DAS Question

[DisneyOma]

So I have bladder damage that causes me to have to go often and urgently, which is what being pregnant is like. My bladder issue is VERY similar to what it was like when I was pregnant. You can't just "hold" it because you have something pushing down on it. That very much is a disability in the sense that it is not normal. With my issues, I can not go on a ride if the wait is longer then 20 minutes because I would not make it back to the bathroom. And yes, I do go that often. If you explain the issue, instead of just saying "because of pregnancy", they can be very reasonable and understanding. Physical issues are no less a "disability" then mental ones. I went 7 months pregnant and can tell you that it is exhausting to spend even a few hours in the park. Make sure your wife takes very frequent sit down breaks and drinks plenty of water. Now, with the masks especially, it is easy to not drink enough because it is more of a hassle. Every pregnancy is different and can affect a woman differently. I carried my babies "internally" and hardly had any belly so they took up all of the space of my organs and I could barely breath at times. Pregnant woman need to take care of themselves because it is so hard on a body. Have a fun trip.

Could you offer the OP some tips about what you do when you have to go and you can't make it to the restroom, are still on an attraction, etc? Because the DAS is only going to get them on one ride without waiting in the queue, there are going to be a lot more times when using the bathroom might not be possible right away?

 

[Lilsia]

Could you offer the OP some tips about what you do when you have to go and you can't make it to the restroom, are still on an attraction, etc? Because the DAS is only going to get them on one ride without waiting in the queue, there are going to be a lot more times when using the bathroom might not be possible right away?

I have been lucky so far that I have made it to the restroom in time. But I know when I am having a bad day and will not do many attractions on those days. There have been a few times that I just had to get out of line to go. There is not much that you can do when it comes to having to go now. You just hope that you make it to the restroom in time. Wearing a pad helps with leaks.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I don’t think anyone in this thread has said pregnancy is a disability. It is has been said that pregnancy can cause some disabilities that may require DAS.

Ive had 5 kids and I’m a nurse practitioner. Frequent urination (and even stress incontinence) are symptoms of pregnancy, not disabilities. Doing Disney World while pregnant is indeed hard. Doing anything while pregnant is hard. But it’s a self limiting condition, and IMO, shouldnt qualify for a DAS.

 

[Lilsia]

Ive had 5 kids and I’m a nurse practitioner. Frequent urination (and even stress incontinence) are symptoms of pregnancy, not disabilities. Doing Disney World while pregnant is indeed hard. Doing anything while pregnant is hard. But it’s a self limiting condition, and IMO, shouldnt qualify for a DAS.

A woman got herself knocked up and so she needs to now "deal" with the consequences? How about someone who does something stupid and gets injured. Should they not use an ECV for the broken leg because they "did it to themselves". You see how stupid that is right? Attitudes like this from medical professionals is why woman's issues get dismissed. We don't need to prove anything.

 

[Jmljasmine]

A woman got herself knocked up and so she needs to now "deal" with the consequences? How about someone who does something stupid and gets injured. Should they not use an ECV for the broken leg because they "did it to themselves". You see how stupid that is right? Attitudes like this from medical professionals is why woman's issues get dismissed. We don't need to prove anything.

So agree with you. I'm especially bothered as the pp said she was a nurse practitioner. As an MD who is pregnant with number 4 and delivered babies in my last practice, there is no difference between disabilities caused by pregnancy and those caused by, let's us a sport as an example. An athlete could have get a torn ligament or a broken bone. She they be disqualified from assistance? After all not every athlete with endure those injuries. In the exact same way, not every pregnant women gets disabling symptoms while some do. Unless a rule is put in place that only life long disabilities count, both the senior with a broken leg and the pregnant woman who is not as blessed as the above NP with her pregnancies should get assistance if needed.

 

[DisneyOma]

So agree with you. I'm especially bothered as the pp said she was a nurse practitioner. As an MD who is pregnant with number 4 and delivered babies in my last practice, there is no difference between disabilities caused by pregnancy and those caused by, let's us a sport as an example. An athlete could have get a torn ligament or a broken bone. She they be disqualified from assistance? After all not every athlete with endure those injuries. In the exact same way, not every pregnant women gets disabling symptoms while some do. Unless a rule is put in place that only life long disabilities count, both the senior with a broken leg and the pregnant woman who is not as blessed as the above NP with her pregnancies should get assistance if needed.

Mobility issues do not qualify for DAS, so I'm not sure this is the best comparison. A temporary disability that does not involve a mobility issue may qualify for DAS, but I'm wondering if it's even safe to go on attractions (even the "gentle ones" can be jarring when boats bump at the end like IASW) if someone is experiencing a pregnancy-related disability? Not that it's my call to make, of course.

The OP mentions the wife is on meds for the condition - hope that helps for the rest of the time when the family is waiting for the DAS time to arrive.

 

[Jmljasmine]

Mobility issues do not qualify for DAS, so I'm not sure this is the best comparison. A temporary disability that does not involve a mobility issue may qualify for DAS, but I'm wondering if it's even safe to go on attractions (even the "gentle ones" can be jarring when boats bump at the end like IASW) if someone is experiencing a pregnancy-related disability? Not that it's my call to make, of course.

The OP mentions the wife is on meds for the condition - hope that helps for the rest of the time when the family is waiting for the DAS time to arrive.

For safety it depends on the situation and the specific pregnancy and timing. For some, it wouldn't be safe. Based on OPs OB recommending looking into DAS, sounds like it's fine for her. (Right now it would not be fine for me but I'm in a different situation and I'm starting to think my job is close to being not fine for me)

 

[SteveMouse]

....Based on OPs OB recommending looking into DAS, sounds like it's fine for her....

We don’t know if the OB has any familiarity at all with the DAS at all. They may be perfectly fluent or they may have exceedingly limited knowledge.

My challenges have nothing to do with pregnancies. I do have major issues related to mobility as well as significant risks from falls or injuries resulting from other people bumping or pushing me. I pay considerable attention to the environments I would like to visit. Some of them simply do not have a environment that can meet my needs, such as some concert venues with floor-only environments. I don’t get to particippâté in those activities.

Have you noticed accessible portapoties? They’re not exactly accessible. If the venue I want to go to only has those facilities, I don’t go. It sounds Like this trip,may have some challenges- maybe the op should consider either not go8ng or altering their itinerary for more resort time with potentially easier restroom access.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am closing this thread at this point.

Pregnancy itself is not a disability, but can occasionally cause issues that do meet the definition of a temporary disability.
Some of those may need accommodation, others won’t.
The OP‘s wife can discuss their concerns with Guest Relations, who will either issue DAS or not. Whether DAS is issued or not, the OP needs to be aware there will likely be some situations that DAS won’t help with. This is a link to the official WDW website page about DAS:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../wdw-disability-access-service_2015-04-30.pdf
CMs recommend guests talk to a CM if possible before leaving if they need to leave the line; they may be able to help. That is not connected with DAS.
You can also check the current posted wait time on the My Disney Experience App or look at the signs at attractions. If the issue is as frequent as the OP wrote, they may find that most waits exceed the time.