How do FP's and DAS work/interact?

[Hoodie]

My bigger concern is that your daughter isn't happy when her positioning isn't just right. There really isn't any way to adjust how you sit on most rides. I think your best bet is to split up sometimes. For your DD, target rides and shows where she won't need to transfer. I know she needs chair breaks, but I don't know if a ride is the place to do that since there's no way to adjust her so she's comfortable. Get FP for other rides she may not want to do or would need to transfer for.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

You could book the three FPs for rides DD8 is most likely to change her mind on, and then the other children would still be able to ride. I know you don't want to split up, but if you could work it so the other rides she might/might not want to ride have shorter standby lines then the other children with the older boys could stand in the standby line, and you and DD8 and the baby would use the DAS and meet up at the ride car. If DD8 wants out then, the others came from the standby line and would still ride.

I would have real concerns with relying on FP. We'll need to stay off site due to disability reasons, so we wouldn't be able to get prime times. We are also far less in control of our schedule than a typical family because of medical needs, so meeting hour long windows chosen a month ahead isn't realistic. Finally, I have no way of knowing which rides will be the ones she's likely to enjoy, and which she's likely to refuse. It's just not predictable.

I also know that we'll need to split up sometimes because of things like height restrictions and the need for diaper changing, but the point of vacation is to be with your family. DD8's favorite thing in the world is her big brother. This will be her last vacation with him before he leaves for college. The idea that, despite the fact that we're paying double what other families pay (because of the need for extra tickets and rooms and meals for he people coming to support us) and will probably spend 1/3 of the time in the park, and then, on top of that she doesn't even get to stand in line with him, and hear his voice, and laugh when he's silly? Disney goes out of their way to make it so families can stay together, whether that is allowing 6 people on a DAS, or designing even the kiddie rides to fit adult bodies. It seems reasonable to expect a solution that allows a little girl to spend time with her beloved siblings.

Finally, I am not really sure how the meeting up in line thing would work. I can't imagine the timing is perfect, so one party is going to be waiting with young kids and a wheelchair on the platform. For how long? Will the CM's even allow that?

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

My bigger concern is that your daughter isn't happy when her positioning isn't just right. There really isn't any way to adjust how you sit on most rides. I think your best bet is to split up sometimes. For your DD, target rides and shows where she won't need to transfer. I know she needs chair breaks, but I don't know if a ride is the place to do that since there's no way to adjust her so she's comfortable. Get FP for other rides she may not want to do or would need to transfer for.

I never said she wasn't happy when her positioning wasn't right. I said she can't use her communication book or device when her positioning isn't perfect, but she won't able to use either on the rides anyway. She loves movement, although she can't move herself. Her favorite things include being dragged around the pool at high speed by her brother, swinging high on an adaptive swing, therapeutic horseback riding, or dancing in a harness at PT. If she is refuses a ride, it won't be because of positioning (other than straps that hit right at her gtube height, that she hates), it will either be something internal or it will be something auditory or visual, but her sensory processing is hard to predict.

We haven't done much amusement park style stuff since DD6 joined our family 2 years ago, because she is more timid, but we did more before that, and there were rides like the barnstormer, or the teacups, and a baby version of splash mountain that she lived. She needs there to be a single shared seat so she can be supported against someone's chest with arms around her. She couldn't do Test Track or space mountain (which would require a growth spurt) because of the single seats.

 

[charmed59]

Though the Das program is meant to help your DD8 enjoy the rides without melting down in the lines it sounds like it's not the answer for your family as a whole. Have you condsidered Universal and using their express passes? Basically they are FPs with no one hour window. It would give you lots of flexibility with time and if you get to the front of the line and someone doesn't want to ride every one else still can. The other advantage of Universal parks are they are not as huge as the Disney world parks, so the distances won't be near as onerous.

