disabilities assistance Abuse

[Sheri1912]

We were unfortunately judged for my son having a DAS on our trip late July My son is 4 years old and has Sensory Processing Disorder and ADHD. He has a lot of trouble standing in one place for long period of times and will meltdown if he's unable to run/walk out that nervous energy. Even worse, if he's forced to stand still for extended periods surrounded by people he doesn't know or in a large crowd he becomes physically aggressive and combative, with us and those around him. A group of adults waiting in line started yelling at us as were making our way onto Slinky Dog, saying there was nothing wrong with me or my "brat", we're walking fine so why do we get to skip the line. I ignored them but it hurts my heart to hear anyone saying things like that to my son. Luckily he's young enough that he didn't know or understand that they were referring to us. They obviously didn't understand the DAS system or what it's really about but it's those that don't understand how it works that judge. Or those that don't have anyone in their life who suffers from a "silent" disability.

 

[Groot]

I am glad I have never heard that while waiting in the guest services line with my daughter. My reaction to those kind of parents would not be a good one.

Yeah, cuz the words that they used in real life I don’t feel comfortable typing on these forums.

 

[MS_Warrior]

or by doing what Sue mentioned earlier about tracking who is on the DAS with the DAS holder (never the same group twice over a period of time, etc.). No idea what they have in mind, but by going from the DAS being a tool for equal access to a tool for preferred access, they're incentivizing the very abuse that they claimed they were trying to avoid when they won their lawsuit last year.

Why wouldn’t they be able to do the ride as often as they want? They will be waiting the standby time. It’s basically a virtual queue. If you want to stand in line over and over for a ride, no one blocks that. To me, a DAS is no different. It’s just a virtual queue.

 

[CBMom01]

Why wouldn’t they be able to do the ride as often as they want? They will be waiting the standby time. It’s basically a virtual queue. If you want to stand in line over and over for a ride, no one blocks that. To me, a DAS is no different. It’s just a virtual queue.

Thats exactly right. I wonder if this is part of a larger plan to try to migrate toward hybrid virtual/physical queues.

The critics are 100% right: In theory someone csn abuse this to turn their physical wait into virtual wait. One ride at a time. My gut tells me that most people who think that will transform their park experience will realize it doesn‘t and they will have very little impact. And the few who have no guilt about it are probably abusing it already.

In other words,I believe most Disney visitors are decent people

 

[OurBigTrip]

Why wouldn’t they be able to do the ride as often as they want? They will be waiting the standby time. It’s basically a virtual queue. If you want to stand in line over and over for a ride, no one blocks that. To me, a DAS is no different. It’s just a virtual queue.

I never said they shouldn’t be able to ride as often as they want to. No idea where that came from.

Having said that, there is a difference…I can certainly line up over and over again for the same ride, but I can’t ride another ride while I’m in line.

 

[MS_Warrior]

Thats exactly right. I wonder if this is part of a larger plan to try to migrate toward hybrid virtual/physical queues.

The critics are 100% right: In theory someone csn abuse this to turn their physical wait into virtual wait. One ride at a time. My gut tells me that most people who think that will transform their park experience will realize it doesn‘t and they will have very little impact. And the few who have no guilt about it are probably abusing it already.

In other words,I believe most Disney visitors are decent people

I agree. It doesn’t give any advantage other than being able to wait in a different area.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I never said they shouldn’t be able to ride as often as they want to. No idea where that came from.

Having said that, there is a difference…I can certainly line up over and over again for the same ride, but I can’t ride another ride while I’m in line.

Sure you can. The new Genie app - basic - not the one for purchase, allows for you to join a virtual queue.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Sure you can. The new Genie app - basic - not the one for purchase, allows for you to join a virtual queue.

As can DAS users, so you can actually be in three lines at once.
DAS Return time
Virtual queue
Actual line for another attraction

 

[MS_Warrior]

As can DAS users, so you can actually be in three lines at once.
DAS Return time
Virtual queue
Actual line for another attraction

And managing to get to all of those rides would be next to impossible - not to mention confusing. Since it’s not actually in effect, we don’t know the details, but I seriously doubt anyone will be able to be in more than one virtual queue - If using a DAS, I doubt the app will allow a 2nd virtual queue until the time for the DAS queue has expired.

We won’t know until it actually happens and someone who uses a DAS tells us. However, even if they allow it, I would hate to see Disney make it even harder on those who are disabled just because someone might cheat.

