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

[Flynn's Gal]

Here's a case of when RTQ was used for our family that did not have DAS at WDW. My daughter uses a power wheelchair, and we went to ride Star Tours in May. They always route wheelchairs down the LL and then through a second split for wheelchairs for entry. On this day, there was a longer stand-by line, so they gave us a return time. They scanned my daughter's phone, added our family, and assigned a return time of 15-20 minutes. That time showed up in MDE.

We had a similar experience at Star Tours on May 4th, but my daughter did have DAS, was in a power wheelchair, and we already had a DAS time reserved for another attraction. Star Tours was a low enough wait so decided to go on. The CM redirected us to an umbrella to get a RTQ. The time showed up as a separate line on the MDE homepage.

Just correcting that it's not only for power wheelchairs, it's wheelchairs in general

I'm sure. In this case, coincidentally, my daughter also had a power wheelchair same as PP.

 

[Jdavidm]

Not being an Universal user - curious on how is their process? We did the IAC card just for kicks when DAS revamp was announced (and as something to show for DisneySea visit in January) and it is almost laughable on how easy that was to obtain.

There's a second step with Universal personnel and will that be available remotely and internationally confirmed accommodations prior to park entry date? Seriously don't know since they never contacted us phone or email on the second step (we didn't indicate a firm date on the application either).

Can I ask, do you know if DisneySea accepts the IAC card as proof of disability?

As for Universal, they are supposed to reach out once they receive notification of your IAC Card being approved. Some people however never hear from them and instead reach out themselves. They essentially conduct the typical interview to assign accommodations while using your IAC as a bit of a guide to help them ask questions. They can deny additional accommodations if they don’t see them as necessary during this call (ex. disability is strictly mobility related and their queues are accessible therefore the individual is already accommodated in their eyes).

 

[nalababybear]

Can I ask, do you know if DisneySea accepts the IAC card as proof of disability?

As for Universal, they are supposed to reach out once they receive notification of your IAC Card being approved. Some people however never hear from them and instead reach out themselves. They essentially conduct the typical interview to assign accommodations while using your IAC as a bit of a guide to help them ask questions. They can deny additional accommodations if they don’t see them as necessary during this call (ex. disability is strictly mobility related and their queues are accessible therefore the individual is already accommodated in their eyes).

No idea if IAC is accepted.

We're bringing everything -- Handicap placard, IEP, Doctor's note, IAC card, American NP Access card, even screenshots of DAS Disneyland Anaheim .

We just added IAC as it's a card and official organization that we can point to and 'universal accepts it'. We're planning to start with physician's note translated but the entire binder will be there for them to flip through to Keep It "simple".

 

[Jdavidm]

No idea if IAC is accepted.

We're bringing everything -- Handicap placard, IEP, Doctor's note, IAC card, American NP Access card, even screenshots of DAS Disneyland Anaheim .

We just added IAC as it's a card and official organization that we can point to and 'universal accepts it'. We're planning to start with physician's note translated but the entire binder will be there for them to flip through to Keep It "simple".

Makes sense! I would personally love if more places accepted IAC mainly because I like that it states some of my challenges on there to give them a general idea versus something that simply states I’m disabled.

I don’t blame you for being prepared with everything, I would do the same in your situation. We hope to make it to DisneySea one day in the future, the theming there is amazing. Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[Disneychick75]

My suggestion would be that J (or someone else) attempt to explain that while his usual explanation makes sense to him and is 100% valid, it’s just not the type of explanation the cast members are looking for and would result in them not understanding his needs.

They could then discuss possible explanations that would still feel appropriate to S but would allow the cast member to have a better understanding of why he can’t be in a regular queue. Then he can still handle the call himself and retain his independence in that way.

If this still doesn’t work (for example, he’s not able to understand why his preferred answer to the question wouldn’t be enough) then unfortunately there would be limited options.

Someone would likely need to step in to explain S’s needs further or unfortunately from that explanation alone he would likely be denied DAS.

But at the end of the day, Disney needs to understand why S cannot wait in a regular queue and if the information isn’t provided in a way they can understand then they won’t be able to approve him for DAS.

An individual asking for accommodations has two options, they can either advocate for themselves with the explanation they see fit…or someone else can advocate for them (someone who may be able to better explain the individual’s needs).

