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

[lanejudy]

do you still need to register 30 days before your 1st day of your trip if the new das is good for 100 days?

We have a trip in august, i emailed the disability team and got a cut and paste back of the website but wasnt clear.

The website still indicates "as soon as 30 days in advance of a park visit." I'm not sure it matters whether that is 30 days from 1st park day, 30 days from last park day, or the week prior or even just a day prior. Without Advanced Selections there really is no particular incentive to do it at the earliest time allowed. And the 2-day bit has been removed, so registration can even be done the day prior. If one waits to do it onsite it will still be via video chat on an iPad. We don't know if that will be an immediate/near-immediate access to the Accessibility Team or if it drops you into the same queue as all the online folks.

That wording around type of condition reads a little more open to me than it has previously been, hopefully a good sign.

Oh, much better wording, Disney! Commas are important, lol!

I don't believe that wording has changed in the past month or so. This is what I had quoted back on April 11th:

...intended to accommodate those 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.​

Where is this on the website? I don't see it.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/accessing-attractions-queues/#aa-queue-reentry

This was and is still my concern: have the CMs received adequate training to discern what disabilities can be accommodated by a “brief” leaving of the line vs. those that will need to be one for hours, or even the rest of the day?

To be fair... if one must leave the queue for the rest of the day there is no line accommodation that will help. And honestly, if I have to leave the line and be gone for an extended time, my family should continue in the queue and ride. Except in certain circumstances such as single parent, etc. there's no reason that can't occur. The accommodation is for the individual not for the family. Let's see how this plays out.

 

[BingoJoe]

Additional new verbiage:

Attraction Queue Re-Entry
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.

1. A Cast Member will provide details about how to exit the queue and how to navigate back to your party.
2. While the Guest who must leave the line is briefly away, the rest of the party will remain in line.
3. The Guest reunites with their party to ride the attraction.

Note: Guests must meet boarding requirements to ride.

This looks pretty good to me.

I wonder if on some attractions you will re-join via the LL and wait for your party at the front? I suppose there are a variety of ways to do it. Wouldn't work for solo travellers but I don't suppose the odd solo traveller leaving a line to skip to the front will make much statistical difference.

 

[DisnEElove]

It will become more normal and in turn easier. There are so many people that need a service like this that theme parks will have to adapt their stand by lines. In turn it will be easier for everyone. As rides are built or refurbished I am sure line access will be something they consider.

You are definitely correct. I've seen some social media comments where people say they'll "be $?!! If someone tries the 'I'm-going-back-to-my-family' lie". Of course others responded that their line of thinking wasn't cool, but they still got lots of likes and support in that thread. This combined with the sweltering heat might make for more altercations that simply are unnecessary.

 

[AJA]

Can’t wait for all the posts all over social media complaining about people “cutting”

Full on brawls have occurred over people rejoining their party in line. I remember one incident occurring over this at philharmagic.

If the option was for my DH to leave and re-enter while I waited in line, he's probably leave the line and never come back. Just becasue of the looks or comments trying to get back in line.

If that was our only option, we'd probably cancel the trip.

That is not the only option. Everyone that has used the LL’s can definitely still access and use them. Disney is just tightening up on the free access. Anyone can purchase Genie+ and LL’s to make their trip more manageable for them.

 

[lanejudy]

Notably it does not say that Rider Switch is an option for disabilities like the Disneyland one does.

True, the WDW wording is different from the DL/DCA wording for Rider Switch. But WDW does still list Rider Switch as an option for disabilities -- for a non-rider who cannot wait by themselves. That has not been an option at WDW to allow a Rider Switch due to a disability that keeps the non-rider out of the queue. The website info suggests this is now available at "most" WDW attractions and will be a digital Rider Switch; in the past the digital swap was only allowed at attractions with a height restriction and generally only given for parties with a too-short child.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I did my interview for my son yesterday. First of all it looked like my CM was sitting on her couch at home.

I felt a little like I was having to over explain but maybe I was just nervous. My sons reasons are some that fit what they have said would be covered even after the change but I still felt like it seemed weird.

I explained everything and then she said “so would he have to leave and be unable to return to the line”? Well yes for all the reasons I just explained so then I felt like I just completely repeated myself.

She did not indicate one way or the other if she could see he had had it before. She did not indicate if he would qualify in the future.

Before I was connected she made me drop dining reservations. We have 4 day tickets but when I originally made our dining reservations we had not decided for sure which days we were going to parks and which day was our rest day, so I had made dining reservations for 5 days (intending to drop the one as soon as we decided which day to not go to a park) She would not allow me to interview for DAS until I only had dining for the same number of days as my park ticket which I thought was really weird as anyone can make a dining reservation for any day or place and I had no idea it would be in any way related to DAS. So that kind of got me started off a little flustered bc I felt from the start that she thought I was trying to pull something (though I don’t know what).

She did not offer me pre selects and I didn’t ask bc the whole thing already felt weird.
I went back in the next day to the chat and asked about pre selects and the woman that time did them with me quickly and easily over chat.

Both for the approval and the pre selects I was connected quickly. About 15 minutes once and almost immediately the second time.

So all in all we got it but it felt weird but I may have just gotten a weird CM.

The forced ADR cancellation sounds like a power tripping CM or a CM who doesn’t get how stuff works. I hope you went back in to pick it up after.

