DAS and guest relations kiosks - policy change?

[OurBigTrip]

For the record, I'm not opposed to the policy being that you have to go directly to the ride in order to get a DAS return time. In fact, that's the case still at Epcot, but that's because they haven't installed any of the guest relations kiosks there.

Until and unless they change the procedure, though, I don't see anything wrong with utilizing the kiosks to get DAS return times.

Only one single CM I spoke with over the course of 9 park days seemed to think requesting a DAS return time at a kiosk location was an unusual thing to do. If that many CM are offering DAS return times at three out of the four parks, I find it hard to believe that this is a case of CMs "cutting corners."

But we will see, I suppose.

I think the "cutting corners" comment was related to CMs allowing guests to go straight into the FP line if the wait was 20 minutes rather than giving out a 10 minute return time.

 

[fiasco32]

Yep, and Disney will have no one to blame but themselves.

Not sure how the two are related. GAC was notorious for being a system rife with abuse (people surreptitiously obtaining GAC cards and then selling them to guests without disabilities).

Are you implying there is abuse going on with the current DAS system?

 

[seashoreCM]

I think the "cutting corners" comment was related to CMs allowing guests to go straight into the FP line if the wait was 20 minutes rather than giving out a 10 minute return time.

The "cutting corners" comment was related to the perception or even observation of CMs allowing Disability Access Service and, formerly, Guest Assistance Card, guests to go straight into the Fastpass line if the wait was anything rather than giving out any return time.

I am concerned about this corner cutting because it might lead to the abandonment of the DAS system leaving guests who really need DAS in a disadvantaged position.

The conversion of paper GAC to electronic DAS eliminated the problem of selling the card to otherwise ineligible guests, and in the same manner the conversion of paper FP- to electronic FP+ eliminated the problem of selling the slip of paper ...

GAC (I have never seen one) also had a variety of functionalities denoted with rubber stamp impressions. This added complexity that the CM had to master which in turn may have contributed to the aforementioned corner cutting. Whereas DAS has only one function, and only one action, giving the guest a return time, is needed from the CM.
.

 

[OurBigTrip]

The "cutting corners" comment was related to the perception or even observation of CMs allowing Disability Access Service and, formerly, Guest Assistance Card, guests to go straight into the Fastpass line if the wait was anything rather than giving out any return time.

I am concerned about this corner cutting because it might lead to the abandonment of the DAS system leaving guests who really need DAS in a disadvantaged position.

The conversion of paper GAC to electronic DAS eliminated the problem of selling the card to otherwise ineligible guests, and in the same manner the conversion of paper FP- to electronic FP+ eliminated the problem of selling the slip of paper ...

GAC (I have never seen one) also had a variety of functionalities denoted with rubber stamp impressions. This added complexity that the CM had to master which in turn may have contributed to the aforementioned corner cutting. Whereas DAS has only one function, and only one action, giving the guest a return time, is needed from the CM.
.

Agree, I was responding to the person that thought the corner cutting referred to allowing kiosks to give out return times. While I disagree the kiosk idea, it's not the worst thing in the world for sure.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Not sure how the two are related. GAC was notorious for being a system rife with abuse (people surreptitiously obtaining GAC cards and then selling them to guests without disabilities).

Are you implying there is abuse going on with the current DAS system?

Giving out times at kiosks is not what I'm referring to as corner cutting, although I disagree with it generally. The corner cutting in my mind is CMs letting people right on without issuing a return time and making them wait.

And yes, I do think there is abuse of the DAS, although nowhere near what it was with the GAC. Technically, it's not possible to abuse the DAS by giving it to someone else, since it's electronic. And abuse in the form is less likely because the DAS isn't meant to provide the huge advantage that the GAC offered, so it's less attractive to those who would abuse it. But if it gets to the point it becomes more attractive, say by just letting people into the FP lines rather than issuing return times, then I would expect the level of abuse to rise, making it less useful to those who really need it and increasingly impacting non-disabled guests as well.

 

[fiasco32]

Giving out times at kiosks is not what I'm referring to as corner cutting, although I disagree with it generally. The corner cutting in my mind is CMs letting people right on without issuing a return time and making them wait.

And yes, I do think there is abuse of the DAS, although nowhere near what it was with the GAC. Technically, it's not possible to abuse the DAS by giving it to someone else, since it's electronic. And abuse in the form is less likely because the DAS isn't meant to provide the huge advantage that the GAC offered, so it's less attractive to those who would abuse it. But if it gets to the point it becomes more attractive, say by just letting people into the FP lines rather than issuing return times, then I would expect the level of abuse to rise, making it less useful to those who really need it and increasingly impacting non-disabled guests as well.

