Universal now requiring documentation be sent to a third party for accessibility

[Disneychick13]

I don't think they are trying to reduce fraud. I think they are trying to reduce liability by having a separate company triage the process. If there are any lawsuits, Universal will toss this company under the bus.

That doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t they just leave the process as is then? The only thing that makes sense is that they are trying to reduce fraud. How could they toss that company under the bus? The only thing that that company is doing is verifying that the person applying does indeed have a disability. Universal is still making the decision in regards to what accommodation is needed by that person.

I believe, much like when Disney transitioned from GAC to DAS, that Universal feels like the current system is not sustainable, especially when EU opens. I am sure that they have been doing investigations and compiling data to justify this for an eventual lawsuit.

 

[notatallmagic]

I don't think they are trying to reduce fraud. I think they are trying to reduce liability by having a separate company triage the process. If there are any lawsuits, Universal will toss this company under the bus.

Absolutely.

 

[notatallmagic]

A little off topic, but does anyone else feel a cringe when the blue light (instead of green) lights up when you use your DAS?

Our DD is one of those with "not visible" disabilities and I feel like we get the "cheating" scrutiny from others. Maybe it's just my imagination, but why does Disney do that? Why not it be green like everyone else so you don't feel different. It's already hard dealing with the disability, but then you (and the family) are identified as disabled every time you use it.

Again, sorry, off-topic a bit, but this really eats at me.

I get that. Some days my daughter goes full out "visible" with her medical devices proudly diplayed and maybe even a t-shirt with a funny slogan. We often spot others with her disability "in the wild" and it always starts a fun/friendly conversation, especially with little kids. Since she was diagnosed at 17, it also made her feel SO less alone when she could see others with her condition.

But then some days, she just wants to be private and NOT deal with it - which I also totally understand. We get those looks, and as a mom, that grates on me. If I wanted to, I could probably apply for/be granted a DAS for all three members of our family, especially on bad days; but we all "look" perfectly healthy. That variability is what makes this such a tricky issue.

But I totally agree with the blue light thing. It already shows on their end, why everyone else needs to see it - no idea.

 

[FusionNeo]

The reason Disney's system works the way that it does is because when you tap in, the DAS holder's name and picture comes up on the employee's screen. They need to verify that the DAS holder is present and allow you to go through. By it tapping blue instead of green, it signals both to the guest that they need to wait for approval and also to the cast member that they need to be verifying the DAS holder is present. It makes it easier for Disney to enforce the presence of the DAS holder. If it tapped green, a cast member might miss that the DAS holder isn't actually present/the guest could have zoomed past the tap points and it's not worth going after them/etc.

I definitely get the anxiety of the blue tap but I understand the reasoning behind it.

 

[notatallmagic]

The reason Disney's system works the way that it does is because when you tap in, the DAS holder's name and picture comes up on the employee's screen. They need to verify that the DAS holder is present and allow you to go through. By it tapping blue instead of green, it signals both to the guest that they need to wait for approval and also to the cast member that they need to be verifying the DAS holder is present. It makes it easier for Disney to enforce the presence of the DAS holder. If it tapped green, a cast member might miss that the DAS holder isn't actually present/the guest could have zoomed past the tap points and it's not worth going after them/etc.

I definitely get the anxiety of the blue tap but I understand the reasoning behind it.

I didn't realize that - with that in mind, I get it.

 

[DLgal]

Yes but not every child with an IEP needs accommodation at a theme park. IEPs deal with educational disabilities, not the ability to wait in line for a ride. These can be different or they can overlap. For example, some kids on the spectrum can't handle waiting in line without a meltdown while others can. That's why accommodation at Disney or Universal isn't automatic based on a diagnosis alone.

I understand that, but considering that IBCCES specializes in Autism certification and training, it makes sense why an IEP that indicates that a child has Autism would be an acceptable document for this process. These theme park assistance passes were initially brought out to assist people with "invisible" disabilities, after all. I would guess that the majority of people seeking out these passes are doing so because of neurodiversity related issues. These are indicated on IEPs because these same issues cause difficulties in school.

 

[bambialways4ever]

I didn't realize that - with that in mind, I get it.