 

[Liquidice]

True, the WDW wording is different from the DL/DCA wording for Rider Switch. But WDW does still list Rider Switch as an option for disabilities -- for a non-rider who cannot wait by themselves. That has not been an option at WDW to allow a Rider Switch due to a disability that keeps the non-rider out of the queue. The website info suggests this is now available at "most" WDW attractions and will be a digital Rider Switch; in the past the digital swap was only allowed at attractions with a height restriction and generally only given for parties with a too-short child.

Interesting, did not realize previously they did not officially endorse this - as I have used Rider Switch in the past for a child that was too scared to ride (was capable of riding, but just did not want to) and was too young to wait outside of the queue. CM did not hesitate when I asked for Rider Switch because one child did not want to ride. But it was all done manually at the entrance to the queue, so it will be nice if it is now available fully digital without needing to speak to a CM.

 

[PrincessNelly]

Additional new verbiage:

Attraction Queue Re-Entry
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.

1. A Cast Member will provide details about how to exit the queue and how to navigate back to your party.
2. While the Guest who must leave the line is briefly away, the rest of the party will remain in line.
3. The Guest reunites with their party to ride the attraction.

Note: Guests must meet boarding requirements to ride.

this is so vague.

Will CMs be stationed throughout the queue to be easily accessible? How long will this take? If someone has an immediate emergency, they may not have much time to wait on assistance.
Every ride having a unique process to handle this sounds like a disaster as far as guest knowing what to expect.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Additional new verbiage:

Attraction Queue Re-Entry
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.

1. A Cast Member will provide details about how to exit the queue and how to navigate back to your party.
2. While the Guest who must leave the line is briefly away, the rest of the party will remain in line.
3. The Guest reunites with their party to ride the attraction.

Note: Guests must meet boarding requirements to ride.

Oh dear. I guess I was hoping it was a standardized type thing with actual details but on the surface this sounds difficult if you have to talk to CMs at every ride. Wish they put out a guide so you could know ahead of time what the process was at each ride.

Tough on our bathroom folks with that call out. Maybe some silver lining is Disney didn’t straight up say bathroom issues don’t qualify for DAS (like the last revamp where they straight up nixed mobility issues).

 

[AJA]

this is so vague.

Will CMs be stationed throughout the queue to be easily accessible? How long will this take? If someone has an immediate emergency, they may not have much time to wait on assistance.
Every ride having a unique process to handle this sounds like a disaster as far as guest knowing what to expect.

No one wants to be the first group that affects change. But obviously changes are needed because so many theme park visitors need additional accommodations. Just like any other big change there will be kinks that are noticed IRL and then reworked.

It will be better (more comfortable) for everyone in the long run.

 

[audrey2580]

My sister and nephew are at WDW today. 10 min rule for additional DAS is in effect. It does not say when you can get your next one so you have to manage that yourself.

 

[AJA]

this is so vague.

Will CMs be stationed throughout the queue to be easily accessible? How long will this take? If someone has an immediate emergency, they may not have much time to wait on assistance.
Every ride having a unique process to handle this sounds like a disaster as far as guest knowing what to expect.

I imagine it’s the same way an immediate need is currently handled in the LL’s? An immediate need isn’t any less of an emergency in a 20 minute queue than it is in an hour queue?

 

[lanejudy]

My sister and nephew are at WDW today. 10 min rule for additional DAS is in effect. It does not say when you can get your next one so you have to manage that yourself.

Thank you for that update!

 

[Philsfan77]

My sister and nephew are at WDW today. 10 min rule for additional DAS is in effect. It does not say when you can get your next one so you have to manage that yourself.

just confirming...10 minutes after the second scan point (on most LL attractions)?

 

[PrincessNelly]

I imagine it’s the same way an immediate need is currently handled in the LL’s? An immediate need isn’t any less of an emergency in a 20 minute queue than it is in an hour queue?

No its not. I just mean, if the process to locate a CM and sort out the return process takes too long, it could be difficult for guest who don't have an extra 5-10 minutes to spare.

I have no idea how it was handled with LL's.

 

[audrey2580]

just confirming...10 minutes after the second scan point (on most LL attractions)?

Hmm, I don’t know. She messaged me and I didn’t think to ask if it was the 1st or 2nd scan point. I’ll see what I can find out.

 

[diablodancer]

There’s a report on Reddit from someone who called today with non-developmental disabilities, hope this is ok to link to.

NOTE FROM MODERATOR: removed link since I am not able to bring it up

 

[spacegirl2007]

Hmm, I don’t know. She messaged me and I didn’t think to ask if it was the 1st or 2nd scan point. I’ll see what I can find out.

Previously, you could not make a new DAS until both checkpoints had been cleared or if you tried it would say not eligible because the pass wasn't considered to have been redeemed. I am assuming it would be the same just with a 10 minute waiting period added now? Hopefully someone who is there can confirm.

 

[Philsfan77]

Previously, you could not make a new DAS until both checkpoints had been cleared or if you tried it would say not eligible because the pass wasn't considered to have been redeemed. I am assuming it would be the same just with a 10 minute waiting period added now? Hopefully someone who is there can confirm.

That is what I am thinking as well, but wanted to confirm before I rolled with it.

 

[AJA]

No its not. I just mean, if the process to locate a CM and sort out the return process takes too long, it could be difficult for guest who don't have an extra 5-10 minutes to spare.

I have no idea how it was handled with LL's.

That is hopefully what is going to be addressed, being able to access a CM in the regular line. I am positive as a company that Disney calculated the extra employee cost as opposed to the money more paid for LL’s will bring them.

It’s not in Disney’s interest at all to have “several daily brawls” splashed across social media. More employees have to be a part of this.