What You Need to Know about Disability Access Service (DAS) at Disney World
Disney is known for their world-class guest service. Their primary mission is to help every guest have a magical time. Some of their guests require a little more pixie dust to make the magic happen. The Disability Access System (DAS) is how Disney can help.
What is the Disability Access Service? (DAS)
The DAS allows guests that are not able to tolerate a traditional queue to wait for the attraction in a more comfortable setting.
Who Qualifies for a DAS?
The DAS is designed for guests that have disabilities that are not entirely assisted with a wheelchair. Although you may meet people who have been given exceptions, Guest Services consistently follows this policy as written.
How Do You Register for DAS?
There are two ways to register for DAS. You can visit guest services in person or register virtually in advance of your visit using the DAS Advance program.
For this article, we are focusing on the in-person system. For DAS Advance, click here.
Visit Guest Services at any park and tell them you need assistance with wait times. This can be at the windows before you enter, the Guest Services location inside the parks, or any of the Blue Guest Experience Team umbrellas in the parks.
- The guest services cast member will ask you a series of questions. They will need to understand how a DAS will benefit the member of your party that needs it.
- Do not bring a doctor’s note. Disney can’t use them due to privacy laws.
- Bring everyone in your party with you.
- They will take a picture of the guest the pass is assigned to; there is no need to smile or pose.
- Everyone in your party will have their MagicBands or park tickets (the card or the MagicMobile code on the phone) linked to the DAS.
- You will be asked to sign the policy statement on a tablet.
- The DAS is good for 60 days, and then you will need to renew.
How Does the DAS Work?
- There is a virtual option that allows you to select a return time on your phone using the My Disney Experience App.
- If you do not have a smartphone or your phone battery dies, there are two ways to get a return time in person. Visit the ride entrance and look for the cast member near an alternative entrance sign or a cast member near the entrance with a tablet or large cell phone, OR you can also look for a blue Guest Experience team umbrella and ask for a return time there.
- The Cast Member will scan your MagicBand, ticket, or phone.
- The time to return will be 10 minutes less than the posted standby wait time.
- The DAS return time will appear in your My Disney Experience App in your plans.
- When it is time for the DAS Pass, simply get in line at the Lightning Lane queue and have the guest with DAS go first.
- The light on the scanner will be blue at first. The cast member will need to see that the correct guest is there, then the light on the scanner turns green, and you are all good to go.
- You can only have one return time at a time. As soon as you use one, you can make another. A return time is not the same as a DAS Advance selection. You may have two selections and one return time, all at the same time.
Tips for the DAS Pass
- Have a My Disney Experience account connected with everyone in your travel party before you go. Also, downloading the app is very helpful.
- The guest the DAS is assigned to must always ride.
- Anyone in your family (or traveling party) can make the return time- you do NOT all have to be there, not even the guest with the DAS.
- There is no end time for the return time- so you can’t miss it even if you go to the room for a nap.
- If you use the DAS Advance and secure 2 DAS Advance selections daily, you can use those WITH the return times.
- If the attraction you want to ride has a virtual queue, you must still have a boarding pass; then the DAS will give you access to the lightning lane when your boarding time is called.
With the addition of Genie+ and DAS Advance, there is a lot to learn, but if change is too overwhelming, the DAS system you are familiar with is still the same.
Amy Schinner is a lifelong fan of Disney, a mom, and an advocate for people with special needs. She loves spinning in teacups, screaming down Mt. Everest, and exploring all of it with her family. Her joy is helping families vacation and create memories together because everyone deserves some pixie dust!
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I’m confused. It looks like you have two contradicting statements:
“The guest the DAS is assigned to must always ride.” – So, guest with DAS must ride?
“Anyone in your family (or traveling party) can make the return time- you do NOT all have to be there, not even the guest with the DAS.” – And now, the guest with DAS does not?
From what I understand, the guest with DAS must always ride – but they do NOT have to be present to set up the return time (like the guest could be somewhere resting while a family member makes the “reservation,” but they would actually need to be there when it’s time to ride).
Ah, I was interpreting “make” wrong. I thought it meant to keep the appointed return time, like you “make it on time” to an event, or “make the bus” to school. You mean “make” as in getting the return time set up. Thanks for clarifying.
For those who are wondering, the DAS live chat thing is a hot mess right now. I’m arriving at WDW on October 19 and have been trying to get DAS set up in advance. I waited several hours but got bumped off a few times. Now I can’t even access it. I called customer service and the message I got was “Your best bet is just going into Guest Relations in person when you get there.” He also told me some horror stories from the day with people trying to access live chat. He said it wasn’t likely to get better anytime soon. So keep that in mind if you want to try the live chat feature!