As an alternate perspective:

I don’t see it as taking away my independence to let someone else advocate for me because I see it as them having a better outward perspective as to how my challenges/needs in a queue present themselves. They’ve seen how I/my body reacts in a queue environment / when overstimulated, which in my opinion makes it easier for them to explain to the cast member for me. I know how I feel internally, but they can better describe how it presents outwardly and how it impacts myself and those around me.

I 100% understand what you're saying and to you and me, it makes perfect sense. S though is super proud of his independence and does not allow his mother to step in for him. Maybe you'd have to know him. J attended every seminar she could to help S grow from non verbal and to accept touches like hugs. He's come very far and he knows it. Besides this, how many 21 yr old college men would want their mothers speaking for them? Probably not many

 

[Jdavidm]

I 100% understand what you're saying and to you and me, it makes perfect sense. S though is super proud of his independence and does not allow his mother to step in for him. Maybe you'd have to know him. J attended every seminar she could to help S grow from non verbal and to accept touches like hugs. He's come very far and he knows it. Besides this, how many 21 yr old college men would want their mothers speaking for them? Probably not many

I can appreciate that, which was why I made sure to specify it was an alternate perspective. I hope you didn’t take it in a negative way. But I totally understand if he’s unable to think of things from that perspective, it’s different for all of us and I understand how his growth over the years would make him hesitant to let someone step in when it comes to things like that. I’m glad he’s been able to become so independent and it is definitely something for him to be proud of.

I hope that if he still wants to visit Disney that they give the DAS call a try! He might be able to explain a bit more if they ask him some additional different questions other than the original one (I get that he would repeat the answer if it was the same question over again).

Maybe real life examples would work better for him to explain. Something to consider. I wish him the best

 

[Karin1984]

To my knowledge, nobody is excluded from the option to pre-register for DAS. The wording related to only in the US and Canada has been removed. International visitors have been able to pre-register, possibly by using a VPN. The only limitation is that the video chat is only available in English -- but I've seen reports of people using a translator.

There is a little * to this.
Yes, with a VPN, and maybe if needed a translator, international guests can register via video chat in advance.

However, you do need to know about its existence.

If you just look up words like 'DAS', 'Disability', 'Assistance' on the international website, the DAS-pages do show up in the search engine. However, all links are dead and you are redirected back to the homepage. It looks like Disney World does not have any type of disability service.

You have to know what to do, without Disney telling you.

International guests are one step behind. Yes, our trips are more expensive due to longer flights and stays. So if we could find out earlier than the 30 days, that would be great. But in all honesty, I think everyone should be able to find out if they qualify before booking, regardless of what they spent.

 

[SueM in MN]

You're right. The LLs will be wide open. Sad though that people who used to love WDW are now canceling trips.

Len Testa said:
"Had some time last week to count guests going into the standby and LL lines at Haunted Mansion.
Recall that an earlier count from September 2023 showed around 56% of guests using LL at HM.
Last week that was down to 43% of guests using LL."

Guests at WDW now are under the old DAS rules so those numbers would not reflect the new DAS rules yet the numbers are down. Maybe people are just tired of WDW. Guess the numbers over the next several months will tell the tale.

This isn't exactly accurate. At this point, a full 3 weeks after the new rules took effect, there is likely a decent mix of people in the WDW parks under both old and new DAS rules. Not everyone pre-registers 30 days in advance, and I also know of some who intentionally waited for the new rules.

However, speaking as a data person, comparing September data to June data is not really apples-to-apples, either. Summer has been slower for several years, and with MNSSHP and F&W in September that hasn't exactly been "low season." To make an accurate comparison he needs data from the same week of the same month, not 1 random date in June vs 1 random date in September.

I sm also a data person - Agreeing with lanejudy on this one.
This is a copy of what I posted almost 200 pages back about his observations

There has been a lot of discussion on this thread, with a lot of people accepting everything he has written as 'Proof'. I am pointing out some things here and don't think this 'proof' should be discussed here anymore.
ONLY DISNEY KNOWS THE ACTUAL NUMBER, anything else is a guess.

He had people watching everyone who entered a particular attraction at a particular 1 hour time of day on 9/13/2023. His people were just counting numbers entering the Standby and LL entrance. Those may or may not reflect what goes on other times, especially for guests using DAS.

