The girl is wheelchair-bound and can barely breathe on her own - how tone-deaf do you have to be to deny her every bit of available assistance as she shows up and just wants to forget her challenging real life for a few hours. Shameful.
ye but transsexual men in dresses should get priority in order to help dress young 5 year old girls like princesses. Which would you rather, someone who is disabled being treated human or a demon in disguise having their feelings hurt cause they can't touch little children?
Disney - That girl isn't 'disabled enough' to be treated like a person with a disability. Everyone else after 5 seconds looking at her - Oh yeah she definitely qualifies as disabled.
@@brianmonahan6838 it’s on her tictok account. If anyone simply clicks on her account, they can clearly see with their 2 eyes that she can walk and breathe on her own…am I saying can she do both things for a very long time, no. But if das is used for not being able to not wait in line, then she doesn’t qualify because unlike fully wheelchair bound disabled people, pressure soars the main concern. She can stand, walk, she has a machine breathing for her so not sure what the issue is. You can’t judge anyone by their looks. Disability comes seen and sometimes unseen. Just cause she looks more disabled than someone that’s in a wheelchair without the breathing tube doesn’t mean she deserves it and the other doesn’t.
It is absolutely heartbreaking. She's willing to pay more to be treated like a human being should be treated. Unfortunately I believe it would be a civil rights violation to charge disabled persons a fee for access. This has just gotten so far out of hand.
Yes, it is absolutely wrong to make disabled guests pay extra just so they can safely experience the park. Besides, her suggestion is only a cost savings for those who go multiple times year. If you are an infrequent disabled guest, it would be no difference in cost. But overall, it's wrong regardless because no disabled person should have to pay more.
@sararubinstein5384 Yep. It's a catch 22 for sure. She shouldn't have to offer to pay more, but she's willing to come up with her own solution and pay extra for it, but even if they wanted to let her, they couldn't because it violates the ADA. Foresight is no longer a quality Disney executives seem to posses.
@@survivaloptions4999 Here's a crazy idea. Why don't they just stop going to disneyland and giving them their money? Why do they continue to willingly give them their money, for a corporation that clearly doesn't care about you, and possibly even discriminating against you. Protest with your wallet. If every disabled person, and ally, did that, disney would feel it, and they would abolish this. But instead, they choose to lube up, and let disney take advantage of them, by continuing to throw money at them, even though they're being discriminated against. What incentive does disney have to change, if they know they have them wrapped around their finger, and they can always take them for granted, no matter what they do?
@@survivaloptions4999 Their financial burden is already more than we can imagine. Many on very limited incomes with high medical expenses. And Disney want to rob them further ? Shameful.
The Idea that you have to agree to not sue them as part of a class action before you do your interview is all the information we need to know that the system is broken and Disney knows it.
It's their attempt to protect the company, but its total bullshitt!!! Here..check here..so you cant sue..even if we deny your action!?!? So disabled people have to pay for a pass...and so do their other guests??? I've seen other people who "disabled" and get some kind of pass!?!? Or entry?? And other people who need it more than others. Greed!!!!
@@samwhitaker0She mentioned she bought her own scooter and the 380 dollars is just to maintain her ventilator. Is it any wonder disabled people don’t want to shill out more money for a once free accommodation just to escape from their hard lives in the real world?
I think the purpose of DAS is for those who CANNOT WAIT IN LINE. As an example, severe autism manifests into horrible tantrums and even violence that can be triggered in line-ups or large, close crowds. Charisma is so lovely and made her argument so eloquently though. ❤ I wish her all the blessing life could bring upon her.
@@taniam1976 you think waiting in line in 100 degree heat and humidity is feasible for her? She can not regulate her body temperature as easily as you or I can when she's stuck in a chair and her air supply essentially acts as a greenhouse making it even less tolerable to breathe. This whole neurodivergent disability is getting out of hand. Being neurodivergent does not make one incapable of basic bodily functions in high heat. Being neurodivergent does not increase your risk of heat stroke. There may be a case to allow some cases of neurodivergence to qualify but there should without a doubt be qualifications for physical disability.
It's absolutely gross that a cast member who may not have training in any understanding of specific disabilities (which may not be visible) get to pass judgment on the "severity" of a disability.
Why do people who have no experience in our skin have a say in what we can and can't do in life? I do also mean for trying to get Disability Allowance and such in 'first world' countries like the UK and America.
This should go viral because the Bob Iger Company should be shamed into reversing course. This is beyond atrocious. Here we have a obviously disabled person, videoing at the park, in full Disney attire and donning merchandise. Vash said it right, if DAS is not for people in her situation, then who is it for? Bob Iger needs to issue a video apology to this individual. Greed, just plain greed.
This person can wait in a line just as easy if not easier than I can. I am forced to stand and walk. She can sit and use a joystick to move. Sucks she can't use her legs, but you don't have any problem being in a line using a chair. Do you let people cut in line just because they have a wheel chair? Disney even have her the option to do what she wants while her able bodied friends wait in line like every other able bodied person. Or to wait in line every one else.
@@philiplubduck6107 please answer my question then. If DAS is not for people in her situation which is obviously more than just a wheelchair then who is it for? By your logic they should just discontinue DAS.
@@roverboy006 just people who can not wait in line with reasonale acommadation. For instance so you pee or poop every 30 minutes or so and don't have a colostomy bag? Do you have full meltdowns with public interaction like some autistic kids. Medicine you take every hour or need a drink every 15- take a drink with you. Perhaps being prone to seizures or something along that line as well. Essentially can you do your own grocery shopping or walk through the store with your parents without needing medical care? If so you don't need DAS. That or maybe fix the system and make it so DAS isn't a go do whatever pass its a sit on this area over here with AC shade water and bathrooms. You wait the wait time of the ride then get to go on. The reason they had to get rid of it was able bodied people used it to get a wait time on a long line ride then wait in line for 2-3 other rides then come back and hop on the DAS ride. Rinse and repeat. If they changed this to have people wait like everyone else and ride the same number of rides then it never would have been abused, since you wouldn't get double the rides in for pretending to be disabled.
@@philiplubduck6107 I agree people were abusing it. Disney should crack down on that. The issue now is that you have people who are obviously not “able bodied” as you put it getting denied. Before everyone who needed it would get it. Now it appears the same abusing people familiar with the policy can lie their way using the anxiety angle for example. Thus DAS will continue to be abused, only now inaccessible to the most disabled among us. All so Disney can sell more lightning lanes.
These days I think the concept of the word vs the actual actions behind the use of the word, are in constant flux, based on the user of the word without any regard to what others think... In most cases, it tends to be used as an excuse for bad behavior, and as a shield to quell debate...
I thought the same thing. They don't mean it. It's a gimmick and it's one that's not working for them. I've always said, people with disabilities after the first and most discriminated against everywhere in the world.
People living with an actual disability don’t want to be labelled, put in boxes, have certificates or interviews judging their issues. They’ve had to put up with that shit all their lives. They just want to come to the park, join in and enjoy themselves. If they need a little extra help to get there, let’s give it to them. What kind of a society have we become.
@@biancabee7900 You made a superb points! Thank you for expressing that so eloquently. I agree! I have a child with special needs and want him to be treated just like everybody else.
@user-li2yv5je5eand now us who are actually disabled we have minimum wage workers deciding if I’m disabled enough and now we’re getting punished for the people who may have been abusing the system despite that you cannot just look at someone and decide if they’re disabled because invisible disabilities do exist. Until I became wheelchair bound you would look at me and think I was abusing the DASpass because my disability at that point was not visible.
Yes I agree! I have an interview coming up next month for my grandson and I intend to ask them what their qualifications are to advise how we are to manage his disability. Such as the practice standing in line at home? That could be considered CBT which would be giving medical advice.
Sadly, Disney doesn’t want to give you DAS. They want you to buy the lightning lane system. My daughter has had DAS for years. She was denied. I won’t get into particulars but our friends are absolutely appalled and unbelieving. The Disney would do this to a disabled person. She has the medical card. The universal requires. My family is letting their annual passes run out at Disney and will now be Universal passholders. This year marks my 50th anniversary of going to Disney 51? Not so much! My heart goes out to the young lady in the video. May Disney come to their senses so that you can enjoy the park you love with your family and friends
While you likely are a competant nurse, I've worked with too many who are not. My husband has five different kinds of seizures. I worked in the ER when a woman came in with her daughter with something that she felt was seizures and wanted her checked out. I was not a medical member of the staff so I had to keep my mouth shut, or I would lose my job. When the girl had a seizure right there at the intake desk, the mom was panicking and asking if it was a seizure, and the nurse was like, "Ma'am, seizures don't act like that." WHAT!! At last count there have been more than 2000 types of presentation of seizures that are put into a few categories. But this nurse just told the mom that the daughter was just faking. SMH!! I personally wouldn't mind getting a letter from my doctor who treats my multitude of disabilities, same for my son with his autism. Making sure that someone that I have a medical relationship with to actually make the decision.
@@13ishAbbie 😡😡💢💢WRONG WORDS TO SAY!!! VERY WRONG!!! You and your family ARE going back to Disney and enjoy Disney's 51 because Disney is going to change for the better! STOP letting your annual passes run out at Disney and DON'T be Universal passholders! While I'm sorry to hear that your daughter was denied DAS, I plan to DO something about that!!! I'm NOT joking about this at ALL! Disney WILL come to their senses so that all of you can enjoy the park you love with your family and friends!!! Disney will change back to the way it was, accommodating to all the disabled. So STOP what you're doing and listen! I PROMISE that we'll DO everything in my power to make things right at Disney AGAIN!!!
I’ve never written a comment before but I had to for this. I have multiple autoimmune diseases and a bunch of other bodily disorders that make anything physical very difficult and painful. Sometimes I can walk, sometimes I need mobility aids, I can’t stay in the heat for extended periods of time, and I can’t be in the direct sun for even moderate periods of time. My disabilities are already isolating enough, having to be separated from my family and or friends for what might be hours would be devastating and basically the opposite of the entire reason I would go: to enjoy the place I love with the people I love. I was a die hard Disney fan for years, annual pass holder for practically my whole life, I was raised on Disney and it still feels like a sacred part of who I am. My mom (who’d been going to WDW since it opened in 1971) and I cancelled our passes two years ago because of rising prices combined with cuts in budget and quality on Disney’s part. It was a hard decision and I felt crushed and disappointed in Disney. When news about the changes to the disability pass came out a few months ago I was disgusted with Disney, I understood that people were abusing the system but this was not a viable solution for those with physical disabilities. Use mobility aids and wait. What a poor understanding and lack of empathy they showed with these changes. I’ve been going to Universal instead and they seem to understand the importance of treating your guests right, even if they’re disability pass is a bit of a pain to get at least you can still get it! I never thought there’d come a day where I’d boycott Disney in any way but since their DAS pass changes I’ve cancelled all their services, unfollowed all their accounts, and will not be purchasing a single piece of officially licensed merchandise until they get their act together. It’s also shocking to me that it’s taken this long for their discriminatory changes against physical disabilities to be widely noticed.
She was on a breathing tube. Basic portable vent machine. So what part of disable does Disney not understand? This is wrong we need to speak out about this. This is immoral.
Since they have widened all of the attraction ques their thinking is that wheelchair use /confinement has "been taken care of" the disabilities that DAS is now used to compensate for are forms of anxiety caused by crowds, waiting in line etc... the screener, just follows a predetermined flow chart i.e., Dose applicant use wheelchair?, if yes deny, if no proceed to question 6.
@@keithbarnes9419it makes me wonder how they’d respond to me. In a chair due to neurological and orthopedic issues, I also live with acute social anxiety and PTSD. Would that question even be addressed if their flowchart cut me out early because I have access to a power chair? The whole thing breaks my heart.
Thank you for speaking up, Disney needs to know they are discriminating against those of us who are disabled in any way. I have multiple health issues and it prevents me from being able to be in lines for any length of time. I’m with you on this.
So people with disabilities should be separated from their families while on a family vacation? What? This is not a skip the line program. It's a wait somewhere else until it's your turn system. Families still need to wait the same length of time but separately? This is awful.
Right?! The whole point of the vacation was to be together. What is this nonsense?!!! Disney is so completely out of touch with what Walt built it to be in the beginning.
This is the last straw Disney. I took mom there several years ago when she could still walk, even though it was assisted, and we did not get a DAS pass for her. We stood in standby like everyone else, however, most of time, a cast member would pull us out of line and take us though a short cut and board immediately. Mom's disability was very obvious even to an untrained eye, and we were treated very well by everyone. That was back in 2016 before Disney lost their ever lovin' mind. We did not ask for special treatment, yet they gave it regardless. Even nicer, were the kneeling buses that leaned over so it lowered the steps and was easier for mom to board. Disney used to be the place to go if you had disabilities, because they accommodated and welcomed us. Disney, every day now in 2024, I hear and see something bad about y'all, but this is the last straw. Not another dime. I put all my Disney memorabilia away, all my Disney shirts packed up, and as one of Disney's loudest and proudest former supporters/promoters, I will shut up and not another word will support this evil Disney. Y'all wanted a villains park, you got it.
Salute! I had so wished to be able to afford one trip to Disneyland again before my arthritis got too bad for me to be able to walk it but it didn't happen and the only silver lining is that I would have hated giving a single penny of support to the corrupt company Disney had become. It's been about 25 years since I've been now, at least memories are still free. For now.
I tried to get a DAS pass last month for myself. I have anxiety and a joint condition where if I stand for long periods of time, I am in such pain that I can’t walk. I was denied. The phone call was over an hour and one of the most invasive things I have gone through. The cast member kept saying “you don’t have to say anything that you don’t want to” but then would push for more information about my health. Also, if I don’t tell details of my condition, how would they know what my problem is so that they could give me a DAS pass? The call itself gave me anxiety because I had to say what happens when my anxiety rises and my coping mechanisms. By the time I got off the phone, I was in tears. The only accommodations they offered were a wheelchair (which my joint condition I have been advised by a doctor that I need to keep moving) or have someone in my party wait for me. The rest of my family also has various disabilities and would not be able to do that. They clearly did not plan for families that all have disabilities that need to be accommodated. They then said to go to each individual ride in the parks and tell the cast member there because each ride has various other accommodations based on how their line is set up. We did that. We were told by the various cast members that the DAS cast members online were wrong and that they could only offer us a wheelchair or the party member standing in line option. We felt as if we had just been handed off to the next person so that the cast member online wouldn’t have to deal with us anymore. We had planned our trip before the changes were made to DAS and when we told the cast member online that and that we might have to cancel our trip, she said in a very snide manner “well you won’t be refunded.” So we went. We paid thousands of dollars and my family was not able to ride one ride in Hollywood Studios due to the long wait times. We have been going to Disney World regularly for 20 years. Honestly, this was probably our swan song. So disappointing. If you read this far, thank you for listening.
This is shameful. Why would they deny disability access to someone who's in a wheelchair, and who needs a ventilator, plus she has a noticeable twitch in her eye? Why would they deny this service to anyone with severe physical disabilities? They'll sure take your money fast enough, though! Boy! They could get sued, if not by her, then by her family. All this trouble, for a vacation. I wouldn't be surprised if they never wanted to return to the park, after that. I have Autism, but that's not as bad as what she's experiencing. Disney needs to put people first.
