DAS Happily Ever After Area

[WishesQueen]

Hi all!

Sorry if this was covered somewhere, but we're leaving for WDW soon and for the first time in awhile I think we're going to stay in MK for the new fireworks show. My DD is visually impaired and has Albinism, we go to WDW every year and a while back there was an area for people with a DAS to view the Wishes. She's hates crowds so we usually leave and watch the show from a hotel, but with the new show she wants to check it out.

Any information would be great. Thanks is advance for the help!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Did you check the WDW DAS sticky thread? The first post is kept up to date. Ignore the rest of the thread

 

[WishesQueen]

Did you check the WDW DAS sticky thread? The first post is kept up to date. Ignore the rest of the thread

Thanks I did, I actually went through it twice and for the life of me I don't see anything. Maybe I send an email.

 

[mb187143]

I wonder if you're thinking of the Fastpass+ area that was put in a few years ago? I wonder if they allowed DAS holders in there since it was a FP+ option. They were the two grassy areas off of the Hub in the magic kingdom. Unfortunately they are no longer available for FP+. The one to the right (if you're looking at the castle) is now exclusive for dessert party attendees. The one on the left is open. We tried to get in there on May 5 about 90 minutes before wishes and it was full.

I'm not aware of another area where a DAS provides viewing for the fireworks but if there is I'm sure a poster will be along with that info. Just wanted to share in case the above two areas are what you were remembering.

 

[gap2368]

There is nothing at all for the fire works

There use to be an FP area and if you got a nice CM and explained your need they would sometimes let you I there, but it was not something they would do all the time.

now they do not even have this. it is a reserved area for the dessert party and the CM will not let any guest that do not have the ticket for this in.

I too have a hard time with the fire works, and because of my disability it leaves me with a life threating medical problems, I have had the paramedicals called a number of time, had to be taken to the hospital light and a siren. I have talked to the Chat GR a number of time and there is really nothing that they can do about it right now. This is one area that Disney truly sucks at with acomidating people.

If you want to see the fire works I would do the dessert party.

 

[wilkeliza]

If you need a less crowded area try getting to the 2nd grassy knoll (to the left when looking at the castle in from of Caseys) at least an hour early. You should be able to get yourself more then enough space. It is the old FP area. We went for the 2nd Happily Ever After and didn't feel crowded at all.

The "official" stand on fireworks is that they are accessible because you can take a mobility device anywhere and you can choose where you want to wait. If you need an easily escape-able route you can see then from Fantasyland but you miss the projections on the castle. You can also try the bridge to Tomorrowland or to Frontierland but not sure how busy those are now. They use to let you sit behind the planters on the concrete benches but they weren't letting people do that on the night we were there.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I got a FP for the MK fireworks, specifically so my son could see the castle projections, finally. It was wonderful. The people standing are not the biggest problem, it is the 9 foot tall people standing. You know, the kids on shoulders, those 9 foot tall folks. Annoying to the most of us, but more of a disaster to those in WC. We paid for the Star Wars dessert party last trip, at Studios, JUST so we had access to the WC section. (the party was ok, we do not drink alcohol, so that perk was wasted on us).

 

[gap2368]

I got a FP for the MK fireworks, specifically so my son could see the castle projections, finally. It was wonderful. The people standing are not the biggest problem, it is the 9 foot tall people standing. You know, the kids on shoulders, those 9 foot tall folks. Annoying to the most of us, but more of a disaster to those in WC. We paid for the Star Wars dessert party last trip, at Studios, JUST so we had access to the WC section. (the party was ok, we do not drink alcohol, so that perk was wasted on us).

they are doing the FP for the fire works again when did this start?

 

[wilkeliza]

they are doing the FP for the fire works again when did this start?

If it restarted it is new because they weren't that way last week.

 

[gap2368]

I got a FP for the MK fireworks, specifically so my son could see the castle projections, finally. It was wonderful.

If it restarted it is new because they weren't that way last week.

