Disability Access Service (DAS) Changes at Disney World FAQ
We’ve received over 200 questions about the overhaul of Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This FAQ answers common inquiries about eligibility changes, mechanics of how DAS works (and doesn’t), reasons for new policies, how they should cut down on Lightning Lane misuse, and much more.
This comes as a follow-up to the news that Disney has once again redone DAS at Walt Disney World and Disneyland due in large part to abuse and proliferation of the program’s use. That article covers a lot of ground about the specifics of the new-look Disability Access Service, plus our commentary about winners & losers, as well as collateral damage and more.
In the year-plus since the new-look DAS launched, we’ve received a ton of reader questions and Disney has likewise made multiple changes to the service. The motivation for some of these tweaks might’ve been the Disability Access Service Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Disney Parks. It seems like some changes might’ve been made in response to that complaint and a demand letter that preceded the lawsuit. It’s possible the outcome of that litigation will result in future changes, but we wouldn’t count on it.
This FAQ combines public information that Walt Disney World has released, questions we’ve been able to get answered during discussions with Disney’s team working on the DAS overhaul, informed speculation based on reading between the lines of the policies, practical realities of ADA compliance, and more.
This is still going to be a long one, so let’s dig right into the FAQ…
How do you register for DAS?
Registration is available via live video chat.
The Guest for whom DAS is being requested must be present during the video chat. The recording of this video chat is strictly prohibited. (These are both new rules as of late 2025.)
When can guests register for DAS?
As of 2025, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort have extended the DAS registration window to 60 days prior to their park visit. Previously, the process could begin no sooner than 30 days prior to your visit.
With the extension of DAS applications to 60 days, guests should be able to make an informed decision about their status and cancel if they’re denied and feel visiting Walt Disney World will not be feasible or desirable without the DAS accommodation. Guests who booked vacation packages who apply for DAS sufficiently early will be able to receive full refunds as a matter of policy.
Is in-person same-day registration available at Walt Disney World?
No and yes. Same day registration is still available by visiting Guest Relations, but it will not be in-person in the sense that you’ll be speaking face-to-face with a Cast Member inside the park. You’ll be directed to a location and given a device to conduct the live video chat. It’ll work exactly like it would from outside the park, except you’ll be wasting precious vacation time to do so.
Given that alone–and the possibility of this taking extra time based on demand–we highly recommend going the pre-arrival route at Walt Disney World. Nothing is going to change, outcome-wise, with getting or not getting DAS. It’s just where you take the time to go through the process.
What’s the maximum DAS party size?
DAS registration maximum party size is the registered DAS guest and all members of their immediate family (parents and siblings), but otherwise up to 3 additional party members, for a total of 4 people.
This means that if the DAS guest brings both of their parents, three sisters, and two brothers (total party size of 8)–that’s fine. But if a DAS guest brings both parents and one sibling (total party size of 4), they would NOT also be able to bring their two grandparents who footed the bill for the trip.
Once outside the nuclear family, the party size cap is 4 people, and that includes the DAS guest. (This is not speculative–I confirmed with Disney since it was a question we were getting a lot.)
How long is DAS valid?
In 2025, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland extended the validity period for Disability Access Service upon a guest being accepted into the program to one year or the length of the ticket (whichever is shorter). Prior to this up to 365 day window, DAS was valid for up to 240 days before re-registration.
The big beneficiary of that change was Annual Passholders, and meant that they would not have to re-register for DAS two-thirds of the way through their AP validity window. That made DAS more convenient for locals and other regulars, while also adding a layer of predictability, and it came right as the first wave of DAS Annual Passholders would’ve been up for renewal.
For which disabilities is DAS intended?
According to Walt Disney World, “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.”
This line (or a variation thereof) can be found repeatedly throughout Walt Disney World’s new DAS resources. From that, it is clear that they’re trying to recalibrate expectations about the intended recipients of DAS.
On its DAS page, the company also warns that “waiting in line is a regular part of the Walt Disney World Resort experience.” It goes on to advise that guests prepare to visit by practicing waiting at home or in lines at places they might already frequent.
Does that mean that DAS has been narrowed in scope to only guests with developmental disabilities?
