disabilities assistance Abuse

[Marygoodnight007]

Your statement about DAS just being for Sensory issues is not true. There are plenty of other issues that people get DAS for that are not for that. For example, bathroom issues. Anyone that has the frequent and urgent bathroom issues, like Crohn's disease can get a DAS. The problem with having any mobility issues being given a DAS is that it will open back up the abuse issues that they had in the past. You will see a huge uptick in people renting wheelchairs and ECVs like we had before they changed it. I don't know your issues, but it sounds like you might need another capable adult with you to help you out.

I do admit I’m really new to navigating any of this and I was vague. I’m not entirely sure the ins and outs. I was told only sensory issues qualified when I went to renew over the chat. But I suspect it was someone who did not know the ADA well. We usually do not have problems with in person guest services. I may have just gotten a bad person. We’ve had it renewed 2 out of the 3 times we asked but the CM the last time said it was just for sensory issues and the rules changed when they launched. I now think I may have gotten bad info and the silly work around may not have been needed.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I don't know your issues, but it sounds like you might need another capable adult with you to help you out.

I thought the same thing...not much detail, which is perfectly fine, obviously, but it sounded "to me" more like the poster needed assistance handling the child, which shouldn't be a DAS consideration in any way, shape, or form.

 

[DisneyOma]

It’s the end result of Disney’s only 2 categories of disabilities Mobility or Sensory. It’s lacks a lot of nuance and the end up asking people to use a wheel chair or scooter who never have before and who only need them situationally (like long lines) and then have to find something to do with them the rest of the day. Also having staff decide on DAS who are not well versed on the ADA.
Our issues are temporary and medical so it’s hit or miss if we get DAS renewed (we are AP so we have to do it every 60 days). The ADA classifies me as non disabled but conditions relating to my medical issue could cause disabilities that need to be accommodated. But we get told it’s mobility sometimes (it’s not) then the creative work around is to have our stroller tagged as a wheel chair which I hate. There’s not a safe way to put my toddler on a scooter or wheelchair with me and I can’t chase her in line or lift her for very long so the safest place for her is the stroller but then CMs go out of the way because they think I have a disabled child. A child who runs around yet has a wheelchair sticker. You know what would be nice? Some nuance to the policy. Or a CM to ask “do you need your stroller with you?” At least when we get DAS it doesn’t look so ridiculous. I can carry my child for a short period of time.
It’s more ridiculous that the trams still aren’t running. I ended up being unable to get back to my car one day and a CM had to drive me back. They told me I could request accessible parking until the trams are back…I don’t have a placard. So…that’s been weird. We aren’t fakers just people who fall into a “at the discretion of the cast member” gray area. However since they have a lot of “medical access overflow” lots now I don’t think that we are the only ones who wouldn’t need accommodation if the trams were running.

I will say I feel for people with permanent disabilities because navigating a temporary one has been rough and embarrassing.

Trying to figure this out - are you saying you get stroller as a wheelchair for your child because you have a disability that keeps you from being able to keep your child with you unless she is in the stroller? That sounds like a good solution. Queues are not the only place where you will face long lines, and just getting through the parks can be like a long line. But if you need a scooter or wheelchair to get around, what do you do with your daughter then? I just can't figure out what you are trying to say here, sorry!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

It’s the end result of Disney’s only 2 categories of disabilities Mobility or Sensory. It’s lacks a lot of nuance and the end up asking people to use a wheel chair or scooter who never have before and who only need them situationally (like long lines) and then have to find something to do with them the rest of the day. Also having staff decide on DAS who are not well versed on the ADA.
Our issues are temporary and medical so it’s hit or miss if we get DAS renewed (we are AP so we have to do it every 60 days). The ADA classifies me as non disabled but conditions relating to my medical issue could cause disabilities that need to be accommodated. But we get told it’s mobility sometimes (it’s not) then the creative work around is to have our stroller tagged as a wheel chair which I hate. There’s not a safe way to put my toddler on a scooter or wheelchair with me and I can’t chase her in line or lift her for very long so the safest place for her is the stroller but then CMs go out of the way because they think I have a disabled child. A child who runs around yet has a wheelchair sticker. You know what would be nice? Some nuance to the policy. Or a CM to ask “do you need your stroller with you?” At least when we get DAS it doesn’t look so ridiculous. I can carry my child for a short period of time.
It’s more ridiculous that the trams still aren’t running. I ended up being unable to get back to my car one day and a CM had to drive me back. They told me I could request accessible parking until the trams are back…I don’t have a placard. So…that’s been weird. We aren’t fakers just people who fall into a “at the discretion of the cast member” gray area. However since they have a lot of “medical access overflow” lots now I don’t think that we are the only ones who wouldn’t need accommodation if the trams were running.

