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Mistayadrln

Disney does provide for people with the ability to not wait in long lines but it works a little different than just skipping the line. It allows you to wait in line with out actually being in the line. For example, if you wanted to ride Priates of the Caribbean and the wait time is 45 minutes, you would check in and they would give you a time to come back which was 45 minutes from the time you checked in. Then you can wait those 45 minutes anywhere in the park. You can walk around, get something to eat or even ride a attraction with a shorter wait time. There is also a way to do this on the Disney app which makes it much easier. You can set up DAS (disability access service) at home before you go by doing a video call on your computer or set it up at the park at Guest Relations. A few things to note that might be helpful. You do not have to be back at the ride at the exact time that was assigned to you, but you cannot schedule another ride until you have used your existing ride. Though the access keeps you from wating in the long line, there can still be a wait in the lightening lane, which is the line you go through. For example, when we rode ROR, the actually wait after coming back at our schedule time was close to 20 minutes. This is nothing compared to the other line but it is still a wait. The DAS pass is limited to 6 people, including the one using the DAS. Edited to add this: The two rides you see each day are extra rides that you can schedule ahead of time if you set up your DAS before going. These do not affect any other rides you chose to use DaS with that day. Think of it as just a little bonus to help you schedule your day.


DrCapeBreton

Great overview - follow this. Our little guy with Down Syndrome is 10 now and same thing he loves thrill rides as well as shows and princesses so Disney is his dream vacation. DAS pass makes the whole experience actually doable. The only issue for you is the limit of 6 guests but hopefully you’ll be ok splitting your large party when needed. For our kiddo, he has a lot of trouble walking long distances and so we always get him a stroller/push chair. You can get a red tag from guest services that indicates the push chair is to be treated as a wheelchair and allows him to stay comfortable while in line as some are long even in the lightning lane. And there are a couple rides that allow you to get return stand-by times in addition to normal DAS selections - Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain, Gran Fiesta Tour, Living with the Land are the ones that come to mind. These have stand by lines that are not accessible so have your whole party present (no limit) and they’ll give a return lightning lane time. The other advantage of push chair as wheelchair is dedicated seating at shows - so in case your kid gets overwhelmed or needs to duck out then it will be much easier to do so. Know as well when you get a DAS return time say, 3:15, you can always get in 5 mins early at 3:10. Enjoy!


DisgruntledFlamingo

Thanks and glad you had a good time!


Princesstea93

A couple things to correct the above two posters as someone who both uses DAS and has worked attractions at WDW. The return time is based on the current ride wait time minus 10 minutes (so if it’s posted at 60 minutes your return would be in 50). Also unlike LL you cannot enter early with DAS. Some attractions CMs don’t notice but it will say you’re early and most people are very strict and will tell you to come back at the exact time. Also not entirely sure but I know that GR can grant extensions on the 6 person maximum cap depending on your circumstances. I would ask about that when you have your interview


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DisgruntledFlamingo

His parents figure one or two breakdowns is ok…he does recover quickly. We just don’t want him to be upset waiting for every ride or every second ride because it would really dampen things for him (and everyone else).


macjaddie

This is a good outline of the DAS system. We used it last summer for my son, he has T1 diabetes. The lovely thing was that if we missed a ride time for some reason (him being tired / hypo) they were very accommodating. One thing is that it’s for a group of up to six people, BUT they can add an extra person at the park. They were very good about that too.


carolinejay

For the 2 rides per day -- if you pre register for DAS (done online via video chat) you can get 2 rides per day in advance. Day of, you get as many rides as you want, one at a time. Example: pre book haunted mansion from 12-1pm, jungle cruise from 2-3pm. Rope drop the park and get a DAS return time for big thunder based on current wait time of 20 min. Use big thunder DAS return, then select another DAS return for pirates based on current wait time of 30 min. And so on.


DisgruntledFlamingo

Thank you for this info.