He's making a lot of assumptions to come up with his figures. His assumptions included:

• Observations made reflected what would be seen other times of day (his observations were made between 5 and 9pm).
• That his observations were correct (for example, Haunted Mansion between 5 and 6pm, they reported counting 710 entering the Standby line and 923 in the LL).
• The small number of guests on VIP tours during the observation times reflected VIP tour use. I've personally seen 2 or 3 groups of VIP tours getting on an attraction during the few minutes I'm getting on an attraction during the day on some days. I personally would expect more VIP tours during the day and fewer in the evening.
• attractions have a maximum capacity of 300 per hour for Genie+ allocation, which is a static number. He admits that number should be taken with a grain of salt. He/we don't know whether ALL attractions have the same Genie+ allocation per hour AND/OR whether the allocation per hour is the same for all hours of the day.
• Genie+ has a 1 hour return time, so the guest using LL during his count included only the 300 Genie+ allocated for that hour. Guests frequently post that they were able to use Genie+ 5 minutes before and 15 minutes after their 1 hour window. The 'unknowable' part is how many in his count included people using that 'expanded window'
• There is no way to count Rider Swap (which he conceded) or people using LL with Guest Recovery Passes (for example, if Space Mountain had been down for a while, guests who had Genie+ while the ride was down might have gotten a Guest Recovery Pass allowing entry into another attraction).

He's extrapolating all that to come up with his numbers. A few numbers/assumptions being different would make a big difference in the end result.
Some other confounding factors include:

• guests with a DAS Return Time have a beginning time to use it, but it can be used any time after that until the attraction or park closes. So, people using DAS during the one hour observation period could have received that Return Time many hours before.
• guests with disabilities don't use all attractions equally. Many have disabilities that make attractions like Space Mountain or 7 Dwarfs inappropriate for them.

 

[Disneychick75]

I can appreciate that, which was why I made sure to specify it was an alternate perspective. I hope you didn’t take it in a negative way. But I totally understand if he’s unable to think of things from that perspective, it’s different for all of us and I understand how his growth over the years would make him hesitant to let someone step in when it comes to things like that. I’m glad he’s been able to become so independent and it is definitely something for him to be proud of.

I hope that if he still wants to visit Disney that they give the DAS call a try! He might be able to explain a bit more if they ask him some additional different questions other than the original one (I get that he would repeat the answer if it was the same question over again).

Maybe real life examples would work better for him to explain. Something to consider. I wish him the best

N, I didn't take it in a negative way at all. J thinks it might bring on a meltdown and isn't worth it. They're talking about different places like DC and Williamsburg.

 

[Jdavidm]

N, I didn't take it in a negative way at all. J thinks it might bring on a meltdown and isn't worth it. They're talking about different places like DC and Williamsburg.

Just wanted to make sure it didn’t come across that way. Hope he has fun wherever they decide to go!

 

[Ollivier]

To my knowledge, nobody is excluded from the option to pre-register for DAS. The wording related to only in the US and Canada has been removed. International visitors have been able to pre-register, possibly by using a VPN. The only limitation is that the video chat is only available in English -- but I've seen reports of people using a translator.

There are options to book a Disney vacation that may be more easily refundable. Package bookings (in the US) are due 30 days prior to arrival; I don't know about any of the international package terms. However room-only reservations may be cancelled without penalty up until 7 days prior to arrival (in 2024; that changes to 8 days in 2025). Fully-unused tickets carry value forward indefinitely, or can be given to a family member or friend whom you trust to connect via MDE. Tickets purchased via some 3rd party sites are refundable minus a restocking fee.

So in addition to travel insurance there are options to help if someone feels they might cancel within close time to their visit. Apparently many people got complacent with the old rules and never considered the fact that they could have been denied DAS; I think that's been a bit of a wake-up call for some who took things for granted. Programs change, options change, we all take risks when we plan expensive vacations months or a year+ in advance. At this point, WDW has been waiving any cancellation fees for those who feel the need to cancel due to DAS, but I recommend everyone plan accordingly in the future - and those far enough out from their travel dates may want to take stock and decide whether a change now may be better than a risk later.

Answer from Disney:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort!

We are thrilled to be welcoming international Guests back to Walt Disney World® Resort. We apologize for any confusion. However, at this time, we do not offer pre-registration for the Disability Access Service (DAS) on our international website. You are welcome to register for DAS in person with a Cast Member at Guest Relations on the day of your visit.

We do not recommend using a VPN. The reason the service is not offered is due to laws put in place by countries that are not the USA that limit the kind of personal information that can be shared online.