I will say I feel for people with permanent disabilities because navigating a temporary one has been rough and embarrassing.

now that I reread your post you sound like me with one of grandsons who was a runner. I could not chase him, will I could chase but couldnt catch him when needed. the stroller tag was life saver for me on a couple of trips with him. so if you need that tag use it. and it also makes you be able to take your stroller in building that do not usually allow strollers

 

[TwoMisfits]

It’s the end result of Disney’s only 2 categories of disabilities Mobility or Sensory. It’s lacks a lot of nuance and the end up asking people to use a wheel chair or scooter who never have before and who only need them situationally (like long lines) and then have to find something to do with them the rest of the day. Also having staff decide on DAS who are not well versed on the ADA.
Our issues are temporary and medical so it’s hit or miss if we get DAS renewed (we are AP so we have to do it every 60 days). The ADA classifies me as non disabled but conditions relating to my medical issue could cause disabilities that need to be accommodated. But we get told it’s mobility sometimes (it’s not) then the creative work around is to have our stroller tagged as a wheel chair which I hate. There’s not a safe way to put my toddler on a scooter or wheelchair with me and I can’t chase her in line or lift her for very long so the safest place for her is the stroller but then CMs go out of the way because they think I have a disabled child. A child who runs around yet has a wheelchair sticker. You know what would be nice? Some nuance to the policy. Or a CM to ask “do you need your stroller with you?” At least when we get DAS it doesn’t look so ridiculous. I can carry my child for a short period of time.
It’s more ridiculous that the trams still aren’t running. I ended up being unable to get back to my car one day and a CM had to drive me back. They told me I could request accessible parking until the trams are back…I don’t have a placard. So…that’s been weird. We aren’t fakers just people who fall into a “at the discretion of the cast member” gray area. However since they have a lot of “medical access overflow” lots now I don’t think that we are the only ones who wouldn’t need accommodation if the trams were running.

I will say I feel for people with permanent disabilities because navigating a temporary one has been rough and embarrassing.

The ADA does not require you to get an accommodation you want...just an accommodation that will work. So, while you may hate the stroller wheelchair tag, it does sound like that accommodation works, which is why Disney could and possibly would deny the DAS. It's not necessary b/c another accommodation achieves the same equal access.

 

[lanejudy]

The lighting lanes realky screwed this up in a lot of cases.

The “lightning lanes” are just a new name for what has been in place for many years — previously called the FastPass queue. They were not reconfigured or changed in any manner.

The ADA classifies me as non disabled but conditions relating to my medical issue could cause disabilities that need to be accommodated.

i think you misunderstand mine falls under the ADA but with that weird language about it not being a disability directly but causing disabilities that fall under the ADA.

I think you may be stuck on feeling that you fit a definition. The ADA doesn't actually define specific diagnoses or conditions as disabilities. The ADA defines a disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." This is why WDW doesn't want to know your diagnosis, just what are your needs specifically related to waiting in a standard queue environment or how are you limited in that regard. Explain your needs. If they can be met by using a mobility device or the stroller-as-wheelchair tag, that is all WDW has to offer. The ADA doesn't require DAS to be offered as an accommodation to anyone with a disability if one can safely access attractions with a different accommodation.

You know what would be nice?...a CM to ask “do you need your stroller with you?”

They can't ask that at an attraction -- too many parents would say "yes" and the loading area would be clogged with strollers. Maybe you should request stroller-as-wheelchair at Guest Relations instead of requesting DAS? It sounds like this works well, once you get past thinking others believe your child is disabled. What others believe shouldn't matter. As long as the accommodation works for your needs, that's all that matters. I can assure you that your child is not the only one using a stroller-as-wheelchair tag who is able to get out and run around.

 

[usablefiber]

I also want to make clear my sister opted to be taken through the queue via chair but there was confusion at the entrance and the cast member i think gave us bad info in an isolated instance. We also should have done a better job at preparing and knowing all the info about the process.

I agree they don’t have to accommodate every and all ailments to skip the lines entirely, and i know they already are putting in a lot of a effort to accommodate disabled guests which is no small feat at parks with dozens of attractions that each need to shuffle thousands of people every hour. Im just saying there are certain things they could improve upon.

Also we ended up having a great time anyways and got on plenty of attractions without much hassle.

 

[usablefiber]

Once at six flags we were waiting for batman the ride, and a family came through the disability entrance with an older woman in a wheelchair to get on the ride. they went through and about 12 members of their family jumped on the ride cutting the line and the elderly grandmother in the chair wasn’t even riding, they just used her to cut the line. she left her at the load station while they rides. That was pretty lame.

 

[HopperFan]

I also want to make clear my sister opted to be taken through the queue via chair but there was confusion at the entrance and the cast member i think gave us bad info in an isolated instance. We also should have done a better job at preparing and knowing all the info about the process.

I agree they don’t have to accommodate every and all ailments to skip the lines entirely, and i know they already are putting in a lot of a effort to accommodate disabled guests which is no small feat at parks with dozens of attractions that each need to shuffle thousands of people every hour. Im just saying there are certain things they could improve upon.

Also we ended up having a great time anyways and got on plenty of attractions without much hassle.

The only guests who "skip the lines entirely" are Make a Wish kids.

Once at six flags we were waiting for batman the ride, and a family came through the disability entrance with an older woman in a wheelchair to get on the ride. they went through and about 12 members of their family jumped on the ride cutting the line and the elderly grandmother in the chair wasn’t even riding, they just used her to cut the line. she left her at the load station while they rides. That was pretty lame.

