DAS Cards

[OurBigTrip]

I would also add that using the MDE app to check wait times on your cell phone can help in figuring out where to of next without actually going to the attraction.

 

[maxiesmom]

Are you unaware that you can get water for free from any quick service restaurant? All you have to do is ask for it. No need to waste credits just on drinks. Or you can bring in your own bottles and fill those up.

As far as your over-all trip goes, MAW children are still handled in a different manner. You really should have worked with them on your trip.

 

[Hannathy]

Well, 6 months ago, when I had to decide what U wanted to eat, I made a reservation for 10:30am breakfast at Crystal Palace, my kids do not eat really early. 2 months ago when I had to decide what rides I wanted to ride, I booked our fast passes. So we had a 910-1010 @ Big thunder mountain, 10:15-11-11:15 Splash and 1:15 @ space. Got to BTM, but Splash had 10min standby, so we jumped on that then hit BTM, rime for Breakfast. While walking to breakfast pirates has only a five minute wait, but then we will be late for breakfast-would blow off breakfast, but I do not have $80 ti throw away. can you sign my card for later? No! But we have Breakfast, sorry no. Ok, off to eat. After l
Breakfast, get card signed for pirates 40 minute wait, go to Haunted Mansion , wait 30 minutes, skip PP, cause its 45min and I can mot get another signature because we have have pirates. OK, time to ride pirates lets run there, get there ride is broken. They have no idea how long it will be down. Now, it is our window to ride Space Mountain, run across the whole park to Space Mountain to find that it is also down, no idea when it will be back up. 40 min wait for Buzz, get signature and then what?? We have to walk all the way back across the park to find another ride that we have to wait an hour to ride.
We have in the meantime, we have used countless snack options from our dining plan, to keep him, as well as everyone else in our party hydrated.
This is only a view of our 1st few hours of a 7 day trip. Back to the room & some went to pool. Back to MK later for our 9pm dinner at be our guest. Lines are still ridiculous. We could get a signature for space, but then we walk to Peter Pan, then back to space! It seems like all we did was laps around the magic kingdom!

My son has Cystic Fibrosis and we have always come to Disney because of how well we could deal with his needs. He is a Make-a-Wish kid. Speaking of that, what do they do with them???

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I'm sorry that rides were down, that sucks for everyone so I don't see how the DAS has anything to do with that.

Having to decide 6 months out again is the same for everyone and has nothing to do with a GAC or a DAS. And having to pay if you don't keep your reservation is because too many people did just what you wanted to do skip your reservation and people are left without reservations and tables sit empty.

Truly your day sounds like an average day at Disney when rides are down. The DAS was not supposed to be an automatic FP it was to allow you to wait other places than in the line. The lines were long for everyone.

Your complaints about buying drinks, don't see how that relates to the DAS.

Make a wish kids are handled the way they always are as far as I know, for that trip they get FOTL passes. I have a friend whose DD just went on a make a wish trip and they have nothing but good to say about their trip and their treatment .

 

[livndisney]

I am going to guess "former" wish kid not currently on wish trip.

 

[maxiesmom]

I am going to guess "former" wish kid not currently on wish trip.

Ok. I can see how traveling without all of the (for lack of a better word) perks of a MAW child, with a child who still has special needs, can be a bit of a shock after a MAW trip.

OP--If your family doesn't want to be tied down with ADRs cancel any that you are questioning. Bring in water bottles so that no one gets dehydrated. Do your waiting for your return times in quick service locations, or in shops that are air conditioned.

I think too you need to re-do some of how you see the parks. If you go get a time for Peter Pan, that is the time to either hop on another ride in the area, or go eat at Pinocchio's. Try to tour in one area at a time. Don't keep criss crossing the parks.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Just to say that I was at WDW last week, and Fri-Sun, and even Monday, the temperatures were close to unbearable. (96-98 degrees) For everyone! I did not have my special needs son with me on this trip. Thank God. It was truly bad, and I have been to WDW many times in August, so I know hot in Florida. My son would have wilted.

I say this, because I have sympathy for OP. I just try to avoid the worst of the heat with my son. It is usually just me and him, so I do not have a runner to get return times.

Strange as this may sound, but we used the new DAS at DL last Fall, not WDW, and the system at DL is superior to the one at WDW, so you may consider a trip out west sometime instead of WDW. (getting the return time for ANY ride, in either park, from the kiosks is great. You can get one for across the park, and then slowly make your way over there. Or get one when you leave the park for a break, for the other or same park to use later that day. And your special needs person does not experience disappointment by approaching rides, and leaving without riding.) Of course, they do not have FP+, but regular FP, which used with DAS works very well.

Overall, I support the DAS and the changes made to the system.

 

[Hannathy]

Ok. I can see how traveling without all of the (for lack of a better word) perks of a MAW child, with a child who still has special needs, can be a bit of a shock after a MAW trip.



I think too you need to re-do some of how you see the parks. If you go get a time for Peter Pan, that is the time to either hop on another ride in the area, or go eat at Pinocchio's. Try to tour in one area at a time. Don't keep criss crossing the parks.

