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

[Disneychick13]

There is no proof that it's 25% of guests. That figure is a postulation by Len Testa based on the estimation that "1 in 4 Americans is diagnosed with a disability."

He extrapolated out that the micro population at WDW on any given day mirrors that of the broader population, which isn't exactly accurate for MANY reasons. WDW has a barrier to entry ($$$$) and is a place that many people with disabilities will never step foot in. If I had to guess, I would say more like 1 in 100 guests at WDW on any given day is disabled and using DAS. And that's a high estimate.

I’m sure that Disney knows what the number is, and I’m sure they know how much the system is being abused. It would be very interesting to know that information, but we probably won’t unless Disney overhauls their system and someone sues them and that data comes out at trial. I really think that it is just too tempting to outright cheat or bend the truth to access a free system that is superior to the paid system. For that reason, I wouldn’t be shocked if that 25% number is pretty close (although it is probably a bit high). And remember, the number of people that use the system legitimately aren’t all disabled as their group/ family members access it too. And probably most people who might qualify as disabled would not actually qualify for a DAS if it was being applied via the wording of the ADA. As an example, my daughter gets some accommodations at school but would not be eligible for a DAS.

 

[Einstein509]

My DS is clearly disabled but not everyone who uses it is.

How do you know they don't have a disability?

Are you seriously saying you don't believe in the existence of invisible disabilities? And you really don't think that those people might be smiling because the accommodation fully meets their needs?

I agree, there are disabilities which are not clearly visible to others. Making a claim that you have to be "clearly disabled" to use DAS or any other accommodation is reaching a bit.

Our DD is one of those that are not "clearly disabled" but she is.

 

[HopperFan]

How do you know they don't have a disability?

I agree, there are disabilities which are not clearly visible to others. Making a claim that you have to be "clearly disabled" to use DAS or any other accommodation is reaching a bit.

Our DD is one of those that are not "clearly disabled" but she is.

That is exactly what I was saying. That not everyone who has a disability, that needs a DAS, looks disabled. It was a reference to a poster who felt no one around them in line was using the DAS. You can't tell by just looking at someone.

On the flip side, because in this particular situation of DAS, it is quite easy to obtain the pass by those who really don't need it just by saying the do. There is no way a CM can tell by looking at someone, and perhaps that is why Universal has taken this extra step.

I have been in line at Disney and Universal GR listening to the group next to me discussing that they will be getting this pass by lying. You can open any social media and get step by step verbiage of what to say whether you need it or not because you will get a "express pass" for free. System is broken again.

 

[Lsdolphin]

I actually remember having a letter from the dr for my son who was ASD and guest services CM did look at it...this was maybe 15 yrs ago....they gave him a lanyard with a credential on it.

 

[Jellybean9]

There is no proof that it's 25% of guests. That figure is a postulation by Len Testa based on the estimation that "1 in 4 Americans is diagnosed with a disability."

He extrapolated out that the micro population at WDW on any given day mirrors that of the broader population, which isn't exactly accurate for MANY reasons. WDW has a barrier to entry ($$$$) and is a place that many people with disabilities will never step foot in. If I had to guess, I would say more like 1 in 100 guests at WDW on any given day is disabled and using DAS. And that's a high estimate.

He discusses this for quite a bit in his most recent podcast if people want to hear how he calculated it (starts after about 4 min 30 sec). If 1 in 100 guests qualifies for DAS, that still means their entire party has access to the lightening lane. Len said that based on conversations with cast members there are times when 4 out of 5 people in the LL are there for DAS.

 

[Einstein509]

That is exactly what I was saying. That not everyone who has a disability, that needs a DAS, looks disabled. It was a reference to a poster who felt no one around them in line was using the DAS. You can't tell by just looking at someone.

On the flip side, because in this particular situation of DAS, it is quite easy to obtain the pass by those who really don't need it just by saying the do. There is no way a CM can tell by looking at someone, and perhaps that is why Universal has taken this extra step.

I have been in line at Disney and Universal GR listening to the group next to me discussing that they will be getting this pass by lying. You can open any social media and get step by step verbiage of what to say whether you need it or not because you will get a "express pass" for free. System is broken again.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I do agree that there are people that abuse the system. Had a group of young girls in line ahead of us in USO that I'm pretty sure abused the system. They were very obnoxious.

