DAS changes coming WDW May 20/ DL June 18, 2024

[thRob]

I believe what has most people on this thread nervous is not the fact that developmental disabilities are getting services. Everyone easily agrees that is great. It’s those who also have issues that do not fall under the developmental umbrella are seemingly having the services they also depend on taken away. we don’t know for sure but all the changes Disney has made to documentation points in this direction.

Yeah, I get that. It's part of why I'm very in favor of this policy

 

[Disneychick75]

I addressed this early but to repeat ... I travel mostly just DS and I. He is nonverbal. I spend much of my trip watching, observing, listening, talking to CMs etc. It is very obvious who is using DAS.

Usually someone is guiding someone to the front - as I do with my son so he scans first OR you'll hear a party member say "wait I have to scan first", there are your first red flags.

Then the scanner turns blue. Instead of the CM saying "you are too early or you are the wrong ride or you don't have Genie+" and asking them to step out - they look at the screen, then look at the guest to match the faces. Then they override for the rest to scan. Then usually they will say "enjoy the ride Billy Bob" when they normally say nothing to other guests.

We have gone 4-6 weeks a year for the last 15 years. It is rare that there isn't at least one other group with DAS in front or behind, very common to be several groups going in with us. Especially when they are not regulars they are not efficient at scanning and holding up the line. The increase in these folks around us has gone up considerably since COVID and FP+ going away.


Park Capacity is calculated by adding ride capacity, queue capacity, store capacity, dining capacity, etc. If you eliminate queue capacity you in effect reduce park capacity. That is a large $$$ loss.


The second scan is really only needed when the SB and LL lanes are side by side at any point and folks can jump the line. I've seen folks try to jump and when they get to the second scan .. and it doesn't work they are sent out of the ride.

All I noticed was that anyone going into the LL had to have their band/phone/card scanned. I had absolutely no interaction with any cast member as my family entered the LL. We were just like any other people entering the line.

 

[Stank]

Point is. An autistic person with DAS could be fine in a particular standby line. They don’t know. Same as a person with a bowel disease. And yet one is now disqualified and the other remains. Both are dealing with potential or speculative issues.

No, the point is an autistic person doesn’t require an outburst for lines/crowds to be incredibly distressing due to the overstimulation.

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

 

[AnneK]

No, the point is an autistic person doesn’t require an outburst for lines/crowds to be incredibly distressing due to the overstimulation.

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

So who holds my spot in line as a solo traveler?

 

[SueM in MN]

All I noticed was that anyone going into the LL had to have their band/phone/card scanned. I had absolutely no interaction with any cast member as my family entered the LL. We were just like any other people entering the line.

Were you using DAS?
The DAS registered person scans first and the Mickey head in the scanner turns blue. That alerts the Cast Member to look at their screen to see what the alert was. The Cast Member looks at the picture of the DAS registered guest to make sure it matches the person entering the line. Then the Cast Member clears the alert and the rest of the group can scan.

 

[Jdavidm]

I don’t have a problem with Autism, etc. having DAS. The point is it’s still a speculative problem and just as easily faked as IBS. So why are bowel issues being singled out?

I’m simply trying to explain that for some people with autism it isn’t a speculative problem because they have learned what causes issues for them and need to avoid that situation.

Yes; there are people with autism that CAN handle a queue environment and I would agree that someone shouldn’t be given DAS simply because they have autism. It should depend on that person’s needs.

At the end of the day, I think developmental disabilities are just the most common reason for people to not be able to handle a queue environment at all.

I personally think bathroom issues are being singled out simply because Disney (and other theme parks) believe they can resolve this issue in a different way (bathroom passes etc.). Whether this is true or not, I can’t speak to as I don’t personally have a bathroom related disability. There’s really no other way to resolve an issue for someone where the queue itself is the issue though.

I’m hopeful that for more extreme bathroom issues, DAS will still be given.

 

[Gentry2004]

No, the point is an autistic person doesn’t require an outburst for lines/crowds to be incredibly distressing due to the overstimulation.

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

It is “incredibly distressing” to feel as though you have a painful bathroom emergency and won’t be able to get there in time. One is not a “more important” stress than another.

 

[Liquidice]

Developmental disabilities absolutely are DAS-qualified. If fact, that’s the point of DAS.

But you don’t need an outburst, so your analogy falls flat.

Honest question, I've seen you and others mention that DAS is intended for Developmental Disabilities. That is certainly the new language of the website, but I don't believe the DAS website previously said it is intended only for Developmental Disabilities.

