Lugan
Double double coaster
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2018
- Messages
- 50
We just experienced 7-days at Walt Disney World, starting October 11th. I thought it might be valuable to others considering or preparing for an impending trip to read / hear about my experience there.
As reported, DAS is alive and functioning. We had concerns that the reported "inflated wait times" for the standby lines would negatively impact the effectiveness of the DAS, essentially causing our time in line to be longer than if we could stand in the standby line. In my experience, most days, the return times given were shorter than the posted standby times. Having used the DAS in the past, I normally would anticipate a 5-10 minute buffer period, to account for the fastpass line, and that was my normal experience this time around, but sometimes the return times really did vary wildly. For instance, one day I saw Spaceship Earth with a 30 - 45 minute standby line, but I was given a return time just 5 minutes out (essentially meaning that I could go right on in). I did notice, at Epcot mainly, some CMs were adjusting the return time manually, after scanning my MB. This isn't something that I'd ever seen done before, and almost everytime it was adjusted manually, the return time was exactly equivalent to the currently posted standby wait time. This led to some instances of me dropping / overwriting a DAS return time, because the return time given was obviously inflated. For example, on 10/14, at about 12:15 my wife went to get a return time, while I ate some ice cream, to Mission Space: Orange. This had a posted 50 minute wait time, and our return time given was 1:15. She reported that the CM was entering a time after scanning her MB, and was obviously doing some mental math before entering the time. At 12:45, we decided to go into the Standby line of Mission Space: Orange, with its 20 minute posted time (it really was walk-on), and were out of the ride before 1:00.
Another thing of note is that the Fastpass queue is getting used for rider swap, DAS, and some special recovery fastpass grants. Since there isn't normal fastpass, the CMs don't appear to be clearing the fastpass queue nearly as quickly as normal, but with the extra crowds this past week, the line in the fastpass lane can stretch far beyond any social distancing markers. In fact, at 7 Dwarfs Mine, we first encountered this line trying to get through the MB scanners when our return time hit (this is the fastpass+ side):
Once scanned, we were unable to progress any further past the scanners, as the queue was backed up to the entrance. This occured on a few other larger attractions, such as Test Track, and might be a cause of concern for those especially vulnerable to COVID-19 (such as us diabetics). I don't know if this will get addressed or not before fastpass is back in play. I got the feeling that CMs were manually adjusting up the return times, thinking that with no fastpass line to contend with, the return time should be more in line with the posted standby wait time. However, that only works if you don't have a shared fastpass lane for other purposes (such as rider swap).
The last item I'll note is an issue we had at Epcot resort opening on 10/14. We arrived at about 10:30 to the IG for temperature check and park entrance, and proceeded around to Norway to get in line for Frozen Ever After. By the time we arrived, the standby line snaked around, and the CM holding the end of line sign indicated a 60 minute wait. This line was in direct sunlight, and so I went to the front to request a return time. The CMs there refused to grant a return time, since the park wasn't open yet. I was unable to convince them that their refusal was not in line with the spirit of the DAS pass, and that it was unreasonable to allow others to queue up, but not allow me to join the line. Essentially this would force my wait time to be significantly longer, as not only would I have to wait 15 minutes to join the line, as the line continued to grow, by the time 11:00 rolled around, the standby wait time was likely to be 80 minutes, as we'd seen on several other days. We gave up on that ride, and did not return to it that day. I wrote a note to Disability services that evening with a detailed explanation of what had occurred. I received a phone call that went straight to voicemail on our last day, while on Soarin' at Epcot. The response I received was very helpful. Essentially, my interpretation was correct, and the CMs should have provided a return time whenever other guests are being allowed to get in line. The CMs should get some additional training to better understand this. Disney also provided a recovery fastpass to use at Epcot so that we would be able to ride Frozen Ever After while there that day, without having to wait in line!
