My son is on the spectrum and may have some difficulty with super long line waits. While we didn’t feel we needed DAS during our June visit 1.5 years ago (we had lots of time and a lower crowd level), with our four days later this month being 9/10/10/10 I think we may need it.
During our WDW trip this past July was the first time we ever asked for one and only actually used it once. At WDW the DAS is linked w/ your magic band…how does it work at DLR? If we both have MaxPass is it integrated w/ the app or does it leverage paper passes?
How do I identify the group of us for the pass? It will be only the two of us for the first three days w/ dh and dd joining us on the last one. I’m guessing we will have to revisit guest services to add dh & dd on the last day?
It is a lot of questions, but there is so much out there about how it works at WDW and I can find next to nothing about how to use it at DLR.
The DAS program at Disneyland has a lot of rampant abuse so it can vary from guest to guest what their experience with DAS is. Never having used it myself I don’t know any of the details but I am 100% certain that the return times will be linked to your ticket media therefore if you have the tickets scanned into the app (regardless of if you have purchased MaxPass or not), the return times will appear in the app. (We’ve only purchased Maxpass on 2 different occasions but always see any free FP we pull show up in the app & we can cancel using the app for free too, we just can’t select FPs on the app without Maxpass).
The below article on Disneyland Daily is a very comprehensive guide to planning for a variety of needs & includes some links from Disney directly on information they provide about special needs. It may be a lot of what you already know but just in case it gives you any additional details, here it is.
On a separate article at Disneyland Daily she says the following about DAS details:
For information on the DAS pass, please refer to the Disneyland website. I don’t share details online because the system is wildly abused and those in need often get turned down due to others taking advantage of the system. (I have personally witnessed guests coaching friends on how to make their child ‘seem’ autistic to qualify. That situation, and several others, have scarred me, as I have a sister with a chronic illness and disabilities who truly needed the pass.)
As comprehensive as the Disneyland Daily site is, I was extremely disappointed in the lack of information about the DAS pass and how it works…especially since the official Disneyland site isn’t very specific.
I get that she doesn’t want to tell you what to say to get a pass in case someone is doing so for nefarious reasons, but those of us that honestly need the service also need to learn the how the pass works in practice…with and without MaxPass and/or FastPass.
We will have MaxPass all four days (I don’t think we would get on much if we didn’t) so I’m glad to hear that it is integrated.
I found this article on Undercover Tourist…the info here was helpful and cooborates what you said about how you think it works.
I hate it that the few bad eggs ruin it for the many that do need it, but unfortunately the internet can’t distinguish so I fully support Disneyland Daily’s not posting many details on it where anyone who may use it nefariously can access. I also totally hear you that planning for it is a necessity & the lack of information frustrating! I hope it’s nothing but easy-peasy to integrate into your plans!
I have never used the DAS, but from what I understand it is the process of getting a return time, much like a fp, but it is a separate system and will not effect your paper fp or MP depending on what system you use. It will show on the app like @lolabear_la describes above. You can only hold one DAS return time and must go get the return time in person from the specific ride’s designated spot. If you are granted a DAS they will go over it thoroughly. My guess is it will work similar to WDW magic bands, but you will have to “tap” your physical ticket rather than magic band. Like I said, I have never used the system, so this information may off. Good luck.
Edited to say: I had a moment of regret writing this post thinking I may have divulged information that I shouldn’t have, but on second thought, this is not first had information. I have picked it up along the way on these sites and in reading the Undercover Tourist site, they give you pretty much the same info.
No regret needed! I think the information on how to obtain (i.e. what to say to the CM in guest relations to grant the DAS) is probably the info that people use to abuse it. The logistics of how to get the specific return times is out there in various formats. But I do have a hunch that even that information is subject to change as Disney works to keep ahead of the abuse. (And I do feel like they have this same attitude towards a lot of other things such as rider switch). So sad to me!
The DAS has worked fairly well for us. Last time we were there, they give you a return time, much like a FP. Usually we get a FP for rides that have it. Otherwise, we will go the handicap entrance and ask for a return time, if needed. They scan your ticket and give you a time, usually comparable to the wait time for the line.
It is pretty obvious when people are abusing the system. Many people try to get on right away and when they try to get a return time for 50 minutes away, they walk away in a huff. Also, they are starting to limit how many in a group can go together. I don’t know what the cut off is, as there is usually only two of us going on the ride. But when a huge group arrives and grandma, who is not riding the ride, and they want to work the system, it becomes clear.
