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.
Disney park prices have increased and will continue to. Just increase passes another $5 and go back to free fast pass. This would help prevent some cheating while allowing for the need of DAS to possibly decline on its own. Disney can easily recover the lost revenue on Genie+ by shift the cost elsewhere. This may appear deceptive but we don’t know what else is covered by ticket prices and free fast pass would make WDW appear to more consumer friendly. Face it, nothing is free at Disney.
I must be close to the only person who is happy to see the changes. my grandson was diagnosed with autism and my DIL uses it to her advantage. I work with my grandson and now at 5 you don’t see any of the signs but she insists on requesting the DAS not because he CAN’T wait in line (because he can since we have worked on that), but because she doesn’t WANT to wait in line. It makes me sick to see her hold him back because she wants the special treatment and is teaching him to use the system. I am holding off taking him to Disney until we can go without her.
wow what a horrible comment. I hope she sees this and eventually cuts you off.
Sounds like you need to vent your family matters somewhere else.
Hi Tom,
I haven’t noticed you mention why the anybody who gets rejected by DAS can’t just purchase Genie+. Just pretend that the park ticket price has gone up by $30 per day per person, and budget accordingly. Cut out some or all of the ADRs, avoid shopping for gifts in the parks or resorts but rather get toys at Walmart, and skip the $5 per cup soda (water is free), stay at All Stars or off site.
As the mother of an autistic son, that’s my plan for the future, as I fully expect Disney to cut DAS out completely some day, and soon; the current reduction to only autism is just the first step. But, I am counting on Genie+ being always available, and with that, my son will always be able to enjoy Disney World.
Alex
@Alex, Often times being disabled as our daughter who is 36 has been her whole life , it means very short visits at the parks. Buying Genie plus would be pointless for us as we would never be able to actually use it. People who are truly disabled need to be provided an opportunity to be able to enjoy their time at the parks . To me it appears you are not someone who deals with an adult child who requires their parents to provide all aspects of care . We aren’t looking for anything but a fair chance for our daughter to go on 2 or 3 rides in the short 2-3 hr visit she can tolerate. I can assure you, we would stand in line as long as we needed for our daughter to be “ typical”. Many many people have no real idea what a disabled person really is. God bless them
@Alex, I do plan to use Genie+ if my adult daughter with autism is denied. I have used it WITH DAS at times. The problem is that Genie+ is not very disability friendly for several reasons. 1 – you can only choose each attraction once. Many people with autism have very specific interests or just find comfort in repetition or can’t tolerate certain rides for sensory or other issues. They need / prefer to ride a few things over and over again. 2 – with Genie+ you can only schedule what is available. If you miss out on their one favorite ride because it sells put at 7:01 am then they can’t ride it at all. For my daughter, with DAS we can schedule whatever is close to us whenever we are ready for it. With Genie we might have to run back and forth across the park a bunch of times. She would be exhausted after 1 or 2 rides doing this and we would end up leaving the park. 3 – with DAS you can go on the ride anytime after your return time. With Genie + if she is having an issue during our 1 hour return window then we are out of luck and she can’t ride. I would happily pay for a system that works like DAS.
@Alex – I’m on chemo maintenance and since it’s a stamina issue, DAS was denied at Disneyland for our May 3-6 trip. We paid for Genie+ and often did 2-3 rides a day before return times were beyond how long I could stay. I’m incredibly grateful to have the means to pay for Genie+. We pay far more for Express Pass at Universal. For me, it’s worth it as not having to “book a return” meant I could do tons of rides within my 4ish hour tolerance. Even for those of us who can pay Genie+ instead, the Disney system just makes it hard to do much. When we go to FL, the OI meetups are amazing. Wish there was something like that at the CA parks.
Has Dosney actually looked into the rate of Autism in this country it is higher than it was and it keeps going up. So of course there are going to be more people using the DAS pass. My daughter is on the spectrum and I get it confidentiality whatever but if you need it ask forcdocumentation. People that have medical reasons to use the pass have documentation about it and can prove it. If they don’t them thatvis where maybe people might abuse it but if someone has a diagnosis of autism that diagnosis is there a dr gave it to them and I am sure a mom would say hee you can see it so there kid can have the best time possible with their family. These new standards really what about a family of 5 what then?? Does Billy mot get yo go with his brothers and sisters and experience the magic of Fisney because of his disabity of Autism and they leave him to go wait in line. This is all just stupid in my mind. Those people who have issues like I said I am sure will be glad to show documents to get the pass so they can have their day and experience the magic theceay everyone else does as normal as they possibly can. And again as far as people abusing the situation sure that happens but the influx. I don’t think it is as much as Fisney thinks i think it is the growing number of people diagnosed with autism especially boys in this country as that is what is happening. Many studies are showing this. Disney just ask us all to show why we need the DAS pass let those who need it and their families experience the magic as usually those are the ones who need it the most. They have been going thru a lot in their lives and just need some pixie dust don’t take that away from them and their families. Let them see there is still a place where dreams come true just as Walt wanted it to be so many years ago. If we need the Dr papers to do that so be it I think k I am NOT alone in my thought as those who have something would rather show proof than deal with this mess that Disney has created.
