disabilities assistance Abuse

[SueM in MN]

Das does work like a Fast Pass for waits less than 30 minutes.You don't get a return time, the cast member usually let's you through.

We‘ve been using DAS since it came out and have never been just ‘let thru’ unless the Standby wait was 15 minutes or less. We’ve always been given a Return Time if the Standby wait was 15-20 minutes or more.

 

[gap2368]

Das does work like a Fast Pass for waits less than 30 minutes.You don't get a return time, the cast member usually let's you through.

I have not been sent thought the FP line when there is a 30 minute or less wait for a ride but been given a return time for 20 minutes and then I come back

 

[Branderson610]

I have not been sent thought the FP line when there is a 30 minute or less wait for a ride but been given a return time for 20 minutes and then I come back

I guess every cast member uses their own discretion on when they will let you access the fast pass line when it comes to DAS, I can.j7st speak from my own experience.

 

[HopperFan]

.

Das does work like a Fast Pass for waits less than 30 minutes. You don't get a return time, the cast member usually let's you through.

No it does not. The SYSTEM creates your return time and unless standby is 10 minutes or less - the amount of time the system takes off your return time making it 0 - the system will give you a return time of the standby minus 10 minutes. Add traveling back and forth, the DAS makes you wait the equivalent or longer than the standby time. It was great when the system began creating the return times because it took the CM out of the equation. CMs do not make that decision.

Now perhaps you are confusing it with Universal who will let guests direct through the line at 30 minutes although that hasn't worked for us either.

I guess every cast member uses their own discretion on when they will let you access the fast pass line when it comes to DAS.

The SYSTEM creates the return, not the CMs. I've been using DAS since it started and this has never happened. We always get a return time unless it is 10 minutes and even then we've sometimes had them direct us to the SB line.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I guess every cast member uses their own discretion on when they will let you access the fast pass line when it comes to DAS, I can.j7st speak from my own experience.

And that’s one of the problems, cast members not following Disney’s own policy.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you saw this cutie in a wheelchair, would you think it was a rented wheelchair to ‘cheat’?
What if she was sitting on a bench, with the wheelchair parked next to her?


This is my youngest DD a long time ago in EPCOT by Norway. When she was this age, posed this way in her wheelchair, I actually heard someone say to her companion (loud enough for me to hear) that ”it’s a shame they let people rent wheelchairs just to get ahead in line.” Based on her comments, it was because my daughter was crossing her leg and swinging the top leg.
She and I were sitting on a bench in Germany when I heard 2 guys behind me make the same comments. Apparently, they believed if someone can get out of their wheelchair, they must not be disabled (she didn’t even get out by herself, I lifted her and arranged her leg for her since she can’t cross it herself).



What about this picture? Does she look disabled? Or pretending to be disabled?
This picture was taken a few years ago when she was just driving around near an overlook at Kali River Rapids while we waited for her dad and friend to come thru on their raft.
Another person waiting in the area commented to their companion “if people are going to rent a wheelchair to skip lines they shouldn’t try so hard to look disabled.” Apparently, my daughter was doing too good of a job of being disabled.

And, there was a time when one of the people assigned to the same table as my family spent most of the meal complaining about how people using wheelchairs were ruining the parks by getting front of line access. That was one uncomfortable meal.
There are quite a few people who think they can tell by looking whether someone is ‘really disabled‘ or not. If they fail so miserably with someone in a wheelchair, how do they think they can do it for other disabilities without physical signs?

EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: My daughter has cerebral palsy and is not able to walk, which she uses a wheelchair for. If her only need was to use the wheelchair in line, she would not need or use DAS.
She has additional disability related needs that are not met by the wheelchair. Those are invisible and are why she uses DAS

 

[Evita_W]

We live less than 30 minutes from Cedar Point, and have not had to "verify" anything. The process for approval was virtually identical to Disney's, but we didn't have to, nor were we asked, to provide any documentation, nor were any specific questions asked.

Ok, SeaWorld and Knott's ask things like can you safely transfer, do you have any artificial limbs (which I find funny when DH is wearing shorts and a t-shirt and they can see all of his limbs.), But definitely no documentation needed, because it.isnt.allowed to be required.