I had a conversation with Disney Client Services after the new policy was announced but before it was enacted. There are members of my party with orthopedic issues, and with coronary issues. Standing in line is difficult. I asked if I could get clearance ahead of time to avoid embarrassment and offered to supply supporting medical records, in an effort to have our account noted permanently or even yearly. I felt for the cast member. She understood the problem, had literally no training on how to handle the issue, and asked me to delay our trip until cast members could receive training. It is humiliating. And at this point, I'll just pay the money. And if it's still too difficult we have made a decision to just go elsewhere. One shouldn't have to beg. And by the way -- the "ban" threats that were made public when this policy change was announced are ludicrous. It's on Disney. They have to have clear and just guidelines published. And, although I am not a proponent of firing people, whoever came up with this insulting cash grab should be fired out of hand. This entire mess is unacceptable.
The issue with orthopedic issues is that they would force you to rent a wheelchair since the lines are wheelchair friendly with only 2 or 3 exceptions in the entire property
@@ThemeParkAngel Thank you for your response, but that is true of virtually everyone with a serious health issue. And it is a way to go. It's not about the cost. It's about the dignity of the person. Maybe they would rather not be in a wheelchair. We had the ability to do that before the change in policy... which frankly seems more like the lack of a workable policy. We have, as a group, decided to politely boycott Disney rather than make one of our party feel uncomfortable. It's a better route for us to go.
@darakelian not disagreeing with you. Making someone pay for a wheelchair or genie or lightening is not right. You should not have to pay to enjoy the experiences that others enjoy.
I, too, have coronary issues and I am on blood thinners (warfarin). I can’t take too much heat, and the DAS made my visits to WDW tolerable. I have plans to go in late September. I guess I’ll have to ante up for the shorter lines. It’s going to make my trip so much more difficult, financially.
The American disability act over rules Disneys application it’s federal law Disney would lose and can’t fight it Disney can’t block someone disabled if they sue them
It's not only Shady because I'm pretty sure that it is illegal and they are exploiting some kind of loophole probably greased by a contribution to some politicians campaign fund.
CYA is what it is if you were never denied because you didn't ask how can you sue but if you do apply you sign your suing capability away. Welcome to corporate America.
What would you do if you had to deal with thousands upon thousands of people in a sue happy culture. Businesses have no right to exist, they have to protect themselves..
I cannot imagine agreeing to leave a friend or loved one by themselves in a bustling, crowded area, even if they weren't disabled. Anything could happen and they wouldn't have anyone with them. And they expect families and friends to leave disabled people off, by themselves, surrounded by strangers!? Absolutely NO WAY.
@@MoonbeamGardener and the carers are just forgotten about. It’s hard enough getting to the park, standing on your feet all day, pushing chairs around all day, bathroom breaks, getting meals etc. If you manage to get your charge any special access or viewing areas - nothing for the carer, not even a seat - it’s like you are not welcome. You are rewarded with more standing in the background. It’s brutal on our feet. Then they want us to leave our charges alone tucked in a corner, while we line up with aching feet and minds. How does this work for kids in chairs? Do we leave them alone too? I could almost cry I’m that exhausted. And on top of all our stress we hear this crap. 💩
Our last trip to Disney World was in April 2022. Our son has ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder), and we applied for DAS online. It was so easy to apply for. Video chat meeting with a cast member, we told the cast member that he has ASD. We had paperwork from doctors and school ready to present, but they told us they didn't need any of that. All they needed was a picture of our son, and what rides we wanted to pre-book for our two week vacation. It was all done and dusted in about 10-15 minutes. Stating that he had ASD was more than enough to get a DAS pass for him. That DAS for our son was so integral to his enjoyment of his holiday (and our whole family as well). They'd be no way he'd be able to stay in line for more than 20-30 minutes with small cramped areas, loud noises, different smells, screaming/crying kids etc without him having to leave the queue in tears and us having to leave the park to calm him down. For example, when we spend out day at Universal, we started to queue for Hagrids (which wasn't a Express Pass option), and within 10-15 minutes he was overwhelmed, upset and my wife had to take him out of the ride). With the DAS pass, he was able to get on rides within minutes, skip the queue and enjoy the rides he wanted to do. In between we could go somewhere quiet, or go eat. If things were getting too much for him, we could book something for much later on and leave the park and come back later. It gave us so much flexibility to meet his needs, it was wonderful. With the changes that have happened with DAS applications now, I don't even think that he'd qualify now for what he had last time. We may get the standby line option, but having to split a family up (one to stand in line and one to look after my son until it's time), is not helping at all, especially for when he gets upset it can be parent dependent on who he wants to be with him. If you are spending all of that money at Disney and you have a disability, Disney should be bending over backwards to help those in need. To me, it just seems like it's another way for Disney to make money on Genie+ / LL tickets when they turn down DAS applications and families have no other option but to buy those expensive services. That's why when we go to Orlando next year, we are skipping Disney all together. I'm not risking purchasing a Disney package holiday, or even Disney tickets to then find out we can't get DAS for my son. Coming from the UK, it would be a £10-£15k ($12-$17k) gamble for us, and without a DAS pass, it wouldn't be worth it. Instead we are going with Universal instead, who offer a much more convenient way of applying (through a third party) and are more open to all disabilities.
i have autism; i find this so gross. All disabled people should be able to have das. The fact someone who has medical documents is getting denied in general is horrible.
A person in a wheelchair can get around and wait like everyone else. They are unfortunate having no use of legs. Though you don't see grocery stores or resteraunts letting people in wheelchairs cut in line. Only sever conditions where you can't stay still should have any special privileges. Say sun sensitivity or mental illnesses that cause you to freak out.
@@philiplubduck6107 I dont have an physical disabiltiy so i cant speak on that. But theres an huge difference between an grocery store line and an amusment park line. The line for an amusment park is hours long. Again, i dont know much about physical disabilities. But personally i think i as an autistic person should be able to skip lines because of how loud and stress ful waiting in a line can be. Theyres so much loud noises at the park that the quicker i get through the line the better, becaused theres an smaller chance of me having an shut down.
Disney should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for even letting such an unfair system be put in place and it’s completely ableist against people who need it most. Not to mention how greedy the price is.. Absolutely ludicrous. As someone with Autism, that is downright horrible and shameful.
Disney denying this person access to DAS is truly awful and I hope the story goes viral and shames them. I think it’s also interesting to see how people react to people with very visible disabilities vs people with internal/psychological disabilities. It tells me we need more education and empathy about disabilities across the board. Also, this was less of an issue when EVERYONE got free access to the fast pass system. People with disabilities could plan their day accordingly and able bodied people had freedom to do the same… let’s not lose sight of the issue being Disney’s money grab!! We all should be pressuring Disney to do better by its customers across the board.
At this point, not only are we not ever going back to a Disney property, but I feel ashamed at having paid them thousands of dollars for years on family vacations.
I don’t think you should necessarily be ashamed for your past experiences at Disney, the company was run by competent people at one time but who ever is in charge now should be ashamed of how they let their quality and experience diminish severely since the changing of the guard. I used to love Disney because of Walt Disney but unfortunately modern Disney is trying to erase Walt’s legacy and I have no interest in giving Disney any of my money for the crappy movies, overpriced merch, and lame parks. Last time I went to Disney was 10 years ago and I used to go almost once a summer when I was a kid but this new DEI Disney is not what I became a fan of when I was young.
You know what the kicker is, and this isn’t widely circulated but I spoke to a cast member at Disney who has accommodation while She is working because she is disabled but was also Denied DAS, no Disney only cares about the dollar signs
It is heartbreaking to hear her speak. Disney has completely lost its moral compass. I wish it were just about profit. The movies are proof that it isn’t. It is all so sad to watch. Terrible leadership all the way to the top.
I have severe anxiety and panic disorder. I was denied. My husband who has always been approved in the past, because he’s disabled and a wheelchair user, was denied. Went 2 weeks ago for a fun day out (WDW) and had a major panic attack in the line for Kali River Rapids. We left the line and left the park.
I don't mean this disrespectfully at all, but why would you choose to go to a place like a theme park with your type of issues? It would seem like it's a prime place for your issues to be triggered. I've had to make the decision to not visit Disney parks for other reasons. My life isn't over...I do other things instead
I don't quite understand, she has a wheelchair, she has a breathing tube, and she has a problem with her eye. But they denied her? It makes you wonder how they are going to accoundiate people with disabilities.
@@bncsmom1 surely, everyone who is only legally blind can see well enough to avoid those who suddenly step/jump in front of you! Unless things have changed WDW wouldn’t let you take a motorized scooter inside but instead required you to transfer to one of their manual wheelchairs! Then you needed someone able to push you in the wheelchair.
It’s so horrible and shameful!!! Walt Disney himself would be outraged!!!! Disney needs to change their morals. They’ll give everything to the shills who praise Tiana’s bayou adventure but turn away this poor woman who needs DAS!!!
Vash nailed our situation exactly. We have had annual passes/magic keys for my disabled daughter about 8 times now over the last 20 years. We splurged this year and purchased the top key at $1750 each. My daughter has qualified for the DAS pass every time. I am pretty certain she will not qualify for the DAS pass under the new rules. Basically, instead of going to Disneyland 5 times per month for about 4 hours per visit, we will probably now only go once or twice for 4 hours per visit. We still have 8 months left on our passes. Disney changed the rules on us after we purchased the passes. Seems like we should be able to get a prorated refund on our passes.
This is disgusting! I hope we see more videos like this exposing Disney’s heartless and greedy attitude. Implement universal’s disability system or everyone else will just go to universal! I’ve been a long time Disney goer and it was a wonderful clean and safe place for a disabled guest like myself. Not anymore. I swear I have never faced nearly as much ableism in my life than I have since they announced changes to Das. Disney treats us like garbage and now tons of Disney fans have followed their lead and jumped on disabled Disney fans like myself and others. If I had a nickel for everytime someone has said “wait in line with the rest of us if you want equality so bad”, “buy genie+”, or the big one “stay home”. It’s appalling! Thank god universal doesn’t treat us like shit.
Agreed. Now, I'm a totally blind person, so whilst yes I can wait in a line, I'd end up starting to rock and sometimes not actually knowing I'm doing this. It can be distracting for sighted people if they see this. Not only that, but audio loops in queues are around 40 minutes to an hour, so if ou've got longer than that inline you will be stuck hearing the same audio loop. A sighted person has many more visual details they can look at.
😡💢STFU ALREADY!!! Just STOP comparing Disney to freaking Universal already! I'm SO sick to death of this! STOP blaming Disney for everything, damn it! This is so STUPID!!! I may be a Disney fan myself, but I NEVER jump on disabled Disney fans like you and others! Disney DOESN'T have a heartless and greedy attitude at all!!!! BOB IGER DOES!!! He's the ONE with the heartless and greedy attitude here, NOT Disney! And you're NOT going to Universal, pal! You're GOING back to Disney because my friends and I are going to CHANGE Disney for the better!
I am a person with a lifelong disability. WDW was an oasis, a place I went to with my parents as a child, then as a teen and a young adult, and into my adult years, for one "magical" reason: it was the one place in the world that was almost entirely barrier-free, where I could join my friends and family and do the things they were doing and just have fun. When my husband and I got married (over twenty years ago), we spent part of out honeymoon there, and had a fantastic time. We went back several times, enjoying ourselves immensely. Society has made leaps forward in accepting people with disabilities in its ranks. Disney feels like it is taking a huge leap back -- I feel a lot less welcome there today than I did just a few years ago..
I just wish they would let us pre-apply before we buy tickets. My wife has always qualified and she can’t handle the parks without it but we just can’t risk us buying the tickets first and then getting denied under the new system. (We think she should quality but they seem to be rejecting anyone but little boys with autism).
My friend said he had problems with Disney and how they dealt with him. He does not have legs and uses a wheel chair, his boys are 8 and 10, so not going to wait in line by themselves even if dad will not go on ride with them. He did not tell me what ride it was but he was not planning on going on just supervising his kids in line. When they got to the point where the next ride would be his kids . He was told he could not ride by a cast member he said only his sons were going to ride and that cast member said no. The dad asked if his sons were not tall enough to ride by themselves he was told no . Another cast member came up pot his boys in their seat and help my friend get to the end of the ride to wait for his sons. My friend could not figure out why there was a cast member handling the situation one way that would exclude his son and another cast member dealt with it another way cause the parent with them is in a wheelchair.
The thing is, the DAS as it stood until a couple of months ago was that you were NOT jumping the queue. All that happened was that you were given a return time (be it 20 minutes or 2 hours later) and you went off and had something to eat, the older/less mobile members of your party could sit down and rest, or you could visit the restrooms to 'kill time' until your return time opened up. You then came back to the LL queue, tapped in and then entered the ride. We never got to jump the queue, and we never walked straight onto the ride anyway. Even the LL queue at Toy Story Midway Mania (for example) involved a bit of a wait on a busy day. So how can people be abusing the system as it were and jumping queues? We had a family group of 5 this past April - one wheelchair, 2 scooters, an old lady and a 66-year-old with dodgy legs. The DAS worked perfectly for us (I also suffer from crowd anxiety). Now we can no longer get this unless my daughter (who is autistic) comes with us - and even then she may not qualify any more. Our party also went to Universal where we queued for an hour only to be told that we needed to show medical evidence of our disabilities in order to get their equivalent pass. Well, I'm sorry but we don't have written medical evidence. The thing about Universal's system is that it's down to the people at the entrance of each ride to decide how they want to play it. A couple of times there wasn't a wheelchair available for me to transfer off my scooter to go into the ride, and I can't stand/queue for that long. These lovely people manually ran us off Express Pass tickets so we could walk in and I wouldn't be stuck unable to ride anything. It is going to cost over £600 each for hubby and I to go to Disney next year - that's more than the cost of the airfare over to the US in the first place. I'm not spending that much money only to find out a month before our trip that we can't get the new DAS and will therefore only get to do 3 things a day. I'm not even sure the battery on my scooter will last if I have to keep it on so I can 'shuffle' through a 2-hour queue! If we had to endure the system that that poor girl was told to do, ie husband in a queue on his own for 2 hours and me sitting like a lemon outside the ride waiting until I can join him at the gate ... well, I can tell you now that ain't gonna happen! This is a new system, and teething problems will always be a thing. They need to make tweaks in order for the system to work - or they may as well not have anything at all, and then people will just stop going. No-one is going to pay over $100 a day for a family of 4 to buy the Genie + - and even then the rides you want to go on may well not be available.
That worked okay but on one of our trips, every time we returned at our designated time, the ride was shut down and we had to be given another new time so we never did get to ride.
My husband is a disabled vet. He has horrible neuropathy, many other neurological issues (including MS) especially in his legs. He does use a cane and we do have to take breaks often while in a park setting such as Disney. We went to the MK at Disneyworld to get a DAS pass a few years ago. The lady said; well, he can use a wheelchair, can't he? The point is, he does not want to use a chair. He is a Marine, so he continues to walk so he doesn't lose use of his legs. It was like she (lady at Disney) totally miss the purpose of the pass? We left very frustrated, and he said he would never ask for help again like that. It was very sad. This young lady in the video on the vent definitely could have used a DAS pass. Disney needs to pay attention to Universal as it was not like this there (we did both parks 2 years ago). People with disabilities just need a little extra help, I don't understand Disney.