 

[DisneyOma]

Though the Das program is meant to help your DD8 enjoy the rides without melting down in the lines it sounds like it's not the answer for your family as a whole. Have you condsidered Universal and using their express passes? Basically they are FPs with no one hour window. It would give you lots of flexibility with time and if you get to the front of the line and someone doesn't want to ride every one else still can. The other advantage of Universal parks are they are not as huge as the Disney world parks, so the distances won't be near as onerous.

But there are so few attractions at Universal for really small kids - Seuss Landing, and then what?

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

But there are so few attractions at Universal for really small kids - Seuss Landing, and then what?

Plus my kids want to see Mickey, and the princesses.

Given that we'll probably ride relatively few rides, and spend a lot of time on characters, having them be the "right" characters is important to them.

 

[charmed59]

If you are set on Disney, I think your best bet is to wander into customer service and see if you can get a DAS for both your 6 year old and 8 year old. They might see your family and sprinkle pixie dust to keep them all together. I'd still get the FPs, if you don't make the time they just go away, no harm no foul. But if you happen to be at the right place during that hour that gives you an extra ride between DAS return times. Given you only have a 3 hour window, you might find you will only be able to ride one or two DAS rides if the standby lines are really long.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

If you are set on Disney, I think your best bet is to wander into customer service and see if you can get a DAS for both your 6 year old and 8 year old. They might see your family and sprinkle pixie dust to keep them all together. I'd still get the FPs, if you don't make the time they just go away, no harm no foul. But if you happen to be at the right place during that hour that gives you an extra ride between DAS return times. Given you only have a 3 hour window, you might find you will only be able to ride one or two DAS rides if the standby lines are really long.

My thought is that we'll make 3 FP times, if we make 1 or 2 of them, I'll be pleasantly surprised. And yes, I think that if we're lucky, a day with the boys would go:

Ride 2 things (1 DAS, 1 FP if timing works)

Break: Feed/Diapers/Nap or stretch for DD8 and baby, others Bathroom/Snack/Playground

Thrill seekers use DAS to ride something, DD6, baby (sleeping?) and I hunt for a princess or something

Character meal

1 DAS ride on the way out, maybe 2 if a FP time works.

Leave

If nanny's with us, substitute shows and character visits for rides. Might get to less, since shows are longer.

Does that seem realistic?

We homeschool, so I can go when the lines are at their very shortest. I'd like to go when it's still warm enough to swim. Looking at a crowd calendar, I'm thinking the last two weeks of September, before food and wine, might work? Is there a better time?

 

[momto3pirates]

We homeschool, so I can go when the lines are at their very shortest. I'd like to go when it's still warm enough to swim. Looking at a crowd calendar, I'm thinking the last two weeks of September, before food and wine, might work? Is there a better time?[/QUOTE

I've been following, mainly because I think you are an amazing mom trying to please everyone. I only have one special kiddo (autism-nonverbal and epilepsy)and I know how hard it is to vacation with restrictions.
Food and wine starts in August this year. Have you considered early November? Weather will be better. It should still be warm but not miserable hot.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

We homeschool, so I can go when the lines are at their very shortest. I'd like to go when it's still warm enough to swim. Looking at a crowd calendar, I'm thinking the last two weeks of September, before food and wine, might work? Is there a better time?[/QUOTE

I've been following, mainly because I think you are an amazing mom trying to please everyone. I only have one special kiddo (autism-nonverbal and epilepsy)and I know how hard it is to vacation with restrictions.
Food and wine starts in August this year. Have you considered early November? Weather will be better. It should still be warm but not miserable hot.

I had been thinking October, but looking at the UndercoverTourist crowd calendar, I'm seeing about 50/50 green and yellow in September, while October and November are solid yellow except for Thanksgiving week. Do you know if that's reliable?

Edited to add: Thank you, what a sweet thing to say. I'm sure you're an amazing mom yourself.

 

[stenmarks]

When you book fastpasses, they are linked to a specific person. But you can always switch magic bands (or park tickets) for that specific ride.

If your DD gets to the front of the line and decides she doesn't want to, or can't, ride a ride, then yes, the entire group will be turned away. You can only use the DAS return time if the person the DAS is issued for is riding. If there are rides you aren't sure she will be able to do, it might be better to book those as FP+ and use the DAS for rides you are certain she can do.