I don’t use a DAS, but I have disabilities and use a wheelchair. The parks are more exhausting and harder to navigate when you have a disability. Until you’ve been there, you don’t get how hard it is. I know. I once walked the parks and stayed from rope drop to goodnight kiss.

Now, I’m lucky if I’m there for half a day. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a Fast Pass and haven’t been able to use it. Not to mention a lot of rides I no longer do because either they, or the queue is too difficult.

 

[Meglen]

Who has this kinda energy to worry about other people's day? If someone is cheating the system Disney will handle it. If not than nothing I can do. Let karma handle it in the end.

 

[shawthorne44]

A group of adults waiting in line started yelling at us as were making our way onto Slinky Dog, saying there was nothing wrong with me or my "brat", we're walking fine so why do we get to skip the line.

This bothered me, and have been thinking about it. If someone yelled abuse at other people in Disney, they should be kicked out. Think about if they were yelling racial slurs. Yelling insults at a disabled kid is worse.

I can see how as the parent, you wouldn't want to draw your kid's attention to the turds. I am someone that needs social plans. I just made a plan to report to a CM if I see that happen. Maybe say something directly to them.

 

[Sheri1912]

This bothered me, and have been thinking about it. If someone yelled abuse at other people in Disney, they should be kicked out. Think about if they were yelling racial slurs. Yelling insults at a disabled kid is worse.

I can see how as the parent, you wouldn't want to draw your kid's attention to the turds. I am someone that needs social plans. I just made a plan to report to a CM if I see that happen. Maybe say something directly to them.

Honestly I was kind of taken aback by it. Under normal circumstances I would have addressed the issue in some way but we were nearing the end of our visit at that park (kiddo can only take about 4 hours of fun and excitement at a time before he needs to regroup/quiet time). We were hot and my 9 month old was waiting to eat so I let it go in that moment. Had it happened earlier in the day I probably would have gone mama bear on them.

 

[MS_Warrior]

Honestly I was kind of taken aback by it. Under normal circumstances I would have addressed the issue in some way but we were nearing the end of our visit at that park (kiddo can only take about 4 hours of fun and excitement at a time before he needs to regroup/quiet time). We were hot and my 9 month old was waiting to eat so I let it go in that moment. Had it happened earlier in the day I probably would have gone mama bear on them.

People like that wouldn’t care what was said and they’d probably deny having said anything if confronted by a CM. Unfortunately, with disabilities, we seem to encounter the worst of the worst.

There will always be those who are jealous that someone might get something they didn’t. They don’t care that you get a return time and don’t get shoved to the head of the line automatically. No matter how many times you explain how it works, they’ll still swear DAS holders/WC users get to go to the front of the line without waiting.

Sometimes I think ignoring them is for the best. They aren’t worth the time and energy.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Sure you can. The new Genie app - basic - not the one for purchase, allows for you to join a virtual queue.

The Basic app will have virutal queues for select attractions...RoTR and Remy's. It won't be for any other attractions. it's for restaurant reservations, scoping out lines and wait times... Everyone has access to this.

Genie + will be like FP; it has a cost per person, and not all attractions will be accessable.

IAS (individual attraction selections), which is for 2 attractions a day, out of a small pool of attractions; will cost money and the price will vary depending on the day and other factors.

Lightning Lanes are the old FP lanes.

 

[MS_Warrior]

The Basic app will have virutal queues for select attractions...RoTR and Remy's. It won't be for any other attractions. it's for restaurant reservations, scoping out lines and wait times... Everyone has access to this.

Genie + will be like FP; it has a cost per person, and not all attractions will be accessable.

IAS (individual attraction selections), which is for 2 attractions a day, out of a small pool of attractions; will cost money and the price will vary depending on the day and other factors.

Lightning Lanes are the old FP lanes.

I stand corrected. The article I read didn't say it was limited to those two rides.

However, I would still hate to see Disney make this an even harder challenge for those who need the DAS because someone might cheat. They've made it as fair as possible, and I would rather a cheater get away with something than a family stay home because it's nearly impossible to manage.

 

[OnlyDisney]

I don't understand people thinking they can tell who "really" needs DAS or a mobility device just by looking at them. Obviously they have never experienced life with someone with any kind of disability. But it shouldn't take personal experience to show empathy. Just like in all aspects of life, you never know what someone has to deal with so why not just be kind. Sure some people will try to game the system (any system), but that should have no effect on how YOU treat people.

