As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Now I don't know if this is officially how it's going to work or not but it does sound good. What I like is in WDW, the CM's at the attractions will supposedly write down a time instead of forcing people to go to a central kiosk. I know DL is smaller but it's still going to stink for those people having to go back and fourth all day long.
I am still left to wonder about something though. For us, the DAS would be for Abby and Lenny still needs a scooter so if we started in say Fantasyland and got a return time for Peter Pan, would we then be able to get the wheelchair return time for Small World (where you have to go through the exit with a wheelchair) since it's something different or would we have to wait until after PP? It'll be interesting to find out how things work in cases like ours (having a DAS and a person using a scooter).
Thanks for the article Darlene! It was quite informative and I think it answers a lot of the questions and concerns that some of members have had lately.
Very good article and it sounds like the system will work quite well and not be as cumbersome as I'd envisioned. As you say, there are still some questions that won't really be answered until we start to get more in-use feedback, but I'm very optimistic. Thanks, Darlene!
Given that it doesn't look like Disney is going to make an official announcement of the policy, I guess we will have to wait until we get some feedback from those who use the new DAS system.
From the best I can tell from reading the various articles on the subject, it is my guess that one of the things Disney is trying to do is differentiate between using a wheelchair (or scooter) in the park and actually needing to use one. I do believe that if a guest falls into the latter category (needs one) they must get a DAS card and use it the same way someone who has a a none-wheelchair disability would. So to answer the question posed, I don't think that Disney plans to offer backdoor (exit door) access to attractions without using the DAS system of waiting the time of the standby line before you can go on the attraction. For those that don't have a DAS card but still plan to use a wheelchair, they would have access to the attractions that can accommodate a wheelchair as without a DAS card they are saying they can access the normal lines if required.
.... I do believe that if a guest falls into the latter category (needs one) they must get a DAS card and use it the same way someone who has a a none-wheelchair disability would. ....
This isn't quite correct...a person who needs a wheelchair or ECV (or other mobility aid) but requires no other accomodations will not receive a DAS. A person using a wheelchair or ECV who has other -- hidden or "invisible" -- needs that prevent him/her from using a standard queue would need a DAS and Return Time. All rides/attractions have mobility entrances noted that are accessible to guests simply utilizing a mobility aid.
My understanding is that WDW will encourage more use of wheelchairs or ECVs as the primary accommodation for people who indicate mobility or stamina concerns, as there will no longer be a "stamp" to assist with this need. There is little reason such person would need to avoid a queue unless he/she also has other concerns, therefore no need for a DAS.
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I was happy to read that you can return any time after the return time on the DAS. My concern was it would have the hour window like the FP. This way we can plan enough time when I am creating touring plans and not worry that I didn't allocate enough time or too much and miss our return time.
I still don't know how it will work for us but I am still glad they are trying to make accommodations while trying to cut down on abuse.
So to answer the question posed, I don't think that Disney plans to offer backdoor (exit door) access to attractions without using the DAS system of waiting the time of the standby line before you can go on the attraction.
That very well may be but the article (the first time I read it - I may go reread it) didn't seem too clear on how that would work at the rides where you have to go in the "back door" - Thunder Mtn for example has stairs in the queue right at the start. Splash has stairs too but wheelchairs can navigate the line up until that point so I can't see anyone getting any return time for that one (unless there are too many wheelchairs already waiting and that area is too crowded).
That very well may be but the article (the first time I read it - I may go reread it) didn't seem too clear on how that would work at the rides where you have to go in the "back door" - Thunder Mtn for example has stairs in the queue right at the start. Splash has stairs too but wheelchairs can navigate the line up until that point so I can't see anyone getting any return time for that one (unless there are too many wheelchairs already waiting and that area is too crowded).
If you are talking about Thunder Mountain at WDW, people assume there are stairs, but there actually no stairs in the queue at all.
So, ambulatory guests with disabilities can do the regular line.
The issue for people with mobility devices is that the regular line 'delivers' guests to one side of the track and guests exit at the other side.
So, guests with mobility devices need to board at the exit side.
And, you are correct that Splash (both Fastpass and regular lines) is accessible to the point of boarding. I know a lot of people went directly to the exit, but the Guidemap for guests with disabilities lists the "Mobility Entrance" as entering the regular queue unless you have a Fastpass.
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Just to clarify, if you're a wheelchair or scooter user you don't need a DAS card. You just go to the ride you want to go on that doesn't have an accessible queue and get a Fastpass type card. Is that right?
Just to clarify, if you're a wheelchair or scooter user you don't need a DAS card. You just go to the ride you want to go on that doesn't have an accessible queue and get a Fastpass type card. Is that right?
If your only need is mobility, you would use the Mainstream (accessible thru the regular queue). You would not need a DAS card.
The Guidemap for guests with disabilities for each park lists the "Mobility Entrance" for each attraction. You would use those without a DAS card.
Some of the non-Mainstream attractions will give out return cards; guests with mobility devices will not need a DAS card to get a return time card.
Now I don't know if this is officially how it's going to work or not but it does sound good. What I like is in WDW, the CM's at the attractions will supposedly write down a time instead of forcing people to go to a central kiosk. I know DL is smaller but it's still going to stink for those people having to go back and fourth all day long.
