Help me with our DAS request

[mcall12]

No, my mistake. We don’t have the types of issues DAS was designed for. We only have medical issues and physical issues. We don’t intend to abuse anything. I know the physical issues are accommodated by a mobility device and we have that (she uses a wheelchair). I thought maybe the medical issues would make a DAS helpful. I knew the DAS was for sensory/behavioral/anxiety issues, but I also thought it could be used for medical issues that make waiting in line difficult. I now understand that that is not the case. I’m not asking for an exception. I see now that we don’t qualify. Thank you!

OP, no one here can tell you whether you will qualify or not. I think you may have misinterpreted suggestions intended to make the process of getting one clearer to mean your daughter doesn’t qualify. I think it’s always a good idea to have a back up plan in case you don’t get a DAS or, if you find it is not as helpful for your situation. But I believe what you described above would be under the umbrella of assistance the DAS was intended to provide. The suggestions from prior posters were to help you understand that its nothing to do with the medical diagnosis and everything to do with explaining why waiting the standard queue is not possible. That’s all guest services needs to know.

 

[redberyl]

We wanted to request a DAS because my daughter has medical issues that prevent her from waiting in lines. I thought that was a valid reason. I now understand it is not. I’m not trying to be confusing, I was just explaining what our needs are. They are not sensory or behavior related. I’m sorry if I offended you. We are reworking our plans and will not use a DAS. I don’t expect any exceptions to be made for us. I just had a misunderstanding of what DAS was for.

(The Disney site says it is for people with conditions that make waiting in traditional lines difficult. We have medical issues that make it difficult. I thought these would be valid reasons. I understand now that DAS is not for these types of reasons, so we will not be using it. I wish the Disney site stated that.)


I think you've gotten the wrong impression from the replies. DAS can be used for and is intended for both medical and cognitive problems. Either one might cause difficulty waiting in line. Not all medical problems will cause difficulty waiting in lines, but some will. Same with cognitive disabilities; some people will be able to handle waiting in lines just fine while others won't. if your childs medical problems will cause you to leave or not enter a line, then that is a valid reason for the DAS.

 

[SteveMouse]

Realize that the standby lines for some attractions can be long. very long. The wise use of FastPass+ can help.

There are medical reasons for not being able to wait in line, potentially including needing to leave the line to address an Issue resulting from a medical condition.

In order to receive the DAS, you do need to be able to explain why going in the the regular standby line presents a challenge. It’s best to use simple, clear, non-medical terms that the CM can easily understand: most don’t have a medical background and many don’t have a lot of life experience.

 

[treemi01]

A lot of people have cognitive issues and can wait in line just fine. she needs to be able to explain what it Is about the line her child cannot handle. Using stroller as wheelchair tag can provide the needed buffer zone for anxiety issues for instance.

A stroller as wheelchair tag is not an appropriate accommodation for us. My daughter will be in her wheelchair, so we don’t need that.

A DAS would have been helpful for us so that we could keep her in a more temperature controlled environment (hoping to avoid seizures and overheating that leads to a whole host of other issues)

I thought those might qualify her for DAS. No need to be mean. They don’t. I had a misunderstanding. Now I understand. We aren’t trying to “get something” handed to us. We won’t use it. I’m so sorry if I offended you.

We will wait in line like everyone else, and we will enjoy it! Then, after an hour or so, we will leave and take turns having one parent stay with our other kids.

 

[treemi01]

Realize that the standby lines for some attractions can be long. very long. The wise use of FastPass+ can help.

There are medical reasons for not being able to wait in line, potentially including needing to leave the line to address an Issue resulting from a medical condition.

In order to receive the DAS, you do need to be able to explain why going in the the regular standby line presents a challenge. It’s best to use simple, clear, non-medical terms that the CM can easily understand: most don’t have a medical background and many don’t have a lot of life experience.

We have medical needs for not waiting in line. I cannot explain medical needs without stating our medical needs. If you can’t use medical anything to get a DAS, then DAS is not for medical needs. That’s what they are. If they don’t qualify, or if I cannot say those are the needs, then we don’t need a DAS. In our case, we don’t need a DAS. We also cannot wait in lines. So we will do Disney without a DAS and without waiting in line. I understand that better now. Thanks!

