Denied a DAS pass?

[bookwormde]

We're planning to visit Disney World in July and we were hoping to get a DAS pass. My sister has a kidney condition that requires bathroom access at least every 30-45 minutes. Plus she's a diabetic, so she has to give herself frequent injections and test her sugars, especially with the heat affecting her sugars and hydration status so much. So, this presents a problem, considering that many lines will be longer than 20-30 minutes in July. I spoke to the Disability Services hotline and they said there's no "guarantee" that we'll be issued a card. My concern is that if we can't get a card, it's not even worth it to go to Disney World, because my sister won't be able to do much. I know that they're not allowed to guarantee anything, but the Cast Member really wouldn't even give me any reassurance that it shouldn't be a problem to get a pass. Does anybody have any experience with the DAS and medical conditions that require getting out of line and aren't autism or other cognitive-behavioral conditions? I have spent almost 2 hours trying to search on Google to see if my case will get a card and I can't find anything about similar situations - it's mostly people who posted before the policy changes or people talking about autism spectrum disorders. Thanks so much for any help you can give me!

First your sister clearly qualified under ADA for reasonable accommodations for equal access, so even if WDW were to decide not to give a DAS, any other reasonable accommodation would be available to her including the exact same accommodations as she would have with a DAS.

It is all about first declaring her as a person with a disability and as Sue indicated second just giving a description of why the lines will not provide equal access and what would work.

Also individuals with disabilities are not required to take extraordinary measures that that they do not use during there regular life, so Disney can not use that as a disqualifier or in practicality should not even engage in such discussion.

 

[bookwormde]

Wrong!!!! We were denied as DAS for my mom both this past Dec and again in late March. She is a very, very brittle insulin dependent diabetic whose blood sugar frequently drops very suddenly for no reason. She has passed out more than once. She also has problems controlling her bladder (when she has to go, she has to go now). She also has some problems with claustrophia and has problems dealing with crowds. Then you add to the mix that she takes meds where she is not supposed to get overheated and we thought she'd qualify for a DAS. Apparently not, as she was turned down for one both in early Dec and then again in late March. In addition to her other medical problems, she also has alot of mobility problems (arthritis and very bad knees), poor endurance, frquent shortness of breath, and falls easily, so uses an ECV down there. Despite us telling the CMs that she had other problems the ECV did not accommodate, she was turned down for a DAS. All the CMs saw was the ECV and tuned out the rest of what we were telling them. All we were asking for was an alternate place for her to wait her turn. We tried twice both trips and were refused a DAS all four times. We just made sure we got to the parks early, made use of fast passes, and then left the parks before lunch before the crowds got too bad. I don't think she rode more than three rides a day and some days rode only one. Anything with a line more than 20-30 minutes she just didn't get to ride. She's already said there is no way she will/can ever go back.

Just FYI: Universal was much more accommodating. They will give you a return time and then send you through their Express line.

You should call and ask to talk with the Disney US disability team located in California, and if that does not prove successful (it will) then you should file a complaint with the office of civil rights.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

We're planning to visit Disney World in July and we were hoping to get a DAS pass. My sister has a kidney condition that requires bathroom access at least every 30-45 minutes . . .

1) DAS card may very well be denied.
2) There are diaper remedies for your sister.
3) it is not Disney's fault she does not want to wear one.
4) Even if they give her a card, she still might have problems.
5) During "high season" or busy days, the FP lines can be longer than 30-minutes.
6) And, DAS only allows FP access, not front-of-the line.
7) So, she might have "an accident" while in line or on the ride.
8) Try to convince her to use diapers.

 

[Gracie09]

Op your sister has to understand that even the fp line may not gather on to the ride in twenty minutes or less. If the ride breaks down or there is another delay she may be stuck. She may be stuck on other lines too, including lines in bathrooms. What does she do when she is flying or riding in a car for long distances? Even if she gets a das card she needs a backup plan

 

[natfrac]

My DH is diabetic, is on dialysis, and suffered a stroke several years back which, as I put it, destroyed his social filters. He was denied a GAC (we haven't tried for a DAS). His impairment due to the stroke causes the biggest issues but they are the most difficult to explain. He does very poorly in crowded confined spaces, so we try to mitigate any problems by going during the slower seasons, using FP as much as possible, and skipping ride lines that I think may cause a meltdown. It can be quite embarrassing when an adult, who on the outside appears normal, has a meltdown like a 5 year old.

