and was allowed to book all 8 people on her trip in late June at a time. Which is not something she had discussed or asked for on her call.

That seemed very surprising to me. Both the party size being at 6 as a standard rather than 4, and the fact that she was given an exception without so much as discussing it.

I was able to book more than 6 on our DAS, but I was told that only 5 + the DAS user could be booked for each time we rode. Two different CM’s told me this.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

DisneyLAND
I phoned yesterday for my June 6 trip and was able to renew DAS (non-developmental issue) that had recently expired. I've been approved in the past many times. She ended by saying that I wouldn't qualify in future, and added, "You really shouldn't qualify this time, but I see you were approved in the past, so I will approve it today." She noted that I was probably travelling solo when I was approved. (I do often travel solo, but not always) She added that I should still call, since there might be some accommodations that could be made,, but couldn't say what those might be.

Everything I hear about Disneyland right now (mainly in FB groups) makes it sound far more strict than WDW, like some CMs are already following the new guidelines there while at WDW the CMs seem to all be following the prior guidelines. Strange.

 

[gottalovepluto]

DisneyLAND
I phoned yesterday for my June 6 trip and was able to renew DAS (non-developmental issue) that had recently expired. I've been approved in the past many times. She ended by saying that I wouldn't qualify in future, and added, "You really shouldn't qualify this time, but I see you were approved in the past, so I will approve it today."

Like, what? That's just... No wonder FUD is spreading through groups with regards to DL's DAS program.

 

[audrey2580]

The amount of odd information/misinformation being reported by randoms no the Internet has really increased over the last few days. I don’t follow DAS talk anywhere but here, but am being served up various reports from people I don’t follow on social media platforms now - and much of it is clearly way out there. I’d love to know who would benefit from a disinformation campaign, because that’s what it sure feels like.

I follow a few groups on FB and lots of people reporting they are being denied. Seems weird based on what we have all reported here. I was thinking the same thing - wonder if it’s Disney spreading disinformation so people don’t apply lol.
I watch too many conspiracy shows.

 

[nalababybear]

We did our DAS DLR last week and had no issues. DS has ASD and they video call was quick verification for him + 3 family members.

I'm hopeful that they do allow.larger parties in the group, but limit the riders each time as a fair compromise. We do travel with grandparents at times and they will spell us as riders/caretakers.
Would be to hassle to all to add/remove them at the umbrellas. Then again, that's an interaction opportunity for DS to practice too...so there's that

 

[jo-jo]

We did our DAS DLR last week and had no issues. DS has ASD and they video call was quick verification for him + 3 family members.

I'm hopeful that they do allow.larger parties in the group, but limit the riders each time as a fair compromise. We do travel with grandparents at times and they will spell us as riders/caretakers.
Would be to hassle to all to add/remove them at the umbrellas. Then again, that's an interaction opportunity for DS to practice too...so there's that

We've never traveled with our grandkids while DH had a DAS. But I would hope they could add a bunch of names but only 4 at a time. Be nice for grandpa to be able to take a few different kids each time.

 

[mlggator22]

I was at Disneyland this past week. I was on the last day of a 3 day ticket. I had a DAS that expired for the first two days (it was the promotional spring tickets for SoCal residents). I was able to get DAS again for my non-developmental disability (she could see my old DAS on there), but I was also told that I probably wouldn't qualify under the new rules.

 

[lanejudy]

Everything I hear about Disneyland right now (mainly in FB groups) makes it sound far more strict than WDW, like some CMs are already following the new guidelines there while at WDW the CMs seem to all be following the prior guidelines. Strange.

Actually, folks have reported some challenges getting DAS at Disneyland for several months now — long before the announcement in April. People have been told to leave the queue and return since at least last winter, maybe fall.

 

[Jdavidm]

Actually, folks have reported some challenges getting DAS at Disneyland for several months now — long before the announcement in April. People have been told to leave the queue and return since at least last winter, maybe fall.

Disneyland has definitely slowly gotten stricter over the past couple years. There have been more follow up questions / further explanation needed when applying than when I first started using DAS. And this is for someone who was only trying to get it for myself + one guest to assist me so I can only imagine the pushback given to larger parties.

I would go as far as to say that DL was already slowly transitioning to this new limitation of what would qualify but that some exceptions were still happening since they didn’t yet have a process set up for alternate accommodations to fit those needs that they determined didn’t qualify a guest for DAS.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Disneyland has definitely slowly gotten stricter over the past couple years. There have been more follow up questions / further explanation needed when applying than when I first started using DAS. And this is for someone who was only trying to get it for myself + one guest to assist me so I can only imagine the pushback given to larger parties.

I would go as far as to say that DL was already slowly transitioning to this new limitation of what would qualify but that some exceptions were still happening since they didn’t yet have a process set up for alternate accommodations to fit those needs that they determined didn’t qualify a guest for DAS.

It's interesting to read these Disneyland reports. We haven't been there since 2018 (before our Jan 2024 trip), but we have been to WDW in that interval. When we went to do our pre-arrival interview (december), I didn't find it to be more strict than WDW at all. I was asked like one question, she saw DD and I was moved on. I was acrually surprised and assumed it was easier because they could see the information from our WDW trips.

 

[dizneedoll]

It's interesting to read these Disneyland reports. We haven't been there since 2018 (before our Jan 2024 trip), but we have been to WDW in that interval. When we went to do our pre-arrival interview (december), I didn't find it to be more strict than WDW at all. I was asked like one question, she saw DD and I was moved on. I was acrually surprised and assumed it was easier because they could see the information from our WDW trips.

I go to Disneyland fairly often and never had issue with qualifying, never had a CM ask more than the usual what’s the concern about waiting in line. In fact, I’ve had several instances of not being asked any questions at all. Not saying thats good as I have no problem answering questions or explaining my issues but I’ve always found DL fairly lax about it.