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

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Giving advice to others on ways to remedy probably should be off limits and simply referred back to the park goers treating team

I think we here are coming from an understanding of how the parks are, people are responding negatively to comments like practice waiting in lines because they are coming from their own experience but the parks aren't comprised of just super Disney park fans, nor people on the DIS or other places. They are full of first timers, people who have never been to a theme park in their life, people who have gone decades without going, people who have been to one park but not necessarily WDW (or DL), etc. Even if the people on the video call can tell you've been to the parks before you may have been in a situation where you didn't really have much waiting in line or where your condition changed (better or worse) than before. If just taking a child their ability to understand something may have changed as well.

I understand why some comment about practice waiting in lines for example may come off condescending but unless the person on the call is actually rude then I think we (generally speaking) should be taking it as general advice, we often take for granted how things can be for the masses that go to the Disney parks. I remember asking questions about my DL trip in 2019 (the first one, we went a second time months later) and I hadn't been to DL since I was a toddler so I had zero understanding of how that park was. I may have been to WDW enough to know things but I hadn't a clue how DL was like. I didn't understand what Esplanade meant when people mentioned it among other things.

But in terms of overall advice I think 1000% Disney is great for giving information to people such as I mentioned many pages ago about how they put more front and center on their website tips and tricks and then a poster mentioned getting a link for places that may be quieter (which is also something listed on the website). There's no insult intended by Disney providing this even if it is verbal as well as written.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

that’s how they take the pictures on attractions (very cool but not foolproof, I wish cosmic rewind and Tron gave you the ability to manually tap on the way out because sometimes the photos are just lost).

Random aside here but if people have situations where their photos aren't popping up try visiting Photopass area in the parks. On our 2022 trip one of our Test Track rides the photo didn't populate (and it was one I really wanted as it was with my DISer friends). A visit to the Photopass people and with me being able to provide an estimated time I was there (I was tracking ride wait times on my own so I had a really good idea of when I entered) they were able to pop up a bunch of ones from around that time and we were able to locate it then tap it onto my MB and thus my account.

You also do sometimes get other people's photopass photos unfortunately that get attached to yours but that's probably just a limitation of the mechanics involved in RFID.

 

[serenitynow]

@lanejudy Maybe? But to have it for one trip and one trip only when I don’t need it anywhere else seems like a lot, I’m that old at all, and I’d rather not have my family have to pay for some outside service or something just to accommodate that. An EVC would be more pain than it’s worth considering how hard it looks to navigate queues and lines, a roller might help, but that seems actually excessive for my needs. I just need, like a camp chair that I can bring, if we’re gonna be that decisive about things needed in line, and I already have one of those that I wouldn’t mind bringing if I needed to. I imagine a lot of people no longer being covered by DAS but still have physical disabilities are probably deciding how they can accommodate themselves much like I would be.

This isn’t my business, but I think you have the wrong attitude about an ECV. It is just a tool, like crutches or a cane. It is not about how “old” you are, that is only an internal monologue. The issue is really is “will this tool help me and my family enjoy our vacation”?

The first time is the hardest. But once you see how much more you can accomplish and enjoy with an ECV, you’ll never go back to “roughing it out”. Your family will have a better time as well worrying less about your stamina and comfort.

You can always park the ECV in the park and walk around until you need it again. It is going to be much easier than carrying around a camp chair all day.

 

[serenitynow]

If only the Genie+ Lightning Lane didn’t expire or could still be used after the expiration period. That is a difficult issue for my family as we often have to leave the park for breaks, only to return later in the day. For some members of the disabled community, it is difficult to predict just how the day is going to unfurl. We have to just roll with it and pivot depending on our needs.

 

[SteveMouse]

It’s a heck a lot harder to fake a doctors note than it is to fake symptoms to a Disney employee. Notes also would allow verification from the doctors office , …

A physician’s office needs the patient’s authorization to discuss the patient’s information with a third party. Releasing information is subject to substantial penalties to the physician.

I am pretty sure Disney doesn’t want to maintain medical information about visitors, let alone documentation that would enable anyone who had access to access yet more private information about a guest.

