Why is trying to register for DAS so frustrating? NOTE FROM MOD: this is about OPTIONAL VIDEO DAS Registration

[MegMoves]

Upon discovering that DAS is for people like me; and my family, I began looking into it. I tried connecting in October, a month before our trip. Continually with the warning that it would be better if I check back later.

November 1, same message.

Last evening, same message.

So I set my alarm for a few minutes before 6 am my time to log on as soon as they open at 7am eastern. I get connected with someone at 7:58, my time. And somehow kicked off, logged out minutes later waiting for a response from the person I'm chatting with.

I log in again, and then I get a http 431 error. Not even the header loads. So I go back a few pages, and reload, and have to go through the click through and refresh a few times before I see that the person I'm chatting with "got back to me," about 10 minutes after I was kicked out by the Disney servers. And then they were about to end the chat from their end because I wasn't responding while I was trying to reconnect and re log-in.

Ok so, we're chatting, and verifying and I get disconnected from the server side while waiting for a response again.

I do the log-in, reload, go back, reload, log-in, click to chat thing again. Get through to the "passing you to video chat." Annnnd get disconnected from the server again.

So, in an effort to try to keep from being disconnected again, I'm chatting with myself, every few minutes, waiting for a video rep.

My laptop needed to be logged in, so I switched over to the phone, and holding over there hasn't timed out yet.

But dang... why can't we schedule a video call instead of waiting on hold for 3 frustrating hours?

 

[MegMoves]

Annnnd disconnected by their server again.

 

[MegMoves]

Ok, FINALLY through. 5 hour shift on the chat for me. Glad to know it isn't JUST me. But my goodness, why not beef up their IT or server capacity with this roll-out? Those poor agents.

 

[ttintagel]

I read that they’re getting nearly 1000 calls a day. Apparently they didn’t anticipate the volume and still need to work the kinks out.

 

[cm8]

I read that they’re getting nearly 1000 calls a day. Apparently they didn’t anticipate the volume and still need to work the kinks out.

Wow That is a lot!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I read that they’re getting nearly 1000 calls a day. Apparently they didn’t anticipate the volume and still need to work the kinks out.

And completing 800 per day.

 

[MJ6987]

I read that they’re getting nearly 1000 calls a day. Apparently they didn’t anticipate the volume and still need to work the kinks out.

I can imagine that the demand for DAS will increase quite a bit with the withdrawal of free Fast Pass

 

[OurBigTrip]

I can imagine that the demand for DAS will increase quite a bit with the withdrawal of free Fast Pass

Yep - I’ve even seen people heat post that they never needed a DAS before, but that they’ll “need” it now that free FP is gone…

 

[JenLT]

Yep - I’ve even seen people heat post that they never needed a DAS before, but that they’ll “need” it now that free FP is gone…

That makes sense though. I could see how some people could manage their issues by using rope drop and a couple of FP for the longer lines. So the free FP worked as their accommodations.

I totally agree that some people will see this as a way to get out of paying for Genie + but hopefully they’ll find out that it isn’t a front of the line pass. In fact because the wait times are so inflated you will actually wait longer for a ride.

 

[OurBigTrip]

That makes sense though. I could see how some people could manage their issues by using rope drop and a couple of FP for the longer lines. So the free FP worked as their accommodations.

I totally agree that some people will see this as a way to get out of paying for Genie + but hopefully they’ll find out that it isn’t a front of the line pass. In fact because the wait times are so inflated you will actually wait longer for a ride.

Yes, but you can do other things while you wait…not nearly the same as actually waiting in the line.

 

[figmentfinesse]

That makes sense though. I could see how some people could manage their issues by using rope drop and a couple of FP for the longer lines. So the free FP worked as their accommodations.

I totally agree that some people will see this as a way to get out of paying for Genie + but hopefully they’ll find out that it isn’t a front of the line pass. In fact because the wait times are so inflated you will actually wait longer for a ride.

this is the case for me. I have a bladder disorder that makes me need to go about every 30 minutes. Before, I was able to manage it it with rope drop and fastpasses and getting in line before closing. But my 3 post pandemic trip I needed it because of no fastpass, and now I’ll continue to use it because the Genie return times are often so far in the future it could be hours between me being able to ride things. I am really grateful they have this program.

 

[Tiberella626]

I read that they’re getting nearly 1000 calls a day. Apparently they didn’t anticipate the volume and still need to work the kinks out.

