Walt Disney World quietly made an overnight adjustment to the wording of their Disability Access System (DAS) policy. The updated policy no longer includes the word “only” in the opening statement under “What to Know About DAS”.
The policy previously stated: “DAS is intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”
The January 28th update now reads: “DAS is intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”
What Does This Mean?
This may seem like a small change, but the removal of “only” effectively softens the exclusivity of Disney’s recently updated DAS system, which shut out a lot of disabled guests who no longer qualified under the new stricter terms.
The policy continues to focus on developmental disabilities such as autism as the main criteria, but by omitting the word “only,” it could be seen as allowing for other related conditions that might not fit traditional definitions but still align with the intended purpose of the service.
No further changes have been made to the DAS system, and Disney has not released any statement or additional information regarding the removal of “only”. To apply for DAS, guests must still schedule a video chat and meet the criteria, determined by a Disney Cast Member. For now, this recent change seems to offer Cast Members more discretion when deciphering if a guest would qualify for DAS upon registration, leaving room for guests with less-common disabilities. Those looking to register for the program should continue to be transparent with their theme park-visiting needs.
To discuss this topic within the DIS community, head over to our disABILITIES discussion forum at DISboards.com.