 

[Evita_W]

If you saw this cutie in a wheelchair, would you think it was a rented wheelchair to ‘cheat’?
What if she was sitting on a bench, with the wheelchair parked next to her?
View attachment 597674

This is my youngest DD a long time ago in EPCOT by Norway. When she was this age, posed this way in her wheelchair, I actually heard someone say to her companion (loud enough for me to hear) that ”it’s a shame they let people rent wheelchairs just to get ahead in line.” Based on her comments, it was because my daughter was crossing her leg and swinging the top leg.
She and I were sitting on a bench in Germany when I heard 2 guys behind me make the same comments. Apparently, they believed if someone can get out of their wheelchair, they must not be disabled (she didn’t even get out by herself, I lifted her and arranged her leg for her since she can’t cross it herself).

View attachment 597676

What about this picture? Does she look disabled? Or pretending to be disabled?
This picture was taken a few years ago when she was just driving around near an overlook at Kali River Rapids while we waited for her dad and friend to come thru on their raft.
Another person waiting in the area commented to their companion “if people are going to rent a wheelchair to skip lines they shouldn’t try so hard to look disabled.” Apparently, my daughter was doing too good of a job of being disabled.

And, there was a time when one of the people assigned to the same table as my family spent most of the meal complaining about how people using wheelchairs were ruining the parks by getting front of line access. That was one uncomfortable meal.
There are quite a few people who think they can tell by looking whether someone is ‘really disabled‘ or not. If they fail so miserably with someone in a wheelchair, how do they think they can do it for other disabilities without physical signs?

DH would have immediately asked for a new table and/or told them off to a point they would have asked for a new table.

 

[Evita_W]

And that’s one of the problems, cast members not following Disney’s own policy.

They do have some discretion, as sometimes there are other operational factors that sometimes makes it better to allow you to use the FP queue right away rather than giving a return time. We had this happen when they knew they had given out a ton of return times just before DH asked for one and we were both there, so they sent us through the FP, as there was no one with a mobility device in line at the time. They may have done so with earlier parties, but the rest didn't have their entire party there at the time. It also sometimes happens when it is just him and I am not going to ride a ride like Mission Space, which he will do, but I won't.

 

[Lilsia]

Das does work like a Fast Pass for waits less than 30 minutes.You don't get a return time, the cast member usually let's you through.

That has never been my experience. They take 10 minutes off of the wait time and tell you to come back then. So you don't go right through if the wait is 30 minutes, you come back in 20 and get in the FP line. And if the wait is under 15 minutes, then you are able to just go into the regular line. I don't know where you are getting this information from.

 

[gap2368]

That has never been my experience. They take 10 minutes off of the wait time and tell you to come back then. So you don't go right through if the wait is 30 minutes, you come back in 20 and get in the FP line. And if the wait is under 15 minutes, then you are able to just go into the regular line. I don't know where you are getting this information from.

I think the other poster is thinking of universal where if the wait is 30 minutes or less you go right into there exspress lane.

 

[Selket]

If you saw this cutie in a wheelchair, would you think it was a rented wheelchair to ‘cheat’?
What if she was sitting on a bench, with the wheelchair parked next to her?

That's awful the things they saiid - people are truly jerks sometimes. I think we've seen in this thread that people - even when told over and over that there's no FOTL access for those in WC/ECV still think there is. You can't fix stupid and you sure don't want to spend your vacation trying!

Your daughter is lovely btw!

 

[DisneyOma]

Thanks for your question! Our epic DAS fail was having to wait over 25 minutes to check back in for our DAS for Splash Mountain. We already had our return time; and the check in line was super crowded, and 100% in the sun with a heat index of over 100 degrees. Our total wait time ended up being over 45 minutes, with my daughter experiencing a medical crisis during the ride. Totally avoidable, had the DAS signage (there wasn't any, resulting in load of people in the DAS line that didn't even have DAS) and Cast Member (untrained, one poor guy) been appropriate. We wont' be back for awhile, at least until Disney gets their act together.

