"Disney Faulted in Disability Access Complaints"
- Thread starter IncredibleboysMom
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tinkerpea
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2010
I certainly wasn't on about anybody with congintive disability getting any sort of front of line,
I am however saddened by the fact that one terminal child gets better treatment from disney then another because they manged to qualify for a wish trip,
I knew a family that spent their life savings taking their daughter to florida because she only had a short period of time left,and there just wasn't time to sort out a wish trip,
Universal was amazing and gave the best accommodation they could,as did seaworld.
Disney however gave them the das and 3 extra fp for the family on one on.the days they went,
The child was just to fragile to spend much time at the parks.
If the same accommodation could have been given to this child it would have been very special for the family, however it wasn't and they struggled severely.
Unfortunately the child has now passed.
OurBigTrip
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 27, 2013
It's obviously a terrible loss for the family, but like SeaWorld, Disney gave them the best accommodation they could. The DAS isn't (nor was the GAC) intended to accommodate for shortened time in the park. There are thousands of non-disabled people in the park that only do a short time in the parks for various reasons.
sharadoc
Visit WDW since '86, driving since '94.
- Joined
- May 6, 2008
Not wanting to jump on the wrong or right of this. We've learned to use FP+ and the DAS and it seems to be fine for us. We're not multiple riders, and DS likes things like Philharmagic, Spaceship Earth, Buzz, TTA, Pirates so we're just as busy as we were with the GAC.
The difference that freaked out the folks who used the GAC to the DAS is that we WERE treated special with the GAC. We felt like Disney was acknowledging that they could do something to make our vacation great, to give us a break from the stress of dealing with a special needs kid. Then they took that away.
Once again, I'm not saying what Disney did with the GAC is right, I'm just expressing why so many folks felt consternation with the change. With the DAS, we still have to wait like everyone else, just not in line.
I so hate when the discussions on here become semantics, or sound like legal arguments in a court of law.
It's just so many people are unwilling or unable to handle change and instead want it back to the way it was.
The difference that freaked out the folks who used the GAC to the DAS is that we WERE treated special with the GAC. We felt like Disney was acknowledging that they could do something to make our vacation great, to give us a break from the stress of dealing with a special needs kid. Then they took that away.
Once again, I'm not saying what Disney did with the GAC is right, I'm just expressing why so many folks felt consternation with the change. With the DAS, we still have to wait like everyone else, just not in line.
I so hate when the discussions on here become semantics, or sound like legal arguments in a court of law.
It's just so many people are unwilling or unable to handle change and instead want it back to the way it was.
aaarcher86
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I think the disappointment of people used to the GAC, and even fear, is understandable.
It's the lawsuit and entitlement that is not.
ChloroformSdxn
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2015
There are a lot of places where this sort of disability is accommodated, and many more places where it is not. Is not being accommodated in one place an argument to not be accommodated anywhere else or mean that there's no point to being accommodated? I don't understand your argument. Is the fact that it's incredibly difficult to get accommodation anywhere outside of the school system an argument to just make it harder everywhere? Why accommodate anyone anywhere unless everywhere in the world agrees to provide the exact same accommodation and we all are exactly equal?
Where are we accommodated? School, yes. However, that doesn't start until my son is in kindergarten. When that starts, we are also told that if there is another child in the class that needs help and their parents refuse to get them tested or coded, my son's aide will be required to help with them as well even if my son requires one on one. Private school isn't an option - here you pay for private school to keep your children away from mine, so he wouldn't pass any admission process. For daycare we couldn't go anywhere since my son was high needs, and needed a full-time aide. It was an 18 month wait until we could get into a funded program. Until then my options were to quit work or to pay a full-time nanny with special training to watch him. So yes, you are correct in that we aren't accommodated everywhere. Going to a busy restaurant to eat? We just don't do it. Going to the playground? In my city, there is exactly ONE fenced play ground on the west side of town. The other two are a 30+ minute drive. So yes, there is some accommodation in that we can make the 10-15 minute drive to go to the playground rather than the one down the street. Swim lessons? I'm very lucky in that I've been able to make arrangements with our local swim center and essentially buy 3 sets of swim lessons in order to get an instructor ratio that will accommodate my son without impacting the experience of the other kids. There are some autism specific lessons, but you have 5-10 people competing for each space because it's only through one charity that they're offered. Gymnastics? We're lucky, because one of the gymnastics clubs offers a special needs program. We do this because at $40 for each 45 minute sessions, it's cheaper than going to occupational therapy at $140 a session to work on gross motor skills. These are just when we try and do "normal" things, and don't include speech therapy and his ABA therapists.