Not entirely. During the video chat, Inspire Health Alliance’s health professionals will work with Disney Cast Members to determine eligibility for appropriate accommodations and ensure that these accommodations are provided only for the guests for whom they are intended.
This will mean having a personalized conversation about each guest’s unique needs and the services they might require to determine whether DAS is appropriate or whether the guest should be directed to other types of services available, including but not limited to a line-return option for guests who may need to visit the restroom with greater frequency, ASL interpreting services, and wheelchair or other mobility device access.
This may sound vague and unclear, and that’s partly by (Disney’s) design. Just keep in mind that the ADA requires businesses that are open to the public to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where needed. If your individual circumstances are such that a different accommodation is not suitable and only DAS will work for you, for whatever reason, it is likely to be the accommodation you’re granted, developmental disability or not.
The basis of my conclusion is not necessarily anything Walt Disney World has said, although there are several wiggle words (personalized conversations, each guests unique needs, etc.) that suggest requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, there’s the matter of federal law, which Disney obviously has the good sense (and legal team!) to know not to violate.
So DAS won’t be issued to fewer guests with actual disabilities?
This is where things get tricky. It is a near-certainty that fewer actually disabled guests will be deemed eligible for DAS. While Disney won’t outright say as much, that is clearly one goal of these changes. This is something we’ve covered separately since the rollout of the overhaul in Changes & DAS Denials at Disney.
However, this has less to do with a changing of who qualifies for accommodations and more to do with the process for evaluating DAS requests. In the past, it was not very rigorous and was more or less a rubber stamping once certain words were said.
This also was by design, especially in-park where Guest Relations Cast Members were given the unenviable task of evaluating DAS requests. It was better for them to err on the side of asking too little and issuing DAS too often, both as a matter of law and the Four Keys.
As a result, DAS was issued to legitimately disabled guests in many scenarios where other accommodations were available. These guests were not abusers (we dubbed them “unwitting misusers” in our previous post about DAS) as their requests were genuine, and they were simply following established procedure. If reevaluated once the new policies take effect, many of them would not receive DAS. So in short, the outcome is reducing the frequency with which DAS is issued.
Will these changes totally eliminate abuse?
Definitely not. There’s no perfect DAS system, and reform cannot be narrowly tailored in such a way that it only hurts the abusers. That just isn’t realistic. The sad reality is that some scammers are incredibly clever and will always find a way to exploit a loophole and outfox a system. The more Disney clamps down to try to stop them, the more disabled guests become unintended casualties, and the more likely it is that the system runs afoul of the ADA.
There’s no flawless means of eliminating abuse. The best I can think of is actually stigmatizing the losers who abuse DAS so they’re not as loud and proud of their awful actions. But in a world where reality television and social media fame seemingly reward the worst of society, that too seems unrealistic.
Why isn’t Disney using IBCCES?
Walt Disney World is not using the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) that has become somewhat of an industry standard. Many other parks have switched to this, including Universal Orlando.
With IBCCES, guests must sign up before their visit and upload documentation for review. Upon qualifying via IBCCES for the Individual Accessibility Card (IAC) prior to their visit, the theme park operators then contact them about accommodations they may need. From there, Universal Team Members may approve them for the Attractions Assistance Pass.
This is a more rigorous system that decreases the likelihood of abuse while also minimizing the number of legitimately disabled guests who are erroneously denied accommodations. In our view, this is the better approach on balance if the goal is to weed out the abusers while still granting the Attractions Assistance Pass to disabled guests. There’s less collateral damage, so to speak, with this approach.
IBCCES is also more controversial. There has already been litigation in California involving IBCCES, with one lawsuit focusing on the pre-planning requirement at Six Flags Magic Mountain. There are also concerns about the use of an intermediary with regard to medical privacy and more. I would not be the least bit surprised if there’s more litigation involving IBCCES. I won’t pretend to know how that will all be decided.
Not wanting to be on the losing side of ADA cases, my strong suspicion is that Disney Legal performed litigation risk assessments on IBCCES and steered DAS in a different direction as a result. I also wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the next DAS overhaul does involve IBCCES, should they prevail in pending and future litigation. All of this is purely speculative on my part.
In an update, Universal is no longer requiring the controversial IBCCES to qualify for the Attractions Assistance Pass. This is undoubtedly due to the Six Flags litigation, and the company’s concern about potential legal exposure. Guests still may use IBCCES to streamline the process, but it’s not mandatory at Universal.
