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

[gottalovepluto]

The suggestion to get around booking LLMP early is to use a GPS spoof app which is illegal.
UK tickets are no longer vastly discounted…
‘Take our vacation dollars elsewhere’ doesn’t sound very welcoming and not our preferred option when before these changes we could have a very good experience even if not being able to spend much time in the parks

Like what do you want from this thread? Your options are
1: complain to Disney and take your dough elsewhere
2: complain to Disney and accept the new system

No matter what option you pick complaining to us about the system does you no good but it will keep getting suggestions like “take your money elsewhere” because we are a practical bunch who don’t like seeing people hitting their heads against the wall. What was before is GONE.

 

[dbriggsq]

It needs to be park hopper + at $885 plus the $185 for memory maker. So UK gets a $1,070 ticket for $793, which is a $277 discount PLUS an extra 4 days are on it and they get even more days to spread it out accross.

Fair enough - I missed out the + element which would take it to $92 cheaper. Memory maker is a bit of a red herring. It’s included as a perk for everyone on the UK tickets (you can’t opt out). Given a choice I wouldn’t have it. But for a family of 4 for example only one person in the group would need to buy it so the cost is spread between 4 tickets. With regards to the 10 v 14 days - how many people would go to the parks every day for 14 days (I suppose some would but not us). The 10 day US ticket is useable over 14 days so possibly comparable

 

[OurBigTrip]

DAS is not going anywhere. It's been litigated and deemed reasonable for ASD with needs.

I doubt that DAS is going anywhere either, at least for the foreseeable future. But I wouldn’t interpret Disney’s win in the court case to mean that DAS can’t be eliminated, so long as there are reasonable accommodations for ASD.

The court ruled DAS was enough for ASD guests, so I see it as a ceiling rather than a floor…Disney doesn’t have to offer more, but they can offer less.

 

[dbriggsq]

Like what do you want from this thread? Your options are
1: complain to Disney and take your dough elsewhere
2: complain to Disney and accept the new system

No matter what option you pick complaining to us about the system does you no good but it will keep getting suggestions like “take your money elsewhere” because we are a practical bunch who don’t like seeing people hitting their heads against the wall. What was before is GONE.

I was replying to someone who was suggesting various options for overseas visitors who don’t have the option of applying for DAS before they arrive OR pre booking any LLMP before arrival, to say that some of those options weren’t reasonable and that it’s now not a level playing field. Yes I have contacted Disney and had a telephone conversation about it. So far nothing has changed

 

[Sykes]

The court ruled DAS was enough for ASD guests, so I see it as a ceiling rather than a floor…Disney doesn’t have to offer more, but they can offer less.

I generally agree with you, but I feel it's appropriate to clarify that in the case the court ruled that DAS was sufficient for those specific plaintiffs, not for everyone with ASD as a whole. Since everyone is different it is plausible that a different person with different needs could have more success. Having said that, the standard applied by the court (and affirmed by the appeals court) implies (IMO) that there is an almost impossibly high bar to clear for anyone attempting to claim an ADA violation with regard to the DAS changes.

 

[Philsfan77]

I’m starting to think people think DAS is a program Disney HAS to do to be ADA compliant, and therefore if they make enough noise publicly it will be available to more people like it was before. It’s been reiterated over and over that DAS goes beyond what is required. You know what will happen if they get too much flack for it? They will stop the program entirely for being an unreasonable accommodation the negatively impacts operations.

Going on a Disney Trip in the US inherently means:
-being around thousands of people
-waiting for things like rides, shows, characters, transportation, being seated for a meal, checking out in a store
-long distances between things that require walking or some mobility device
-exposure to heat and sunlight, especially in Florida where it is hot and humid a good portion of the year

Disney can only do so much to make the park accessible to individuals who have disabilities that make dealing with any the above challenging. At some point it is the responsibility of the individual to be honest with themselves about whether a Disney vacation is something they can safely experience and enjoy within the confines of accommodations Disney is makes available to that individual (not the accommodations the individual needs beyond what Disney has said is available to them). Unfortunately that may mean some people can no longer go to Disney. My sibling is in that category and it is sad but it is the reality and we find places to go that they CAN safely enjoy.


And before purists go all “exclusion is against what Walt wanted”, Walt wasn’t alive when all the information in the world is available at our fingertips and disabilities stopped behind hidden in the shadows. Walt also had to have others step in and keep him from running the company out of money with his grand visions, so he as an individual isn’t the best example of how to run a multibillion dollar company.

With the rise of the internet, acceptance of disabilities, and an increase in entitlement behavior, use of any accommodation is going to be utilized more by those who need it and those who feel entitled to it. That means Disney can’t be as generous with accommodations that impact operations and the experience of guest as a whole. (More people in LL impacts standby waits and dilutes the value of LL and DAS.)

