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

[Disneyland_emily]

Not everyone who has a developmental disability needs a DAS either so by putting that specific wording green lights my kiddo who is dyslexic/dysgraphic (as is 1:5 humans..) into DAS?

 

[Jaay]

Ironically, I applied for the IBCCES card over the weekend and was approved this morning for Universal. There is also a phone call with Uni whenever they call me this week to go over whatever accommodation I need-in this case I can’t wait in a line longer than 10-15 minutes because I have pudendal neuralgia and my nerves are constantly on fire. I can’t sit in a wheelchair in a normal queue because the nerves are located in my sacrum, so unless that wheelchair is a soft mattress, I can’t do it. I have to constantly be in motion to keep the pain subsided. I’m a local to WDW and DAS allowed me to actually get back into the parks a few times a month for a couple hours at a time and feel “normal” after my diagnosis 2.5 years ago. I was really hoping Disney would go via the third party route like IBCCES to weed out the abusers but allow for conditions like mine and others that are internal, not just autism/dev. disorders. Wow, just wow.

I’m sorry to hear this - I actually have a similar condition with almost identical requirements for my ‘comfort’ - aka not being in complete agony. Not to mention that any kind of anxiety or panic attack can make my pain and condition a lot worse. It’s a snowball effect and although IBCCES and Universal approved me and I’ve been using their new process just fine, I never thought Disney would be narrow minded about this.

 

[Evita_W]

PTSD is. PTSD is also not considered a developmental disability which is who Disney is saying the DAS is for.

Exactly, PTSD is indeed a disability under the ADA and they are required to provide accommodations for it.

Now, I also wonder if Disney may end up opening up a whole new can of worms so to speak though. There are many, many people who likely have Autism, ADD, ADHD and the like that were born in the early 80's and earlier that were never officially diagnosed with such disabilities. I wonder if people who feel like they may have such disabilities will now seek out an official diagnosis, even though they have learned how to mostly cope with it, maybe with some assistance like the DAS. If so, this may end up causing a minor (maybe major depending on how many people we are talking) upheaval over all the country.

 

[Evita_W]

I'm just about at that point as well. I am disgusted by whoever was in charge of the decision-making process here.

I am totally OK with a more stringent process for DAS... I think that partnering with Inspire Health Alliance was a smart move.

But picking-and-choosing which disabilities qualify means that, somewhere in corporate, there was a board room meeting where somebody made a decision as to which disabilities are "worse" than others. That is my gripe here.

The good news is Disney has people whose sole job is to read forums like this one, so there is a strong chance they will see these comments. The bad news is they may not care.

 

[HavendishSquare]

Do we think they are now going to ask for a diagnosis? Because an autistic meltdown can looking a lot like a panic attack from anxiety. So just by describing the symptoms you might not be able to tell what’s caused by a development disability or not.

 

[Tatebeck]

They have to make "reasonable" accommodations. Which for a lot of things, allowing you to leave the line at the drop of a hat and return to that point whenever you are able seems reasonable enough to me.

 

[Evita_W]

So for a scooter user...
Would it be turn the scooter around, drive back thru the line, visit facilities, rejoin line entrance and drive up to the CM who allowed the pass?
(If so, this is likely to be incredibly annoying to other guests in line.)

In many queues there isn't enough room to turn the mobility scooter around, so that isn't an option.

 

[Evita_W]

They have to make "reasonable" accommodations. Which for a lot of things, allowing you to leave the line at the drop of a hat and return to that point whenever you are able seems reasonable enough to me.

Until you have to use a mobility scooter and can't physically get out of the queue in time.

 

[bambialways4ever]

Exactly, PTSD is indeed a disability under the ADA and they are required to provide accommodations for it.

Now, I also wonder if Disney may end up opening up a whole new can of worms so to speak though. There are many, many people who likely have Autism, ADD, ADHD and the like that were born in the early 80's and earlier that were never officially diagnosed with such disabilities. I wonder if people who feel like they may have such disabilities will now seek out an official diagnosis, even though they have learned how to mostly cope with it, maybe with some assistance like the DAS. If so, this may end up causing a minor (maybe major depending on how many people we are talking) upheaval over all the country.

