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

[Angel Ariel]

It sounds logical. Just setting expectations that it's not a guarantee. Since the changes made last year, they have been stricter about including extended family -- even older teen or adult siblings have been excluded. I'm not sure that having 2 DAS holders will make it any different because conceivably the 2 parents could split, one with each DAS holder.

My impression from all of those reports that I'd read also was that those were when people were asking for additional people (beyond the 3) to be added to the DAS - that extended family and adult siblings were no longer qualifying in that instance. But this wouldn't be asking for more than 3 people per DAS?

I get wanting to set expectations. Basically my pov with everything related to DAS is to have no expectations any more and just go with the flow.

 

[disneydenisel]

One suggestion I have as a local AP, is you can apply in person at Disneyland, so you can try using the alternative accommodations when you need to split up and if that doesn’t work you can go to the booth and explain your situation, they may reconsider DAS or they may offer you something different like 1-3 fast passes. No guarantees but its worth a shot if the alternatives dont work for you. Best wishes.

Thank you for the suggestion. We will definitely try that when we get there and see how it works!

However, our sweet 6 year-old cat suddenly got very sick and has spent the last three days at the vet/emergency pet hospital. DH told me to cancel the trip today (5 days out), because the next few days will be critical for the cat, so we had to cancel our 2 bedroom villa, ADRs, park reservations, flights, etc. I have only had to cancel a trip once before, and that was due to the pandemic.

If we try to go in September, will I need to start all over again with a video chat, since we no longer have park reservations linked to our tickets (required for the DAS conversation)? The original conversation was May 16, for a trip June 8-12, and that trip may now be starting on September 28 or 30. I am a planner and not a person who ever cancels. Ugh.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Edit: sorry just realized I put this in the wrong thread. Forgot about the approval/denial thread.
Just ignore me haha.

 

[preemiemama]

Cross posting from the AQR thread my experience with DH this week…

Just stopping by (as I’m sitting in the airport) to say that DH and I had some experience this past week with AQR. We had a horrific experience in PP our first night there. Posted wait was 40, but it was definitely closer to 60. We had just been at Mine Train, which posted 40 minutes but took 25. You also can’t see a large portion of the PP queue, so it can be deceiving…. We got in line and had people in front of us AND behind us encroaching on our personal space. NOT good. And there are no CMs IN the queue area until you get to the LL merge point (which is a common theme that we have complained about a few times).

After that experience, DH spoke to a CM in GR to say that trying the line at attractions with a longer actual wait than posted and no one in the queue was a no-go for him. The CM told him to do AQR (but called it return to queue). It worked well for the rest of the trip. Dh can make it about 20 minutes in a queue, so we utilize EE and take midday breaks to help manage things.

I will say the process is different at each attraction, and even at times at the same attraction with a different CM. But we were always able to get a return time so we could shop or eat or something while waiting to help manage things. I will say that had it not been just the 2 of us (there were times DS joined us, but those waits were short…) we may have been told to have him wait and alert us to when he reached the merge point so we could join him.

Overall, it made it a much less stressful trip.

 

[iamadisneynut]

We just applied for DAS for my son (he was approved last summer after the changes) and were told he doesn’t qualify. The agent said DAS is for guest with autism level 3 or higher or those who have cognitive issues such that they don’t understand what a queue is or how to queue.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

We just applied for DAS for my son (he was approved last summer after the changes) and were told he doesn’t qualify. The agent said DAS is for guest with autism level 3 or higher or those who have cognitive issues such that they don’t understand what a queue is or how to queue.

This is what guests were being told last year right after the change.
Unfortunately it seems like some have maintained the script.
Its disappointing that there is no universal system of approving/denying instead its all up to each individual CM and what they feel like doing on any given day.

 

[iamadisneynut]

Are you allowed to reapply? If I go through the process again and get a different CM could I get approved? I know people are getting approved that aren’t level 3 autism of equal. My son was able to talk the the CM and say he likes sports and video games and I think that was where things ended. He has never been asked questions before. He and I were both caught off guard. The CM asked him about what he did with his feelings when he was in a queue. My son had no idea what to say.

 

[jennab]

Are you allowed to reapply? If I go through the process again and get a different CM could I get approved? I know people are getting approved that aren’t level 3 autism of equal. My son was able to talk the the CM and say he likes sports and video games and I think that was where things ended. He has never been asked questions before. He and I were both caught off guard. The CM asked him about what he did with his feelings when he was in a queue. My son had no idea what to say.

You can try again, but if you don’t have any new information to share you might be better off trying their other accommodations first, then calling back if those don’t work.

Is your son an adult or child? I didn't have my son in the room during the conversation, but let the CM know he was in the house if needed. I answered all questions on his behalf.

 

[iamadisneynut]

He’s a teenager. I had said the same thing. That he was in his room and available. Then he asked to speak to him. It was so awkward and uncomfortable. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

 

[OurBigTrip]

You can try again, but if you don’t have any new information to share you might be better off trying their other accommodations first, then calling back if those don’t work.

Is your son an adult or child? I didn't have my son in the room during the conversation, but let the CM know he was in the house if needed. I answered all questions on his behalf.

