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

[Disneychick75]

Accommodations are present to make an experience possible. That's the primary purpose, including DAS.

Disney certainly in the past has gone the extra magical step for many with disabilities; but the company has fallen on harder times and the mighty dollar is more at play --- so they are being more discerning on 'magical'.

"Disney Parks has just released its fourth quarter and full-year earnings, posting a record $32.5 billion in revenue for fiscal 2023, which ended September 30, 2023. For the fourth quarter, Disney Parks reported $8.3 billion in revenues up 21% from the same period in 2022."

 

[MinnieMSue]

My family was at WDW from April 14 thru May 1, 2024

We already saw changes regarding 'filling in space'. We never heard 'fill all the available space'.
We did hear:
- keep moving with the line
- move forward in the room
- please move up
- and directions to where to go (i.e. "there's still room on the right side of the room")

Sorry - this will be long, but I want to be specific.....
At Haunted Mansion, it seemed like less people were grouped together to enter the building. We were traveling with a guest using a wheelchair. When we got into the area just before entering the building, we were directed to stay to the right, along with all guests with mobility devices and a guy with a white cane; not sure if it was all white (usually designates blind) or white with red tip (usually designates low vision).
As we entered the building into the aging portrait room, we were told to stay to the right and wait for a CM before entering or leaving the stretching room.
After all the other guests had entered, our group of guests with disabilities was brought into the stretching room by a CM shining a flashlight to show us where to go. The CM led the guy with the cane.
In the past, the CM would have said something like 'move to the DEAD center of the room to fill all available space'. This time, the CM said "move away from the walls toward the center of the room"
As guests were entering into the loading area, the guests with disabilities were asked to stay together in the room. After they had all left, we were asked to form a sideways line to get instructions from the CM.
I noticed 2 things right away about the boarding room compared to when we rode last Fall:
- the boarding room seemed to not be as dark
- right in front of us, there was a straight chained off area that led right to the start of the moving walkway.
The CM asked some questions one at a time and asked each group to raise their hands if it was an issue for them. My memory of the questions is:
- can you walk this far to board (pointing at the extra chained off area)?
- can you board and get off using a moving walkway?
- can you walk from the unload area to your mobility device (I think he gave a distance)?

All the other guests had no issues, so they were instructed to board and told where to find their device after riding.
We had an issue with everything since DD can't walk, so we were led to the unload area to board. That worked as it had before.
When we got off, we noticed a group with 2 ECVs waiting at the exit to board. They must have had an issue with one or more of the questions

Sadly I was there May 13 and they had us fill all available space before going into the building. They told people to move up into open space if you can see the floor and if people in front of you don’t move forward that you can move up in front of them. A group of younger men moved up in front of us. I was able to have some space in the stretch room as it was not fully packed. They did tell us to move to the dead center of the room. I just try to leave last when we go to the next area where they funnel you down. Unfortunately there was a ride stoppage so I got crowded from behind too.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

"Disney Parks has just released its fourth quarter and full-year earnings, posting a record $32.5 billion in revenue for fiscal 2023, which ended September 30, 2023. For the fourth quarter, Disney Parks reported $8.3 billion in revenues up 21% from the same period in 2022."

Disney Parks is up overall but WDW is not (mostly the strength of the international parks, DLR had growth too). The WDW experience has been deteriorating for the majority of guests who are not DAS users (and I’d argue for DAS users in some ways as well— less operational hours, more ride breakdowns) for a few years— and most annual visitors w/o access to DAS are still lamenting the loss of FP+.

WDW is making this change because its large DAS user groups are interfering with WDW operations and making WDW visits less desirable for the majority of guests who are reporting lower guest satisfaction scores (and not returning). We were in that category and contemplating canceling our 2023 trip because the trips were grueling until my spine surgeon suggested we inquire about DAS— it was a huge game changer for our family—it went from trips being much harder than they were in 2019 (between my new disability and the 7AM daily stressful rituals) to easier than they were in 2019, even counting for my subsequent spinal problems—but I immediately realized why it’s so desirable for abuse, misuse, and overuse, and how easy it would be for a shameless person to fake.

Disney is trying to make the experience better for non-DAS guests because WDW is slipping.

 

[Disneychick75]

Disney Parks is up overall but WDW is not (mostly the strength of the international parks, DLR had growth too). The WDW experience has been deteriorating for the majority of guests who are not DAS users (and I’d argue for DAS users in some ways as well— less operational hours, more ride breakdowns) for a few years— and most annual visitors w/o access to DAS are still lamenting the loss of FP+.

