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

[Karin1984]

Just saw this comment on Tiktok about a DAS response. Based on her profile the comment comes from a CM who has been working at WDW for a few years.

 

[starlite_]

About RTQ. I've seen several posts thru the forum asking why they need to talk to the CM at the attraction since the disability team CM "approved" them for it and how to prove they've been "approved" for it. But honestly it doesn't seem like it's something people are getting "approved" for.

Putting approved in quotes because it seems like it's not approval for RTQ the disability team CMs are giving but simply informing guests that it exists and that they might be granted one at the discretion of the attraction CMs.

 

[PrincessV]

About RTQ. I've seen several posts thru the forum asking why they need to talk to the CM at the attraction since the disability team CM "approved" them for it and how to prove they've been "approved" for it. But honestly it doesn't seem like it's something people are getting "approved" for.

Putting approved in quotes because it seems like it's not approval for RTQ the disability team CMs are giving but simply informing guests that it exists and that they might be granted one at the discretion of the attraction CMs.

Seconding this, as I’ve seen the same on various other platforms and it’s consistent across every report: there is no notation or pre-approval involved with RTQ - it’s entirely at the discretion of the CMs at attractions. (Which feels rather contradictory to the intention of it being an alternate accommodation, IMO. And also a whole lot of weight being piled on frontline CMs. The few reports I’ve seen from them are… not thrilled.)

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just saw this comment on Tiktok about a DAS response. Based on her profile the comment comes from a CM who has been working at WDW for a few years.
View attachment 863395

It’s been pretty obvious the accessibility team did not coordinate with Park Ops re AQR v RTQ. If they had all sat down and thought about how this will actually work for 10 mins they would realize it needed to be an issuable accommodation and then there would be no reason to plead your case at every ride and no reason for Disney to threaten CMs at rides who issue RTQs.

About RTQ. I've seen several posts thru the forum asking why they need to talk to the CM at the attraction since the disability team CM "approved" them for it and how to prove they've been "approved" for it. But honestly it doesn't seem like it's something people are getting "approved" for.

Putting approved in quotes because it seems like it's not approval for RTQ the disability team CMs are giving but simply informing guests that it exists and that they might be granted one at the discretion of the attraction CMs.

I agree, RTQ is not an issuable accommodation. If it was you wouldn’t have to explain to a CM at every ride.

 

[gottalovepluto]

What really gets me is I believe a properly run RTQ would be a more appropriate accommodation for me than DAS and I suspect I’m not alone. I didn’t need the ability to book rides I was physically far away from and that actually encouraged me to book rides I might otherwise have skipped- so RTQ would see less total ride usage from me vs DAS. Like, Disney got so close here on a DAS alternative- and then they lit it on fire.

 

[OurBigTrip]

It's not that I don't understand or agree with building resilience, I do. And.

For some disabled children, they are building resilience every day because their disability creates that many day to day challenges for them. All people deserve respite - a chance to just get away from the challenges for a short time and enjoy life.

I don’t disagree that everyone deserves respite. I do disagree that a Disney park is necessarily the place to seek that respite, as that’s not the point of accommodations.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I don’t disagree that everyone deserves respite. I do disagree that a Disney park is necessarily the place to seek that respite, as that’s not the point of accommodations.

Disney is a place of fun and enjoyment for all. If families want to choose to use it to build skills as that OT suggested, they are free to make that choice. But that does not change that disabled people have the right to access Disney for solely fun and enjoyment as all nondisabled people do.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Disney is a place of fun and enjoyment for all. If families want to choose to use it to build skills as that OT suggested, they are free to make that choice. But that does not change that disabled people have the right to access Disney for solely fun and enjoyment as all nondisabled people do.

Of course they do - never said they didn’t.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Of course they do - never said they didn’t.

ok.

 

[SueM in MN]

I thought I’d maybe try getting a little positivity going on here because it’s been pretty bleak the last few days:

Do people have good methods to keep distracted in queues, for both adults and kids? Specific phone apps, games, etc.

Just think this might be helpful to people/families who are unfortunately getting denied DAS. I know this won’t fix most issues but sometimes a distraction can at least help a little, here and there.