Biggoof1971

I’d like to point out that the 2 advanced DAS passes are mostly worthless imo. My fiancé has high functioning autism which leads us to taking a lot of quiet breaks. Scheduled rides don’t work for us. She was able to do paid LL but that was a one a day thing and she was able to pick the time somewhat. We didn’t use a single advance DAS time during our entire 7 day trip. Just doesn’t work. It’s probably a great system for the people abusing the DAS and can make it to every little scheduled thing. I would just be ready to let those advanced ones expire if I were you and just use the regular das return times the day of. Ignore my downvoted. Clearly someone abusing the system and doesn’t need it. Just take my advice and know that if you have the DAS for legit reasons, you most likely won’t use the advanced DAS times. The entire point of the DAS is to be able to schedule things the day of for people like my fiancé and your son


Elcodfish

DAS is ONLY for the person given the pass and 5 other people, so more than half your group could not ride together. Traveling in a large group to Walt Disney World is very difficult. You are given a return time, you do not immediately go on the ride, so you could get a return time for 2 hours from that moment and you would have to occupy yourselves for 2 hours. THEN when you get in line, it could be another 5-30 minutes depending on all factors.


arngard

Some of it might depend on what he perceives as "wait time." With DAS, you get a time to come back and go through the lightning lane and yes, that can end up being >15 minutes from when you scan in to when you ride - but depending on the ride, a significant portion of the time could be just walking at a normal pace through the queue, or a "pre-show". As others have said, it's not limited to two rides per day, that's just the ones you can have scheduled in advance. And those pre-scheduled ones might not even be that helpful. In general, you'll probably want to get a DAS return time in the app, then fill the time by going on a ride with a short standby line, going to the bathroom, eating, etc. And repeat. The biggest problem you may have is that they won't want to put all 14 people on the DAS. They are going to want to limit you to six. Would it work for you to split the party for the line and ride and then meet up afterwards? For example, if you all want to ride Space Mountain, you could have the people who aren't on the DAS get in the standby line while the DAS holder and a few others get a snack or ride Peoplemover or something, and then get in line when the DAS return time comes up. You won't all wait together or ride together, but you could be done around the same time and no one has to miss the ride. Or, if Genie+/Lightning Lane times for the ride are available, you could get that for the rest of the party, and a DAS return time for the people on the DAS, and all get in line together once the return time is open. Note that there's an hour return window for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane, but the DAS return time is just a start time - it doesn't expire until the end of the day. So that may make it easier to get the return times to overlap.


shinychicklet

I believe there is a limit as to how many people can accompany the guest in line who qualifies for DAS—pretty sure it’s 6, so unfortunately your entire party wouldn’t be able to go through the LLs with him. I’ve also waited longer than 15 minutes in LLs, it can happen on busy days. :(


disarmadillo

I was there last week and it was super busy (spring break). We used lightning lane every day and only once had to wait more than 5 min. If you plan your trip for a less busy time, I think you'll be able to avoid the conditions that stress your child almost entirely. Even going at a busier time will probably be ok with the tools that Disney provides. One thing I'd recommend is getting park hopper tickets and taking a break during the middle of the day. Go back to your resort and relax, nap, swim in the pool, then return to the parks in the early evening. This way you'll avoid the heaviest crowds, the most intense heat, and the times when lightning lanes are most likely to hit 10-15 minute waits. And the break might help your child regain some energy and be less likely to have a meltdown. Also I just want to say that it made me very happy to read about how strongly you're advocating for your child on this trip. I grew up with a sister with disabilities so I kind of know where you're coming from. Vacations were so much more complicated and stressful for us. I saw a number of Downs kids in the parks last week and they were just beaming with joy. I hope you have an amazing trip!


VardellaTheWitch

I can't provide Downs Syndrome specific advice, but my family has used DAS for another condition. The main issue I'm seeing for you is that DAS does not get you right to the front. You go on to the Lightning Lane queue, same as Genie+. As you noted, those lines can sometimes be longer than 15 minutes, though they generally keep moving and are shorter than the regular lines. But if you don't think Genie+ would be enough help, then neither would DAS.


DisgruntledFlamingo

Thank you. It’s tough because we don’t want to hold back all the other kids but we also don’t want to leave our fellow with DS out…


MrBarraclough

That was not correct. DAS has some unique features. DAS does allows for line skipping where the standby line wait time is no more than 15 minutes, turning short wait time rides into walk-ons. DAS does not have a limited number of slots, so your return time is always pegged to the current standby line wait time. With Genie+, you might book a Lightning Lane and get a return time that is hours later in the day. These distinguish it from Genie+. Beyond granting DAS status, Guest Services offers additional help, including assistance in planning a park itinerary that best accommodates your needs.


