Changes & DAS Denials at Disney World
The relaunch of Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World started rolling out last week, bringing with it a more stringent process to qualify for DAS. As a result, there have been widespread reports of guests who previously had the pass being denied and advised to use alternative accommodations, some of which are new (or revised and being advertised more prominently).
We’ve been following this saga closely, receiving reports from readers and reading accounts of other guests applying for accommodations after the overhaul of the Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World. Obviously, it’s a highly sensitive subject that is very, very personal since it is, quite literally, make or break for some guests trying to experience Walt Disney World. (Something we hope you’ll keep in mind before leaving a crass comment.)
If this is the first you’re hearing of the changes and are wondering why Disney is once again redoing DAS at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, it’s due in large part to abuse, misuse, and proliferation of the program’s use. That article covers a lot of ground about the specifics of the new-look Disability Access Service, plus our commentary about winners & losers, as well as collateral damage and more.
According to Walt Disney World, “DAS is intended to accommodate a small percentage of guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” This line (or a variation thereof) can be found repeatedly throughout Walt Disney World’s new DAS resources. From that, it is clear that they’re trying to recalibrate expectations about the intended recipients of DAS.
Walt Disney World has publicly stated that DAS usage has tripled since 2019. Independent of that and prior to it, we received credible reports that the majority of Lightning Lane usage is actually not Genie+ guests, but rather, DAS. Just to put that into perspective for people who might be inclined to believe that DAS is still a low number in the grand scheme of things or relative to Lightning Lanes as a whole. It’s not.
Of course, it’s fair to point out that Disney has exacerbated abuse and misuse by eliminating free FastPass+ and replacing it with paid Lightning Lanes. This new system and each subsequent price increase thereof created a perverse incentive for cheating the system. At the same time, it also expanded the audience for social media “hacks” about how to skip the lines for free. This, in turn, created its own vicious cycle. As this DAS abuse content proliferated, it became normalized by virtue of its ubiquity.
This isn’t to excuse anyone for cheating or lying. Everyone is accountable for their own actions, and what’s wrong is wrong. We’re only suggesting that Disney’s hands are far from clean in this whole mess, and where things are today is largely the predictable result of Disney monetizing line-skipping. But I digress.
Turning to the changes, the first thing we have is the first official details about the Attraction Queue Re-Entry process. Many guests applying for DAS who don’t qualify have been directed to use this as an alternative. The official Walt Disney World website has been updated with the details on how Attraction Queue Re-Entry will work:
There may be times when a Guest must briefly step out of the standby line and then rejoin their party in the line. Every location has a defined process to support this option based on a person’s disability while the rest of the party remains in line.
How to Use Queue Re-entry
Speak to a Cast member at the location for directions on how to re-enter the queue.
- A Cast Member will provide details about how to exit the queue and how to navigate back to your party.
- While the Guest who must leave the line is briefly away, the rest of the party will remain in line.
- The Guest reunites with their party to ride the attraction.
Note: Guests must meet boarding requirements to ride.
The Attraction Queue Re-Entry feature was one that was anxiously awaited by many Walt Disney World fans, us included. In our DAS at Walt Disney World FAQ, we wrote this about the new offering: “It’s unclear whether this will be a digital system, a physical flip card or something of that sort, involve better Cast Member training and guest communications or what.
It’s possible that Walt Disney World hasn’t even fully figured out the mechanics of how the ‘return to queue’ process will work, or aren’t ready to discuss it for whatever reason. This was the first I had even heard of this being in the pipeline, whereas a DAS overhaul has been in development for a while. I’d be surprised if it’s digital or is anything all that elaborate, but could be wrong.”
Honestly, it seems like Walt Disney World still hasn’t fully figured out what the Attraction Queue Re-Entry feature will be. I’m not sure it should even be called a feature or whether capitalizing it as a term or proper name is even appropriate. It’s my understanding that Disney actually does have a defined process for this and Cast Members have the ability, at least in theory, to implement it at queue entrances and Lightning Lane returns, but I haven’t heard any stories of it working as intended. As it’s presently being conveyed to guests and utilized, Attraction Queue Re-Entry and Return-to-Queue (which I’m told are two separate things) strike me as half-baked.
Although a lot of guests are being directed to this return-to-queue option, it doesn’t sound any different in practice than how leaving lines and rejoining them as always worked. From everything I’ve read, it’s still a ‘fend for yourself’ type deal. The defined process part of the equation, to the extent it’s even being implemented, is not being clearly communicated to guests…which is perhaps the biggest part of the problem.