Edit: Heads Up! is a very fun family game which I highly recommend. I also sometimes take a book/kindle into the parks when I’m going solo, which helps me get away from the madness of it all. I can’t say I’ve needed it in the queues (yet) because I’ve always had DAS, but I would imagine it could help time go by if you can drown out the noises around you.

I see a lot of people playing HEADS UP or other games in line. Games can be very helpful for some people

Noise cancelling headphones (over-ear or airpods depending on your preference) can be helpful as well.

If you don’t want to use an electronic babysitter, my son really enjoys hunting for hidden mickeys or other “behind the scenes/inside jokes” that the imagineers have put into the parks.

(eg. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HXMS89...s_s_aps_series_rwt_tpbk&qid=1716807645&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Mickeys-Surprises-Disney-Secrets-ebook/dp/B09Z8KY2PZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YE1QYT5UBEFW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SXzuR4tP6LZ1HwV7qWOxpbVo0Jajmp3-V4phdB6Kq3PBVHMV6FnyPiaTW-j9gAIitjciaxJrXJzUDN2DpAZvLoSBjQO2YyGAkboDvjTGw9JEVUSxUpeIWxRfKwkRXTe0V9PERbSZ9QK7LU_kyutVMjKhllgMDdnrWlI2ZDyoFwtRV8WAhZNuGab3lqzNB8gxyEO4Qtg2bYKe3BmrYIpjh4nt5aW5ddumvi947jErc5I.1aCl1pdeliLUZcNvnTqt9jkEzM8xIJo_c2rwcbJGm58&dib_tag=se&keywords=hidden+mickey+disney+world&qid=1716807708&s=digital-text&sprefix=hidden+mickey,digital-text,67&sr=1-1)

They are old but he absolutely loves them and has learned so much about Disney from them.

We also have done a few homemade scavenger hunts across the parks that let the kids be in the parks but not necessarily ride the rides. They have been enough times that rides are secondary to the pleasure of just being there.

Great suggestions - I'm going to add it to the new suggested products thread

Theoretically we could have qualified for DAS previously and likely still could today. Years ago when our oldest was diagnosed we considered getting the DAS pass but a conversation with his OT at the time made us decide not to. For my son he does have the cognitive ability to understand rewards and can build new skills so our OT pointed out that while waiting may be hard or unpleasant it also had a better reward then most exercises we could with him. We’ve stuck with that model ever since. We like the play Disney app, lots of i spy, name that song and other word games. I pack lots of small ziplocks with favorite snacks. That tends to do it for lines with any kind of continual movement.

Lines with stall points are more complicated. We pack noise canceling headphones for when things become too much. We don’t police laying on the ground like we do in other public locations, I bring a stash of dollar store toys (cars, slinky, mini play dohs) and we pull out YouTube or his switch without shame when needed.

Great suggestion from the OT

It IS terrible, but I have a remedy: stay to the left. In both rooms, stay as far left as you can be. Everybody else pushes to the right, so you just hang out on the left, hang back while they fight their way into the narrow hallway, and then you enter behind them, giving yourself as much space as you need. I’ve found this to be very effective!

We do that too.
In some, we are instructed to stay in a specific general area because of my DD's wheelchair.
But, in those where we are not told where to go, we do what you do

 

[jlundeen]

It IS terrible, but I have a remedy: stay to the left. In both rooms, stay as far left as you can be. Everybody else pushes to the right, so you just hang out on the left, hang back while they fight their way into the narrow hallway, and then you enter behind them, giving yourself as much space as you need. I’ve found this to be very effective!

This is my go to strategy also... I park close to the Emergency Exit back far enough so I can see both screens, and do not try to merge in with the crowd... often, I end up just entering the hallway to the actual line queue around the same time as the next group of crowders get into the room and the doors close behind us.

 

[Chuckdlc]

I could be wrong but I can't help but feel like they are attempting to dissuade those that need accommodations from going to WDW. Whether that's in the form of making them purchase genie+ or in the frustratingly inefficient use of "alternative accommodations" such as AQR or RTQ.