Why isn’t Disney requiring medical paperwork?
Many disabled guests have welcomed Walt Disney World requiring medical paperwork or proof of a disability as a means of reducing abuse. Some say this is hardly burdensome, as they need this for many aspects of their day-to-day lives. A few indicated they have even brought this to Guest Relations in the past, and Cast Members actually refused to look at it.
This is also all by design. Just as Walt Disney World doesn’t want to run afoul of the ADA, they don’t want to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, not HIPPA). Based on my admittedly limited understanding of public health and administrative law, I think concerns about HIPAA and its limiting factor are probably overblown. It’s not a blanket prohibition on disclosures (especially voluntary ones) or requests to provide documentation for substantiation or to provide the bases for a request for accommodations.
Nevertheless, much like public perceptions (and misconceptions) of the First Amendment, HIPAA acts as a powerful incentive for businesses to treat medical information with care and act in the spirit of that act to comport with public perceptions and expectations.
It’s also important to remember that Disney policies have to be implemented by Cast Members, presenting the opportunity for human error or oversight. On top of that, Disney is conservative and risk-averse with its policies, which is probably fair–the company has a bullseye on its back when it comes to litigation.
How does Attraction Queue Re-Entry work for guests who need to exit the standby line and re-enter?
Guests with specific needs that may arise while waiting in an attraction queue may exit the queue while the rest of their party waits in the queue. The guest may then re-enter the queue prior to boarding the ride. A guest may also wait outside the queue and meet up with their party before boarding the ride if needed based on the nature or condition of the queue at a particular attraction and the Guest’s specific needs. Every attraction has a defined process to support these options.
At the entrance of the attraction, talk with a Cast Member to learn about exit options should you need to leave the queue. In the event your specific need requires you to leave the queue, simply exit while the remainder of your party stays in the queue.
When you are ready to return, go to the front of the attraction and let a Cast Member know that you are using the Attraction Queue Re-Entry accommodation and need to regroup with your party in the queue, and they will help you meet your group to ride together. You do not need to discuss your reason for needing to leave the queue with Cast Members or other guests.
How will video calls work for international visitors?
International visitors have reported having issues connecting with the video chats necessary to complete the pre-arrival DAS process. There are workarounds for this (VPN, etc.) that could and should still work, although that’s not Walt Disney World’s official advice.
Disney’s recommendation is to complete the process via video chat upon arriving in the United States but before coming to the parks. Failing that, there will be an in-park option as discussed above (iPads at Guest Relations). So really, you want to figure out a way to do this before getting to Walt Disney World and there’s no guarantee that the video chat will work abroad without employing a workaround.
Is DAS issued at Walt Disney World valid at Disneyland, or vice-versa?
DAS is valid only on the coast where it was issued. DAS issued at Walt Disney World is not valid at the Disneyland Resort, and vice versa.
What happens if statements made by guests during the DAS registration process are found to be false?
If it is determined that any of the statements a Guest made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true, the Guest will be permanently barred from entering Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and any previously purchased Annual Passes, Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products and services will be forfeited and not refunded.
Note that this is not a new policy, and has been in place since (at least) the changes introduced alongside Lightning Lanes. It’s probably unenforceable (absent a guest outright stating that they lied to a Cast Member), but I nevertheless wish that Disney were publicizing this more.
Where do guests receive DAS return times?
Guests utilizing DAS (and their party members) can make return time selections right from the My Disney Experience app during the day of their park visit. Registered guests using DAS and members of their party will be able to book, redeem, change or cancel DAS return times using the My Disney Experience app via a smart phone or other smart device.
If additional assistance is required, guests can also obtain return times directly from a Cast Member at any Guest Relations or Guest Experience Team location (the blue umbrella stands, pictured above).
Can guests still pre-register for ride return times prior to their visit?
No. Only after you’ve registered and entered the theme park, can you request your first return time.
What can guests do during their virtual wait?
Guests utilizing DAS can enjoy many other experiences throughout Walt Disney World Resort during a DAS virtual wait, such as other rides, shows, entertainment, parades and character meet & greets. They can also take a rest in a break area, get something to eat or go shopping.