Granted, I’m coming at this from the outside looking in. I can also understand Disney’s basis for being vague about certain policies, as too much specificity could open the door on abuse of those as influencers, social media groups, and other bad actors hashed out how to exploit them. In a matter of months, we’d be right back in the same spot as DAS was with abuse.
However, I’d also assume that a big issue with leaving lines and rejoining them is a matter of ‘guest glares’ (for lack of a better term). Those with invisible disabilities needing to exit and re-enter the queue are at the mercy of other guests being amenable to people passing them–going in the “wrong” direction to leave and then “cutting” them to rejoin the queue.
There’s no perfect solution, only compromises. Nevertheless, it seems like the Attraction Queue Re-Entry process needs to be a clearly-communicated, transparent, and (ideally) visible. As simplistic as it might sound, think of something like a hall pass from your grade school days. I’m not saying that Disney needs to hand out keys tied to obnoxiously oversized rulers…but what’s happening with this alternative accommodation thus far clearly isn’t working.
“Attraction Queue Re-Entry” needs to be something that is consistent across the board, average guests know exists, and they can see being used so they don’t think others are trying to cheat the system or cut in front of them. Look, I’m on record repeatedly saying that we all should err on the side of courtesy and not judge others–that disabled guests would trade places with you in a second and stand in long lines if it meant not being disabled. And I stand by that.
But the thing is, the overwhelming majority are not reading this blog, and the people that most need to read admonishments like that aren’t doing so. In other words, I’m also a realist. If the “Attraction Queue Re-Entry” feature/process/whatever is not done in such a way that other guests know about it and how it works, it’s going to lead to more disdain towards the disabled. One of the big goals of this overhaul, in my opinion, should be to reduce that–not exacerbate it.
With all of that said, it’s still early. I’ve heard some things suggesting that the return-to-queue process could work well as an alternative to issuing DAS. But in practice, what I’ve read from firsthand accounts of guests is that the Attraction Queue Re-Entry feature is being used as a basis for denying DAS and then the process itself in the parks is unclear and has not gone smoothly.
All of this brings us to the reports of DAS denials, which have been fairly widespread in the last week.
Then I’ve read a lot of other reports of denials that, in all honesty, strike me as ordinary given the announcement and other policies and protocol that Walt Disney World has in place. This is fairly unsurprising, as the process for evaluating DAS requests in the past was not very rigorous–it was more or less a rubber stamping once certain words were said.
This was by design, especially in-park where Guest Relations Cast Members were given the unenviable task of evaluating DAS requests. It was better for them to err on the side of asking too little and issuing DAS too often, both as a matter of law and the Four Keys. (They are not medical or legal professionals, so a liberal approval process was the savvy move for Disney to avoid run afoul of public health and administrative law.)
As a result, DAS was issued to legitimately disabled guests in many scenarios where other accommodations were available. These guests were not abusers (we dubbed them “unwitting misusers” in our previous post about DAS) as their requests were genuine, and they were simply following established procedure. If reevaluated once the new policies take effect, many of them would not receive DAS. That was to be expected, with the anticipated outcome being fewer issuances of DAS.
So some of the stories we’ve read are fairly routine. Denials we’d expect flowing from Walt Disney World’s own stated policies. They make sense given that. That’s all I’m going to say about some such denials, following my own advice about being judgmental towards the disabled. Even if Walt Disney World is technically just tightening up its own process, I’m sure that’s of little solace to those disabled guests who “unwittingly misused” DAS and for whom, as a practical matter, it made the parks so much easier to experience. No sense rubbing salt in the wound.
With that said, we’ve also read reports that are heartbreaking.
I don’t purport to be an expert on this, but some of the guests who have been denied strike me as exactly who the system was designed to accommodate. True, “if not them, then who?” scenarios.
Some of these have been heartbreaking–parents with upcoming trips who are scrambling to figure out how to navigate the parks, or if they even can, given their kids’ conditions. Others who bought into Disney Vacation Club specifically because Walt Disney World was the one vacation destination they could do as a family and feel “normal” for a brief time. Reports that humanize the changes, and put a fine point on the “collateral damage” of a system that absolutely needed overhauling.
One problem with the internet is that it’s impossible to assess not only the veracity of the anecdotes, but proportionality. I have no reason to doubt some of the sad stories I read, but I have no clue what percentage of guests are encountering issues. (To be clear, no one should have negative experiences with Walt Disney World–exemplary guest service is kinda of the whole point. But it does happen from time to time, and there’s no sense in pretending otherwise, even if the overwhelming majority of experiences are great.)