 

[Liquidice]

California residents who make privacy requests to Disney (allegedly) have been given reams of data showing everywhere their MB was in very frequent intervals (not just when scanning!) around the parks going back years…I don’t know if Disney has actual run the data, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they looked at MBs of people who said they needed DAS because of [xyz issues] and then decided to check and see if park usage indicated it was being used as a true accommodation or people going on 15-20 attractions a day. It is unfortunate that abusers/fakers might have led to some groups being excluded going forward, if certain groups were identified as consuming a disproportionate share of DAS returns. I do think if someone sues going forward claiming to need DAS and that AQR is unworkable, Disney’s litigators will absolutely pull prior MB data to defend the reasonability of the accommodation, why they switched, and the operational impact that granting it in the past created.

I absolutely believe there are many people with GI (and other physical) conditions who need an alternative option to waiting in longer lines…but I think plaintiffs lawyers are going to have a hard time establishing that Disney needs to offer the full DAS service for anyone who has a history of using 10+ LLs a day with DAS— it wouldn’t surprise me if we later learn that Disney was trying to protect the program for the families who can only get in a few rides a day, even with DAS.

Conversely, I wonder if (after trying the offered accommodation), someone could escalate and say “look at my MB history, I spent 3-6 hours a day in bathrooms on average, I need a better accommodation than try to “hold it” and leaving the line when it doesn’t work.”

The Wi-Fi toggling on and off all day at Disney is one of life’s great mysteries. It happens at DLR and WDW. I think they intentionally block/jam it on the ride itself (and maybe the pre-show rooms for the newer rides?), which I understand but it’s very frustrating to not have reliable reception if we’re trying to check in on a family member.

FWIW, I think the MBs work by radio frequency so Disney knows where you are even if the WiFi isn’t working— that’s how they take the pictures on attractions (very cool but not foolproof, I wish cosmic rewind and Tron gave you the ability to manually tap on the way out because sometimes the photos are just lost).

I believe it is the RFID and not limited to MagicBands. There may be more data points with an MB but whatever ticket media is used can be tracked because it connects to your MDE.

There are 4 types of identification that Disney uses. Passive RFID, Active RFID, NFC and Bluetooth.

Passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is what is used in ticket media and your Magicband when you tap. This does not require power (the power is provided by the tapstile). It is why your Magicband can work even when the battery is dead. Disney cannot track your location beyond you tapping in using Passive RFID as it requires you touching the ticket or magicband.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is what is used by MagicMobile for your phone. It requires NFC be turned on for your phone and also requires that you are very close to the device scanning.

Active RFID is what is used by Magicbands for things like photos, your name in rides like Small World. This requires that the battery works in your Magicband (whether it is MB+ or MB2). It works like EZPass or any other Toll reader you have in your car. Active RFID could track your location throughout the park, but it would kill the battery in your Magicband very quickly and it is also fairly costly for Disney to put everywhere. It also is not very accurate, it gives you an idea of the person's rough location but it isn't very precise.

Bluetooth is used with your phone to approximate your location for ride photos, it is not very accurate - if you ever receive photos this way you will know because Photopass usually asks you to select from 1 of 3 photos and sometimes all 3 is not your photo.

Ultimately what this results in is Disney definitely knows when you tap into a ride. They could probably figure out if you went into a standby line since they could get an idea of your rough location. But they really don't have enough precision with their location data to know exactly what you are doing.

For the GAC/DAS lawsuit, they probably had records of what rides the people rode based on scan ins.

I don't think they can track your precise location throughout the day though and if you wanted to avoid anything beyond scan ins, you could opt not to use a Magicband and deny the MDE app from using Bluetooth on your phone. Turning off Wi-Fi too. This would mean the only thing Disney would know would be your tap ins at the Lightning Lane entrances.

Meaning it would be difficult for Disney to reliably track your movements throughout the day beyond scan ins. If you were able to get 10+ rides via DAS, they certainly would know that. But if you were also riding a standby ride in between, they don't necessarily know that.

 

[SueM in MN]

This isn’t my business, but I think you have the wrong attitude about an ECV. It is just a tool, like crutches or a cane. It is not about how “old” you are, that is only an internal monologue. The issue is really is “will this tool help me and my family enjoy our vacation”?

The first time is the hardest. But once you see how much more you can accomplish and enjoy with an ECV, you’ll never go back to “roughing it out”. Your family will have a better time as well worrying less about your stamina and comfort.

You can always park the ECV in the park and walk around until you need it again. It is going to be much easier than carrying around a camp chair all day.