We've used DAS for years -first for my son and recently for myself too - and now that we're local we use it at least weekly. Luckily I've never noticed anyone making snide remarks about us using it, but, then again, I'm hard of hearing so who knows what I've missed over the years.

I look like an overweight middle age woman. I use a rollator every time I go to the park, unless I use my scooter. I hang my popcorn bucket off one handle and most time I have a cooler lunch bag on the seat that holds our lunch and some water bottles. Myself and my kids each have a bag we carry. I make them carry their bags in the morning, but later in the day I'll let them put the bag on the seat. You catch us on a cooler day when we start the day with a sweater and even more can be piled on my walker. I'm sure some people just assume I use the walker to carry our stuff.

Then there are the days I use a scooter. I really should use a scooter more but have multiple health issues one of which makes it hard to walk and one of which makes it hard to sit. Now that my kids are older I can walk a bit while they drive the scooter. I'm sure people think the worst when they see us switch. I have a cane on those days but it doesn't help as much as using the walker.
*I just had an idea - I could now take both my walker and my scooter. I could switch between the two during the day as needed with a child (or my husband on those rare times he can join us) taking over for the one I'm not using. Can you imagine the looks our family would get?*

As for using the DAS and getting right on the rides. That's never happened for us unless it's a 5-10 minute standby line. Same with the wheelchair return time.

How about we all just stop worrying that people may be cheating. Disney's system works pretty well. And you absolutely cannot tell if someone needs a DAS or mobility device just by looking. Even if you think they are 100% cheating you could be 100% wrong.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

As can DAS users, so you can actually be in three lines at once.
DAS Return time
Virtual queue
Actual line for another attraction

...4 actually . If you have a mobility aid and the path isn't accessible, they'll give you a "guest return time." The two I see most commonly at WDW are HM and BTMRR. DL has more because it has more inaccessible queues. Though the likelihood of having a guest return time and virtual queue is very low because the only rides with virtual queues currently are at DHS and EPCOT (once Rataouille starts), neither of which have attractions that I'm aware of giving guest return times. But now that ROTR boarding groups have been going much later in the day (e.g. after hopping begins), you could conceivably have all 4 at once now.

 

[OnlyDisney]

...4 actually . If you have a mobility aid and the path isn't accessible, they'll give you a "guest return time." The two I see most commonly at WDW are HM and BTMRR. DL has more because it has more inaccessible queues. Though the likelihood of having a guest return time and virtual queue is very low because the only rides with virtual queues currently are at DHS and EPCOT (once Rataouille starts), neither of which have attractions that I'm aware of giving guest return times. But now that ROTR boarding groups have been going much later in the day (e.g. after hopping begins), you could conceivably have all 4 at once now.

For the wheel chair return time/mobility return time there's also Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom and Star Tours at Hollywood Studios and Space Ship Earth at Epcot.

 

[DisneyOma]

Sure you can. The new Genie app - basic - not the one for purchase, allows for you to join a virtual queue.

As can DAS users, so you can actually be in three lines at once.
DAS Return time
Virtual queue
Actual line for another attraction

...4 actually . If you have a mobility aid and the path isn't accessible, they'll give you a "guest return time." The two I see most commonly at WDW are HM and BTMRR. DL has more because it has more inaccessible queues. Though the likelihood of having a guest return time and virtual queue is very low because the only rides with virtual queues currently are at DHS and EPCOT (once Rataouille starts), neither of which have attractions that I'm aware of giving guest return times. But now that ROTR boarding groups have been going much later in the day (e.g. after hopping begins), you could conceivably have all 4 at once now.

And all the DAS does is add one more ability to all these lists. Plus, one can only get one virtual queue spot a day, right?

 

[Sandisw]

And all the DAS does is add one more ability to all these lists. Plus, one can only get one virtual queue spot a day, right?

Yes, one BG/VQ for rides like ROTR and assume Remy. You are correct that DAS does give one extra option that others don't have. And, TBH, I am not even sure that many DAS users go all day, every day, with a return time scheduled.

I use it when I know we want to do something and the wait is longer than I can manage that day. There have been park times when I didn't need to use it at all because things were slow enough to manage without needing it.

So, even that one extra isn't a given for everyone.