DAS went digital

Updated to keep it current! November 2015
All is still current- 7/2/16
Families that visit WDW during the holidays or Spring Break have not experienced the new system.

Ben and I went to WDW in May to check out the new DAS changes. We went again during the summer and everything is still working smoothly. DAS has joined the My Disney Experience (MDE) system! Now instead of a paper card everything you need is on your MagicBand or park ticket.

Ben getting a return time for Test Track.

For those of you that aren't aware, the DAS is the Disability Access Service. This is the system Disney is using to help make attractions accessible since the Fall of 2013. There have been many changes concerning the policies, and now a great update makes it more user friendly.

How does it work?

If you have a family member with a non-visible or developmental disability, such as Autism, Down Syndrome,  a Seizure Disorder and many others, that will prevent them from enjoying an attraction without some type of accommodation, this system is designed to help you. If you have a mobility issue, and not a developmental disability, you DO NOT need a DAS!

·      First you and all of your traveling party visit guest services at any of the 4 major parks.

·      Ask very nicely for a DAS.

·      You will be asked why you need one. Explain which accommodations you need and why. You don’t have to share a diagnosis, and they aren’t allowed to ask. However, if you are comfortable sharing this information, it is helpful.

·      If it is decided you qualify for accommodations the system will be explained to you. (I’ll explain it in a minute, I promise.) You will be shown an iPad with the policies in really small print. Basically it reminds you that this doesn’t give you immediate access to anything.

·      The guest that requires the DAS has their MagicBand or park ticket scanned.

·      Then the guest gets his or her picture taken in a very casual way, no posing or smiling is required.

·      Next, they scan the MagicBands or tickets for every guest visiting with them. This enters you in the system as guests that can enter attractions with them.

·      Now you are free to enjoy the park, the pass is current for 60 days, after that it will need to be renewed.

Here comes the actual working part…

·      Approach a cast member at the attraction you would like to ride. Ask for a DAS pass return time. The cast member will scan your band or ticket, ask who all is riding, then verbally give you a return time.  You can then see it on your MDE app.  Anyone registered to the guests DAS can do this, the guest with disabilities doesn’t have to be there for this step.

·      Go and enjoy a ride you already have a fast pass for, eat, spend time in a sensory spot (like a playground or Tom Sawyers Island) do some shopping, or whatever you would like to do to pass the time in a way that suits your family.

·      At the designated time (which will be 10 minutes less than the posted standby time when the return time was issued, for example, if the wait to visit Anna and Elsa is 75 minutes long at 1:00 then the return time will be 2:05) come to the FastPass line for the attraction. Remember, the guest with the DAS must ride!

·      The guest with the DAS must enter first.

·      They will touch their Magic Band or ticket to the glowing Mickey light.

·      The light will turn blue (don’t panic!) The blue light allows the Cast member to see your picture on their screen. Then your light will turn green and you continue on like a regular fast pass.

This is what the app looks like with your DAS and FastPass reservations.

What is New

The DAS is now (May 2015) a part of the My Disney Experience (MDE) system.  The difference between it and FastPasses is you can’t enter or change any of the information yourself.

Note- If you are reading this and don’t know how FastPasses now operate please research it, you will need them to fully utilize the system for your family.

Previously there was a physical pass with the guests picture on it. The card is no longer necessary. Everything is now digital.

Trouble Shooting

I have seen tweets and posts with concerns. I’m hoping I can clear them all up.

1. ·      If I have multiple family members that need a DAS can they still each have one, and can we all be registered to each pass. -YES Your family will be registered for each pass, but no guest may have more than one DAS registration at a time. So, for example, Dad will be with child #1 on Space Mountain, and Mom is with child #2 on Tomorrowland Speedway. But next time Mom can be with child #1 on Peter Pan and Dad is with child #2 at 7 Dwarves.
2. ·      What if the system breaks down? – One day the Wi-Fi was down for a short time. The cast members were ready with paper passes that could be used immediately. When the Wi-Fi was back everything was back to normal. You also have the info on your phone as back up.
3. ·      What if my child won’t wear the MagicBand? No worries, someone else can have the band, as long as the guest the DAS is issued to is there when entering the FastPass queue.
4. ·      The policy says only six may enter the ride. What if  there are more than 6 of us? Bring EVERYONE to guest services. All of them will be registered on the DAS. Then your family can decide who rides what. (Ask guest services about the 6 person limit, I think it can be accommodated under special circumstances.)
5. ·      Disneyland uses kiosks, then you don’t have to bring the guest to a ride possibly triggering a melt down. True, I thought I wanted that change, now I’m glad it isn’t at WDW. The kiosks have really long lines, going to each attraction is a time saver. Thankfully as long as it isn’t just you and the guest with the DAS another person can make that reservation.

Why these newest changes are an improvement.

Change can be challenging for most people. Families with special needs are often more weary than others, it is typically hard on our kids. Adding the DAS to the MDE really is an improvement.

·      It allows our families navigate the park in a less conspicuous way. We enter a FastPass queue just like everyone else.

·      We don’t have to try to keep the pass dry and in one piece. That’s one less ziplock to pack.

·      Consistency is important for most people with developmental disabilities. With this system there isn’t room for each cast member to have their own rules. The paper system was never consistent with return times.

Some tips-

·      Have FastPasses scheduled before your arrival. My son, Ben was able to ride Toy Story Mania (an insanely popular ride) 3 times. Once because it was magic hours, so the line was very short. Then with a DAS reservation, then right before we left he had a FastPass we had set up 60 days before we came.

·      Remember to have the guest with the DAS enter the FastPass queue first. This allows the process to be very quick.

·      Be 1 minute late or more. There isn’t a grace period to start. Sometimes the FastPass clock and the system are off a few seconds. If it isn’t your time, you won’t show up in the system. So allow it time to be ready.

·      Always keep your cool and be nice. If something isn’t working the way you expect it to, question it, but do it with patience and kind words and tone. Help them to want to get it right for you, your service will be better that way.

·      Remember to use this system with the FastPasses, Disney designed it this way, and it does help.