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

[Disneychick13]

Can anyone refresh my memory on where those percentages come from again? I know LT quoted 75% but where did he get that number? And the 8-10%? Unless Disney has released their current numbers (I suspect they haven't, but maybe I missed it), do we really know where (and when) they come from? Just trying to get this straight in my head.

From reading another message board, it looks like LT got those numbers from an inside source. I could can interpreted that incorrectly though…

 

[Nikkimouse44]

Question - do you all think it’s worth it to get a letter from my children’s doctors? I was talking to one of my child’s doctors (not saying which one at the risk of over sharing) and she said she would write a letter for him that he has been under her care for XX time for XX issues and her findings are XXX and his issues are XXX and he would benefit from DAS because of XXX. I said I appreciate that but they don’t look at medical records so I’m not sure that would be accepted.

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

 

[HashberryOTG]

If I have been mislead all of these years I apologize, but it is my understanding that this is permitted.

It's disappointing that CMs would encourage people to break their own rules. Sharing magic bands isn't a pixie dust thing, it's just plain not allowed. However, this is just what the rule is today, not necessarily what it was then. Trading around magic bands to manipulate the system simply isn't allowed.

 

[Unity]

Question - do you all think it’s worth it to get a letter from my children’s doctors? I was talking to one of my child’s doctors (not saying which one at the risk of over sharing) and she said she would write a letter for him that he has been under her care for XX time for XX issues and her findings are XXX and his issues are XXX and he would benefit from DAS because of XXX. I said I appreciate that but they don’t look at medical records so I’m not sure that would be accepted.

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

If you were planning to go to Universal, Six Flags or another park using Universal's system I'd say yes. As for Disney, the answer is 'no' for now. While that may change sometime in the future, the answer is a hard no on sharing medical letters and diagnoses at this time being.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

Question - do you all think it’s worth it to get a letter from my children’s doctors? I was talking to one of my child’s doctors (not saying which one at the risk of over sharing) and she said she would write a letter for him that he has been under her care for XX time for XX issues and her findings are XXX and his issues are XXX and he would benefit from DAS because of XXX. I said I appreciate that but they don’t look at medical records so I’m not sure that would be accepted.

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

As of now, Disney refuses to accept any kind of diagnosis disclosure and/or doctor's letter/note/documentation. Just describing his difficulties with waiting in lines & a willingess to answer what may be probing questions per his specific difficlties is all they require as of now.

A lot of us would prefer having that option, but I imagine Disney would like to continue avoiding the liabilities involved in managing/maintaining medical data for as long as possible.

 

[SueM in MN]

From reading another message board, it looks like LT got those numbers from an inside source. I could can interpreted that incorrectly though…

That was his claim - I can't remember if it was an inside source who cited another inside source. So, not verifiable

Question - do you all think it’s worth it to get a letter from my children’s doctors? I was talking to one of my child’s doctors (not saying which one at the risk of over sharing) and she said she would write a letter for him that he has been under her care for XX time for XX issues and her findings are XXX and his issues are XXX and he would benefit from DAS because of XXX. I said I appreciate that but they don’t look at medical records so I’m not sure that would be accepted.

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

The form letter email reply that people have shared says:

"Guests will not be asked for medical documentation."
Past history was that guests were told CMs would not look at documentation

 

[Madteaparty001]

Question - do you all think it’s worth it to get a letter from my children’s doctors? I was talking to one of my child’s doctors (not saying which one at the risk of over sharing) and she said she would write a letter for him that he has been under her care for XX time for XX issues and her findings are XXX and his issues are XXX and he would benefit from DAS because of XXX. I said I appreciate that but they don’t look at medical records so I’m not sure that would be accepted.

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

A lot of things are up in the air right now. Historically the answer would be no. Now? I would say it doesn't hurt to have it, but don't expect to be able to use it. If nothing else if you're feeling tongue tied during the interview it will give you some reference points to expand on why he needs DAS.

 

[lanejudy]

Do you think I should still get the letter or is just wasting his doctors time?

I don't think there is any reason to obtain the letter for purposes of going to Disney. As has been their typical response over the years, they likely will refuse to even look at it or allow you to read it to them. Medical providers tend to have a different way of looking at things, plus they do not know the operations of the theme park or what accommodations may be available. The letter is typically assuming just 1 accommodation.