While it shouldn’t be happening to anyone, it does make a difference if 82% of ostensibly valid DAS applicants are being denied, versus 2.8%. And if you were simply reading horror stories on social media, you’d be inclined to assume the number is closer to the former as opposed to the latter. I’m not suggesting either number is accurate–my suspicion is that it’s a double-digits number somewhere between the two. Just that it’s worth remembering that there’s more of an incentive and tendency to voice frustrations and complaints than there is to share ordinary or uneventful experiences.
With that in mind and wanting to hear more firsthand reports, we asked members of our Facebook group: Does anyone have firsthand accounts they’d be willing to share of being approved or denied?”
The first bit of good news is that we received 250+ replies. The bad news is that many of these weren’t answering the question at all, but went on random rants about about DAS, abuse, Disney’s greed (the usual suspects–paid FastPass makes an understandable and obvious appearance…plus cameos by the end of Disney’s Magical Express and free MagicBands), or how Universal does things better. The second bit of good news is that the majority of responses shared that their family members or friends were approved.
In fact, most of the replies were so unremarkable that I almost didn’t write this article. From what I could ascertain, the general trend seemed to be that the process was more thorough than before and required more specific explanations of how guests couldn’t wait in a queue, along with why alternative accommodations wouldn’t work.
Several had praise for Cast Members, with one reader saying they were “wonderfully kind, empathetic and helpful.” Others praised the process, calling it “simple” once it was clear to Cast Members that they couldn’t wait in a traditional standby line. Another offered this explanation: “The registration process was very similar to what we did 2 years ago for our Disney vacation. The cast member was courteous and we didn’t have to wait on hold very long (only 10 minutes or so), which was a welcome change to the extremely long wait times on hold for previous trips. We were approved per Disney guidelines.”
Another reported being “approved but advised to utilize the return to line or rider swap if possible before using the DAS.” From what I gathered on social media, this type of ‘conditional approval’ seems to be happening from time to time. Elsewhere, I read reports of solo travelers being approved for DAS as a party of one only, but required to use the “Attraction Queue Re-Entry” feature/process/whatever if visiting with others.
With that said, there were a few readers who did report denials. One with epilepsy who always previously had DAS reported being denied. One shared that her husband was advised that he would have been advised based on one of his health conditions, if that were his only basis for the request (which was not the case previously), but was approved pursuant to the guidelines based on another diagnosis.
Another with GRIN2A-related disorders who had DAS in the past was denied, sharing the following: “I actually teared up on the call not over the outright denial but over what the other ‘accommodations’ are. The CM could not tell me how anything would work, other than that I would have to likely share his disability over and over to cast members at each ride and they might possibly be able to help, again not known. I do not want to talk in front of my child about his disability every time he wants to ride something, that’s not fair to him. We are out of state APs and Disney has always been wonderful about inclusion. We likely will not be able to renew. And yes I did attempt to contact Disability Services for feedback or simply to try to understand the situation better, but I received a standard reply.”
Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of all this. I posed the question on Facebook because of the horror stories I had read, wanting to get responses from what I presume to be a more representative group. I also assumed that actively soliciting feedback would yield more balanced results. Finally, I figured that waiting until several days had passed after the new DAS system launched meant that things would be going smoother than rollout day. All of that might be correct–or it might be incorrect. Admittedly, this was still a really small sample size in the grand scheme of things.
Nevertheless, my take is that the worst outcomes are receiving a disproportionate amount of attention, while the routine approvals are less discussed. That’s perfectly understandable–those being approved don’t have as much reason to post unsolicited feedback online, especially given that it could function as a playbook for scammers. Conversely, there’s (also understandably) a lot of fear among those who depend on DAS. So denials getting the bulk of the attention makes perfect sense.
I don’t want this to be perceived as flippant, suggesting that everything is going swimmingly with the new-look DAS process or downplaying the denials. Even if the early reports are unrepresentative, they’re still concerning. It’s probably of little solace to those who believe they were denied erroneously or felt interrogated by the Inspire health professionals to learn that they were anomalies. (I’m not even saying they are anomalies–it’s impossible to know what the denial rate is now versus pre-changes!) Even as someone who thought a DAS overhaul was necessary to curb abuse, I want to see it accomplished as fairly, consistently and compassionately as possible.
