More exciting changes coming to Disability Access Service DAS

Yesterday, your Kenny the Pirate team reported on a lot of changes coming this Fall! Among those, you’ll find several changes to the Disability Access Service (DAS) program. Let’s take a look!

When Genie+ launches this Fall, you will see several changes to the Disability Access Service (DAS) Program. So far, as a DAS user I (Rebecca) am excited about the changes!

New Genie Plus Feature

Big changes coming this Fall to the My Disney Experience app mean we will need to learn a whole new system.

While that seems a daunting task, worry not! Your Kenny the Pirate team is here to help you understand it all.

You can now book certain rides ahead of time for a fee, using the “Lightning Lane” feature. This will be offered for the two most popular rides in each park.

You can also pay a flat rate of $15 per person per day (Disney World, $20 per day at Disneyland) to take advantage of short queues for most rides that previously offered Fastpass+.

Standby queues and boarding groups will still be available to guests at no charge. However, it stands to reason that the individual Lightning Lane selections will mean we see fewer boarding groups available for guests opting for the free option.

Disability Access Service (DAS)

Many guests with disabilities utilize the Disability Access Service at the Disney parks. I’m very outspoken about my disabilities and use of this feature at the parks.

Generally speaking, the DAS service is used for guests who have a disability that is not mobility related. This is because nearly all of the ride queues can accommodate wheelchair users!

The DAS pass is generally issued to a guest at Guest Relations in the park and can be used for length of stay (or 60 days for Passholders). The pass allows the user to wait for their chosen attraction outside of the standby queue.

It’s been wonderful for us as a mom with Multiple Sclerosis and chronic pain and an autistic/anxious child with ADHD.

Personally, I can’t physically stand in a queue for more than about 20 minutes, especially in the heat.

I wrote a little more about my own use of the DAS pass here. See my experience with using it for Rise of the Resistance here.

Changes to DAS this Fall

It would appear that Disney has heard our calls for changes to the DAS system loud and clear! I covered yesterday that the new features in the app will include the ability to reserve ride times without physically going to the ride! This is huge for us!

I have also heard some users ask for a way to sign up for the DAS ahead of time. And Disney has responded with a program where you can video chat with guest relations in order to set up your DAS from home!

During the video chat, guests can also select 2 attractions to pre-reserve for their trip! Such a nice thing to do for guests with disabilities.

Will Genie+ Lead to More DAS Misuse?

Of course, some fear that with the addition of paid Genie+ that the DAS pass will be abused. Disney has said guests caught misusing the pass will be banned from the parks.

I personally think people will always abuse programs meant for us and I just don’t let it detract from my enjoyment. I refuse to let it make me hesitant to use accommodations I actually need.

Hesitant to Use Accommodations?

Previously, I didn’t want to use any accommodations anywhere. Because I look healthy.

I once asked a Southwest airlines ticketing agent if I could pay to upgrade our boarding group so we could all sit together. I explained that although my son is 11 years old, he can’t sit alone on the plane.

She suggested that we pre-board. I hesitated. I told her I don’t like to use those accommodations because I know people abuse them and I don’t want strangers to judge me.

She said, “If the people accommodations are meant for don’t use them, the only people using them will be the cheaters.”

I agree with her! So, sometimes we pre-board when we don’t get a good position. And sometimes we use DAS because we truly can not wait in the standby queue.

You can find me in the Kenny the Pirate crew Facebook group, and I’m always happy to answer questions about obtaining or using DAS.

What do you think of the changes to this program? Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.