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

[Karin1984]

I have a VPN already and use it regularly. I think Disney explicitly say that only guests who reside in North America can use it, so you’re therefore going against Disney’s policy.

Not that I think anything would happen even if they did find out, plus last time you could see it was dark outside from my room but it was the middle of the day in Florida lol.

But officially, not allowed (so I learnt on this thread).

The only thing they state that they offer the video calls only in English, no other languages. But to my knowledge, and what I can currently find on the website, it doesn't exclude other countries.

I'm quite sure that on my previous call I talked about being from the Netherlands and travelling from abroad.
It was no issue.

If anyone in this thread can tell me where it says that DAS video calls are not allowed for international guests and that they have to use in person, please let me know where I can find this information, as at this moment, I do not believe it ;-)

 

[starlite_]

As others have said, the real answer is to either increase ride inventory at the park, or put a hard cap on visitors that is much smaller than today (maybe a 50% decrease with a 100% increase in ticket prices).

This does literally nothing. More ride capacity means more tickets sold, more people in the park. The problem remains the same, there is just one extra ride.

 

[ryang25]

The only thing they state that they offer the video calls only in English, no other languages. But to my knowledge, and what I can currently find on the website, it doesn't exclude other countries.

I'm quite sure that on my previous call I talked about being from the Netherlands and travelling from abroad.
It was no issue.

If anyone in this thread can tell me where it says that DAS video calls are not allowed for international guests and that they have to use in person, please let me know where I can find this information, as at this moment, I do not believe it ;-)

I think it was one of the mods here, can’t recall which. I can’t actually see anything myself but if you try and go on the DAS page not using a VPN, you just get directed back to the WDW UK site here.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

Hey guys I’m sure this has been addressed but do you guys think Type 1 Diabetes in a child will still qualify? We’ve had some scary low BG experiences in long lines without DAS. Thanks yall

I also have this concern as my teenage son, for the past 2 years, has had some scary lows in public that are brought on by heat and exercise. When this happens, takes 20-30 minutes to fully correct the low and then he's down for several hours to fully recover.

Our last two trip with DAS have been a lifesaver for our family. I'm praying he will still qualify for our upcoming June trip.

 

[lanejudy]

If anyone in this thread can tell me where it says that DAS video calls are not allowed for international guests and that they have to use in person, please let me know where I can find this information, as at this moment, I do not believe it ;-)

The website used to say restricted to US or North America. I was just looking and can't find it now.

 

[Tatebeck]

Although it would never happen without a serious increase in shops, walkways and shows, how would people feel if every ride was a virtual queue? So that you scanned in and they told you when to come back? What if that meant the average guest rode one ride every 90 minutes? For those that are only able to be at the park for short periods of time (4 hours or less), would you be OK with only getting to ride 2 or 3 rides?

This would be the most equitable solution since everyone is on equal footing. Remember, the old Fast Pass system only worked as well as it did since a lot of guests did not understand how it worked and didn't take full advantage of it. There is simply not enough ride capacity in the park to not have long wait times when park crowds are above a certain level. The old Fast Pass system used smoke and mirrors to disguise what was really going on at the expense of uneducated guests.

When parks are crowded and a fairly sizable percentage of those people are DAS holders, the current system breaks down and you get the 90-10 standby to lightening lane ratio since there is no way to limit the number and return times of DAS users.

So Disney is left to either try to rebalance the ratio by restricting DAS access, thnk about a radical change to their queues where everyone is treated the same, or make Genie+ and LL so cost prohibitive (think $150+ per person) where a much smaller percentage of users buy it.

As others have said, the real answer is to either increase ride inventory at the park, or put a hard cap on visitors that is much smaller than today (maybe a 50% decrease with a 100% increase in ticket prices).

That would work amazing, but only if expanded and they had a strict limit of people in the park. There are only so many people you can fit in an area of fixed size without any standby lines to take people out of the common areas. They would probably make more money per guest that way, as a guest stuck in line isn't buying anything, so theoretically they would be able to limit capacity to a lower amount than they do currently. But being realistic they would pack as many people in as the fire code will allow

 

[elvispursley]

Being left alone and being fully physically and mentally capable is one thing. However, if the person (actually, either person! is medically codependent on the other, such as requiring assistance for an ADL that one would normally engage in in the park, there's a problem.

