DAS Advance experience?

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Hi!  I'm FINALLY getting to take the kids to Disney World.  SO excited.  Our family is me, H, Lucy (15), David (turning 8 in the parks!) and Joey (16 months). 

We are going to WDW June 17-25, staying at Caribbean Beach.  Park Hoppers, no waterparks (happy with the CB main pool). 

My question is about DAS.  Luce has severe anxiety and suspected mild autism.  I am confident she will be approved, and we will start trying to get an interview 30 days out.  May 18.  Has anyone used this service?  And what was the strategy used? Or if you care to theorize on how you'd use this, that'd be great too. 

If you're unfamiliar- in the parks, it's similar to the old fastpass system, where you go to the ride, check in, and get a return time.  It's for those who have difficulty waiting in line (she panics at Target, this is a great service for her).  But if you interview ahead of time, you can reserve two return times, subject to availability, ahead of time, for each day of your stay.

Anyway, it's going to be a huge help for us, with our very anxious but excited teen, and the boys as well.  Luckily, she can bring us all on the rides with her, i think it's DAS passholder plus 5 max. 

[CurlyQ284]

So I was told by a lot of people that kids with ADHD get the DAS pass all the time. We went to guest services at the park because the trip was a surprise for DS.

I started explaining his ADHD and the woman behind the counter said "so maybe with his medication, it's hard for him to stand in the sun for long periods of time?" And opened her eyes really wide. I was flustered and said "um yes?" And she gave us the DAS pass.

I feel bad because I'm thinking we were not supposed to get it based on his ADHD alone the way I thought, I talked to a lot of people beforehand that said it was no big deal but I kind of feel like we scammed the system, although that was not my intention.

I'm not sure if that's what other people experienced but I felt like they're looking for having medical issues with standing in the sun, and not just like DSs issue of a possible meltdown.


ETA oh, as far as strategy I also had Genie+ (I was really worried about a meltdown so I was trying to get all the tools) We would use DAS in between Genie+ selections. It went really smoothly for DS, I was glad to have both although a lot of people don't use both.

[jewel]

We’ve done it many times with my brother, but for DL. We’ve done a pre approval, but we’ve never booked rides in advance - mostly because they didn’t allow for the biggest rides, and using DAS in the park is so easy that it’s just not necessary to prebook anything.

So, you get everything done on your phone, through the app. You’ll book your return time, which is 10 minutes less than whatever the current posted wait time is, and can check in 5 minutes earlier than that. The best advice is to do the most popular rides right when the park opens. As soon as you walk in the gate, book your most important ride. It takes a good 30 minutes for wait times to catch up to reality, so we are almost always able to get an immediate return time. Then, once you’ve scanned in, you can book your next time while you’re still waiting in line. Any ride that has a lightning lane entrance will be the DAS line. If there isn’t one, you usually just go in through the exit. I’m guessing DW is the same, but you can only book rides for the park you’re in currently in, so you can’t book one as you’re getting ready to park hop.

Overall, the DAS experience for us has always been really, really good. My brother is more severely disabled and uses a wheelchair, so the experience is a bit different, but it’s been a great experience every time.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

CurlyQ284 I know what you mean, H is making me feel bad about it, for some reason. He's never seen Lucy go white and sweaty and have to sit outside a store before, though. It's a real thing for her, being in crowds and getting a panic response.

[canadianmom]

We went to Disneyland in Nov 2022 and got DAS for my 15 yr old son who has anxiety and ADHD. Called 30 days out and then did the video chat where my son got his pic taken. We picked our two rides for each day and it was incredibly easy. Having DAS was amazing! Definitely helped out. Hope you have a great trip 😁

[Patsy Baloney]

I don’t have any experience with DAS, but just wanted to throw my two cents in -

Disney is crowded. Even when it’s not crowded, it’s crowded. They have this system to help people who can’t move through the crazy lines forever and ever like a lot of people can.

There is no reason to feel like you’re gaming the system when you’re using it for its intended purpose and they deem you as qualifying for it.

So there. That’s my big push to use the help you are allowed and encouraged to use to better enjoy your trip.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Mar 1, 2023 19:56:25 GMT -5 Patsy Baloney said:

I don’t have any experience with DAS, but just wanted to throw my two cents in -

Disney is crowded. Even when it’s not crowded, it’s crowded. They have this system to help people who can’t move through the crazy lines forever and ever like a lot of people can.

There is no reason to feel like you’re gaming the system when you’re using it for its intended purpose and they deem you as qualifying for it.

So there. That’s my big push to use the help you are allowed and encouraged to use to better enjoy your trip.

I mean, you know the history of my H being a gigantic dick wrinkle in general, and making me second guess myself at every turn.  But you're right.  I'm using the service, not least of all because it's always on me to calm her down. 

[CurlyQ284]

Mar 1, 2023 20:20:13 GMT -5 ProfessorArtNerd said:

Mar 1, 2023 19:56:25 GMT -5 Patsy Baloney said:

I don’t have any experience with DAS, but just wanted to throw my two cents in -

Disney is crowded. Even when it’s not crowded, it’s crowded. They have this system to help people who can’t move through the crazy lines forever and ever like a lot of people can.