Does the Guest utilizing DAS have to be present to obtain a return time at a Guest Relations or Guest Experience Team location?
No. Any member of the DAS-eligible guest’s travel party may obtain a return time, but the guest registered for DAS must be present and experience the attraction with their party.
Does a Guest utilizing DAS have to ride the attraction at the exact return time listed?
No. DAS return times are not limited to a specific window and are valid until the park closes or an attraction closes for the day.
Can a Guest have more than one active DAS return time at one time?
No. A guest may only have one DAS return time at a time. Guests may obtain another return time for the same or a different attraction 10 minutes after they redeem their previous DAS selection.
Are these changes being made to sell more Lightning Lanes?
One goal is undoubtedly to push DAS abusers into purchasing Lightning Lanes, rather than scamming a way of getting them for free. Similar to how Disney+ has started a crackdown on password sharing. (I’d argue they’re not equivalent offenses on an ethical level, but both are breaking rules.)
However, the assumption that this will free up inventory to sell more Lightning Lanes is mostly wrong. Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selling out is fairly rare, so the ‘more inventory’ angle for selling more Lightning Lanes only applies to those dates.
For most days, the limiting factor on Lightning Lanes is demand–not supply. Lightning Lane Single Pass are a somewhat different story in that they’re more frequently supply-constrained, so this could have a bigger impact on sales of those.
Moreover, Lightning Lane utilization, both paid and via Disability Access Service, has decreased year over year. We’ve written a lot about the impact of the DAS changes on wait times at Walt Disney World. Most recently in Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass Still “Worth It” at Disney World?
So why did these changes actually happen?
The short answer is misuse and abuse.
Walt Disney World has publicly stated that DAS usage has tripled since 2019. Independent of that and prior to it, we received credible reports that the majority of Lightning Lane usage is actually DAS. Just to put that into perspective for people who might be inclined to believe that DAS is still a low number in the grand scheme of things or relative to Lightning Lanes as a whole. It’s not.
Does DAS give guests an advantage?
Yes. There’s been a lot of debate about this, but the answer is yes, statistically speaking.
This has come out during past litigation about the system, during which Walt Disney World indicated that guests using DAS experience 45% more attractions than those without DAS. On one of the days, the non-DAS testers waited in queues on average a total of 255 minutes, whereas the DAS testers only waited in line on average total of 107 minutes, or just under two hours.
Notably, this was during the FastPass+ era, back when even the non-DAS group would’ve had access to a version of line-skipping. If that test were redone today, the gap between standby guests and DAS guests would almost certainly be greater.
Some Walt Disney World fans assume this is not the case because DAS involves a virtual wait in line. But a virtual line allows guests to be in two places at once, whereas someone standing in a standby line is only in that line. Obviously, actual results are going to differ from person to person and many disabled guests will accomplish far less for a variety of reasons.
This is likely why some disabled guests justifiably believe DAS is simply leveling the playing field, rather than offering an advantage. The problem, again, likely lies with the abusers who are using DAS to maximize their efficiency and aren’t disabled in the first place.
Is there a way to prevent DAS guests from doing other attractions during their virtual wait?
Of course not. Walt Disney World is not going to scan park tickets at the standby entrances of attractions, restaurant and retail entrances (etc), to stop DAS guests from (effectively) being in two places at one time. That’s an unworkable (proposed) solution.
Why has DAS usage exploded?
This is the more complicated question and the reasons are undoubtedly multifaceted. For one thing, the prevalence of diagnosed developmental disabilities in children have increased significantly in the U.S. population as a whole since 2019. That would account for an increase, but not a tripling. Other contributing factors would include pent-up demand and reputational awareness, as Disney has a historically sterling track record in treating guests with disabilities well.
All of that pales in comparison to the main culprit, which is free FastPass+ going away and being replaced by paid Lightning Lanes. This new system and each subsequent price increase thereof created a perverse incentive for cheating the system. At the same time, it also expanded the audience for social media “hacks” about how to skip the lines for free. This, in turn, created its own vicious cycle. As this DAS abuse content proliferated, it also became normalized by virtue of its ubiquity.