 

[treemi01]

We have medical needs for not waiting in line. I cannot explain medical needs without stating our medical needs. If you can’t use medical anything to get a DAS, then DAS is not for medical needs. Our medical needs are temperature regulation issues, seizures triggered by heat, and maintaining blood sugar. That’s what they are. If they don’t qualify, or if I cannot say those are the needs, then we don’t need a DAS. In our case, we don’t need a DAS. We also cannot wait in lines. So we will do Disney without a DAS and without waiting in line. I understand that better now. Thanks!

Also, we are WDW veterans with more than 30 trips under our belts, so we have a good understanding of how lines work. We will use our FP, and then we will plan to have one parent leave the park while the other stays. I think that is our best option.

 

[gap2368]

Op I do not think anyone here said you would not get a DAS becuse your child has this or dose not have that There is no list of things that if you have ABC you get a DAS and if you have XYZ you do not. The CM do not care your child has a problem with there blood sugar just why that prevents her for waiting in the standby line. They do not care about she has this or thst medical problem just why she can not wait in lines. There ca be two people with the same medical problem and one have a DAS and the other not have one. You will need to explain ( if you like) to a CM at GR why she can not wait in line not her DX. you might find it better to start your trip without the DAS then when you run into problems with the line you can be able to better let the CM know your concerns.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I think you should still try to get the DAS so you have the flexible return window option for her to ride something and you should also definitely take full use of the awesome CMs and nurses at First Aid centers. If you can plan the timing right, the DAS may just be her bonus rides if all goes well with her health. And if you dont need to use it , then dont. It's not a loss if you end up heading to your room early but it may help you get another family experience together!

 

[treemi01]

OP, no one here can tell you whether you will qualify or not. I think you may have misinterpreted suggestions intended to make the process of getting one clearer to mean your daughter doesn’t qualify. I think it’s always a good idea to have a back up plan in case you don’t get a DAS or, if you find it is not as helpful for your situation. But I believe what you described above would be under the umbrella of assistance the DAS was intended to provide. The suggestions from prior posters were to help you understand that its nothing to do with the medical diagnosis and everything to do with explaining why waiting the standard queue is not possible. That’s all guest services needs to know.

Yes, I understand.
If I cannot say those things because they are medical terms and I cannot say that she has “medical issues” because that doesn’t describe our needs or why we can’t wait in line, then I don’t know what to say.

I think there is a chance they might give us a DAS without explanation. If they don’t or if they ask why a DAS might accommodate our needs, then I only have a medical response. If that’s not valid, then I totally understand. I’d rather not waste our time trying to get one.

 

[treemi01]

Op I do not think anyone here said you would not get a DAS becuse your child has this or dose not have that There is no list of things that if you have ABC you get a DAS and if you have XYZ you do not. The CM do not care your child has a problem with there blood sugar just why that prevents her for waiting in the standby line. They do not care about she has this or thst medical problem just why she can not wait in lines. There ca be two people with the same medical problem and one have a DAS and the other not have one. You will need to explain ( if you like) to a CM at GR why she can not wait in line not her DX. you might find it better to start your trip without the DAS then when you run into problems with the line you can be able to better let the CM know your concerns.

Yes, I understand now. We do not qualify for DAS. I get it now. We also cannot wait in lines. We will rework our trip so that we can use FP and then leave and the rest of the family can stay in the park. Thank you. I get it now. I was wrong, and I have no problem admitting it.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you for helping me realize that medical issues do not qualify for DAS, even if they do prevent us from waiting in lines. I was using the definition on Disney’s site and thinking we would qualify, but you’ve helped me realize we don’t. We aren’t trying to take advantage of anything, and are reworking our trip so that we don’t need a DAS. We will spend a few hours together in a park and then one parent and our SN child will leave to take care of the medical stuff while the other parent enjoys the rest of the day with our other kids. Your response was helpful in determining that the DAS was actually not designed for us because we don’t have sensory/behavioral type issues.

DAS is NOT only for people with sensory/behavioral issues. If a person’s medical issues prevent them from waiting in the regular lines, those are also reasons DAS might be helpful. My own daughter has a variety of needs, including some that are medical.
What you originally posted is very long and had quite a bit of medical jargon in it.
You should be able to give your information in 2 sentences - it’s not necessary to go into a lot of detail or mention everything/every issue; saying too much can confuse the CM (and, he/she is likely to cut you off because it’s more than they need).
Just think about the things that are pertinent to waiting in line and your concerns related to those. If it’s not going to actually cause problems in line, it’s not pertinent.