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2011
I agree with this statement. In general, many people fear change. If I recall correctly, many of the families originally involved in the DAS lawsuit had not even yet attempted DAS.
EastYorkDisneyFan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2006
Interesting I don't think I've ever seen one most stories her don't have any special accommodation. The only place I see it a lot is at banks or Hotels they have a lower window for poel who need it.
mistysue
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
I think more to the point is the broad issue that we are talking about accommodations that by their very nature disrupt and affect the experience of others. Mounting a countertop at 34" instead of 36" or making a door 4" wider does not alter the nature of my experience. Inserting people into a line in front of me does. It is judging the value between us and saying one person's experience is worth more than the other. The rest of what you are talking about, how difficult your day to day life is really has no impact on this issue. Are these things frustrating? Yes. But for any person to assume that their frustrations are worse than those of another is not reasonable. We have no idea what any other person has to live through. If we give accommodations for daily stress shouldn't we be giving accommodations for widows? What about children with abusive parents? Victims of crime? Frustration of daily life has no place in judging who should get accommodations.
ireland_nicole
<font color=green>No brainer- the fairy wins it<br
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
so I haven't been around for a while- just too busy and since the change to DAS we haven't taken DD because we didnt know of a way to make it work, which is why I'm posting here. DD has High functioning autism, epilepsy, kidney anomalies and other disabilities. She can't be in the park in full sun because of her meds, and also because if she gets overheated she seizes, which kind of messes with her day. She has to go to the bathroom every hour on schedule. She does use a wheelchair with a canopy at Disney. We went during quieter times when she was younger, but now we aren't allowed to pull her from school, so we have to go when other people do. One thing we did do from the very first trip was lie to her (thankfully) and said you were only allowed to go on each ride once a day (so we never had the back to back issue). However, most of our park days with her were roughly 3-4 hours total. If we were really lucky, we might get back to the park 1 night out of a 7 day trip. Under the old system, we waited (off to the side, or through the FP line, etc) and were able to ride most of what she wanted by using the GAC and a smart touring plan in the time we had. Under the new system, though we would be able to ride 2-3 rides and then be done, no character options unless one of us separated from her the entire time to stand in line (which admittedly I happily did one trip). But we can't make use of the DAS system because we're not in the park long enough to make use of the return time- we've already had to leave to avoid a seizure. I will say that after taking my dad with parkinsons and early dementia to WDW for his bucket list trip in October I do have a bit more hope thanks to FP+. By booking those three experiences judiciously and using a touring plan and maybe possibly the DAS once we (might) be able to make it work. Which would make me very happy because its her favorite place in the whole world. Heck the first time she said I love you she was 8- and said it to Mickey Mouse. I understand the situation needed to change, but wanted to point out that there are people especially with multiple disabilities who might have legit concerns or needs that are not adequately addressed by the DAS system.
OurBigTrip
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 27, 2013
Where you and I differ is that no accommodation should be made for the purpose of doing more in a set amount of time. That isn't equal access. If you can only stay in the park for four hours, then you should be able to do what any non-disabled person can do in four hours.
aaarcher86
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
At minimum with FP+ and he DAS you'd get 4 things done. Realistically you'd get closer to 6 things in roughly 3 hours alternating the das and FP times. Possibly more if you're RD people. Two attractions an hour is pretty average, maybe even great if you're going during peak season. I'd disagree that the DAS doesn't adequately meet your needs from your description - only that it doesn't necessarily end up being as lucrative as the previous system. But it would certainly allow your daughter to use the restroom on each hour and wait in a cool place.
I have the same stance as OBT on time in the park. Four hours is four hours whether you're disabled, elderly, hate crowds, or have a toddler. I don't see why a disabled person should be able to condense their day over anyone else. I don't know of anywhere else that happens.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 1999
my comments are assuming you are going to WDW since you mention Fastpass Plus.