Abuse has always existed with DAS. The difference is that in the past, it was kept quiet as people recognized what they were doing was immoral and they’d be judged for it. Now, that stigma is largely gone. Instead of feeling (rightfully) ashamed of abusing a system intended for disabled guests, people openly boasted about it.
I’m not typically one to get preachy or virtue signal, but I’ll put this in no uncertain terms: people should be ashamed of abusing DAS, as what they’re doing is disgusting–it makes me hope karma is a thing. While this is a problem of Disney’s own doing and predictable consequence of moving to paid Lightning Lanes (making them hardly blameless in the whole affair), that does not make abusing DAS okay.
As we’ve said countless times before, queueing is a zero-sum game. Abusing DAS is not a victimless crime or “sticking it to the man” or whatever dumb justification the abusers might use. There’s literally no good excuse for the abhorrent behavior. Not only is it unethical, but it also comes at the expense of fellow guests, most notably those in legitimate need of DAS who have to wait longer in the Lightning Lane or now might be caught in the crossfire of this crackdown.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on Walt Disney World overhauling Disability Access Service to reduce abuse and misuse? Do you think the new partnership with Inspire Health Alliance and other changes will better ensure DAS is only going to those who truly need it? If you’ve used Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World, what do you think of the experience? Any questions not answered by this FAQ?
Thank you for making the changes digestible here. Being a member of the parent club yourself, you are surely well aware that Mama and Papa Bears are very tenacious about defending their kiddos! As parents with a son with ASD, there is not much of a change for us. I know many are directing their anger at Disney, but unfortunately I feel Disney is the scapegoat and anger should be directed at jerks who ruined it for everyone by blatantly lying about a condition or, for example, decided that their “anxiety” is a reason they could get DAS, however they have zero issues in lines elsewhere (concerts, beer lines, etc.)….I have two family members who are guilty of this, so speaking from personal experience.
As much as I get it, a big bummer for us is the immediate family. Like you discussed, grandparents are often part of trips and they will not be included in the “immediate” family. We make an annual trip to WDW to meet family on the east coast (we are on the west coast) and part of the fun is being together. This hard line of number of people/type of family is a bummer for our son who will lose out on time with the family we are meeting that he sees once a year because they will need to wait in the queue instead of sitting off waiting for our return time together. Not looking forward to the chaos of the logistics of rejoining family in line and how difficult that will be for Cast Members as well as guests to manage.
Thank you for taking the time to make this for easy reference! We will be trying things out in early June and hope it is relatively smooth when planning and when in the parks!
Thank you for making the changes digestible here. Being a member of the parent club yourself, you are surely well aware that Mama and Papa Bears are very tenacious about defending their kiddos! As parents with a son with ASD, there is not much of a change for us. I know many are directing their anger at Disney, but unfortunately I feel Disney is the scapegoat and anger should be directed at jerks who ruined it for everyone by blatantly lying about a condition or, for example, decided that their “anxiety” is a reason they could get DAS, however they have zero issues in lines elsewhere (concerts, beer lines, etc.)….I have two family members who are guilty of this, so speaking from personal experience.
As much as I get it, a big bummer for us is the immediate family. Like you discussed, grandparents are often part of trips and they will not be included in the “immediate” family. We make an annual trip to WDW to meet family on the east coast (we are on the west coast) and part of the fun is being together. This hard line of number of people/type of family is a bummer for our son who will lose out on time with the family we are meeting that he sees once a year because they will need to wait in the queue instead of sitting off waiting for our return time together. Not looking forward to the chaos of the logistics of rejoining family in line and how difficult that will be for Cast Members as well as guests to manage.
Thank you for taking the time to make this for easy reference!
Due to multiple medical issues I was ready to give up coming to Disney (once a year) until a Cast Member suggested DAS. It was the miracle that still allowed me to come. But I don’t have autism so I’m concerned that I will no longer qualify. And I will be canceling my trip if I don’t. However the time frame for cancellation for a full refund doesn’t coincide with the DAS video chat. Can anything be done about that?