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?
And my daughter has both POTS and anxiety—and the anxiety is exponentially increased when their POTS symptoms have an uptick (anxious about passing out in front of strangers). POTS, of course, is exacerbated by heat, and they are usually able to help mitigate their symptoms by moving around—something you can’t really do in line.
In the early days of DAS, I was eligible. In the recent days of DAS, my daughter was eligible. I know in the current days of DAS, I’m likely not eligible (based on my other medical issues, not just the leg), and I have no idea if my daughter is eligible. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know unless you’re booked already, and with non-refundable packages/tickets, how is that supposed to work? I would hope that Disney would be willing to waive the non-refundable bit if a person couldn’t come because they felt things weren’t accessible enough for them.
And while I know and recognize that DAS is a service they don’t *have* to provide, considering Disney *did* provide it and are now changing it comes across as at least bordering on discriminatory. For example, if someone can’t stand still for long periods of time for whatever reason and are told by the DAS Cast Members that a wheelchair/mobility device will solve their problems, are they going to provide said wheelchair/mobility device at no extra cost? My guess is no. So the person then has to be out even more money to rent a wheelchair/mobility device that they would not otherwise need except to be in lines when a free alternative (aka DAS) could be provided. That honestly sounds like “disability tax” to me.
But ultimately, I think what is the most frustrating is how hush-hush it all is. I get that we are trying to prevent those with mal-intent from finding ways around it all, but it makes it virtually impossible for many families to plan an accessible Disney vacation. If we could reach out to DAS ahead of time, that would go a long ways to improving those relations…
Tom, thank you very much for this report. As always, it was well researched and very much needed. I also appreciate every one who sends a post with their own information. The change in DAS is difficult and confusing.
It makes no sense to make a person with disabilities wait in a busy line, try to get out of a busy line, and then fight their way back to the line later. Why not make them run a marathon up hill while they are at it? This is especially bad for people who have more than one disability ie physical mobility problems AND a condition that makes waiting in line very difficult. Why not just have a list of didabilities that qualify and then require a doctor’s note? It is not like pain pill mills where some unscrupulous doctors will have a financial incentive to lie and I think abuse would be minimal. I hope DAS isn’t just for autistic persons now because even though I have never used it in the past, I need it now in order to even consider another trip to Disney. It is not hyperbole for me to write that if I cannot use DAS, I will likely never go to Disney again and even if I could get it, I’m not sure it is worth the difficulties/risk for me. It is sad to think that my last Disney trip might have already happened. 🙁 A pox on those who deliberately abused this system so it is now harder on the truly disabled. And a pox on those who shame the disabled just because you are afraid someone might get something that you cannot. Just be thankful that you are healthy and able-bodied and have the ability to wait in lines without difficulty/risking your health!
I often wonder why disabled people using DAS with the return area being LL get side eyed or looks from other people. How does anyone know that the person didn’t pay for LL ? Especially true for those who don’t have an obvious disability. After 36 years of dealing with my daughter’s special needs and her obvious disability , I honestly do NOT care who looks at us . I’ve learned to ignore ignorance. It’s sad that other people aren’t civil.
as a cast member who is on the spectrum and uses DAS the abuse has made the process more difficult for me I don’t like vetting all my info about my focal ticks that I sometimes get in a standby Q at any theme park believe me if it weren’t for my medication I’d be a mess I do blame social media that have posted on how to get approved it makes me sick sometimes
If denied, is there an appeal process?
Disney missed an opportunity to utilize a third party system the way that Universal has done. It would save them time and money overall as well as going to a system that should weed out most abusers of the system. So many people who truly need this were left out of the very narrow definition.
Thank you for reporting on this. As an epilepsy mom- I’ve been horrified by some of things that other epilepsy families have been told in this process as they get denials. It shows- in my opinion- a complete lack of understanding of the condition.
Also- using other accommodations would be fine if those accommodations were clear to both guests and cast members. Reports I’ve been following seem like the cast members don’t even know what to do.