DL is a little different since they do not have Fastpass Plus yet.
DAS and Fastpass Plus work very well for us.
Most lines are well covered, so the majority of sun exposure is not going to be in line, but out of attractions and getting from place to place.
DAS and Fastpass Plus would help you with both the heat and sun because your wait will be outside of the lines. The accommodation given by DAS is to be able to wait somewhere other than the line. You may also want to look into cooling devices, but with DAS and Fastpass Plus, you can chose to wait wherever you find fits your needs best.
By alternating DAS Return Times and Fastpass Plus times, you can get the flexibility you need for your bathroom schedule. Fastpass Plus has a specific window to come back, but you can schedule 3 of them and once all 3 have been used, you can schedule another, one at a time. Since you know the times, you can schedule her bathroom stops, eating or other attractions around them.
The DAS Return Times are based on the current wait time for that attraction. You can only have one DAS Return Time active at a time, but it is 'active' until you either use it or cancel it.
Because the time is based on the current posted wait time, many people use Fastpass Plus for attractions with longer waits and DAS for shorter ones, to avoid tying the DAS up for long periods.
You can also go on attractions that have shorter waits between DAS and Fastpass times. The My Disney Experience app can help with letting you know the current wait times.
But, even during the busiest times, posted waits are usually no longer than 2 hours, except for a few very high demand attractions. Those are the ones to use FP+ for if you can.
We have sometimes had to leave after only 2 hours, both while using the old GAC and using DAS because our daughter had a seizure or was otherwise not going well. In fact, our record 'short' time for being in a park was about 1 hour before leaving -and that included a seizure, a short rest and realizing a short rest was not going to be enough.
So, my DH took her back to the room and I stayed.
That's just how things are and even if DAS was a 'go directly on without wait' program, it would not change things for us. Because of stimulation, spasticity or physical exertion of getting her onto and off of attractions, we never did and would never rush from attraction to attraction. That would have actually shortened the time we could be in the park, not let us do more.
The idea of trying to condense 7 hours of rides into 4 hours would make things worse for our situation. It would be way too much; for us that would mean the next day our daughter would be totally non-functional.
As it is, doing things slowly, she usually has at least one day where she is not able to do anything and pretty much spends the day in bed or leaned back in her wheelchair.
The thing that has made the most difference to us is being able to pre-schedule our Fastpass Plus. In the 'old' Fastpass days where you had to go directly yo an attraction to get a Fastpass, we could seldom get any. DD needs a lot of care to get going in the morning and by the time we got to the park, the Fastpasses were all gone - or were so far into the future in the evening that we could not use them.
With Fastpass Plus, we know what the times are when we schedule and even during Spring Break last year and around New Year's this year, we were able to get FP + times that worked.
DAS is actually more flexible then GAC because you know when you can come back at the time you get your Return Time. Since it doesn't expire, you can use it any time after that Return Time has passed.
We tried to avoid using GAC when we could, and did not even use it every day. We pretty much used it only for things we either could not get Fastpass for or lines that were very problematic for our daughter (for example, the old Test Track queue had 'music' that included lots of brakes squealing, crashes and other noises that bothered DD, plus the ramps were steep, which made it hard to push her wheelchair. )
There may be fairly long posted wait times for certain high demand attractions - for example, I have seen posted wait times of 3 hours for Soarin' but the majority of attractions are not going to have 3 hour wait times, even if it is busy.
And, by knowing which are most likely to have long waits, you cAn try to use your Fastpass Plus times for those.
Using a touring plan - or at least knowing which parks are most busy will also help a lot. Going on the less busy day and/or time can make the difference between a 60-90 minute wait (which should be doable with DAS) and a 3 hour wait, which may not be.
I hope this helps you to see how it can work.
DL is a little different since they do not have Fastpass Plus yet.
My youngest DD doesn't have autism, but she does have a lot of sensory issues, obsessive compulsive, cerebral palsy and seizures. She has to be urinary catheterized every 3-4 hours on a schedule. Plus medication given on a schedule and because of her CP, we need to feed her (she can feed herself part of the meal, but not the whole meal) and we usually have to stop and stretch her in her wheelchair or at First Aid for a lie down stretch at least once.