 

[jlundeen]

I saw this this morning and was expecting it to be yet another "DAS is all about cheating the system," so was pleasantly surprised when it seemed like a pretty balanced article:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disability-access-service-denials-disney-world/
Disney Tourist Blog
Tom Bricker
Changes & DAS Denials at Disney World

 

[starlite_]

What really gets me is I believe a properly run RTQ would be a more appropriate accommodation for me than DAS and I suspect I’m not alone. I didn’t need the ability to book rides I was physically far away from and that actually encouraged me to book rides I might otherwise have skipped- so RTQ would see less total ride usage from me vs DAS. Like, Disney got so close here on a DAS alternative- and then they lit it on fire.

I am trying to think how that would work. But pre-approved RTQ is just DAS imo.

 

[Evita_W]

I saw this this morning and was expecting it to be yet another "DAS is all about cheating the system," so was pleasantly surprised when it seemed like a pretty balanced article:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disability-access-service-denials-disney-world/
Disney Tourist Blog
Tom Bricker
Changes & DAS Denials at Disney World

Wow, an actual, well written piece that pretty much sums up how DH has said he feels about these changes.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I saw this this morning and was expecting it to be yet another "DAS is all about cheating the system," so was pleasantly surprised when it seemed like a pretty balanced article:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disability-access-service-denials-disney-world/
Disney Tourist Blog
Tom Bricker
Changes & DAS Denials at Disney World

He did a nice job with that article. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

All people deserve respite - a chance to just get away from the challenges for a short time and enjoy life.

I understand what you're saying but WDW (and DL isn't far behind) is the most visited theme park in the world and with that comes certain things about it. It is a place where you'll have tens of thousands of people watching the fireworks all at once never mind trying to walk on Main Street, it is a place where crowds are plentiful, where loud noises occur sometimes suddenly without much warning, where heat and exhaustion easily set in and a number of other things. I hear what you're saying about respite but again it's the most visited theme park in the world. They logistically can only do so much to absolve the situations that cause issues for guests in general.

I think discussing resiliency is actually a good point (though the poster was speaking broadly) not because the person is trying to say people don't deserve to go and be happy and enjoy the parks (everyone deserves that) but because it is a place where you (general you) can be put in a lot of situations with many being unavoidable completely.

It's a bit of an inside joke on this Board to discuss vacation planning or being on vacation using Disney as a comparison and it's for good reason When we were traipsing around Europe we were walking a lot but I would joke to my husband "well it's only half Disney days" if we only walked 12K steps (in reality we normally do 20K-30K steps per day at Disney). Many use the descriptor of Disney trips preparing for other trips because it makes other trips sometimes look quite easy. I really liked how that poster said WDW for them was a place to build confidence and reduce anxiety and I think it was looking at the situation in a positive light

 

[PrincessV]

We do that too.
In some, we are instructed to stay in a specific general area because of my DD's wheelchair.
But, in those where we are not told where to go, we do what you do

This is my go to strategy also... I park close to the Emergency Exit back far enough so I can see both screens, and do not try to merge in with the crowd... often, I end up just entering the hallway to the actual line queue around the same time as the next group of crowders get into the room and the doors close behind us.

I feel like you’ll appreciate this… last time I rode, there were 4 parties all hanging on the left, keeping about 3 feet between us in the 2nd big room, kind of oblivious to the fact that there was this very obvious big gap between us - the folks who want nothing to do with the stampede - and the rest of the room. As the CM started walking the perimeter near us, he had a little chuckle with a kind smile and quietly said something to the effect of “this is where the people who KNOW hang out.” That’s when we all noticed each other and had a knowing chuckle ourselves. Like, if you ever want to make some friends with people who share your need for space, THAT is the place to find us lol!

 

[lanejudy]

I’m seeing/reading a lot of posts that appear to be confusing Attraction Queue Re-entry (AQR) and Return to Queue (RTQ). I hope it is not the video chat CMs confusing these but rather many individuals hearing (expecting) RTQ when it’s actually AQR that is recommended. I’d be surprised if CMs are widely offering RTQ which isn’t even mentioned as an official offering.

The RTQ terminology was unofficially discussed for ~6 weeks prior to any mention of AQR, which is the service that actually works in (about) the way speculated for several weeks. Understandable that someone’s brain translates AQR into RTQ when AQR is the recommendation.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I am trying to think how that would work. But pre-approved RTQ is just DAS imo.

Sure, but physically going to the ride to get a return time would cut down on how many things one can hit if one has stamina that day. Alas, it’s not reality so it doesn’t even matter.