THIS!!

 

[PainInIL]

This does literally nothing. More ride capacity means more tickets sold, more people in the park. The problem remains the same, there is just one extra ride.

I am not talking adding a single ride. I am talking adding 7+ additional rides, increasing the park footprint and most importantly NOT increasing overall park capacity.

It is a supply and demand issue. There is not enough ride capacity for all the people in the park. The only way to fix it is increase ride capacity, but not let the demand increase. This is a VERY expensive option for Disney. The only advantage is gives them is higher overall guest satisfaction. Since stockholders cannot measure that in $$$, it doesn't register on the balance sheets.

 

[Gentry2004]

This does literally nothing. More ride capacity means more tickets sold, more people in the park. The problem remains the same, there is just one extra ride.

+1. The only options are that Disney artificially caps the number of people it allows in the park on any given day (at a number lower than they currently do) or it raises the price so high that it actually makes fewer people come to Disney. Other than that, crowds and lines will just continue to increase and they will sell G+ accordingly. Just wait until they charge extra to book G+ in advance and you are forced to do it if you want access to the more popular rides that won't be available day of.

 

[PainInIL]

That would work amazing, but only if expanded and they had a strict limit of people in the park. There are only so many people you can fit in an area of fixed size without any standby lines to take people out of the common areas. They would probably make more money per guest that way, as a guest stuck in line isn't buying anything, so theoretically they would be able to limit capacity to a lower amount than they do currently. But being realistic they would pack as many people in as the fire code will allow

Correct. That is the other side of it. They could not increase the number of guests allowed in the park. It would be massively expensive and would most likely turn visiting Disney into a $500 per person a day experience with Annual Passes starting in the $10,000. Disney would be a truly "once in a lifetime" experince for all but the very highest earners.

 

[Liquidice]

Although it would never happen without a serious increase in shops, walkways and shows, how would people feel if every ride was a virtual queue? So that you scanned in and they told you when to come back? What if that meant the average guest rode one ride every 90 minutes? For those that are only able to be at the park for short periods of time (4 hours or less), would you be OK with only getting to ride 2 or 3 rides?

This would be the most equitable solution since everyone is on equal footing. Remember, the old Fast Pass system only worked as well as it did since a lot of guests did not understand how it worked and didn't take full advantage of it. There is simply not enough ride capacity in the park to not have long wait times when park crowds are above a certain level. The old Fast Pass system used smoke and mirrors to disguise what was really going on at the expense of uneducated guests.

When parks are crowded and a fairly sizable percentage of those people are DAS holders, the current system breaks down and you get the 90-10 standby to lightening lane ratio since there is no way to limit the number and return times of DAS users.

So Disney is left to either try to rebalance the ratio by restricting DAS access, thnk about a radical change to their queues where everyone is treated the same, or make Genie+ and LL so cost prohibitive (think $150+ per person) where a much smaller percentage of users buy it.

As others have said, the real answer is to either increase ride inventory at the park, or put a hard cap on visitors that is much smaller than today (maybe a 50% decrease with a 100% increase in ticket prices).

I and others had suggested this earlier in the thread, I personally love the idea of most rides becoming virtual queues. I would want more ride capacity and more things to do while waiting like entertainment, but a VQ option would be a great idea if they could make it work.

Standby line = VQ

Lightning lane still available for immediate entry like Universal Express Pass and priced appropriately.

Your idea of capping park attendance while raising ticket prices was where Disney was headed under Chapek. He envisioned a better park experience by raising prices, capping attendance and making it a luxury destination.

 

[Karin1984]

I think it was one of the mods here, can’t recall which. I can’t actually see anything myself but if you try and go on the DAS page not using a VPN, you just get directed back to the WDW UK site here.