DAS and Fastpass Plus work very well for us.
Most lines are well covered, so the majority of sun exposure is not going to be in line, but out of attractions and getting from place to place.
DAS and Fastpass Plus would help you with both the heat and sun because your wait will be outside of the lines. The accommodation given by DAS is to be able to wait somewhere other than the line. You may also want to look into cooling devices, but with DAS and Fastpass Plus, you can chose to wait wherever you find fits your needs best.
By alternating DAS Return Times and Fastpass Plus times, you can get the flexibility you need for your bathroom schedule. Fastpass Plus has a specific window to come back, but you can schedule 3 of them and once all 3 have been used, you can schedule another, one at a time. Since you know the times, you can schedule her bathroom stops, eating or other attractions around them.
The DAS Return Times are based on the current wait time for that attraction. You can only have one DAS Return Time active at a time, but it is 'active' until you either use it or cancel it.
Because the time is based on the current posted wait time, many people use Fastpass Plus for attractions with longer waits and DAS for shorter ones, to avoid tying the DAS up for long periods.
You can also go on attractions that have shorter waits between DAS and Fastpass times. The My Disney Experience app can help with letting you know the current wait times.
But, even during the busiest times, posted waits are usually no longer than 2 hours, except for a few very high demand attractions. Those are the ones to use FP+ for if you can.
You should be able to do at least 2-3 with Fastpass Plus and 2-3 with DAS and more if you are also using a touring plan.
We have sometimes had to leave after only 2 hours, both while using the old GAC and using DAS because our daughter had a seizure or was otherwise not going well. In fact, our record 'short' time for being in a park was about 1 hour before leaving -and that included a seizure, a short rest and realizing a short rest was not going to be enough.
So, my DH took her back to the room and I stayed.
That's just how things are and even if DAS was a 'go directly on without wait' program, it would not change things for us. Because of stimulation, spasticity or physical exertion of getting her onto and off of attractions, we never did and would never rush from attraction to attraction. That would have actually shortened the time we could be in the park, not let us do more.
The idea of trying to condense 7 hours of rides into 4 hours would make things worse for our situation. It would be way too much; for us that would mean the next day our daughter would be totally non-functional.
As it is, doing things slowly, she usually has at least one day where she is not able to do anything and pretty much spends the day in bed or leaned back in her wheelchair.
The thing that has made the most difference to us is being able to pre-schedule our Fastpass Plus. In the 'old' Fastpass days where you had to go directly yo an attraction to get a Fastpass, we could seldom get any. DD needs a lot of care to get going in the morning and by the time we got to the park, the Fastpasses were all gone - or were so far into the future in the evening that we could not use them.
With Fastpass Plus, we know what the times are when we schedule and even during Spring Break last year and around New Year's this year, we were able to get FP + times that worked.
DAS is actually more flexible then GAC because you know when you can come back at the time you get your Return Time. Since it doesn't expire, you can use it any time after that Return Time has passed.
We tried to avoid using GAC when we could, and did not even use it every day. We pretty much used it only for things we either could not get Fastpass for or lines that were very problematic for our daughter (for example, the old Test Track queue had 'music' that included lots of brakes squealing, crashes and other noises that bothered DD, plus the ramps were steep, which made it hard to push her wheelchair. )
DAS can be used for anything with Fastpass - which includes most of the character options. Plus, you can choose to use Fastpass Plus for characters if that is available.
By alternating Fastpass Plus and DAS Return Times, it is possible to minimize the time between attractions.
There may be fairly long posted wait times for certain high demand attractions - for example, I have seen posted wait times of 3 hours for Soarin' but the majority of attractions are not going to have 3 hour wait times, even if it is busy.
And, by knowing which are most likely to have long waits, you cAn try to use your Fastpass Plus times for those.
Using a touring plan - or at least knowing which parks are most busy will also help a lot. Going on the less busy day and/or time can make the difference between a 60-90 minute wait (which should be doable with DAS) and a 3 hour wait, which may not be.
I hope this helps you to see how it can work.