My father-in-law had the 'I'm not disabled enough' mindset.
He had bad hips and knees and had gotten to a point where he would go to a park and just sit himself on a bench most days. He'd use whatever in park transportation existed (like the trolley at MK that only operated one end of Main Street to the other early in the morning) to get to an area of the park and not really go much further. He'd end his park days early and spend the evening with ice on his knees.
The first time he rented an ECV was the first time he had been able to stay for the fireworks at EPCOT in years. It was also the first time in years that he had been into the EPCOT countries in many years. And, he said later that it was the first time he hadn't ended the Disney day in pain.

 

[Liquidice]

If only the Genie+ Lightning Lane didn’t expire or could still be used after the expiration period. That is a difficult issue for my family as we often have to leave the park for breaks, only to return later in the day. For some members of the disabled community, it is difficult to predict just how the day is going to unfurl. We have to just roll with it and pivot depending on our needs.

Just to counter this a bit - you can now modify Genie+ Lightning Lane return times so long as it has not expired. So if you realized you couldn't make it, you could try to modify the time and if times were available later in the day, you could switch it. In addition to this, you could continue to book Lightning Lanes using Genie+ every 2 hours (and the 2 hours is based on when you originally booked the ride, not when you last modified it), so if you did need to leave to take a break, you could stack Lightning Lanes and have a few rides to go on when you return.

In comparison for DAS, you would have 1 ride via the Lightning Lane that doesn't expire.

I'm not saying people should buy Genie+ if they were denied DAS or trying to justify what Disney is doing, but just giving a perspective on how it might work if you did decide to buy Genie+.

 

[SueM in MN]

Ultimately what this results in is Disney definitely knows when you tap into a ride. They could probably figure out if you went into a standby line since they could get an idea of your rough location. But they really don't have enough precision with their location data to know exactly what you are doing.

For the GAC/DAS lawsuit, they probably had records of what rides the people rode based on scan ins.

For the GAC/DAS lawsuit, the information Disney presented was ride scan information, which included the particular attraction plus time of scan in.
The plaintiffs had also been given a number of attraction re-entry passes that could be used to enter an attraction immediately without waiting. The information Disney presented included the attraction and times those were used for.
I THINK Disney also presented the currently posted wait times for the attractions at the time of the scan, but I might be mistaken about that.

 

[serenitynow]

Just to counter this a bit - you can now modify Genie+ Lightning Lane return times so long as it has not expired. So if you realized you couldn't make it, you could try to modify the time and if times were available later in the day, you could switch it. In addition to this, you could continue to book Lightning Lanes using Genie+ every 2 hours (and the 2 hours is based on when you originally booked the ride, not when you last modified it), so if you did need to leave to take a break, you could stack Lightning Lanes and have a few rides to go on when you return.

In comparison for DAS, you would have 1 ride via the Lightning Lane that doesn't expire.

I'm not saying people should buy Genie+ if they were denied DAS or trying to justify what Disney is doing, but just giving a perspective on how it might work if you did decide to buy Genie+.

We always buy Genie + because most of the rides I can’t ride but the rest of my family can. So shorter wait times for them to ride and me to wait on their return.

That is good advice about modifying for a later time. I will pass it on. Thank you

 

[mlayton14]

A physician’s office needs the patient’s authorization to discuss the patient’s information with a third party. Releasing information is subject to substantial penalties to the physician.

I am pretty sure Disney doesn’t want to maintain medical information about visitors, let alone documentation that would enable anyone who had access to access yet more private information about a guest.

Disney already maintains data of who has DAS and who doesn’t no?

 

[jo-jo]

My father-in-law had the 'I'm not disabled enough' mindset.
He had bad hips and knees and had gotten to a point where he would go to a park and just sit himself on a bench most days. He'd use whatever in park transportation existed (like the trolley at MK that only operated one end of Main Street to the other early in the morning) to get to an area of the park and not really go much further. He'd end his park days early and spend the evening with ice on his knees.
The first time he rented an ECV was the first time he had been able to stay for the fireworks at EPCOT in years. It was also the first time in years that he had been into the EPCOT countries in many years. And, he said later that it was the first time he hadn't ended the Disney day in pain.