I want to reiterate what this poster said...if the owner of the DAS chooses not to ride, your entire party will be turned away.

I would guess that if DD6 in particular was already in a ride vehicle, no CM is going to force us to take her out while it's in motion, because it just wouldn't be safe. They'd either need to stop the ride, or let them go through. Frankly, by the time the CM's put together what was going on, my guess is that the other kids would be heading into a tunnel or something, because in my experience everyone's attention will be distracted by the suddenly crying child, not thinking about the other kids and how they got into the FP (right? FP and DAS share a line?) line in the first place, and whether they still "deserve" to be there.

I also kind of assume that at least 1/2 the CM's who see this aren't going to think of it as breaking rules and just tell us to go to the exit to meet the rest of them, but I'd rather avoid a situation where we're then asked to leave the park or have the DAS revoked, or get yelled at, or whatever the consequences would be if an unreasonable CM decided to be a stickler for the rules.

Disney rules state that a child under the age of 7 must be accompanied by a rider over the age of 14 (I think it's 14?). Your 5 and 6 year olds wouldn't be allowed to board ride cars without a teenager/adult, so I can't think of a way this scenario would happen.

My thought is that we'll make 3 FP times, if we make 1 or 2 of them, I'll be pleasantly surprised. And yes, I think that if we're lucky, a day with the boys would go:

Ride 2 things (1 DAS, 1 FP if timing works)

Break: Feed/Diapers/Nap or stretch for DD8 and baby, others Bathroom/Snack/Playground

Thrill seekers use DAS to ride something, DD6, baby (sleeping?) and I hunt for a princess or something

Character meal

1 DAS ride on the way out, maybe 2 if a FP time works.

Leave

Again, DAS must be used for rides the affected person will ride. If your 8 year old isn't going to ride the thrill rides, your 5 year old and the older kids won't be able to utilize return times for those attractions.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

So, looking at the crowd calendars more, the next green time (after September) would be late Jan./early Feb. Would that be better than September?

My only concern is that the baby might be mobile by then. In my experience with the one mobile baby I've

I want to reiterate what this poster said...if the owner of the DAS chooses not to ride, your entire party will be turned away.

Disney rules state that a child under the age of 7 must be accompanied by a rider over the age of 14 (I think it's 14?). Your 5 and 6 year olds wouldn't be allowed to board ride cars without a teenager/adult, so I can't think of a way this scenario would happen.

Again, DAS must be used for rides the affected person will ride. If your 8 year old isn't going to ride the thrill rides, your older kids won't be able to utilize return times for those attractions.

Sorry, I used the word "thrill" very loosely. Basically anything the baby can't ride, or anything like the "Haunted Mansion" that has the potential to scare DD6 who scares super easily. DD8 will ride those.

The teens will ride things that DD8 can't ride on the days when I have other help so they can split off. They'll probably also go to Universal or the water parks on some of those days. They won't use DAS, or whatever is the Universal equivalent.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

Disney rules state that a child under the age of 7 must be accompanied by a rider over the age of 14 (I think it's 14?). Your 5 and 6 year olds wouldn't be allowed to board ride cars without a teenager/adult, so I can't think of a way this scenario would happen.

We'll have 2 17 year olds, so I assume one would ride with each. I'm unclear why this wouldn't happen?

 

[stenmarks]

We'll have 2 17 year olds, so I assume one would ride with each. I'm unclear why this wouldn't happen?

You posted that if your 6 year old had already boarded a ride, then your 8 year old decided not to/was not able to ride, you assumed a CM would not force your 6 year old to leave the ride.

Did you mean you assume the child would be allowed to ride with one of the 17 year olds? If so, you're probably right. However, I would assume that you would let the child with the DAS board first since they must enter the FP line first. This has always been the way we do things, since it's "her" DAS that is being used to ride.