I am still left to wonder about something though. For us, the DAS would be for Abby and Lenny still needs a scooter so if we started in say Fantasyland and got a return time for Peter Pan, would we then be able to get the wheelchair return time for Small World (where you have to go through the exit with a wheelchair) since it's something different or would we have to wait until after PP? It'll be interesting to find out how things work in cases like ours (having a DAS and a person using a scooter).
Disney Parks have an unwavering commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment and accessible experiences for guests.
Disney Parks is modifying the current Guest Assistance Card program, which provides access to attractions for guests with disabilities, so it can continue to serve the guests who truly need it. The new program is designed to provide the special experience guests have come to expect from Disney. It will also help control abuse that was, unfortunately, widespread and growing at an alarming rate.
The new Disability Access Service (DAS) Card will replace the Guest Assistance Card on Oct. 9. Guests at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort can request a Disability Access Service Card at Guest Relations. DAS Cardholders will receive a return time for attractions based on the current wait time.
Disney Parks has long recognized and accommodated guests with varying needs. Guests can visit Guest Relations to discuss their individual situation, and Disney Parks will continue to provide assistance that is responsive to their unique circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Disability Access Service Card and how does it work?
The DAS Card is designed to accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities). A Disability Access Service Card will be issued at Guest Relations main entrance locations and will offer guests a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. As soon as the Guest finishes one attraction, they can receive a return time for another. This service can be used in addition to Disney’s FASTPASS Service and Disney FastPass+ service.
What will Disney Parks do if a Guest is concerned the DAS Card doesn’t meet their needs?
Disney Parks have long recognized and accommodated guests with varying needs and will continue to work individually with guests with disabilities to provide assistance that is responsive to their unique circumstances. Guests should visit Guest Relations to discuss their individual needs.
Who will be eligible for a Disability Access Service Card?
Disney Parks’ goal is to accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities). Guests should visit Guest Relations to discuss their assistance needs.
How will guests get a Disability Access Service Card?
A Disability Access Service Card will be issued at Guest Relations main entrance locations. Guests will participate in a registration process, which also includes having their photo taken.
Why is Disney Parks doing this?
Disney Parks is modifying the current Guest Assistance Card program so it can continue to serve the guests who truly need it. The new program is designed to provide the special experience guests have come to expect from Disney. Disney Parks also hopes it will help control abuse that was, unfortunately, widespread and growing at an alarming rate.
Does the DAS Cardholder have to be present to obtain a return time at an attraction?
No. Another member of the DAS Cardholder’s travel party may obtain a return time but the DAS Cardholder must board the attraction with his or her party.
Where do DAS Cardholders go to receive return times?
At Disneyland Resort, guests will go to Guest Relations kiosks located throughout the parks to receive a return time. At Walt Disney World Resort, guests will go to the attraction to receive a return time.
Does a DAS Cardholder have to ride the attraction at the exact return time listed?
No. Return times are valid until redeemed by the DAS Cardholder.
How long is a DAS Card valid?
A DAS card is valid for up to 14 days depending on a guest’s ticket entitlement.
Is a DAS Card issued at one Disney theme park valid at other Disney theme parks?
Yes, the card will be valid throughout the resort at which it was issued.
Why doesn’t Disney Parks ask for proof of disability, such as a doctor’s note?
Disney Parks takes Guests at their word and there are legal restrictions around asking for proof.
Is this the only service available to Guests with disabilities?
Disney Parks offer a variety of services to guests with disabilities, such as Disney’s Handheld Device that offers assistive listening, captioning and audio description. Additionally, Disney Parks has developed a “Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities.” This serves as a tool on how best to experience its theme parks and is expected to be available online by mid-October.
Disney Parks will continue to provide excellent guest service and accessible experiences. Guests should visit Guest Relations at any park should they feel they need assistance due to a disability.
Does a Guest whose disability is based on the necessity to use a wheelchair or scooter need a DAS Card?
No, a Guest whose disability is based on the necessity to use a wheelchair or scooter does not need a DAS Card. Depending on the attraction, the Guest will either wait in the standard queue or receive a return time at the attraction based on the current wait time. For some attractions at Disneyland Resort, these guests will go directly to an alternate entrance. Guests with additional needs should discuss them with Guest Relations.
Will Disney Parks continue to provide a service to wish-granting organizations?
The change will not affect those who are visiting on trips organized by wish granting organizations. There is a separate program for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Last edited by SueM loves WDW; 10-04-2013 at 06:48 PM..
Q.
What services are available for Guests unable to tolerate long waits at attractions due to their disabilities?
A.
Walt Disney World theme parks provide numerous accommodations for Guests with disabilities, including our Disability Access Service Card.
The Disability Access Service Card allows Guests with disabilities—as well as an allotted number of people from his or her party—to schedule a return time at a specific attraction that is comparable to the wait time when they first arrive at that attraction.
Guests who wish to utilize this service can do so by visiting the Guest Relations Lobby located near the entrance of each of the 4 theme parks.
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