The Disability Access Service or DAS is a program in place at Walt Disney World to accommodate guests who have might not be able to tolerate waiting for an extended time period in the conventional queues. While guests who qualify do not get to just “skip” lines, they are able to wait for a ride outside of the standard queue.
This is not a new program; however, it has recently seen an update in implementation with the launch of the Disney Genie service. While you should refer to Walt Disney World’s policies to determine if you or anyone in your party qualify for DAS, we are going to lay out how DAS works now with the introduction of the Disney Genie service.
The first and most major change to the Disability Access Service is that guests may now pre-register for the service virtually over a video chat between 2-30 days before arrival. This must be done more than 2 days prior to arrival. While guests may still register in person at Guest Services, the pre-registration will save valuable park time, and the guests who qualify for DAS will not have to wait in a long line to speak with a cast member at the park.
The video chat option is available on the Disney website from 7 am to 10 pm ET, however, you may have to wait for an available cast member. During your call, the qualifying guest must be present, and the guest initiating the interview must be at least 18 years of age. It is important to note that at this time the interviews are only offered in English at this time. Guests can be more prepared for this interview by already being logged into their Disney account.
During the interview, the cast member will help guests to book two advance return windows for select attractions. The top-tier rides like Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Flight of Passage are not available for advance selection, and selections are subject to availability. T
he DAS qualified guest and their travel party will be able to make additional DAS return widow selections from the MyDisneyExperience app on their visit day, however, they will only be able to reserve 1 return window at a time. A return window is a specified time that the guest and their party will arrive at the selected attraction, and they will be allowed to pass through the Lightning Lane entrance. What this means is that if a selected ride has a 60-minute wait, the return time window will be about 60 minutes from the time of selection. This allows the DAS eligible guests to spend those 60 minutes waiting outside of the standard queue. This is not the same Disney Genie+, as the guest must still wait the designated time before entering the attraction.
The qualifying guest (and their other party members) must have a valid admission and park pass reservation to make selections, and the qualifying guest must ride/attend the selected attraction. Guests can also use DAS with Disney Genie+ if desired. If a guest preferred the old method, one member of the party can still head to the entrance of each attraction to reserve a return window, but the ability to reserve these windows on the app is definitely the faster and more efficient way.
Once registered, DAS is valid for 60 days. This means if a guest is visiting the parks again within this time, there is no need to pre-register again. Returning DAS registered guests can make 2 advance return window selections 2-30 days prior to their visit and can only hold a max of 2 selections at a time. The selections are only valid for the chosen date, and a park pass reservation is required.
The ability to pre-register for the Disability Access Service and make return window selections via the app is sure to make it easier for DAS eligible guests and their families to enjoy their time at the parks.
*Please note that if a guest attempts to retrieve DAS and is found to be making false statements, Disney states that the guest will be barred from entering all parks at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort and will not be refunded for any tickets or passes purchased. Please respect the system, and guests it seeks to accommodate.