Also with MS, we cannot sit for hours in line with heat. And we have exhaustion problems that is exacerbated by long lines and heat to the place where we will be weak as kittens for days. People have no idea the amount of exhaustion. Disney is being stupid. They need to also take into consideration the fragility of many disabled people. A wheelchair isn't going to take care of that part of the disability. A short line for all rides with friends is the only solution to our situation. We do not have the strength to endure the long lines. It's more than just being challenged with the mobility issue. MS is just the tip of the iceberg of other disabled people who also have different fragility and strength issues that a wheelchair does not cover. Even with wheelchairs, IT DOESN'T BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE DISABILITY. I hope Disney gets their pants sued off.
my further question: why are folks who work for 'the disabled' not commenting or having our backs? Why isn't ARC, UCP, etc as "charities' concerned with the disabled, not pulling their weight here? We need support by some agency to get some voice here.
I’ve gone to Disney world as a little kid and the accessibility for someone like myself with a severe disability was honestly part of the magic of the Disney experience. I didn’t have to worry about not being able to access rides or shows and being separated from my parents while waiting in line. I had been tentatively talking with my mom about taking a family trip to Disney world since we haven’t been there in over two decades. If the new disability service system is this flawed, though, I am concerned that I would pay for the expensive tickets and end up not being able to safely enjoy the parks. Please do better Disney. Most people with disabilities don’t have money to burn on a wasted trip if they are unable to get disability services.
I'm very sad to say as a former Disney cast member and also someone who has become disabled and a disability advocate, I would suggest spending your money elsewhere. I'm sorry but this is not the same Disney you and I know. Aside from that they refused to the number of daily entrances and don't expand enough to accommodate this so the lines on the existing attractions just get longer and longer and longer all the while they drive up the price more and more. Many of the resorts and eateries have been completely deep themed or dumbed down as I like to say demagiced. These problems are especially evident at Disney World but Disneyland as you can see is being invaded by the same beyond greed mentality. Once Upon a Time Disney understood that leading with creative and providing exceptional service along with magical experiences yet kept the price in line enough for most people to afford a trip there several times in their life where is now it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the vast majority of people. Of course by having this attitude they need to make Cuts somewhere to appease the shareholders and this is the most recent. Disney has become lost in the wilderness. I strongly believe that this current system is very likely illegal but has been made possible by exploiting some kind of loophole and probably greasing the campaign funds of a few politicians. I want to go just to prove a point so I can sue the hell out of them but they're even trying to make that impossible as well. You know why? It's because they know it's illegal.
I was just at Disneyland CA last week. One thing I noticed was the very long line of disabled people most like waiting to get their DAS pass… it was very sad.. at least 20 people many standing on crutches, in wheelchairs and specialized medical equipment.. you would think they were enduring the wait of an ER room 😢
How far Disney parks have fallen. Back in the day being disabled in any sense of the word netted you fast access to rides, with zero questioning from staff. One time I went back in the very early 2010s I sprained my ankle and had to rent wheelchairs to get by the parks. I was allowed to enter the rides fast without questioning.
Disney is a terrible company. Disney needs to stop holding the general public in such disregard. This was entirely foreseeable and more videos like this are likely to come out.
😡💢💢You're WRONG!!! This was entirely UNFORSEEABLE and NO more videos like this are likely to come out because Disney is NOT a terrible company! Disney is a GREAT company with a TERRIBLE CEO! And Bob Iger is the TERRIBLE CEO in question! HE'S the one holding the general public in such disregard! But that's all going to change. His days as Disney's CEO are numbered. It won't be long before he gets replaced by someone who actually cares about Disney and its fans. Instead of mindlessly blaming Disney, let's blame the executives. They're causing this mess, NOT Disney!
If Disney is allowing this to happen and continue under leadership, then it is Disney’s responsibility to put in new leadership. a company that keeps CEOs or management that did not reflect their values does not exist. Turning Bob Iger into a scapegoat just doesn’t make any sense.
Thank you for spreading awareness on this issue! I'm disabled but not majorly like this woman. And I'm sorry telling people to practice waiting in lines is absurd! I'd be willing to wait in a line with my specific disability, but not all people can. Disney is showing that they don't actually care about those with disabilities. It's horrifying to me that that woman had to even make that video!
This video is very disturbing and heart breaking. Disney needs to wake up. There are many AP’s that are disabled and need accommodations. Paying for lightning lanes on a daily basis is not possible for most. Shameful handling of DAS.
That young lady should not have to go wait on her own while he party waits in line. She clearly needs someone to assist her at all times. "Othering" indeed.
In 2018 I took my parents. My dad has trouble walking/standing for long periods of time, and we asked about what their policies were. None of the cast members seemed to really know. Guest relations would give one set of instructions, then those at the attractions would say something else. Most didn't have a clue as to what to say. We took it in stride, but it was a bit frustrating. Some cast members were very accommodating, though, and when they saw him slowly making his way forward with a cane, invited him to be a "special guest" that took us through the FastPass lane.
Even before this recent DAS update, anyone with these issues would have been told to use a wheelchair. It's been put in place for years that DAS was no longer for any mobility disabilities. It would be a disability that is adjacent to the mobility issues that would qualify the individual. It was on their DAS page for years. Which is why when I went last year, and the year before, it was my other disabilities that were considered. Never the fact that I was in a powerchair.
@@That_Service_Dog Interesting. Yeah, we didn't really push. Before going, I went on their website and read that they had a system in place for those who couldn't stand in lines due to physical problems and to go to guest services upon arrival. Maybe this wasn't DAS, but another service? Anyway, we did what the website instructed and guest services gave us a special map and other instructions, which we followed when going to the rides only to get confused looks from cast members. Apparently there was some breakdown in communication but we didn't fight it.
I'm with you on this. Who is this system for, if not the woman in the video? Not every line meets ADA/ABA requirements at Disney. They are going to have a bigger mess on their hands soon if they don't get a handle on this.
Das is not skipping limes the time for standby is the time person waits. They just wait outside of the que maybe in ac or shop be able to go to bathroom and get medication ect.
@@jamielovejaxfunandfood I said they're skipping costs, not wait time. A lot of people have been misusing DAS to avoid paying for LL's. If it were free again, there would be no extra payments to avoid.
The whole disabled system is broken. A coworker of mine was able to get disabled tickets for his family because one of his kids has anxiety and doesn’t like crowds.
Then why are they taking him to a very very very crowded place. Seems cruel to me. Oh wait because the kid is their ticket to front of the line. See the example of why they need to make changes. Abuse.
It’s one thing to fake anxitey to get a pass like that but for the people with serious issues with anxiety combined with other disorders it is unbearable, the medicines you take to get it back in control in stressful “emergency” situations can turn you into a pile of Jelly and no one should have to be comatose to go through a ride, that pass for people in those situations means you don’t have to take the “emergency” medicines and can actually be present and. Enjoy the park, that is why I believe medical documentation should be necessary because lots of disabilities are hidden
i get anxiety in larger crowds. I got das for this before i was dignoised with autism. I still love going to disney, accomidations make it better for me. To feel comfortable and not get overstimulated. Also haft to ask if they got it after the changes or not? I probably wouldnt quilafy now even though i have autism, adhd, sensory processing disorder, and anxiety.
I think wheen we had the free pre selection some people who may have needed the Das pass would use that instead rather than jump through the DAS hoops. But once they started charging for this people who "managed" ended up asking for the Das pass. This makes Disney think there is a lot of abuse, when I think it was a relatively small number of people.
We used the pre-booked fast pass for our trip to disneyworld in 2019, before we knew that our son was autistic. It worked well but it also helped that our son was too small to go on the huge long wait rides. 2023 and 2024 we used DAS and there were still meltdowns in the park each day. DAS is absolutely essential, especially for rides that don’t have LL because even a 20-minute line is challenging for him due to his sensory issues. I think you’re 100% right in your statement.
@@NL4915 My daughter has severe nonverbal ASD, and while we've never gone to any Disney Park with her, we have been hoping to take her to WDW next year for her 18th birthday. I've weighed our options with and without DAS, and what it comes down to is knowing her triggers. We know she is a runner, so plan to use a wheelchair as a stroller for her. This will also keep her from getting overly tired, which is a trigger. We know that we can distract her with a Tablet or Phone (With the Walmart App, her favorite,) and with treats and fidget toys. My husband and I both also have mobility issues, which would not qualify for DAS because we are both able to transfer from an ECV to the rides without problems. We had considered the possibility of hiring a Para to accompany us to assist with Daughter, but under the new DAS guidelines a Para wouldn't be allowed, which means that we would have to rely on our 16 year old son to assist with pushing the wheelchair (He and my husband can switch out pushing the wheelchair and riding the ECV. I'm considered a fall risk because I can lose my balance easily.) We aren't concerned about going at a slower pace than most people. We already know that there will be attractions that we will miss, but we know which ones we want to prioritize, and if my daughter needs to take breaks throughout the day, that doesn't mean hubby and son can't go enjoy themselves for a while while daughter and I rest somewhere off the beaten path. We also plan on going at one of the slower times of year, so less crowds to begin with, and shorter lines. I guess my point is that they are prioritizing DAS for people who actually have alternative options, while people who legitimately need it are being refused, but either way, what most people really need to do is actually sit down and PLAN for what they can and cannot do. Do the research before you go. There are descriptions of the wheelchair access loading options on the rides that have it, and what options you have for the rides that don't have access yet. Just because some people don't qualify for DAS, doesn't mean they can't get the optimal experience from the parks. And for the people who abused the system to begin with, this is why we can't have nice things...
Big difference from when my brother went as a kid. I mean how much worse do you have to get? Roll up in a gurney with a heart monitor beeping? A coffin and a mortician?!?
This is the first time I’ve seen a channel correctly forgo their branding (intro/outro music) appropriately while addressing a sensitive subject. Bravo!
Was told that I could "Catch up to my party" as well. But was told tough luck if I don't come with someone else, which I usually travel alone with my service dog. I have a power chair, C-PTSD, and can stop breathing if kept in close quarters with common chemicals found in personal hygiene and laundry products. Wearing my respirator only helps for short times. After about half an hour, I will have absorbed enough through my skin and eyes that I still will start to react. But sure, let me wait in a 90-minute line and we will get to have EMTs try to resuscitate me.
That’s horrendous. I have a service dog too and I do not want to force her to be in a claustrophobic space for an hour. She’s getting older too so I would appreciate if every attraction had a crate like universal cause even the dark rides jossel her around a bit and she’s too big for me to hold.
@@VixenLovelove Having a service dog, alone, has never qualified one to get DAS. Nor using a scooter or wheelchair. But the adjacent disabilities that many have, including the woman in the video as well as myself, is what would qualify. But now, even those who are neurodivergent and/or with things like PTSD are even being excluded. Despite what their website states. The last time DAS was updated, they did push for more mental health disabilities, as well. But it still did aide in things that included those who have to use the bathroom at the drop of the hat, or those who can pass out due to long exposure to sun and so on. Basically, this is a way to say that they offer accommodations for the disabled without actually having to give it to those same disabled. Because let's face it; they don't value us as customers.
@@That_Service_Dog I understand that. I have some other disabilities. I’m just saying for as much as Disney claims to be disability friendly, universal has them beat. Especially now. Last I check Disney stock is at 99 dollars so I like to think part of that is all the disabled guests that have cancelled their trips.
Everyone I know that is in the disabled community wants them to use a 3rd party system like most other major parks do where they require you to upload medical documentation. The best suggestion I have seen for party size is to allow the guest 1 companion free and then allow you to purchase multipass to increase your party size up to 6. We want to be able to keep our group together but don't expect it to be free for everyone. The biggest issue right now is the uncertainty of the whole process. The DAS interview is less than 30 days before the start of your trip and if you get denied it's too late to cancel. Similarly is getting a stroller wagon red tagged and as a parent to an autistic child stroller vs stroller wagon are not the same when it comes to calming safe spaces. I personally know 3 people who have cancelled Disney trips over this. The one I know who didn't cancel just spent 7 hours waiting for her DAS video call only to be told her tickets were not viewable in the DAS system because they are linked to her room and would not be available until 7 days prior.
My husband and I went to Disney World for our honeymoon in 2021. I used the DAS Pass and we had a bit of a problem using it on our first day at Epcot. Long story short after talking to many cast members i was able to use the pass. I think their biggest problem was even through I have cerebral palsy, I can walk & I do have a walker/wheelchair. After a long discussion, we reserved a time to come back to the ride and that worked out just fine for us. If you do not have to legally disclose a disability on a job application, then what gives Disney to right to judge on the type of disability you have!!! It’s shameful that people have aboused this system to help people with disabilities enjoy Disney just like anyone else.
Bless her, offering to pay for a service when she really shouldn't have to - I know people have been taking advantage of the service, but she obviously qualifies for DAS!
She is "severely" disabled! What did they even mean by that?? Someone who is completely paralyzed or in a vegetative state?? I doubt someone who is completely paralyzed isn't getting on rides!! Ooof🤦♀️
@@wookieeMan06I was wondering about that too. To be fair though, it’s like this in every case, both parties alter the facts to fit their side of the story.
The people who control Disney, for their purposes, redefined the word "disabled". Disney considers neurodivergency a bigger handicap than physical disability, and their new policy reflects this.
@@whistlingsage9817 And even then, there are MANY with autism and PTSD who are still being denied. On the disabled forums and pages, it is a common vent several days where people will inform those who are looking to do a trip what to expect. The invasive questions, only to be denied.
Wow. I was a cast member at Disney World for 3 years in the early 2000s and I cannot fathom that they are doing this. It is completely antithetical to how I was trained by them. My guess is that Disney will make it very public gesture for this particular guest but will continue to do the same crap to everyone else. In recent years I became disabled and also a disability Advocate and I can tell you that the procedure that they put them through and then making them sign something that they won't file a lawsuit etcetera well I'm pretty sure it's illegal in violation of Title II of the ADA. I'm still astonished as Disney of old this would have been unthinkable. Seriously what the hell Disney? What skin off of your ass is this? The vast majority of your guests now think you're cruel and heartless. That can't be good for your stock prices and considering that's all you seem to care about nowadays I would think you would do something different.
I feel her!! ive been using Das for my disabilities for years and it has been a blessing. My husband and i paid thousands of dollars for our magic keys. I will try my best to have a good time at disneyland this year, there may be times when im going to have to leave because for the lack of accommodation. But i can tell you this, I WILL NOT BE GOING BACK TO DISNEY UNTIL THEY CHANGE THERE DAS SYSTEM. I will happily give my money to universal, and im sure other disabled people will be doing the same.
@@Roadent1241exactly or you get told there are so many drugs to help you, not knowing a lot of the more powerful drugs you take in “emergency” situations either knock you out flat or turn you to a pile of jelly to where you can’t experience anything
DAS has never been about addressing a wide range of disabilities. As a disabled man, I have inquired 2 times, once before and once after the changes. Both time I was told it was NOT for persons with mobility issues, that it was for people with cognitive issues that made it difficult to stay in line without being a disruption. For others like this woman, and me, we are instructed to 1) use handicap / wheel chair access entrances, where they exist for rides, and get a return time for boarding, 2) use rides that are ADA compliant (all in DCA, galaxy’s edge in DL), or consider paying for lightning lane if standing for long periods is an issue. I was told if I had issues standing, I needed to get a mobility scooter. That did not change. Please, don’t get me wrong, Disney does a VERY POOR job of addressing the needs of the handicap population by failing to provide adequate parking, refusing to enforce parking to those who have a valid need/permit, and making sure that handicap quests are not abused by others. I’ve seen many cars incorrectly parked in areas that were designated as handicap only, seen spots reserved for handicap vehicles that did not meet state requirements, and the entire Pixar Pals structure has zero handicap designated spots. Restaurants are not managed well to allow access to tables. Aisles have been reduced in stores to allow for more merchandise, and cast members who are rude or will only give helpful information about access if pressed to give details. The biggest change for DAS is the contracting it out to a 3rd party who has some medical training to evaluate verifications.