Thanks for the response - yes, we are seeing the same thing, mainly at Splash and FOP. People are trying to access what they think is the FP queue without the proper access. We've found staffing at Splash to be adequate this week, but it's been hard to get over there when the Standby queue is wrapped around that area and has very dense traffic. I'm sorry your daughter had a medical crisis because of it.(((hugs)))

Perhaps this would not happen as often if people with scooters and their families were not put in the front of the line for attractions? Maybe if they waited in the same line as everyone else people wouldn't be as eager to "get some type of advantage"?

Here now with a family friend using a mobility device. We were never given front of the line access. We have been moved to the HC sections of theaters (ITTBAB, Philharmagic) but that's it. We have been using my DAS though, and so people could think it was because of the mobility device.

Not according to a vlog posted on youtube just last night when that clearly happened. I have no problem with people using scooters...it may make the difference about whether they can handle the physical toll of a disney trip. But to say they do not get front of the line access is not always the case.....let's face it, we've all seen it done.

I haven't seen it done at all, and my guess is the "vlog posted on YouTube" was misinformation.

LOL....every year, sometimes twice each, since 2005. I'm going again in less than a week. Must...get....new....glasses....as I'm clearly seeing things that aren't happening

You could be misinterpreting things you are seeing.

Das does work like a Fast Pass for waits less than 30 minutes.You don't get a return time, the cast member usually let's you through.

Nope, not happening with my DAS - I've never gotten right in, but I can handle the shorter queues for the most part. 30 minutes for Standby has given me a return time.

 

[Yinn]

That's awful the things they saiid - people are truly jerks sometimes. I think we've seen in this thread that people - even when told over and over that there's no FOTL access for those in WC/ECV still think there is. You can't fix stupid and you sure don't want to spend your vacation trying!

Your daughter is lovely btw!

I don't think it's a matter of stupidity, maybe it's all a matter of perspective. I've been there, standing in line for an hour, still a couple rows from boarding and then all of a sudden a scooter goes wheeling by to the front of the line to be boarded.

To me, where the heck did that scooter come from? I didn't see it in line. It's going to the front! Scooter = front of the line.

What I don't know is that scooter was just in a different place in line and pulled out of it for special boarding.

I'll admit I never had a clue until I was in line this past year behind two absolutely wonderful gentlemen in wheelchairs. They helped me keep my 5 yr old entertained while we waited the 2 hours for her first Rock n Rollercoaster ride. At one point I did ask why they were even in line.

When we got into the final line/chain link fence area, a CM came and asked them to go with him. They gave my anxious daughter some reassuring words and wheeled right on by the rest of the folks in line and from there I couldn't see them anymore. We waited a little while longer and eventually went on the ride.

As we exited, we did a rider swap so I sat there waiting for the rest of my family. I saw them wheel out a short while later. It wasn't until that moment that I realized..they didn't go to the front. When we were finished with our ride there was a ride delay, that was probably the ride stopped to allow them extra time to board. But to everyone else who didn't wait with them, they came from the back and just wheeled on by to the front.

 

[RoseGold]

This is my youngest DD a long time ago in EPCOT by Norway. When she was this age, posed this way in her wheelchair, I actually heard someone say to her companion (loud enough for me to hear) that ”it’s a shame they let people rent wheelchairs just to get ahead in line.” Based on her comments, it was because my daughter was crossing her leg and swinging the top leg.

I gave up caring what morons at WDW think a long time ago. It's like the ultimate privilege check to be offended by a wheelchair bound person who you think doesn't "deserve" a small line jump. As if we wouldn't all trade it in a second. I think I've even said that a few times.

We had a CAST MEMBER ask my obviously permanently disabled family member in a Whill Ci to "park her scooter" and walk at Beast's Castle. Bet she won't do that again.

 

[irish_trip_mom]

We first visited Disney when our triplets were 5. Both of our sons have autism, one more impacted than the other with sensory and anxiety issues. We could not have done the first trip without the Disability assistance card, and it helped to make us loyal Disney visitors. We went back the next year, and then to Disney Land and back to Disney World several times. The last time we visited, the new system was in place, and it was more difficult, but our son was older and was more adaptable to change. We are considering going back this November again as a family, with the triplets now 20 years old. It will be a challenge, but when the biggest Toy Story fan ever has yet to enjoy the new attractions, how can we not? We've always been grateful that Disney does what they can to help our family experience the joy, especially through our son's eyes.

