Should we request DAS?

[Morgan063006]

We will be visiting DL next month with my 73 year old father who has stage 4 terminal duodenal cancer. Because of the chemo and the stomach surgery he had to remove the duodenum, he has some incontinence issues, as well as fatigue from the cancer. He will be using a wheelchair and take more hotel breaks to help with his energy levels. But I'm worried about him being deep into a line that doesn't have an easy exit and him needing to leave immediately for the restroom and having to struggle to get out of the line. Not every line is like this but I know many with narrow queues that snake back and forth without easy exit access. Is this something that a DAS may be issued for? I'm just thinking that the least amount if time in a line queue is probably better. Waiting isn't the issue at all, just being able to easily depart to a restroom as there is little window when he needs to use the restroom. This trip has been planned for awhile and I know he's very much looking forward to it with his two granddaughters (my girls are 2&5). He lives with us and is super close and I believe he knows that this will be the last major trip as his health is turning and he will be faced with the decision to end treatments in the near future. I just want to help make this trip the least stressful for him and try to cover any bases necessary to help him enjoy the trip. Any thoughts or advice?

 

[Bilge Rat]

Based on the information in your post, your father’s request for a DAS will more than likely be denied and the CM will recommend that your father wear a diaper for his incontinence instead. However, you mentioned that your father was undergoing chemo and there are in fact neurological side effects that would allow him to qualify for the DAS. From what I read about chemo brain, “agitation, stress, anxiety and abrupt changes in mood and behavior” are symptoms that could have an impact on your father’s ability to wait in line.

 

[Morgan063006]

Based on the information in your post, your father’s request for a DAS will more than likely be denied and the CM will recommend that your father wear a diaper for his incontinence instead. However, you mentioned that your father was undergoing chemo and there are in fact neurological side effects that would allow him to qualify for the DAS. From what I read about chemo brain, “agitation, stress, anxiety and abrupt changes in mood and behavior” are symptoms that could have an impact on your father’s ability to wait in line.

Thank you for the response! I hadn't even considered the DAS honestly until I read a post on the Disneyland board where the women had kidney disease and was issued a DAS due to her frequent urgent trips to the restroom. I guess it's still unclear to me as far as when and what qualifies, or if it's hit or miss when requesting it. My dad is still stubborn and would not be too happy if a stranger told him to wear a diaper (I've gently mentioned it myself due to increased accidents immediately following his treatments) - it's hard enough accepting the fact that his body is failing him. I appreciate the info about the neurological side affects. My guess is we will just start with the wheelchair and try to avoid longer lines and see how it goes and make a game plan from there. I'm glad this forum exists and I had a safe place to ask!

 

[SueM in MN]

I respectfully do not agree with the previous poster.
NOT all people have those types of side effects from chemo and even if they do, that does not necessarily mean they need DAS.
People have gotten DAS, without a suggestion to wear a 'diaper' for similar reasons. Since the accommodation provided by DAS is waiting outside of the line, you need to be able to explain the reason that waiting IN the regular line is an issue that is not totally met by using a wheelchair in line. Not diagnosis or symptoms, but needs related to disability.
If you have not read the WDW DAS information thread stuck near the top of the board, I would suggest reading the first post in that thread, which is FAQs.

The wheelchair will be the accommodation for fatigue and stamina. For some people, that is enough. Some have additional needs that are not met by the wheelchair. Those are what you need to explain.

As an RN, I would suggest an adult incontinence brief - not as a 'he can wait in line if he has one' as the previous poster suggested, but as a human dignity need.
Even with using DAS, he could end up somewhere that he can't get to the bathroom quickly enough to make his 'window' of time. Some attractions are long (like Small World is more than 15 minutes by the time you get on, go on the ride and get off). You can also easily be waiting in line at the bathroom or eating where there is not a bathroom that you can get to quickly enough.
Using an adult incontinence brief would be an invisible way to give protection against any accidents that would otherwise be noticeable.

Your family will have 3 Fastpass Plus times at WDW that can be pre-arranged. I would use those for the attractions he wants to see that typically have the longest wait times. That will allow you to have a 'framework' to work with and also make sure that he has the shortest wait in line for those attractions.
When using DAS, guests will get a Return Time that is equal to the current standby wait time minus 10 minutes. You can only have one active DAS Return Time at a time, so using it for an attraction with a long wait means you will not be able to get another DAS Return Time until you have gone on that attraction.