Thank you for the awareness. Thank you to Charisma for sharing her story. We need more people to speak up about this. Disney’s message is clear: Disabled people are not safe or welcome at the Parks anymore.
Thanks for bringing a greater spotlight to this situation and topic... While it's understandable that a company like Disney wants to avoid abuse of a system they are implementing, it is quite clear that a lawyer probably made up a highly complex set of situational rules and guidelines for this system... That is probably so complex and convoluted that the folks implementing the system on all levels are probably not on the same page, and while on the surface it seems like they are doing this good thing, it is in fact not so bright and shiny as advertised under its surface... I hope that video goes internet viral and shames Disney in some way... Because it sounds like they need to rethink that whole system...
This was in early 2018, Me and my mother are both disabled (her physically and me neurodivergence and physically) and we had issues of das denial for my mom who was only able to use a scooter to get around the park and they claimed the denial was due to the "ada accessible queues" but every queue she brought her scooter into, a cast member told us we needed to leave the line and park the scooter she was using in the stroller area. If she couldn't have walked at all i would have been the only one there to push a wheelchair for her which i wouldn't have been able to do because it would be too heavy. We did eventually get approved but it was only due to the neurodivergence on my part. This has been a long broken system that's becoming worse and worse, i wouldn't be able to go to the parks nowadays even if i could afford it due to the broken system of the das pass
Because a few people abused the wheelchair system, now anyone with GENUINE disabilities is treated like dirt. And sadly, some of the guests, (namely Disney Adults) think this is great. People have become so cold hearted and cruel. I can no longer go to Disney, because even though I have visible physical disabilities, I was told to rent a $70 wheelchair and get over it. Yet I watched people with supposed "Autism or PTSD" have no issues at all getting a pass. So...if I'm MENTALLY ill, I can have a pass. If I can barely walk or breath, no go. Yeah. Nice. Thanks. But no...taking my money and family elsewhere.
Just to be very clear. Disney would like these lovely people to show up to their theme park with their family and friends…then Disney is asking them to have their family and friends abandon them while they wait in line for them. Then, text/call them to come back to the ride and meet them before they get one. What a joke. Oh, but then you have an option to pay for normal Lightning Lane instead? Sorry, but I really REALLY hope this gets addressed as soon as possible.
The worst part is that Disney isn’t the only one. Other parks like Knotts Berry Farm are also switching to separating families to try and solve the problem of people abusing DAS.
DAS accommodation is NOT line cutting. You have to wait the same amount of time, just more comfortably, maybe in the shade with a beverage. Please remember a disabled person does not have the stamina of a fully able bodied person. I know my daughter would prefer to be a fully able body person, but she’s not. We do the best we can. We don’t go from rope drop till close. We’re lucky to ride three rides and that’s with using DAS.
My total guess here is that she seems smart. Not significantly cognitively impaired, at least. They might be trying to limit das to people who lack appropriate social judgement due to significant cognitive impairment. In asd, you can have tantrums and elopement behaviors in which you can't reason with the person. Though, i think PTSD can have the same result due to emotional impairment without cognitive impairment. Just as one example i can think of. I have to agree that requiring people with disabilities to be isolated in a theme park is a discrimination. Isolating people with disabilities is cliche discrimination.
Had a similar experience at Universal last year too. I am on the spectrum and was granted a pass while my friend with severe cerebral palsy was not. This is a trend going on throughout the parks. Although now Uni found a looophole to require paperwork so it takes ages to get an access pass now. Sad.
@@juansotelo3996 Lets not forget about how the cemetery is the one who denied the father's wish to put Spiderman on his son's grave without getting a right to use by the owners. They're the ones who worried about Disney suing them.
While on a child’s actual Wish trip, the family has a special pass to use that is not DAS. However, on return trips, these Wish children are now being denied the DAS service, unless they have a severe cognitive disability. My daughter is a Wish alumni and no longer qualifies. Just because her Wish trip is over, does not mean that she has magically been cured and healed. The majority of Wish children have lifelong, life-threatening medical conditions. Considering Disney is a big supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, this is an absolute slap to the face.
I didn’t really understand the system and I still don’t completely understand it but I had the same question after seeing this girl’s video: who qualifies now? We took my elderly grandparents to Disney back in the early 00’s and we’d just roll up to the line with the wheelchair and they let us through. We didn’t sign up for anything, didn’t jump through any hoops. Just showed up. The magic has really fallen by the wayside in these kind of situations
The ones who need it the most are the ones who suffer from a well documented history of people who knowingly abused the system by using a disabled person to bypass waiting in line.
It’s a strong red flag when a company insists that you do not sue them for this, that or the other before “helping” you with anything… this means that they KNOW they are doing something that may cause a guest to want to sue them and they’re covering their ass!
This is absolutely horrific. My first time in Disneyland my dad was disabled and had to use a wheelchair. Its been a long time now but I remember the system being a lot easier. We were able to go on Pirtates of the Caribbean with him and its one of my favorite memories. Fast forward now the next time i ever decide to go to Disneyland I also would probably be considered disabled due to a heart condition and recovery from a stroke. People with disabilities are people with families who love them and they deserve to be treated with respect. Disney HAS to do better
Man, what a tough situation that Disney is handling disgracefully. I worked at Disneyland in attractions from '06-'15 and there were a lot of DAS issues towards the end of my time there. There were a lot of times where the DAS line was longer than the normal line. Maybe that was because of people abusing the system or maybe it was because the system wasn't capable of handling that many people in general. When they switched over to the fastpass-like DAS system where you'd book a time, I thought that was a really worthwhile change. I totally understand Disney denying people DAS passes if every line for every attraction is wheelchair accessible, but making someone wait ALONE, especially someone who would clearly benefit from a companion, is awful. I would respect them putting limits on how many people can use a DAS pass (I think there might already be a limit of six people, which I think is a decent number.) But if a ride doesn't let you stay in your wheelchair for the entire queue with the rest of your party, you should be offered an alternative way to wait with them, plain and simple.
As a non disabled person I am fine with people with clear disabilities having DAS. The people with non physical disabilities should be case by case. Disney over corrected because people were abusing the DAS system. On a more pessimistic note maybe Disney doesn’t like the “look” of people with disabilities in the parks. It’s a natural to feel bad for someone in a wheelchair and we can’t have that in the happiest place on earth.
I have autism, OCD and arthritis, so being close to other people gives me anxiety and walking for long periods of time puts my feet on fire. I went to their disability services area and I was denied their disability benefits from a 5 question test simply because I didn't look disabled enough. I told them I can't walk for long periods of time, but all they offered me was to go get a scooter or wheelchair. Which I refused. And sure enough, within two hours of on and off walking, my feet started hurting like crazy and I could barely get around the place. Even when I sat down for 15 minutes to take care of my feet, they started burning again the moment I stood up. I had to cut my day at the park short because the strain on my feet was that bad. Disney are a bunch of Ableist monsters.
My daughter has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. We went to disney world in 2012 when she was 4 and they were very helpful and inclusive. We went to disneyland in 2018 and got a fast pass which did not seem to cut down our wait time at all and one swap where we only had to wait in line once for soaring and took tirns waiting with her because we wwre afraid the ride wasnt safe enough for her.
Soarin' is perfectly safe for her. There's a special belt that you put on the smaller children which prevents them from slipping out of the seat. As for Disneyland, you need to go to the CM at the entrance of each ride and ask where the wheelchair entrance is. There isn't a wait cutdown unless you buy Genie+. There is no such thing as skipping the line or cutting it at Disney Parks, outside of Genie+. Get that out of your head now. It's not now nor ever was how DAS worked! How it works is you get a return time, either through the DAS app or from the CM, if the queue itself isn't wheelchair accessible already. You wait outside the queue until your return time comes and then you go to where the CM told you to go to finish waiting and board the ride vehicle.
@bncsmom1 when we were at Disney World in 2012 every cast member immediately brought us to the exit and had us board next. Once I transferred her, they even parked her wheelchair and brought it back to us when our ride was finished. This was prior to genie+ and very few people were allowed this privilege. I heard that people started renting locals in wheelchairs and that was the reason why they discontinued the Das pass.
As a former Cast Member Lead in attractions, the point of the pass is to assist those unable to wait in a line, for whatever reason. Disney was lenient about that in years past and gave passes to those, as seen in the video, that don’t need an alternate entrance. Their current system is geared towards people (mainly children but not always) that cannot wait in a line, for whatever reason. Without being tone deaf, the point of the pass is not sympathy to the disability you have, it’s designed to accommodate you if you’re unable to wait in the line. This person’s disability doesn’t seem like one that would prevent her from waiting in a standard line, hence she got denied.
I worked attractions at Disneyland from '07-'13. People have always negatively taken advantage of the GAC or DAC or whatever they call it now. The difference is now it's costing Disney money. As for this woman's complaint, ADA requires accommodations so that everyone has access. The queues on newer attractions are wide enough for wheelchairs to fit, but may have alternate loading options. Older attractions have alternate entrances, which may or may not have a wait. I dont know the nature of this woman's disabilty, but the cast members gave her the option of waiting outside or in a more comfortable area while the rest of her group waited in the queue. The GAC/DAC has always had this option. It was never meant to get people on the attractions without waiting.
I have an invisible disability (MS) and have used DAS in the past. At this point, I don’t feel that I could do a day at any theme or amusement park without certain accommodations. But now, thanks to Disney’s change of policy, all I would be offered is a wheelchair. I guess I should be grateful to have the wheelchair, but I’ve never used one before and I would hate to have someone in my party be the designated chair pusher. I’m fine walking. That’s not a problem in the short term. The real problem is standing. I can stand maybe 20 minutes at most, less if it’s in the sun. I’m not asking to go to the front of every line, I’m asking for what we had before. I haven’t approved of Disney as a company for a long time, but this is absolutely disgraceful.
They’ve already lost our business we’re going elsewhere on vacation this year. I have stomach problems and without the DASI will not be able to do it. We’re currently booking another vacation for September somewhere else, until they roll this back I’m not coming back. Looking at Vegas or a non-Disney cruise.
I think there's an incredibly easy solution for any park that makes the system both fair for everyone. Prior to coming, or at guest services of the day of, you provide simple documentation showing waiting in a narrow queue is not possible and you register your party. At that point , they give you something to identify your party (like an RFID card). The park has an employee at each ride entrance who monitors the estimated wait time. When a disabled guest party arrives, they scan an RFID, or whatever, and it "saves" a place in line based upon the current wait time and they say come back (or to the exit) at 11:25. At that point, your party is locked to that ride. If you attempt to save a place in another line, the employee will tell you that you have to drop your previous ride to wait for that new ride. Are there going to be able-bodied people who take advantage of a friend's or family member's disability to ride on something with a short line while being locked into another queue? Certainly. But the unfairness of those cases would be far outweighed by isolating disabled persons from their family and friends.
The optics on this are awful. As a Universal pass holder who doesn’t visit Disney, I just have to ask; is Disney intentionally trying to kill itself???
I'm not ashamed at all. I have federal disability paperwork thoroughly documenting my neurodiverse cognitive decline. I happily tried to show it in 2022 but the cast member looked totally afraid to see it. I have panic attacks, severe anxiety, CPTSD, and other issues. My paperwork states clearly I cannot function appropriately with bosses, co-workrs, and the general public. Before in my professional career I was great at being a public teacher which is an insanely stressful and terrifying experience after 16 years. If that is not acceptable, then I won't risk being sued by a guest there. I guess I just can't go.
That's my story, too! I'm a former teacher now handicapped. I have to take anxiety medicine and sleep medicine. These symptoms frequently plague MS patients. The anxiety of having to pass their disability test would be enough to put me over the top in anxiety which then feeds the other MS symptoms.
And it's people like YOU who have made it impossible for genuinely disabled people to have DAS. You complained about those FEW others who abused it. And so they penalized ALL of us.
The girl is wheelchair-bound and can barely breathe on her own - how tone-deaf do you have to be to deny her every bit of available assistance as she shows up and just wants to forget her challenging real life for a few hours. Shameful.
ye but transsexual men in dresses should get priority in order to help dress young 5 year old girls like princesses. Which would you rather, someone who is disabled being treated human or a demon in disguise having their feelings hurt cause they can't touch little children?
Disney - That girl isn't 'disabled enough' to be treated like a person with a disability.
Everyone else after 5 seconds looking at her - Oh yeah she definitely qualifies as disabled.
She's not breathing on her own. That's an invasive ventilator. I use a non-invasive version.
@@jennieh.6494 How do you know this?
@@brianmonahan6838 it’s on her tictok account. If anyone simply clicks on her account, they can clearly see with their 2 eyes that she can walk and breathe on her own…am I saying can she do both things for a very long time, no. But if das is used for not being able to not wait in line, then she doesn’t qualify because unlike fully wheelchair bound disabled people, pressure soars the main concern. She can stand, walk, she has a machine breathing for her so not sure what the issue is. You can’t judge anyone by their looks. Disability comes seen and sometimes unseen. Just cause she looks more disabled than someone that’s in a wheelchair without the breathing tube doesn’t mean she deserves it and the other doesn’t.
It is absolutely heartbreaking. She's willing to pay more to be treated like a human being should be treated. Unfortunately I believe it would be a civil rights violation to charge disabled persons a fee for access. This has just gotten so far out of hand.
Yes, it is absolutely wrong to make disabled guests pay extra just so they can safely experience the park. Besides, her suggestion is only a cost savings for those who go multiple times year. If you are an infrequent disabled guest, it would be no difference in cost. But overall, it's wrong regardless because no disabled person should have to pay more.
@sararubinstein5384 Yep. It's a catch 22 for sure. She shouldn't have to offer to pay more, but she's willing to come up with her own solution and pay extra for it, but even if they wanted to let her, they couldn't because it violates the ADA. Foresight is no longer a quality Disney executives seem to posses.
@@survivaloptions4999 Here's a crazy idea. Why don't they just stop going to disneyland and giving them their money? Why do they continue to willingly give them their money, for a corporation that clearly doesn't care about you, and possibly even discriminating against you. Protest with your wallet. If every disabled person, and ally, did that, disney would feel it, and they would abolish this. But instead, they choose to lube up, and let disney take advantage of them, by continuing to throw money at them, even though they're being discriminated against. What incentive does disney have to change, if they know they have them wrapped around their finger, and they can always take them for granted, no matter what they do?
@@survivaloptions4999 Their financial burden is already more than we can imagine. Many on very limited incomes with high medical expenses. And Disney want to rob them further ? Shameful.
The Idea that you have to agree to not sue them as part of a class action before you do your interview is all the information we need to know that the system is broken and Disney knows it.
bingo!