FWIW, this also comes up for things like attraction recovery passes too, and others

 

[DLgal]

FWIW, this also comes up for things like attraction recovery passes too, and others

That hasn't been our experience. Attraction recovery passes and multiple experience passes always come up green, even if the original pass was a DAS (i.e. when a DAS return time converts to a ME pass, it shows green when you tap in and doesn't require CM intervention).

 

[Lilsia]

I applied on July 19th and was approved by IBCCES shortly thereafter. I never got an email saying I was approved, but when I went to download my card, I noticed it no longer said temporary.

Yesterday I received the following email from Universal.


So fortunately it looks like they're somewhat scheduling calls and trying to prioritize based on importance. My planned visit isn't until HHN so I told them that was when I had planned, contingent on being able to receive the same accommodations I've always received. It's unfortunate - I have to hold off on buying a pass now because I can't go without accomodations, and it seems like they've made the process much more complicated.

Don't get me wrong, I totally understand requiring documentation and I'm not upset about having to provide it (though I do sympathize with those who aren't able to easily get access to a doctor/people who don't have doctors that advocate for them) - but it seems to me like it should be if you get approved after showing a necessary medical need, Universal shouldn't still be screening you afterward. I thought the whole point was to streamline the process but it seems they've just decided they wanted to add another barrier to entry.

That is what makes this process so ridiculous. You go through the hassle of proving your medical issues and yet they still just do the same process of asking why you need it and can still deny you. What is the point then? And we can't pretend that people aren't able to get fake doctor's notes if that is the deal. There will always be some people that will put more effort into scamming just to show that they can. This is not a deal breaker for them.

 

[Lilsia]

A little off topic, but does anyone else feel a cringe when the blue light (instead of green) lights up when you use your DAS?

Our DD is one of those with "not visible" disabilities and I feel like we get the "cheating" scrutiny from others. Maybe it's just my imagination, but why does Disney do that? Why not it be green like everyone else so you don't feel different. It's already hard dealing with the disability, but then you (and the family) are identified as disabled every time you use it.

Again, sorry, off-topic a bit, but this really eats at me.

No, it doesn't bother me. People are not paying attention to you. How often are you looking over someone's shoulder to see what color their tap style turns? I learned long ago not to give a poop what others think. They don't affect my life at all. Once you get over this mental hurdle, your life gets so much better.

 

[bambialways4ever]

That hasn't been our experience. Attraction recovery passes and multiple experience passes always come up green, even if the original pass was a DAS (i.e. when a DAS return time converts to a ME pass, it shows green when you tap in and doesn't require CM intervention).

Hm, it's happened to us. But this was at World. We got walked off Toy Story and the passes they gave us lit up blue when we used them later. I think we used them on Smugglers Run or Star Tours

 

[bambialways4ever]

That is what makes this process so ridiculous. You go through the hassle of proving your medical issues and yet they still just do the same process of asking why you need it and can still deny you. What is the point then? And we can't pretend that people aren't able to get fake doctor's notes if that is the deal. There will always be some people that will put more effort into scamming just to show that they can. This is not a deal breaker for them.

I have to agree with this. I remember the era of the GAC, doctors knew about it and would offer (even if they weren't accepted) to write a note "for Disney" for every broken toe lol

 

[SueM in MN]

A little off topic, but does anyone else feel a cringe when the blue light (instead of green) lights up when you use your DAS?

Our DD is one of those with "not visible" disabilities and I feel like we get the "cheating" scrutiny from others. Maybe it's just my imagination, but why does Disney do that? Why not it be green like everyone else so you don't feel different. It's already hard dealing with the disability, but then you (and the family) are identified as disabled every time you use it.

Again, sorry, off-topic a bit, but this really eats at me.

The blue light a signal for the Cast Member to look at the screen, identify what the alert is for and resolve it. When using DAS, the guest registered for DAS needs to go on the attraction, so the alert is to compare the DAS user’s photo on the screen to the person scanning in as the DAS user.
Glowing green means no alert, so the CMS would not know to check.