The final note I’ll end this on pertains those who feel they were given an abrupt and unfair denial after a cursory conversation with a Cast Member. I’ve encountered more than a few fans who had this type of exchange early on with the new DAS process, and are reticent to contact Walt Disney World again because they don’t want to be perceived as trying to game the system and have their file flagged, etc. I do think that’s a fair concern, and one I would also have. However, some of those interviews struck me as incomplete and uncharacteristic of Disney.
While I cannot speak to an official “best practice,” I do know that if I were in the shoes of those individuals, I would contact Disney again and be transparent about how the process played out previously. Explain how it was not as thorough as expected, bases for the accommodations request, and provide all pertinent details that can help. Obviously, be polite but explain how the previous interaction left a bad taste in your mouth, so you wanted to reach out again to see if it had gone accordingly to Walt Disney World’s established protocol. You very well may still end up with a denial, but at least you’ll know it was by the books and not just getting unlucky with a specific health professional wanting to get through their caseload as quickly as possible.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Anyone have firsthand accounts they’d be willing to share of being approved or denied? (Please be light on details if you were approved. I don’t want to inadvertently turn this into a potential playbook for abusers on what ‘magic words’ to say.) Any firsthand experiences being advised to use the Attraction Queue Re-Entry or Return-to-Queue features? Anyone actually use these options yet? Please try to stay on topic–we’ve noticed some of these DAS comments sections get heated and personal. Discuss the policy itself, not others’ use (or lack thereof) of it.
I am extremely upset about the changes and contemplating canceling my upcoming trip in fear we won’t be approved for DAS. It’s 100% necessary for my family of 8. We have 3 in the family who used to qualify and have a pretty unique situation. But due to my condition, I wouldn’t be able to leave the line by myself, and would need my husband not one of my kids. And of course we can’t leave the kids alone in line.
If it was for one of my kids with a problem and needed to leave the line, it would be similar issues and the whole family would need to leave the line.
It’s just quite a disaster for my family who attends WDW yearly and now I’m terrified we can’t anymore.
One of my biggest issues is that you can’t even apply for DAS until it’s too late to refund your trip package, and you can’t apply before buying tickets. Not a huge deal when they were approving most everyone, but with stricter and unclear rules now it seems….. evil, to make families spend all that money before even knowing how or if their disabilities will be accommodated. The least they could do is offer refunds when denied.
I have read reports that Disney was refunding vacations and waiving cancellation fees to those who were denied DAS and requested to cancel their trips.
My child has a developmental disability and has always utilized DAS. We will be applying next week for our upcoming trip and the new process is making me nervous. It is only the two of us going so clearly the return to que is not an option as there is nobody else to hold our place in line. I wholeheartedly agree with the other comments about having to explain to each cast member why we need the accommodation. My child does not need to be reminded at each ride that she is different. And honestly, on top of that there is no private way to speak with a busy cast member without people nearby hearing the conversation. (Think of the line on the floor you must stand behind at the pharmacy counter to protect the privacy of the people in front of you. Yes, you’re standing behind a line but you can still hear everything that is being said). I have no issues with Disney trying to scale back the amount of abuse that was happening, but our families also need to have appropiate accommodations along with our dignity.
I really don’t like the idea of making a disabled person sit around without their family for hours. I also don’t think the “glare” issue will be a thing for long once people understand what is happening. Along those lines, it also depends how many people re-enter the line. If one person waits and 20 people enter the line, that’s going to be a problem. People will just start renting line placement holders… people with season passes willing to wait in a line for a living. It happened before.
This ties in with another issue that gets abused that has irritated me for ever. That’s where someone on a scooter or wheelchair gets to hop on a bus first… regardless of how long they were there… and bring their whole family on the bus. This is particularly bad in the mornings and at park closing. I realize these folks are disabled, but their families often take the seats of people who are older, pregnant, etc and just are shy of needing a mobility device. That reality will also lead to the same issue in the parks.
Disney created this monster by adding the paid fastpass but also they have not done much to increase capacity at the rate of building hotels. Add in reduced magic hours and human nature will take over… especially when people now pay more than ever.
Maybe the solution is to make a separate DAS line and force everyone who wants to use it to get a doctors excuse. This would eliminate the YouTuber advice on what to say to beat the system.
While the negative attention is already there, revamp the scooter/bus policy. If someone can be expected to wait by themselves in a park until it’s their turn to ride something, they can wait at the hotel for their family when they catch the next bus.
Also, while they are at it, ban the Youtubers showing people how to hack the system. They won’t because they put on a free commercial a few times a week!