It seems like Disney originally designed DAS to be a replacement for GAC and help with all different kinds of disabilities, not just Developmental ones.

I get that Disney has now stated that they have decided DAS is now only for developmental disabilities, but I don't think that was the only intention when they created DAS as the GAC replacement.

 

[Ash10]

Yup. Different etiology of urgency, same outcome.

Source: I'm a physician, GI specialist

Then you should understand more than most what many with bowel dysfunctions may experience outside of just “gotta go to the bathroom, be right back!”

 

[Stank]

So who holds my spot in line as a solo traveler?

Talk to a cast member—they gladly accommodate legitimate bathroom emergencies. They deal with single parents who take their kids out of lines every day, after all.

 

[Gentry2004]

No, the point is an autistic person doesn’t require an outburst for lines/crowds to be incredibly distressing due to the overstimulation.

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

It is “incredibly distressing” to feel as though you have a painful bathroom emergency and won’t be able to get there in time. One is not a “more important” stress than another.

No, the point is an autistic person doesn’t require an outburst for lines/crowds to be incredibly distressing due to the overstimulation.

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

You don’t understand so please stop pretending you do. I can only imagine the freak out if it were the DD people being excluded from this.

 

[nighttowll]

Any 3 year old is going to have a hard time holding it for 1-2 hours. So yeah, DAS pass for them and their 20 closest friends?

It's not the same at all.

Yes, a 3 year old might have to go, but medical conditions that necessitate this type of need usually have other symptoms that go along with the bathroom emergency. Not being able to hold it more than a few minutes, diarrhea, bleeding, blood sugar issues, vomiting, constipation, extreme fatigue, blood pressure issues, multiple bathroom trips in close succession, extremely long bathroom breaks like over an hour. When someone is having an attack or flare, it can come on suddenly with many different symptoms.

Young kids will be able to hold it longer than someone with a medical condition, and toddlers can be put in a diaper or pull-up if they are still learning. As an adult, you shouldn't be forced into a diaper when you could simply wait near a restroom.

Now, do all people with stomach issues need DAS? No, but some do. I agree with others it shoudln't be diagnosis based but need based.

Also, there are other physical issues that have been mentioned and glossed over that can't easily be taken care of in a line like people hooked up to machines. An earlier poster mentioned their child's oxygen needs I think it was. If they want to say DAS is now only for mental disabilities, than they need to set-up an equivalent program for physical disabilities. Bring back the old GAC style where you get a card with the type of physical accommodation needed listed, vision impaired, hearing impaired, etc.

I think the only two things that will really cut down on the number of passes being given out will never be done.

1. Require proof
2. Don't allow the user to enter another atttraction at the same time

Those two things would go a long way to cutting out the fakers since if a ride has a 3 hour wait, they wouldn't be able to ride anything else, so not a great sale to people paying to cheat, and if they just stick to shorter rides, well a guest can do that for free, so again why bother paying for a "disability tour".

 

[thRob]

It's not the same at all.

Yes, a 3 year old might have to go, but medical conditions that necessitate this type of need usually have other symptoms that go along with the bathroom emergency. Not being able to hold it more than a few minutes, diarrhea, bleeding, blood sugar issues, vomiting, constipation, extreme fatigue, blood pressure issues, multiple bathroom trips in close succession, extremely long bathroom breaks like over an hour. When someone is having an attack or flare, it can come on suddenly with many different symptoms.

Young kids will be able to hold it longer than someone with a medical condition, and toddlers can be put in a diaper or pull-up if they are still learning. As an adult, you shouldn't be forced into a diaper when you could simply wait near a restroom.

Now, do all people with stomach issues need DAS? No, but some do. I agree with others it shoudln't be diagnosis based but need based.

Also, there are other physical issues that have been mentioned and glossed over that can't easily be taken care of in a line like people hooked up to machines. An earlier poster mentioned their child's oxygen needs I think it was. If they want to say DAS is now only for mental disabilities, than they need to set-up an equivalent program for physical disabilities. Bring back the old GAC style where you get a card with the type of physical accommodation needed listed, vision impaired, hearing impaired, etc.

I think the only two things that will really cut down on the number of passes being given out will never be done.

1. Require proof
2. Don't allow the user to enter another atttraction at the same time

Those two things would go a long way to cutting out the fakers since if a ride has a 3 hour wait, they wouldn't be able to ride anything else, so not a great sale to people paying to cheat, and if they just stick to shorter rides, well a guest can do that for free, so again why bother paying for a "disability tour".