Even though you are very aware of the blue light, most guests don’t actually notice it and/or don’t know why It’s blue. Many people assume the blue light always means “DAS User”, but that’s not true. Other things it could be include:
- Guests with Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane (ILL) for the attraction scanning in too early or after their time window expired
- Guests scanning in for an attraction they don’t have Genie+ or ILL for (maybe don’t have one at all or scan into the wrong one)
- Guests with an All Attraction Pass scanning in for an attraction that’s not on the list of attractions it can be used on.
- Magicband or ticket card doesn’t scan correctly

 

[Einstein509]

Thanks for the explanations on why DAS scans blue. I still think the CMs could get an alert on their screens without the thing scanning blue to let everyone else know that we're different.

I just wish they would go back to the old FP+ system because we could do our selections ahead of time like DAS (except get three of them) and then adjust as necessary on the fly if we couldn't do something. Plus we scanned regular green like everyone else which helped with the anxiety, etc.

 

[Einstein509]

No, it doesn't bother me. People are not paying attention to you. How often are you looking over someone's shoulder to see what color their tap style turns? I learned long ago not to give a poop what others think. They don't affect my life at all. Once you get over this mental hurdle, your life gets so much better.

Sometimes I don't give a poop either, but sometimes I do and it's those times that anxiety goes up a bit for everyone.

I have noticed that as I get older the giving a poop decreases, so that's a positive of aging, lol!

 

[DisneyOma]

That doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t they just leave the process as is then? The only thing that makes sense is that they are trying to reduce fraud. How could they toss that company under the bus? The only thing that that company is doing is verifying that the person applying does indeed have a disability. Universal is still making the decision in regards to what accommodation is needed by that person.

I believe, much like when Disney transitioned from GAC to DAS, that Universal feels like the current system is not sustainable, especially when EU opens. I am sure that they have been doing investigations and compiling data to justify this for an eventual lawsuit.

When someone sues Universal for lack of accessibility, they can claim that the other company is at fault. IBCCES dot org is mainly an autism site. That's what they specialize in - autism and cognitive disorders. Those are not the only reasons to need help with access to attractions at a theme park. What they are doing is making money being the middle man, creating certificates. The marketing on their page is outrageous. They charge around $500 for "specialist" certificates, with a "test" you have to take. It's a racket.

 

[Lilsia]

Thanks for the explanations on why DAS scans blue. I still think the CMs could get an alert on their screens without the thing scanning blue to let everyone else know that we're different.

I just wish they would go back to the old FP+ system because we could do our selections ahead of time like DAS (except get three of them) and then adjust as necessary on the fly if we couldn't do something. Plus we scanned regular green like everyone else which helped with the anxiety, etc.

But they are not always at their screen to see it. They are directing "traffic" and making sure that people are scanning when they need to be. Every line is set up differently. The cast members are also there to make sure that people are not just walking past but actually scanning and some rides, the safari comes to mind, the computers are too far away for them to see clearly.
You can't control what others think, feel, or do. You can only control your own emotions.

 

[OurBigTrip]

When someone sues Universal for lack of accessibility, they can claim that the other company is at fault. IBCCES dot org is mainly an autism site. That's what they specialize in - autism and cognitive disorders. Those are not the only reasons to need help with access to attractions at a theme park. What they are doing is making money being the middle man, creating certificates. The marketing on their page is outrageous. They charge around $500 for "specialist" certificates, with a "test" you have to take. It's a racket.

Since Universal is the one deciding what, if any, accommodations will be offered, not likely they could throw IBCCES under the bus. All that IBCCES is doing is trying to weed out people who don't actually have a disability.

 

[bambialways4ever]

Thanks for the explanations on why DAS scans blue. I still think the CMs could get an alert on their screens without the thing scanning blue to let everyone else know that we're different.

I just wish they would go back to the old FP+ system because we could do our selections ahead of time like DAS (except get three of them) and then adjust as necessary on the fly if we couldn't do something. Plus we scanned regular green like everyone else which helped with the anxiety, etc.

Okay, but if it turned green, you'd just walk on by, and the point is you can't do that.

 

[DLgal]

Hm, it's happened to us. But this was at World. We got walked off Toy Story and the passes they gave us lit up blue when we used them later. I think we used them on Smugglers Run or Star Tours

My experience has been at Land, so possibly they work differently.