A doctor could write "Sally needs to skip all lines because she's in a wheelchair, please allow her front of the line access through the exit." 1) that isn't even something WDW offers (except in a few odd attractions), plus 2) if the only "need" is the wheelchair the queues are accessible to mobility devices. So the letter doesn't actually address what are the needs nor does it take into consideration what accommodations might be available based on the park operations.

 

[lanejudy]

If nothing else if you're feeling tongue tied during the interview it will give you some reference points to expand on why he needs DAS.

If it comes across more that you are reading a letter from the doctor rather than using your own explanation, they may refuse accommodation.

Better suggestion is to write a few short bullet points in your own words about your/your child's needs related to waiting in a standard queue environment. Skip the medical letter.

 

[Madteaparty001]

If it comes across more that you are reading a letter from the doctor rather than using your own explanation, they may refuse accommodation.

Better suggestion is to write a few short bullet points in your own words about your/your child's needs related to waiting in a standard queue environment. Skip the medical letter.

I meant it more in the way of reading a bullet point and then saying "for example this is what happened in X situation and what we needed to do to mitigate the situation". But I see your point, as has been stated by you and many others the lack of clear communication is what is leading to these uncertainties.

 

[Nikkimouse44]

If it comes across more that you are reading a letter from the doctor rather than using your own explanation, they may refuse accommodation.

Better suggestion is to write a few short bullet points in your own words about your/your child's needs related to waiting in a standard queue environment. Skip the medical letter.

Thanks! My thoughts were to forego the letter as well since I know they don’t want it. I’ve never had issues speaking to the CM on the video chats before even though I’ve always gotten nervous, I am just now more nervous they are going to really interrogate me and I’m going to get overwhelmed and just cry or panic! We don’t take the kids until December so I’m sure there will be lots on kinks worked out by our November call (I have one “or similar” son and one medical needs son) so we’ll see what happens.

I appreciate yall so much for all the information and insight as we all navigate through these changes

 

[starlite_]

It's not the phrasing - it's that the phrasing represents a lack of understanding of disability. As @SueM in MN shared very well a few posts after this one - all disabilities exist on a spectrum, and the impact on the person with the disability is often not constant.

It's this lack of understanding, for ex, that results in disability stereotypes and judgments. For ex, like people having trouble understanding how someone using a wheelchair can also be ambulatory - and why there's often judgment of "that person can stand and walk, they don't need a wheelchair" or "why can they park in that accessible parking space, they can walk!" type moments.

It's not the phrasing, it's the lack of understanding that the phrasing demonstrates that's the issue.

That makes sense. How do you speak of the severity of the spectrum then? If what I've understood is correct, some folks will have more difficulty with certain things than others. How should that be phrased in your opinion?? It's been explained thru the thread multiple times for example, that some autistic guests can handle queues more than others. So, if it is not correct to say that one has a higher difficulty than the other, then how should it be said? Since it's also been said multiple times that accommodations should be needs based. So, in the case of the example I've mentioned, DAS could be the appropriate accommodation for one guest but not the other.

I am not trying to minimize disabilities, but I'm having a hard time understanding how things should be phrased without offending folks. Thank you for taking your time to respond either way

 

[Kerr84]

That makes sense. How do you speak of the severity of the spectrum then? If what I've understood is correct, some folks will have more difficulty with certain things than others. How should that be phrased in your opinion?? It's been explained thru the thread multiple times for example, that some autistic guests can handle queues more than others. So, if it is not correct to say that one has a higher difficulty than the other, then how should it be said? Since it's also been said multiple times that accommodations should be needs based. So, in the case of the example I've mentioned, DAS could be the appropriate accommodation for one guest but not the other.

I am not trying to minimize disabilities, but I'm having a hard time understanding how things should be phrased without offending folks. Thank you for taking your time to respond either way

Phrase it how you want! I don't always use the same words to describe my daughter's issues. No one is going to tell you how to phrase it because that is coaching someone on how to get DAS.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm having a hard time understanding how things should be phrased without offending folks.

There really isn't a need to describe "severity" of the diagnosis within the context of this thread. If you are talking about "severity" of the impact on functioning in a standard queue environment, that designation maybe somewhat subjective and essentially irrelevant. What should be discussed with the pre-registration Accessibility team is the actual needs. No reason to make it comparative to any other individual.