For my first DAS I waited 7 hours on chat. It kicked me off, but as soon as I logged back in on a device, my whole chat history was there, so I don’t think I really got kicked out of line.
The second time was 12 minute wait.
The third was 30ish minutes.
Does anyone know if Parkinson’s is eligible for DAS? Recent diagnose and mobile but move slowly.
It’s not the diagnosis (the name) that they ask for or can use. It’s the situation of “can you do the waiting in a long line?” – and if not, why not. They want to know if things such as too much stimulation, or need to be near a restroom as much as possible would keep you out of a line. For mobility issues, they will suggest using a wheelchair.
My Grandaughter (disabled) has been to Disney for her first bday and this year for her 2nd bday. Both times were a nightmare. Keep trying to call guest service with hold times that are really long. How can I talk with someone about our experience?
Oh this may not actually be Disney. If not I am sorry.
Question: How do we incorporate the use of the new DAS into a personalized touring plan?
If I rented an ECV for my mom but would we also need to have a wheel chair for her to transfer into for each ride or does Disney provide the wheel chair. When we went to Universal she had an ECV and then the employees provided a wheel chair and I pushed her in the queue and then she walked on the ride.
What does Disney consider a disability? For example, if the guest is ambulatory but has lumbar back pain and/or dizziness if they stand in one place too long, is that sufficient? Or does it have to be something that requires a wheelchair?
Hi Dave,
Any medical issue that can be helped by the use of a wheelchair, ECV, or mobility assistance device will not qualify for the DAS program.
DAS is specifically for developmental disabilities and other medical concerns.
I read that if a posted wait time is 15 minutes or less, those with a DAS pass will be admitted without a wait. There was a lot of confusion among Cast Members about this the last time I was there, however, with some ushering me right in, others saying they’d never heard of this policy, and others saying that the policy was no longer applicable. Can you find out the facts on this?
Hi Steven, that’s a good question. I know that was the policy when DAS was a paper card, but I haven’t looked into it since it went digital. I am in Michigan with family this week, but I will go to the parks this weekend and look into it in person.
Thank you, Amy. I used DAS on two two-week trips a year apart, in both cases after it went digital. The first year the 15-minutes-or-less policy seemed to be widely recognized, but that was much less the case one year later. I can’t find any official rules from Disney on the matter, though several Disney-related sites mention the 15-minute policy.
Hello again! Thanks for your patience. I was back at the parks yesterday and spoke with a few cast members about your question. First, if the wait time is below 20 minutes, it doesn’t appear on the list of attractions available for DAS when using the My Disney Experience app. DAS is only officially available if the standby line for a ride or attraction is 20 minutes or longer. Sometimes a cast member will allow you entry if you are there in person to make a DAS and there is a short wait time, but that is at their discretion; it is not the policy. I hope that helps!
Thank you, Amy for taking the time to investigate this.
I love DAS. I’ve had to do the call with Guest Services 3 times. It was painless, but a long wait over multiple devices (my desktop at work, the car on the way home, the iPad at home). The two renewal calls were much, much shorter. They ask “Why do you need DAS?” I always tell them my diagnosis, but I suppose I could just tell them why it causes problems.
The best part is as soon as I tap into a park I make my first DAS pass and mosey my way to the attraction. I cannot walk briskly, so by the time I get to the attraction, it’s usually about time to get in line. Then, as soon as I tap into that attraction, I make another DAS. If it’s not time, I sit or find air conditioning. Or go back to the hotel for a nap. I have to go first, and they do check my picture.
At Disneyland, as I entered the queue they would ask if I could handle stairs before they gave me the green light. I thought that was a nice touch. So many stairs at DL.
About the time I think I’m fine and I stand in a regular queue, I fall down. Not fun.
DAS works like old paper Fast Pass, without having to travel to the attraction. I think it works the way the rest of the world wants all FP/FP+/G+ systems to work. Honestly, I wish they would make G+ work like DAS. If the rest of the world could get in line as soon as they are in the park, then they could amble down Main Street and spend money. Seems like it would be good for Disney too.
Has anyone ever tried to get a DAS for clausterphobia? I have a rather severe condition that has been getting increasing worse. The rides themselves have not been an issue at Disney because they are so short, but the lines have given me panic attacks when we have to go into tight corrodors and I don’t feel like I have an escape plan. I have not explored this before. Feeling like it’s time. Looking to hear from other’s experiences.
Hi Phoebe! I have not heard of guests using the DAS because of claustrophobia specifically. We don’t share why guests need DAS because that helps guests cheat the system. All I can suggest is if you feel you need assistance go to Guest Services or a blue umbrella, and they will ask what you need help with and then decide if you qualify.
When does the 60 day timer begin? At registration or first park day?
Hi Jason! The timer begins at registration.