I read a report of a poor woman that got “stuck” in the thunder mt cue and was told to use que re-entry only to be told by cast members she could not leave the line and then sadly experienced bowel incontenance in the line. This should not have happened. It breaks my heart for these individuals with physical disabilities that are stuck because Disney changed the plan without giving cast members adequate training on dealing with all these needs. Disappointing
@christi, I completely understand where you’re coming from. A business as lucrative and massive like Disney should not be rolling out any new program changes without having everything in place. It’s kinda bizzare they d haven’t done this.
Our family has used DAS since 2015. Our trip is 6/4 so it should fall under the new rules. However, when we applied on 5/4, it was clear our request was under the old rules. We apply on behalf of our son who has a physical disability. We were approved for this trip; however, it was under the old system. I think many people being approved with physical disabilities were approved under the old system even though Disney said the new system was supposed to apply. I think surveying people when we are out of the transition period will provide more accurate data.
Well written when is a very tough subject to write about. Unfortunately it comes down to DAS being grossly abused,or this would not be a discussion.
I never heard of DAS until I joined a Patreon group on FB.Love the group. They post many trip reports. I realized one day that almost every one has someone using the DAS system. I am not suggesting that all are taking advantage of the system, but seriously MOST reports have it.
When I think of my own family, my daughter becomes very anxious in lines as well. At some point I wondered if we should apply. Very overwhelmed by lines and crowds. We never did, but I imagine that is a lot of people, especially post-Covid. I do agree that Disney brought this on to themselves. Genie plus and LL is not a great system and expensive too!
Agreed on the abuse – it is really frustrating and very sad. I do not dispute that Disney has made the problem worse and Genie+ is ridiculously expensive (as is everything at the parks). That said, there is NO EXCUSE for lying about or exaggerating the severity of a disability to compensate for the loss of free fast pass. I would gladly pay a fee for using DAS if it means reducing abuse or preserving a system that my Disney-obsessed Autistic son could not visit the parks without. I get the reason they can’t charge, but maybe a fee waiver system for those who qualify? In any case I believe – the high cost of Disney is a completely separate issue than DAS.
100% agree. There is no excuse for lying about one’s condition, or their kids’ conditions. So we are where we are as a result. Which is sad for those that truly need the accommodations.
Tom, I do understand drastic changes were needed by Disney for DAS in regards to the abusers. I personally will not have an issue with my 36 yr old special needs daughter with autism getting this. What I do find unappreciative for other consumers is that Disney has not produced a solid line of communication and accommodations for those who truly need assistance but get denied. People who are truly disabled with some of the diagnosis that people have described and health conditions aren’t going on all the hardcore rides and coasters . I’m surprised Disney has not made clear cut instructions for those people who Disney feels aren’t disabled. An elderly man with a heart condition for example isn’t going to ride Mt Everest. It still may be too much for someone like that to stand in line that long or even in a wheelchair. Obviously with an autistic adult daughter we’re not affected. But I feel Disney is missing the point of many people with true other disabilities.
Hi Sherri,
I couldn’t reply above but I saw you question how people know it’s DAS and not LL, and I feel like DAS turned a different color on the machines and required a CM to approve the scan in. Don’t remember well tho. I am nervous for my kid with epilepsy and a GI condition because we have already been through a seizure and a separate bowel accident at Disney and it was when we had DAS. I cannot imagine it being less likely without it. I do wish they would go the IAC route like universal.
Hello, I’ve never been to universal. We only go to Disney every year in September for our wedding anniversary and our adult special needs 36 yr old daughter . We stay for 10 nights as our park days are very short. When we scan to use her DAS it is not any different from any other person. All colors are the same. Now for us it’s obvious our daughter is disabled. But even so and for those with hidden disabilities nobody could tell that you are using DAS. Unless someone in the party says something. Seizures are no fun that’s for sure. Neither are the accidents in line. This is why I say people who don’t have the need for DAS simply cannot phathom what we go through. I hope your vacation is everything you and your family hope for .
When you scan in DAS at the first turnstyle it turns blue, then they approve it and it turns green. People on LL only turn green, there is no blue.
I can also add, cast members never have made a point to check anything . Idk maybe as it is just my husband , myself and our daughter
Tom, thank you for writing this article. I will tell you that I have been following a Facebook discussion among a group of people who have counted on DAS in the past for a variety of legitimate medical needs- some physical and some developmentally disabled-related; I have not seen people in that group that appear to be trying to scam the system and I believe such people are kicked out of the group, if discovered. In any event, unfortunately the percentages of people being approved are not nearly as high as in your Facebook group responses, even though these folks do have a legitimate need. The issue is that Disney has clarified that they intend DAS specifically for people with developmental disabilities like autism, which leaves out all those folks with physical issues like the person you mentioned with epilepsy, as well as people with other DDs that differ from autism, but Disney does not seem to have come up with good alternative accommodations for those folks.
