DAS Approval/Denial with New DAS Guidelines START 5/20 WDW & 6/18 DL

Was your DAS request approved?

  • YES

    Votes: 195 54.8%
  • NO

    Votes: 76 21.3%
  • Return to Queue (Official name is Attraction Queue Return)

    Votes: 46 12.9%
  • OTHER

    Votes: 16 4.5%
  • Other Accommodations discussed or suggested

    Votes: 18 5.1%
  • Cognitive/Neurodivergent/Developmental Disability - DAS APPROVED (added 8/18/24)

    Votes: 82 23.0%
  • Cognitive/Neurodivergent/Developmental Disability - DAS NOT approved (added 8/18/24)

    Votes: 21 5.9%
  • Physical/Medical disability - DAS APPROVED (added 8/18/24)

    Votes: 13 3.7%
  • Physical/Medical disability - DAS NOT approved (added 8/18/24)

    Votes: 29 8.1%

  • Total voters
    356
Yesterday 5/16/2025. Past DAS applicants, DS23 and DD26 (had been approved since GAC/old DAS days). Compared to past interviews, this video chat experience was unpleasant and uncomfortable, CM was not friendly and never smiled. Felt like an interrogation, made me feel sick to my stomach. Asked about disability via Social Security. Thought that was intrusive. Second person brought into the call who asked the same questions, only slightly nicer. I felt that we didn't have a lot of time to state our case and why accommodations were needed separately for both. Party of 4 total, but we split into 2/2. Past DAS passes would allow one parent with each DAS.

Denied for DS23 and approved for DD26. Queue Reentry was suggested for DS23, but CM acknowledged it wouldn't work because one of us couldn't wait in line because DD23 wouldn't be able to wait alone. DD26 rarely goes on anything, so her having it is not helpful to DS23 since they have completely different interests and do not particularly get along.
 
Surprisingly easy and reasonably quick. Got DAS for son, turning 26 when we're there next month. CM was pleasant and patient. Had waited about 25 min. for the video chat to start. Would have gone even quicker if camera on my computer would have launched automatically. Total time less than 40 min., no problem, no issues. Have had multiple GACs and DASs in the past, most recent DAS last August. Sorry for the folks who have less pleasant experience.
 
Just did my DAS chat

Its amazing to me how inconsistent everyones experiences are.

I had previously been approved 3 times and then was denied last year and was not even going to bother again but decided to try again since the worst that would happen is like last year I'd be denied.

Tell me why it was so simple this time and took less than 3 minutes to be told I was approved and then an additional 3 minutes for them to do whatever on their end.
They even said oh I see you were approved in the past. To which I said yeah and then last time was denied.

I gave the exact same info as last year but this time I had bullet points and used more "complex" terms even though I would have thought they would have appreciated being more myself and genuine last year but I guess not.

They really must focus on certain words used to be like oh yep you qualify even though I said the same things in different words last time.

I did not even have to have an "expert" chime in.

I'll keep my bullet points handy for next time since it made it clear and to the point as I definitely have better written communication skills.

BTW this is for WDW.
 
Tonight was our second time applying for DAS since the changes. I have a teenager who falls in the “or similar” category, yet she’s able to explain her issues well enough that I’m just there as the adult. I say very little. This had me worried that they’d think she would be able to stand in lines since she is intelligent enough to understand waiting in lines. She was approved. This process is never not stressful for us. Our home park went to the same system as Universal and it was a breeze.
 

Tonight was our second time applying for DAS since the changes. I have a teenager who falls in the “or similar” category, yet she’s able to explain her issues well enough that I’m just there as the adult. I say very little. This had me worried that they’d think she would be able to stand in lines since she is intelligent enough to understand waiting in lines. She was approved. This process is never not stressful for us. Our home park went to the same system as Universal and it was a breeze.

Yes I feel like initially they were only allowing it for those that had SEVERE cases but most people that have moderate or high functioning Autism "or similar" do understand what a line is. That doesn't make it easier to wait in it for a variety of individual reasons.
 
Yes I feel like initially they were only allowing it for those that had SEVERE cases but most people that have moderate or high functioning Autism "or similar" do understand what a line is. That doesn't make it easier to wait in it for a variety of individual reasons.