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ireland_nicole
<font color=green>No brainer- the fairy wins it<br
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
I was trying, and possibly failing, to point out that FP+ does help quite a bit over the traditional FP system especially used in conjunction with the DAS. I was saying that with all the work we've done on past trips, plus FP+ which I got to use with my dad on his trip last Oct., there is some hope of a trip being possible again.- When the DAS was first announced, there wasn't FP+, so it was a lot harder. To the other posters who pointed out that our situation is no different than anyone with a toddler- it's totally different, but if y'all choose to walk around completely devoid of any compassion or empathy, that's on y'all. The fact is that everyone is not the same, and trying to navigate situations is a lot more complex for some than others. I don't want to get into the whole my disability is worse game, because its completely pointless and harmful. But it would be nice if judgement and blanket statements could potentially be suspended for short periods of time, long enough to at least admit that one solution does not fit all. I'm not asking for anyone to fix it, or make it better- just to try to comprehend that the DAS isn't always effective for everyone.
I have been reading these boards for a long time and just got the urge to speak.
Without going into the details my DS has a rare Genetic Disorder...I know, that means nothing....translated to WDW terms, 1. he cant wait in lines...we have tried it and it was a complete disaster, he was inappropriately making noises, hugin strangers screaming to use the bathroom and a multitude of other things that I am not going to get into....also he has low muscle tone which means he can run around like any other boy....until he cant. Then I have to carry him everywhere. He physically stops. This was not a problem when he was a toddler but he is now 9 and is the height of an 11 yr old. So to accommodate this we get him a wheel chair to push him around so he does not wear out. Well he does not need it to walk to the ride (although as the day goes on, I do carry him to the rides) so we park it in the stroller parking area. Let me tell you, you would not believe the looks I get from people when he steps out of the wheelchair! I have overheard many people make comments about how we rented a wheelchair just to push our kids around in! ( I have to admit that my 5yr old does jump on for a ride at times). My son looks perfectly normal until you get up close and look at him and then he starts to speak. It shocks most people, he has very broken language that most can not understand.
Ok...we used the GAC in the past and it allowed me to see my son Laugh on his own for the first time in his life. We had been to Disney prior to that and rode 2 rides. This allowed my son to experience Disney. With that being said, I think the DAS with Fastpass + is just as good if not better. It allows us to experience the park just like everyone else and he can see all of the magical designs while we wait our turn. I am not sure what everyone is fussed up about. This accommodation is more than generous. It allows my family to truly have a magical experience that Disney intended. The DAS makes it so we don't have to go through the wheelchair line or deal with on the ride.
Now if I could only get people to stop Judging when they see him in and out of the wheelchair.
OK, I have spoke my mind for what it is worth
Without going into the details my DS has a rare Genetic Disorder...I know, that means nothing....translated to WDW terms, 1. he cant wait in lines...we have tried it and it was a complete disaster, he was inappropriately making noises, hugin strangers screaming to use the bathroom and a multitude of other things that I am not going to get into....also he has low muscle tone which means he can run around like any other boy....until he cant. Then I have to carry him everywhere. He physically stops. This was not a problem when he was a toddler but he is now 9 and is the height of an 11 yr old. So to accommodate this we get him a wheel chair to push him around so he does not wear out. Well he does not need it to walk to the ride (although as the day goes on, I do carry him to the rides) so we park it in the stroller parking area. Let me tell you, you would not believe the looks I get from people when he steps out of the wheelchair! I have overheard many people make comments about how we rented a wheelchair just to push our kids around in! ( I have to admit that my 5yr old does jump on for a ride at times). My son looks perfectly normal until you get up close and look at him and then he starts to speak. It shocks most people, he has very broken language that most can not understand.
Ok...we used the GAC in the past and it allowed me to see my son Laugh on his own for the first time in his life. We had been to Disney prior to that and rode 2 rides. This allowed my son to experience Disney. With that being said, I think the DAS with Fastpass + is just as good if not better. It allows us to experience the park just like everyone else and he can see all of the magical designs while we wait our turn. I am not sure what everyone is fussed up about. This accommodation is more than generous. It allows my family to truly have a magical experience that Disney intended. The DAS makes it so we don't have to go through the wheelchair line or deal with on the ride.