I just don't get it. Given an average 8 hour shift is 480 min. And knowing that CM's are spending less than 10 min per person that gives one CM 48 cases per shift. So we can assume they have less than 20 people working this per day? 1000 calls a day compared to the 50,000 ish people that may enter the parks per day gets you to a 2% of the population requesting a DAS. That seems appropriate. It leaves me wondering why the volume is unexpected? To me it seems a little low even, I would have expected/budgeted for 5%. And knowing you are offering this service to people who can't wait in line made sure you were able to meet the budgeted demand with wiggle room so people would not be on hold for hours on end. I do recognize the labor shortage and the fact that this is new Disney business model not old Disney and for many of us, myslef included it's heartbreaking. Anyway I have said all this to really say nothing other than good luck friends.

 

[JenLT]

I just don't get it. Given an average 8 hour shift is 480 min. And knowing that CM's are spending less than 10 min per person that gives one CM 48 cases per shift. So we can assume they have less than 20 people working this per day? 1000 calls a day compared to the 50,000 ish people that may enter the parks per day gets you to a 2% of the population requesting a DAS. That seems appropriate. It leaves me wondering why the volume is unexpected? To me it seems a little low even, I would have expected/budgeted for 5%. And knowing you are offering this service to people who can't wait in line made sure you were able to meet the budgeted demand with wiggle room so people would not be on hold for hours on end. I do recognize the labor shortage and the fact that this is new Disney business model not old Disney and for many of us, myslef included it's heartbreaking. Anyway I have said all this to really say nothing other than good luck friends.

I agree that this is ridiculous that they were caught unaware. I suppose they thought not many people would find out about it. Which shows a lack of awareness on their part as well. People who need accommodations are more likely to be researching the trip to figure out how to make it work for them. Of course they’d see it was open.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just don't get it. Given an average 8 hour shift is 480 min. And knowing that CM's are spending less than 10 min per person that gives one CM 48 cases per shift. So we can assume they have less than 20 people working this per day? 1000 calls a day compared to the 50,000 ish people that may enter the parks per day gets you to a 2% of the population requesting a DAS. That seems appropriate. It leaves me wondering why the volume is unexpected? To me it seems a little low even, I would have expected/budgeted for 5%. And knowing you are offering this service to people who can't wait in line made sure you were able to meet the budgeted demand with wiggle room so people would not be on hold for hours on end. I do recognize the labor shortage and the fact that this is new Disney business model not old Disney and for many of us, myslef included it's heartbreaking. Anyway I have said all this to really say nothing other than good luck friends.

They knew how many people requested DAS at each park each day. It would not have been 2% of the people in the park each day. Most people are in a park multiple days, so they register for DAS on day 1 and use it for the rest of their park days. I don’t remember what I read was the total DAS registered at all parks combined each day, but it was well under 1000.

My thought is their biggest issue (besides IT) is that they should not have opened it to 30 days, at least at first. Doing it that way, instead of the smaller number requesting DAS at a park each day, callers from all 30 days worth of requests were competing for the same chats.

 

[StarCruzer]

That makes sense though. I could see how some people could manage their issues by using rope drop and a couple of FP for the longer lines. So the free FP worked as their accommodations.

I totally agree that some people will see this as a way to get out of paying for Genie + but hopefully they’ll find out that it isn’t a front of the line pass. In fact because the wait times are so inflated you will actually wait longer for a ride.

Agreed. Long periods stuck in crowded indoor areas trigger an extreme anxiety reaction for me--sometimes as severe as puking or passing out. With the FP+ system we got passes for anything with a long indoor queue. I can use meds on planes, but obviously those make you pretty sleepy and that's not ideal for a day in Disney.

 

[DVCjj]

Disney phone service has GOT to improve. DAS will be a nightmare for sure for me (I dread calling from reading all the insane waits) and yesterday waited 2-1/2 hours for MDE IT problems. DVC is long waits on the phone.
So. Darn. Frustrating. I know, I know....many reasons.... but still such a humungous timewaster.

 

[ttintagel]

Given how understaffed the parks themselves usually are, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that Disney hasn’t assigned enough workers to do the video chats without long waits. The very first place most companies will try to cut corners is labor/staffing.

 

[Grateful Mickey]

This is frustrating. I guess there's the old school wait @ City Hall and...

 

[shairpdrh]

In the queue now after failing yesterday. I agree with everyone that the wait is too long and will add to the OP's experience that getting kicked out every so often really adds to the anxiety. I was never able to rejoin my chat yesterday after it failed, but when I tried to join this morning I see that someone responded to me 8+ hours after I joined the queue. I would have been there if not for the failure for the chat to reconnect.

 

[acebatonfan]

This will be my first time going with a possible DAS (T1DM and new epilepsy/trying to find my triggers is not a fun combo). Waiting for a chat right now. I'm surprised Disney doesn't send links every 30 minutes while waiting on chat to subscribe to Disney+ to "quickly pass the time".

Edit time: Okay, not even 30 minutes in line and already got logged out by the website. Going to try replying in the chat every 15 minutes to see if that keeps my session active.