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

[greeneyedchick]

I’m very glad that today worked out so well for you. Perhaps it will inspire others who are worried about life post-DAS that it won’t be nearly as bad as they fear.

However, given that guests self attest to the need for AQR, let’s hope that this doesn’t become the next way that people try to cheat the system.

I do think that the fact that PrincessV was traveling solo makes AQR look attractive and ripe for abuse (to be clear, I'm in no way saying that she was doing that! I appreciate her trying this out for everyone)....but I think most people travel in groups of 2 or more. In that case, I would assume the cast members would require the rest of the party to wait in line which would hopefully be a deterrent for people to try and take advantage of AQR.

 

[Ollivier]

It sounds like as a party of 2 they wanted you to use Rider Switch, with 1 person waiting in the queue and the other waiting outside.

What is the difference for guests in SB queue?

When you get a returntime for both you wait longer then in the SB queue, because the real wait times are X min. lower then the published wait times. Then you both enter the LL. People in SB queue are not impacted, it is like you entered the SQ X min later.

A lot of attractions have a narrow queue part at the merge point. How can you wait there without being in the way. Is it possible for a scooter to bypasse people waiting at the merge point? This will effect people in the SB queue and in the LL depending on who comes first at the merge point.
There is no advantage for people in SB queue, only the disadvantige of potential people blocking part of the queque.
For LL the advantage is less people enter true the LL with a disadvantige of potential people blocking part of the queue.

 

[PrincessV]

We have 3 this trip, all adults

I’m going to hazard a guess that with only 3 adults and one disabled, the CM opted to allow the 3rd adult to wait with the disabled person instead of leaving the disabled person on their own, which I think is a nice extra accommodation! My disabled son who’d prefer to wait alone would feel otherwise

 

[mickeyluv'r]

If they are adopting this (potentially superior to DAS) system for single riders, I hope they are checking to make sure that groups of 3-4 aren’t all splitting into groups of 1 to beat the system over and over. Disney has the data and tools to stop abusers, the question is if they will try.

FL had some rather extreme weather last week, and overall crowds were really low. Low crowds was likely for the best as WDW tries to adjust/figure this out. but I also wouldn't draw too many conclusions just yet. When the parks are slow, few people buy G+.

Sending someone through the LL (or not allowing them to use the LL) when the ride is already near walk-on doesn't really say much either way.

This week will probably be a little more useful.

 

[PrincessV]

FL had some rather extreme weather last week, and overall crowds were really low. Low crowds was likely for the best as WDW tries to adjust/figure this out. but I also wouldn't draw too many conclusions just yet. When the parks are slow, few people buy G+.

Sending someone through the LL (or not allowing them to use the LL) when the ride is already near walk-on doesn't really say much either way.

This week will probably be a little more useful.

Just for clarification, while MK was overall slow the day I tested AQR, the two rides I did were not walk-on waits for SB. Pan was posted 45 minutes and POTC was posted 25. Other rides with long SB waits were 7DMT at 70 minutes, Space at 40, Pooh at 30, and JC at 40. Low relative to the insanely inflated times we’ve gotten used to since G+ came along, but not low enough to be considered walk-ons. But the LLs I used, excepting TRON, were very, very empty. There also was no severe weather that day - it managed to barely cough up a couple light drops of rain for 5 minutes, but that was it.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Curious to hear how the system is being implemented at DL. I believe it starts today.

 

[lanejudy]

What is the difference for guests in SB queue?

I'm not sure what you are asking? Disney wants more guests in the standby queue and fewer in the LL queue, hence some of the changes to DAS limiting how many enter the LL.

When you get a returntime for both you wait longer then in the SB queue

It's not about how long someone waits. The primary purpose is to put fewer people into the LL, so they don't want to give out return times unless absolutely necessary. Making part of the party wait in standby reduces how many enter the LL.

There is no advantage for people in SB queue, only the disadvantige of potential people blocking part of the queque.

Why would there be an "advantage" to anybody in the standby queue? It's my understanding that the party who waits outside the queue will be contacted by the rest of their party as they near the merge point. That is when the "waiting" individual (or 2) enter the LL and meet up with the rest of their party at the merge. Presumably not long for either to wait at the merge point.

For LL the advantage is less people enter true the LL with a disadvantige of potential people blocking part of the queue.