Now if I could only get people to stop Judging when they see him in and out of the wheelchair.
OK, I have spoke my mind for what it is worth
ChloroformSdxn
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2015
Except no one is being inserted into the line in front of you with the DAS. We're given a return time and wait outside of the line. It does not impact you.
The point I was making was that just because we aren't accommodated everywhere doesn't mean that it's somehow an awful thing to be accommodated in some places. Otherwise, what would be the point in bothering to do anything until the whole world is some sort of utopia?
ETA: And yes, construction standards do impact other people. In my city, disability accommodations have made it incredibly difficult to get reno permits for new houses since they don't meet new standards and the city makes it easier to issue a demolition permit.
DisneyFan13US
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2014
Ireland_Nicole,
I'm sorry that your daughter has multiple disabilities. I can't imagine what that must be like. I may have missed it (admittedly I didn't read Sue's entire post) but I didn't see anyone compare your situation to that of a toddlers. The statement made was merely that 4 hours is 4 hours regardless.
I understand your frustration that you are only able to spend 3-4 hours in the park during the day. You stated that using the GAC you were able to ride most of what you wanted to ride. I think what others, including myself, are trying to say is that most people aren't able to ride most of what they want to ride in 3-4 hours. My wife and I are both relatively young, fit, and child free. When we were there in January, the low season, we were hard pressed to ride most of what we wanted to in 3-4 hours without wanting to fall over. You said that under the new system you are able to ride 2-3 rides and then be done. I would assume that is roughly the norm for 3-4 hours, especially during the busy season.
You asked that we suspend judgement long enough to admit that one solution does not fit and stated that you wish we could comprehend that the DAS isn't always effective for everyone. I say this, respectfully of course, but it appears that you are saying the DAS doesn't work for you because the total number of rides you can do decreased. I fail to see how this alone illustrates that the DAS isn't effective for you.
The DAS now allows you to visit the park the same as the rest of us, use of FP+, touring plans, and the ability to only do 2-3 rides in 3-4 hours with the majority of those minutes planned out.
I wish you nothing but the best and hope you are able to have many future visits to Disney.
I'm sorry that your daughter has multiple disabilities. I can't imagine what that must be like. I may have missed it (admittedly I didn't read Sue's entire post) but I didn't see anyone compare your situation to that of a toddlers. The statement made was merely that 4 hours is 4 hours regardless.
I understand your frustration that you are only able to spend 3-4 hours in the park during the day. You stated that using the GAC you were able to ride most of what you wanted to ride. I think what others, including myself, are trying to say is that most people aren't able to ride most of what they want to ride in 3-4 hours. My wife and I are both relatively young, fit, and child free. When we were there in January, the low season, we were hard pressed to ride most of what we wanted to in 3-4 hours without wanting to fall over. You said that under the new system you are able to ride 2-3 rides and then be done. I would assume that is roughly the norm for 3-4 hours, especially during the busy season.
You asked that we suspend judgement long enough to admit that one solution does not fit and stated that you wish we could comprehend that the DAS isn't always effective for everyone. I say this, respectfully of course, but it appears that you are saying the DAS doesn't work for you because the total number of rides you can do decreased. I fail to see how this alone illustrates that the DAS isn't effective for you.
The DAS now allows you to visit the park the same as the rest of us, use of FP+, touring plans, and the ability to only do 2-3 rides in 3-4 hours with the majority of those minutes planned out.
I wish you nothing but the best and hope you are able to have many future visits to Disney.
I believe the pp was responding to the totality of your post and not a specific line. I don't think anyone questions parents of disabled children often have obstacles to overcome that other parents may not deal with, but we don't know what is going on in every family so to say one family is more deserving than another is not really appropriate.
That said, a few things in your post did catch my eye. 1) Free appropriate education starts at age 3. So your child may be eligible for preschool through the school district at no cost that will also include any supportive services (pt/ot.speech). Both my dds are a product of the public school integrated preschool. 2) If your child is under age 3, there should be early intervention services available to you at a low cost or free. Again, both my dds went through early intervention. Its a great program. You may already be taking advantage of these programs in your state, but if you're not, please look into them. I know its off topic, but I just wanted to make sure you knew there were resources out there that could allow you to cut back on some of the expensive lessons you are providing for your child.