The post I quoted also had something about the others already being down the tunnel when your DD decides not to ride. Since your DD has to scan her ticket first for you all to enter the line, none of your party should enter ahead of her. If she needs to leave the FP line after you enter, the decision of whether you should all exit the line is yours to make. Based on the intention of DAS, CMs would expect you all to leave.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

You posted that if your 6 year old had already boarded a ride, then your 8 year old decided not to/was not able to ride, you assumed a CM would not force your 6 year old to leave the ride.

Did you mean you assume the child would be allowed to ride with one of the 17 year olds? If so, you're probably right. However, I would assume that you would let the child with the DAS board first since they must enter the FP line first. This has always been the way we do things, since it's "her" DAS that is being used to ride.

The post I quoted also had something about the others already being down the tunnel when your DD decides not to ride. Since your DD has to scan her ticket first for you all to enter the line, none of your party should enter ahead of her. If she needs to leave the FP line after you enter, the decision of whether you should all exit the line is yours to make. Based on the intention of DAS, CMs would expect you all to leave.

I mean that getting out of a ride that's already moving, while carrying a child, can be tricky. When you're exiting a ride (based on my experience other places), there's time to kind of organize yourself, and get ready to step up, because the end is coming. If she's in the car ahead of me, with her big brother and her little brother, and I'm going to get in the car behind and things go South, it would mean that they'd need to jump out at the last minute.

As the mom, my instinct is to have myself go last. In the line queue, I want my 5 and 6 year old in front of me so I can see them. When I'm pushing or carrying DD8, then she goes last too. So, I assume I scan DD's and then step aside and let the littles scan theirs and go in front of me.

Someone posted that we'll all fit in one car on all the rides, but I don't remember them all being so big. I'm thinking of things like Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion etc . . . where I remember the cars being kind of small, too small for 3 adults and 4 little kids, so I was figuring we'd need 2 cars. I also remember that the cars just kept going, they didn't stop to let you in. Am I misremembering? Or have things changed? If it's what someone described, where the ride vehicle is always stopped when you board, and always has enough room for 7 people, then obviously that changes a lot.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

This is a silly question, but do they actually scan your ticket on the platform? I read somewhere else that they scan the tickets for the second time at the point where the lines merge. If we're coming from a merged line, how does the CM loading the ride even know who is on the DAS?

 

[lanejudy]

There may or may not be a 2nd scan at the point that the FP and standby lines merge. Anyone in the FP line would scan whether using FP or DAS.

I recommend that you go through the line and approach boarding in pairs based on who is riding with whom. Some ride vehicles may fit your whole party while others will seat 2 or 3 or 4, some are continuous moving and will not give you a lot of time to be "handing off" various kids so you'll need to trust the teens/nanny to manage boarding with their "assigned" kid(s) including assisting the child with transfers. I recommend you watch some YouTube videos to get an idea of ride vehicle size, loading process, and timing.

Keep in mind that DAS is a service providing access to queues. It has no other "power" at boarding or for seating or such. If you end up with 2 DAS, your party will be split as "riding with" one or the other of the girls at each attraction you use the DAS. If you need moving walkways slowed or other requests, you (or the adult/teen with that child) will need to mention such request at the ride or even along the queue.

As for "slow" times - those really don't exist at WDW anymore. I believe you mention that you were last at WDW maybe 8-10 years ago with DS. Much has changed in that time and crowd levels are one. Crowd calendars are a great tool, but keep in mind the crowd levels noted are all relative. Dates noted as "low" are smaller crowds than moderate or peak times, but should not be interpreted as quiet or slow or few people. I would guess that late Jan/early Feb is the least crowded time of year, but many who are familiar with that time of year will agree crowds are bigger now than even just a few years ago. You also run the risk of attractions offline for maintenance.

I commend you for taking on such a trip and wanting to provide the experience for your family. I just remind you to keep expectations in check. There have been lots of mentions of this possibly being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, family staying together, riding together, don't disappoint, etc. WDW has a great reputation for those with disabilities, but not everything will always be possible.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

There may or may not be a 2nd scan at the point that the FP and standby lines merge. Anyone in the FP line would scan whether using FP or DAS.