My adult DS falls into this category. She recently completed her DAS for a first-time visit to DL and was approved. It was stressful, but not as stressful as expected. (She has been approved before and after the changes for WDW.)
 
This is my 3rd time I think renewing the DAS under the new guidelines, I was approved again. I'm glad that it will last a year now, but I am afraid I will forget the date that I renewed it. I kind of wish it were somewhere in the app that would tell you when you need to renew it. I've never had an unpleasant experience but its interesting to see how everyone has different experiences with CMs who have different answers.
 
This is my 3rd time I think renewing the DAS under the new guidelines, I was approved again. I'm glad that it will last a year now, but I am afraid I will forget the date that I renewed it. I kind of wish it were somewhere in the app that would tell you when you need to renew it. I've never had an unpleasant experience but its interesting to see how everyone has different experiences with CMs who have different answers.
Go in to the app, tap three lines, scroll down to Chat with Us and open. Your conversation may still be there with them typing in your Effective Date, Expiration Date, Max Party and Travel Party. I then screen shot that and put a reminder in my calendar.
 
My daughter was approved today for our August trip. She had been approved for October 2024 under the new rules too. She is neurodivergent. I just really focused on specific examples of stories involving lines or crowds. I told 3 stories, two that occurred in Disney, in detail. Then they asked about accommodations, which she does have (504) so I went into that. It was luckily painless- she was approved in under 5 minutes.
 
Sunday we did the zoom again.

The zoom from his previous approval, the interaction with the cm was horrible. He felt like he was being interrogated by both the cm and the medical professional. And I let him do his own advocacy and I was there if he needed. He felt interrogated, humiliated, and embarrassed. But he was approved.

This time, before the call, he said you do the talking and call me when I’m needed. His anxiety was high. I assured him I was just waiting in a queue, but the anxiety was there regardless.

Went to zoom and the cm was so calming and pleasant. Totally different vibe. Ds picked up on it. It was a nice, short discussion. Ds was asked a couple questions. But it was conversational and pleasant, not one bit feeling like an interrogation.

We couldn’t have been on more than 5 minutes and he was approved until the expiration date of our annual passes.

Afterwards he went on with his day. Unlike the time before where his entire day was ruined because he replayed every word over and over. Overall, I rate this cm with an above and beyond award. She really understood how to talk with people.
 
She really understood how to talk with people.
I think this is so very true! Some people just have that ability to "chat" and set one at ease while eliciting the same information. Others are more reading from a script or checklist. Maybe they need more experience or training, or maybe they just don't have the best conversational skills needed for this job.
 
Sunday we did the zoom again.

The zoom from his previous approval, the interaction with the cm was horrible. He felt like he was being interrogated by both the cm and the medical professional. And I let him do his own advocacy and I was there if he needed. He felt interrogated, humiliated, and embarrassed. But he was approved.

This time, before the call, he said you do the talking and call me when I’m needed. His anxiety was high. I assured him I was just waiting in a queue, but the anxiety was there regardless.

Went to zoom and the cm was so calming and pleasant. Totally different vibe. Ds picked up on it. It was a nice, short discussion. Ds was asked a couple questions. But it was conversational and pleasant, not one bit feeling like an interrogation.

We couldn’t have been on more than 5 minutes and he was approved until the expiration date of our annual passes.

Afterwards he went on with his day. Unlike the time before where his entire day was ruined because he replayed every word over and over. Overall, I rate this cm with an above and beyond award. She really understood how to talk with people.

This is how my first time under the new DAS vs second time went.
First time I was basically interrogated and shamed by the CM and medical professional and was denied even though previously approved.
This time the CM was calming and just let me talk and only asked a couple of questions and I was approved.

I'm not sure if maybe they got some training on how to not be nasty between the initial roll out and now...
 
I think this is so very true! Some people just have that ability to "chat" and set one at ease while eliciting the same information. Others are more reading from a script or checklist. Maybe they need more experience or training, or maybe they just don't have the best conversational skills needed for this job.
Some of the CMs have disabilities themselves. The DAS CM we got last year told me that he had an issue like DD when he was younger. It was reassuring (thinking about DD’s future) as you couldn’t tell and he was very calm but to the point.

Same with a CM at Gorilla falls. She gave me tips regarding DD’s sensory issues and explained some of what she might be feeling when she has issues.
 














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