WDW is making this change because its large DAS user groups are interfering with WDW operations and making WDW visits less desirable for the majority of guests who are reporting lower guest satisfaction scores (and not returning). We were in that category and contemplating canceling our 2023 trip because the trips were grueling until my spine surgeon suggested we inquire about DAS— it was a huge game changer for our family—it went from trips being much harder than they were in 2019 (between my new disability and the 7AM daily stressful rituals) to easier than they were in 2019, even counting for my subsequent spinal problems—but I immediately realized why it’s so desirable for abuse, misuse, and overuse, and how easy it would be for a shameless person to fake.

Disney is trying to make the experience better for non-DAS guests because WDW is slipping.

Guessing since DAS users are a small percentage, any of them that decide not to vacation at WDW anymore won't be missed.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Guessing since DAS users are a small percentage, any of them that decide not to vacation at WDW anymore won't be missed.

It’s not that simple because DAS users (and their family/friends/extended family) doesn’t appear to be that small of a small percentage of guests, which is why WDW is trying to reign in the program. I’m almost certainly going to be denied when I apply in July…and while I’m not sure we would have taken this trip (or purchased APs) if I’d known the changes were coming, I do appreciate what WDW is trying to do and why. I’m hoping that if DAS usage declines by 50-75% there will be more rides with shorter standby waits and/or it will be easier to acquire LL times with G+ as opposed to praying you can get Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for your kids before it sells out at 7:05AM if everything goes smoothly in the app. We also had to skip several rides on our last trip due to very long LL returns, so DAS isn’t even serving its purpose well for the children who cannot tolerate lines.

My guess is that Disney is hoping they will convert some DAS groups to G+ users and/or they can start charging more for G+ if it works better because there is more LL capacity (similar to how it works at DLR). If enough people stop coming, they will probably need to figure out how they can become more accessible without impacting park operations.

 

[Disneychick75]

It’s not that simple because DAS users (and their family/friends/extended family) doesn’t appear to be that small of a small percentage of guests, which is why WDW is trying to reign in the program. I’m almost certainly going to be denied when I apply in July…and while I’m not sure we would have taken this trip (or purchased APs) if I’d known the changes were coming, I do appreciate what WDW is trying to do and why. I’m hoping that if DAS usage declines by 50-75% there will be more rides with shorter standby waits and/or it will be easier to acquire LL times with G+ as opposed to praying you can get Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for your kids before it sells out at 7:05AM if everything goes smoothly in the app. We also had to skip several rides on our last trip due to very long LL returns, so DAS isn’t even serving its purpose well for the children who cannot tolerate lines.

My guess is that Disney is hoping they will convert some DAS groups to G+ users and/or they can start charging more for G+ if it works better because there is more LL capacity (similar to how it works at DLR). If enough people stop coming, they will probably need to figure out how they can become more accessible without impacting park operations.

Happily for me, after next week's trip, I'm done with Disney trips. Had already decided this but the DAS nonsense has affirmed my decision. 99.9%, at this point, I would not get DAS and I won't accept a lesser experience. There is no way I can stand in lines for long periods and I can't use a wheelchair, so why pay thousands to sit in a hotel room?

 

[Evita_W]

Accommodations are present to make an experience possible. That's the primary purpose, including DAS.

Disney certainly in the past has gone the extra magical step for many with disabilities; but the company has fallen on harder times and the mighty dollar is more at play --- so they are being more discerning on 'magical'.

The company has made record profits, they have not fallen on harder times, they just aren’t making as much profit as the stockholders want.

 

[2tinkerbell]

LLs at DLR are also backed up and at times defeat the DAS. We have waited the standby line time and then waited an additional 30 minutes in a LL before. It unfortunately was the experience that forced us to leave the park for the day. Backups occur when rides go down. No one can do anything about it.

 

[Evita_W]

Disney Parks is up overall but WDW is not (mostly the strength of the international parks, DLR had growth too). The WDW experience has been deteriorating for the majority of guests who are not DAS users (and I’d argue for DAS users in some ways as well— less operational hours, more ride breakdowns) for a few years— and most annual visitors w/o access to DAS are still lamenting the loss of FP+.

WDW is making this change because its large DAS user groups are interfering with WDW operations and making WDW visits less desirable for the majority of guests who are reporting lower guest satisfaction scores (and not returning). We were in that category and contemplating canceling our 2023 trip because the trips were grueling until my spine surgeon suggested we inquire about DAS— it was a huge game changer for our family—it went from trips being much harder than they were in 2019 (between my new disability and the 7AM daily stressful rituals) to easier than they were in 2019, even counting for my subsequent spinal problems—but I immediately realized why it’s so desirable for abuse, misuse, and overuse, and how easy it would be for a shameless person to fake.

Disney is trying to make the experience better for non-DAS guests because WDW is slipping.