2tinkerbell
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2013
The DAS was introduced after FP+ was put into place at WDW.
I don't see how any system can make up for a hard life, shortened time in the parks, etc. It just isn't possible. To me, it comes down to evaluating your personal situation and deciding if that is something you can be successful in doing. No one can do that for you. Look at the system in place (DAS) and decide if you can work within the framework or not. If not, then you need to find something else that you can do. For example, my DD has severe visual/perceptual difficulties, visual acuity problems even with glasses and contacts, NVLD, SID, Central Auditory Processing difficulties, and EFD all resulting from right frontal lobe brain damage. My DD loves Broadway plays, the ballet, and the symphony. She loves movies and shows of all kinds. She has to sit up close. I don't get to go to the facility and demand that they, because of her challenges, sit her up front, needs a program, etc. I have to do whatever I can to make sure my DD is successful. I get to make sure she has a program, explain the storyline, introduce her to the composer, etc. ahead of time. Most importantly, I purchase the seats up front. Sometimes it is not economically possible and my DD will simply not be able to go. That is life. We have to make choices and take the responsibility for a successful experience. No person or entity can be everything to everyone.
Disney didn't promise me or my DD that no one in our party would have a meltdown, that we wouldn't get tired, hangry, etc. They didn't promise that we would be able to do the parks from rope drop to closing. Disney didn't promise us that we would have fun. Those things are in our control and no amount of FP+s, re-admissions, looping, etc. is going to change that. Not everyone is going to be able to ride an attraction 50 times in a day. Not everyone is going to be able to sit up front and center - there aren't enough up front and center seats. Not everyone is going to get a FP+ for Soarin' at 10 o'clock. It just isn't possible.
With Disney, we get to decide if the DAS will work for our situation and how to work within the framework provided. I really liked Sue's explanation of how her family does WDW. Sue explains how she has worked within the framework provided by Disney (FP+ and DAS). To me, Sue has explained how the DAS and FP+ works for just about every complaint that has been raised in this thread (shortened time in the parks, medical needs, etc.).
I don't see how any system can make up for a hard life, shortened time in the parks, etc. It just isn't possible. To me, it comes down to evaluating your personal situation and deciding if that is something you can be successful in doing. No one can do that for you. Look at the system in place (DAS) and decide if you can work within the framework or not. If not, then you need to find something else that you can do. For example, my DD has severe visual/perceptual difficulties, visual acuity problems even with glasses and contacts, NVLD, SID, Central Auditory Processing difficulties, and EFD all resulting from right frontal lobe brain damage. My DD loves Broadway plays, the ballet, and the symphony. She loves movies and shows of all kinds. She has to sit up close. I don't get to go to the facility and demand that they, because of her challenges, sit her up front, needs a program, etc. I have to do whatever I can to make sure my DD is successful. I get to make sure she has a program, explain the storyline, introduce her to the composer, etc. ahead of time. Most importantly, I purchase the seats up front. Sometimes it is not economically possible and my DD will simply not be able to go. That is life. We have to make choices and take the responsibility for a successful experience. No person or entity can be everything to everyone.
Disney didn't promise me or my DD that no one in our party would have a meltdown, that we wouldn't get tired, hangry, etc. They didn't promise that we would be able to do the parks from rope drop to closing. Disney didn't promise us that we would have fun. Those things are in our control and no amount of FP+s, re-admissions, looping, etc. is going to change that. Not everyone is going to be able to ride an attraction 50 times in a day. Not everyone is going to be able to sit up front and center - there aren't enough up front and center seats. Not everyone is going to get a FP+ for Soarin' at 10 o'clock. It just isn't possible.
With Disney, we get to decide if the DAS will work for our situation and how to work within the framework provided. I really liked Sue's explanation of how her family does WDW. Sue explains how she has worked within the framework provided by Disney (FP+ and DAS). To me, Sue has explained how the DAS and FP+ works for just about every complaint that has been raised in this thread (shortened time in the parks, medical needs, etc.).
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