Are New DAS Changes About Abuse Or Upselling More People On Genie+?

Disney has recently changed the Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World, and people are unhappy. I keep seeing post after post on numerous Disney message boards and groups discussing their disappointment with the new rules. Many people who are even considered disabled by the government are being denied DAS access.

If a guest wants a DAS pass, they must first get preapproved via a quick phone interview with a medical professional to ensure they qualify. Under the new guidelines, what qualifies for DAS is a “developmental disability like autism or similar disorder.” Yet many people have legitimate physical issues that can hinder standing in lines for prolonged periods.

But why is Disney doing this?

File this under an opinion, but I think that a large part is about money and profits.

While I agree that the DAS pass has been massively abused and needs stricter guidelines, Disney’s new criteria seem too strict. Both points can be true simultaneously.

From what I can gather on the boards, many people who would previously qualify for DAS are being denied because they are allegedly told that their disability would not qualify under the new guidelines. But some people have reasons why they can not stand in line that are not listed. It seems that Disney is telling them there are other modifications available for them outside of DAS, including Genie+.

Disney likely did not make these changes because DAS abuse caused guests to wait longer. I would argue that Disney sees DAS abuse as a cause of lost potential Genie+ revenue. If guests get return times, they aren’t as likely to give Disney money for its latest upcharge.

From what I’ve seen online, the comments made to them by the “medical professionals” on the DAS application call have been questionable.

People have reported being asked how they stand in line at the grocery store. The last time I was at a store, the line wasn’t 45+ minutes long. Reports are also being made that say Disney’s response was to “practice waiting in line.”

Some people have said Disney’s solution was queue re-entry. Basically, your party waits in line, and then you reenter the line to “join your party.” I can’t wait to see how many fistfights that lead to. We’ve reported on many fights that broke out over people trying to re-enter lines.

If they can work this out with better re-entry points, I can support it. This could benefit guests all around. It would be difficult for some to rejoin their party if they have mobility issues and need to move through a narrow, crowded area to rejoin their group. But, what about those who are alone in the parks? Who will wait in line for them?

People are celebrating the new limitations, but it could cause issues for non-DAS users as well.

If all the previous DAS-approved individuals now have to buy Genie+ or Lighting Lane access, how much is that going to drive up the wait times and pricing?

Disney will not hesitate to raise prices, citing “demand” as the reason. We are already seeing Genie+ lines stretching outside of attraction buildings; how much longer are they going to get?

Many are discussing how much better Universal’s disability system works.

Universal theme parks have a similar system, but theirs allows guests to prove issues with medical documentation. From what people are posting online, Disney is not even considering that information and just making determinations based on their list of approved conditions. But even then, people with autism are reporting they are being denied as well. I saw one woman discussing how her autistic eight-year-old was denied.

People are angry and confused. Disney is likely going to get sued over it all. While I do completely believe that it was being abused, I also believe that some people are being denied who legitimately need to use it.

It’s a mess, and I sincerely think it’s over money Disney feels it’s losing because the parks are bankrolling a lot of Disney’s business since they keep losing money on streaming and their box office offerings. If Disney simply cared about the guest experience, they could bring back FastPass+, but they don’t. Every investor call is about the increased profits at the theme parks.

When this hits a ceiling, they will raise the prices and find yet another way to squeeze more money out of people, even if it’s by using disabilities to do it.

Sadly, as long as they are ADA-compliant, they will be allowed to do so.

The new DAS rules have already been rolled out at the Walt Disney World Resort, but they will be implemented at Disneyland in June.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!