But it isn’t DAS users that are causing the lower satisfaction scores, it is:

• Larger numbers of breakdowns than there used to be
• Less entertainment and fewer showtimes for the entertainment that is there
  • This also comes in the form of loosing things like Citizens of Hollywood, Main Street and other atmosphere like the atmosphere shows that used to be all over World Showcase
• More nickel and dimming
• More things closed
• Longer food lines
• Lower quality food
• Lower quality and less variety of merchandise
• Less ride maintenance (just look at the sad state of Figment, Carousel of Progress, etc.)

Address these issues and you will address guest satisfaction scores.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

But it isn’t DAS users that are causing the lower satisfaction scores, it is:

• Larger numbers of breakdowns than there used to be
• Less entertainment and fewer showtimes for the entertainment that is there
  • This also comes in the form of loosing things like Citizens of Hollywood, Main Street and other atmosphere like the atmosphere shows that used to be all over World Showcase
• More nickel and dimming
• More things closed
• Longer food lines
• Lower quality food
• Lower quality and less variety of merchandise
• Less ride maintenance (just look at the sad state of Figment, Carousel of Progress, etc.)

Address these issues and you will address guest satisfaction scores.

I don’t mean to suggest that DAS was the only (or perhaps primary) reason people’s satisfaction was decreasing (I personally am still dissatisfied with how few nights there are extended evening hours, which has nothing to do with DAS, along with most items you bulleted!) but I am certain that it was a significant factor or they wouldn’t be going through the hassle of changing it.

Many casual guests don’t care about merch quality and variety (in my opinion, it’s about the same as it ever was except that they really love the spirit jerseys which I do not like — saved us 100s over the past few years) or the food (I don’t see a decline there either), but they do care if the average wait time is 35m instead of 25m— 10m a ride aounds like a negligible amount in the abstract but it adds up and can be 2 (or more) extra hours over the course of a day, or put another way 3-5 rides. In addition, if there are zero (near zero) rides without at least a 15m wait, it makes the day more exhausting even for able bodied families. I’m less familiar with WDW, but at DLR, even the rides that were often walk ons (on weekdays in slow seasons) are increasingly likely to be 20-30m waits.

 

[dreamer17555]

But it isn’t DAS users that are causing the lower satisfaction scores, it is:

• Larger numbers of breakdowns than there used to be
• Less entertainment and fewer showtimes for the entertainment that is there
  • This also comes in the form of loosing things like Citizens of Hollywood, Main Street and other atmosphere like the atmosphere shows that used to be all over World Showcase
• More nickel and dimming
• More things closed
• Longer food lines
• Lower quality food
• Lower quality and less variety of merchandise
• Less ride maintenance (just look at the sad state of Figment, Carousel of Progress, etc.)

Address these issues and you will address guest satisfaction scores.

In addition whenever I speak to people about WDW (even while they are there or those on DCL cruises who are clearly Disney fans) the running theme is it is simply too hard these days.

The wake up at 7 AM for VQ, ILL, Genie + mess and then being unable to know what is going to be available when you finally get to make your second selection. The rope drop where onsite guests only get an extra 30 minutes and to use it well you must be one of the first ones at the rope. No more evening hours unless you are deluxe. When you talk to ppl about genie + no one is happy that they have to spend additional $ for ILLs for the rides they really want and you cannot even budget for Genie+ and ILL because it changes daily so you wake up to find out the cost each day of your trip. It's aggravating to deal with day after day.

 

[TheMouseKId]

My Mom, who has both Autism and ADHD and has certainly been helped by DAS since we discovered it a year ago, was just denied today. She often gets twitchy in lines and often has panic attacks in certain places (think Guardians Pre-Show hallway of doom), and DAS has helped these symptoms and she overall is a happier person at the parks. The suggestion by the CM she spoke to over video chat was to buy and use Genie+. No certain accommodations like RTQ or anything like that, just spend money to use Genie+.

 

[gap2368]

My Mom, who has both Autism and ADHD and has certainly been helped by DAS since we discovered it a year ago, was just denied today. She often gets twitchy in lines and often has panic attacks in certain places (think Guardians Pre-Show hallway of doom), and DAS has helped these symptoms and she overall is a happier person at the parks. The suggestion by the CM she spoke to over video chat was to buy and use Genie+. No certain accommodations like RTQ or anything like that, just spend money to use Genie+.

wow I am sorry they said this to your mom. I am getting worried about my up coming trip. I am going to try what ever they offer me and see where it goes I like to loop rides and you can not do this with G+. I would know in the east few weeks if I do have ASD and or ADHD

 

[nalababybear]

The company has made record profits, they have not fallen on harder times, they just aren’t making as much profit as the stockholders want.

Stockholders and its stock price would say otherwise. Just look at its performance since 2020 -- not impressive as a top US company.

You think Iger came back because it's just cool to be CEO?

Much as I love Disney, Disney is not immune to the mighty dollar.