Yah, terribly annoying. But if you do use a VPN, it only says something about the language, not the country.
Even if it was the case that the website used to state that it was for North America / US only, no CM ever bothered that I was in a different continent.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll make my call for my upcoming DL visit.
Always found it funny that they didn't bother with different websites for Disneyland California. You can access DL's website and the call without any issue. (And there it doesn't even say anything about language)

 

[Tatebeck]

This does literally nothing. More ride capacity means more tickets sold, more people in the park. The problem remains the same, there is just one extra ride.

It does some things, even if they do increase capacity proportionally along with it. They add reliability to the park. If 1 ride out of 10 goes down for an emergency or maintenance, that's a 10% decrease in rides and 9 rides have to pick up slack. If 1 in 20 goes down that's only 5% decrease and it still has 19 other rides to help absorb the slack.

Also growing the parks to the point that most people could consider them to be 2-day parks could mean that people extend their stay a bit and don't try to rush everything in a park in a single day, making them slow down and enjoy themselves more (also it would reduce park hoppers that have run out of attractions they liked at 1 park and then go to a second)

 

[ClaraOswald]

More pure conjecture…I wonder if small changes in the DAS application process could help catch the true fakers.

If I get on the video chat and request a DAS for IBS, and get turned down then call back and request a DAS for a developmental disability…shouldn’t I be banned?

Again, pure conjecture.

The problem is, now that the new rules are out there, the fakers aren't going to even attempt to say they have IBS or something like that. They are just going to call once and say they have autism and then give a fake reason for not being able to "handle" the line. But I'm really, REALLY hoping the new medical professionals involved will somehow weed them out from people with legitimate reasons for DAS.

She is 4.5 now and barely fits. She can stop the stroller with her legs and reach down despite a 3 point harness. Stroller is Something to consider. I’ll do more research. Thanks!

They make strollers for special needs kids/adults. They can be quite expensive but speak with therapists/insurance about possible coverage. Otherwise, does WDW allow those larger wagon type strollers? I'm not sure if they do or how much weight those hold. I just know one of my mom-friends uses one for her larger autistic child for places like the zoo here. Either way, having something while in line might be extremely helpful in keeping your child from running off.

Curious why you don’t think it will reduce abuse? Imagine a group of 6 healthy young people who have seen on TikTok that if one of them pretends to have IBS they can get LL return times for all 6 of them for the whole day. Don’t you think they would be much less tempted to do this if the accommodation was a rider swap system where 4 of them had to do the standby line for each ride after which the fake IBS person and one other could use the LL?

I'm a pessimist and don't think this will reduce abuse of DAS. I really, REALLY wish it would though. So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. My big fear is that it won't help and Disney will further decrease or eliminate DAS completely.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

I appreciate your response but I was only responding the usefulness of it for my in-law and how it changed his daily life for him. That was tangently related to the other poster's comment about checking their blood sugar in line (and the looks from other people and practicality of frequent checking by finger pricks including sanitation of it). I explicitly stated it may not work for them. No two people are alike in their condition and there are several brands of the patches which of course interact with each person differently along with how their own body reacts. I was not offering a solution en masse and it's unfortunate that was taken that way.

I grew up with a father with Type 2 diabetes (and have been on medical watches for it my whole life due to a close family relative having it), have known my step-father-in-law for 16 years also with it. I am not making generalized comments regarding a medical condition, both of them have had drastically different bodily reactions, restrictions and ways of life even with the same diagnosis. As far as frequent finger pricks (as opposed to occasional) that is dependent on the model of the patch, the individual person's doctor's advice, other medication they are taking or took that day and lifestyle. No two people are going to have the same recommendation there. The patches aren't intended to remove checking by blood ever.

As far as your last statement about how much you're paying again respectfully we pay hundreds to go to Universal for me to ride very little of their rides due to my own issues with motion sickness and not wanting high drops or loops. I am in no way comparing my stuff with your stuff but am saying I dislike comparisons about how much money someone is spending, for lack of a better way than saying I may be able-bodied but that doesn't mean I'm getting more out of my park ticket than someone who is not.

Again I do appreciate your response but my comment wasn't intended to lead to this type of discussion Please understand I am not trying to personally frustrate you like the other poster and hope you don't take it that way!