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. And I agree that CMs should not be cutting corners. That, to me, is the biggest difference between the GAC and the DAS. Before, guests had power to cut corners. Now only CMs do, which is entirely more manageable (through policy and corrective action).

 

[siren0119]

The purpose of the Disability Access Service is to allow someone to wait a little ways away from the claustrophobic atmosphere of or insufficient shade in the ride queue itself or to have easier access to the rest room given a long standby wait time, or to minimize disturbance to others because of hiccups or Tourette's Syndrome or Attention Deficit Disorder. With that in mind there is nothing lost by having to report to the ride first to get a DAS time. After all, one has to be at the ride to finally ride it.

Or, the activation of DAS by so many guests may have started to detract from the other activities of the CM at the Fastpass kiosks. I have observed CMs giving out DAS return times and it seemed that it took having to quit the app already in the iPad to start up the DAS app and then quitting that and going back to what he was doing.

Yes, I have seen the CM who gave out DAS return times instead invite the guest to go into the ride (fastpass entrance) immediately Whether that is improper corner cutting by the CM I don't know.

Per the bolded above - I can say with certainty that the DAS process at Smugglers Run was done the way it was SPECIFICALLY to avoid logjams at the FP line. You got your DAS return time from a CM with an iPad positioned to the left of the ride up the ramp. It meant that the FP CM's could focus on accommodating DAS people returning to ride, and managing the single rider line.

 

[fiasco32]

DAS process at Smugglers Run was done the way it was SPECIFICALLY to avoid logjams at the FP line. You got your DAS return time from a CM with an iPad positioned to the left of the ride up the ramp. It meant that the FP CM's could focus on accommodating DAS people returning to ride, and managing the single rider line.

This is also the case at SDD.

 

[siren0119]

This is also the case at SDD.

It might have to do with the volume of the parks - we were there on 8/31 and my son with DAS set up his return times at the FP entrance, not at a kiosk or at another location nearby. It's a pretty good crowd controlling measure, once you know where to go!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I really like the guest relations kiosks giving out the DAS return times. I always preferred the kiosk approach at DL. Most of my trips are just me, age 61, pushing my adult son in a WC. He cannot drive a scooter. Pushing him around the parks IS hard work, especially in crowds, so if the kiosks save me some of that, hooray. We arrive in 2 weeks (looking forward to using Skyliner from AoA) and will see what is happening then. I always RAVED about the Guest Experience team (is that their name?) on the park surveys.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Today was our last day in the parks and we arrived last Wednesday. We were getting return times from both the kiosks and the rides, and we had no issues getting return times from the kiosks until yesterday. Prior to yesterday, everyone at the kiosks was happy to provide a return time and didn't indicate we should go to the ride. Then yesterday, at the kiosk in the MK across from Casey's Corner, the CM told us we needed to go to the ride. She said the policy changed the week before, but didn't have an answer when I told her she was the first person to tell us that we couldn't get a return time from a kiosk.

I was really liking the kiosks because we could avoid the logjams at the ride entrances. Also, the ipads at the kiosks seemed to work every time whereas the devices at the ride entrances seem to have issues. The only times we've been told we could enter the FP line immediately was when the CM at the ride was having difficulty getting the device to work. Although I did notice that was much less of an issue this trip than on our last trip 2 years ago.

 

[fiasco32]

Then yesterday, at the kiosk in the MK across from Casey's Corner, the CM told us we needed to go to the ride. She said the policy changed the week before, but didn't have an answer when I told her she was the first person to tell us that we couldn't get a return time from a kiosk.

Ok, so this is now the second time I have heard of this new "policy." Once from your experience, and once from the CM I encountered at the guest relations kiosk in Fantasyland in MK.

Now I'm starting to think something is indeed afoot...

 

[gap2368]

Ok, so this is now the second time I have heard of this new "policy." Once from your experience, and once from the CM I encountered at the guest relations kiosk in Fantasyland in MK.

Now I'm starting to think something is indeed afoot...

It
Might be the same CM they rotate booths so it really could be the same one I had one GE CM tell me he could not give wait time if the line was under 30 minutes

 

[Dayzy]

I'm on a social media page for people who visit WDW with special needs and have heard from many people who are saying the kiosk CMs are telling them that the policy has changed and that they are phasing out letting DAS holders get return times at kiosks.

