Agreeing with you here just wanted to add. Cause like with certain rides if you want any chance to ride them you have to do the lightning lane. Unless you’re incredibly lucky with their VQ system.That was well within the rules, we never did, as Genie+ has too many issues for us and our needs, but it isn't abuse to do it.
It's about people feeling that Disney is extorting "guests" to now buy Genie+ in an effort to have a semblance of a good trip. Most of us who go to Disney don't care about the few hundred dollars Genie+ will cost.Am I missing something with all the "useless trips", or "totally non refundable" trips? I mean, G+ isn't free, but if it is "lose a $5000 dollar trip" , or pay a few hundred for G+, or some ILLs to salvage the trip, isn't that an obvious choice?
Or are everyone who are depending on DAS just perfectly able to barely pay for their trip, with not a penny to spare?
Talk about coincidences.
Totally agree. If we had received an email from Disney, or were told when we reapplied for DAS that the rules would be changing but that they were grandfathering the old DAS rules during the last two months of our passes I would have understood.It's about people feeling that Disney is extorting "guests" to now buy Genie+ in an effort to have a semblance of a good trip. Most of us who go to Disney don't care about the few hundred dollars Genie+ will cost.
It would have been nice if the company had said, "Look in 6 months we will have a major crackdown on DAS blah, blah, blah...". Instead, they sprung it out of nowhere. It was very poorly handled and I think this has played a part in people's anger. I think too that many have felt like Disney has played a large part in their family's lives through their vacations and they feel letdown.
Exactly!Totally agree. If we had received an email from Disney, or were told when we reapplied for DAS that the rules would be changing but that they were grandfathering the old DAS rules during the last two months of our passes I would have understood.
But we invested with one set of rules, and then the game changed. We don't know how the other options might work, and the roll out has been a disaster. We have tried other options over the years, and they haven't worked. Just terrible implementation.
It is my understanding that Disney looked at the massive increase in DAS and calculated that the entire capacity of the new Splash Mountain opening would be used up by DAS users, with zero places left for any boarding groups or ILLs. As such they were forced to confront the monster they had created before the ride reopened.It would have been nice if the company had said, "Look in 6 months we will have a major crackdown on DAS blah, blah, blah...". Instead, they sprung it out of nowhere. It was very poorly handled and I think this has played a part in people's anger. I think too that many have felt like Disney has played a large part in their family's lives through their vacations and they feel letdown.
That doesn’t entirely make sense to me though with how the VQ and DAS have historically interacted. I’m having a hard time articulating here what I’m thinking honestly. But it’s always been you can have a VQ and a DAS at the same time which looking at the webpage that doesn’t seem to have been changedIt is my understanding that Disney looked at the massive increase in DAS and calculated that the entire capacity of the new Splash Mountain opening would be used up by DAS users, with zero places left for any boarding groups or ILLs. As such they were forced to confront the monster they had created before the ride reopened.
This is from the podcast with Len Testa who had been speaking to people at Disney.
I am in the camp of those people who think that DAS had gotten out of control and that offering such a massive park upgrade for free to people regardless of their actual level of need was madness. It had grown to the point where it was impacting the park going experience for everyone, including disabled customers, and clearly needed to be stopped. I am greatly encouraged by many of the stories being posted of people being denied DAS and told to make use of other arrangements and strategies.
The podcast was saying that so much of the capacity of the ride would have been taken up by people with a DAS that there would be no space for anyone else.That doesn’t entirely make sense to me though with how the VQ and DAS have historically interacted. I’m having a hard time articulating here what I’m thinking honestly. But it’s always been you can have a VQ and a DAS at the same time which looking at the webpage that doesn’t seem to have been changed
Where as what it seems like your or they’re inferring here is that you would no longer be able to request a spot for the VQs without locking yourself out of your DAS entirely. Because it’s now your one DAS slot.
Like I would be surprised if TBB has something to do with this to be clear. Them expecting an increase in demand wouldn’t be a surprise
But what’s being said here only works if the DAS user is only using the DAS for the ride not the VQ. Because you only get the DAS after you approach the ride after the VQ group comes up. So DAS wouldn’t be a factor unless their planning something that’s nowhere I can find
I think this is a good example of something I find encouraging. A fundamental part of going to a theme park is lining up. I certainly know people without any disabilities who don’t go because they don’t like that aspect.There's also the fact that those with needs are being told ''have you practiced waiting in lines, how do you handle grocery shopping, etc. etc." (again, I've seen it reported here and elsewhere. This is not just one stray report but multiple reporting similiar language acting like a lot of these conditions have an off-switch. (I really wish they did. )
This isn’t about genie+. Many of us who use DAS also buy genie+ and ILLs.