And you're right, the workers can't really do anything except take people at their word.

 

[summerlyangel]

I am not the original poster you are quoting but I also have the same condition and issues. Yes I we can go 2hrs and be fine but in some instances it is like every 10min cause of our disorder. I can go use the restroom walk out then shortly have to turn around and go right back in. Sometimes this makes going on rides a no go for a good amount of time. So when we feel we CAN do a ride I would like to be on and off without worrying about a long wait if my issue comes up. Without the accommodation we have almost no chance to enjoy ourselves on the attractions at the park.

This definitely falls under don’t speak if you don‘t truly understand. I would jump at the chance to wait in all the long lines if I didn’t have this issue I have to deal with. It sucks!

NOTE: quoted post removed by moderator​

This is also my exact issue. Same as Lilsia above posted. I have tried all of the treatments (every med available, diet changes, and pelvic floor therapy) for this condition except the electrical implant. I'm not willing to do that yet. It is definitely a huge barrier to enjoying any type of outing, especially anything that requires waiting because unless I completely dehydrate myself, I WILL be in the pot every 10-30 mins. Obviously, that is not a good thing in the heat at disney. I would trade this condition in a heartbeat if it meant I could go potty less frequently instead of planning my entire life around bathroom stops and the constant feeling of a full, gonna wet myself bladder. Unless you've been affected by a similar condition, you have no real idea how life altering this is.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Here is the thing, if there wasn't enough abuse they wouldn't be finding ways to crack down on it. The companies aren't dumb. The challenge is how to go about it and what to do. They solved mobility issues by making all lines wheelchair accessible, but then everyone else basically gets the same accommodation of waiting outside of the line for a designated period of time.

There are many medical conditions that looking at someone you wouldn't know they had something going on but the solution of just not waiting in the standard line doesn't really fully help them either. In the end sometimes each person also has to figure out how to manage their own conditions to give the best possible experience also, and most people do just that that have true needs.

 

[bambialways4ever]

I've been going to multiple doctors in the US for decades, and I've never heard of a doctor not charging a fee for documentation.

Yup

 

[bambialways4ever]

An I have never heard of one that does, I mean maybe they bill the insurance, but still.

Your experience is the odd one out in this thread based on most of the comments

 

[bambialways4ever]

My DS's doctor has filling out a variety of forms every year and often at 6 mos marks for over 20 years and has never charged us. I imagine it really depends on the doctor, the practice, the types of forms etc. and the timing of when you ask for them.

My other kids their doctor would fill out their school sports forms free if done at their physical.

none of those factors matter at our doctors.

There are signs posted on the walls throughout the offices that ALL paperwork incurs a fee. It doesn't matter if it's part of an appointment or not, when you ask, what for.

All. Paperwork. Be happy to take photos of proof for ya.

 

[ohdewer33]

I read through all the posts in this thread because this topic is dear to my heart. Our middle DD is 26 and loves all things Disney. She was diagnosed with Autism when she was 2, so we've been using the Disney DAS system since that time.

Every system in the world that involves humans is going to have people who will try to abuse it or exploit a loophole. We think Disney addresses most of those issues when the recent change to the process.

We kept every one of the cards we received back in the day of the DAS system to show Disney that we received them. You may also remember that the DAS system requires that the person with the disability take a picture. The new video process can identify someone who has had a pass before by simply comparing them to picture in the Disney system.

My real issue is with folks who complain that my family of 5 has 4 other people in line with my daughter and her DAS pass. Remember that she has Autism 24x7 and that our entire family assists her everyday. We know how to calm her down, keep her from doing some of the behaviors that most people would consider inappropriate and help her deal with her anxieties. We're not piggybacking on her DAS pass but ensuring that she does not interfere with your Disney Day also. My daughter's siblings have to put their wants and needs aside sometimes to accommodate their sister. The DAS pass allows them to not only keep helping her but also get a little reward for all they do when we are not at the parks.

Our oldest DD works at Walt Disney World. The plaids (Guest Services) receive extensive training on how to identify people with developmental disabilities. Of course someone can fake this to get a DAS pass but do not blame Disney for someone abusing the system.

I do not think Disney will go the way of Universal and contract out DAS eligibility. The company prides themselves on serving their guests. Remember, Disney treats their parks like a show, which is why they don't have employees but cast members and we are not customers but guests. Your guest experience is very important to Disney and making someone go to a 3rd party where they will not have control over that interaction is not something I think will every happen.