There is no reason to feel like you’re gaming the system when you’re using it for its intended purpose and they deem you as qualifying for it.

So there. That’s my big push to use the help you are allowed and encouraged to use to better enjoy your trip.

I mean, you know the history of my H being a gigantic dick wrinkle in general, and making me second guess myself at every turn.  But you're right.  I'm using the service, not least of all because it's always on me to calm her down. 

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you second guess yourself! I was just unprepared for the line of questions they were asking and I didn't want that to happen to you too.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Mar 1, 2023 20:46:10 GMT -5 CurlyQ284 said:

Mar 1, 2023 20:20:13 GMT -5 ProfessorArtNerd said:

I mean, you know the history of my H being a gigantic dick wrinkle in general, and making me second guess myself at every turn.  But you're right.  I'm using the service, not least of all because it's always on me to calm her down. 

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you second guess yourself! I was just unprepared for the line of questions they were asking and I didn't want that to happen to you too.

no no, not you!  You reassured me that it's a good idea, with the description of the process.  My husband thinks she's "faking it" half the time.  Which is amazing bc she's so much like him in temperament.  but that's a story for another day.

[CurlyQ284]

Mar 1, 2023 20:48:23 GMT -5 ProfessorArtNerd said:

Mar 1, 2023 20:46:10 GMT -5 CurlyQ284 said:

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you second guess yourself! I was just unprepared for the line of questions they were asking and I didn't want that to happen to you too.

no no, not you!  You reassured me that it's a good idea, with the description of the process.  My husband thinks she's "faking it" half the time.  Which is amazing bc she's so much like him in temperament.  but that's a story for another day.

Ugh I'm sorry. Im also the one that deals with my son the most but H doesn't think he's faking it, just not super helpful. I have so much anxiety around my son's issues I don't even care about the money I'll pay extra to make things smoother at Disney.

I'll say he surprised me completely. He barely even complained he was so happy to be there (only MK day because we were there so late and he was worn out by firework time). The short time in lines REALLY helped. It was a truly magical trip, I planned for this to be a one time trip but now I'm taking him again next October lol.

[minniemouse]

A family member gets DAS for her young son, and it does really help them last longer in the parks. Das allows up to 6 people to ride, so we were able to go with them on some rides last trip. The whole point of the trip was to spend time together, so that was nice. We also paid for genie+ on our Hollywood studios day.
I have heard Disney is getting much stricter on who qualifies. People with physical disabilities used to qualify but many no longer do. I have seen many posts on social media complaining that Disney denied DAS and told them to rent a wheelchair instead. People with autism, anxiety, and those who have to be close to a bathroom due to medical reasons seem to get approved (based on what I’ve seen online and comments from cast members).

[estrellita]

We used it in Jan. E has ADHD and anxiety and I had no idea it was an option until my cousins used it for their nephew. I was conflicted about it for sure, because I don't consider him a kid with a disability, and I don't want him feeling like he gets special treatment over other kids. But they really emphasize a good experience, which honestly would be difficult with his impulse control issues. Not just for us, but the other people in line near us. That made me feel better about it.

We signed up online and had to do a video chat with a cast member. Super simple, they just ask some questions. The person needing DAS needs to be present. After that, they connected us with someone to make the advance reservations. My plan with those was picking the rides with the longest waits typically, and that I knew he'd go on. It's a somewhat limited list, but has most rides. We picked two rides a day, but you can also pick experiences and I think shows too?

As for being at the parks, we could book one more once we got there. I think once we used the ones we had, we were able to add one at a time. Basically it will give you a time to come back which is about the amount of time you would have spent in line. So if you're booking it and the current wait time is an hour, the return time will be in about an hour. Then you go to the lightning lane and scan in. There may be a wait still, but it's much shorter.

Some tips:
- The time frame is NOT a hard rule for DAS. You can't enter before your time, but you can enter anytime after.
- The DAS person needs to go on the ride. They will scan first, then everyone else on the reservation scans in. Some rides will have you scan twice (probably to avoid the DAS guest leaving the line without everyone else)
- The reservations can only be made for 6 people. However, you may be able to find a cast member willing to make an exception if needed. We didn’t find that until day 3 when I was trying to figure out who was going to stay off a ride in our party of 7.
- You can't cancel a same day reservation without going to guest services
- You CAN use special seating for fireworks, which we weren't planning on using until my aunt joined us with her scooter

That's all I can think of right now, LMK if you have other questions!

[momof2]

I’ve been using this service for almost 10 years (there was an old version as well). We go once a year — excluding Covid times.

First, you don’t need to tell them any particular diagnosis. They aren’t interested. You tell them your child’s needs. Unable to wait in line without melting down is an issue that can be addressed but not waiting in line as much. Having a panic attack in a line, etc. These are issues to be addressed. DAS is NOT for mobility issues. That you handle by getting a wheelchair. I know people complain about this, but it actually makes sense to me. We do both — DAS for the waiting in line issues and then renting a wheelchair because she tires easily. Just tiring easily would not qualify.