 

[Disneychick75]

But it isn’t DAS users that are causing the lower satisfaction scores, it is:

• Larger numbers of breakdowns than there used to be
• Less entertainment and fewer showtimes for the entertainment that is there
  • This also comes in the form of loosing things like Citizens of Hollywood, Main Street and other atmosphere like the atmosphere shows that used to be all over World Showcase
• More nickel and dimming
• More things closed
• Longer food lines
• Lower quality food
• Lower quality and less variety of merchandise
• Less ride maintenance (just look at the sad state of Figment, Carousel of Progress, etc.)

Address these issues and you will address guest satisfaction scores.

Anyone who went to Disney World from 1973 or so to about 2005, can remember parks and resorts that were scrupulously maintained. You never saw peeling paint. Cast Members were all about making sure guests had a "magical" trip. They didn't yell at each other across shops, for example. The cast members were mostly older folks with nice manners.

The food was excellent. My late father-in-law's gourmet group that traveled around the world (not Disney World, lol) eating at the finest restaurants were impressed with the restaurants in Epcot back in the late 90s.

Test Track is down 40% of the time! There used to be fun and educational rides and exhibits in Epcot, like Horizons and Wonders of Life. At least Spaceship Earth is still around.

I'd say today Disney World is at about 50% of what it was only it has more rides.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

My Mom, who has both Autism and ADHD and has certainly been helped by DAS since we discovered it a year ago, was just denied today. She often gets twitchy in lines and often has panic attacks in certain places (think Guardians Pre-Show hallway of doom), and DAS has helped these symptoms and she overall is a happier person at the parks. The suggestion by the CM she spoke to over video chat was to buy and use Genie+. No certain accommodations like RTQ or anything like that, just spend money to use Genie+.

I am so sorry. All these disabled people getting turned down for accommodations they need is so heartbreaking. I think Disney has taken this too far.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

Anyone who went to Disney World from 1973 or so to about 2005, can remember parks and resorts that were scrupulously maintained. You never saw peeling paint. Cast Members were all about making sure guests had a "magical" trip. They didn't yell at each other across shops, for example. The cast members were mostly older folks with nice manners.

The food was excellent. My late father-in-law's gourmet group that traveled around the world (not Disney World, lol) eating at the finest restaurants were impressed with the restaurants in Epcot back in the late 90s.

Test Track is down 40% of the time! There used to be fun and educational rides and exhibits in Epcot, like Horizons and Wonders of Life. At least Spaceship Earth is still around.

I'd say today Disney World is at about 50% of what it was only it has more rides.

Yep. No exaggeration, every single ride we wanted to go on while at HS during our last visit was either down when we approached or broke down while we waited (even though we were in the Lightning Lane) to board, which caused us to have to leave the line.

It seems more often than not that the rides are down rather than running. Ironically, Guardians seems to be the most reliable nowadays.

If Disney really cares about wait times and guest satisfaction, they'll start maintaining their rides or will enforce people having to take off hats/sunglasses/ears etc. when boarding rides. I guarantee that the rides going down every ten seconds causes far more delays than if every DAS user in the park were to enter one queue at once.

(Also, don't forget Living with the Land in your list of classic Epcot gems! )

 

[voxparse]

Anyone who went to Disney World from 1973 or so to about 2005, can remember parks and resorts that were scrupulously maintained. You never saw peeling paint. Cast Members were all about making sure guests had a "magical" trip. They didn't yell at each other across shops, for example. The cast members were mostly older folks with nice manners.

The food was excellent. My late father-in-law's gourmet group that traveled around the world (not Disney World, lol) eating at the finest restaurants were impressed with the restaurants in Epcot back in the late 90s.

Test Track is down 40% of the time! There used to be fun and educational rides and exhibits in Epcot, like Horizons and Wonders of Life. At least Spaceship Earth is still around.

I'd say today Disney World is at about 50% of what it was only it has more rides.

Counter point, the parks are 100% more accessible than they used to be.

 

[Disneychick75]

Yep. No exaggeration, every single ride we wanted to go on while at HS during our last visit was either down when we approached or broke down while we waited (even though we were in the Lightning Lane) to board, which caused us to have to leave the line.

It seems more often than not that the rides are down rather than running. Ironically, Guardians seems to be the most reliable nowadays.

If Disney really cares about wait times and guest satisfaction, they'll start maintaining their rides or will enforce people having to take off hats/sunglasses/ears etc. when boarding rides. I guarantee that the rides going down every ten seconds causes far more delays than if every DAS user in the park were to enter one queue at once.

(Also, don't forget Living with the Land in your list of classic Epcot gems! )

Oohh yes, I love Living with the Land! It was our now 10 yr old's favorite when he was younger.

 

[Disneychick75]

Counter point, the parks are 100% more accessible than they used to be.

Considering the ADA was not passed until 1990, I'm not surprised accessibility was not a thing.