 

[seashell7290]

I think this is the very reason disney is letting additional fast passes + available throughout the day. Op, your situation can be remedied with smart fast pass choices and planned breaks. She has no problem waiting in the line. If you do come across a problem in the fastpass line, alert a cast member and they will do their best to accommodate you. It may require a little more planning, but read the threads about people getting 6-10 fast passes a day without a das. It can be done.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Op your sister has to understand that even the fp line may not gather on to the ride in twenty minutes or less. If the ride breaks down or there is another delay she may be stuck. She may be stuck on other lines too, including lines in bathrooms. What does she do when she is flying or riding in a car for long distances? Even if she gets a das card she needs a backup plan

The thing for us with the bathroom issues, is speed in getting OFF the line, to get to a restroom for cleanup. My son is in a Convaid chair, and to get him out of a long line can be difficult. Of course, in my case, it is a #2 issue, not #1. Huge difference, trust me.

And how do we deal with this in most situations? He never HAS this problem normally. I took him to DL, 5 hour flight, no issues, he did not even use the bathroom at all (!). But at the parks, after a few days, he has these issues, and at (almost) no other time on typical days. While the FP+ line CAN be over 30 minutes, a 90 minute line is 3X more likely to have problems occur. We do have to switch to him wearing pull-ups, but cleanup is still needed immediately.

DS LOVES Disney so much, it is just his #1 obsession (autism), so I roll with it.

And DS is non-verbal, and has many other issues that compound the whole thing. My son's situation is unusual, of course. Bottom line, talk to the CMs and explain what you need and why, and they will help you. The best tip of all is to tour in the "off-season", be there at rope drop, and use FP or FP+.

 

[Bete]

I had to leave the line in Toy Story Mania once and it is doable. I believe most of the ride queues have emergency exits. Obviously, once you get on the ride your stuck. You need to be aware of these exit areas as you go along in the ride queue.

Another thought is to go on the ride and if you need to exit for your sister before you get to ride then you need to do it. Ask as you go along if she is all right or needs to exit for a restroom.

It's my belief you still have to consider incontinence products no matter what. There is no age situation with needing these products. No one wants to have an accident, but I rather be prepared for the worse scenario. I think if you talk to a doctor you will understand the need for these products by all age groups.

Talk to her doctor. See what suggestions they have in her regard. Explain the long waits at Disney for rides.

You can plan perhaps going on longer wait rides right after she has had a restroom stop. You will hopefully cut down the risk that way. You still have the exits along the way if you need to leave.

I still feel there's plenty to do at Disney and you don't have to just think about the rides and attractions with long waits.

If this is going to be a deal breaker for you then you need to choose a different vacation where this is not as big of a problem.

I would definitely concentrate on rides before doing a meal, snack or drink. After you consume food or drink I would stick to shorter wait queues until it's more safe again.

This is not going to be a 100% safe no matter what even if you get a DAS or not. You can't exactly believe the wait times anyway. I've seen them wrong in both directions. We have beaten the wait times given and then again at other times it has taken longer than expected.

I believe this trip will require many pit stops and you can't skip them because you are anxious about your fastpass time coming up or whatever. The priority needs to be rest stops and everything else comes second.

 

[Mrsjvb]

My sister is 22. Diapers are not an option for her. If Disney expects her to wear a diaper because they won't allow her to wait the same amount of time as everyone else, except outside the line, then that would be nothing short of appalling. The diaper suggestion makes me want to cry. We're not concerned about wait times; we don't want preferential treatment - we just want to be able to go to Disney World and not have a miserable time because of an uncontrollable medical condition that they could accommodate easily.

her being 22 is irrelevant and there other options besides a diaper.

as others have said if she needs to go every 30 minutes then she needs to figure out a way to accomplish that using the resources available to everyone: FP+ and a good touring plan. if that means going before entering every single line than that is what she does.. even FP entrances cannot guarantee a short wait any more. you cannot assume that Disney CAN accommodate her.

a DAS cannot promise her short lines once her window opens.