We have travelled from Scotland four times 2013-2023 for a 2 week trip. We only stay at WDW resorts and only visit WDW parks. We intend to visit again in 2025. Our ASD/ADHD son will then be nearly 20. We did not know about DAS the first year but used the fast lane free tickets and as he was only aged 7 we felt we experienced enough of WDW to have made the trip worthwhile as we had 2 weeks to see what we felt we could. We then used DAS for our next 3 trips. It is a huge help. We only queue for one hour or less – and that’s a push. My son loves the rides but won’t wait so will just leave the queue. I am concerned that we will not be able to organise the interview online prior to the trip. I am more than happy to bring documentation – I don’t see problem with doing that. My concern going forward is that the Guest relation Person will very unlikely be trainee enough to truly understand autism and the many different ways that it can present.. Perhaps having a limit on the number of DAS rides each family can have per day would help stop abuse of the system.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for your research on this issue. We are nuclear family of 4. Two parents and 2 children. We do travel with my mother the children’s grandmother. My understanding is now my mother can not be included when we book a DAS return time. Both my husband and daughter qualifies for DAS, but in the past we only registered my daughter. My question is, going forward if we register both my daughter and husband could one of them use their 3 person max to include my mother? We are not adversed to buying Genie + we have in the past and will continue to buy it in the future. Just wondering how it would work if multiple people in a nuclear family qualifies for DAS.
I sort of wish the parks would just move to an all-virtual queue system. (See Volcano Bay for a good example). There are a million reasons folks can’t easily wait in line. For me, I have really bad feet (if I stand for too long, I’ll be up half the night in the kind of pain that Advil can’t touch). My neurodiverse kiddo has had some anxiety attacks in lines (the queue is too dark, what if he has to use the bathroom… once he thinks about it too much, pretty much anything can spiral). My husband has IBS, so bathroom has the potential to be an issue (knock on wood, this hasn’t derailed us yet).
I suck it up and buy G+, though I kind of resent Disney putting us in this position (vs free Fastpass). The “bathroom pass” might be very useful for my family. I look forward to seeing how that works.
In any event, I dream of a day in which we have VQs for all… even if it means I can’t ride as much.
And it could be a money maker… while guests wait, they can shop and dine. In any event, sitting in random corner of the park would be far more pleasant than standing in a crowded queue.
(Another option is a queue like the Race through NY ride at Universal – you get to sit in a lounge, use the bathroom, etc, while you wait for your color to be called. And imagine the $$ to be made if they had a snack stand…)
Really curious to see if Epic Universe does anything revolutionary for queuing, or if it’s just more of the same.
We have a trip scheduled in October of this year.
Having used DAS for the last 5 years, Has been a God send. Due to not being able to stand or sit for long periods of time ( Wheel chair will not be an option ) .
Also no one to push wheelchair. These new rules will probably make us cancel our trip!
I am in the same boat as you. I have compressed disks in my lower back that cause pain down my legs if I stand or sit for long periods of time. Hopefully they still accept me into the DAS program.
Genuine question – why is a motorized scooter not an option for you?
We will have to make use of one for our next trip because we also have someone with mobility issues and I never assumed we would get DAS for them. But I may be missing something!
Tom, thanks for this article, and others, on the DAS changes. My question is if I’m a wheelchair or scooter user and am not granted DAS, how would I enter the attractions? Thanks.
Ann
Hi, fellow mobility scooter user here: unlike Universal, almost all Disney attraction queues can accommodate scooters. Those few that can’t will offer a “transfer chair” – a wheelchair that stays at that attraction – so you can take that through the queue. There are a couple rides I know of that can’t accommodate either a scooter or a wheelchair, but both of those (and I assume any others I’m not aware of) have systems in place so you can still ride. (Jungle Cruise’s switchbacks are too narrow, so they always gives me a time to come back, at which time they park me in a holding area and put me on the next boat that can accommodate me. Big Thunder has stairs in their queue, so they always send me around to the exit, which is a ramp, and I wait there instead, and eventually a cast member will let me load through the unloading side.) All in all, Disney is incredibly good about accommodating guests with mobility devices. Unlike Universal, I’ve never had issues or been unable to ride a ride because of my scooter.