 

[herdtoDisney]

He discusses this for quite a bit in his most recent podcast if people want to hear how he calculated it (starts after about 4 min 30 sec). If 1 in 100 guests qualifies for DAS, that still means their entire party has access to the lightening lane. Len said that based on conversations with cast members there are times when 4 out of 5 people in the LL are there for DAS.

I haven't listened yet but I will later. One thing to consider though-is that the person named on the DAS has to tap through the turnstile first. The family members can only go in the LL on rides that the person with the DAS is also going on. In my dd's case, she doesn't go on most rides (and none of the super popular ones) so the rest of us go standby on those. I would think that at least some if not many of people with DAS, may not necessarily ride all rides (due to sensory issues or whatever).

 

[Luna81]

I haven't listened yet but I will later. One thing to consider though-is that the person named on the DAS has to tap through the turnstile first. The family members can only go in the LL on rides that the person with the DAS is also going on. In my dd's case, she doesn't go on most rides (and none of the super popular ones) so the rest of us go standby on those. I would think that at least some if not many of people with DAS, may not necessarily ride all rides (due to sensory issues or whatever).

Yeah. I’m the one with the DAS in our family. I can’t ride a good half the rides at Disney. There isn’t even one ride at Hollywood studios that I can handle anymore.

 

[Lilsia]

This is also my exact issue. Same as Lilsia above posted. I have tried all of the treatments (every med available, diet changes, and pelvic floor therapy) for this condition except the electrical implant. I'm not willing to do that yet. It is definitely a huge barrier to enjoying any type of outing, especially anything that requires waiting because unless I completely dehydrate myself, I WILL be in the pot every 10-30 mins. Obviously, that is not a good thing in the heat at disney. I would trade this condition in a heartbeat if it meant I could go potty less frequently instead of planning my entire life around bathroom stops and the constant feeling of a full, gonna wet myself bladder. Unless you've been affected by a similar condition, you have no real idea how life altering this is.

Thank you for sharing. It is unreal how some people downplay how life altering having bathroom issues is. There was yet another post about how "just having to go to the bathroom often" is not a real disability. When something physically alters your life and you can not live like the average person is supposed to, that is a disability. I don't understand how some people can't seem to comprehend that. Not only do we have to go frequently, it is also painful if we can not, at least for me it is. No more road trips for me, I can only go to places where I know that I can quickly pop into a restroom. Which is not always as easy as it sounds in some places. That is why WDW is one of the places that I can still go to and enjoy without worrying about having to quickly find a toilet.

 

[Lilsia]

Here is the thing, if there wasn't enough abuse they wouldn't be finding ways to crack down on it. The companies aren't dumb. The challenge is how to go about it and what to do. They solved mobility issues by making all lines wheelchair accessible, but then everyone else basically gets the same accommodation of waiting outside of the line for a designated period of time.

There are many medical conditions that looking at someone you wouldn't know they had something going on but the solution of just not waiting in the standard line doesn't really fully help them either. In the end sometimes each person also has to figure out how to manage their own conditions to give the best possible experience also, and most people do just that that have true needs.

Are more people abusing it or are more people actually taking advantage of what is available to them? Let's look back even 20 years ago when no one really talked about mental illness and things like ADHD or Anxiety. Mental issues were not understood nor taken seriously. People were just told to "deal with it". Those people didn't go to the parks because they couldn't. Of course we are seeing more people utilize DAS, mainly because these people are now able to go to the parks knowing that there is this service for them.
I don't think that we are seeing more abuse, I think that we are seeing more people being able to go to WDW because they offer help for their issues, whatever they may be.

 

[SirDuff]

Are more people abusing it or are more people actually taking advantage of what is available to them? Let's look back even 20 years ago when no one really talked about mental illness and things like ADHD or Anxiety. Mental issues were not understood nor taken seriously. People were just told to "deal with it". Those people didn't go to the parks because they couldn't. Of course we are seeing more people utilize DAS, mainly because these people are now able to got to the parks knowing that there is this service for them.
I don't think that we are seeing more abuse, I think that we are seeing more people being able to go to WDW because they offer help for their issues, whatever they may be.

Probably a bit of both.