 

[fiasco32]

I'm on a social media page for people who visit WDW with special needs and have heard from many people who are saying the kiosk CMs are telling them that the policy has changed and that they are phasing out letting DAS holders get return times at kiosks.

Welp, there you go. Was nice while it lasted.

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

We just returned from our 2 week trip. For the first 10 days, we were able to get DAS return times at the blue guest experience umbrellas.

On day 11, a guest experience CM told me that he had been told that they would soon not be allowed to do DAS times and we'd have to go to the ride.

On day 12, the guest experience CM told us that he was not supposed to give out DAS return times anymore, but he'd make an exception and do it one last time.

On day 13, we were instructed to go to the ride to get a DAS return time for our son.

A couple of the guest experience CMs I talked to did mention that we should let Disney know that being able to get return times at the umbrellas was helpful.

 

[gap2368]

A couple of the guest experience CMs I talked to did mention that we should let Disney know that being able to get return times at the umbrellas was helpful.

I think if they are going to stop issues return times at the GE both sending emails letting them know how it helps you the person with the DAS out is the best way for them to keep it change it back. So email Disney and let them know I was already planing on doing this but I added more to the email I sent.

 

[camper06]

I think if they are going to stop issues return times at the GE both sending emails letting them know how it helps you the person with the DAS out is the best way for them to keep it change it back. So email Disney and let them know I was already planing on doing this but I added more to the email I sent.

Should we email disability services? Or just the regular email? Thanks!

We are going in a couple weeks and was looking forward to trying it out. Oh well, glad some of you got to use it!

Do you think we'll still be able to request the DAS at the GE booths? Our first park will be Animal Kingdom.

 

[gap2368]

Should we email disability services? Or just the regular email? Thanks!

We are going in a couple weeks and was looking forward to trying it out. Oh well, glad some of you got to use it!

Do you think we'll still be able to request the DAS at the GE booths? Our first park will be Animal Kingdom.

I went to MDE ( on my computer) then help and rules then contact us in the top right is email us then for subject I chose Disability service ( I was going to do pass trip one but I felt this best fit my needs). Other might have a better way of getting in contact with the right ( better ) team than I did. If they are leaving the GE team out then it is not like they are spending more many on them ( they are there any ways) normally it dose not take long at all it issue a return time I have a few ideas on what is going on ( I just can not say them) but an email letting disney know how much it helped or an Email letting disney know how excited you were to try it and how it will help you out ( like a parent with a child with ASD that once they see a ride they really like having a hard time leaving the line/ area. or someone a lone that has no one to go to the ride to get a return time. I do not think disney care about people with wheelchair that it was more convent to get a return time for a ride there ( I hope I made since) but for guest that were missing out on thing having meltdown having to leave the park.

as fair as your other question If they are no longer issuing DAS return times then you will need to go into GE to get your return time they had CM off to the left in blue issue return times when I was there ( some times they are up a ramp )

 

[camper06]

I went to MDE ( on my computer) then help and rules then contact us in the top right is email us then for subject I chose Disability service ( I was going to do pass trip one but I felt this best fit my needs). Other might have a better way of getting in contact with the right ( better ) team than I did. If they are leaving the GE team out then it is not like they are spending more many on them ( they are there any ways) normally it dose not take long at all it issue a return time I have a few ideas on what is going on ( I just can not say them) but an email letting disney know how much it helped or an Email letting disney know how excited you were to try it and how it will help you out ( like a parent with a child with ASD that once they see a ride they really like having a hard time leaving the line/ area. or someone a lone that has no one to go to the ride to get a return time. I do not think disney care about people with wheelchair that it was more convent to get a return time for a ride there ( I hope I made since) but for guest that were missing out on thing having meltdown having to leave the park.

as fair as your other question If they are no longer issuing DAS return times then you will need to go into GE to get your return time they had CM off to the left in blue issue return times when I was there ( some times they are up a ramp )

Thanks - I will send an email this afternoon.

My second question was about requesting the DAS itself, not return times. Last time we were at DHS, I was in line at Guest Relations and a CM was going thru the line asking what we needed. When I told him I was there to request DAS, he sent me to a booth up on the corner where you would turn to go to RNR and ToT. As I stated, our first park this time is Animal Kingdom, so I don't really know where or if they have those booths set up.

Thanks for the response!