Getting a DAS

[lovewdwfun]

I am headed to Disneyland for the first time after yearly trips to Disneyworld. We plan to start our trip in DCA. How do we go about getting a DAS and will we be able to do so before the park opens? As WDW, we could go to guest relations outside of the park. I am wondering if we should get there early or if we will not be able to get a DAS until after opening. Thanks!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Yes you have to go to Guest Services. Get there early because a lot of other people will need to use GS for a variety of reasons.

 

[Little E]

I'm chiming in, as we plan on getting a DAS when we go to DL in August. I'm assuming that Guest Services is after you go through the turnstiles? There is no GS kiosk outside the park?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I'm chiming in, as we plan on getting a DAS when we go to DL in August. I'm assuming that Guest Services is after you go through the turnstiles? There is no GS kiosk outside the park?

Yes but they do not issue the DAS, that can only be acquired in the parks

 

[Little E]

@gottalovepluto Thank you for the clarification!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I am headed to Disneyland for the first time after yearly trips to Disneyworld. We plan to start our trip in DCA. How do we go about getting a DAS and will we be able to do so before the park opens?..

I'm chiming in, as we plan on getting a DAS when we go to DL in August. I'm assuming that Guest Services is after you go through the turnstiles? There is no GS kiosk outside the park?

To obtain a DAS, you will need to visit either City Hall in DL or Chamber of Commerce in DCA. Both those locations are inside the parks and open when the parks open, not before. There will be a line (usually longer at City Hall, but not always), but don't worry. CMs will weed out the guests who only want birthday buttons or maps or have easily answered questions. Be aware that if the special need is mobility related, CMs will encourage you to rent a wheelchair or ECV. DLR tries not to give out a DAS for mobility related issues. There is a wheelchair/ECV return time service for DL. All lines are accessible for DCA.

 

[lunasea]

DLR tries not to give out a DAS for mobility related issues.

This. At DL they will give return times at the disabled entrances if they can't get you on right then and there. I preferred when they stopped giving DAS for mobility issues, it means I didn't have to worry about remembering the pass and having to keep reanswering questions every 60 days. I am quite young looking for my age and it made me paranoid to think they thought I was faking it due to my youthful appearance. No, the military broke me and did a crappy job fixing me back up.

 

[lovewdwfun]

Thanks. The DAS will be for my son who has Down syndrome and mobility issues. So he would need it regardless of the wheelchair. How does it work when you have both? At WDW, we would get a return time for Peter Pan and then hop on the rides in fabtasyland with shorter lines. If we already have a return time, will we be denied entry to other wheelchair lines? Happy to wait standby on the short lines, but I am concerned that we might be waiting for Indiana Jones for an hour and not be able to ride other rides because we can’t get the chair through the queue and can only have one return time. This is never an issue for us at WDW because queues are accessible.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thanks. The DAS will be for my son who has Down syndrome and mobility issues. So he would need it regardless of the wheelchair. How does it work when you have both? At WDW, we would get a return time for Peter Pan and then hop on the rides in fabtasyland with shorter lines. If we already have a return time, will we be denied entry to other wheelchair lines? Happy to wait standby on the short lines, but I am concerned that we might be waiting for Indiana Jones for an hour and not be able to ride other rides because we can’t get the chair through the queue and can only have one return time. This is never an issue for us at WDW because queues are accessible.

I'm not sure how many wheelchair return times you can hold at one time, but you can hold only one DAS return time until you use it. Then you can go right away to get another one. Have you considered purchasing MaxPass for your visit? MP will only work for rides on the FP system, so IJA would be a prime example, but it works separately from DAS. So you can hold a DAS return time and a MP/FP return time simultaneously, either for the same ride or for different rides.