I use a wheelchair and I board when the driver tells me to. It’s safer and easier for the driver and for other passengers to secure wheelchairs when the bus is empty.
I just thought of this also. When I got a DAS pass they gave me three selections each day. They should have eliminated this feature first to take off a whole lot of pressure on the system before going nuclear.
Putting wheelchairs and scooters on the buses for safety reasons. Would you rather that someone runs over your child’s toes and breaks one?
Oh yes, we see your irritation when we get on the bus with our scooter before you. Thank you for that. Does it bother you when we wait for the next bus because there is only room for two ECV’s?
Hello Tom: my wife and I have just returned from visiting Walt Disney World – for the first time in five years – and (DAS issues apart, and I agree this is a very complex issue) ….we experienced several instances of line jumping while waiting in the stand-by queques during our visits to the various Disney parks. In one instance, we were queueing early morning for Flight of Passage and three teenagers seemed to appear from nowhere, lifted the chain immediately ahead of us and joined the queque with some other friends. We politely pointed out this behaviour was unacceptable and they. simply appeared to snigger and said nothing in response to us. There were older adults in their party and they appeared embarrassed by what had happened. lMy wife and I are in our mid seventies and we accept that we have to queque in the hot sunshine like everyone else in the stand-by lanes. My main issue is that – on each occasion this problem happened to us – not once did any cast member take any action. When it happened to us while quequing for Ratatouille there were five or six cast members close by who witnessed the line jumping abuse and not one of them seemed to think it was their responsibility to intervene. And it’s true what someone else said on your site: it doesn’t seem to happen much at Universal. That’s because they take this abuse seriously and act upon it.
What you’re describing doesn’t have anything to do with DAS
This is a frustrating situation because previously the wording for DAS was something to the extent of “people with a non-mobility based disability that makes it difficult for them to wait in a traditional queue.” That covers many many more people with legitimate issues beyond just cognitive ones. Including many invisible physical issues that are not resolved by the use of a wheelchair or ECV. I’m frustrated that lots of the broader coverage of this seems to be saying that it was only ever meant for cognitive issues like autism and that others using it for non-cognitive issues were abusing it or misusing it. It’s also led to some pretty nasty comments between people who had all previously qualified for real reasons. But maybe that’s just the internet being the internet.
One member of our family had previously qualified for it, but will almost certainly be told to use the return to queue option on our next trip. As the other adult in the party, this idea really stresses me out and does not sound like it will be functional in a practical way. I’ve had personal (non-DAS related) experience leaving a queue and being able to re-enter through the lightening lane (my kid had to pee urgently as we waited in the pre-show for avatar). The cast members were gracious in giving us a lanyard to allow us to use the lightning lane to return and direct us to the bathroom (outside the ride by the exit). But By the time the cast members gave us the lanyard, and we made it out of the exit, down the path, through the store to the bathroom, well, the inevitable has happened. To be honest, I’m very concerned this will happen (especially on rides without easy access to cast members throughout the queue) to others who have medical issues and it will be Humiliating and miserable for everyone involved. These queues can be long, crowded, tough to navigate out of, and are not always near the required amenities. Anyway, hopefully a real plan will arise or perhaps they will come up with some other alternatives for people.
Lastly, imo, I think there’s a chance that the uptick in use could also be based on wider awareness of a system that exists to help people who need it and a broader awareness of disability rights. People are more knowledgeable and willing to advocate for themselves and their loved ones in regards to their disabilities, visible or invisible. Maybe this led to more people using a system that had been intended for them.
I am curious if it will be like the Jungle Cruise Queue for wheel chairs. They take the current wait time and issue you a return time that many minutes later. You then go in the exit line when your wait time is up. You are not allowed to “wait” in another line until you are finished riding the Jungle Cruise. I believe Spaceship Earth is also like that.
We don’t bother with DAS and just buy Genie+ for my disabled Mother-in-law. We also rider swap as there are many rides her knee cannot bend enough for. We always have a fantastic time.
Wow! That is a shocking stat that the majority of Lightning Lane users are DAS vs Genie Plus. It makes me feel bad for people w/o DAS who paid for Genie+!! – yikes. And good for Disney for cracking down. I really believe they try to do the right thing and it is so hard to balance being accommodating vs managing system gaming.
