Let's Talk About Disney's DAS Pass Changes!

Hey Everyone! Recently, Disneyland and Disney World have made changes to their DAS Pass or Disability Access Service program. In this video, I chat about the changes being made and what other reasonable accommodations Disney provides to their disabled guests. Enjoy! :)
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[@thenorthwestguy4202]

I have cerebral palsy, and back in the early 2000s that red card actually got you and your party on the attraction (almost right away), it was great! Then they made it so you got a return time, which I wasn't happy about but I made it work (with a combo of Gene and DAS), and now this! I get people are abusing it, but this is making the whole experience for disabled people not enjoyable!

[@natalielomske]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@InternetJury]

The thing with the "return times" is ridiculous because it means you would need to discuss your issues with a different cast members each time you wanted to go on a ride. That is exhausting and embarrassing to have to "explain yourself" many times a day and even then there's no guarantee they'll give you a return time. Even with the accessible attractions, there can be issues. For example, with Guardians of the Galaxy, they a great ground floor option for anyone with mobility devices, but at one point they force everyone to crowd into tiny space, telling people to fill all available spaces. As someone with a cane, I've been pushed and tripped several times and even had people knock my cane down and walk away. Lots of the rides have transfer devices that are custom made for the ride vehicle. I've seen it used on Space Mountain, Mickey and Minne's Railway, several others. Ride of the Resistance has swing out doors...which I only learned of after about the 10th time I nearly tripped and fell. A cast member asked if I needed the door open, and I was like, "Wait you can do that?" LOL Totally made getting in and out of the car easier. Now I always ask. One of my biggest pet peeves regarding accessibility is about food. I often visit Disneyland solo. I have a DAS pass, for now. I have a combination of issues, but I have learned I need to rent an ECV to prevent a lot of issues for my own well-being. But when you are solo driving an ECV, getting food is tricky. Only ONE quick service food establishment offers takeout containers for your food, if you ask one. That's Rancho del Zocalo. None of the others have takeout containers! I've asked. So, imagine being alone, driving a mobility device and trying to carry an open container of food or a tray, in a fruitless effort to find a place to stop and eat and not spill your food? It's such a simple thing, but literally none of them offer it except the one place. Oddly enough, you can get take out container at the table service restaurants... no problem! But they are more expensive and require reservations which are often difficult or impossible to get. I just don't understand why they can't accommodate such a simple, easy request. Especially for DAS holders who would prefer to go find a quiet corner to eat in peace. Las ttime I went, I bourgh tmy own empty containers for this very reason and the security guy was all, "What's this for?" I explained and he just looked at me funny. They don't get it. A lot of people who don't deal with disabilities don't seem to grasp the little things involved with accessibility. Edit: I will correct this... Jolly Holiday has containers, I learned... but you can't mobile order...you.have to get in line and ask. They will put.the tomato soup in an insulated coffee cup with a lid. Game changer!! I love that soup... but, waiting in.line with an ECV there is a nightmare because of the ramp.

[@natalielomske]

I'm definitely not looking forward to having to explain myself multiple times a day to cast members. We will just have to see how it goes, and hopefully Disney will fix any problems!

[@mrsshenker15]

It’s obvious why they’ve instituted these changes, but some of the new guidelines don’t seem to be ADA-compliant. I hope their legal team advises them on necessary changes. It sounds like a huge mess right now. Glad we just went right before the changes took place. Hoping things get ironed out prior to my family’s next trip. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@natalielomske]

I hope it does too!

[@chrisfoxwell4128]

How are they not ada compliant?

[@rebeccaamezcua4010]

We have the top of the line passes so now we will get lower more affordable and buy genie or whatever it is that they offer. I think it's going to save me money in the long run and Disney will lose money.