Many of the things you mentioned related to needing to use a mobility device - like your child’s stroller in line. You can get a tag to use a stroller as a wheelchair; that is separate from DAS.
The »stroller as wheelchair tag » allows a stroller to be brought into lines and attractions where strollers are not normally allowed. All attractions are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding and most are wheelchair accessible in the regular line. (The exceptions are attractions where guests must be ambulatory - Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Peoplemover and much of Tom Sawyer Island).
EDITED TO ADD: After I posted, you added that your child has a wheelchair, so you would need a stroller as wheelchair tag.
If your child is elementary school age and/or the wheelchair is a pushchair type chair, that looks somewhat similar to a stroller, the tag may still be useful. It can help to avoid CMs and other guests from confusing it with a wheelchair.

Some people find being able to use their stroller as a wheelchair meets all their needs, but others still have still have issues that are not met by the stroller and do use DAS in addition.
DAS doesn‘t need to be day 1 of your trip or not at all; some people don’t know what their specific issues will be until they have tried a few waits in line. After getting more clear about what Issues they had in line, they are ready to go to Guest Relations to request DAS.

 

[mcall12]

Yes, I understand. I am not stating that my daughter cannot wait in lines due to her congenital non-specified brain wave slowing seizure disorder of her occipital lobe, her ketotic hypoglycemia thought to be a result of her glycogen storage disorder type 0, her dysautonomic response with neuropathy, her unspecified global developmental delay, or her suspected atypical mitochondrial disorder. Those would be her diagnoses.

What prevents us from waiting in line are her temperature regulation issues that may cause seizures, her blood sugar issues, and maybe her cognitive delays.

If I cannot say those things because they are medical terms and I cannot say that she has “medical issues” because that doesn’t describe our needs or why we can’t wait in line, then I don’t know what to say.

I think there is a chance they might give us a DAS without explanation. If they don’t or if they ask why a DAS might accommodate our needs, then I only have a medical response. If that’s not valid, then I totally understand. I’d rather not waste our time trying to get one.

I think I understand now. I think what you have represented here in prior posts is all you need to say. It’s not that you can’t use medical terms, it’s just that it’s not always necessary.

to put it another way, if someone were to go in and say, “I have MS”, that’s a medical diagnosis and is not informational with respect to how this affects the person’s ability to wait in a standard queue. Because MS, like most diseases, presents differently and can have different side effects, no two people with MS would necessarily have the same needs in a queue. That’s what most of us are driving at regarding the medical diagnosis. So, it’s not that it’s not for medical needs, it’s more that you need to be able to explain how the ability to wait in the physical line is impacted. Some folks are able to do that without sharing specific diagnoses.

If it were me in your shoes, I would ask for a DAS. I don’t think you’re taking advantage of anything or trying to game the system. It sounds like it would be helpful for your daughter.

 

[treemi01]

I think you should still try to get the DAS so you have the flexible return window option for her to ride something and you should also definitely take full use of the awesome CMs and nurses at First Aid centers. If you can plan the timing right, the DAS may just be her bonus rides if all goes well with her health. And if you dont need to use it , then dont. It's not a loss if you end up heading to your room early but it may help you get another family experience together!

It would totally be helpful and would almost definitely accommodate all of our needs! We could probably be with our family all week if we had one instead of spending 1-2 hours/day with our family. But, I’m not trying to “get away with something.” I’ve definitely offended people here, without intention.

I won’t be able to describe what our medical needs are without telling our medical needs. Most people seem to think that medical needs cannot be shared, are not allowed to be shared, CMs won’t understand them, and are not the types of needs DAS are intended for. I think they are, but I also think I’m wrong here based on the responses. We aren’t wasting our first morning trying to get one if that is the case. I’d rather enjoy the time on a ride with my family.

 

[treemi01]

DAS is NOT only for people with sensory/behavioral issues. If a person’s medical issues prevent them from waiting in the regular lines, those are also reasons DAS might be helpful. My own daughter has a variety of needs, including some that are medical.
What you originally posted is very long and had quite a bit of medical jargon in it.
You should be able to give your information in 2 sentences - it’s not necessary to go into a lot of detail or mention everything/every issue; saying too much can confuse the CM (and, he/she is likely to cut you off because it’s more than they need).
Just think about the things that are pertinent to waiting in line and your concerns related to those. If it’s not going to actually cause problems in line, it’s not pertinent.