Unfortunately, as a parent of kid with autism + severe ADHD & anxiety, we are always managing system gamers. It’s nearly impossible to get his ADHD meds because so many people abuse them and it’s sad to see a system designed for people like my son be used as a line skipping strategy. But, DAS is not our only strategy – we rope drop, pay for Genie+, pay for ILL’s if we need them, leave in the middle of the day when it’s crowded, eat as off times, seek less crowded restaurants, etc. etc. etc. – it’s hard work & requires a lot of research, but it’s worth it! That said, we couldn’t go to Disney without DAS so I just hope whatever they do still makes it possible for kids like my son to experience the parks. It’s the only vacation he’s ever liked. Going to Disneyland in October so I’ll report back with my experience with the new system (we’ve used it twice at WDW & twice at DL).
Wow I could have written this myself word for word! Ride times, medication issues, etc…always dealing with repercussions of those gaming vs medical need. Disney vacations are the only ones we do because of our son’s love and he/we generally know what to expect, when to eat, rope drop to have shorter waits, mid day breaks to avoid overstimulation and whatever else we can anticipate!
Well said, Amy! I also do tons of planning and research using all of the strategies you mentioned so that my daughter can enjoy experiencing Disney. On top of DAS I almost always buy ILL’s and occasionally Genie+. We pay for fireworks dining or dessert parties so she can have a seat semi away from the worst crowds. I have been known to buy Genie + solely to be able to stand in the roped off area for Festival of Fantasy parade which is slightly less crowded (but even that makes her anxious). I would happily pay to use DAS or similar system if I could. Unfortunately Genie+ just doesn’t work as well for many of those who need DAS for 3 reasons. 1 – you can only do each ride once and many with autism fixate on one particular interest or find comfort in repetition. 2 – you can only book what’s available. Mainly an issue for us because we absolutely cannot walk all over the park, that is too exhausting for my daughter. And most importantly – #3 – DAS return times don’t expire whereas with Genie+ if she is having an issue during our 1 hour window we just miss out.
I’m not trying to pick an online fight or anything and I appreciate how exhausting it is to have to fight for your child to be able to have a normal experience. But I wanted to correct something that people repeat regarding ADHD meds. The DEA is the one claiming that we can’t get our ADHD medications because more people are “abusing” the medication. There is no data to back that up. The data that they site is that more people are getting prescriptions for the medication and the DEA refuses to increase the allowed supply. The DEA is implying that people receiving prescriptions for the medication really do not need it. Anyone here who has qualified for a DAS understands how frustrating it is for others to not believe you or understand your struggles because the disability cannot be seen. I and two of my children were diagnosed with ADHD after my third child was. Once I understood what ADHD really looks like, I recognized the signs and had all of us evaluated. I had been struggling my whole life and didn’t understand why. So many adults are only now being diagnosed with ADHD and being prescribed medication because of the new awareness of adult ADHD. We always had it. We were just told we were lazy, disorganized, unfocused, etc. growing up. We are not taking medication to “abuse” it and I wish that the DEA would understand that it’s a memory processing issue in the brain that can be seen in MRIs and is not something that we are faking to get a quick fix. Sorry for my rant but I feel the need to try and correct people’s perception of those taking ADHD meds. I do hope that you can still enjoy your Disney vacation. Our family stopped going when fastpass ended. I doubt we’ll qualify under the new rules and even if we did, the crowds and heat have become too overwhelming, even outside the queues.
Hi Tom!
When I applied for DAS & was approved I couldn’t believe when I heard that Disney doesn’t ask for any kind of Dr’s notes. I see how it’s being abused because they take everyone’s word for it. I have a neuromuscular autoimmune disease and looking at me you’d have no idea. I don’t have anything from the outside that can prove it besides my Drs notes, labs ect. I just don’t understand why Disney doesn’t ask for anything like that?
I agree 100%. We would be more than happy to provide a note from our doctor, but I get that there are privacy concerns, etc.
My wife and I would be willing to provide drs notes and xrays of our ailments if it helps. As of now we rarely ride anymore
They don’t ask for medical documentation because they know it’s a gross violation of privacy.
I hope that those who really need das and are denied find kindness and grace from cast members and guests while onsite! It’s a reminder to us all that we are part of the magic while at Disney.
That won’t happen. What I have learned from online discourse about this is that many, many people hate disabled people because to them, accommodations that allow us to experience Disney with our friends and family look like unearned privilege to them.
My 18 year old daughter with autism and I always go to Disney just the 2 of us. We go because it is her happy place. She feels seen and cared fir and included there like nowhere else. I was not at all worried about these changes because I thought she was exactly who Disney says the system is for. But now I’m hearing that “adults” with autism are being denied and only k8ds are approved. Or the adult with autism might be approved but not allowed to take anyone else with them. My daughter is technically an adult but she would definitely not be able to wait in line without me or get out of line without me while I stayed in the queue. Has anyone experienced this?