And when you see the 6'2" skinny kid jumping for joy when he sees Slinky Dog....that's my kid.

 

[mistysue]

**edited to add that one thing they "used to go out of the way" was to help those with food allergies - the chefs would come out, etc. However now they have done a great job of making it easier to see what allergens are in what food (for major allergens). It's nice not to have to call in advance to arrange meals, etc. like I used to have to do for one of my kids. Rather than curtailing the food service, I think they've made it easier to access the information.

I know I'm late to this party- but going with a person with MANY allergens, the changes they made to food service combined with COVID made food service terrible! We had 30+ minute waits just to order counter service (which we couldn't do on the app) - followed by cast members strongly avoiding checking ingredients, even resulting in receiving food containing allergens because they wouldn't check.

We are basically now restricted to table service only, meaning 90 minute minimum 3 meals/day - or else take chances that nothing risky happens as we have to pretend the allergies aren't there. (which more than once we were TOLD to do) It's easier for people with a single allergy, and I don't know how many allergens you need to get special consideration, but I know it's more than 12.

 

[Evita_W]

I know I'm late to this party- but going with a person with MANY allergens, the changes they made to food service combined with COVID made food service terrible! We had 30+ minute waits just to order counter service (which we couldn't do on the app) - followed by cast members strongly avoiding checking ingredients, even resulting in receiving food containing allergens because they wouldn't check.

We are basically now restricted to table service only, meaning 90 minute minimum 3 meals/day - or else take chances that nothing risky happens as we have to pretend the allergies aren't there. (which more than once we were TOLD to do) It's easier for people with a single allergy, and I don't know how many allergens you need to get special consideration, but I know it's more than 12.

Pretend allergies aren't there? That is insane and depending on the severity of the allergy, highly dangerous. I would ask for a lead at that point, possibly the area manager as well.....that is absurd.

 

[Selket]

I know I'm late to this party- but going with a person with MANY allergens, the changes they made to food service combined with COVID made food service terrible!

We haven't been back since covid but that sounds awful. The allergies in our family are peanut/tree nut and shellfish and he can eat "made in a facility" so it wasn't too hard to order. Usually they did have someone talk to him directly at QS places.

In the old days I had to call a person who helped us out and she actually had chefs from each restaurant call me back (or I called them directly). All of those were sit down meals. Quick service back then required them getting a chef out to talk to him which they still do today sometimes. It's probably worth an email to guest services to let them know about your experience with the QS places - especially if you can point out which ones served food with allergens in it - so hopefully they can try to work this issue out.

 

[mistysue]

We haven't been back since covid but that sounds awful. The allergies in our family are peanut/tree nut and shellfish and he can eat "made in a facility" so it wasn't too hard to order. Usually they did have someone talk to him directly at QS places.

In the old days I had to call a person who helped us out and she actually had chefs from each restaurant call me back (or I called them directly). All of those were sit down meals. Quick service back then required them getting a chef out to talk to him which they still do today sometimes. It's probably worth an email to guest services to let them know about your experience with the QS places - especially if you can point out which ones served food with allergens in it - so hopefully they can try to work this issue out.

We wrote with specifics.
In the past, we rarely would hear back after turning in a form pre-trip and learned about a decade ago we do mainly table service. He was top 9 plus buckwheat, cottonseed and sunflower, it has gradually decreased to egg, dairy, peanut, shellfish and sunflower.

This year table service chefs helped, but only when we were there in person, and quick service gave us a run around.
After we argued through them avoiding letting us enter to order, they wanted us to go off of those allergen menus - which don't list all of his allergens and are NOT safe when you have multiple allergens because sometimes the dairy safe one is not the same as the egg safe one, etc. At multiple locations we found incomplete ingredient lists or wrong items shown in the binder. With egg and dairy allergies they wanted us to order breakfast on the app. We refused at beach club marketplace and for a dairy/wheat allergy my breakfast came out with the normal scrambled eggs and a huge wheat bisquit on top. Needless to say I didn't eat as we were already 45 minutes into that experience by then. The evening before was a huge debacle about them insisting chili containing worchestershire sauce was safe and not wanting to check because it involved someone going to look at the bottle- sure enough their allergen menu was wrong. (took about a half hour to get them to look)