Many of the things you mentioned related to needing to use a mobility device - like your child’s stroller in line. You can get a tag to use a stroller as a wheelchair; that is separate from DAS.
The »stroller as wheelchair tag » allows a stroller to be brought into lines and attractions where strollers are not normally allowed. All attractions are wheelchair accessible to the point of boarding and most are wheelchair accessible in the regular line. (The exceptions are attractions where guests must be ambulatory - Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Peoplemover and much of Tom Sawyer Island).

Some people find being able to use their stroller as a wheelchair meets all their needs, but others still have still have issues that are not met by the stroller and do use DAS in addition.
DAS doesn‘t need to be day 1 of your trip or not at all; some people don’t know what their specific issues will be until they have tried a few waits in line. After getting more clear about what Issues they had in line, they are ready to go to Guest Relations to request DAS.

Thanks for your help, but I’m not sure how to respond. A stroller as a wheelchair tag won’t meet our needs. I’ve already explained that one several times. It won’t meet our needs because our daughter will be in her wheelchair, so a stroller, and therefore a stroller as a wheelchair tag won’t be helpful. I realize lines are ADA compliant. She does have physical disabilities. I think we should just leave it at that, and I wish I never brought this topic up. I’d delete, but if it could ever be helpful to someone else, I’d like them to be able to find it.

We can’t wait in lines due to her temperature regulation issues, seizures brought on by the temperature regulation issues, and her blood sugar issues. That’s why we can’t wait in lines.

I’m just getting frustrated at this point because this is the story of my life. No one ever understands. Not one single person who responded understands, and I’m guessing not one single cast member will understand then either.

We can’t wait in line. It’s just not practical for us. Sometimes it might be, but most of the time it won’t be. We, unfortunately are just hard to understand. We will plan to use FP and then leave the rest of our family behind.

Thanks for letting me run it past all of you. It helped me to understand that DAS isn’t going to work.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I would still ask for one, instead of you deciding let the cast members. The goal is for your child to have a magical day/trip. Dont feel bad thats why the program was set up.
Our son looks and acts normal but can not stand in long queue lines for medical issues.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

No, my mistake. We don’t have the types of issues DAS was designed for. We only have medical issues and physical issues. We don’t intend to abuse anything. I know the physical issues are accommodated by a mobility device and we have that (she uses a wheelchair). I thought maybe the medical issues would make a DAS helpful. I knew the DAS was for sensory/behavioral/anxiety issues, but I also thought it could be used for medical issues that make waiting in line difficult. I now understand that that is not the case. I’m not asking for an exception. I see now that we don’t qualify. Thank you!

I'm not sure where you are getting that medical issues don't qualify for the DAS. They do. The DAS is not limited to behavioral or sensory issues. It is for any issue that would make it difficult to wait in line and cannot be addressed with a mobility device.

You just need to explain what it is that makes it difficult for your child to wait in the standard line. I agree with others that said your original wording was a little too wordy. What you wrote a few posts up that starts with "we can't wait in lines due to..." is what you need to tell guest services. You explain in one sentence why your daughter will have trouble in the lines.

 

[treemi01]

We’ve never used DAS before, but after much thinking, I think we are going to request one for our upcoming trip. I wasn’t thinking it would help much because she’s young, and she also has physical disabilities (in addition to others) so I feel like people will think we shouldn’t have one. For some reason, I feel nervous about asking for one and feel that we are not worthy of obtaining one.

EDITED BY MODERATOR TO REMOVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION (SCRIPT).

This is also frustrating! There was no need to edit this, hence taking out the reason why we needed the DAS. There was no “specific information.” It was 3 general reasons why we needed a DAS. 1) heat sensititvity that could either cause seizures or body temperature that was too high. 2) cognitive delays that make waiting in line hard. And 3) blood sugar issues that require constant monitoring.

How can someone answer my post if they have no idea why we need it? I gave none of my daughter’s diagnoses, just her symptoms that make waiting in line hard for us.

I did also state that she uses a wheelchair and has obvious physical issues (wears AFOs and a spio suit) IN ADDITION to her other issues and that I understood the physical issues were separate from the reasons needing a DAS.

I’m totally not understanding this one. Other people say they use a wheelchair or have XYZ symptoms that make standing in line difficult.

I give up. If all medical words are not allowed to say why we need a DAS, then we don’t need a DAS. End of story.

 

[treemi01]

I'm not sure where you are getting that medical issues don't qualify for the DAS. They do. The DAS is not limited to behavioral or sensory issues. It is for any issue that would make it difficult to wait in line and cannot be addressed with a mobility device.

