Disney Launches New Disability Access Service Policy at Walt Disney World

May 20, 2024 in "Magic Kingdom"

Posted: Monday May 20, 2024 6:04am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney World's new Disability Access Service (DAS) is now in effect and is only available to guests with a developmental disability such as autism or a similar disorder.

In-person registration for DAS at the parks has been eliminated, and all applications for the service must be done via live video chat available from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time

The new policy is aimed at addressing the misuse of this widely used benefit, which skips conventional queue environments at the parks, and tries to ensure that DAS is used fairly and only by those who truly need it, improving the park experience for all guests.

A major change is now in effect for the Walt Disney World's Disability Access Service (DAS)

DAS is intended for guests with difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability. DAS offers return times for attractions, similar to standby waits, allowing guests and their party to enjoy other park experiences instead of waiting in line. Disney has dramatically narrowed the scope of eligibility and now says that DAS is for guests with a "developmental disability like autism or similar." The new DAS also extends the enrollment period from 60 days to 120 days, and reduces the DAS party size to four guests.

Disney is facing increasing abuse of the system, which, according to sources who spoke with WDWMAGIC, is the primary cause for extended wait times in the Genie+ Lightning Lanes and occupies a significant quantity of available Lightning Lane inventory.

Disney is teaming up with Inspire Health Alliance to help Cast Members determine eligibility.

How to Register for DAS at Walt Disney World

Registration is available via live video chat.
Speak with a Cast Member via live video chat to determine eligibility as soon as 30 days in advance of a park visit.
At this time, live chat is offered in English only.
In-person registration is no longer be available at theme park Guest Relations locations.
If DAS is provided after a conversation with a Cast Member to determine eligibility, the Guest with a disability (or a parent/guardian) will participate in the registration process. This requires having a photo taken of the DAS-registered Guest.
DAS registration maximum party size is the registered DAS Guest and up to 3 additional party members, for a total of 4 people.
DAS is valid for up to 120 days. Once the service has elapsed, Guests will need to re-register.

Disney says that, "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."

DAS FAQs

How long is DAS valid?
DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 120 days, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.

Is DAS issued at the Walt Disney World Resort valid at the Disneyland Resort?
DAS is valid only throughout the Resort at which it was issued. DAS issued at Walt Disney World Resort, for example, is not valid at the Disneyland Resort, and vice versa.

What happens if any of the statements made by a Guest in the process of registering for DAS are found to be not true?
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.

Where do Guests utilizing DAS go to receive return times?
Guests utilizing DAS (and their party members) to 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.

What can Guests do during their DAS 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, concerts, parades and Character Greetings. 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. The Guest may obtain another return time for the same or different attraction 10 minutes after they redeem a return time.

Can a Guest with an active DAS return time receive a boarding group for one of the virtual queue attractions?
Yes. A Guest can hold one active DAS return time and one virtual queue boarding group at the same time. When a Guest utilizing DAS goes to the attraction with a virtual queue, they, along with their party, will speak to a Cast Member at the attraction about accessing the queue.

Discuss on the Forums

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Fido Chuckwagon13 hours ago

Welcome to the exact same experience that every other Disney guest has been having! Disney always getting more money out of you (even adjusting for inflation) on every subsequent trip to get the same experience is a Disney tradition.

RSoxNo11 day ago

They do. I also think that if you explain to front line cast members why you're late and the explanation includes "disabled guest" they're not going to ask follow up questions. I believe this is 2 hours. We returned a few days ago from our trip and a few comments: Our DAS was approved for 4 guests and we largely stuck with that number or fewer On 4 different occasions we asked at the entrance of the attraction if we could add an additional guest (your mileage may vary): Peter Pan's Flight allowed an additional guest Seven Dwarfs Mine Train allowed an additional guest Slinky Dog Dash did not allow an additional guest Ratatouille did not allow an additional guest Crowds were light and we paid for Lightning Lane (multi-pass and single pass). Disney absolutely got more money out of us than they previously did as a result of both the Lightning Lane changes and the DAS changes. We were able to get refunds (same day) for Cosmic Rewind and Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lanes that did not get used. There was 0 fight for this. Tiana's Bayou Adventure did not enforce the virtual queue return time, nor did they cap us at 4 guests for using the Lightning Lane entrance with the DAS. We simply stopped at the Rider Switch umbrellas, advised them that we had a member of our party that used DAS and they switched all 6 of us to Lightning Lanes. This process does take a few minutes for what its worth, especially if you're past your virtual queue time.