 

[summerlyangel]

Thank you for sharing. It is unreal how some people downplay how life altering having bathroom issues is. There was yet another post about how "just having to go to the bathroom often" is not a real disability. When something physically alters your life and you can not live like the average person is supposed to, that is a disability. I don't understand how some people can't seem to comprehend that. Not only do we have to go frequently, it is also painful if we can not, at least for me it is. No more road trips for me, I can only go to places where I know that I can quickly pop into a restroom. Which is not always as easy as it sounds in some places. That is why WDW is one of the places that I can still go to and enjoy without worrying about having to quickly find a toilet.

I wish there was a hug button instead of just like, because I hate that anyone else has to deal with this. It is excruciating to "hold it" for me, too and when your bladder signals you need to go every 3.2 seconds, it means pain most of the time. I literally go potty, drive 7 mins to the grocery store, pee on the way in, shop, and pee on the way out. If it's more than a quick shop, I'll have to go halfway through. I drive 32 mins to work and back and often stop half way. I pee when I walk into the building (large hospital and luckily there is a potty right by the entrance from the parking deck). I pee when I clock in/out, between every patient. I plan my routes to go by bathrooms no matter what I'm doing. It's incredibly frustrating. And it's not about having weak muscles or no control for me. I can hold it, but it is excruciating to do so because my body is sending me that signal constantly.

This is also one of the main reasons we choose disney as our vacation spot. I know where every single restroom is and even with DAS, go before I get in the line and am busting to go again by the time I get off the longer attractions like FOP, ROR, Soarin. I've had to leave each of those rides (plus many more) for bathroom trips before I started using DAS. Getting back to my family was such a difficult task that I often just missed out. I'm very grateful for being able to ride things with my family with the assistance of this pass.

I agree about it being mainly a women's issue therefore no one is really trying to solve it. Hugs! Most people simply cannot fathom how debilitating this can be.

 

[ArielRae]

I was just denied the Disability Pass.

I have held passes before at both Disney and Universal.

I received a call today on my cell phone from Universal. The call went straight to my voice mail and never showed up on my recent calls or missed calls. They said in the voice mail that they would email me with some information. I read the email which included a phone number to call them back with my case number. I called them back and they asked about my needs and how many in my traveling party (Husband & son with me). My needs are frequent need for a restroom as quite a few others on here have posted needing also. The Team Member on the phone went on to explain that in these situations they recommend that you leave the line while the rest of your party waits. I explained that I have tried this before and have had other guest get confrontational with me trying to re-enter the line and passing by them. This is why I have been granted this pass previously. They went on to explain they are working with their Team Members at the attractions about this and I do not qualify for the pass. Please let me know if anyone else has been able to get there pass for their restrooms needs.

I do have an Autistic son which I haven’t bother ever getting him a pass of his own cause he has always gone off mine. So now I will have to go and get him his own pass so I can be able to use it with him for my needs. I will be stopping at Guest Services at the park during our August trip coming up to see what they say there.

 

[Lilsia]

I wish there was a hug button instead of just like, because I hate that anyone else has to deal with this. It is excruciating to "hold it" for me, too and when your bladder signals you need to go every 3.2 seconds, it means pain most of the time. I literally go potty, drive 7 mins to the grocery store, pee on the way in, shop, and pee on the way out. If it's more than a quick shop, I'll have to go halfway through. I drive 32 mins to work and back and often stop half way. I pee when I walk into the building (large hospital and luckily there is a potty right by the entrance from the parking deck). I pee when I clock in/out, between every patient. I plan my routes to go by bathrooms no matter what I'm doing. It's incredibly frustrating. And it's not about having weak muscles or no control for me. I can hold it, but it is excruciating to do so because my body is sending me that signal constantly.

This is also one of the main reasons we choose disney as our vacation spot. I know where every single restroom is and even with DAS, go before I get in the line and am busting to go again by the time I get off the longer attractions like FOP, ROR, Soarin. I've had to leave each of those rides (plus many more) for bathroom trips before I started using DAS. Getting back to my family was such a difficult task that I often just missed out. I'm very grateful for being able to ride things with my family with the assistance of this pass.

I agree about it being mainly a women's issue therefore no one is really trying to solve it. Hugs! Most people simply cannot fathom how debilitating this can be.

Thank you again for sharing. Maybe if more of us speak of it, there will be less derision from others. This is a real problem that many woman suffer with and there really is nothing that they can do about it.