[@toukie]

I have Tourette's syndrome and when my anxiety level gets higher, my physical tics get more frequent and sometimes even violent (I mean that my arms will shoot straight up with no warning and stuff like that). I can't wait to see how it goes on my next trip when my arms start moving up and down, or my upper body starts swinging and I'm stuck in a regular stand-by line. That's gonna be so much fun

[@adamp2384]

Hopefully you get the accommodations you need, it is a very stressful time right now with Disney and DAS, hopefully they don’t tell you like that have other people that have shared their story to practice waiting in line and home and that will make it better

[@toukie]

@@adamp2384 I think being told to practice waiting in line is the stupidest thing they can come up with. Practicing in my empty house to replicate waiting in line in a tight pack with hundreds of people is the exact same thing Why didn't we think of that before??? I hope you know I am not venting at you. Thank you for your support

[@adamp2384]

@@toukie no not at all, it is ridiculous I agree 100%, they have literally turned into the most restrictive place for disabled theme park guests in the world at Disneyland and Disney World

[@darrellq6954]

You are covered. Cognitive impairments are still eligible for DAS

[@dieSterbendeGiraffe]

I think what Disney fails to see, is that with the DAS they've made their parks accessible for many people who wouldn't have come otherwise.bof course I know there's people abusing the system, but I wouldn't ever have booked without DAS (and now I probably won't get it because I probably won't "look autistic enough" for them...

[@adamp2384]

Unfortunately with how the changes have been at WDW since the new DAS was implemented, it makes me rethink Disney as my happy place, some of the suggestions sound great on paper for other alternatives but in reality haven’t been implemented, Cast Members are actually being reprimanded for their usage of giving out return to queue passes if it exceeds some arbitrary limit that day….others have no idea how to effectively implement any other “accommodations”

[@richardholder8970]

I have multiple sclerosis and I’m in the wheelchair pretty much all the time and my bladder is very weak so I may need the toilet at short notice! And due to my illness my cognitive memory is awful and I cannot remember things that may have been told just 5ago!

[@PrinceofPensacola]

wow if your health is that precarious you probably shouldn't be on rides that can break down anyway

[@bunniesbunniesbunnie]

disney doesn't care, they'll tell you to buy genie+ and stare at your phone all day.

[@kaykay6816]

@@PrinceofPensacolawow, you really don’t have an ounce of empathy do you. Wonder how that will work out for you when you need support in life.

[@toddcribbs6844]

I'll tell you a story when I actually gave up my annual pass to Walt Disney World it was about like 2008 they took my grandma the back way why they made me stay in the standby line while I stood there in the heat and had a seizure on the high mansion

[@louisearellano5427]

Great video natalie. I'm a little speechless about the dass pass changes in the disney parks. My disability is visual and nothing more. Usually while i'm standing in line, i use the white cane for checking if the line of people are moving or not moving forward. If there's another tip, let me know

[@toddcribbs6844]

A lot of the vloggers and travel agencies screw this up for us along with greedy Bob Iger

[@evanhinkle5136]

I don't have much experience with the DAS, in my experience with Disney, I only had an issue with the Tower of Terror ride at California Adventure. Something with the ride itself triggered a complete mental breakdown from a disability that I did not even know I had at the time, I may be wrong about my recollection of the event, but I believe that it was veterans working with Disney Security as well as Guests that had recognized what was going on and were the first to point out that I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or even Shellshock, this would not be confirmed for a long time after this in 2017. My experience then was that the attitude toward the disabled community was hit or miss. While I don't have anything personal against Disney, they need to start working with the community to develop policies.

[@toddcribbs6844]

I have cerebral palsy I have epileptic seizures what they're doing is it right under the Ada they cannot use a third party vendor we can go after them with a class action lawsuit and they will fall

[@georgethecat771]

The transfer device at Pirates is similar to the one at the Frozen ride. It kinda looks like stairs a dog uses to get onto a bed. So instead of a flat transfer board it has the option for your arms to have stairs to go down and up from the low distance of the car. I permanently can’t walk but sometimes I can use my arm’s strength. They didn’t have this at Disneyland for the longest time so I would crawl, well, more scoot backwards getting wet and gross. One day a cast member got really mad at me but I was like, if I have to crawl because you aren’t providing other accommodations then I will. They clearly felt very uncomfortable at watching a grown woman crawl in public. Needless to say, the next time I went to Disneyland they had one of these devices they have at the Frozen ride at Disneyland.

[@natalielomske]

@@georgethecat771 Thank you for sharing your story and providing this information! Pirates is one of my favorite rides. I’ve asked about the transfer device multiple times and the CMs never knew what it was!

[@rebeccaamezcua4010]

We have top of the line passes so now we will drop down to pay for genie.

[@yvonnemarie1955]

This sounds ludicrous.