With all respect, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are two very different conditions. My son has been Type 1 since he was 3. He's now 17. For the past 2 years, he has had some lows that come on so fast and without warning that totally debilitate him until we force sugar in his mouth while he fights us for 20-25 minutes. Then, he's down for several hours to recover. These always happen when he's hot outside.

Contrast that with my father who has been Type 2 for 30 years. He's never experienced anything close to this when he's low. He's able to correct on his own with no help. You can't compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

DAS has been a lifesaver for our family and we've only used it on our last two trips since my son's lows have gotten out of control. (guessing it's due to teenage hormones)

I'm praying he will still qualify for our trip this June.

 

[matkensgirl2000]

My concern is I have been granted and used the DAS for about 5-6 years. I have brain cancer and have sensory issues due to surgery. The way it’s worded, does this mean I’m no longer eligible? I’m better than I was, but still travel with ear plugs due to the noise in line. It’s just too much.

My husband has Stage 4 brain cancer and wears an electronic device on his head that can become easily overheated by sun or sweat, even if we take lots of precautions. I wouldn't call brain cancer a developmental disorder but it certainly makes you go backward...so anti-development? We were able to use DAS last year and it was such a blessing. I fully expected to be able to use it this time. I'm hoping that the cast members will be able to look at cases individually.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

With all respect, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are two very different conditions. My son has been Type 1 since he was 3. He's now 17. For the past 2 years, he has had some lows that come on so fast and without warning that totally debilitate him until we force sugar in his mouth while he fights us for 20-25 minutes. Then, he's down for several hours to recover. These always happen when he's hot outside.

Contrast that with my father who has been Type 2 for 30 years. He's never experienced anything close to this when he's low. He's able to correct on his own with no help. You can't compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

DAS has been a lifesaver for our family and we've only used it on our last two trips since my son's lows have gotten out of control. (guessing it's due to teenage hormones)

I'm praying he will still qualify for our trip this June.

I'll repeat what I said in that prior comment "my comment wasn't intended to lead to this type of discussion" as well as "tangently related to the other poster's comment about checking their blood sugar in line (and the looks from other people and practicality of frequent checking by finger pricks including sanitation of it)."

Sometimes people need to pause when reading comments (because it's happened to other posters on this thread who comment something in general) that they aren't normally directed towards a particular person nor trying to invite a lot of "but my situation is different". It's merely a comment made

 

[MandaMouse91]

I (like others) got the canned email response yesterday. I replied asking for more information on what these alternative accommodations might look like (and sharing my feedback on the lack of information). Here’s the response I got on that:

Thank you for reaching out to us. We have received your response to our email and appreciate your feedback. The information we shared with you and details on our website provide a comprehensive overview of our accessibility services. We are available to have an individual discussion about your particular concerns if you are within 30 days of your upcoming visit to Walt Disney World. When you are within 30 days of your visit, we kindly ask you to contact us through the services outlined on our website.

I’d say the “comprehensive overview” is a stretch of a description, but I didn’t expect much more in terms of communication from Disney at this point.

 

[ClaraOswald]

My husband has Stage 4 brain cancer and wears an electronic device on his head that can become easily overheated by sun or sweat, even if we take lots of precautions. I wouldn't call brain cancer a developmental disorder but it certainly makes you go backward...so anti-development? We were able to use DAS last year and it was such a blessing. I fully expected to be able to use it this time. I'm hoping that the cast members will be able to look at cases individually.

I honestly hope you're still able to.

I do wonder if the scammer/liar type people lurk on these message boards to get ideas of what they can say. So if people post specifics and then post that they are able to get DAS with that....I just worry people will use the same disabilities to get approved.

 

[mlggator22]

But that would still mean more use of the regular line, less use of the LL line, and more control over the LL (when booked as G+ instead of DAS) which would make at least some difference

Not directed at anyone specific, but in regards to this. I find it interesting that the decision is to force people who need accommodations into subpar accommodations so that they can make the able bodied people who pay $$$ have an easier time.