My DH was like this. Let's get a wheel chair, no , no, no. Next trip, just walking thru the airport, he said let's get the wheel chair. And hey, instead of walking out to get to a bus to sit down, we can stop and look at the Christmas windows at MK or stop and listen to the barbershop quartet (whose name I can't think of). Then the next step was the scooter. I didn't mind pushing him, but you know what, during the covid years, his walking got worse and I got older, I said we HAD to get the scooter. Hated it for 30 mins. Then it was great.

Just to note, on our off days, we'd go down to the courtyards of the resorts with the scooter and I'd bring his rollator and I'd follow him with the scooter while he got a little exercise with the rollator. He found sitting all day between riding in the parks or sitting in room wasn't good for him . Another option I didn't think until this second, would be just to send him down the hallway back and forth a dozen rooms and then rest. No courtyard needed.

 

[jo-jo]

Just to counter this a bit - you can now modify Genie+ Lightning Lane return times so long as it has not expired. So if you realized you couldn't make it, you could try to modify the time and if times were available later in the day, you could switch it. In addition to this, you could continue to book Lightning Lanes using Genie+ every 2 hours (and the 2 hours is based on when you originally booked the ride, not when you last modified it), so if you did need to leave to take a break, you could stack Lightning Lanes and have a few rides to go on when you return.

In comparison for DAS, you would have 1 ride via the Lightning Lane that doesn't expire.

I'm not saying people should buy Genie+ if they were denied DAS or trying to justify what Disney is doing, but just giving a perspective on how it might work if you did decide to buy Genie+.

Can you explain that a bit more.....say you have a genie+ for buzz. 6 - 7 pm. at 6:40, you know you aren't going to make it. Do you have to look for another slot say 6:45 -7:45 or 7:30 -8:30 or it there a way just to push it out a bit?

 

[koszmok]

California residents who make privacy requests to Disney (allegedly) have been given reams of data showing everywhere their MB was in very frequent intervals (not just when scanning!) around the parks going back years…I don’t know if Disney has actual run the data, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they looked at MBs of people who said they needed DAS because of [xyz issues] and then decided to check and see if park usage indicated it was being used as a true accommodation or people going on 15-20 attractions a day. It is unfortunate that abusers/fakers might have led to some groups being excluded going forward, if certain groups were identified as consuming a disproportionate share of DAS returns. I do think if someone sues going forward claiming to need DAS and that AQR is unworkable, Disney’s litigators will absolutely pull prior MB data to defend the reasonability of the accommodation, why they switched, and the operational impact that granting it in the past created.

I absolutely believe there are many people with GI (and other physical) conditions who need an alternative option to waiting in longer lines…but I think plaintiffs lawyers are going to have a hard time establishing that Disney needs to offer the full DAS service for anyone who has a history of using 10+ LLs a day with DAS— it wouldn’t surprise me if we later learn that Disney was trying to protect the program for the families who can only get in a few rides a day, even with DAS.

Conversely, I wonder if (after trying the offered accommodation), someone could escalate and say “look at my MB history, I spent 3-6 hours a day in bathrooms on average, I need a better accommodation than try to “hold it” and leaving the line when it doesn’t work.”

If they would check my MB usage they would be able to see how often and how long I was in the bathroom so for me it would be a brilliant thing.

Checking my data I don't think they would deny DAS for me

I'd be extremely happy if I could request this....

 

[jlundeen]

My father-in-law had the 'I'm not disabled enough' mindset.
He had bad hips and knees and had gotten to a point where he would go to a park and just sit himself on a bench most days. He'd use whatever in park transportation existed (like the trolley at MK that only operated one end of Main Street to the other early in the morning) to get to an area of the park and not really go much further. He'd end his park days early and spend the evening with ice on his knees.
The first time he rented an ECV was the first time he had been able to stay for the fireworks at EPCOT in years. It was also the first time in years that he had been into the EPCOT countries in many years. And, he said later that it was the first time he hadn't ended the Disney day in pain.

Before I started using an ECV, I was in a similar situation. My friend and I would walk something like 20,000 steps a day, and in the evening, my back, hips, knees and feet just screamed.

My first experience with an ECV was shortly after having knee surgery, at my travel agent's suggestion. Disney became a "whole new world!" I could keep up with others in my group, although it took me a bit to learn how to board and park on a bus. I've used one there every since then, and never looked back.