Yes, fewer people in the LL is at least one of Disney's goals with these changes. As mentioned above, if timed well there shouldn't be a blockage; maybe allowing a couple of parties to pass but not a lot. We will need more first-hand reports to know for sure how well it works.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Just for clarification, while MK was overall slow the day I tested AQR, the two rides I did were not walk-on waits for SB. Pan was posted 45 minutes and POTC was posted 25. Other rides with long SB waits were 7DMT at 70 minutes, Space at 40, Pooh at 30, and JC at 40. Low relative to the insanely inflated times we’ve gotten used to since G+ came along, but not low enough to be considered walk-ons. But the LLs I used, excepting TRON, were very, very empty. There also was no severe weather that day - it managed to barely cough up a couple light drops of rain for 5 minutes, but that was it.

The national news shows flooding in southern FL, with heavy rain forecast much of the week. A state of emergency has been declared for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties., as of June 16.

Even if it didn't hit MK, it wasn't a great week to drive up from areas south of MK. I have driven in FL during white-out rain, and it is not for timid drivers.

These are just the top 2 links that appeared when I searched:

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/south-florida-areas-hit-hard-by-flooding-continue-to-dry-out/

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/a...s-state-of-emergency-after-flash-19512674.php

 

[SueM in MN]

Pretty much what I said

True

Again true, it’s just when I brought that up after being told the other option; was repeatedly told they knew nothing about it/not an option/go talk to GS


We have 3 this trip, all adults

Doesn’t look too crowded. Got here at 10 picked RotR all returns were 50-90 min then Sitting at Indy, it’s full

They may have been evasive about it because it wasn't an option. Not that it didn't exist, but that it's an option they are supposed to be promoting. It's kind of the 'last resort' option

Curious to hear how the system is being implemented at DL. I believe it starts today.

California 'go-live' date is June 18, so is today.
There may not actually be much news about it for a few weeks, the same as happened for WDW.
As of today, everyone applying & registering for DAS at DL, will be under the new changes. But, since guests are able to register 30 days in advance of their first park day, there will still be a lot of people under the 'old rules' until the end of July.
Even if they are using some of the new ways to access attractions, there may not be many reports for a while.

 

[PrincessV]

The national news shows flooding in southern FL, with heavy rain forecast much of the week. A state of emergency has been declared for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties., as of June 16.

Even if it didn't hit MK, it wasn't a great week to drive up from areas south of MK. I have driven in FL during white-out rain, and it is not for timid drivers.

These are just the top 2 links that appeared when I searched:

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/south-florida-areas-hit-hard-by-flooding-continue-to-dry-out/

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/a...s-state-of-emergency-after-flash-19512674.php

Oh yes, I live here and am familiar - I had the “pleasure” of an especially bad storm on my drive home after my AQR test day! Of course it would wait to unleash while I was doing 70mph on I-4.

But I wanted to clarify that it was not a stormy day at WDW, so it wasn't that rain was keeping people at WDW from being out and about.

 

[starlite_]

Folks need to stop asking for RTQ directly. Of course the CMs won't be handing them out to everyone who asks for it. PrincessV has the right of it, just ask what can be done to help in the case you need to leave the line and follow the instructions.

I stand by what I said before, it seems like trying to overprepare with the "correct" terminology will only end up confusing both parties involved.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Folks need to stop asking for RTQ directly. Of course the CMs won't be handing them out to everyone who asks for it. PrincessV has the right of it, just ask what can be done to help in the case you need to leave the line and follow the instructions.

I stand by what I said before, it seems like trying to overprepare with the "correct" terminology will only end up confusing both parties involved.

Exactly!! See what they offer and go from there.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

It does sound like the CMs are getting more familiar with the process. However, they should never offer accommodations or DAS-like service just because someone only has a few hours in the park. For other reasons, sure. But not this.

Yes, I agree. I suppose it was ambiguous from my post, but I was not suggesting that DAS should be given for health conditions that limit time in the parks—my point is that we will pay for Genie+ or use AQR (my condition is exacerbated by standing around and also sitting in a wheelchair and frankly by many attractions themselves), but having LLs that actually get guests on the ride in less than 15m should allow my kids to do more and stay longer.

 

[lanejudy]

from that perspective, it makes total sense that they looked at her profile

I honestly think this is going way deeper than necessary. The attraction CMs are not looking at guests' profiles to determine accommodations. A single individual (like the PP) walks up and says "I need to leave the queue how should I handle that?" -- they can easily see she is 1 person, or they ask if uncertain about others standing nearby.