I’ve used DAS for my high functioning autistic daughter only after the free fast passes were eliminated. It certainly seems to me that the only thing Disney really cares about is charging people more money for everything – especially after the statement that most of the people on lightning lanes are DAS holders. Doesn’t that say to Disney that people DO NOT want to spend more money on rides. I truly believe that over the years Disney has just become a money-hungry business and the heck with middle/lower class people who can’t afford paying for Genie+ and lightning lanes. If free fast passes were brought back (ha – as if that would happen) I’m sure that less people would be trying to get DAS. We were perfectly content back then to get 3 rides with fast pass then wait for other rides that did not have huge lines. If we only went on 4 or 5 rides that trip it was ok because it was an enjoyable experience. The “magic” certainly is gone.
Hi Tom
Any idea if it’s a Grandparent that needs the DAS?
Will their children and grandchildren be able to accompany them (6 in total)
Sounds like the grandparent’s kids would count as immediate family. But the grandchildren would fall in the “other guests” policy and thus would exceed the total of 4 allowed.
We use DAS for my child with autism. I have no problem with the changes to the qualifying party. We do sometimes go to Disney with extended family or friends. But when we do that, we have to split up anyway–I’ll take my little one to his DAS ride, and my spouse take our other kids to go off and do something with the extended group, and then we switch. This is because even with DAS, we just have do things differently for our little one on the spectrum. He like many kids on the spectrum needs an exacting routine–we have to do certain rides in a certain order every time we go or he gets very distressed. He also can’t tolerate anything too fast or too loud, so mostly we are just riding Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Peter Pan and It’s a Small World and so on with his DAS. As a result, we usually buy lightning lane for the rest of the party and are really only using DAS for him on a “side quest” from the main group. While I know that every kid with disabilities is different, I hope this kind of approach will work for others too.
The only thing that makes me apprehensive is whether now that they are being stricter on grilling you about why you need it, I might not say the “right things” under the new system (I get very nervous in these kinds of interactions and tend to garble my words. I do kind of wish they would take paperwork so the pressure wouldn’t all be on me to persuade them we need it — we were one of those families that brought medical paper once and they told me to put them away.
I wouldn’t worry – your brief explanation here certainly sounds like the DAS is made for people like your precious child. If the interviewers know anything at all about ASD, then upon hearing about your child’s specific requests and needs they would quickly refer your family to the extra accommodation. Good luck!
I too get nervous at an interview process (I am an adult on the autism spectrum and have two adult kids who are also autistic). The three of us have learned the best way to handle this is in any interview situation is to be upfront and tell the person that we have this problem and that we may need a little extra time to answer the question. When asked something we take a deep breath and slowly release it at the same time as thinking about the question and how we want to frame our answer. My daughter’s autism partly manifests itself as extreme anxiety so an interview for her is very difficult, this is why we have never bothered with DAS before as neither she nor my son would cope well with having to be interviewed (often I make phone calls for them as they are unable to cope). This is where a flat out one size fits all system just doesn’t work. Autism is such a complex disability and there are everyday things, like talking on the phone or over a zoom meeting that are virtually impossible for some.
“we received credible reports that the majority of Lightning Lane usage is actually not Genie+ guests, but rather, DAS.”
this shook me. I knew there were a lot of people using DAS but that seems so out of sync with my assumptions
Yes, I’ve heard cast members report on forums that LLs are about 75% DAS users & their traveling parties.
The thing is, my guess is that MOST of these families and groups really do have someone who has a condition that qualifies them. There are so many people out there who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders. About 1 in 5 Americans are diagnosed with anxiety.
So, personally, I’m not convinced that the overuse of DAS is necessary people outright scamming the system and lying. I mean, those people are out there, for sure! And those are the worst kinds of people, in my opinion, and I hope Disney is able to ban some of them for life. Yet, I think the high numbers are mostly due to the simple fact that so many people actually qualify for the current DAS accommodation. I’m sure so many of us have, say, a parent with diabetes or a spouse with anxiety. Under current rules, they qualify. As a result of this, I think it does make more sense for Disney to offer more tailored accommodations to people instead of automatically giving everyone DAS as their accommodation. Disney really does need to reduce the number of people qualifying for that accommodation because it’s impacting the guest experience of others (when the LL are long, most of the guests they load into the rides are from the LL with only a small number from standby). I think the long and slow moving standby lines might also motivate some people who have a medical condition to then apply for DAS. I think a lot of people reason to themselves, “Well, I technically qualify, and everyone else seems to be doing it, so why am I waiting in this slow standby line?”