Yes to inclusiveness!! It makes kids w/ cognitive disabilities love Disney even more. Feeling seen & valued for who they are isn’t something they experience in everyday life and knowing they will get that from Disney is very special. I hope you don’t have any trouble getting DAS for your daughter in the future!!
On our trip last summer, my wife and son were able to “return to queue” and meet my daughter and I on the the line for rise of the resistance. This was more of a ‘pixie dust’ / suprise and delight sort of scenario (we were not expecting them being able to do this for us), but the way it worked was that I described where in the queue we were at (based om room description) and the cast member brought them though via ‘backstage’
As a result of the new DAS rules, are the lightning lanes any shorter?
W were at the parks twice over this holiday weekend (HS, Epcot, and MK). Our perception was, with one exception, the lightning lanes were sigbificantly shorter. its hard to say if that was due to the Das changes or the seemingly smallef crowds. posted wait times were significantly over inflated all weeke
nd (lime we waited half the posted time on almost all rides). we only ran in to issues on Mine Train when the ligjtning lane backed up. we waited 75 minutes for a posted 55 min time. When LL backed up we had a 10 min stretch where they held the standbyine and only allowed LL. after allowing a few standby people it was another 6 min of LL only begore they switched back to standby. this had become a pretty standard experience for us the last 6 months prior to the Das changes. but this was the only ride we experienced it on this weekend. hoping this is a good sign that the Das changes are really going to put it into these really long gaps for standby guests. time will tell
I have been reading comments on a popular message board. I have yet to see one person comment they were declined. It does seem Disney is focused on Autism, specifically. Given the the amount of people who are now diagnosed I think I understand why. 30 years ago it was 1 in 10,000…today it is 1 in 36. This is a difficult place for everybody to be in. I do not wish disabilities on anybody. I have a neurological disorder, but thank God I am still able to enjoy the parks without special accommodations. I know that is not the case for everybody. The hard reality is, Disney does not owe any of us special consideration. They are only required to follow ADA laws; everything else is “extra”. People got used to the “extra”.
This is exactly how I feel about the situation. People have become so accustomed to the “extra” that they’re losing their minds that it could be taken away. 2 of my 3 kids have ADHD. They’re grown now but we never even thought of using a DAS pass for them. We arrived early for rope drop, took advantage of Fastpass when possible, took frequent breaks, and that served us well. I was just diagnosed with cancer and had surgery last week. We have a weeklong Disney stay coming up next week. I plan to rent a wheelchair, and I probably won’t be going on much because I can’t sit in the sun. I’ll join my family for what I can and plan to enjoy as much of the trip as I can. We’ll probably splurge on Genie + in MK and Hollywood Studios when we normally don’t opt for that. Universal has been charging (quite a bit more $$$ I might add) for their front-of-the-line passes forever. Universal’s ticket prices rival Disney’s so I truly don’t understand all the hate thrown at Disney for their pricing. I don’t see much difference between the two and I love Disney parks exponentially more than Universal parks. We have unofficially used the return-to-queue options over the years when a family member needed a bathroom break. If it was a child, an adult took them while the rest of our family stayed in line. There was no need to go into detail with anyone, even a cast member. We simply said excuse me, we need to duck out of line and we’ll be back. We never had an issue. In longer lines like Rise of the Resistance or 7 Dwarfs, there are typically cast members throughout the lines. We just told the CM that someone needed a bathroom and they let us out and told us where to meet up with our family. Sometimes the family had to wait, and sometimes the ones leaving the line had to wait but there are secret passages in most of the newer rides. With more people potentially needing this service, Disney is going to have to come up with a game plan for dealing with it but how many of us have seen a situation where one or two people are waiting in line and then a group of 10 to 12 more tries to join them by pushing through the line? That’s the kind of nonsense that needs to stop. I have no problem letting people out of line and then letting them back in. I think most people are kind-hearted. I think most CMs are kind-hearted. I do hope that the changes settle out and that people with disabilities are not adversely affected in the long run.