 

[MarnieMouse]

What I said was "30-45 minutes," not "20 minutes." What I'm hearing is that her reason for requesting the DAS pass is invalid and she's being unrealistic for considering it a need of hers. I don't think her traveling habits are relevant, but yes, we drive and stop every 30-45 minutes. I never said it was convenient. My point is that Disney's DAS would make it a more enjoyable vacation and she would get to do more things - there's a huge difference between a 120-minute standby line and a 30-minute fast pass line. As far as everybody pushing the diaper thing, her issue isn't really about accidents, it's about severe pain and risk of serious kidney infection if she waits too long. And she's pregnant, so I'm not even sure diapers will fit her (uh, do they make maternity Depends?), and an infection would endanger the baby's life. So there's that. Poise is the only real possibility as far as protection goes. There are obviously things that we will have to just forego, but the DAS would cut down that list. I'm sure you all know how expensive WDW is, and we want to be able to make the most of our trip despite a disability. I just feel really bad for her and I was hoping for some encouraging tips. Thank you to the people who gave kind and non-critical answers.

 

[MarnieMouse]

What? this didn't work

 

[Suellen]

What I said was "30-45 minutes," not "20 minutes." What I'm hearing is that her reason for requesting the DAS pass is invalid and she's being unrealistic for considering it a need of hers. I don't think her traveling habits are relevant, but yes, we drive and stop every 30-45 minutes. I never said it was convenient. My point is that Disney's DAS would make it a more enjoyable vacation and she would get to do more things - there's a huge difference between a 120-minute standby line and a 30-minute fast pass line. As far as everybody pushing the diaper thing, her issue isn't really about accidents, it's about severe pain and risk of serious kidney infection if she waits too long. And she's pregnant, so I'm not even sure diapers will fit her (uh, do they make maternity Depends?), and an infection would endanger the baby's life. So there's that. Poise is the only real possibility as far as protection goes. There are obviously things that we will have to just forego, but the DAS would cut down that list. I'm sure you all know how expensive WDW is, and we want to be able to make the most of our trip despite a disability. I just feel really bad for her and I was hoping for some encouraging tips. Thank you to the people who gave kind and non-critical answers.

Don't let people deter you. Go to guest relations and be clear about her needs. They will either say yes or no. It is definitely more difficult than it used to be... but not impossible.

Be prepared to use the FP+ either stand alone or in conjunction with the DAS and you should be fine either way. If you have to leave the line for the bathroom make sure to speak to the CM at the entrance. They are often helpful and getting back the time you have already spent in line.

 

[intheshadows]

If she's pregnant, she really shouldn't do the headliner rides. Those are all of the "thrill" lines with long waits.

If you believe the DAS would allow her bring the entire party through the queue and her not ride, you are mistaken. The DAS is ONLY for the person with the disability. If she uses the chicken exit, the rest of the party will be directed to the back of the standby line.

I think you would do well to suggest she postpone the trip until she has her baby and her doctor decides it safe for her to travel.

 

[Suellen]

If she's pregnant, she really shouldn't do the headliner rides. Those are all of the "thrill" lines with long waits.

If you believe the DAS would allow her bring the entire party through the queue and her not ride, you are mistaken. The DAS is ONLY for the person with the disability. If she uses the chicken exit, the rest of the party will be directed to the back of the standby line.

I think you would do well to suggest she postpone the trip until she has her baby and her doctor decides it safe for her to travel.

What makes you think this? Not that it should be common practice... but it can be done. For example... AK field trip this last week. I had three kids in my charge and two wanted to ride Kali and one didn't. Regardless of if I ride or not I still had to stay with them through the line. Granted had I had another adult with me I wouldn't have done it... but in this case I didn't have another option besides not letting the kids that wanted to ride ride. FWIW I didn't book FP+ for these rides because I didn't know what kids I would have with me and what we could and couldn't ride.

Anyway if there are other adults then it would be odd to use it to get people through the line and then chicken exit.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

OP, I mean this in the nicest way possible. Do your sister's doctors know she is going to Disney in July? She is going to have to drink water like crazy to stay hydrated enough for the baby. And being pregnant means you have to go more often anyway. When I was pregnant there were times I was going every 10-15 minutes in the summer. And I know that with some kidney conditions drinking too much water can be harmful. Florida in the July heat while diabetic, pregnant and with a kidney condition could be dangerous for her and the baby. Maybe she has already gotten the all-clear from all of her doctors, but if she hasn't, I urge her to discuss the trip with them.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

OP, I'm with those who say hope for the best and plan for the worst. Since she's pregnant, she's not going to be able to ride the rides that might have 2 hour waits. I think if you check out some of the touring plans out there, you'll really be able to avoid those waits. We definitely have people who, without any sort of accommodation, reported not having to wait more than 20-30 minutes their entire trip in July. The DAS is specifically only for when the person issuing it is riding an attraction so not useful if the rest of you are riding.

