DAS

[TimeToPack]

So I just called and spoke with someone at Disney in Disability Service because I do not like to cheat the system and am wondering if we did something wrong when we were there this past July. I explained that I was told on a Disney Forum that my mother should not have received the DAS in July and that one person said they would be happy if the CM had refused her. This CM in Disability Services asked what my mothers limitations were and said due to her age, physical limitations and overall health, she SHOULD have received the pass. The CM told me that he himself, gets one for his father who is 90 and can not stand in the line due to fragile health reasons. They also said many people misinterpret what its for and that it does not include only one set of circumstances. They said people get the pass for MANY different reasons and that it will be determined at Guest Relations and only guest Services.

 

[TimeToPack]

Of course I wouldn't qualify because I would be lying, but technically I do suffer from Panic disorder and if I wanted to I could lie and get it, which I think would be terrible.

Although people who are aging often don't think of themselves as having a disability, according to the ADA, having a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity” means a person has a disability.

 

[TimeToPack]

Being elderly isn’t in and of itself a disability, and if your elderly mother isn’t passing out as she’s pushed around in the sun and heat throughout the park, I doubt she’ll pass out while sitting in lines that are mostly out of the sun.

What do you think, we keep her out in the sun for hours at a time? Ever taken an elderly person to Disney in the summer? We have to keep going inside somewhere to cool her down and make sure she doesn't dehydrate. Believe me we aren't taking all your rides away. That was a very nasty remark. I would think people on this board would be a little more compassionate. Wow, just Wow!!!!!

 

[TwoMisfits]

Of course I wouldn't qualify because I would be lying, but technically I do suffer from Panic disorder and if I wanted to I could lie and get it, which I think would be terrible.

Although people who are aging often don't think of themselves as having a disability, according to the ADA, having a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity” means a person has a disability.

And that's question 1. Question 2 is does that disability require an accommodation of a line limiting pass, or can other accommodations meet the need?

Blind people are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use descriptive audio.
People without legs are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use mobility devices or prosthetics.
Deaf people are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use close-captioned technology.

Etc, etc. Just like many people are disabled, but don't qualify for handicapped parking, b/c that requires a mobility related disability, many people are disabled and don't qualify for DAS, b/c it requires an inability to wait in long, crowded, compact environments.

 

[Lilsia]

What do you think, we keep her out in the sun for hours at a time? Ever taken an elderly person to Disney in the summer? We have to keep going inside somewhere to cool her down and make sure she doesn't dehydrate. Believe me we aren't taking all your rides away. That was a very nasty remark. I would think people on this board would be a little more compassionate. Wow, just Wow!!!!!

Nope, I have never taken someone with those limitations to WDW in the summer because it sounds like torture for them. I cared for my aging grandma for over a decade until she dies last October at 93 years old. And I would never have put her in a situation to begin with where it would be dangerous for her. Dehydration can easily lead to death in someone that age. One of the hardest things for us to accept, as loved ones, is that they can't or shouldn't do things that they could do before. You have described a situation where your mom, not only has issues with heat, but also can not get in and out of the rides safely anymore. DAS probably could help with being out in the heat if you want to stand around in a gift shop most of the day, but it would do nothing to help with the rides. People here are very sympathetic, but it is also clear that, with what you described, it does not seem that you clearly understand how DAS works. You stated that people here have explained it, and also cast members have explained it, but you keep thinking that it will change somehow because you want it to. That's not reality.

 

[TimeToPack]

And that's question 1. Question 2 is does that disability require an accommodation of a line limiting pass, or can other accommodations meet the need?

Blind people are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use descriptive audio.
People without legs are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use mobility devices or prosthetics.
Deaf people are disabled - they don't need/get DAS passes at Disney. They use close-captioned technology.

Etc, etc. Just like many people are disabled, but don't qualify for handicapped parking, b/c that requires a mobility related disability, many people are disabled and don't qualify for DAS, b/c it requires an inability to wait in long, crowded, compact environments.
[/QUOTE

I was answering the person that said being elderly is not a disability. It is when it limits your life.

Also I see no one was there this July when MMRR was a 90 minute wait DIRECTLY in the HOT sun. Buzz Lightyear, hot sun. People Mover, hot sun. Navi River ride, hot sun. Toy Story Mania, hot sun. Frozen, hot sun. There were many rides directly in the hot sun for over an hour.