Hi Tom, I was hoping for you to write about this because I too find the most stressful part is how the “Re-entry” method is not visible and to the subject to the mercy and understanding of each Cast Member working at each ride. My son has been a previous DAS user due to cognitive condition (not autism) and I remember before requesting DAS the horrible glares, cuts and complains we would get when I needed to leave the line to bring him outside with Dad and come back alone to my oldest daughter who remained in line. I can’t imagine going back to this and it’s the big reason I’m starting to think the one place where we felt at ease is going to be the one place that is now just too much. We will have to wait and see what happens to us but it’s awful to plan, pay and know you won’t get a reimbursement (as it’s purposefully after the reservation deadline). The worst part, and what makes me so sad, is that something that I would plan with so much joy is now becoming a dreadful process and just overall stress. Is it really worth it now?
we don’t have a trip coming up yet but I’ll let you know the process when we do apply.I have two children with autism they are high functioning but we have always gotten it i heard they are cracking down on people like my kids as well.Its moreso for people who are severely or moderately affected . It was great when they were younger if we no longer qualify i just have to eat the costs of the paid features because my kids would not be able to stand in line that long. My son would flip out. I can’t even get him to go to the local carnivals because of the lines.
I have seen people abusing DAS for well over a decade.I saw a young couple bragging about it at philharmagic many years ago . Like it was mentioned in the article the paid fastpasses just increased the abuse. Im glad Disney is cracking down even if we no longer qualify i don’t care. I hope these ppl don’t suddenly change up their disabilities and claim to have autism because Disney keeps record of what you said previously to get a pass don’t be goofy and end up with a lifetime ban for lying. Its disgusting to lie about having a disability even high functioning my kids have gone through SO much we all have as a family. If you only knew the hours of therapy a day, multiple hospitalizations i have gone thru with my kids and you people want to lie for a ride! its DISGUSTING!
I don’t always side with Disney but I have to say that I do feel badly for them as it would appear they are in a no win situation.
No doubt Disney has found themselves in an uncomfortable situation here that’s bound to generate some bad publicity. But I don’t feel sorry for them one bit. The solution is really two-fold:
1. Bring back the old “free” fast pass system (included with the price of your ticket) that allowed you to schedule three rides in advance.
2. Allocate the budget to build more rides to spread out crowds and shorten lines.
It’s hard to have sympathy for Disney when their out-of-touch occupants of the C-Suites think it’s a good idea to spend $400 million on a Starcruiser hotel that would do absolutely nothing to improve guest experience for 99.99% of WDW visitors, only to have it go belly-up a short time later. When WDW guests spend thousands of dollars on a “once-in-a-lifetime” vacation, they deserve to have a good experience in the parks. Bringing back the old free fast pass, allowing you to schedule rides in advance, would go a long way to help ensure that.
I really appreciate the line about switching places in a heartbeat. That’s my family: we would LOVE to be able to wait in line and we’re working so hard to accomplish this with our kids. We’re just hoping that by the time we return next year that the systems have been worked out and our kids can enjoy the parks like everybody else.
I put that line in the comment section of one of his previous articles about DAS. Tom actually responded he was gonna borrow it for the future. Glad to see he did.
My wife qualified for DAS for a brief period of time under the old rules and and never used it aside from those couple months. But I will say for those couple months that she qualified and everything that happened to get her there, we woulda done anything at the time to get back to the normal line and through endless therapy and work she thankfully is now able to get back to a normal line albeit with a wheelchair.
Families that truly need DAS would do anything to not need DAS and that should almost be the “ethical” check for anyone considering applying for it.
I just took my father in his 80s with Alzheimer’s, mobility, and bladder issues to EPCOT last week. Renting a scooter worked well, although I had to put a tracker on him in case he wandered away. I didn’t bother with DAS since he’s used to sitting for long periods.
Getting off and on rides was hard for him to hear and understand cast member’s instructions, but he managed with my help. Maneuvering in the queue was a little difficult, but he figured out how to steer eventually.
The standby lines weren’t very long so just hitting the bathroom before getting in the queue worked fine.
I’ll probably just push him in a wheelchair next time to avoid the danger of him crashing into someone or some thing.
I haven’t tried, because my disability only affects mobility (I use a wheelchair) but what I wonder is if someone in a wheelchair has to get out of line, how will that work? How can you swim upstream, so to speak, in a crowded queue?
This was my question, as well.
I have a prosthetic leg. Walking (for the most part) isn’t a problem. Standing still, however, is a problem. It has to do with the mechanics of it all. So, I’d likely have to use a wheelchair in lines, which is frustrating (and also a bit of a ding on my self-esteem, if I’m being honest) because I’ve put a lot of work into *not* needing a chair. But if I’m in a chair and need to get out of line for some reason (restroom or one of my other medical issues acting up), how would I maneuver the chair to do so?