 

[OurBigTrip]

It seems to me that the key to whether or not these changes will be successful, both short and long term, will be the CMs who are taking the DAS requests. There really isn't room here for "pixie dust", either in granting a DAS nor in making the group size larger. Disney will need to clearly define "immediate family", and the CMs need to stick to it. Same goes for the criteria - if the criteria, as determined by Disney in conjunction with the third party medical team, isn't met, then the DAS shouldn't be granted.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

It seems to me that the key to whether or not these changes will be successful, both short and long term, will be the CMs who are taking the DAS requests. There really isn't room here for "pixie dust", either in granting a DAS nor in making the group size larger. Disney will need to clearly define "immediate family", and the CMs need to stick to it. Same goes for the criteria - if the criteria, as determined by Disney in conjunction with the third party medical team, isn't met, then the DAS shouldn't be granted.

Agreed. As a project manager who daily sees stakeholders refuse to complete action items as they are explicitly guided to complete them (because it's easier to give in to pressure than to hold to the protocol(s) in place), I have a feeling that leaving the success of these changes 100% up to CM discretion is 1) unfair to them and 2) very, very likely to fail as soon as burnout sets in. All the training in the world won't encourage a disincentivized and disenfranchised employee to enforce rules that get them screamed at and provide no personal benefit to them to follow.

 

[Marrila]

It seems to me that the key to whether or not these changes will be successful, both short and long term, will be the CMs who are taking the DAS requests. There really isn't room here for "pixie dust", either in granting a DAS nor in making the group size larger. Disney will need to clearly define "immediate family", and the CMs need to stick to it. Same goes for the criteria - if the criteria, as determined by Disney in conjunction with the third party medical team, isn't met, then the DAS shouldn't be granted.

It's not just DAS or no DAS.
Learning to use the new alternative accommodation (when offered) as a tool may take time but we hope it will be helpful.

 

[Dulcee]

It's not just DAS or no DAS.
Learning to use the new alternative accommodation (when offered) as a tool may take time but we hope it will be helpful.

Yes!

I've been looking at it a bit like how we approach my son's IEP meetings.

It is not just "he is diagnosed with autism and as such you get X, Y, and Z accommodations."

It's "he struggles with X task and X accommodation will make him more successful. He doesn't struggle with Y tasks so he does not need Y accommodation."

 

[jlundeen]

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It's disappointing that CMs would encourage people to break their own rules. Sharing magic bands isn't a pixie dust thing, it's just plain not allowed. However, this is just what the rule is today, not necessarily what it was then. Trading around magic bands to manipulate the system simply isn't allowed.

I believe that this is in reference to actually reassigning a MB (in My Disney Experience) - not in switching for use on a G+ or ILL$ ride. And not for scanning into the park since finger scanner is also used).

The current DAS system (and I'm assuming the furture one) doesn't let that happen because when you scan in and the CM turns it to green, they see the photo that was taken at the registration. For "normal guests" (non-DAS returns) they see a name unless the user has had trouble with their MB at park entrance and the CMs snapped a photo for future verification. Many use cryptic names for each MB, (like I do - I use initials and the month-year for the "name" to keep track of which one was from which trip).

Before I needed the DAS, there was never any issues with swapping bands - not with DAS retun times as each person on the DAS account is tagged in the registration - but still, if my hubby was swapping with another guest from my registration, I doubt it would be an issue... but... I've never tried it since our groups have always been 2-3 people and it's never been needed.

MODS feel free to remove this post if it doesn't fall within your boundries... just trying to clarify...

 

[Kgrace1989]

Actually, this was said by a blogger (Len Testa), NOT Disney.

It was in the training that Disney was doing with their CMs. He must know a cast member then.

And I understand the pushback to “qualify” who might be more symptomatic with a challenge …

And at the end of the day Disney is certainly NOT in the business of picking and choosing who has a “worse” disability.. or more severe challenges …

but they are going to be making their decisions for accommodations based on the challenges the guest describes and those with challenges that have a greater negative impact on the guest’s ability to stand in a traditional line…

as opposed to those that Disney decides are not as impactful on the ability to wait in the typical standby line.

Disney isn’t going to make a public statement that the idea is to get as many guests as possible to use the standby line

… but they are saying that they think those that will need a DAS are a “small percentage” of those guests who have disabilities and visit their parks.

They feel that other guests with disabilities that don’t require a DAS can be accommodated differently.

Representatives from Disney have stated in several public interviews that they will be offering a wide range of “suites” as one said to accommodate disabilities and was intended to be utilized by a

SMALL number of guests(meaning many less than use DAS at the moment)And that not everyone with a similar challenge will need the same accommodations.