You just need to explain what it is that makes it difficult for your child to wait in the standard line. I agree with others that said your original wording was a little too wordy. What you wrote a few posts up that starts with "we can't wait in lines due to..." is what you need to tell guest services. You explain in one sentence why your daughter will have trouble in the lines.

I’m getting it from literally every single person who said you cannot use medical terms to describe why you need it or that our types of medical issues don’t qualify. That, and because the moderator edited every single thing out of my post that had anything to do with medical. We need it for medical reasons. We cannot use those types of words in person or on the internet. No diagnoses were given. Just 2 symptoms that made waiting in line difficult. All have agreed that they are not valid or not allowed to be stated. That’s where I’m getting it from.

 

[SueM in MN]

It would totally be helpful and would almost definitely accommodate all of our needs! We could probably be with our family all week if we had one instead of spending 1-2 hours/day with our family. But, I’m not trying to “get away with something.” I’ve definitely offended people here, without intention.

I won’t be able to describe what our medical needs are without telling our medical needs. Most people seem to think that medical needs cannot be shared, are not allowed to be shared, CMs won’t understand them, and are not the types of needs DAS are intended for. I think they are, but I also think I’m wrong here based on the responses. We aren’t wasting our first morning trying to get one if that is the case. I’d rather enjoy the time on a ride with my family.

I don’t think you have offended anyone. People are trying to be helpful to you and giving you information that will help you to explain your child’s needs to the CM in a clear, concise way. It can be done without getting into all kinds of medical information which the CMS don’t need - in a large part, that is what people are trying to communicat.

I’m going to close this thread now, but please send me a private message.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for your help, but I’m not sure how to respond. A stroller as a wheelchair tag won’t meet our needs. I’ve already explained that one several times. It won’t meet our needs because our daughter will be in her wheelchair, so a stroller, and therefore a stroller as a wheelchair tag won’t be helpful. I realize lines are ADA compliant. She does have physical disabilities. I think we should just leave it at that, and I wish I never brought this topic up. I’d delete, but if it could ever be helpful to someone else, I’d like them to be able to find it.

We can’t wait in lines due to her temperature regulation issues, seizures brought on by the temperature regulation issues, and her blood sugar issues. That’s why we can’t wait in lines.

I’m just getting frustrated at this point because this is the story of my life. No one ever understands. Not one single person who responded understands, and I’m guessing not one single cast member will understand then either.

We can’t wait in line. It’s just not practical for us. Sometimes it might be, but most of the time it won’t be. We, unfortunately are just hard to understand. We will plan to use FP and then leave the rest of our family behind.

Thanks for letting me run it past all of you. It helped me to understand that DAS isn’t going to work.

I am responding to this after closing the thread since you quoted me.
This thread was moving very quickly. Every time I went to reply, I got a message that more posts had been made since I started my reply. So, it was hard to keep track.

I noticed AFTER originally posting that you mentioned she has a wheelchair and I edited my post to indicate that it may sometimes still be helpful to get a stroller as wheelchair tag. My daughter’s first wheelchair was not a stroller type wheelchair. It has large back wheels and looked like a smaller version of a regular adult wheelchair. That was enough for CMs, but several guests complained that we were bringing a stroller in line. The tag could help that.

In your first post, you had a whole paragraph about 5 or 6 long sentences of very specific medical information which was what you planned to tell CMs. People were trying to say you did not need all that to request DAS - to make it more concise and ‘cut to the chase’ and have one or 2 sentences that say what you need.

I think you might be surprised to know just how much many of the people who replied do understand.
My family understands pretty well.
My daughter has cerebral palsy (CP), mixed type, mostly spastic quad. Basically means her whole body is affected and she mostly has very tight, rigid muscles. Even though many of the issues caused by her CP are solved by using her wheelchair in line, her CP creates some issues with waiting in lines that are not totally met by the wheelchair. She has seizures which are not totally controlled and has had seizures in every park. She also has sensory issues. We need to plan around her specific needs, treatments and multiple medications. Before our next trip, she will probably having surgery that will probably result in some other challenges. All these things are the reasons she gets DAS.
But, I’ve never said this big paragraph to CMs to request DAS - cut to the chase with one or 2 short sentences. You don’t need more or to mention the diagnosis, just what you need. If the CMs need more clarification, they will ask.