Compassion is definitely missing here!

 

[Sandisw]

Sadly, this abuse happens frequently. Any hint that Disney might monitor or control abuse is met with immediate resistance, and of course, no proof can be asked for so it makes it nearly impossible to show someone is faking. If misused, DAS is absolutely gives an advantage, so people will abuse the system. Eventually DAS will go the way of GAC, when the abuse becomes well known and extremely wide spread (probably with the ability to pre-book attractions), and a new program will be introduced, making it harder for the people who actually need it. People who abuse things like this are pathetic, but that won’t stop them.

I will say though that under GAC, they really did function as an instant FP. The new DAS does not. No way you will ever stop abuse. We also need to wait to see what all of the preselected rides will be. Nothing has been put out that it will include all of them, or even include the IAS (I would be shocked if they did this). The require DAS to still get a BG for ROTR, so it makes no sense for them to change that tactice.

All other IAS rides (besides Remy) have stand by lines which the DAS can be used to get the return time. My thought is that the preselected rides will be ones that are never that busy and that the DAS holder will be given the time for the ride. This way, it allows them to plan their day better, in conjunction with the paid options.

 

[TimeToPack]

Nope, I have never taken someone with those limitations to WDW in the summer because it sounds like torture for them. I cared for my aging grandma for over a decade until she dies last October at 93 years old. And I would never have put her in a situation to begin with where it would be dangerous for her. Dehydration can easily lead to death in someone that age. One of the hardest things for us to accept, as loved ones, is that they can't or shouldn't do things that they could do before. You have described a situation where your mom, not only has issues with heat, but also can not get in and out of the rides safely anymore. DAS probably could help with being out in the heat if you want to stand around in a gift shop most of the day, but it would do nothing to help with the rides. People here are very sympathetic, but it is also clear that, with what you described, it does not seem that you clearly understand how DAS works. You stated that people here have explained it, and also cast members have explained it, but you keep thinking that it will change somehow because you want it to. That's not reality.

Listen, you do not know our situation, my brother died tragically and he loved Disney. She wanted to go one more time for him. Good for you about your grandmother, but we DID NOT put her in harms way. We made sure she didn't dehydrate. This trip was not for us to be carefree. It was for her to grieve and be able to feel he was with her, which she did. Sympathetic?

 

[Sandisw]

So I just called and spoke with someone at Disney in Disability Service because I do not like to cheat the system and am wondering if we did something wrong when we were there this past July. I explained that I was told on a Disney Forum that my mother should not have received the DAS in July and that one person said they would be happy if the CM had refused her. This CM in Disability Services asked what my mothers limitations were and said due to her age, physical limitations and overall health, she SHOULD have received the pass. The CM told me that he himself, gets one for his father who is 90 and can not stand in the line due to fragile health reasons. They also said many people misinterpret what its for and that it does not include only one set of circumstances. They said people get the pass for MANY different reasons and that it will be determined at Guest Relations and only guest Services.

This also goes to show that it is about the individual and their needs for waiting in lines. That is why saying something as broad as "mobility" doesn't help. As I shared, being in a scooter alone doesn't mean the issue is solely mobility. As you have shared, your mother needs the scooter but also has other issues that appear to make her a candidate for the DAS. It is true that GR is really the only ones to decide.

But in general, being on a scooter because one needs support with moving around the park is enough of an accommodation to enjoy the park as everyone else.

 

[Runnsally]

If you request DAS, is the CM allowed to ask the nature of your disability?

 

[TimeToPack]

This also goes to show that it is about the individual and their needs for waiting in lines. That is why saying something as broad as "mobility" doesn't help. As I shared, being in a scooter alone doesn't mean the issue is solely mobility. As you have shared, your mother needs the scooter but also has other issues that appear to make her a candidate for the DAS. It is true that GR is really the only ones to decide.

But in general, being on a scooter because one needs support with moving around the park is enough of an accommodation to enjoy the park as everyone else.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! This is what I been trying to get across. Its Mobility but also other issues.

 

[TimeToPack]

If you request DAS, is the CM allowed to ask the nature of your disability?

Yes, he asked her what was wrong and why she needed it. They took her picture and gave her the pass. I heard them really questioning a family next to us.

 

[Debbie Jean]

If you request DAS, is the CM allowed to ask the nature of your disability?