 

[Malcon10t]

You can only hold one return time (regardless of DAS or mobility) at a time. You can hold FPs in addition to the return time. Personally, we have just started using Max Pass for it and find it works the best.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

How it works with both at DL is that you spend the $ on MaxPass and get your initial FP booked as soon as possible.
Then stagger the times on the FP so that you can go to rides you do NOT have FP for and use the DAS time for those while you are counting down to your FP rides.
Refresh strategy will probably work to help you shuffle FP around if need be...

 

[cmpeter]

You can apply for the DAS early. Arrive at the parks 60 minutes before opening. They let you in about 30 minutes before opening. Head to guest services or to the green information umbrella booths (there is one by Carthay). You can apply at the green umbrellas. There is a great FB group called Tips for Special Needs at Disney. Lots of valuable DAS advice there.

 

[Mousequake]

You can apply for the DAS early. Arrive at the parks 60 minutes before opening. They let you in about 30 minutes before opening. Head to guest services or to the green information umbrella booths (there is one by Carthay). You can apply at the green umbrellas. There is a great FB group called Tips for Special Needs at Disney. Lots of valuable DAS advice there.

I had no idea you could get a DAS at the green umbrellas. That's a great piece of info to have; thanks!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

You can apply for the DAS early. Arrive at the parks 60 minutes before opening. They let you in about 30 minutes before opening. Head to guest services or to the green information umbrella booths (there is one by Carthay). You can apply at the green umbrellas. There is a great FB group called Tips for Special Needs at Disney. Lots of valuable DAS advice there.

I had no idea you could get a DAS at the green umbrellas. That's a great piece of info to have; thanks!

Recently, CMs have been asking for guests to take care of first time DAS requests at City Hall or Chamber of Commerce. Sometimes CMs request that even renewals be handled at CH or CoC. I've seen CMs at the green umbrellas send guests who were asking for a first time DAS to City Hall.

 

[j9isawesome]

Recently, CMs have been asking for guests to take care of first time DAS requests at City Hall or Chamber of Commerce. Sometimes CMs request that even renewals be handled at CH or CoC. I've seen CMs at the green umbrellas send guests who were asking for a first time DAS to City Hall.

Well that’s a real bummer since it’s the opposite of what I’ve been told by CMs on numerous occasions. I’ve always been told as an AP holder that they’d much rather I just re-add my DAS (and have the whole new conversation every 60 Days and know that they could still always say no regardless of where I try to sign up for DAS) at the umbrellas instead of adding to that crazy line at city hall to do it. I’ve used DAS for about 20 trips now and I know rules are always subject to change but it would be a real deterrent to getting my much-needed DAS pass if I had to go stand in an hour long line at city hall to do so every time

 

[Malcon10t]

Well that’s a real bummer since it’s the opposite of what I’ve been told by CMs on numerous occasions. I’ve always been told as an AP holder that they’d much rather I just re-add my DAS (and have the whole new conversation every 60 Days and know that they could still always say no regardless of where I try to sign up for DAS) at the umbrellas instead of adding to that crazy line at city hall to do it. I’ve used DAS for about 20 trips now and I know rules are always subject to change but it would be a real deterrent to getting my much-needed DAS pass if I had to go stand in an hour long line at city hall to do so every time

Start at DCA and go to the Chamber there, much quicker.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Well that’s a real bummer since it’s the opposite of what I’ve been told by CMs on numerous occasions...

Start at DCA and go to the Chamber there, much quicker.

It all depends on which CM you get at the Information Kiosk when you go to renew your DAS. The CM may take care of you right then and there or request that you go to City Hall or Chamber of Commerce. As Malcon10t posted, the line at CoC does tend to be shorter (but be prepared that you still might have to wait a little bit).

 

[PatMcDuck]

I did find you could only have either a WC return time or a DAS return time pending at the same time, not both. Which makes perfect sense, of course. I just asked, forgetting I had a WC return already pending, and was reminded of this.

I find the line at DCA is usually shorter. I am a (non-local) CM, and need to get one every day of our week long trips. Using FP, I only use it once-twice a day, but it is helpful. I prefer the kiosk system at DL vs. the WDW approach.