If you want my toilet trained 3 year old to wear a diaper for urgency, not accidents, then I humbly suggest you wear an adult diaper for the same logic.

 

[Stank]

It is “incredibly distressing” to feel as though you have a painful bathroom emergency and won’t be able to get there in time. One is not a “more important” stress than another.

One major difference: a developmentally disabled person doesn’t have the faculties to handle the situation. And you’re trying to equate this to that.

Still curious as to how one can’t hop out of line for a bathroom break but they can hold out when on a 15 minute attraction during an urgency.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

Neither is a potential meltdown from an autistic child, but somehow that still qualifies.

Yes, it does. Taking out your frustrations on Autistic people because we still explicitly qualify under Disney's new rules (which haven't even been fully explained yet) and your disability does not is not cool. It's not fair, but that's not Autistic people's fault. We didn't make or ask for the change, and comparing everything to Autism in a way that belittles its associated struggles just because it's become Disney's 'chosen disability' is unfair.

 

[chaoslobster]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, so to speak, because my needs are handled by a scooter and cane. But re: bathroom issues all I can think is how many queues are just impossible to get OUT if you're in the middle of it and crushed in on all sides. So many queues where there's an area where you go one way, turn 180 and go back the other way, 4 or 5 times or more. And it can take an hour or more to wait through just that part of the queue. If you have a bathroom emergency in the middle of that, it doesn't matter whether you've got a pass to return to your spot-- because you are not getting out in time.

 

[lanejudy]

For those asking about how long DAS is a valid here is the quote from the FAQ

DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 120 days, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.

Please note: for Guests visit from April 9 through May 19, 2024, DAS is valid for up to 30 days, or when a new ticket is required.

My understanding is the DAS will be valid for the length of ticket, or up to 120 days for open-ended tickets (such as AP, military Salute, etc.).

The DAS pre-approval is valid for 30 days. Therefore if one ends up cancelling or pushing out their visit, that initial pre-registration may no longer be valid depending on how far out. A second pre-registration video would be necessary.

It may have been another poster (or 2) who questioned about buying a 1-day ticket, then another 1-day ticket for later in the same visit. Maybe try not to do the pre-registration at exactly 30 days (especially with no Advanced Selections anymore) -- but closer to the trip. That way maybe the same pre-registration will cover both tickets -- but definitely a question to ask on Guest Relations.

Separating the party doesn't work in that scenario other.

I'm certain there will be some degree of flexibility depending on circumstances.

However, it's really not uncommon for disability accommodations to limit to the individual with the disability plus 1 other. WDW so far has tried to accommodate family units for most disability accommodations.

I agree that there should be no dif between national and international guests, that is an unfair expectation and I hope that international guests are able to call to register same as north americans

I believe the restriction on international guests doing DAS pre-registration may have more to do with privacy laws of various other countries, rather than Disney deciding to restrict it.

What Disney Data are you referencing.

I am certain that Disney has all kinds of data pertaining to DAS, how often, how many rides, etc. DAS used to be a paper card...it's all digital now. Disney loves digital because it provides them with soooo much data. They don't necessarily share all that data with the public, but I'm sure it's used for decision-making purposes. And if needed it can be called into use for court or legal purposes.

I remember a lot of reports back then that CM's were simply marking everything for the FP lines instead of taking the time to find out the issue and mark the cards correctly.

I do think some CMs were just using that stamp. But in my experience, attraction CMs stopped actually looking at the stamps. All a guest needed to do with flash their GAC card and the CM allowed entrance to the FP queue.

Sincere question as I'm always hoping to learn and understand. Disney states that DAS will be preserved for people with Autism. I unfortunately don't know much about Autism and would like to understand. What makes it so someone with autism or a similar condition (is that the right word) can't wait in the line. Thank you for teaching me.

Only speaking for myself and my experience... dealing with a developmental disability like DD's can be like trying to reason with a toddler (1-yr-old or 2-yr-old). Any parent knows they simply don't have reasoning capability. Of course that depends on the individual and the severity of the disability; not every individual is totally incapable of at least some level of reasoning.

Or even have a separate thread for DAS users with upcoming trips booked and keep this one for debating? I asked a few questions here for my trip that just got totally buried in the back and forth.

This whole issue hit at bad timing for me. I've been largely unavailable, and what time I've had has been trying to catch up reading this now-80-page thread (which was at 78 pages when I started this post). I'll try to get one started, but just know that at this point -- there may not be answers. Lots of assumptions. The moderators here are not Disney employees and have no direct inside information.