They will ask you to explain why you are unable to wait in the regular stand by line. This doesn’t mean a diagnosis but a description of what makes this difficult/challenging. The CM will decide whether a DAS is a suitable accommodation based on your description.

 

[Sandisw]

If you request DAS, is the CM allowed to ask the nature of your disability?

Not details but why you have a concern about the lines that would require you to have DAS. Many people tend to share details as a way to put into context why it is needed. It is why they won't look at a doctor's note...that doesn't tell them why the issue one has requires DAS.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! This is what I been trying to get across. Its Mobility but also other issues.

In your initial post, it was all about mobility, that’s all you mentioned. It was only later, after people pushed back about her getting a DAS for mobility issues that it became a “it’s too hot for her to wait in line!” Issue.

 

[Lilsia]

Listen, you do not know our situation, my brother died tragically and he loved Disney. She wanted to go one more time for him. Good for you about your grandmother, but we DID NOT put her in harms way. We made sure she didn't dehydrate. This trip was not for us to be carefree. It was for her to grieve and be able to feel he was with her, which she did. Sympathetic?

We are going off of what you said. You went in the hottest part of the year, with someone who can't handle the heat and needs help getting in and out of the rides. Not much that Disney can do for that. And as others have said, your first post was about mobility and then you added the heat part. There is only so much that Disney can do for people. And we all have tragedies in our life.

 

[magicalfoursome]

Of course I wouldn't qualify because I would be lying, but technically I do suffer from Panic disorder and if I wanted to I could lie and get it, which I think would be terrible.

Although people who are aging often don't think of themselves as having a disability, according to the ADA, having a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity” means a person has a disability.

Disney does not give the DAS based on a diagnosis or disability. It is given based on a person’s needs. I have panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder but in my case I never felt like I could not wait in line. Now someone else with the same diagnosis may need DAS. Disney wants an explanation as to why you need the accommodation, not your diagnoses. On our last trip in 2019, I did qualify for DAS due to the nature of a chronic illness that I was diagnosed with a few months before. As for myself, I can not handle the heat of the Florida summers with my condition so I do not travel to WDW that time of year. I know that no matter what I will be subject to high heat and humidity and I am just unable to tolerate it. I have no problem with your mom getting DAS if it is determined she needs it because she can not wait in line with a valid reason. Age and being in a wheelchair are not reasons Disney accepts. Hopefully your mom can go again and taking her in the cooler months , if possible, would make it much more enjoyable since she doesn’t do well in heat.

 

[zacharyleo34]

So I just called and spoke with someone at Disney in Disability Service because I do not like to cheat the system and am wondering if we did something wrong when we were there this past July. I explained that I was told on a Disney Forum that my mother should not have received the DAS in July and that one person said they would be happy if the CM had refused her. This CM in Disability Services asked what my mothers limitations were and said due to her age, physical limitations and overall health, she SHOULD have received the pass. The CM told me that he himself, gets one for his father who is 90 and can not stand in the line due to fragile health reasons. They also said many people misinterpret what its for and that it does not include only one set of circumstances. They said people get the pass for MANY different reasons and that it will be determined at Guest Relations and only guest Services.

A little late, but I would like to note that this was more than just mobility issues listed here. If I, a semi-healthy 27-year-old, broke my leg and was in a cast that would not qualify me for a DAS pass even if I have mobility concerns. However if in that scenario I also had another situation beside mobility that makes waiting in line difficult (like my girlfriend, who gets a DAS pass), that would be the thing that would get me the pass and not my mobility issue.

As others have eluded to, a cast member can’t and won’t ask you specifics about a diagnosis or status (which is why when the stores briefly allowed no masks for vaccinated guests they would not ask for your card or status, similarly if you said your kid was 2 or younger that was that). With this in mind this is not really an ADA law type pass, which would have mobility covered, but a “what would prevent you from being capable of being safe in a standard line” type pass.

While I’m happy that you have confirmation from a CM that they would give your mother a DAS pass, unfortunately the way the system currently is (soon to change) you could potentially get denied depending on how it is described to the CM that you see on that day.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is what Disney says about who DAS is for and not for:

Guests need to be able to explain WHY they can’t tolerate extended waits in the regular queue. NOT their condition/diagnosis. Some people with the same condition have disabilities that prevent waiting in lines; others with the same condition do not have a disability associated with the condition that makes waiting in lines difficult To tolerate.

I‘m closing this thread at this point.