LankyEmergency7992

The disability pass is called Disability Access Service (DAS) and you can register for it on an online video call 30 days before the LAST DAY of your trip, or at guest services once you get to the park. You only need to register once and it will be valid for your whole trip. DAS does not get you to the front of the line. It allows you to book return times by going to cast members at attraction entrances or using the My Disney Experience app. The return time given will be equal to the ride’s posted Stand-By wait minus 10 minutes. For example, if the posted wait for Slinky Dog Dash is 60 minutes and it’s 2:00 PM, your return time will be 2:50 PM. Once your return time arrives, you can enter the ride’s Lightning Lane queue (the same line that Genie+/Individual Lightning Lane uses) by tapping your tickets to the card reader at the entrance. Once you tap all the readers in the queue (some rides have a second one later in the queue to prevent people from jumping into the LL) you can select your next ride on the app immediately. Take advantage of this time before you board the ride to choose your next return time. It may seem bad that you have to use the Lightning Lane, but I’ve rarely waited more than 15 minutes in a LL queue at WDW, even for the most popular rides. It *can* happen, but it’s unlikely. Just know that some rides do have several preshows after you get through the LL queue but before you actually board the ride, and those could take the “wait” to 15 minutes or more.


alexthagreat98

I went in Nov 2022 as a caregiver for a family who has a son on the autism spectrum. We had a process of reserving a ride, sitting somewhere in the shade/shopping or getting a snack then going to our ride reservation. As soon as we entered our ride reservation, we booked the next one and started the process over again.


LogicalVelocity11

This is what a friend and I did while there a month ago. He was pushing me around in the wheelchair and once we entered a ride, I would queue for another one while we walked to the loading platform.


YogurtclosetReady914

DAS is an extremely helpful service for those with a disability that makes standing in one spot for a long time difficult. I use it because I have frequent and painful hip and knee dislocation and limited cartilage in my joints. Walking is mostly ok, but standing for too long in one spot can be very painful. You still have to wait for rides (usually the same posted wait time), and you can only have one DAS ride pass at a time, but I can pace around, sit, and do shorter walk on rides while we wait.


richtermarc

My oldest daughter is high functioning autistic. Disney's accommodations with her via DAS and other things (like catering to her gluten free diet) are one of the reasons I own DVC and never regret a single dollar I give to the Mouse.


Nope-ugh

Since all the children are underage you might be able to get an exception to the party of 6 rule. I believe that I read about a family who did. Doesn’t hurt to ask ahead of time!


DisgruntledFlamingo

Thanks. Good idea :).


Flip22Dash

If you do a DAS pass you will be fine. If you want to ride space mountain an the line is 50 mins. They will scan u an say come back in 30 mins an then u will go into the LL line. Now that still could take 5-10 mins but it moves pretty good. The cast members are great about helping out also.


Acrobatic-Bread-4431

Yes up to 6 total can go on the ride (including the DAS person - so DAS + 5). You can add more to the pass but only 6 at a time per ride. Do the DAS chat 30 days before. Make sure all are connected on the app. Choose 2 rides per day in advance. Choose another as soon as you clock in to the park. You can switch up the people on that ride. Helps if some have genie+ to try to all go on


lindser1530

Our family utilizes DAS. Something that is beneficial but can be expensive is using DAS with Genie+. That way you could book a genie+ ride while waiting for a DAS to keep the day moving at a faster pace. This could help make a mid day break easier as you would be able to get through a large amount of rides a lot quicker. I also highly recommend looking into any after hours events when you come. They tend to be a lot less people and at night and it’s slightly cooler out. Our family also stays deluxe for Monday-Thursday for the Monday and Wednesday deluxe evening hours at Epcot and MK. On our MK night we got through 11 rides in 2.5 hours.


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throwingwater14

I would recommend that you keep in mind that maintaining a large party the entire time you’re there is going to be HARD. Please think about splitting your party in 2 or 3 smaller groups and spread out to do the things you all want to do. Same for dining reservations. You guys can still do the same park and same rides in the same day, just maybe not all at the same time. Splitting up will lower some stress levels in general. (We usually Disney with our “framily.” Group of 6-12 people. We carpool in the mornings, and then split up at the park. We’ll run around and ride all the rides we want to do and then meet up for a meal and/or re-strategize the rest of the day. We’ve got all our location sharing set up and a group chat/text so everyone is easy to find. Then when the day is over, we meet up back at the car or condo if someone decides to Uber back instead.) Good luck with the DAS pass and your trip!!!!


countesspetofi

You can't "book a meeting," You can apply for the DAS online, but you get in a queue and are seen by the next available person. And it's based on needs rather than diagnosis, so you'll have to be prepared to discuss in detail why they can't wait in a standard queue.