As reported, DAS is alive and functioning. We had concerns that the reported "inflated wait times" for the standby lines would negatively impact the effectiveness of the DAS, essentially causing our time in line to be longer than if we could stand in the standby line. In my experience, most days, the return times given were shorter than the posted standby times. Having used the DAS in the past, I normally would anticipate a 5-10 minute buffer period, to account for the fastpass line, and that was my normal experience this time around, but sometimes the return times really did vary wildly. For instance, one day I saw Spaceship Earth with a 30 - 45 minute standby line, but I was given a return time just 5 minutes out (essentially meaning that I could go right on in). I did notice, at Epcot mainly, some CMs were adjusting the return time manually, after scanning my MB. This isn't something that I'd ever seen done before, and almost everytime it was adjusted manually, the return time was exactly equivalent to the currently posted standby wait time. This led to some instances of me dropping / overwriting a DAS return time, because the return time given was obviously inflated. For example, on 10/14, at about 12:15 my wife went to get a return time, while I ate some ice cream, to Mission Space: Orange. This had a posted 50 minute wait time, and our return time given was 1:15. She reported that the CM was entering a time after scanning her MB, and was obviously doing some mental math before entering the time. At 12:45, we decided to go into the Standby line of Mission Space: Orange, with its 20 minute posted time (it really was walk-on), and were out of the ride before 1:00.
Another thing of note is that the Fastpass queue is getting used for rider swap, DAS, and some special recovery fastpass grants. Since there isn't normal fastpass, the CMs don't appear to be clearing the fastpass queue nearly as quickly as normal, but with the extra crowds this past week, the line in the fastpass lane can stretch far beyond any social distancing markers. In fact, at 7 Dwarfs Mine, we first encountered this line trying to get through the MB scanners when our return time hit (this is the fastpass+ side):
Once scanned, we were unable to progress any further past the scanners, as the queue was backed up to the entrance. This occured on a few other larger attractions, such as Test Track, and might be a cause of concern for those especially vulnerable to COVID-19 (such as us diabetics). I don't know if this will get addressed or not before fastpass is back in play. I got the feeling that CMs were manually adjusting up the return times, thinking that with no fastpass line to contend with, the return time should be more in line with the posted standby wait time. However, that only works if you don't have a shared fastpass lane for other purposes (such as rider swap).
The last item I'll note is an issue we had at Epcot resort opening on 10/14. We arrived at about 10:30 to the IG for temperature check and park entrance, and proceeded around to Norway to get in line for Frozen Ever After. By the time we arrived, the standby line snaked around, and the CM holding the end of line sign indicated a 60 minute wait. This line was in direct sunlight, and so I went to the front to request a return time. The CMs there refused to grant a return time, since the park wasn't open yet. I was unable to convince them that their refusal was not in line with the spirit of the DAS pass, and that it was unreasonable to allow others to queue up, but not allow me to join the line. Essentially this would force my wait time to be significantly longer, as not only would I have to wait 15 minutes to join the line, as the line continued to grow, by the time 11:00 rolled around, the standby wait time was likely to be 80 minutes, as we'd seen on several other days. We gave up on that ride, and did not return to it that day. I wrote a note to Disability services that evening with a detailed explanation of what had occurred. I received a phone call that went straight to voicemail on our last day, while on Soarin' at Epcot. The response I received was very helpful. Essentially, my interpretation was correct, and the CMs should have provided a return time whenever other guests are being allowed to get in line. The CMs should get some additional training to better understand this. Disney also provided a recovery fastpass to use at Epcot so that we would be able to ride Frozen Ever After while there that day, without having to wait in line!
Last edited by a moderator:
I did not look for them at EP or AK. At MK, I ran into a few CM’s wearing blue shirts and asked them where their umbrellas were. They told me MK is too big & lines for them get too long- so for social distancing, they actually just roam the parks. They said that people should always just head towards the attraction they want a return time for & if they happen to run into a blue CM before reaching it- bonus!! 