Their wavier won’t hold up in federal court due to it being a bad faith document.
@@ohplezzplus the American disability act that is federal law Disney can’t win against that
Not to mention this is a potentially big HIPPA violation, depending upon how they handle it.
It's their attempt to protect the company, but its total bullshitt!!! Here..check here..so you cant sue..even if we deny your action!?!? So disabled people have to pay for a pass...and so do their other guests??? I've seen other people who "disabled" and get some kind of pass!?!? Or entry?? And other people who need it more than others. Greed!!!!
She isn't just in a wheelchair, she's on a ventilator. What is wrong with Disney?!
@@samwhitaker0She mentioned she bought her own scooter and the 380 dollars is just to maintain her ventilator. Is it any wonder disabled people don’t want to shill out more money for a once free accommodation just to escape from their hard lives in the real world?
I think the purpose of DAS is for those who CANNOT WAIT IN LINE. As an example, severe autism manifests into horrible tantrums and even violence that can be triggered in line-ups or large, close crowds. Charisma is so lovely and made her argument so eloquently though. ❤ I wish her all the blessing life could bring upon her.
@@taniam1976 you think waiting in line in 100 degree heat and humidity is feasible for her? She can not regulate her body temperature as easily as you or I can when she's stuck in a chair and her air supply essentially acts as a greenhouse making it even less tolerable to breathe.
This whole neurodivergent disability is getting out of hand. Being neurodivergent does not make one incapable of basic bodily functions in high heat. Being neurodivergent does not increase your risk of heat stroke. There may be a case to allow some cases of neurodivergence to qualify but there should without a doubt be qualifications for physical disability.
Short answer is everything
@@tootired4268she doesn’t have to wait in line. Her guests do. Or buy LL and still wait in a line.
It's absolutely gross that a cast member who may not have training in any understanding of specific disabilities (which may not be visible) get to pass judgment on the "severity" of a disability.
So much for inclusion.
They don’t have a cast member making that decision. It’s a vendor
@user-li2yv5je5ethat is short sighted. So only able bodied people should be able to enjoy the park?
Why do people who have no experience in our skin have a say in what we can and can't do in life? I do also mean for trying to get Disability Allowance and such in 'first world' countries like the UK and America.
@user-li2yv5je5e Can I leave Earth because I don't like their system overall? XD I might visit once or twice a year...
This should go viral because the Bob Iger Company should be shamed into reversing course. This is beyond atrocious. Here we have a obviously disabled person, videoing at the park, in full Disney attire and donning merchandise. Vash said it right, if DAS is not for people in her situation, then who is it for? Bob Iger needs to issue a video apology to this individual. Greed, just plain greed.
This person can wait in a line just as easy if not easier than I can. I am forced to stand and walk. She can sit and use a joystick to move.
Sucks she can't use her legs, but you don't have any problem being in a line using a chair. Do you let people cut in line just because they have a wheel chair?
Disney even have her the option to do what she wants while her able bodied friends wait in line like every other able bodied person. Or to wait in line every one else.
@@philiplubduck6107 please answer my question then. If DAS is not for people in her situation which is obviously more than just a wheelchair then who is it for? By your logic they should just discontinue DAS.
@@roverboy006 just people who can not wait in line with reasonale acommadation.
For instance so you pee or poop every 30 minutes or so and don't have a colostomy bag?
Do you have full meltdowns with public interaction like some autistic kids.
Medicine you take every hour or need a drink every 15- take a drink with you. Perhaps being prone to seizures or something along that line as well.
Essentially can you do your own grocery shopping or walk through the store with your parents without needing medical care? If so you don't need DAS.
That or maybe fix the system and make it so DAS isn't a go do whatever pass its a sit on this area over here with AC shade water and bathrooms. You wait the wait time of the ride then get to go on.
The reason they had to get rid of it was able bodied people used it to get a wait time on a long line ride then wait in line for 2-3 other rides then come back and hop on the DAS ride. Rinse and repeat. If they changed this to have people wait like everyone else and ride the same number of rides then it never would have been abused, since you wouldn't get double the rides in for pretending to be disabled.
@@philiplubduck6107 I agree people were abusing it. Disney should crack down on that. The issue now is that you have people who are obviously not “able bodied” as you put it getting denied. Before everyone who needed it would get it. Now it appears the same abusing people familiar with the policy can lie their way using the anxiety angle for example. Thus DAS will continue to be abused, only now inaccessible to the most disabled among us. All so Disney can sell more lightning lanes.
Amazing for a company that’s worried about inclusivity……this is shameful!
Wrong kind of inclusivity; they redefined what it means now.
These days I think the concept of the word vs the actual actions behind the use of the word, are in constant flux, based on the user of the word without any regard to what others think... In most cases, it tends to be used as an excuse for bad behavior, and as a shield to quell debate...
It is all about money
@@MrMaxRebosexactly, with Disney greed triumphs over their obsession with “inclusivity”
I thought the same thing. They don't mean it. It's a gimmick and it's one that's not working for them. I've always said, people with disabilities after the first and most discriminated against everywhere in the world.
People living with an actual disability don’t want to be labelled, put in boxes, have certificates or interviews judging their issues. They’ve had to put up with that shit all their lives. They just want to come to the park, join in and enjoy themselves. If they need a little extra help to get there, let’s give it to them. What kind of a society have we become.
@user-li2yv5je5e no doubt. And now those with real disabilities are being penalised.
@@biancabee7900
You made a superb points! Thank you for expressing that so eloquently. I agree! I have a child with special needs and want him to be treated just like everybody else.
@@taniam1976 unfortunately they have cast members on minimum wage making those decisions.
@user-li2yv5je5eand now us who are actually disabled we have minimum wage workers deciding if I’m disabled enough and now we’re getting punished for the people who may have been abusing the system despite that you cannot just look at someone and decide if they’re disabled because invisible disabilities do exist. Until I became wheelchair bound you would look at me and think I was abusing the DASpass because my disability at that point was not visible.
What would be an example of a non "actual" disability?
As a registered nurse myself, why can't Disney hire RN's for the das interviews? Believe me, a lot of deserving people would get the pass.
Yes I agree! I have an interview coming up next month for my grandson and I intend to ask them what their qualifications are to advise how we are to manage his disability. Such as the practice standing in line at home? That could be considered CBT which would be giving medical advice.
Sadly, Disney doesn’t want to give you DAS. They want you to buy the lightning lane system. My daughter has had DAS for years. She was denied. I won’t get into particulars but our friends are absolutely appalled and unbelieving. The Disney would do this to a disabled person. She has the medical card. The universal requires. My family is letting their annual passes run out at Disney and will now be Universal passholders. This year marks my 50th anniversary of going to Disney 51? Not so much! My heart goes out to the young lady in the video. May Disney come to their senses so that you can enjoy the park you love with your family and friends
While you likely are a competant nurse, I've worked with too many who are not. My husband has five different kinds of seizures. I worked in the ER when a woman came in with her daughter with something that she felt was seizures and wanted her checked out. I was not a medical member of the staff so I had to keep my mouth shut, or I would lose my job. When the girl had a seizure right there at the intake desk, the mom was panicking and asking if it was a seizure, and the nurse was like, "Ma'am, seizures don't act like that."
WHAT!! At last count there have been more than 2000 types of presentation of seizures that are put into a few categories. But this nurse just told the mom that the daughter was just faking. SMH!!
I personally wouldn't mind getting a letter from my doctor who treats my multitude of disabilities, same for my son with his autism. Making sure that someone that I have a medical relationship with to actually make the decision.
@@13ishAbbie 😡😡💢💢WRONG WORDS TO SAY!!! VERY WRONG!!! You and your family ARE going back to Disney and enjoy Disney's 51 because Disney is going to change for the better! STOP letting your annual passes run out at Disney and DON'T be Universal passholders! While I'm sorry to hear that your daughter was denied DAS, I plan to DO something about that!!! I'm NOT joking about this at ALL!
Disney WILL come to their senses so that all of you can enjoy the park you love with your family and friends!!! Disney will change back to the way it was, accommodating to all the disabled. So STOP what you're doing and listen! I PROMISE that we'll DO everything in my power to make things right at Disney AGAIN!!!
They supposedly have "medical professionals" through a third party. When you ask what their credentials are, though, they get mad and hang up on you.
I’ve never written a comment before but I had to for this. I have multiple autoimmune diseases and a bunch of other bodily disorders that make anything physical very difficult and painful. Sometimes I can walk, sometimes I need mobility aids, I can’t stay in the heat for extended periods of time, and I can’t be in the direct sun for even moderate periods of time. My disabilities are already isolating enough, having to be separated from my family and or friends for what might be hours would be devastating and basically the opposite of the entire reason I would go: to enjoy the place I love with the people I love. I was a die hard Disney fan for years, annual pass holder for practically my whole life, I was raised on Disney and it still feels like a sacred part of who I am. My mom (who’d been going to WDW since it opened in 1971) and I cancelled our passes two years ago because of rising prices combined with cuts in budget and quality on Disney’s part. It was a hard decision and I felt crushed and disappointed in Disney. When news about the changes to the disability pass came out a few months ago I was disgusted with Disney, I understood that people were abusing the system but this was not a viable solution for those with physical disabilities. Use mobility aids and wait. What a poor understanding and lack of empathy they showed with these changes. I’ve been going to Universal instead and they seem to understand the importance of treating your guests right, even if they’re disability pass is a bit of a pain to get at least you can still get it! I never thought there’d come a day where I’d boycott Disney in any way but since their DAS pass changes I’ve cancelled all their services, unfollowed all their accounts, and will not be purchasing a single piece of officially licensed merchandise until they get their act together. It’s also shocking to me that it’s taken this long for their discriminatory changes against physical disabilities to be widely noticed.
We have similar situations 😢
She was on a breathing tube. Basic portable vent machine. So what part of disable does Disney not understand? This is wrong we need to speak out about this. This is immoral.
Dose the person have to be dead! Crazy!
Since they have widened all of the attraction ques their thinking is that wheelchair use /confinement has "been taken care of" the disabilities that DAS is now used to compensate for are forms of anxiety caused by crowds, waiting in line etc... the screener, just follows a predetermined flow chart i.e., Dose applicant use wheelchair?, if yes deny, if no proceed to question 6.
@@keithbarnes9419it makes me wonder how they’d respond to me. In a chair due to neurological and orthopedic issues, I also live with acute social anxiety and PTSD. Would that question even be addressed if their flowchart cut me out early because I have access to a power chair? The whole thing breaks my heart.
Thank you for speaking up, Disney needs to know they are discriminating against those of us who are disabled in any way. I have multiple health issues and it prevents me from being able to be in lines for any length of time. I’m with you on this.
So people with disabilities should be separated from their families while on a family vacation? What? This is not a skip the line program. It's a wait somewhere else until it's your turn system. Families still need to wait the same length of time but separately? This is awful.
Right?! The whole point of the vacation was to be together. What is this nonsense?!!! Disney is so completely out of touch with what Walt built it to be in the beginning.
This is the last straw Disney. I took mom there several years ago when she could still walk, even though it was assisted, and we did not get a DAS pass for her. We stood in standby like everyone else, however, most of time, a cast member would pull us out of line and take us though a short cut and board immediately. Mom's disability was very obvious even to an untrained eye, and we were treated very well by everyone. That was back in 2016 before Disney lost their ever lovin' mind. We did not ask for special treatment, yet they gave it regardless. Even nicer, were the kneeling buses that leaned over so it lowered the steps and was easier for mom to board. Disney used to be the place to go if you had disabilities, because they accommodated and welcomed us. Disney, every day now in 2024, I hear and see something bad about y'all, but this is the last straw. Not another dime. I put all my Disney memorabilia away, all my Disney shirts packed up, and as one of Disney's loudest and proudest former supporters/promoters, I will shut up and not another word will support this evil Disney. Y'all wanted a villains park, you got it.
Same. Our recent experiences have been so ridiculous we didn’t buy one souvenir and I’ve begun giving away Disney items to charity
Salute! I had so wished to be able to afford one trip to Disneyland again before my arthritis got too bad for me to be able to walk it but it didn't happen and the only silver lining is that I would have hated giving a single penny of support to the corrupt company Disney had become. It's been about 25 years since I've been now, at least memories are still free. For now.
Same
I tried to get a DAS pass last month for myself. I have anxiety and a joint condition where if I stand for long periods of time, I am in such pain that I can’t walk. I was denied. The phone call was over an hour and one of the most invasive things I have gone through. The cast member kept saying “you don’t have to say anything that you don’t want to” but then would push for more information about my health. Also, if I don’t tell details of my condition, how would they know what my problem is so that they could give me a DAS pass? The call itself gave me anxiety because I had to say what happens when my anxiety rises and my coping mechanisms. By the time I got off the phone, I was in tears. The only accommodations they offered were a wheelchair (which my joint condition I have been advised by a doctor that I need to keep moving) or have someone in my party wait for me. The rest of my family also has various disabilities and would not be able to do that. They clearly did not plan for families that all have disabilities that need to be accommodated. They then said to go to each individual ride in the parks and tell the cast member there because each ride has various other accommodations based on how their line is set up. We did that. We were told by the various cast members that the DAS cast members online were wrong and that they could only offer us a wheelchair or the party member standing in line option. We felt as if we had just been handed off to the next person so that the cast member online wouldn’t have to deal with us anymore. We had planned our trip before the changes were made to DAS and when we told the cast member online that and that we might have to cancel our trip, she said in a very snide manner “well you won’t be refunded.” So we went. We paid thousands of dollars and my family was not able to ride one ride in Hollywood Studios due to the long wait times. We have been going to Disney World regularly for 20 years. Honestly, this was probably our swan song. So disappointing. If you read this far, thank you for listening.
Can't they just accept a medical diagnosis? Like a doctor's note or something?
This is shameful. Why would they deny disability access to someone who's in a wheelchair, and who needs a ventilator, plus she has a noticeable twitch in her eye? Why would they deny this service to anyone with severe physical disabilities? They'll sure take your money fast enough, though! Boy! They could get sued, if not by her, then by her family. All this trouble, for a vacation. I wouldn't be surprised if they never wanted to return to the park, after that. I have Autism, but that's not as bad as what she's experiencing. Disney needs to put people first.
I had a conversation with Disney Client Services after the new policy was announced but before it was enacted. There are members of my party with orthopedic issues, and with coronary issues. Standing in line is difficult. I asked if I could get clearance ahead of time to avoid embarrassment and offered to supply supporting medical records, in an effort to have our account noted permanently or even yearly. I felt for the cast member. She understood the problem, had literally no training on how to handle the issue, and asked me to delay our trip until cast members could receive training. It is humiliating. And at this point, I'll just pay the money. And if it's still too difficult we have made a decision to just go elsewhere. One shouldn't have to beg. And by the way -- the "ban" threats that were made public when this policy change was announced are ludicrous. It's on Disney. They have to have clear and just guidelines published. And, although I am not a proponent of firing people, whoever came up with this insulting cash grab should be fired out of hand. This entire mess is unacceptable.
The issue with orthopedic issues is that they would force you to rent a wheelchair since the lines are wheelchair friendly with only 2 or 3 exceptions in the entire property
@@ThemeParkAngel Thank you for your response, but that is true of virtually everyone with a serious health issue. And it is a way to go. It's not about the cost. It's about the dignity of the person. Maybe they would rather not be in a wheelchair. We had the ability to do that before the change in policy... which frankly seems more like the lack of a workable policy. We have, as a group, decided to politely boycott Disney rather than make one of our party feel uncomfortable. It's a better route for us to go.