Dome attractions, like Small World and Jungle Cruise, have wheelchair entrances. For those, if it is busy, ALL guests using mobility devices will get a wheelchair return time - no need for DAS, and DAS doesn't change anything there. guests using DAS and a mobility device will still get a wheelchair card.

 

[lanejudy]

I agree with SueM. You (or your father) should discuss his needs related to waiting in line with someone at Guest Relations. If this is a difficult or embarrassing discussion, you/he may write the concerns in a note to share; though be prepared if there are questions to be answered. Just make sure to focus on the needs he has related to being in a standard queue environment, exclusive of stamina issues. I also agree that using an incontinence product as back-up can help prevent embarrassing accidents and reduce the chance of needing to change clothing.

Also, I notice you plan to go to DL in California, is that correct? A couple items of note specific to that location:
1) the California parks (both DLR and DCA) still use the "old" FP paper-ticket system, not FP+. That can be used in conjunction with DAS, but unlike at WDW you will not be able to pre-schedule your FPs.

2) the DLR park has many more non-accessible standard queues with need to use an alternate entrance, so your party may encounter "wheelchair return" cards which are handed out at the specific attraction. Like FP, these do have a specified window of return; DAS has an open-ended return.

And lastly 3) there is a change anticipated next week at DLR that will make the DAS electronically-tied to your tickets. This shouldn't impact your situation but I wanted to make you aware as we don't yet have any reports to how it works, so that is not covered in the DAS sticky thread at the top of this forum.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry- I was on iPhone and missed that you are going to DL.

 

[SMD]

At DL almost no queues are wheelchair accessible, and the ones that are aren't hard to get out of. You won't need a DAS because you will already be going through the alternate entrance. At DCA there are more that are, but if you plan to ride RSR or ToT, get a FP. For something like TSMM, you can either head there first or make a bathroom stop before getting in the queue.

 

[emldrl]

I agree with the moderators. Your father's situation is much more than just going to the bathroom beforehand, and the DAS should certainly help, as well as maybe some type of protective underwear, for his own sake, to save embarrassment. (if he'll agree to it) There is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking to guest relations and explaining his needs that do not involve the wheelchair, and no matter what any poster tries to tell you, you should at least try. I have seen people on here with issues that have nothing to do with cognitive disabilities, and are unique situations, request the DAS and be approved. Please, take what everyone says under advisement, but don't let it keep you from getting the help your father needs. Anything you can do to make this trip special for him, I say go for it! Good luck!!

 

[jmartinez1895]

I just wanted to give you a point to discuss with your father. I know you said hat he is not wanting to discuss incontinence products, but at least for this trip I would try to talk him into it. Even if you plan potty breaks and time everything perfectly, he could be in for trouble if a ride broke down and you all got stuck on it. We where once on a ride that broke down and what should have been about a 7-10 minute ride turned into 40 minutes. We would move a little and then stop, move a little more then stop until they evacuated us.

 

[Morgan063006]

Thank for all the suggestions. I will continue to encourage some sort of incontinence brief for all the reasons mentioned above. And I may still ask about the DAS card. The worst they can do is say no. But if he did have an issue and used the brief, he would still need to leave the line queue to go clean up and it just seems like a reasonable way to reduce that would be having to wait outside the queue and being about to go on the ride at a later point without having to worry about waiting for a period then leaving the line and having to start the process all over if he couldn't return in time to join our group.

I understand that it won't work for every line or every queue and there will still be adjustments we make to make this enjoyable for everyone. We went last September when his health was better so I'm not as concerned on getting on every ride and doing everything. We just wanted to enjoy the holiday atmosphere, see parades, shows, fireworks, meet characters etc. the shows may present an issue but we will play it by ear as best as we can. He won't be as interested in big ticket rides but I know he'd like to ride smaller rides with his grand babies. In DL the wheelchair return time will essentially cover a lot of those rides. In DCA, I know the queues are mostly wheelchair accessible but I'm can't recall how many have easy exit points if he needs to leave the queue in a hurry.

To the PP who mentioned ride breakdowns as another reason to use the brief, I totally agree. I hasn't even thought about that and I've been stuck on IASW for nearly an hour once about 20 years ago when I was 11 or 12 and I still remember that experience!