It sounds like @PatMcDuck got a FP for the fire works but I looked and there was nothing in the FP that said they were doing FP for this. I know Disney stoped doing FP in the middle of April last year. I really hope Disney dose something to accommodate people with Disability with the fireworks

but maybe she meat she got it when they had the FP not that is was recently

 

[WishesQueen]

Thank you so much everyone. She doesn't need a place with a quick exit, its just hard for her to see her feet and ground with all the crowds and she's afraid to fall. We don't leave immediately after the show for that reason, we usually hang back a bit.

I did a chat with someone on the WDW site and he too had to go find out the information. There are no FP and no designated areas anymore, it really was a nice thing WDW did years ago. We even went to the EPCOT area once, not as necessary as the area for MK so we only did that once. There are so many great spots in EPCOT and the crowd is spread out over a larger area.

I'll take all your suggestions and try my best to find a spot, I have a 7:30 dinner at BOG and as you know its not flexible so I told my family we'll try to show up a little early for it and I already told them to pick appetizers or dessert but not both we have to high tail it out of there....

Thanks again, I knew this was the place to turn to. Have a magical trip everyone!

 

[oynk]

This is a real sore spot for me. For a while, I used to have my daughter take a picture every night of her view of fireworks and projection shows from her wheelchair: the posteriors of the people in front of her.!

As a short adult, I totally get that the fireworks are up in the air, and that she is about the same height (not really) as many children.

The difference is, I can jockey myself around. Even if someone stands right in front of me, I can shift a little too the left or right. She can't

And that doesn't even take into account the people who trip into her or jump over her.

It doesn't even need to be a special viewing area for disabilities. How about just a spot where everyone sits down? We had that happen once at HS for the Star Wars fireworks and it was wonderful

 

[TheRustyScupper]

It doesn't even need to be a special viewing area for disabilities. How about just a spot where everyone sits down?

1) Once it gets around on the Internet, almost EVERYONE will claim a disability to get "into the spot".
2) It is called laziness and human nature.
3) Alias, GREED and SELFISHNESS.
4) That is why a previous allocated spot was discontinued.

NOTE: Let's face it, if you stake out an area early enough, you can still see, Sure, a long wait, but it can be done.

 

[oynk]

1) Once it gets around on the Internet, almost EVERYONE will claim a disability to get "into the spot".
2) It is called laziness and human nature.
3) Alias, GREED and SELFISHNESS.
4) That is why a previous allocated spot was discontinued.

NOTE: Let's face it, if you stake out an area early enough, you can still see, Sure, a long wait, but it can be done.

That's why I don't think it should just be for people with disabilities: Just a place where people sit. Once, when the Star Wars fireworks are new, we were right in front of the stage are, and every one was sitting. (Probably so we didn't block the dessert party people). It was wonderful. Everyone could see, including kids and short adults.

As far as getting there early enough, I think it works for parades where you can set up right at the tape line, or even illuminations where you are up against the fence. But, other than right up against the castle, I don't know where you could stake out a spot where someone couldn't be in front of you at the last minute.

BTW, we ended up in the area between liberty square and Adventureland. Despite numerous CMs telling us that it was a bad spot, it was good enough and much more pleasant.

 

[OnceUponA]

The last time we were there, both of my boys were in wheelchairs. There were 4 walking adults. We came across another mom with a child in a WC. We parked the 3 chairs together and the 5 adults loosely fanned out a few feet ahead of them, kind of shoulder to shoulder, to give the kids a clearer view.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I am SO sorry, I was vague, I got the FP for the MK fireworks back when they DID offer it, they have since dropped it, which is really too bad. It was not a HC or DAS spot, it was FP+ available to all. We got there really early, and were in the front of the section, behind the little fence. It was great because directly in front is a walkway that the CM s keep clear for people walking by. That may sound annoying, but it is GREAT, because it meant no kids on shoulders, or people just standing immediately in front of his WC.

 

[gap2368]

I am SO sorry, I was vague, I got the FP for the MK fireworks back when they DID offer it, they have since dropped it, which is really too bad. It was not a HC or DAS spot, it was FP+ available to all. We got there really early, and were in the front of the section, behind the little fence. It was great because directly in front is a walkway that the CM s keep clear for people walking by. That may sound annoying, but it is GREAT, because it meant no kids on shoulders, or people just standing immediately in front of his WC.

The one one the left as you face the castle is still open If you get there about an hour/ 90 minutes before you should be able to get a spot along the fence