Losing anything is difficult, especially when daily life is such a struggle for some. But DAS as we knew it is gone and the repeated chant of “bombard them with complaints until it goes back so that more qualify” just puts DAS at more risk of going away entirely and all guests being told RtQ and AQR are all that is available.

This is essentially what the DAS Defenders facebook group has devolved into. There seem to be a lot of people who feel because they have a label within that group, DAS should just be rubber stamped for them, regardless of whether it actually impacts them waiting in a line.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

Currently prices for the rest of the year are around $830-$870. Prices for next year are even higher. I don’t think that’s heavily discounted especially considering there might be very little value in the first week

Well, there are people who pay considerably more to access Walt Disney World for longer periods of time. DH and I just dropped close to $2M for a new house at the south end of World Drive. (We do not have to contend with the I-4 or any other high traffic roads). Several of our neighbors who own homes are from the UK, other European nations and even Brazil. So, people do it. Actually, it is a good investment. Some people live inside Disney World in a neighborhood called Golden Oaks. Disney just announced they are building more homes in that area.

But the thing is, a local passholder, even with the Incredi-pass cannot make LLMP reservations more than 3 days out. Since we often go on the spur of the moment, it pretty much guarantees we are left with stand-by lanes. As a senior, I tend not to stay up late enough to do rides near park closing when wait times are shorter. We also do not get early entry rope drop because we are not staying on-site. So, we are, in reality, more restricted to ride access than our UK guest — and we paid far more for proximity access and our annual passes. That is a forgotten group nobody talks about — the local who has disabilities, is non-DAS eligible and has a very restricted access to LLMP due to it being sold out. We are basically out of luck with the changes, but absolutely no one is going to feel sorry for us. So, rather than dwell in the negative, we are going to enjoy as much of it as we can. Attraction Queue Re-Entry is going to have to work for us. If we cannot exit and re-enter when we need to, then we will do something else or go home. But going to WDW is not free for us either. Beyond the much higher costs of living in the penumbra of Disney World, we also do eat and buy merch in the parks, just like other guests.

 

[voxparse]

This is essentially what the DAS Defenders facebook group has devolved into. There seem to be a lot of people who feel because they have a label within that group, DAS should just be rubber stamped for them, regardless of whether it actually impacts them waiting in a line.

Just going to add that if those people who are hell bent on getting DAS back aren't able to figure out the two VERY obvious things you can say to still get DAS, that is on them. I'm not in any way suggesting people should game the system but I'm a little surprised these groups can't figure it out.

 

[lanejudy]

Memory maker is a bit of a red herring. It’s included as a perk for everyone on the UK tickets (you can’t opt out). Given a choice I wouldn’t have it. But for a family of 4 for example only one person in the group would need to buy it so the cost is spread between 4 tickets. With regards to the 10 v 14 days - how many people would go to the parks every day for 14 days (I suppose some would but not us). The 10 day US ticket is useable over 14 days so possibly comparable

I understand what you are saying, but you can't pick-and-choose which parts of the ticket have value to you when comparing whether the tickets are equivalent in general. The UK ticket automatically includes all those perks -- ability to enter multiple theme parks every day for 14 days, enter a water park every day for 14 days, mini-golf once a day for 14 days, includes memory maker, etc. That has to be considered when pricing out an "almost equivalent" US ticket, which really doesn't exist. US has base ticket with add-ons for park-hopping, sports&more, memory maker, etc.

If the ticket you purchase costs more than you want to spend and includes features you won't use, don't buy it. Buy a base 5-day or 7-day or 10-day ticket or whatever better fits your needs.

 

[nalababybear]

I doubt that DAS is going anywhere either, at least for the foreseeable future. But I wouldn’t interpret Disney’s win in the court case to mean that DAS can’t be eliminated, so long as there are reasonable accommodations for ASD.

The court ruled DAS was enough for ASD guests, so I see it as a ceiling rather than a floor…Disney doesn’t have to offer more, but they can offer less.

If Disney wanted to change that equation, they would have on this revamp. -- they did not.

Agree, that's it's 'enough' - that's neither a floor nor ceiling but sufficient.

They can that equation, there will be a reevaluation based on those changes if litigation ensues -- I doubt that will happen at this time or anytime in the near future.

For those affected by the revamp, a large portion does fall into the 'just in case' and Disney believes that AQR will meet the vast majority of that population as a reasonable accommodation. Obviously there's a lot of opinions on whether it does or not and a bit more about how Disney has lost its luster as an what Disney represents.

To us, we are unabashed adult fans of Disney that grew even more when its tentpole expanded to Marvel and Star Wars. Disney has been and will continue to play an integral part of our lives. That said, our touring style at the parks and consumption of all-things-Disney has changed significantly over our decades with Disney. It will CONTINUE TO CHANGE as we age and our dear son with ASD changes too.