No. Stop. DAS-holders have always been encouraged to use whatever other tools are available, including FP/FP+ and now Genie+ or ILL$. That has never been considered abuse of DAS.So you are abusing DAS . And don't really need it.
I'm not sure what you mean because DAS can be used with VQ attractions, the DAS-holder/party must obtain a VQ just like anyone else. Then it gets converted to a DAS to use the Lightning Lane. Except for Tron, there has been no problem returning to the attraction well after your boarding group was called.If Disney doesn’t want us using the genie at all with DAS. They have to allow for the VQ rides to be DASed without the VQ arguably
It is my understanding that Disney looked at the massive increase in DAS and calculated that the entire capacity of the new Splash Mountain opening would be used up by DAS users, with zero places left for any boarding groups or ILLs.
As of yet we do not know how WDW plans to handle Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Many have speculated it will open as VQ and ILL$ which is highly possible. We also do not know if that attraction fed into Disney's decision to revamp DAS. This is all speculation.That doesn’t entirely make sense to me though with how the VQ and DAS have historically interacted.
This is exactly where Disneys problem with DAS happened. What the original IT creators of the LL system thought would be a minute minority of people that would meet the criteria for DAS so the Genie+ LL’s could handle it, and the massive amount of diverse needs that Disney ended up issuing it for. It is so overloaded it doesn’t work for the minute minority or paying Genie+ customers.Why is that abusing DAS? What does one have to do with the other? DAS was meant to level the playing field for people who can't wait in a traditional line for any number of valid reasons. Genie plus is meant to create a top tier experience. You can have both.
I think this is a good example of something I find encouraging. A fundamental part of going to a theme park is lining up. I certainly know people without any disabilities who don’t go because they don’t like that aspect.
I think it’s good practice to explore how an applicant navigates everyday life and suggest other ways of building resilience to park-like scenarios to make sure DAS is only granted where it is absolutely necessary.
Many have speculated it will open as VQ and ILL$ which is highly possible.
Thank you, I missed that!Tiana's has actually been confirmed on the Disney Parks blog here that it will open with a VQ! Nothing mentioned about ILL, but I know it was rumored that VQ will only be for a few months before moving to standby.
It's already been covered multiple times on these boards, but there are flaws in how those numbers were calculated. They used one ride and one convenient piece of evidence in a previous court case by Disney. Those families who use DAS can tell you with certainty that they see almost no one else around them scanning in with DAS. The majority of those in the LL are Genie+, $LL or Rider Swap users. It's easy to tell by the color of scan in for LL. DAS users do not take up 70 percent of existing ride spaces over a day. That's completely false.The podcast was saying that so much of the capacity of the ride would have been taken up by people with a DAS that there would be no space for anyone else.
DAS holder numbers had been increasing at a fast rate. Not just by fakers, but also by people who believe they are disabled but fundamentally don’t require the level of accommodation under the law that they are asking for.
Low ball estimates already calculated that DAS users were taking upto 70 percent of existing ride spaces over a day.
Even for people with significant needs, something most DAS users didn’t have, there is a difference between ensuring fair access and giving a level of additional and privileged access that crowds everyone else out.
Indeed. “Trying harder” is what made me stop going to the parks many years back. Ended up spending the majority of my time in Disney in spasm and in my room. Two trips like that and I was done.Gonna be honest, if you can't see the fault in 'just find a way to cope I'm sure there is one', then I do not think you understand different level of disabilities [grocery shopping and standing in line for five minutes does not compare to Disney, and people cannot control their triggers and more.], then that is an opinion that doesn't understand disabilities aren't about just trying harder.
Tiana's has actually been confirmed on the Disney Parks blog here that it will open with a VQ! Nothing mentioned about ILL, but I know it was rumored that VQ will only be for a few months before moving to standby.
I'm really sorry this happened. I think I speak for many of us when I say reports like yours are making us lose faith in Disney. This is so discouraging and wrong.My Mom, who has both Autism and ADHD and has certainly been helped by DAS since we discovered it a year ago, was just denied today. She often gets twitchy in lines and often has panic attacks in certain places (think Guardians Pre-Show hallway of doom), and DAS has helped these symptoms and she overall is a happier person at the parks. The suggestion by the CM she spoke to over video chat was to buy and use Genie+. No certain accommodations like RTQ or anything like that, just spend money to use Genie+.