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

[OurBigTrip]

The LLMP wouldn’t work for us - a) because we can’t book it from the UK, b) because it’s not possible to book rides within 2 - 3 hours (unlike the old FP). If we can’t get DAS ( which looks possible) then we HAVE to pay for an ‘accommodation’ - LLMP - which won’t even work

Again, LLMP is not an accommodation. If you don’t get DAS, you will be offered other accommodations…if you choose not to use them, that’s on you , not Disney.

 

[jo-jo]

If the old FP+ works for you, then there is no reason the new LLMP can’t work for you.

And no one has to pay for an accommodation…

But with the old FP, as long as there was availability, you could go on the same ride a few times over. You can't with LLMP.

 

[OurBigTrip]

But with the old FP, as long as there was availability, you could go on the same ride a few times over. You can't with LLMP.

Fair enough, but again, the LLMP is not meant to be an accommodation, so that point is kind of moot.

 

[Disneylover99]

I thought in the last few years, DAS usage had exploded. Like you said just about everyone got one. I don't understand the stories of I've gotten DAS for 20 years and now denied. Was it lax for that long?

I think it has been easy to get DAS for many, many years. But in the last few years
since so many new people have applied for DAS and gotten it, something had to be done.

 

[dbriggsq]

Again, LLMP is not an accommodation. If you don’t get DAS, you will be offered other accommodations…if you choose not to use them, that’s on you , not Disney.

Unfortunately I already know the other accommodations won’t work for us so what do we do?

 

[jo-jo]

Fair enough, but again, the LLMP is not meant to be an accommodation, so that point is kind of moot.

What are the other acommodations? I heard of the return to queue, but I've yet to hear how someone with a scooter gets turned around or gets by people trying to exit or return. The return to ride (I'm not sure if that's a real thing) but that would work for us.

I'm 99.99% sure we will be turned down, so the LLMP will be our only option. And we only ride the low key rides, that's why I mentioned doing rides over.

 

[Disneylover99]

But with the old FP, as long as there was availability, you could go on the same ride a few times over. You can't with LLMP.

Right. But there were very few rides that you could realistically get over and over again, even with constant refreshing. And if you could get certain rides over and over again, well then, you really didn’t need a fp to ride it, because wait times were so low.

 

[jo-jo]

Right. But there were very few rides that you could realistically get over and over again, even with constant refreshing. And if you could get certain rides over and over again, well then, you really didn’t need a fp to ride it, because wait times were so low.

Well, I have to disagree on that. One of the rides we'd do at MK was Buzz. We'd ride it maybe three times in one day. And see the standby snake all over the place. Same story with toy story.

 

[Disneylover99]

The LLMP wouldn’t work for us - a) because we can’t book it from the UK,

I believe there is a work around to this. Check out the big thread on the theme parks board for more info.

The LLMP wouldn’t work for us - b) because it’s not possible to book rides within 2 - 3 hours (unlike the old FP).

It is possible. You can modify and even do some overlapping of times, unlike fp.

 

[lanejudy]

I thought in the last few years, DAS usage had exploded. Like you said just about everyone got one. I don't understand the stories of I've gotten DAS for 20 years and now denied. Was it lax for that long?

I think it has been easy to get DAS for many, many years. But in the last few years
since so many new people have applied for DAS and gotten it, something had to be done.

I agree with @Disneylover99
Nobody has received DAS for 20 years. It's only been around for ~13 years, prior to that was GAC. GAC was a different animal in and of itself so I won't get into discussion there. But for those past 13 years, DAS was pretty much the only accommodation offered -- so yes it was "lax" in that the bar for qualifying for DAS was a lot lower. Guests were not really encouraged to leave the queue for a restroom break and there wasn't really any specific "accommodation" to return to your party in the queue. Or if solo/parent+young child(ren)/couple, there was no way to wait outside and rejoin the queue. Those are relatively new accommodations in that they are now standard offerings at all attractions. So in the past the only way to wait outside the queue was either DAS. FP/FP+/G+ each had their pros and cons, worked for some folks but didn't work for others. So in a nutshell -- yes, DAS qualifications were "lax" for that long. But it was the proliferation of people asking for DAS in the past few years that really just made the program unstable; the LL's were no longer working for some of the folks who most needed that accommodation -- making the accommodation null and void. Disney made the hard decision to put other accommodations into standard procedure at all attractions and seriously limit those who qualify for DAS.