Agree. Plus, and I don't know if they're still doing this or not, but there was a period where if people kept calling back after denial, they were put on something like a 60 or 120 day hold where they wouldn't even speak to the guest about DAS again. But that was earlier on, when they were inundated with people calling back multiple times, so I don't know if they're still doing that or not.

 

[lanejudy]

You can try calling back but I’m not sure it will help any. PP is correct that last year they were blocking people who tried to calling back simply to get a different CM. Even before that, unless you totally muffed the first call or had new information to discuss, they wouldn’t change the decision until you try the accommodation offered. At the park you can reconnect and let them know what/why it didn’t work - sharing your actual experience. Then they might reverse the denial.

 

[pecanp13]

They are still banning people from reapplying for 120 days after an unsuccessful 2nd attempt. Your best bet would be attempting the new accommodations, and if they don’t work, call back explaining that.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Are you allowed to reapply? If I go through the process again and get a different CM could I get approved? I know people are getting approved that aren’t level 3 autism of equal. My son was able to talk the the CM and say he likes sports and video games and I think that was where things ended. He has never been asked questions before. He and I were both caught off guard. The CM asked him about what he did with his feelings when he was in a queue. My son had no idea what to say.

You can but from my experience and others I've talked to the CM saw they had recently applied and were denied and ultimately were denied again without much discussion.
I waited until my next upcoming trip to apply again and this time was approved.
I think having him say anything may have been a mistake. These CM's and "experts" should not be able to judge what level of support someone needs based on a random interaction but rather based on the info they are given about the person in question.
It sucks that there is no consistency.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Requested a return time at PP during June visit and was told they couldn’t do that

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Requested a return time at PP during June visit and was told they couldn’t do that

How many were in your party? What did they suggest you do instead? Enter and exit, have the former DAS holder wait and join through the LL?

 

[Lsdolphin]

How many were in your party? What did they suggest you do instead? Enter and exit, have the former DAS holder wait and join through the LL?

I was alone and had to use an ECV and had a cane. I was told ECV couldn’t enter the line and I would have to use a wheel chair. Since I was by myself the wheel chair wasn’t an option and I couldn’t stand long enough for a 47 min wait. I entered the line with my cane but had to leave the line with some difficulty. I was not able to ride.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I was alone and had to use an ECV and had a cane. I was told ECV couldn’t enter the line and I would have to use a wheel chair. Since I was by myself the wheel chair wasn’t an option and I couldn’t stand long enough for a 47 min wait. I entered the line with my cane but had to leave the line with some difficulty. I was not able to ride.

I’m so sorry. Your situation sounds like the kind of setup where a return time would have been appropriate. I hope the CMs you interacted with receive more training so others won’t have the same experience.

 

[preemiemama]

I was alone and had to use an ECV and had a cane. I was told ECV couldn’t enter the line and I would have to use a wheel chair. Since I was by myself the wheel chair wasn’t an option and I couldn’t stand long enough for a 47 min wait. I entered the line with my cane but had to leave the line with some difficulty. I was not able to ride.

Was this for a specific ride? I know each ride has their own process. They should have had some kind of option to help you with the wheelchair, though, since you were alone! Did you speak to someone in Guest Services about it and ask what the protocol should be for a solo traveler?

We were there at the end of June and used the return to queue option- it was just my husband and I. Depending on the ride, and sometimes which CM he spoke to, he would be asked to try and wait in the line first. One thing we complained about (nicely to the CMs at the ride, but also afterwards in an email to Guest Services) was the lack of CMs who are actually IN the queue when you are waiting. So if an issue DOES arise, you are actually unable to "escape" the line the way things are right now.

I would recommend you do this as well- they need to know when there is a breakdown in the process so they can (hopefully) improve things for the future. You should have been given an option that worked for you somehow!

 

[elvispursley]

Was this for a specific ride? I know each ride has their own process. They should have had some kind of option to help you with the wheelchair, though, since you were alone! Did you speak to someone in Guest Services about it and ask what the protocol should be for a solo traveler?

We were there at the end of June and used the return to queue option- it was just my husband and I. Depending on the ride, and sometimes which CM he spoke to, he would be asked to try and wait in the line first. One thing we complained about (nicely to the CMs at the ride, but also afterwards in an email to Guest Services) was the lack of CMs who are actually IN the queue when you are waiting. So if an issue DOES arise, you are actually unable to "escape" the line the way things are right now.

I would recommend you do this as well- they need to know when there is a breakdown in the process so they can (hopefully) improve things for the future. You should have been given an option that worked for you somehow!

I believe the pp said it was for Peter Pan? Unfortunately for those rides you have to transfer to a manual wheelchair, they do not have CM available to push an individual through the queue.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I believe the pp said it was for Peter Pan? Unfortunately for those rides you have to transfer to a manual wheelchair, they do not have CM available to push an individual through the queue.

Technically Peter Pan says you must be ambulatory whereas an attraction like it's a small world states you must transfer to a wheelchair. In all honesty if the PP is primarily of the physical nature an attraction like Peter Pan is going to be difficult regardless due to the attraction requirements itself. Sure, a CM could tell someone they need to use a wheelchair but you then have to be able to operate the wheelchair and get in and out of it, per the attraction stating you need to be ambulatory, if you are unable to do that on your own a return time is not going to be the solution.