Or with the walk up to any ride any time and be let into the fastpass line, which is what the GAC had become to often. It can be a shock when you have to plan and learn how to organize your touring and wait.

 

[aaarcher86]

It sounds like a little more planning in doing rides closer together in the park would help tremendously. Maybe taking a break after 12p would help stay out of the best as well.

Rides being down does suck and there's just no planning for that. If you didn't already have a time in your card then pirates should have put one on on your way to breakfast.

The DAS takes a really good touring plan, especially in MK since it's so spread out.

 

[Hannathy]

If you didn't already have a time in your card then pirates should have put one on on your way to breakfast.

She said it only had a 5 minute wait. It was my understanding that if the wait was under 10 you didn't get a time they let you into the FP line then.

The purpose of the DAS is to allow waiting elsewhere when there is a long wait and the person can't wait in the line, not as a FP for the future, if there is no waiting you don't need to go elsewhere to wait.

 

[SueM in MN]

It sounds like a little more planning in doing rides closer together in the park would help tremendously. Maybe taking a break after 12p would help stay out of the best as well.

Rides being down does suck and there's just no planning for that. If you didn't already have a time in your card then pirates should have put one on on your way to breakfast.

The DAS takes a really good touring plan, especially in MK since it's so spread out.

The reason Pirates would not give a DAS Return Time was that the Standby wait was only 5 minutes. For waits of 10 minutes or less, the CMs don't give a Return Time.

 

[Maryrn11168]

More planning??? I planned for over six months for hours a day, while working 12 hour days and taking care of a family! There has to be a better system then the one they one there is now!!! This one does not work!

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[OurBigTrip]

Sorry it didn't work for, but to say it doesn't work is incorrect

 

[maxiesmom]

More planning??? I planned for over six months for hours a day, while working 12 hour days and taking care of a family! There has to be a better system then the one they one there is now!!! This one does not work!

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I'm sorry the system isn't working the way you want it to. It is not meant to let people skip lines, but to let them wait for a lot of the time in someplace besides the queue line. It isn't meant to let guests ride rides without any wait at all.

But right now you can still do some adjustments so that your whole trip isn't spent in frustration. Don't stick to the plan you came with if it isn't working for your family. As I said before, cancel those ADRs that your family doesn't want a day ahead of time so that you don't have to pay the fee. Plan so that you get your assigned time and then tour in that section of the park, as to limit your walking. Change what you can change to better fit your family.

 

[aaarcher86]

The reason Pirates would not give a DAS Return Time was that the Standby wait was only 5 minutes. For waits of 10 minutes or less, the CMs don't give a Return Time.

Good call. I was thinking the 40 minutes from later was the time going to breakfast.

 

[aaarcher86]

More planning??? I planned for over six months for hours a day, while working 12 hour days and taking care of a family! There has to be a better system then the one they one there is now!!! This one does not work! Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Yes more planning, at least in regards to obtaining DAS times and FP+ times scheduled in near areas to cut down on the back and forth walking.

 

[Michigan]

Are you using your additional fast pass +'s? After you use your original 3 you can go book another one at a kiosk and when you use that one you can book another and so on so you have unlimited fast pass +. Best way to use the DAS is to get a fast pass + for a ride and get the DAS signed for a ride near there.

 

[EvangelineG]

Yes more planning, at least in regards to obtaining DAS times and FP+ times scheduled in near areas to cut down on the back and forth walking.

+1 to this.

To the OP, sorry you are not having a magical time. That really sucks.

Maybe you could post what parks you are planning on next so that folks here could help you come up with a plan that makes the rest of the trip better for you and your family? It sounds like it is time to take a breath, and change up the way you are touring to make the new system work for you and yours.

 

[SueM in MN]

Are you using your additional fast pass +'s? After you use your original 3 you can go book another one at a kiosk and when you use that one you can book another and so on so you have unlimited fast pass +. Best way to use the DAS is to get a fast pass + for a ride and get the DAS signed for a ride near there.

And, also, if your prescheduled Fastpass Plus times don't work for you, you can reschedule them that day.
If you have a smartphone or iPad, you can change them yourself from the My Disney Experience app.
There may not be a lot of choices left, but people are posting that they were even able to make Fastpass Plus for afternoon times for high demand attractions like Space Mountain.

At the present time, you can schedule more after those first 3 are used up, but you have to do it at the park kiosks. The CM there can help you with rescheduling and can also help with knowing what the return times are for different attractions.

 

[Talking Hands]

Honestly if I can make it work with the combination of interpreter schedule, FP+ and DAS anyone can. I does take some planning but it is doable. And that was even with getting the interpreter schedule one week ahead of the trip so scheduling fastpass had to wait until I received that.

 

[wiscbugs]

Have to say this new system is terrible!! My son is so sick from all this running back and forth to get signatures and the extensive waiting in the hot weather!! It is a good thing he has enjoyed his time at WDW over the years, because we will not be able to do this, this way any longer. Disney will be getting a nasty letter from me.

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I definitely feel for you. You will find quickly here that if you post anything non-complimentary about the DAS, there are people here who tell you that you are wrong and the DAS is great and perfect for everyone......I do wonder if any of these people receive any financial contributions from Disney in any manner...hmmmm...