I also bring up PTSD because genuinely, there is no way a return to line pass helps a person having a PTSD episode or symptoms. And, Disney literally has a military hotel and tickets. The number of military persons (current and former) with PTSD is very high, and given Disney offers so much for them incentive wise to visit, to bar them from accessing the DAS service for a disability they acquired in their service? Insane to me.

And also using PTSD because so many specific things about Disney can be PTSD triggers, and I frequently hear from military families who use DAS for this reason.

 

[Tatebeck]

But as I said, that doesn't work, as most queues don't have those options or such options have stairs. For example, how would this work at Peter Pan's Flight (either coast)? Haunted Mansion? Space Mountain (especially at Disneyland where the CM hallways that do exist all have stairs)?

For the sections or queues without them they will likely have a roaming cast member or cast member checkpoints so you just wave them down. Then they let you out the nearest exit or unclip some ropes. Doesn't seem that complicated to me.

 

[Karin1984]

Maybe it's me, but can it be that they say 'developmental disorder' because it needed to have one overall name? With a health care professional who can judge severity, think along about other solutions, but they can also approve it for anxiety, PTSD, etc? It doesn't say that these are excluded. It all depends on interpretation.

In Disneyland Paris we have a more strict system with a doctor's note. There is a list of diseases, some relate to heart or blood problems, but also one very generic 'psychological problems'. It's up to the doctor to interpret this list. He/She just have to give the number of the disease on the list. No further explanation. It's their interpretation.

I can imagine that a health care professional can use a broader interpretation of 'developmental disorder'.
We do not know how broad these two words are.

Until you have to use a mobility scooter and can't physically get out of the queue in time.

But isn't that a problem at the moment? If a person in a scooter would like to get out of line now, what are the options?

 

[razlime]

Exactly, PTSD is indeed a disability under the ADA and they are required to provide accommodations for it.

Now, I also wonder if Disney may end up opening up a whole new can of worms so to speak though. There are many, many people who likely have Autism, ADD, ADHD and the like that were born in the early 80's and earlier that were never officially diagnosed with such disabilities. I wonder if people who feel like they may have such disabilities will now seek out an official diagnosis, even though they have learned how to mostly cope with it, maybe with some assistance like the DAS. If so, this may end up causing a minor (maybe major depending on how many people we are talking) upheaval over all the country.

It doesn't seem like they're asking for proof at all, just an interview with health professionals (or CMs that have been trained by health professionals). I was eligible for DAS before due to a now-excluded disability, but my partner who is autistic now will have to do the interviews I guess.

I can't imagine managing a theme park with no accommodations. I don't think those in line with me would be interested in seeing me do subcutaneous injections on a moment's notice. With DAS I could set schedules for my day (by requesting or not requesting rides) that worked with medication and food, but with Genie+ that isn't really possible, it's mostly luck. I'm really frustrated with this change but looking forward to any news that comes over the next month and a half.

So sorry to everyone dealing with this. It's definitely bringing up feelings of internalized ableism for me. I'm really thankful for this forum giving us the space to discuss as disabled people and allies.

 

[bambialways4ever]

They have to make "reasonable" accommodations. Which for a lot of things, allowing you to leave the line at the drop of a hat and return to that point whenever you are able seems reasonable enough to me.

But you literally cannot leave 90% of lines at the drop of a hat because of the way the lines are designed. It's nearly impossible in the current state. And before someone comes in with "well what if they open up emergency exits" That doesn't exist in a functional way on all rides, particular on the West Coast.

 

[wendyone]

PTSD is. PTSD is also not considered a developmental disability which is who Disney is saying the DAS is for.

Anxiety absolutely is a disability, especially if combined with agoraphobia. A condition is disabling ub

PTSD is. PTSD is also not considered a developmental disability which is who Disney is saying the DAS is for.

Absolutely anxiety can be a disability. A condition is a disability under the ADA if it limits one or more major life activities. The reason Disney’s old system was so great was that it actually was focused on the limitation- not the diagnosis. It isn’t really relevant whether a guest has a developmental disability any more than it’s relevant whether they have anxiety. What is relevant is whether the guest’s developmental disability or anxiety causes them to have difficulty standing in lines. For example, I have panic disorder and social anxiety with agoraphobia, and as a result I can’t stand in lines at grocery stores, shops, gas stations, and the like. But according to the geniuses at the Walt Disney Corporation, because I don’t have a developmental disability, I can deal with 2 hour line for a roller coaster.