The only alternatives Disney is offering these folks are either buy Genie Plus or use the leave/reenter option. The problem with the latter is, from the folks who have tried that, that Disney has not done proper training and has not come up with a good method for making that work. Folks are being told by one cast member they can leave, but when they try to reenter, a different cast member is denying them. It seems some of that could be obviated if they had a paper pass with a “reasonable” number of allowable uses indicated, where the person allowing them to leave notes the time and approximate place in line with their initials each time, so the reentry person can see if they are returning in a reasonable amount of time to accommodate the need (ie, if someone says they have to use the bathroom then returns 3 hours later, they are not using the pass properly, or if they have used such a pass 5+ times in 2 hours, they seem to be using it more for line-skipping, etc), it would cut down on abuse and be available just to those who were approved for it during the required chat. It is not perfect but might improve things some.
But there are other issues. It is very difficult for someone in a wheelchair to leave the line and return, if they are having to go past many other people in the queue. Plus some CMs are saying the person with the disability has to leave by themselves, which in many cases is dangerous, such as someone with an intellectual disability, or if the person needs assistance, or if the only other person in their party is a child. This is not speculation; some guests have been told this.
It seems like Disney needs to hire additional staff to handle this accommodation, and come up with a way to make it happen other than going through the queue. Disney is certainly making more money in their theme parks than previously, so rather than using so much of it to bail out its losers like Hulu, they ought to spend some on things like this, to help their guests with disabilities that (as many of them see it) are being denied accommodations granted in the past in order to sell more Genie Plus.
The issues with telling them, “Just buy Genie Plus,” are numerous too. As with everyone else, this can be cost-prohibitive, but families with members with significant disabilities often are going to disproportionately be less able to afford this than others. Genie Plus according to Disney on average works for 3 (or maybe they say 2-3) attractions. The expense of a Disney vacation is not justified if you have a physical issue (like epilepsy or Krohns disease, not yet appropriately accommodated by the leave-the line alternative) where you physically can not wait in lengthy lines, keeping you from experiencing many attractions past the 2-3 genie plus attractions. Another issue is for those attractions with VQs. Typically even if guests with physical disabilities buy Genie Plus, if they want to experience an attraction with a VQ, they are still going to have to wait in a lengthy line once their boarding group is called (as opposed to using the ILL once their group is called, as it was with DAS). Perhaps they could give some sort of accommodation just for those rides. I know Disney would say they could buy ILLs, but that really IS cost prohibitive, on top of the Genie Plus and all the other Disney costs, for a family with limited means in the first place due to all the costs of living associated with a disability.
If Disney DOES finally get around to their promised “early reservation” of Genie Plus for 2-3 rides, for hotel guests or whatever, that might be an accommodation they could also grant to people who prove such a physical disability. What they REALLY need to do, for ALL guests, as you yourself have said multiple times, is increase capacity with all that additional money they are bringing in over what it was say ten years ago, so that the experience is more equivalent to what it was ten years ago when there were not such horrific lines.
We are going to Disney in August for our final trip before our APs run out, so I won’t know for a while whether my son’s DDs will qualify him to continue to have DAS. Therefore I can not comment on our experience at this time. But I’ve made an onsite hotel reservation so that hopefully, if not, we can experience at least a few things, thanks to excellent suggestions you’ve made in the past regarding that half hour before the park opens, how to stack Genie Plus, how to get in the 1pm VQ, etc.. Many of the people in the Facebook group I’ve mentioned are not as sophisticated as your readers, so I’ve recommended a couple of your articles to them, for the ones who can handle early mornings/keeping up with the technology to maximize rides on top of all the other things they have to keep up with trying to do the parks with disabilities, etc. Thanks for all your help.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on, but these are just some thoughts that I’ve had while following how this is affecting people with legit disabilities. I thoroughly support Disney eliminating abuse (much of which they created with their own greed with things like paid FastPass), but they need to come up with some WORKABLE alternative accommodations for people who are legitimately disabled in the process,& they need to hire and properly train CMs to make it work.
We used the Queue Re-entry process during our Christmas trip almost by accident. We were in a very long line and one of us could no longer wait to use the restroom. They left the line thinking they’d simply have to miss the ride. When the rest of us reached our turn to ride, I asked the Cast Member if there was anything that could be done. He immediately explained how our missing family member should use the Cast Member’s name to get through the Lightning Lane to catch up with us. He explained that if it ever happened again (and it did) that we should exit through the Lightning Lane and let the Cast Member know what’s happening. When we returned that Cast Member directed helped us catch up to our family in line. We’ve never used DAS, but I’d say Queue Re-entry is a good alternative.