[@andreacat29]

I’ve used the DAS pass in both Disney World and Disneyland (leg vascular issues/66 yrs old) Why not a Dr’s certification or note from Guests in advance to make it legitimate?

[@ManuelGomez-xy6ph]

Do these stricter conditions only apply to Florida’s park?

[@RobertGoodwin-zv9vi]

Sad truth Disney doesn't want the disabled in their parks anymore 😔 I used to love Disney but they have gotten so cold as a company! Since they don't want care, I'll keep my money 😢 nobody wants to be where they are not wanted! 💯🙄

[@keithhutchins8803]

My guess is way too many people abusing it.

[@well-dressed-bird]

Your guess is based on what they said. They also said people with das were filling up the lightning lanes, and it became too hard for paying customers. Abuse has nothing to do with it considering when they had fast pass nobody paid at all and the parks ran very smoothly and the lines were very short for everyone including non disabled people. They're now trying to get everyone to buy genie plus and wheelchairs. They had no reason to care about abuse then, and if they returned to that system, they wouldn't have to care about it now. You don't punish disabled people based on the assumption that some people will try to take advantage of a system. Now with these denials and re-entering, we have able bodied people blocking us from returning back into the line and bullying us online. That is abuse, and disney has brought this on our shoulders.

[@keithhutchins8803]

@@well-dressed-bird please leave me out of your drama.

[@SchaffnerMatt]

@@well-dressed-bird This is spot on. Disney has made second-class citizens of individuals who are disabled.

[@ProvocativePixels]

@@keithhutchins8803 you commented on a public video. Your words have consequences. Grow the f up.

[@its.amanda.walter]

​@@keithhutchins8803you chose to comment, and therefore opened yourself up to replies. That's how internet comment sections work. 🤦‍♀️

[@toddcribbs6844]

I'm telling you right now regular people that have money and Vloggers that have money will pay for stuff and that's what they're going for he needs to be hit with a class action lawsuit of what will the Walt Disney Company Bob Iger should pay the price

[@unclejesseandtherippers4047]

The problem is the honor system fails every time. I waited for TWO HOURS with a toddler for slinky dog dash while my wife waited with babies. I was told by a cast member 6 in 10 lightning lanes were DAS who could book and rebook once scanned in! And they could enroll months in advance, taking early lightning lanes. It was too good to be true! Let it go.

[@Katie-pw2zo]

That's not true. You can register for DAS 30 days in advance and choose 2 rides per day before you visited. On the day you can only book another ride once you've ridden the ride and you have to still wait the same amount of time as the regular line people. Just away from the ride. Why anyone would want to rebook the same ride that had an hour or so wait I'm not sure. You definitely couldn't just go straight back on. Also there are people like myself with cancer, spinal conditions and autoimmune diseases who you can't tell look disabled, but believe me we are feeling it. So you can't judge on looks. I think it should be based individually on a medical letter not just saying only people with autism can have it.

[@unclejesseandtherippers4047]

@@Katie-pw2zo I emphasize you have cancer and too sick to wait in lines for rides. But it’s good you are well enough to ride the rides, handle the heat, commute, crowds, etc! DAS is a free fast pass for any ride plus 3 pre-reserved LLs. It was too easy for people to lie to obtain, and it was hogging up 70% of the LLs. The abusers killed the golden goose! 30d advance ride booking of 3 rides benefit is too generous. If DAS pass parties can show up and clock in for any ride the moment they get in the gate, the 3 pre reserved LLs only guarantees they have literally no waiting. Scan in for the ride, and immediately sign up for the next ride before even riding the one you’re in line for. But now, at least Disney resort guests can buy LL and book 7d in advance. This levels the playing field compared to Genie.

[@chrisfoxwell4128]

I think you're hurting your cause when you start complaining about which specific transfer device is implemented.

[@natalielomske]

Sorry for the confusion. I’m not complaining about the type of transfer device. I would just like to know what type of transfer device is available. The website is very vague and Disney doesn’t allow you to call them and ask questions anymore. This means you can’t plan and know how/if you will be able to transfer onto rides. It’s great that they have transfer devices available, but guests need to know what types of devices are available. Cast members also need to be properly trained on how to provide the transfer devices to guests. In my experience, the cast members do not know what the transfer devices are, which is a problem.