 

[Smugpugmug]

The good news is Disney has people whose sole job is to read forums like this one, so there is a strong chance they will see these comments. The bad news is they may not care.

They care, but not about the guests. They mainly care about those Benjamins $$$ unfortunately. Gotta sell more Genie+.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Disney is only required to make reasonable accommodation... I think we are seeing Disney redefine their reasonable accommodation. I'm sure their lawyers are heavily involved..

As someone with two kids who qualify for DAS based on current and future requirements. 1. I feel for folks who have a valid issue that wont grant them a DAS. 2. Post COVID DAS was being EXTREMELY ABUSED. We have been using it for long enough and visit the parks enough each year to see the changes. And the abuse post COVID was palpable. So in that sense Im glad Disney is updating policy. 3. Don't think this doesn't have anything to do with G+ sales. Money is always part of the equation.

 

[Tatebeck]

Until you have to use a mobility scooter and can't physically get out of the queue in time.

But you literally cannot leave 90% of lines at the drop of a hat because of the way the lines are designed. It's nearly impossible in the current state. And before someone comes in with "well what if they open up emergency exits" That doesn't exist in a functional way on all rides, particular on the West Coast.

I already mentioned the emergency exits so beat you to it lol.

But being more serious, whatever emergency exits they have are good enough to qualify for fire code, so I imagine any personal emergency would qualify for the same "timing" required for an exit

 

[xipetotec]

Honestly, we would have no problem with submitting medical information, we have lots and would be fine submitting it. But this news stinks.
My wife has a GAMUT of health issues from anxiety/panic issues, to PPPD, to sun sensitivity issues due to her medications, to diabetes, not to mention mobility issues ( which of course aren't covered by DAS ) to name a few. Cast member interviewers have literally cut her off telling her she had enough to qualify and didn't need to go on. But NONE of those are developmental issues.
The other thing is we travel with three adult kids. One of which is about to have a baby... now you're telling me the party size can't be more than 4. Okay, so they are immediate family I guess, but then their spouses are left behind, and does the grand child count as immediate?

Finally, we would ALSO have no problem saying "okay fine, we'll pay and use Genie+" ... except that service genuinely sucks. More often than not, all the decent attractions are sold out by lunch ( if you're lucky ) and certainly the popular long-queue ones are. If it was like the old fastpass+ system where you could book several ahead of time with proper planning then maybe... But my brother and his GF got Genie+ on our last trip since they weren't able to use our DAS, and it was just silly what they could actually get on and how much they ended up waiting in line.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

But you literally cannot leave 90% of lines at the drop of a hat because of the way the lines are designed. It's nearly impossible in the current state. And before someone comes in with "well what if they open up emergency exits" That doesn't exist in a functional way on all rides, particular on the West Coast.

Correct. Disney absolutely will not overstaff every queue so that every Emergency Exit has a Cast Member assigned. That would be an operational/scheduling disaster. And I can most certainly guarantee they won't allow Guests to start using those Emergency Exits for bathroom/overstimulation breaks. Can you imagine Guests wandering around backstage?

If the system works the way I think it will, I can already think of several queues I am worried about...

• Guardians Cosmic Rewind... The "hallway of death", as I like to call it (after the second pre-show)
• Several stretches of Space Mountain and SDMT where there are no exits
• Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror... the entire outdoor queue area

 

[SteveMouse]

I think it should definitely require some sort of actual diagnoses note/confirmation from a confirmed medical doctor or equivalent. It would be much harder to fake than just lying in an interview and would cut down on a ton of the abuse by itself.

They have spent a lot of time making sure their lines are accessible with ECVs and wheelchairs so that physical disabilities shouldn't need DAS. So it makes sense that it's just going to be cognitive/developmental disabilities that need it now.

No, they have addressed barriers to lines faced by DME such as wheelchairs. My underlying condition is biomechanical, not behavioral. I have limited ability to balance. I don't need to be jostled/knocked over/bumped into unnecessarily. A fall would be disastrous, triggering a flareup of my condition, resulting in permanent mobility loss..

Waiting outside the line mitigates this risk. Disney may be in a hard place to deny the accommodation as unreasonable if it offers the same service to people with another disability.