At my Six Flags there is no disability entrance. Guests with an Attraction Access Program pass get a return time just like at WDW and then return to either the main entrance or the Flash Pass entrance. So folks in that line may have paid for the access. But yes, if they were using the AAP then the person holding pass is supposed to ride.

 

[RamblinWreck]

One thing that would probably cut down on a lot of abuse, but wouldn't be popular with the DAS users, would be removing the ability to ride other rides while you are waiting in your virtual queue for another ride.

This sounds like an expensive fix on Disney's end, though, so I doubt they'd even bother thinking about it unless they really thought DAS abuse was becoming so rampant that it was eating away at their Genie+ revenue.

 

[Meglen]

One thing that would probably cut down on a lot of abuse, but wouldn't be popular with the DAS users, would be removing the ability to ride other rides while you are waiting in your virtual queue for another ride.

This sounds like an expensive fix on Disney's end, though, so I doubt they'd even bother thinking about it unless they really thought DAS abuse was becoming so rampant that it was eating away at their Genie+ revenue.

I mean with most lines being long these days if they need a DAS for lines they will be going to the lines with 15-20 min lines which are already not huge issues so shutting them off to them would kinda be mean spirited.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I mean with most lines being long these days if they need a DAS for lines they will be going to the lines with 15-20 min lines which are already not huge issues so shutting them off to them would kinda be mean spirited.

It would be the most "equal access" though.

You want to ride something with a 2 hour line? You wait 2 hours to ride like everyone else. You're still benefiting from being able to roam freely without standing in the line, but you aren't getting to go do 4 attractions while everyone else in the same line as you only gets to do 1.


I don't think it's cruel, really. If anything it's probably the most fair thing to do. But it would require a lot more tapstiles to be installed, as well as a lot of reworked software. But IMO it would be the most effective way to cut down on the abusers, if they saw a need for it.

 

[Alan1972]

One thing that would probably cut down on a lot of abuse, but wouldn't be popular with the DAS users, would be removing the ability to ride other rides while you are waiting in your virtual queue for another ride.

This sounds like an expensive fix on Disney's end, though, so I doubt they'd even bother thinking about it unless they really thought DAS abuse was becoming so rampant that it was eating away at their Genie+ revenue.

The point is equal access so then everyone using Genie+ should also be banned from riding other rides.

 

[RamblinWreck]

The point is equal access so then everyone using Genie+ should also be banned from riding other rides.

Why?

DAS users are allowed to pay for Genie+ as well.

 

[SirDuff]

The point is equal access so then everyone using Genie+ should also be banned from riding other rides.

How do you figure that? DAS is unrelated to Genie+ and isn’t supposed to be a substitute for it. It is a substitute for standing in the standby line.

 

[Alan1972]

Why?

DAS users are allowed to pay for Genie+ as well.

but that would be charging the disabled for accommodations. anyway the idea is so ridiculous Disney would never do it so it's not worth arguing about it.

 

[SirDuff]

but that would be charging the disabled for accommodations. anyway the idea is so ridiculous Disney would never do it so it's not worth arguing about it.

Only if Genie+ were the only option. It’s not. We can use Genie+ AND DAS.

 

[DLgal]

Disney does not think DAS abuse is a big problem, simple as that. The system works for them, apparently. They have made it even easier to use. If abuse was such a problem, they would have never shifted to allowing people to book their own return times.

 

[MediumSizedMermaid]

It would be the most "equal access" though.

You want to ride something with a 2 hour line? You wait 2 hours to ride like everyone else. You're still benefiting from being able to roam freely without standing in the line, but you aren't getting to go do 4 attractions while everyone else in the same line as you only gets to do 1.


I don't think it's cruel, really. If anything it's probably the most fair thing to do. But it would require a lot more tapstiles to be installed, as well as a lot of reworked software. But IMO it would be the most effective way to cut down on the abusers, if they saw a need for it.

Forcing everyone to tap in would cause huge backups on standby lines. (We've all been behind that family in the FP/LL queue who take forever to pull out their cards or use their bands or only use one side instead of both.) So you're going to lose more 'wait time' than you save, I guarantee it. So do you want to wait on longer lines for the sake of 'equality'?

And what if they purchase Genie+? Which someone who can't physically wait in a long line is likely to do. My Dad uses DAS because of his bad back (wheelchair doesn't work because whether sitting or standing, it's being in one physical position for a long time that's the issue) and we've always done Fastpass+/Genie+ as well. We actually use that instead of DAS as much as possible because those systems are open to everyone and we don't want to abuse DAS.

 

[RamblinWreck]

but that would be charging the disabled for accommodations. anyway the idea is so ridiculous Disney would never do it so it's not worth arguing about it.

How do you figure? The DAS is the accommodation.

Genie+ is a completely separate concept.

I don't think anyone could make a single logical argument that would successfully say it's no longer "equal access" if they were to implement it. Much less that it's somehow "ridiculous" to treat people equally.


At any rate, I don't think you have to worry about it because I don't think there's actually that much abuse of the system, and not enough to make Disney worried about it. But if they did become worried about it, I would put it high on the list of possible solutions that they would likely consider implementing.