Getting older is a fact of life, and depending on what genes you were born with and what happened along the way, comes with different aches and pains, and often can be managed pretty well at home and doing normal day to day activities. However, a Disney trip is like no other activity, for me anyway. And to be able to experience it mostly without ending the day is pain is worth the price of renting a scooter for me.

 

[Genie+]

If only the Genie+ Lightning Lane didn’t expire or could still be used after the expiration period. That is a difficult issue for my family as we often have to leave the park for breaks, only to return later in the day. For some members of the disabled community, it is difficult to predict just how the day is going to unfurl. We have to just roll with it and pivot depending on our needs.

A few months back there was specific mention of G+ changing to include some type of pre-booking. They did not release details.

There’s still the ability to modify your booking. Not the answer but still could be helpful at times.

G+ might improve.

Looking at what’s going on right now I think much revolves around that. Not only would that sell more Genie+ but could play into their defense legally. They’ll have a snapshot of DAS impact before/after on operations for all visitors. Show the results were meaningful enough to justify making changes. Supports the need to make changes. While this transition is difficult there might be a silver lining that WDW is now motivated to improve park operations, and stop trying to keep up the perception everything is insane crazy demand.

 

[Tatebeck]

If they would check my MB usage they would be able to see how often and how long I was in the bathroom so for me it would be a brilliant thing.

Checking my data I don't think they would deny DAS for me

I'd be extremely happy if I could request this....

If that worked, I wonder how long it would take until TikTokers start recommending that everyone should stash their MB near a bathroom while riding standby rides lol

 

[jo-jo]

If that worked, I wonder how long it would take until TikTokers start recommending that everyone should stash their MB near a bathroom while riding standby rides lol

Wonder what happens if tik tokers forgets the MB and gets charged with sleeping overnight in the park?????? Or some janitor finds it and it ends up in out of bounds area.

 

[Tatebeck]

Can you explain that a bit more.....say you have a genie+ for buzz. 6 - 7 pm. at 6:40, you know you aren't going to make it. Do you have to look for another slot say 6:45 -7:45 or 7:30 -8:30 or it there a way just to push it out a bit?

It really just depends on what is available. When trying to modify a time it only shows the earliest time slot available. So at 6:40, it could show 6:45-7:45, 7:00-8:00, 7:30-8:00, etc. or it could show that there are no more slots available for the day. If the time available is slightly earlier than you would like, wait a couple minutes or refresh, as the time may bump to a later time slot as the earlier time slot fills up

Edit: also keep in mind that it allows you to enter 5 minutes before your time and 15 minutes after your time without any issues. It scans like normal without even talking to a CM. If you are just going to be a couple minutes late you are fine. If you are going to be over 15 minutes late and there are no times to modify to, screenshot your time and talk to a cast member. Depending on the reason (dining reservation, etc.) they may let you enter even later

 

[cat4hurricane]

This isn’t my business, but I think you have the wrong attitude about an ECV. It is just a tool, like crutches or a cane. It is not about how “old” you are, that is only an internal monologue. The issue is really is “will this tool help me and my family enjoy our vacation”?

The first time is the hardest. But once you see how much more you can accomplish and enjoy with an ECV, you’ll never go back to “roughing it out”. Your family will have a better time as well worrying less about your stamina and comfort.

You can always park the ECV in the park and walk around until you need it again. It is going to be much easier than carrying around a camp chair all day.

Yknow, I think that’s fair, yeah. I don’t have a license so it might not be an option for me, personally. I’m just thinking about maneuverability too with that. I think a roller or whatever it’s called (the walker + seat) would actually be good, definitely more lightweight, and smaller so I should be able to do corners better. Does Disney do rentals of those, or is that an outside company? I know the EVCs are done usually by an outside company, and that Disney I think does have standard wheelchairs for rent.

My only issue with the roller would be that I’d have to talk to my family and see if that was feasible, I don’t think it would be worth it to buy ahead (we don’t go that often, especially now that everyone’s working, hard to coordinate schedules and time off) but I’d be happy to put down money for a rental or at least try it out for a day and see how much of a difference it can make. I think also what would help is just seeing more younger people using it, if that makes sense? I want to figure out something that works, but I’m also not a fan of the pity stares or the “what’s wrong with you” looks that it might bring me. I don’t look outwardly disabled so much, and I don’t exactly want a whole 50 question deal every place I go in Disney because people just have to know or whatever.