Tom, the thing that stands out for me is the gulf between genie+ and DAS. Genie+ is so disability unfriendly. Can’t be on your phone at 7am? Can’t stay in the park all day? Forget the most popular rides. Whereas DAS can absolutely be used for a short afternoon or evening trip to the parks, Genie+ cannot be. I think if Genie+ worked like DAS, many many more disabled folks would buy it to get rid of the uncertainty and the LOOKS. I would hope that if it’s true that most LL useage is from DAS, this may happen in future.
Full disclosure: I am potentially one of the misusers – I actually have no idea. I am autistic, and waiting in lines is very unpleasant for me, and sometimes it becomes so unpleasant that staying any longer would impact my enjoyment of the ride and, usually, the rest of the day, so I leave. But it’s POSSIBLE for me to wait. It’s just very unpleasant and in practice would mean I didn’t ever join a line longer than 30 mins, because it’s not worth the discomfort. I don’t know if DAS is intended for me or not, but I do know that I’m super stressing about my upcoming trip, which has been booked for 18 months and involves international travel.
I should add that I never got DAS when fastpass+ existed, because with good planning and a touring plan I never had to wait in a +30 min line.
You would think using something like restaurants use lighted saucers (50’s Prime Time etc.) to notify you when your table is ready would be a good start. EX: A party of 5 shows up at the line entrance they tell the CM that they have a DAS member, the DAS member and (only 1 other individual) gets a lighted saucer and are given instructions on where to return and the 3 remaining guests are given a number tag that corresponds to the saucer, and goes into the line. Once the 3 get to the front, or an area close to the front, they give the CM the tag and they in turn notifies the DAS guest to come through the route that they were told. Is it perfect, no but it’s a start and you adjust as scenarios pop up. Plus the majority of people have smart phones, watches etc. and the family in line could also notify the other members when they are getting close to the end. This would really cut the abuse back by a lot, because you are having the majority of the group who are perfectly healthy still wait in line. JMO
How would that work for a party of two, when the DAS user relies on the other person for support?
Interesting article. I was not aware that Disney was denying certain disabilities. The only way to improve the process is with feedback. Disney should not and can not afraid of negative feedback. I worked for Compaq computers a long time ago and we had a process called “Out of Box Experience”, where we would give a new computer in the box to the VP’s and tell them to go home and install it. The feedback we got back was a great help. Personally I think Disney should require their VP’s to spend one day a week dealing with these requests. It would probably help the process to improve and give them some perspective. Thanks for the article.
Such a tough subject to deal with. My step son is autistic and the DAS has been a big help. All situations are different but with ours, we used to often travel as a family of 6. In hindsight, is it fair that all 6 of us skipped lines with him. Probably not. There should be no reason that 4 of us wait and meet up with him and the person staying with him when we got to the end. Basically, the one with the pass and one other don’t have to wait in the line. When there was free fast pass, we actually did not use the DAS often. We could usually get by with that and if the line was 30 minutes or less, he could do the line and we never used a DAS for that top of thing. But Disney messed it all up with their convoluted Virtual Queues, Genie +, and paid lightning lanes. Standby lines frequently come to a halt. I watched them let 20 LL riders on to Peter Pan for every 4 standby riders and that should NEVER be the case. Disney is within their right to monetize anything they want, but they could come up with something better. Maybe they could raise the cost of tickets and give everyone 2 or 3 LLs that can be used anytime (no scheduling). The ratio would never exceed 50/50. Limit LL attractions to only half the rides in each park. Meaning rides like Small World, Pooh, The Carousel, Mexico, Living with the Land, would have no lightning lane at all. Maybe DAS would be limited to 3 or 4 rides a day. Everyone, including those with disabilities have to wait for something, be it a restaurant table, ride, airplane etc. So not every ride needs to let someone with a disability skip it. The ultimate solution is to have lines that move. Disney can figure it out and do better.
I think it should be immediate family only. So a family of 2 parents with 3 kids can all use it. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents excluded. I think that makes it fair. If you have 4 kids, they all go in. No need for 20 people with red Happy Birthday Sammy to all enter with DAS in my opinion.
I would be happy if there was some kind of physical return to line pass given. That would make it much easier to just let someone pass by if they have one. It would stop all those folks who send one person ahead to wait in line while they go on a different attraction. Then they come to the line and want pass everyone to meet up with that person who’s already been waiting half an hour.