 

[lanejudy]

I've yet to hear how someone with a scooter gets turned around or gets by people trying to exit or return.

Agree there haven't been a lot of reports of how to exit the queue with a scooter. HOWEVER, there also are not a lot of reports of people on a scooter stuck in the queue, having accidents or meltdowns or panic attacks or whatever. So... either they are managing to get out of the queue when necessary without significant issue. Or they've discovered they didn't really need to wait outside every queue anyway. Which is exactly what Disney is trying to do -- remove those "sometimes" needs to an alternative accommodation.

 

[dbriggsq]

I believe there is a work around to this. Check out the big thread on the theme parks board for more info.


It is possible. You can modify and even do some overlapping of times, unlike fp.

I appreciate this info. It seems that to book LLMP from the UK involves some potentially illegal practices and to modify times seems to be much more difficult than the old FP. In any event we would still have to pay extra for it.

 

[Disneylover99]

Well, I have to disagree on that. One of the rides we'd do at MK was Buzz. We'd ride it maybe three times in one day. And see the standby snake all over the place. Same story with toy story.

I always found FP+ availability depended on the time of year you visited.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

What are the other acommodations? I heard of the return to queue, but I've yet to hear how someone with a scooter gets turned around or gets by people trying to exit or return. The return to ride (I'm not sure if that's a real thing) but that would work for us.

I'm 99.99% sure we will be turned down, so the LLMP will be our only option. And we only ride the low key rides, that's why I mentioned doing rides over.

What reports I’ve seen of the return to queue is that it is very inconsistent, CM say no when you’ve been told that is your accommodation instead of DAS. If the CM can refuse the approved and needed accommodation, then it is not a real issued accommodation. One gentleman’s reports from his recent trip to WDW from the UK give examples of his experiences with it after being denied DAS, it wasn’t great and a mixed bag. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTN3URrN5/ user wilky999 on TikTok. He also compares his experience at universal.

 

[lanejudy]

What reports I’ve seen of the return to queue is that it is very inconsistent, CM say no when you’ve been told that is your accommodation instead of DAS. If the CM can refuse the approved and needed accommodation, then it is not a real issued accommodation.

I don't have ability to access TikTok on my computer so I don't know the report you've specified... but pretty much any reports that I've seen who were "denied" accommodation by a CM at the attraction were looking for a return time. They did not want to enter the queue at all. The accommodation is a way to "return to the queue" or more specifically Disney calls is "Attraction Queue Re-entry" -- not a return time to avoid the queue.

 

[dbriggsq]

I believe there is a work around to this. Check out the big thread on the theme parks board for more info.


It is possible. You can modify and even do some overlapping of times, unlike fp.

I appreciate this info. It seems that to book LLMP from the UK involves some potentially illegal practices and to modify times seems to be much more difficult than the old FP. In any event we would still have to pay extra for it.

I agree with @Disneylover99
Nobody has received DAS for 20 years. It's only been around for ~13 years, prior to that was GAC. GAC was a different animal in and of itself so I won't get into discussion there. But for those past 13 years, DAS was pretty much the only accommodation offered -- so yes it was "lax" in that the bar for qualifying for DAS was a lot lower. Guests were not really encouraged to leave the queue for a restroom break and there wasn't really any specific "accommodation" to return to your party in the queue. Or if solo/parent+young child(ren)/couple, there was no way to wait outside and rejoin the queue. Those are relatively new accommodations in that they are now standard offerings at all attractions. So in the past the only way to wait outside the queue was either DAS. FP/FP+/G+ each had their pros and cons, worked for some folks but didn't work for others. So in a nutshell -- yes, DAS qualifications were "lax" for that long. But it was the proliferation of people asking for DAS in the past few years that really just made the program unstable; the LL's were no longer working for some of the folks who most needed that accommodation -- making the accommodation null and void. Disney made the hard decision to put other accommodations into standard procedure at all attractions and seriously limit those who qualify for DAS.

Don’t you think the excess of people asking for DAS since the introduction of paid LL is because those people could cope using the old FP system. I’m sure there were/are people abusing the system but that doesn’t mean that some people genuinely need DAS. The new accommodations seem to be very hit and miss. eg how can someone request a return to queue in the middle of a queue when there are literally no cast members throughout most of the queue- it seems totally impractical.