 

[jennab]

Just going to add that if those people who are hell bent on getting DAS back aren't able to figure out the two VERY obvious things you can say to still get DAS, that is on them. I'm not in any way suggesting people should game the system but I'm a little surprised these groups can't figure it out.

Oh they probably have figured it out, but hopefully Disney has smartened up and has record that those people have already called 5x, been denied, and are now changing to say they have different symptoms to get approved….

 

[nalababybear]

This is essentially what the DAS Defenders facebook group has devolved into. There seem to be a lot of people who feel because they have a label within that group, DAS should just be rubber stamped for them, regardless of whether it actually impacts them waiting in a line.

As an active participant over there, I would say that group hit its nadir a few weeks ago and really a bit of a poop show.

Advocacy has an absolute role in representation of disabilities. Without it, ADA and IDEA would never have happened.

How that translates over to Disney and it being a good corporate citizen is a different matter. Disney has traditionally been the champion of the 'little guy'. It dares to dream. So much so that it got into political hot waters this decade.

This pivot and DAS revamp really hit a large population hard because of the significant amount of change that it did. The feelings are still raw as many deal with the change an how 'their magic and escape' was so radically altered. Are they vocal? Yes. Should they? Probably. Does Disney HAVE to listen --- up to Disney.

Bottom line: revamp with AQR as the primary reasonable accommodation is the rule of Disney at this time with few being offered DAS. People have to adjust to this until Disney decides to make tweaks or pivot again. --- Advocacy with DISNEY LEADERSHIP will be a continued key portion to this.

 

[DiznyDiva]

I was replying to someone who was suggesting various options for overseas visitors who don’t have the option of applying for DAS before they arrive OR pre booking any LLMP before arrival, to say that some of those options weren’t reasonable and that it’s now not a level playing field.

30 days was always the earliest you could pre register for DAS and even then it has never been a guarantee. And two years before that you had to do it in park and gamble then. So in essence the playing field was unbalanced by adding the pre registration .

This is essentially what the DAS Defenders facebook group has devolved into. There seem to be a lot of people who feel because they have a label within that group, DAS should just be rubber stamped for them, regardless of whether it actually impacts them waiting in a line.

That place.... I mean everyday. So nasty.. and so many conspiracies. The amount of drama. It is an endless cycle of anxiety and stress they willing put themselves through daily. A choice to be stuck and not to move forward.

I check in once a day, but it's always we are owed because we are disabled and key holders and now our lives are over. They gaslight each other by saying Disney hates them, Disney is breaking the law, telling each other to keep calling over 20 times in just days, to refuse the accommodations offered, and even to harass CM's who say no. The calm voices are ganged up on and forced to leave, with no-one every saying wait that doesn't make sense. The mods encourage it all.

They are making a mobil billboard for D23 to drive around fro e few days. Their right, though I doubt it will have the effect they are hoping for with the wording they are using.

 

[dbriggsq]

I understand what you are saying, but you can't pick-and-choose which parts of the ticket have value to you when comparing whether the tickets are equivalent in general. The UK ticket automatically includes all those perks -- ability to enter multiple theme parks every day for 14 days, enter a water park every day for 14 days, mini-golf once a day for 14 days, includes memory maker, etc. That has to be considered when pricing out an "almost equivalent" US ticket, which really doesn't exist. US has base ticket with add-ons for park-hopping, sports&more, memory maker, etc.

If the ticket you purchase costs more than you want to spend and includes features you won't use, don't buy it. Buy a base 5-day or 7-day or 10-day ticket or whatever better fits your needs.

This conversation started when I was saying that overseas visitors are at a disadvantage when applying for DAS or booking LLMP and someone said that UK tickets are ‘vastly discounted’. I have simply tried to say that although they were in the past the difference is not now that great and so therefore not ‘vastly discounted’

 

[jennab]

This conversation started when I was saying that overseas visitors are at a disadvantage when applying for DAS or booking LLMP and someone said that UK tickets are ‘vastly discounted’. I have simply tried to say that although they were in the past the difference is not now that great and so therefore not ‘vastly discounted’

Most of us don’t think UK visitors are at a disadvantage as most go for 2wks and get free dining offers. Leaving them more time enjoy all aspects of the park. I suspect many US visitors go for less than half that time, so they need to try to get everything in a shorter period. I prefer longer trips because we can’t handle open to close and prefer a more relaxed pace, but many people can’t do that due to vacation limits, school, money, etc. So I think it’s hard to say UK visitors are worse off….

 

[DiznyDiva]

Oh they probably have figured it out, but hopefully Disney has smartened up and has record that those people have already called 5x, been denied, and are now changing to say they have different symptoms to get approved….