I hope Disney does a good job balancing the real need to reduce the use of DAS in the parks by people who don’t really need that particular accommodation while still providing accommodations that meet people’s needs so they can enjoy the parks. It’s going to be a difficult balance, though!
“…people should be ashamed of abusing DAS…”
Unfortunately, shame has been destigmatized.
hi Tom, I go to Disney World every first week in December, I suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and Anxiety. Waiting in line can cause an exacerbation of my symptoms (fainting and feeling overwhelmed) I have always been able to get a DAS since 2016. I hope I can get one this year, if not this will probably be my last year.
I have the same as you so hoping we are still eligible or it’s going to be a very difficult time. I can walk absolutely fine so no need for a wheelchair but standing is a real challenge and utilising DAS last year was a god send as I could sit somewhere and wait rather than exhaust myself standing
This is for Gemma, not sure how to reply to your reply…. Honest question, not trying to throw shade. If you are able to sit somewhere and wait for your DAS return time, why would you not be able to sit in a wheelchair in the queue? I understand you don’t need a wheel chair to navigate the actual park, but most queue have wheel chairs available. Could you not ask for one to sit in while you wait out the queue? Again, no offense meant, truly just curious…
Totally fair question, one that I hadn’t realised was available if I’m honest! I wasn’t aware there were wheelchairs I could access if requested at the queue lines so the more you know that’s great!
We’ve been to Disney 3 times and utilized DAS each time. I can honestly say it’s only improved over the years and become more efficient. Compared to other theme parks Disney is still far above the pack. Their cast members do an incredible job of ensuring no request feels like a burden.
My son has high functioning autism, severe ADHD & anxiety, but he LOVES Disney. Without DAS, there is no way we could go to the parks. We’ve used it at both WDW & DL and I will say that it is AWESOME. We feel seen & taken care of by Disney and it makes us want to take more Disney vacations for that reason (my son does not love traveling). It’s so awesome in fact that sometimes even we feel guilty using it. It’s disgusting to lie about a disability to skip lines, but I’m not surprised. I applaud Disney for doing this, but the grandparent issue is real. My family of four, plus my MIL went to WDW in Feb and DAS would not have worked for us under the new rules, but maybe they will assess each case individually?
Hi Tom,
Am I reading correctly that the two ‘starter’ selections for return times you could previously make in advance of attending with DAS will no longer be available?
So you can make selection 1 on the day of visit and then rolling after that, 1 at a time?
Thanks.
I have a trip planned in October to Disneyland for the first time. We are confident my sons medical issues will qualify for the das. my concern is I have a first and maybe only ever trip from Ohio to Disneyland. we are a family of four but my parents, his grandparents, are making the trip. it is disappointing that although grandparents are legally recognized if immediate family, Disney is now choosing the term Nucleur family that excludes them. I spend a great deal of time planning so if true now need to have 4 using das and align it with 2 genie plus where times may not match. Additionally, am I correct that some DL rides do not have genie plus options due to not having lightning lanes? Do those rides allow das? Again, I am not going on a huge vent, just trying to figure how to best move forward. most disney tripper make plans we’ll over 6 months in advance, yet this DAS decision is being introduced well into the planning of most people, creating chaos. we will figure it out.
Hey Tom! looks like the section “Is in-person same-day registration available at Walt Disney World?” is missing a few words/sentences, unless my phone is just glitching.
thanks for the hard work!
Thanks for the heads up on this–my cursor made a jump while editing, and I wasn’t sure what happened. I guess it deleted a few sentences! They’re now restored.
“But if a DAS guest brings both parents and one sibling (total party size of 4), they would NOT also be able to bring their two grandparents who footed the bill for the trip.”
That’s a real shame. Fully support cracking down on DAS abuse, but scenarios like the one above shouldn’t be restricted.
I agree. It’s one thing to limit the entire cheerleading squad, but it’s another to limit families from enjoying attractions together just because they don’t fit the modern American vision of a family. IMHO, it’s discriminatory to multigenerational families who may all even reside at the same address.
I guess it will mean being a little more creative. Since return times are based on current wait times, I guess the rest of the DAS party can get in line and the DAS person activates their pass. Since they can come back anytime after their return time, the people in line just text the DAS part of their party to return when they are almost at the front of the line…. This might be a work around.