 

[lanejudy]

The new accommodations seem to be very hit and miss. eg how can someone request a return to queue in the middle of a queue when there are literally no cast members throughout most of the queue- it seems totally impractical.

Simple. You ask at the entry to the queue. A basic "I may need to leave the queue briefly, how do I rejoin my party?"

In any event we would still have to pay extra for it.

Everybody has to pay extra for it. Do you think the non-disabled enjoy having to pay extra for that access? There is no law that says someone can't be required to pay for an optional service that they prefer vs a free accommodation. You seem to feel the Lightning Lanes should be almost exclusively for disabled individuals. That's not what Disney wants, that's not what Disney must accommodate. If leaving the queue and re-entering or rejoining your party can allow you to meet your disability needs, then there is no requirement of free access to LL.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Unfortunately I already know the other accommodations won’t work for us so what do we do?

I’m sorry, but there is no way to know whether they’ll work or not until you know what is being offered, and how it will be implemented in the parks.

But if you’re convinced that nothing will work except for DAS, then I don’t know what to tell you.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I don't have ability to access TikTok on my computer so I don't know the report you've specified... but pretty much any reports that I've seen who were "denied" accommodation by a CM at the attraction were looking for a return time. They did not want to enter the queue at all. The accommodation is a way to "return to the queue" or more specifically Disney calls is "Attraction Queue Re-entry" -- not a return time to avoid the queue.

He does tell his experience with getting return times and AQR both in his videos. In the specific one I linked, the CM denied his request a 7 Dwarfs and didn’t offer AQR. Told him if he couldn’t wait in the regular queue then he couldn’t ride. For Rise, they denied a return time but did offer AQR so his wife and family waited in the queue and sent a picture when he was to join them. He also details issues with transferring from his wheelchair, exiting lines etc. One of the better reports as he’s pretty reasonable about it all. Sometimes it worked and sometimes not.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What reports I’ve seen of the return to queue is that it is very inconsistent, CM say no when you’ve been told that is your accommodation instead of DAS. If the CM can refuse the approved and needed accommodation, then it is not a real issued accommodation. One gentleman’s reports from his recent trip to WDW from the UK give examples of his experiences with it after being denied DAS, it wasn’t great and a mixed bag.

(removed link on purpose) and apologies on this length but I think it's important to present some info other than "it wasn't great and a mixed bag".

I watched that guy's video about Pirates just to get an idea and no offense to him but he doesn't sound like he did much looking into things. For example he's complaining about Pirates not being accessible...okay but did he look at the signage for the ride? I realize he's not in the U.S. but my assumption is the website would at least still mention the same thing which for Pirates says



And the sign for Pirates does give this


I don't have MDE downloaded but my assumption is it also states something about accessibility.

So he said he went into the line which was posted at 25 mins (which for me that's low for Pirates but I digress) but then is upset at that because the ride didn't have an accessible ride vehicle. We can talk all day long about why or how a ride should or could be made accessible but at the end of the day if you aren't looking at what the signage says for the ride then that becomes something on you. And sometimes that happens but that's not something Disney can be responsible for (or any company).

Now this next part is me not completely seeing the emergency exit he is showing but it looks like that one has a manual and automatic door with a ramp next to the stairs. The part I can't see is how that ramp looks.

So then I watched his video about Haunted Mansion and now he's complaining that about the time it took to stop the ride so he could use a transfer device (uh...okay...). Now this part is one that I do appreciate Tokyo Disneyland spelling out that the usage of their guest assistance is NOT meant to get you on rides faster. Okay back to MK and HM so now he's complaining that he did get on the ride but it took 90 mins because he had to wait both the standby time (which was 60 mins) then 15 mins in the LL, then 15 mins for the transfer device. So on Pirates he's complaining that the ride vehicle wasn't accessible and on Haunted Mansion he's still complaining about it.

I know you're just using this guy as an example but truthfully he just sounds like someone who is going to represent to people what one of the others that posters were talking about a lot---someone who isn't going to be happy with anything unless it was DAS and DAS like it used to be, he's polite and just to the point about it but yeah. Ironically he is showing exactly how the different attractions work based on the individual in question. I know that's not his point because he sounds like he wants it to be the same for every attraction (aka DAS) which while understandable is well you know.

ETA: here's the pic from the website that reflects HM having a transfer device