Appreciate all the work it must take to moderate something like this.

I am new here so don’t know if rules like the one I mentioned are something you ever enforce, but I do think it would be fair to even kindly ask others to refrain from asserting what accommodation would be reasonable for someone without understanding their needs. No one should have the right to do that other than the experts.

Opinions are allowed -- and that means opinions on both sides of an issue. One of the features of the DISboards software is the "Ignore" feature -- when you place another poster on "Ignore" you will not see any of their posts (though I believe you can "unhide" them with just a click).

Unless Disney has been planning this for a while, which I doubt or they could have immediately released information on the return to queue process, I just can’t see them having implemented something so refined, let alone involve digital capabilities, by next month.

Oh, I suspect Disney has been planning this for a while. Their roll-out leaves much to be desired, but unfortunately that is also typical Disney communication. Disney has been trialing various "leave the queue" options for several months; Disney has been collecting information for even longer. This was no knee-jerk reaction, though the lack of solid details may make one think that.

 

[Stank]

Yes, it does. Taking out your frustrations on Autistic people because we still explicitly qualify under Disney's new rules (which haven't even been fully explained yet) and your disability does not is not cool. It's not fair, but that's not Autistic people's fault. We didn't make or ask for the change, and comparing everything to Autism in a way that belittles its associated struggles just because it's become Disney's 'chosen disability' is unfair.

It’s quite unbelievable people equate their perceived distress over waiting in line over a potential bathroom urgency that may or may not even arise with somehow on parity with people who don’t have the mental faculties to handle actual distress, and placing them in situations of tight quarters with large crowds for 1-2 hours is torturous.

If you have to use the bathroom, tell a cast member the brief situation. They have absolutely zero problem handling this swiftly and professionally. To even think for a moment that situation is equivalent to subjecting people who cannot handle the overstimulation on a chronic basis is just headshaking.

Bottom line, DAS is going away for a lot of people where an alternative accommodation is readily available. For an autistic person, DAS is the only accommodation.

 

[nighttowll]

A potentiality of having to use the restroom isn’t a DAS-qualifying condition. Especially since the solution is identical to not having DAS: leave the line and return to the spot in line.

If it was that simple, ok.

It's not just mom excusing herself and child for a quick 20 minute break to the bathroom and back.

It's needing to leave and return multiple times or leaving and being gone an hour or more or not making it there in time. It's your family reaching the front of the queue before you even return.

I just don't see how Disney can make it work without a major overhaul of their queues. Some of those lines are so long and winding, and if you have to fight through people, it could take 10+ minutes just to get out much less make your way to a restroom and then wait in the restroom line. By that time, if you are having an emergency, it's probably already too late.

Plus, the logistics of all these people constantly leaving and returning. How do you handle that? It's not the occasional person with a small child. You are now talking tens of thousands of people (not all at once I know) that now need this accommodation. You either have to hold them somewhere until their party catches up or let them back in the line. Do you really want people pushing past you constantly? What about wheelchairs? They can't even get out without mowing people down.

If leaving and returning worked, I'd be all for it. If they figure out a way to make it work. Great. I'm not against it. I just don't have a lot of faith right now that Disney has put any thought into. The only real information I've seen is them saying it will work the way it always has referencing to Star Wars Galaxy, and the way that works will not work well for people with medical issues.

 

[Stank]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, so to speak, because my needs are handled by a scooter and cane. But re: bathroom issues all I can think is how many queues are just impossible to get OUT if you're in the middle of it and crushed in on all sides. So many queues where there's an area where you go one way, turn 180 and go back the other way, 4 or 5 times or more. And it can take an hour or more to wait through just that part of the queue. If you have a bathroom emergency in the middle of that, it doesn't matter whether you've got a pass to return to your spot-- because you are not getting out in time.

They really aren’t, though. You just think they are.

Literally went to Disney not long ago with my kids. I am grateful none of us have disabilities. My nephew, however, has severe autism to where Disney is not even an option. So when people here talk about “distress” and equate theirs with kids with developmental disabilities, I honestly shake my head in disbelief. You’re able to conjure up a hypothetical stressful event—these kids can’t even begin to articulate a construct like that. Give me a break!

I had to exit multiple lines for bathroom emergencies on that trip. How expedient the cast members were and how quickly we had alternative exits was surprising.

So when you think there’s no quick way out, there’s an exit nearby. Reality is people just don’t like the inconvenience of waiting in a 50 minute line to then ask to use the restroom, exit the line, then come back and have the cast member who radioed the situation let you back in.