 

[BingoJoe]

I think they will with the optics of it, it will be very bad PR, right now it’s just the “Disney centric” websites and video bloggers circulating it in our circles but once the lawsuits get filed and this goes into effect in California and because more national mainstream news I do think Disney will be more accommodating

It will be great PR for them to be seen to be cracking down on DAS.

One of the complaints you hear most about Disney World from people who have gone for the first time is about people on scooters getting on the buses first.

Just think of all the newspaper articles when they cracked down on GAC abuse, that had massive mainstream cut through.

 

[DigitalOlli]

Answer from Disney:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort!

We are thrilled to be welcoming international Guests back to Walt Disney World® Resort. We apologize for any confusion. However, at this time, we do not offer pre-registration for the Disability Access Service (DAS) on our international website. You are welcome to register for DAS in person with a Cast Member at Guest Relations on the day of your visit.

We do not recommend using a VPN. The reason the service is not offered is due to laws put in place by countries that are not the USA that limit the kind of personal information that can be shared online.

We are International Guest and use a VPN. Even the CM know we are from Europe. So this was not a problem

 

[Karin1984]

Answer from Disney:

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort!

We are thrilled to be welcoming international Guests back to Walt Disney World® Resort. We apologize for any confusion. However, at this time, we do not offer pre-registration for the Disability Access Service (DAS) on our international website. You are welcome to register for DAS in person with a Cast Member at Guest Relations on the day of your visit.

We do not recommend using a VPN. The reason the service is not offered is due to laws put in place by countries that are not the USA that limit the kind of personal information that can be shared online.

You can just do it. It is no issue, you are not rejected from the call, the CM will help you regardless of where you are calling from. They do not care.

This is probably the official answer to discourage international guests from video calling, maybe they fear technical issues or a language barrier.

It is correct they do not offer DAS on the website, but that doesn't mean you cannot use it.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

International guests are one step behind. Yes, our trips are more expensive due to longer flights and stays. So if we could find out earlier than the 30 days, that would be great. But in all honesty, I think everyone should be able to find out if they qualify before booking, regardless of what they spent.

Fortunately there is a lot more to do in America than just going to Disney World. International visitors don’t actually *have* to stay for longer, and in fact it’s quite unusual for most US visitors to book 14+ day stays. If you feel so insistent that you MUST know before you book and do not wish to use a VPN, perhaps another strategy would be to plan to do something else week 1, and apply while you are here for a week 2 Disney trip. You can book refundable hotel rooms and buy third party tickets with some kind of cancellation policy, along with a backup plan for week 2 if Disney doesn’t work out for you. Heck, you don’t even need to come to Florida week 1, and if Disney doesn’t work for you then whatever transportation that you needed to get there (book refundable here as well) is separate from your cross-Atlantic flights, and won’t cause problems if you choose to cancel just that leg. Is it more work? Certainly. But it should satisfy your constraints.

 

[Disneychick75]

Just wanted to make sure it didn’t come across that way. Hope he has fun wherever they decide to go!

Not at all
Thank you, I'm sure they will have fun! Cannot wait to hear from Professor S. after his trip!

 

[starlite_]

...It is very dehumanizing to basically have to “sell” yourself and your disability to get DAS now...

Let's not exaggerate. Guests simply have to explain why standing in a normal queue environment is hard, it's not "selling" yourself by any means.

I am so tired of folks exaggerating and using all kinds of buzz words to make the situation feel direr that it is. First it was "cast members are gaslighting me"... no they weren't. Now its "you need to sell yourself to get DAS"... no you don't. I wonder what next week will bring.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

No idea if IAC is accepted.

We're bringing everything -- Handicap placard, IEP, Doctor's note, IAC card, American NP Access card, even screenshots of DAS Disneyland Anaheim .

We just added IAC as it's a card and official organization that we can point to and 'universal accepts it'. We're planning to start with physician's note translated but the entire binder will be there for them to flip through to Keep It "simple".

Most times Disney will not even look at physicians note and not sure if they will even look at anything in your binder. And with the new online DAS there will be no way to flip thru it

 

[lanejudy]

Most times Disney will not even look at physicians note and not sure if they will even look at anything in your binder. And with the new online DAS there will be no way to flip thru it

PP is referring to requesting accommodation at DisneySea in Japan...

 

[sunburnin]

He's making a lot of assumptions to come up with his figures.

Yup! Correlation doesn't imply causation.