@darakelian not disagreeing with you. Making someone pay for a wheelchair or genie or lightening is not right. You should not have to pay to enjoy the experiences that others enjoy.
I, too, have coronary issues and I am on blood thinners (warfarin). I can’t take too much heat, and the DAS made my visits to WDW tolerable. I have plans to go in late September. I guess I’ll have to ante up for the shorter lines. It’s going to make my trip so much more difficult, financially.
with narcissists, it's not about helping - it's about *appearing* to be helping
@@x3213xxx that sums up the rat
Elon Musk called it. Hi Bob!
Elon Musk: a champion for the disabled 🙄(Bob is awful too)
It’s so shady how Disney forces applicants to agree not to sue them
Otherwise the person trying to sue would end up like John Barnett
The American disability act over rules Disneys application it’s federal law Disney would lose and can’t fight it Disney can’t block someone disabled if they sue them
It's not only Shady because I'm pretty sure that it is illegal and they are exploiting some kind of loophole probably greased by a contribution to some politicians campaign fund.
CYA is what it is if you were never denied because you didn't ask how can you sue but if you do apply you sign your suing capability away. Welcome to corporate America.
What would you do if you had to deal with thousands upon thousands of people in a sue happy culture. Businesses have no right to exist, they have to protect themselves..
I cannot imagine agreeing to leave a friend or loved one by themselves in a bustling, crowded area, even if they weren't disabled. Anything could happen and they wouldn't have anyone with them. And they expect families and friends to leave disabled people off, by themselves, surrounded by strangers!? Absolutely NO WAY.
Yeah...in a park that was created because its creator wanted a place for families to have fun, TOGETHER. SMH...
@@MoonbeamGardener and the carers are just forgotten about. It’s hard enough getting to the park, standing on your feet all day, pushing chairs around all day, bathroom breaks, getting meals etc. If you manage to get your charge any special access or viewing areas - nothing for the carer, not even a seat - it’s like you are not welcome. You are rewarded with more standing in the background. It’s brutal on our feet. Then they want us to leave our charges alone tucked in a corner, while we line up with aching feet and minds. How does this work for kids in chairs? Do we leave them alone too? I could almost cry I’m that exhausted. And on top of all our stress we hear this crap. 💩
Our last trip to Disney World was in April 2022. Our son has ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder), and we applied for DAS online.
It was so easy to apply for. Video chat meeting with a cast member, we told the cast member that he has ASD. We had paperwork from doctors and school ready to present, but they told us they didn't need any of that. All they needed was a picture of our son, and what rides we wanted to pre-book for our two week vacation. It was all done and dusted in about 10-15 minutes. Stating that he had ASD was more than enough to get a DAS pass for him.
That DAS for our son was so integral to his enjoyment of his holiday (and our whole family as well). They'd be no way he'd be able to stay in line for more than 20-30 minutes with small cramped areas, loud noises, different smells, screaming/crying kids etc without him having to leave the queue in tears and us having to leave the park to calm him down. For example, when we spend out day at Universal, we started to queue for Hagrids (which wasn't a Express Pass option), and within 10-15 minutes he was overwhelmed, upset and my wife had to take him out of the ride).
With the DAS pass, he was able to get on rides within minutes, skip the queue and enjoy the rides he wanted to do. In between we could go somewhere quiet, or go eat. If things were getting too much for him, we could book something for much later on and leave the park and come back later.
It gave us so much flexibility to meet his needs, it was wonderful.
With the changes that have happened with DAS applications now, I don't even think that he'd qualify now for what he had last time. We may get the standby line option, but having to split a family up (one to stand in line and one to look after my son until it's time), is not helping at all, especially for when he gets upset it can be parent dependent on who he wants to be with him.
If you are spending all of that money at Disney and you have a disability, Disney should be bending over backwards to help those in need.
To me, it just seems like it's another way for Disney to make money on Genie+ / LL tickets when they turn down DAS applications and families have no other option but to buy those expensive services.
That's why when we go to Orlando next year, we are skipping Disney all together.
I'm not risking purchasing a Disney package holiday, or even Disney tickets to then find out we can't get DAS for my son. Coming from the UK, it would be a £10-£15k ($12-$17k) gamble for us, and without a DAS pass, it wouldn't be worth it.
Instead we are going with Universal instead, who offer a much more convenient way of applying (through a third party) and are more open to all disabilities.
i have autism; i find this so gross. All disabled people should be able to have das. The fact someone who has medical documents is getting denied in general is horrible.
A person in a wheelchair can get around and wait like everyone else. They are unfortunate having no use of legs. Though you don't see grocery stores or resteraunts letting people in wheelchairs cut in line. Only sever conditions where you can't stay still should have any special privileges. Say sun sensitivity or mental illnesses that cause you to freak out.
@@philiplubduck6107 I dont have an physical disabiltiy so i cant speak on that. But theres an huge difference between an grocery store line and an amusment park line. The line for an amusment park is hours long. Again, i dont know much about physical disabilities. But personally i think i as an autistic person should be able to skip lines because of how loud and stress ful waiting in a line can be. Theyres so much loud noises at the park that the quicker i get through the line the better, becaused theres an smaller chance of me having an shut down.
As a disabled person this situation and Disney response just pisses me off. I already shared this video
Disney should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for even letting such an unfair system be put in place and it’s completely ableist against people who need it most. Not to mention how greedy the price is.. Absolutely ludicrous.
As someone with Autism, that is downright horrible and shameful.
Disney denying this person access to DAS is truly awful and I hope the story goes viral and shames them. I think it’s also interesting to see how people react to people with very visible disabilities vs people with internal/psychological disabilities. It tells me we need more education and empathy about disabilities across the board. Also, this was less of an issue when EVERYONE got free access to the fast pass system. People with disabilities could plan their day accordingly and able bodied people had freedom to do the same… let’s not lose sight of the issue being Disney’s money grab!! We all should be pressuring Disney to do better by its customers across the board.
This is flat out discrimination. What happened to their "diversity and inclusion" company policy? Total hypocrisy...
At this point, not only are we not ever going back to a Disney property, but I feel ashamed at having paid them thousands of dollars for years on family vacations.
it is so sad and frustrating. This is not what Disney used to be! ☹
I don’t think you should necessarily be ashamed for your past experiences at Disney, the company was run by competent people at one time but who ever is in charge now should be ashamed of how they let their quality and experience diminish severely since the changing of the guard. I used to love Disney because of Walt Disney but unfortunately modern Disney is trying to erase Walt’s legacy and I have no interest in giving Disney any of my money for the crappy movies, overpriced merch, and lame parks. Last time I went to Disney was 10 years ago and I used to go almost once a summer when I was a kid but this new DEI Disney is not what I became a fan of when I was young.
@@chrisc6085 yeah, great memories that the kids remember fondly.
Disney needs to hire people who are living with disabilities to organize their new das.
You know what the kicker is, and this isn’t widely circulated but I spoke to a cast member at Disney who has accommodation while She is working because she is disabled but was also Denied DAS, no Disney only cares about the dollar signs
i worked at disney and they didn’t care about my disability and i had to quit
Walt Disney himself would be HORRIFIED.
Why do you say that? I don't know enough on his character to say myself, so I'm intrigued and would love to hear your reasoning.
It is heartbreaking to hear her speak. Disney has completely lost its moral compass. I wish it were just about profit. The movies are proof that it isn’t. It is all so sad to watch. Terrible leadership all the way to the top.
I have severe anxiety and panic disorder. I was denied. My husband who has always been approved in the past, because he’s disabled and a wheelchair user, was denied. Went 2 weeks ago for a fun day out (WDW) and had a major panic attack in the line for Kali River Rapids. We left the line and left the park.
So sorry to hear this.
Then maybe you shouldn’t be visiting theme parks!
I have major panic attacks when riding roller coasters, yet every time I rode a Disney roller coaster, they did nothing to console me.
I don't mean this disrespectfully at all, but why would you choose to go to a place like a theme park with your type of issues? It would seem like it's a prime place for your issues to be triggered. I've had to make the decision to not visit Disney parks for other reasons. My life isn't over...I do other things instead
Or they could be gracious and provide a simple accommodation so she could enjoy the park because that’s what SHE would like to do.
I don't quite understand, she has a wheelchair, she has a breathing tube, and she has a problem with her eye. But they denied her? It makes you wonder how they are going to accoundiate people with disabilities.
They've told at least one legally blind person to rent an electric mobility scooter.
@@bncsmom1seriously WTF... Really?!? I hope that this has been documented somewhere.
@@bncsmom1 surely, everyone who is only legally blind can see well enough to avoid those who suddenly step/jump in front of you! Unless things have changed WDW wouldn’t let you take a motorized scooter inside but instead required you to transfer to one of their manual wheelchairs! Then you needed someone able to push you in the wheelchair.
It’s so horrible and shameful!!! Walt Disney himself would be outraged!!!! Disney needs to change their morals. They’ll give everything to the shills who praise Tiana’s bayou adventure but turn away this poor woman who needs DAS!!!
Vash nailed our situation exactly. We have had annual passes/magic keys for my disabled daughter about 8 times now over the last 20 years. We splurged this year and purchased the top key at $1750 each. My daughter has qualified for the DAS pass every time. I am pretty certain she will not qualify for the DAS pass under the new rules. Basically, instead of going to Disneyland 5 times per month for about 4 hours per visit, we will probably now only go once or twice for 4 hours per visit. We still have 8 months left on our passes. Disney changed the rules on us after we purchased the passes. Seems like we should be able to get a prorated refund on our passes.
This is disgusting! I hope we see more videos like this exposing Disney’s heartless and greedy attitude. Implement universal’s disability system or everyone else will just go to universal! I’ve been a long time Disney goer and it was a wonderful clean and safe place for a disabled guest like myself. Not anymore. I swear I have never faced nearly as much ableism in my life than I have since they announced changes to Das. Disney treats us like garbage and now tons of Disney fans have followed their lead and jumped on disabled Disney fans like myself and others. If I had a nickel for everytime someone has said “wait in line with the rest of us if you want equality so bad”, “buy genie+”, or the big one “stay home”. It’s appalling! Thank god universal doesn’t treat us like shit.
Agreed. Now, I'm a totally blind person, so whilst yes I can wait in a line, I'd end up starting to rock and sometimes not actually knowing I'm doing this. It can be distracting for sighted people if they see this. Not only that, but audio loops in queues are around 40 minutes to an hour, so if ou've got longer than that inline you will be stuck hearing the same audio loop. A sighted person has many more visual details they can look at.
😡💢STFU ALREADY!!! Just STOP comparing Disney to freaking Universal already! I'm SO sick to death of this! STOP blaming Disney for everything, damn it!
This is so STUPID!!! I may be a Disney fan myself, but I NEVER jump on disabled Disney fans like you and others! Disney DOESN'T have a heartless and greedy attitude at all!!!! BOB IGER DOES!!! He's the ONE with the heartless and greedy attitude here, NOT Disney! And you're NOT going to Universal, pal! You're GOING back to Disney because my friends and I are going to CHANGE Disney for the better!
I am a person with a lifelong disability. WDW was an oasis, a place I went to with my parents as a child, then as a teen and a young adult, and into my adult years, for one "magical" reason: it was the one place in the world that was almost entirely barrier-free, where I could join my friends and family and do the things they were doing and just have fun. When my husband and I got married (over twenty years ago), we spent part of out honeymoon there, and had a fantastic time. We went back several times, enjoying ourselves immensely. Society has made leaps forward in accepting people with disabilities in its ranks. Disney feels like it is taking a huge leap back -- I feel a lot less welcome there today than I did just a few years ago..
Disney World will still feel magical, if you cough up the extra money for lightning lane.
I just wish they would let us pre-apply before we buy tickets. My wife has always qualified and she can’t handle the parks without it but we just can’t risk us buying the tickets first and then getting denied under the new system. (We think she should quality but they seem to be rejecting anyone but little boys with autism).
My friend said he had problems with Disney and how they dealt with him. He does not have legs and uses a wheel chair, his boys are 8 and 10, so not going to wait in line by themselves even if dad will not go on ride with them. He did not tell me what ride it was but he was not planning on going on just supervising his kids in line. When they got to the point where the next ride would be his kids . He was told he could not ride by a cast member he said only his sons were going to ride and that cast member said no. The dad asked if his sons were not tall enough to ride by themselves he was told no . Another cast member came up pot his boys in their seat and help my friend get to the end of the ride to wait for his sons. My friend could not figure out why there was a cast member handling the situation one way that would exclude his son and another cast member dealt with it another way cause the parent with them is in a wheelchair.
The thing is, the DAS as it stood until a couple of months ago was that you were NOT jumping the queue. All that happened was that you were given a return time (be it 20 minutes or 2 hours later) and you went off and had something to eat, the older/less mobile members of your party could sit down and rest, or you could visit the restrooms to 'kill time' until your return time opened up. You then came back to the LL queue, tapped in and then entered the ride. We never got to jump the queue, and we never walked straight onto the ride anyway. Even the LL queue at Toy Story Midway Mania (for example) involved a bit of a wait on a busy day. So how can people be abusing the system as it were and jumping queues?
We had a family group of 5 this past April - one wheelchair, 2 scooters, an old lady and a 66-year-old with dodgy legs. The DAS worked perfectly for us (I also suffer from crowd anxiety). Now we can no longer get this unless my daughter (who is autistic) comes with us - and even then she may not qualify any more. Our party also went to Universal where we queued for an hour only to be told that we needed to show medical evidence of our disabilities in order to get their equivalent pass. Well, I'm sorry but we don't have written medical evidence. The thing about Universal's system is that it's down to the people at the entrance of each ride to decide how they want to play it. A couple of times there wasn't a wheelchair available for me to transfer off my scooter to go into the ride, and I can't stand/queue for that long. These lovely people manually ran us off Express Pass tickets so we could walk in and I wouldn't be stuck unable to ride anything.
It is going to cost over £600 each for hubby and I to go to Disney next year - that's more than the cost of the airfare over to the US in the first place. I'm not spending that much money only to find out a month before our trip that we can't get the new DAS and will therefore only get to do 3 things a day. I'm not even sure the battery on my scooter will last if I have to keep it on so I can 'shuffle' through a 2-hour queue! If we had to endure the system that that poor girl was told to do, ie husband in a queue on his own for 2 hours and me sitting like a lemon outside the ride waiting until I can join him at the gate ... well, I can tell you now that ain't gonna happen!
This is a new system, and teething problems will always be a thing. They need to make tweaks in order for the system to work - or they may as well not have anything at all, and then people will just stop going. No-one is going to pay over $100 a day for a family of 4 to buy the Genie + - and even then the rides you want to go on may well not be available.
That worked okay but on one of our trips, every time we returned at our designated time, the ride was shut down and we had to be given another new time so we never did get to ride.