I actually doubt they have because they refuse to understand they other side. One that site the common reframe is Disney did this because it hates disabled, doesn't want them in the park and is trying to sell more Genie and LL. They refuse to believed except for very tine minority that they was widespread fraud and that this is just a Disney story painted to harm them.

I also believe Disney has learned over theist few months. IMO they hurt themselves calling over and over and then threatening. All the stories from that page are always the same over the top symptoms that almost alway will result in near death experiences if they don't have the DAs pass...

What's the say? Keep it simple stupid.. oh and being polite never hurt anyone...

 

[dbriggsq]

30 days was always the earliest you could pre register for DAS and even then it has never been a guarantee. And two years before that you had to do it in park and gamble then. So in essence the playing field was unbalanced by adding the pre registration

In the UK we can’t apply until we get to a park as per

The Video Chat team will be available to have an individual discussion about your particular concerns as soon as you arrive in the United States and if you are within 30 days of your upcoming visit to Walt Disney World. Should you wish, you may contact them upon your arrival in the United States, instead of needing to wait until you have arrived at a Theme Park. To contact them when you arrive, please use the link provided in our US site: Accessibility Services

 

[nalababybear]

I actually doubt they have because they refuse to understand they other side. One that site the common reframe is Disney did this because it hates disabled, doesn't want them in the park and is trying to sell more Genie and LL. They refuse to believed except for very tine minority that they was widespread fraud and that this is just a Disney story painted to harm them.

I also believe Disney has learned over theist few months. IMO they hurt themselves calling over and over and then threatening. All the stories from that page are always the same over the top symptoms that almost alway will result in near death experiences if they don't have the DAs pass...

What's the say? Keep it simple stupid.. oh and being polite never hurt anyone...

Honey catches more flies than vinegar for sure.

Problem is when hurting, tunnel vision occurs. The key is to understand that and try to reset to get to the next step.

People may develop mal-adaptive behaviors too -- Karens and Kevins don't happen overnight and abound everywhere. If we allow them to drive the conversations and agenda, yeah -- it becomes a poop show.

Luckily it's stabilized over there and we pick/choose to engage and redirect where we can to move conversations to a productive manner.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Most of us don’t think UK visitors are at a disadvantage as most go for 2wks and get free dining offers. Leaving them more time enjoy all aspects of the park. I suspect many US visitors go for less than half that time, so they need to try to get everything in a shorter period. I prefer longer trips because we can’t handle open to close and prefer a more relaxed pace, but many people can’t do that due to vacation limits, school, money, etc. So I think it’s hard to say UK visitors are worse off….

Vacation time is mostly limited for a lot of U.S. visitors. I was reminded how some people view our abysmal vacation policy (which doesn't exist nationally) when we were on the train in Germany headed into Denmark talking to a German woman and a Danish woman both getting ready to get out their sail boats and sail around for a few months. The conversation did include things like months where X country is basically off work. They were very surprised me telling them us on vacation for 15 days especially in a row was quite rare for many U.S. individuals to do. Also sick time got talked about as I discussed how my insurance job did not include separate sick time, it was 19 PTO days in a given year that included everything you would need time off for being sick was counted towards that and you had to work 5 years to get any more days than that.

I understand the PP's point because they are talking about the ability to purchase something (LL) that which one should have the option to purchase (that's Disney's thing right now I can't argue for or against it really) but on the other hand their ability to tour the parks stands a higher chance at being done very differently (and at a different price point and perks included) than what we have as an option here. FWIW I believe Universal has been said to come out with a specific long-ticket day package for UK guests for when Epic Universe opens (and I believe still with restriction on how many days can be used for Epic Universe). It's not just Disney that knows the UK residents usually come for a long time because they have the ability to do so.

 

[DiznyDiva]

To us, we are unabashed adult fans of Disney that grew even more when its tentpole expanded to Marvel and Star Wars. Disney has been and will continue to play an integral part of our lives. That said, our touring style at the parks and consumption of all-things-Disney has changed significantly over our decades with Disney. It will CONTINUE TO CHANGE as we age and our dear son with ASD changes too.

It's like I wrote this about us and our kiddo. Nicely written.

They can that equation, there will be a reevaluation based on those changes if litigation ensues -- I doubt that will happen at this time or anytime in the near future.

They are not breaking the law with how they formulate their DAS program as long as there are other accommodations. Many are confusing their wants with what the ADA and even Hippa say.

I hope after D23 and going into the holidays, saner minds prevail. After all so many have said they are walking away from Disney and taking their money elsewhere until they are given DAs again... but I tend to think it's like everyone who threatens to leave the US every election when their candidate doesn't win, and never does.