The new online system for getting DAS In advance is awesome. Be online right when the system opens. Have your kid with you. They have to be able to see the kid and take a picture. They will book you 2 DAS rides per day in advance which is an AMAZING improvement.

Once you are actually in the park at Disney, you can book DAS slots there as well — one at a time. You do this through your app on your phone, which is another amazing improvement. I buy GeniePlus and alternating this with DAS means we can ride pretty much all the rides we ever want.

Tell anyone (including husbands) that suggest you should not get this to go jump in a lake. Assuming your child has actual needs that could be addressed with DAS, you should use the service.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Thank you so much for this post b/c I'm seriously going to consider DAS for our next Disney trip. I have thought about it in the past but felt guilty using it.

We have four kids--DD who is fine in line, DS1 who has ADHD but mostly does fine in line, DS2 who has intense anxiety, ADHD, and ODD and waiting in line is a huge trigger for him, and DS3 who is only 5 but I'm sure is on his way to an ADHD diagnosis, potentially combined with some sensory issues. I guess that I always felt like I was a bad parent b/c I couldn't get DS2 to stop melting down in line, but I'm coming around to the idea that this may make the entire trip more pleasant for us and the people around us.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Mar 5, 2023 17:00:56 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

Thank you so much for this post b/c I'm seriously going to consider DAS for our next Disney trip. I have thought about it in the past but felt guilty using it.

We have four kids--DD who is fine in line, DS1 who has ADHD but mostly does fine in line, DS2 who has intense anxiety, ADHD, and ODD and waiting in line is a huge trigger for him, and DS3 who is only 5 but I'm sure is on his way to an ADHD diagnosis, potentially combined with some sensory issues. I guess that I always felt like I was a bad parent b/c I couldn't get DS2 to stop melting down in line, but I'm coming around to the idea that this may make the entire trip more pleasant for us and the people around us.

I'm glad to have helped! I read a review of someone's trip on fb that mentioned it for her son.  Having never heard of it, I went on a research binge (that's who I am, it's what I do haha). 

[curbsideprophet]

I have used DAS once. I used it for me. I know a lot of people talk about it in terms of their kids, but it is not just for kids. You just have to explain why you can not wait in the regular line. You should not have to give your specific medical condition. I have heard Disneyland had gotten a little more strict about who they are giving it to. Not sure if the same applies to WDW.

In theory you are still waiting, just waiting somewhere else. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for using it.

I found with the prebooked passes and the day of passes we did not really need Genie + on top of it.

I use touringplans to try to get an idea of what we might be able to accomplish in a day. You need to create an account but you should be able to make touring plans for free. You can put in Lightning Lane return times. I try to estimate when I might have day of return times as well as enter the pre-booked times once I get them. touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/touring-plans/personalized

The pre-booked times are one hour windows, not sure how flexible they are if you miss the window.

The return times you book in the park have no end time. It is valid until you use it. You just can not book a another one until you either use or cancel the existing request. You can not request a day of DAS until you tap into the park.

The person with DAS does have to ride, it works best if they go up first.

There are a decent number of options for advanced selection at WDW, just not the biggest options.
disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/faq/guests-with-disabilities/attractions-available-for-das-advance/

You can also request day of DAS for things that do not have LL, such as Astro Orbiter.

[curbsideprophet]

Sample touring plan that you can create and simulate using DAS. It also includes using Rider switch with a couple of the bigger rides. I have not used Rider Switch in conjunction with DAS, but I assume this is something you can do.

touringplans.com/plans/print?id=4912383

I did do some rides without DAS if the predicted wait was less than 15 minutes. In this plan, if Pirates was requested right after HM, it should be available to use sooner than the time listed. TPs does not have a way to have an open ended return time (at least not to my knowledge).

[atarianna]

We used DAS for my type one diabetic daughter and had a wonderful experience.

We booked it ahead of time and pre-booked rides we wanted to ensure we got on. This freed up our genie and other DAS queues for other rides.

I don’t have the time to go into all we did specifically; but the short overview is that we did Genie and DAS and waited for nothing. We would strategically plan rides based on proximity and did genie then DAS, then genie so the waits between were used riding something else if that makes sense.

I did the whole log in at 7 and book genie ride then go to the park early thing.

We were able to use DAS for Star Wars, not the advanced one, but got in nonetheless and since we did the kid swap thing, our kids were able to ride it twice which was awesome.

I will see if I can find my trip recap to link.

pandce.proboards.com/thread/633703/finished-first-dw-trip-recap

[longtimenopost]

We used DAS for our DD, and we stacked it with Genie+. We did pretty much every ride at MK, Epcot, and AK, one day in each park. It was amazing! It's helpful because some rides weren't on Genie+ (lightening lane $ only) but you can use the DAS for them, like Mine Train and Avatar. We could also do her favorite rides more than one time. We did the advance selections but you're kind of pre-guessing where you'll be and when so they were nice to have but we didn't always use them.

I did spend a TON of time on my phone booking rides, but to me it was worth it.