What makes you think this? Not that it should be common practice... but it can be done. For example... AK field trip this last week. I had three kids in my charge and two wanted to ride Kali and one didn't. Regardless of if I ride or not I still had to stay with them through the line. Granted had I had another adult with me I wouldn't have done it... but in this case I didn't have another option besides not letting the kids that wanted to ride ride. FWIW I didn't book FP+ for these rides because I didn't know what kids I would have with me and what we could and couldn't ride.

Just because you could get away with it doesn't mean it's actually allowed.

 

[Kellykins1218]

What makes you think this? Not that it should be common practice... but it can be done. For example... AK field trip this last week. I had three kids in my charge and two wanted to ride Kali and one didn't. Regardless of if I ride or not I still had to stay with them through the line. Granted had I had another adult with me I wouldn't have done it... but in this case I didn't have another option besides not letting the kids that wanted to ride ride. FWIW I didn't book FP+ for these rides because I didn't know what kids I would have with me and what we could and couldn't ride.

Anyway if there are other adults then it would be odd to use it to get people through the line and then chicken exit.

That's exactly how it is. If you use the DAS to access the ride, then the person who the DAS was assigned to HAS to ride.

 

[Suellen]

That's exactly how it is. If you use the DAS to access the ride, then the person who the DAS was assigned to HAS to ride.

They HAVE to wait in the line. Like I said.... I wouldn't use it if there was another adult available to wait in the line with the kids for a ride I'm not riding... and I would actually allow my own children to wait in line alone if I wasn't riding... but in this case they weren't my kids and I couldn't leave them alone in line.

BTW... I didn't "get away" with anything. I told each CM along the way when they asked how many in our party that there were four of use but only two of the kids were riding. The CM said the exit will be just to the left of where they get on and you can wait on the bridge for them.

I'm glad the CM are more understanding than the posters here otherwise we wouldn't be able to visit the parks anymore.

 

[UFyellowfin]

What I said was "30-45 minutes," not "20 minutes." What I'm hearing is that her reason for requesting the DAS pass is invalid and she's being unrealistic for considering it a need of hers. I don't think her traveling habits are relevant, but yes, we drive and stop every 30-45 minutes. I never said it was convenient. My point is that Disney's DAS would make it a more enjoyable vacation and she would get to do more things - there's a huge difference between a 120-minute standby line and a 30-minute fast pass line. As far as everybody pushing the diaper thing, her issue isn't really about accidents, it's about severe pain and risk of serious kidney infection if she waits too long. And she's pregnant, so I'm not even sure diapers will fit her (uh, do they make maternity Depends?), and an infection would endanger the baby's life. So there's that. Poise is the only real possibility as far as protection goes. There are obviously things that we will have to just forego, but the DAS would cut down that list. I'm sure you all know how expensive WDW is, and we want to be able to make the most of our trip despite a disability. I just feel really bad for her and I was hoping for some encouraging tips. Thank you to the people who gave kind and non-critical answers.

So the DAS would be for you guys is basically what you are saying? Because the vast Majority and i would be willing to bet 95% of the rides she would need a DAS for, she shouldnt be on if shes pregnant.

 

[lanejudy]

... I'm glad the CM are more understanding than the posters here otherwise we wouldn't be able to visit the parks anymore.

Suellen, You may have been given leeway because you were chaperoning a field trip, or maybe you simply encountered a CM willing to bend the rules. But it is clearly indicated that the DAS is to accommodate the person to whom it is issued and that person must ride. It's not a perfect system, as your scenario shows, but those are Disney's rules and you agreed to them when you accepted and signed for the DAS.


OP, many people have suggested your sister should request the DAS. There are also suggestions of how to cope with her needs with or without a DAS because none of us can guarantee it will be granted. I do think that her pregnancy may be a tipping point complicating the issue, possibly rendering a July trip a questionable decision. She should speak with her doctor, one who knows details of all the issues that she deals with (pregnancy, diabetes, kidneys). None of her concerns in and of themselves is a reason to negate a trip, but all combined it might be wise to postpone. She certainly should plan for more than just having a DAS to help her with her needs in the parks as it will not be a one-size-fits-all solution.

Enjoy your vacation!