My husband is a disabled vet. He has horrible neuropathy, many other neurological issues (including MS) especially in his legs. He does use a cane and we do have to take breaks often while in a park setting such as Disney. We went to the MK at Disneyworld to get a DAS pass a few years ago. The lady said; well, he can use a wheelchair, can't he? The point is, he does not want to use a chair. He is a Marine, so he continues to walk so he doesn't lose use of his legs. It was like she (lady at Disney) totally miss the purpose of the pass? We left very frustrated, and he said he would never ask for help again like that. It was very sad. This young lady in the video on the vent definitely could have used a DAS pass. Disney needs to pay attention to Universal as it was not like this there (we did both parks 2 years ago). People with disabilities just need a little extra help, I don't understand Disney.
Maybe he should just not go there in the first place!!!!
@@johnp139I hope you never have to find out the hard way how cruel and ungracious your comment is
Also with MS, we cannot sit for hours in line with heat. And we have exhaustion problems that is exacerbated by long lines and heat to the place where we will be weak as kittens for days. People have no idea the amount of exhaustion. Disney is being stupid. They need to also take into consideration the fragility of many disabled people. A wheelchair isn't going to take care of that part of the disability. A short line for all rides with friends is the only solution to our situation. We do not have the strength to endure the long lines. It's more than just being challenged with the mobility issue. MS is just the tip of the iceberg of other disabled people who also have different fragility and strength issues that a wheelchair does not cover. Even with wheelchairs, IT DOESN'T BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE DISABILITY. I hope Disney gets their pants sued off.
my further question: why are folks who work for 'the disabled' not commenting or having our backs? Why isn't ARC, UCP, etc as "charities' concerned with the disabled, not pulling their weight here? We need support by some agency to get some voice here.
I work in retail and under ADA I can’t even ask what disabilities a customer might have.
Yet Disney gets to ask highly invasive questions about it?
And then deny them! Seems pathological
It’s illegal
I was wondering the same thing
I’ve gone to Disney world as a little kid and the accessibility for someone like myself with a severe disability was honestly part of the magic of the Disney experience. I didn’t have to worry about not being able to access rides or shows and being separated from my parents while waiting in line. I had been tentatively talking with my mom about taking a family trip to Disney world since we haven’t been there in over two decades. If the new disability service system is this flawed, though, I am concerned that I would pay for the expensive tickets and end up not being able to safely enjoy the parks. Please do better Disney. Most people with disabilities don’t have money to burn on a wasted trip if they are unable to get disability services.
I'm very sad to say as a former Disney cast member and also someone who has become disabled and a disability advocate, I would suggest spending your money elsewhere. I'm sorry but this is not the same Disney you and I know. Aside from that they refused to the number of daily entrances and don't expand enough to accommodate this so the lines on the existing attractions just get longer and longer and longer all the while they drive up the price more and more. Many of the resorts and eateries have been completely deep themed or dumbed down as I like to say demagiced. These problems are especially evident at Disney World but Disneyland as you can see is being invaded by the same beyond greed mentality. Once Upon a Time Disney understood that leading with creative and providing exceptional service along with magical experiences yet kept the price in line enough for most people to afford a trip there several times in their life where is now it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the vast majority of people. Of course by having this attitude they need to make Cuts somewhere to appease the shareholders and this is the most recent. Disney has become lost in the wilderness. I strongly believe that this current system is very likely illegal but has been made possible by exploiting some kind of loophole and probably greasing the campaign funds of a few politicians. I want to go just to prove a point so I can sue the hell out of them but they're even trying to make that impossible as well. You know why? It's because they know it's illegal.
I was just at Disneyland CA last week. One thing I noticed was the very long line of disabled people most like waiting to get their DAS pass… it was very sad.. at least 20 people many standing on crutches, in wheelchairs and specialized medical equipment.. you would think they were enduring the wait of an ER room 😢
How far Disney parks have fallen. Back in the day being disabled in any sense of the word netted you fast access to rides, with zero questioning from staff. One time I went back in the very early 2010s I sprained my ankle and had to rent wheelchairs to get by the parks. I was allowed to enter the rides fast without questioning.
Because so many non-disabled people have EXPLOITED THIS!!!
Disney is a terrible company. Disney needs to stop holding the general public in such disregard. This was entirely foreseeable and more videos like this are likely to come out.
😡💢💢You're WRONG!!! This was entirely UNFORSEEABLE and NO more videos like this are likely to come out because Disney is NOT a terrible company! Disney is a GREAT company with a TERRIBLE CEO! And Bob Iger is the TERRIBLE CEO in question!
HE'S the one holding the general public in such disregard! But that's all going to change. His days as Disney's CEO are numbered. It won't be long before he gets replaced by someone who actually cares about Disney and its fans. Instead of mindlessly blaming Disney, let's blame the executives. They're causing this mess, NOT Disney!
If Disney is allowing this to happen and continue under leadership, then it is Disney’s responsibility to put in new leadership. a company that keeps CEOs or management that did not reflect their values does not exist. Turning Bob Iger into a scapegoat just doesn’t make any sense.
Thank you for spreading awareness on this issue! I'm disabled but not majorly like this woman. And I'm sorry telling people to practice waiting in lines is absurd! I'd be willing to wait in a line with my specific disability, but not all people can. Disney is showing that they don't actually care about those with disabilities. It's horrifying to me that that woman had to even make that video!
This video is very disturbing and heart breaking. Disney needs to wake up. There are many AP’s that are disabled and need accommodations. Paying for lightning lanes on a daily basis is not possible for most. Shameful handling of DAS.
That young lady should not have to go wait on her own while he party waits in line. She clearly needs someone to assist her at all times. "Othering" indeed.
She would rather just skip the lines. What's the issue with someone waiting in line and her joining them?
In 2018 I took my parents. My dad has trouble walking/standing for long periods of time, and we asked about what their policies were. None of the cast members seemed to really know. Guest relations would give one set of instructions, then those at the attractions would say something else. Most didn't have a clue as to what to say. We took it in stride, but it was a bit frustrating. Some cast members were very accommodating, though, and when they saw him slowly making his way forward with a cane, invited him to be a "special guest" that took us through the FastPass lane.
Even before this recent DAS update, anyone with these issues would have been told to use a wheelchair. It's been put in place for years that DAS was no longer for any mobility disabilities. It would be a disability that is adjacent to the mobility issues that would qualify the individual. It was on their DAS page for years. Which is why when I went last year, and the year before, it was my other disabilities that were considered. Never the fact that I was in a powerchair.
@@That_Service_Dog Interesting. Yeah, we didn't really push. Before going, I went on their website and read that they had a system in place for those who couldn't stand in lines due to physical problems and to go to guest services upon arrival. Maybe this wasn't DAS, but another service? Anyway, we did what the website instructed and guest services gave us a special map and other instructions, which we followed when going to the rides only to get confused looks from cast members. Apparently there was some breakdown in communication but we didn't fight it.
I'm with you on this. Who is this system for, if not the woman in the video? Not every line meets ADA/ABA requirements at Disney. They are going to have a bigger mess on their hands soon if they don't get a handle on this.
All the more reason to bring back Fast Passes. Folks can't use DAS to skip line costs if it doesn't cost anything to skip the lines.
Das is not skipping limes the time for standby is the time person waits. They just wait outside of the que maybe in ac or shop be able to go to bathroom and get medication ect.
@@jamielovejaxfunandfood I said they're skipping costs, not wait time. A lot of people have been misusing DAS to avoid paying for LL's. If it were free again, there would be no extra payments to avoid.
@@jamielovejaxfunandfoodmy friend has one for her daughter and we indeed skipped the entire line. Even LL
The whole disabled system is broken.
A coworker of mine was able to get disabled tickets for his family because one of his kids has anxiety and doesn’t like crowds.
Then why are they taking him to a very very very crowded place. Seems cruel to me. Oh wait because the kid is their ticket to front of the line. See the example of why they need to make changes. Abuse.
It’s one thing to fake anxitey to get a pass like that but for the people with serious issues with anxiety combined with other disorders it is unbearable, the medicines you take to get it back in control in stressful “emergency” situations can turn you into a pile of Jelly and no one should have to be comatose to go through a ride, that pass for people in those situations means you don’t have to take the “emergency” medicines and can actually be present and. Enjoy the park, that is why I believe medical documentation should be necessary because lots of disabilities are hidden
i get anxiety in larger crowds. I got das for this before i was dignoised with autism. I still love going to disney, accomidations make it better for me. To feel comfortable and not get overstimulated. Also haft to ask if they got it after the changes or not? I probably wouldnt quilafy now even though i have autism, adhd, sensory processing disorder, and anxiety.
I think wheen we had the free pre selection some people who may have needed the Das pass would use that instead rather than jump through the DAS hoops. But once they started charging for this people who "managed" ended up asking for the Das pass. This makes Disney think there is a lot of abuse, when I think it was a relatively small number of people.
We used the pre-booked fast pass for our trip to disneyworld in 2019, before we knew that our son was autistic. It worked well but it also helped that our son was too small to go on the huge long wait rides. 2023 and 2024 we used DAS and there were still meltdowns in the park each day. DAS is absolutely essential, especially for rides that don’t have LL because even a 20-minute line is challenging for him due to his sensory issues. I think you’re 100% right in your statement.
@@NL4915 My daughter has severe nonverbal ASD, and while we've never gone to any Disney Park with her, we have been hoping to take her to WDW next year for her 18th birthday. I've weighed our options with and without DAS, and what it comes down to is knowing her triggers. We know she is a runner, so plan to use a wheelchair as a stroller for her. This will also keep her from getting overly tired, which is a trigger. We know that we can distract her with a Tablet or Phone (With the Walmart App, her favorite,) and with treats and fidget toys.
My husband and I both also have mobility issues, which would not qualify for DAS because we are both able to transfer from an ECV to the rides without problems. We had considered the possibility of hiring a Para to accompany us to assist with Daughter, but under the new DAS guidelines a Para wouldn't be allowed, which means that we would have to rely on our 16 year old son to assist with pushing the wheelchair (He and my husband can switch out pushing the wheelchair and riding the ECV. I'm considered a fall risk because I can lose my balance easily.)
We aren't concerned about going at a slower pace than most people. We already know that there will be attractions that we will miss, but we know which ones we want to prioritize, and if my daughter needs to take breaks throughout the day, that doesn't mean hubby and son can't go enjoy themselves for a while while daughter and I rest somewhere off the beaten path. We also plan on going at one of the slower times of year, so less crowds to begin with, and shorter lines.
I guess my point is that they are prioritizing DAS for people who actually have alternative options, while people who legitimately need it are being refused, but either way, what most people really need to do is actually sit down and PLAN for what they can and cannot do. Do the research before you go. There are descriptions of the wheelchair access loading options on the rides that have it, and what options you have for the rides that don't have access yet. Just because some people don't qualify for DAS, doesn't mean they can't get the optimal experience from the parks.
And for the people who abused the system to begin with, this is why we can't have nice things...
This is absolutely disgusting, Disney is monstruos for doing this and I know they’re not even ashamed and won’t be.
Big difference from when my brother went as a kid.
I mean how much worse do you have to get? Roll up in a gurney with a heart monitor beeping? A coffin and a mortician?!?
Too many people were taking advantage of this!!!
This is the first time I’ve seen a channel correctly forgo their branding (intro/outro music) appropriately while addressing a sensitive subject. Bravo!
Was told that I could "Catch up to my party" as well. But was told tough luck if I don't come with someone else, which I usually travel alone with my service dog. I have a power chair, C-PTSD, and can stop breathing if kept in close quarters with common chemicals found in personal hygiene and laundry products. Wearing my respirator only helps for short times. After about half an hour, I will have absorbed enough through my skin and eyes that I still will start to react. But sure, let me wait in a 90-minute line and we will get to have EMTs try to resuscitate me.
That’s horrendous. I have a service dog too and I do not want to force her to be in a claustrophobic space for an hour. She’s getting older too so I would appreciate if every attraction had a crate like universal cause even the dark rides jossel her around a bit and she’s too big for me to hold.
@@VixenLovelove Having a service dog, alone, has never qualified one to get DAS. Nor using a scooter or wheelchair. But the adjacent disabilities that many have, including the woman in the video as well as myself, is what would qualify. But now, even those who are neurodivergent and/or with things like PTSD are even being excluded. Despite what their website states. The last time DAS was updated, they did push for more mental health disabilities, as well. But it still did aide in things that included those who have to use the bathroom at the drop of the hat, or those who can pass out due to long exposure to sun and so on.
Basically, this is a way to say that they offer accommodations for the disabled without actually having to give it to those same disabled. Because let's face it; they don't value us as customers.
@@That_Service_Dog I understand that. I have some other disabilities. I’m just saying for as much as Disney claims to be disability friendly, universal has them beat. Especially now. Last I check Disney stock is at 99 dollars so I like to think part of that is all the disabled guests that have cancelled their trips.
Everyone I know that is in the disabled community wants them to use a 3rd party system like most other major parks do where they require you to upload medical documentation. The best suggestion I have seen for party size is to allow the guest 1 companion free and then allow you to purchase multipass to increase your party size up to 6. We want to be able to keep our group together but don't expect it to be free for everyone. The biggest issue right now is the uncertainty of the whole process. The DAS interview is less than 30 days before the start of your trip and if you get denied it's too late to cancel. Similarly is getting a stroller wagon red tagged and as a parent to an autistic child stroller vs stroller wagon are not the same when it comes to calming safe spaces. I personally know 3 people who have cancelled Disney trips over this. The one I know who didn't cancel just spent 7 hours waiting for her DAS video call only to be told her tickets were not viewable in the DAS system because they are linked to her room and would not be available until 7 days prior.
My husband and I went to Disney World for our honeymoon in 2021. I used the DAS Pass and we had a bit of a problem using it on our first day at Epcot. Long story short after talking to many cast members i was able to use the pass. I think their biggest problem was even through I have cerebral palsy, I can walk & I do have a walker/wheelchair.
After a long discussion, we reserved a time to come back to the ride and that worked out just fine for us.
If you do not have to legally disclose a disability on
a job application, then what gives Disney to right to judge on the type of disability you have!!!
It’s shameful that people have aboused this system to help people with disabilities enjoy Disney just like anyone else.
Bless her, offering to pay for a service when she really shouldn't have to - I know people have been taking advantage of the service, but she obviously qualifies for DAS!
She is "severely" disabled! What did they even mean by that?? Someone who is completely paralyzed or in a vegetative state?? I doubt someone who is completely paralyzed isn't getting on rides!! Ooof🤦♀️
I don't know, I feel like there were more questions than answers by this video.
@@Mike__B there does seem to be holes in her story
@@wookieeMan06I was wondering about that too. To be fair though, it’s like this in every case, both parties alter the facts to fit their side of the story.
The people who control Disney, for their purposes, redefined the word "disabled". Disney considers neurodivergency a bigger handicap than physical disability, and their new policy reflects this.
@@whistlingsage9817 And even then, there are MANY with autism and PTSD who are still being denied. On the disabled forums and pages, it is a common vent several days where people will inform those who are looking to do a trip what to expect. The invasive questions, only to be denied.
Wow. I was a cast member at Disney World for 3 years in the early 2000s and I cannot fathom that they are doing this. It is completely antithetical to how I was trained by them. My guess is that Disney will make it very public gesture for this particular guest but will continue to do the same crap to everyone else. In recent years I became disabled and also a disability Advocate and I can tell you that the procedure that they put them through and then making them sign something that they won't file a lawsuit etcetera well I'm pretty sure it's illegal in violation of Title II of the ADA. I'm still astonished as Disney of old this would have been unthinkable. Seriously what the hell Disney? What skin off of your ass is this? The vast majority of your guests now think you're cruel and heartless. That can't be good for your stock prices and considering that's all you seem to care about nowadays I would think you would do something different.
