Changes to DAS

[chrisney]

Okay, I rarely comment and have never started a post but I am really upset and concerned. We recently moved to Orlando, and are a "handicapped family" meaning that all of us have physical issues.
I THINK I might be able to continue qualifying for DAS not because of one problem, bit because I am "lucky" enough to have both Crohns disease which means that I might have to go to the bathroom a minute ago, and severe COPD which requires me to use a mobility device. I can't walk any distance at all without shortness of breath even using oxygen 24/7. My oxygen saturation also drops to a level which is unsafe. If I run into a problem while in the regular queue and need to leave right then, people could get injured. Not too smart.
My husband has an LVAD left ventricular device. He has a driveline--what looks like a small metal cable coming out of his torso. This connects to a small bag with the controller and batteries. If anything goes wrong with those, he will die unless the portion which is not working is not replaced within 5 minutes or so. Therefore, he has to carry a travel bag with duplicate materials. We have to be extremely careful that his line is not accidentally caught or pulled because the exit site is a direct line into his body...not the skin, the internal torso. Many LVAD recips die from infection from a pulled line. He too needs an assistive device because he can't walk, carry his bags and stand in line for any length of time.
Believe me, I wish I could go back to the 30+ times I was able to visit without accommodations before moving. Disney has always been my happy place. Our first major purchase was Annual Passes. I don't know that we'll be able to do enough to make the purchase justifiable without DAS.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Please try to see if you qualify first. There's so little good information about what accommodations beyond das may be, it's possible you will still have appropriate accommodations. Perhaps send an email to disability services and annual pass guest relations?

 

[tarak]

I’m extremely concerned about these changes, as two of my kids benefited from DAS in the past. My son has epilepsy. He can sometimes tell if a seizure is coming on, at which point we get him to a safe place. That won’t happen in the middle of a queue. He is incredibly muscular because he throws shot put, discus, and javelin for high school track. He’s not the only one who could get hurt if he goes down in a queue. When I called to get him a DAS pass last year, I barely had the words out before the CM approved it. Based on their wording, he would no longer qualify. My youngest has a heart defect and she can get overheated very quickly - fine one minute and throwing up the next (happened at a track meet last year). We always avoided any rides with queues in the sun, like Mine Train. We do try to go when it’s cooler, but even in January, we’ve had 80+ days. But it seems she also would not qualify.

 

[SueM in MN]

Closing this thread. Please continue discussing on this open thread.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/das-changes-coming-wdw.3943880/page-51#post-65432960