IF a return time were granted, it would have only been attached to the 1 individual, so again it doesn't matter how many friends & family are linked to her profile. At that moment, for that attraction, she was 1 person asking for accommodation for 1 person. No need for anybody to dig through an MDE profile.

 

[PrincessV]

I honestly think this is going way deeper than necessary. The attraction CMs are not looking at guests' profiles to determine accommodations. A single individual (like the PP) walks up and says "I need to leave the queue how should I handle that?" -- they can easily see she is 1 person, or they ask if uncertain about others standing nearby.

IF a return time were granted, it would have only been attached to the 1 individual, so again it doesn't matter how many friends & family are linked to her profile. At that moment, for that attraction, she was 1 person asking for accommodation for 1 person. No need for anybody to dig through an MDE profile.

I want to really emphasize that ^

There was no lengthy discussion or reviewing my MDE profile involved. At Pan, the CM initially assumed I needed to rejoin my party in the queue and was going to escort me “outside to where the lines merge, where you can wait for your party” - once I clarified that it was just me, it was all of 30 seconds of doing something on their LL tablet, having me tap in, and sending me on my way through the LL.

 

[Unity]

Folks need to stop asking for RTQ directly. Of course the CMs won't be handing them out to everyone who asks for it. PrincessV has the right of it, just ask what can be done to help in the case you need to leave the line and follow the instructions.

I stand by what I said before, it seems like trying to overprepare with the "correct" terminology will only end up confusing both parties involved.

The problem is we on Disney forums know that RTQ is different than AQR because we are keeping up with things. The problem is that CMs on the DAS side are telling guests 'RTQ' is their option and then describe it like AQR. Which is obviously what they meant, and what should be given in 90% of scenarios, but the miscommunication is likely breeding confusion. We've read reports like that from this thread and outside of it.

People shouldn't expect RTQ, but I imagine several confused guests are going and requesting 'it' when that was what they were mistakenly told.

At least that is my guess on some of what is going on as well.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I want to really emphasize that ^

There was no lengthy discussion or reviewing my MDE profile involved. At Pan, the CM initially assumed I needed to rejoin my party in the queue and was going to escort me “outside to where the lines merge, where you can wait for your party” - once I clarified that it was just me, it was all of 30 seconds of doing something on their LL tablet, having me tap in, and sending me on my way through the LL.

I thought I read that they also had you tap your magic band before pulling out their tablet and had assumed that whatever was happening on the LL tablet was looking at your MDE and confirming that you weren’t with a group, but it was a guess and it sounds like I misunderstood— sorry to confuse everybody on this thread.

 

[Lugan]

I'm not sure what you are asking? Disney wants more guests in the standby queue and fewer in the LL queue, hence some of the changes to DAS limiting how many enter the LL.

And it appears that Disney is just fine with splitting up parties, isolating disabled people, and sending them to go wait alone in order to accomplish this. How this is a reasonable accomodation that provides the same access to a disabled person is beyond me. One goes to an amusement / themepark with others to enjoy the shared experience, not to spend 80% of their time sitting isolated, with brief periods of non-isolated time sprinkled in their day.

 

[PrincessV]

I thought I read that they also had you tap your magic band before pulling out their tablet and had assumed that whatever was happening on the LL tablet was looking at your MDE and confirming that you weren’t with a group, but it was a guess and it sounds like I misunderstood— sorry to confuse everybody on this thread.

No worries! They just had me shift over to the little podium at the LL entry, where they did something on their side - tablet, I assume, but I couldn’t see it behind the podium - then had me tap. I had to tap again at the 2nd tap point further down the LL. I really don’t know what they did, but it was fast: definitely not time to be looking through my profile, and there was no record of anything like a return time in MDE at my end.

 

[Ollivier]

And it appears that Disney is just fine with splitting up parties, isolating disabled people, and sending them to go wait alone in order to accomplish this. How this is a reasonable accomodation that provides the same access to a disabled person is beyond me. One goes to an amusement / themepark with others to enjoy the shared experience, not to spend 80% of their time sitting isolated, with brief periods of non-isolated time sprinkled in their day.

Yes, and they do this to get a higher capacity in LL to make more profit.
I dont say that everybody that used das realy needed this accommodation. And yes they have to find a way to avoid abuse of the das system. But splitting up parties that clearly need accommodations is juist not right.