SamusAranX1 day ago

Not god given right, but a Disney encouraged policy.

Disstevefan11 day ago

This is the first I heard of the hard coded 2 hour grace period for return times. I am very happy to know this and I wonder how long will it be before they lower it. It’s probably one value in one line of a config. file someplace in the system.

Angel Ariel2 days ago

I also agree with the bolded. That there's a 2 hour grace now is great. I still don't know that I'm confident in spending hundreds of dollars on a product when the aspect of the product we need to make it work for us can be changed at any point without notice. Again, not disinformation - just an individual family's decision about whether or not that is a risk worth taking.

Angel Ariel2 days ago

Posting what people thought to be true is not posting disinformation. I truly did not know of the 2 hour grace before you mentioned it. I follow touting plans and all ears and had still missed these articles. There is no ulterior motive.

Chi842 days ago

Right but you can't rely on something that isn't posted policy because it can change without warning. That's what a lot of people find so frustrating about Disney; they don't publish anything. If you call them three times, you'll get three different answers. And if you email, you'll get a standard "cast member discretion based on business needs" response. I don't know if there's even a way for them to be more specific - it's their business. I don't disagree with anything you are saying; that was our experience too just recently and it's good to put that information out there. I do understand the frustration with having no information from the actual source of the policy, but it's always been that way and is not going to change.

Disstevefan12 days ago

And the best part..... Di$ney Make$ Ca$h 🤑 🤑 🤑 🤑

Wendy Pleakley2 days ago

The original Fastpass had an indefinite grace period, which was changed because people abused it. People would stack or save them for the evening and Fastpass return lines would end up the same as standby. Which is to say, the flexibility is there for guest benefit, but can change again as warranted. Just something to remember when planning a trip, that rules can change.

Vegas Disney Fan2 days ago

Another thing I forgot to mention is the LL/DAS lines were substantially shorter than they were the last couple years, one of our major complaints when we tried Genie+ was we felt ripped off having to often wait 30 minutes after paying extra for a “short” line, our other major complaint as DAS users is we’d often have to leave the DAS lines because they were so long we couldn’t physically stand in them for that long. The new system is far from perfect but the old system was far from perfect also, hopefully Disney will continue to make adjustments because it feels like they’ve gone from being too lenient to too restrictive, hopefully they’ll find a nice middle ground that accommodates more disabilities without being overran with abuse again.

Fido Chuckwagon2 days ago

And the fact that this rolled out around the same time as the DAS changes is likely not a coincidence. The idea that someone who previously relied on DAS “cannot possibly make LLMP work as substitution“ just doesn’t mesh with reality for the vast majority of parkgoers.

Disstevefan12 days ago

I am very happy to now know there is the 2 hour grace period! This could help folks who have real limitations who previously qualified for the old DAS system and now do not qualify for the new DAS system.

Fido Chuckwagon2 days ago

Mostly because people who are upset they no longer have DAS keep incorrectly pointing out “the LLMP return times are too strict to possibly work for us” and keep having to be corrected when they incorrectly post the misinformation that the return window grace period is still only 15 minutes. The people who are posting this misinformation are doing a disservice to their fellow persons with disabilities who might be reading this thread hoping to get useful information. The return time grace period is 2 hours after your initial hour expires, for a total window of 3 hours. This has been reported all over the place including by reputable bloggers who have posted videos about it. Anyone who is posting otherwise at this point has an ulterior motive.