KatieCharlotte
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2010
- Messages
- 1,235
I just wanted to share our recent experiences, touring DL/DCA with my teen son who has Tourette's and sensory sensitivity. He can't handle the motion of many rides, especially when anxious. Scoring points helps distract him from the movement on TSMM, so that his favorite ride. Our whole family also loves Jungle Cruise and can ride multiple times to hear all the jokes.
Taking afternoon breaks at a hotel within walking distance was essential. We were at the parks from 8 a.m. to about 1 p.m. and then went back in the late afternoon. We also passed a McD on the way to and from the parks, which was a huge bonus with a teen boy who eats constantly and likes familiar food. Plain baguettes and butter at Panera were also a big hit (and affordable).
We splurged on the World of Color dessert party and Fantasmic dining package, and this was very worth it. He enjoyed the shows and didn't have to stand in a crowd. He did appreciate having his sunglasses for Fantasmic, because the lights and fire were very bright, and we were sitting on the ground in the front row. At first he thought that Fantasmic was a bit loud, but he adjusted and got engrossed in the show with his sunglasses on. Noise cancelling headphones would be a good idea for kids with noise sensitivity.
We tried to manage without the DAS. We had light crowds for our morning at DCA and he stayed at the hotel when we returned in the late afternoon. However, he became overwhelmed on our first full day at DL -- the posted wait times were way off as the crowds started to build. My daughter pushed me to get the DAS instead of further torturing him or letting him give up and go back to the hotel for the rest of the day.
The wait at City Hall was short, and the experience was very pleasant. The CM had us explain what happens to him in lines and emphasized that we should use the DAS because Disney wants to help families stay in the parks. Although we did not use the DAS in the mornings and we still took mid-afternoon breaks, having a return time for a ride he liked -- instead of facing long, stressful lines -- made it much easier to convince him to go back to the parks in the late afternoon/evening.
There are no more physical DAS cards at DL/DCA. At the green-umbrella kiosks (designated as "Information" on park maps), a CM uses a tablet computer to add the ride you want onto your tickets. They call them "return times" and don't use the term DAS. The "primary" person (Disney's term for the person who needs the DAS) does not need to be there, but you need all the tickets. The primary person obvious needs to ride, so we used FP on the mountains and thrill rides. With careful FP planning, we minimized the time he was waiting while we were on rides. On the hottest days, it was helpful to find him an a/c place to wait, like Launch Bay.
At each ride, the primary person's ticket is scanned first, and then the rest of the tickets. We used the DAS very sparingly, so I don't know how it works on every ride -- it varies a lot based on the ride. If the ride has fastpass, you use the FP entrance. The FP scanner turns blue, you tell the CM you have return times, and the scanner turns green. On Peter Pan (which does not have FP at Disneyland), you join the line partway through, so you will still wait but no more than 10 minutes. On the Nemo Submarine Voyage, we were directed to the exit and placed on the next boat. We highly enjoyed the peacefulness of Nemo, btw.
If anyone has questions about the DAS, traveling with TS/sensory issues, or comparing the movement of different rides, I'd be happy to answer what I can.
Edited to add: I was worried about lines at the information kiosks, but there were always several CMs and the only time we had to wait at all was when the CMs were understandably focused on a crying child who couldn't find his mom.
Taking afternoon breaks at a hotel within walking distance was essential. We were at the parks from 8 a.m. to about 1 p.m. and then went back in the late afternoon. We also passed a McD on the way to and from the parks, which was a huge bonus with a teen boy who eats constantly and likes familiar food. Plain baguettes and butter at Panera were also a big hit (and affordable).
We splurged on the World of Color dessert party and Fantasmic dining package, and this was very worth it. He enjoyed the shows and didn't have to stand in a crowd. He did appreciate having his sunglasses for Fantasmic, because the lights and fire were very bright, and we were sitting on the ground in the front row. At first he thought that Fantasmic was a bit loud, but he adjusted and got engrossed in the show with his sunglasses on. Noise cancelling headphones would be a good idea for kids with noise sensitivity.
We tried to manage without the DAS. We had light crowds for our morning at DCA and he stayed at the hotel when we returned in the late afternoon. However, he became overwhelmed on our first full day at DL -- the posted wait times were way off as the crowds started to build. My daughter pushed me to get the DAS instead of further torturing him or letting him give up and go back to the hotel for the rest of the day.
The wait at City Hall was short, and the experience was very pleasant. The CM had us explain what happens to him in lines and emphasized that we should use the DAS because Disney wants to help families stay in the parks. Although we did not use the DAS in the mornings and we still took mid-afternoon breaks, having a return time for a ride he liked -- instead of facing long, stressful lines -- made it much easier to convince him to go back to the parks in the late afternoon/evening.
There are no more physical DAS cards at DL/DCA. At the green-umbrella kiosks (designated as "Information" on park maps), a CM uses a tablet computer to add the ride you want onto your tickets. They call them "return times" and don't use the term DAS. The "primary" person (Disney's term for the person who needs the DAS) does not need to be there, but you need all the tickets. The primary person obvious needs to ride, so we used FP on the mountains and thrill rides. With careful FP planning, we minimized the time he was waiting while we were on rides. On the hottest days, it was helpful to find him an a/c place to wait, like Launch Bay.
At each ride, the primary person's ticket is scanned first, and then the rest of the tickets. We used the DAS very sparingly, so I don't know how it works on every ride -- it varies a lot based on the ride. If the ride has fastpass, you use the FP entrance. The FP scanner turns blue, you tell the CM you have return times, and the scanner turns green. On Peter Pan (which does not have FP at Disneyland), you join the line partway through, so you will still wait but no more than 10 minutes. On the Nemo Submarine Voyage, we were directed to the exit and placed on the next boat. We highly enjoyed the peacefulness of Nemo, btw.
If anyone has questions about the DAS, traveling with TS/sensory issues, or comparing the movement of different rides, I'd be happy to answer what I can.
Edited to add: I was worried about lines at the information kiosks, but there were always several CMs and the only time we had to wait at all was when the CMs were understandably focused on a crying child who couldn't find his mom.
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