I feel her!! ive been using Das for my disabilities for years and it has been a blessing. My husband and i paid thousands of dollars for our magic keys. I will try my best to have a good time at disneyland this year, there may be times when im going to have to leave because for the lack of accommodation. But i can tell you this, I WILL NOT BE GOING BACK TO DISNEY UNTIL THEY CHANGE THERE DAS SYSTEM. I will happily give my money to universal, and im sure other disabled people will be doing the same.
I feel so sorry for her. I wish her everything.
There are people who have said they were told by these interviewers they shouldn’t go to Disney. I think one of them had PTSD.
Yeah, we're usually told stuff like that. We want to enjoy life. They hate being reminded we exist and want us to stay cooped up at home.
@@Roadent1241exactly or you get told there are so many drugs to help you, not knowing a lot of the more powerful drugs you take in “emergency” situations either knock you out flat or turn you to a pile of jelly to where you can’t experience anything
Which is extremely VALID!!!!
DAS has never been about addressing a wide range of disabilities. As a disabled man, I have inquired 2 times, once before and once after the changes. Both time I was told it was NOT for persons with mobility issues, that it was for people with cognitive issues that made it difficult to stay in line without being a disruption. For others like this woman, and me, we are instructed to 1) use handicap / wheel chair access entrances, where they exist for rides, and get a return time for boarding, 2) use rides that are ADA compliant (all in DCA, galaxy’s edge in DL), or consider paying for lightning lane if standing for long periods is an issue. I was told if I had issues standing, I needed to get a mobility scooter. That did not change. Please, don’t get me wrong, Disney does a VERY POOR job of addressing the needs of the handicap population by failing to provide adequate parking, refusing to enforce parking to those who have a valid need/permit, and making sure that handicap quests are not abused by others. I’ve seen many cars incorrectly parked in areas that were designated as handicap only, seen spots reserved for handicap vehicles that did not meet state requirements, and the entire Pixar Pals structure has zero handicap designated spots. Restaurants are not managed well to allow access to tables. Aisles have been reduced in stores to allow for more merchandise, and cast members who are rude or will only give helpful information about access if pressed to give details. The biggest change for DAS is the contracting it out to a 3rd party who has some medical training to evaluate verifications.
Thank you for the awareness. Thank you to Charisma for sharing her story. We need more people to speak up about this. Disney’s message is clear: Disabled people are not safe or welcome at the Parks anymore.
Thanks for bringing a greater spotlight to this situation and topic... While it's understandable that a company like Disney wants to avoid abuse of a system they are implementing, it is quite clear that a lawyer probably made up a highly complex set of situational rules and guidelines for this system... That is probably so complex and convoluted that the folks implementing the system on all levels are probably not on the same page, and while on the surface it seems like they are doing this good thing, it is in fact not so bright and shiny as advertised under its surface... I hope that video goes internet viral and shames Disney in some way... Because it sounds like they need to rethink that whole system...
I agree. As someone who also got this advice, I found many attractions do not have this system in place.
This was in early 2018, Me and my mother are both disabled (her physically and me neurodivergence and physically) and we had issues of das denial for my mom who was only able to use a scooter to get around the park and they claimed the denial was due to the "ada accessible queues" but every queue she brought her scooter into, a cast member told us we needed to leave the line and park the scooter she was using in the stroller area. If she couldn't have walked at all i would have been the only one there to push a wheelchair for her which i wouldn't have been able to do because it would be too heavy. We did eventually get approved but it was only due to the neurodivergence on my part. This has been a long broken system that's becoming worse and worse, i wouldn't be able to go to the parks nowadays even if i could afford it due to the broken system of the das pass
at Tokyo disney, a whole group with a disabled person can wait together.
Because a few people abused the wheelchair system, now anyone with GENUINE disabilities is treated like dirt. And sadly, some of the guests, (namely Disney Adults) think this is great. People have become so cold hearted and cruel. I can no longer go to Disney, because even though I have visible physical disabilities, I was told to rent a $70 wheelchair and get over it. Yet I watched people with supposed "Autism or PTSD" have no issues at all getting a pass. So...if I'm MENTALLY ill, I can have a pass. If I can barely walk or breath, no go. Yeah. Nice. Thanks. But no...taking my money and family elsewhere.
Agree totally
Well I’d let her pass me in line if Disney isn’t going to help her out
Thanks for covering this.
Just to be very clear. Disney would like these lovely people to show up to their theme park with their family and friends…then Disney is asking them to have their family and friends abandon them while they wait in line for them. Then, text/call them to come back to the ride and meet them before they get one. What a joke. Oh, but then you have an option to pay for normal Lightning Lane instead?
Sorry, but I really REALLY hope this gets addressed as soon as possible.
The worst part is that Disney isn’t the only one. Other parks like Knotts Berry Farm are also switching to separating families to try and solve the problem of people abusing DAS.
DAS accommodation is NOT line cutting. You have to wait the same amount of time, just more comfortably, maybe in the shade with a beverage. Please remember a disabled person does not have the stamina of a fully able bodied person. I know my daughter would prefer to be a fully able body person, but she’s not. We do the best we can. We don’t go from rope drop till close. We’re lucky to ride three rides and that’s with using DAS.
My total guess here is that she seems smart. Not significantly cognitively impaired, at least. They might be trying to limit das to people who lack appropriate social judgement due to significant cognitive impairment. In asd, you can have tantrums and elopement behaviors in which you can't reason with the person. Though, i think PTSD can have the same result due to emotional impairment without cognitive impairment. Just as one example i can think of. I have to agree that requiring people with disabilities to be isolated in a theme park is a discrimination. Isolating people with disabilities is cliche discrimination.
Had a similar experience at Universal last year too. I am on the spectrum and was granted a pass while my friend with severe cerebral palsy was not. This is a trend going on throughout the parks. Although now Uni found a looophole to require paperwork so it takes ages to get an access pass now. Sad.
I wonder if Disney denies Make A Wish wish recipients DAS.
A father asked disney to put a spiderman image in his 4 years old sons grave, guess what disney said
@@juansotelo3996 Lets not forget about how the cemetery is the one who denied the father's wish to put Spiderman on his son's grave without getting a right to use by the owners. They're the ones who worried about Disney suing them.
Usually make a wish pays for everything NOT Disney.
Make a Wish Families are usually given VIP status, which means they don't need DAS, they go to the front of the line regardless of wait times.
While on a child’s actual Wish trip, the family has a special pass to use that is not DAS. However, on return trips, these Wish children are now being denied the DAS service, unless they have a severe cognitive disability. My daughter is a Wish alumni and no longer qualifies. Just because her Wish trip is over, does not mean that she has magically been cured and healed. The majority of Wish children have lifelong, life-threatening medical conditions. Considering Disney is a big supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, this is an absolute slap to the face.
They say to practice waiting in line at home!! 🤣🤣🤣🤔. So insane
I didn’t really understand the system and I still don’t completely understand it but I had the same question after seeing this girl’s video: who qualifies now?
We took my elderly grandparents to Disney back in the early 00’s and we’d just roll up to the line with the wheelchair and they let us through. We didn’t sign up for anything, didn’t jump through any hoops. Just showed up. The magic has really fallen by the wayside in these kind of situations
The ones who need it the most are the ones who suffer from a well documented history of people who knowingly abused the system by using a disabled person to bypass waiting in line.
People seem to be conflating Federal ADA with Disney's DAS. Disney is ADA compliant and does not need to even offer DAS if it chose not to.
It’s a strong red flag when a company insists that you do not sue them for this, that or the other before “helping” you with anything… this means that they KNOW they are doing something that may cause a guest to want to sue them and they’re covering their ass!
This is absolutely horrific. My first time in Disneyland my dad was disabled and had to use a wheelchair. Its been a long time now but I remember the system being a lot easier. We were able to go on Pirtates of the Caribbean with him and its one of my favorite memories. Fast forward now the next time i ever decide to go to Disneyland I also would probably be considered disabled due to a heart condition and recovery from a stroke. People with disabilities are people with families who love them and they deserve to be treated with respect. Disney HAS to do better
Man, what a tough situation that Disney is handling disgracefully. I worked at Disneyland in attractions from '06-'15 and there were a lot of DAS issues towards the end of my time there. There were a lot of times where the DAS line was longer than the normal line. Maybe that was because of people abusing the system or maybe it was because the system wasn't capable of handling that many people in general. When they switched over to the fastpass-like DAS system where you'd book a time, I thought that was a really worthwhile change.
I totally understand Disney denying people DAS passes if every line for every attraction is wheelchair accessible, but making someone wait ALONE, especially someone who would clearly benefit from a companion, is awful. I would respect them putting limits on how many people can use a DAS pass (I think there might already be a limit of six people, which I think is a decent number.) But if a ride doesn't let you stay in your wheelchair for the entire queue with the rest of your party, you should be offered an alternative way to wait with them, plain and simple.
As a non disabled person I am fine with people with clear disabilities having DAS. The people with non physical disabilities should be case by case. Disney over corrected because people were abusing the DAS system. On a more pessimistic note maybe Disney doesn’t like the “look” of people with disabilities in the parks. It’s a natural to feel bad for someone in a wheelchair and we can’t have that in the happiest place on earth.
Unfortunately too many people scammed the system and that ruined it for people who really need it.
I have autism, OCD and arthritis, so being close to other people gives me anxiety and walking for long periods of time puts my feet on fire. I went to their disability services area and I was denied their disability benefits from a 5 question test simply because I didn't look disabled enough. I told them I can't walk for long periods of time, but all they offered me was to go get a scooter or wheelchair. Which I refused.
And sure enough, within two hours of on and off walking, my feet started hurting like crazy and I could barely get around the place. Even when I sat down for 15 minutes to take care of my feet, they started burning again the moment I stood up. I had to cut my day at the park short because the strain on my feet was that bad.
Disney are a bunch of Ableist monsters.
My daughter has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. We went to disney world in 2012 when she was 4 and they were very helpful and inclusive. We went to disneyland in 2018 and got a fast pass which did not seem to cut down our wait time at all and one swap where we only had to wait in line once for soaring and took tirns waiting with her because we wwre afraid the ride wasnt safe enough for her.
Soarin' is perfectly safe for her. There's a special belt that you put on the smaller children which prevents them from slipping out of the seat.
As for Disneyland, you need to go to the CM at the entrance of each ride and ask where the wheelchair entrance is. There isn't a wait cutdown unless you buy Genie+. There is no such thing as skipping the line or cutting it at Disney Parks, outside of Genie+. Get that out of your head now. It's not now nor ever was how DAS worked! How it works is you get a return time, either through the DAS app or from the CM, if the queue itself isn't wheelchair accessible already. You wait outside the queue until your return time comes and then you go to where the CM told you to go to finish waiting and board the ride vehicle.
@bncsmom1 when we were at Disney World in 2012 every cast member immediately brought us to the exit and had us board next. Once I transferred her, they even parked her wheelchair and brought it back to us when our ride was finished. This was prior to genie+ and very few people were allowed this privilege. I heard that people started renting locals in wheelchairs and that was the reason why they discontinued the Das pass.
Asking people to discuss their medical condition (s) is a HIPPA violation
As a former Cast Member Lead in attractions, the point of the pass is to assist those unable to wait in a line, for whatever reason. Disney was lenient about that in years past and gave passes to those, as seen in the video, that don’t need an alternate entrance. Their current system is geared towards people (mainly children but not always) that cannot wait in a line, for whatever reason. Without being tone deaf, the point of the pass is not sympathy to the disability you have, it’s designed to accommodate you if you’re unable to wait in the line. This person’s disability doesn’t seem like one that would prevent her from waiting in a standard line, hence she got denied.
I worked attractions at Disneyland from '07-'13. People have always negatively taken advantage of the GAC or DAC or whatever they call it now. The difference is now it's costing Disney money. As for this woman's complaint, ADA requires accommodations so that everyone has access. The queues on newer attractions are wide enough for wheelchairs to fit, but may have alternate loading options. Older attractions have alternate entrances, which may or may not have a wait. I dont know the nature of this woman's disabilty, but the cast members gave her the option of waiting outside or in a more comfortable area while the rest of her group waited in the queue. The GAC/DAC has always had this option. It was never meant to get people on the attractions without waiting.
I have an invisible disability (MS) and have used DAS in the past. At this point, I don’t feel that I could do a day at any theme or amusement park without certain accommodations. But now, thanks to Disney’s change of policy, all I would be offered is a wheelchair. I guess I should be grateful to have the wheelchair, but I’ve never used one before and I would hate to have someone in my party be the designated chair pusher. I’m fine walking. That’s not a problem in the short term. The real problem is standing. I can stand maybe 20 minutes at most, less if it’s in the sun. I’m not asking to go to the front of every line, I’m asking for what we had before. I haven’t approved of Disney as a company for a long time, but this is absolutely disgraceful.
They’ve already lost our business we’re going elsewhere on vacation this year. I have stomach problems and without the DASI will not be able to do it. We’re currently booking another vacation for September somewhere else, until they roll this back I’m not coming back. Looking at Vegas or a non-Disney cruise.
I know how it goes, I know a relative of mine who has autism, and they’re not giving him the needs he got before the policy change.
I think there's an incredibly easy solution for any park that makes the system both fair for everyone. Prior to coming, or at guest services of the day of, you provide simple documentation showing waiting in a narrow queue is not possible and you register your party. At that point , they give you something to identify your party (like an RFID card). The park has an employee at each ride entrance who monitors the estimated wait time. When a disabled guest party arrives, they scan an RFID, or whatever, and it "saves" a place in line based upon the current wait time and they say come back (or to the exit) at 11:25. At that point, your party is locked to that ride. If you attempt to save a place in another line, the employee will tell you that you have to drop your previous ride to wait for that new ride.
Are there going to be able-bodied people who take advantage of a friend's or family member's disability to ride on something with a short line while being locked into another queue? Certainly. But the unfairness of those cases would be far outweighed by isolating disabled persons from their family and friends.
The optics on this are awful.
As a Universal pass holder who doesn’t visit Disney, I just have to ask; is Disney intentionally trying to kill itself???
I'm not ashamed at all. I have federal disability paperwork thoroughly documenting my neurodiverse cognitive decline. I happily tried to show it in 2022 but the cast member looked totally afraid to see it. I have panic attacks, severe anxiety, CPTSD, and other issues. My paperwork states clearly I cannot function appropriately with bosses, co-workrs, and the general public. Before in my professional career I was great at being a public teacher which is an insanely stressful and terrifying experience after 16 years. If that is not acceptable, then I won't risk being sued by a guest there. I guess I just can't go.
That's my story, too! I'm a former teacher now handicapped. I have to take anxiety medicine and sleep medicine. These symptoms frequently plague MS patients. The anxiety of having to pass their disability test would be enough to put me over the top in anxiety which then feeds the other MS symptoms.
People abuse the DAS because they let the lines get ridiculously long. They need to shorten the lines
And it's people like YOU who have made it impossible for genuinely disabled people to have DAS. You complained about those FEW others who abused it. And so they penalized ALL of us.