I recommend that you go through the line and approach boarding in pairs based on who is riding with whom. Some ride vehicles may fit your whole party while others will seat 2 or 3 or 4, some are continuous moving and will not give you a lot of time to be "handing off" various kids so you'll need to trust the teens/nanny to manage boarding with their "assigned" kid(s) including assisting the child with transfers. I recommend you watch some YouTube videos to get an idea of ride vehicle size, loading process, and timing.

Keep in mind that DAS is a service providing access to queues. It has no other "power" at boarding or for seating or such. If you end up with 2 DAS, your party will be split as "riding with" one or the other of the girls at each attraction you use the DAS. If you need moving walkways slowed or other requests, you (or the adult/teen with that child) will need to mention such request at the ride or even along the queue.

As for "slow" times - those really don't exist at WDW anymore. I believe you mention that you were last at WDW maybe 8-10 years ago with DS. Much has changed in that time and crowd levels are one. Crowd calendars are a great tool, but keep in mind the crowd levels noted are all relative. Dates noted as "low" are smaller crowds than moderate or peak times, but should not be interpreted as quiet or slow or few people. I would guess that late Jan/early Feb is the least crowded time of year, but many who are familiar with that time of year will agree crowds are bigger now than even just a few years ago. You also run the risk of attractions offline for maintenance.

I commend you for taking on such a trip and wanting to provide the experience for your family. I just remind you to keep expectations in check. There have been lots of mentions of this possibly being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, family staying together, riding together, don't disappoint, etc. WDW has a great reputation for those with disabilities, but not everything will always be possible.

Enjoy your vacation!

My assumption is that before we get in line we'd figure out who was taking who, and move the baby's carrier to the right person. So one person would take each DD, and one person would take DS5 who has typical motor skills of a kid his age, and the baby. Either of the teens could take DD6 or the little boys, but DD8 would probably need to be with either me or her brother, simply because he's had more experience with her positioning. Her preference would be to ride with him all the time, and we may give in to that. If entering the ride is at all tricky, he'd be the one carrying her, because he's stronger and more athletic then I am.

I trust them to board, it's just instinct to watch them. There's probably no logic to it. I'd trust my son and friend to put my girls in the van and take them to a local amusement park by themselves, so why do I let them get into rides before me? I can't really answer that. I bet if you polled other families, many probably have a parent board last too. Or maybe I'm just weird.

I know it's going to be crowded. I've thought about Jan/Feb, but knowing my kids we'll spend far more time in the pool than in the park, so I worry it will be too cold. Any thoughts on that? I'd like to go before baby is too mobile, because in my experience (limited, because I've only actually had one mobile baby) once they start crawling and walking they're less thrilled with the stroller and carrier, but Jan/Feb should be safe.

 

[Mom2FiveKidz]

There may or may not be a 2nd scan at the point that the FP and standby lines merge. Anyone in the FP line would scan whether using FP or DAS.
Enjoy your vacation!

So, I guess what I'm asking is if we have 2 DAS, with some people riding on one, and some on the other, and then at the point when we're boarding DD8 cries and one of us stays back with her, is the CM who is there to see this happen actually going to know that her brother is the one listed on her DAS, but I'm actually the one staying back. If the lines are all merged before we get to the platform, how will the platform CM even know we came in on a DAS, other than being able to guess because her disabilities are very obvious?

I understand that it's technically against the rules for someone to stay back with her, without everyone staying back with her. I'm usually a total rule follower, you kind of have to love rules to parent lots of children, and before that I was a teacher. But I really see this rule as being designed to deal with people taking advantage of a person with a DAS by making them go through the lines for rides they won't ride, not as being designed to prevent a child from changing their mind if they're suddenly spooked by something. So, if there's no way they'll be able to enforce it, I'm not going to worry too much.

 

[gap2368]

So, I guess what I'm asking is if we have 2 DAS, with some people riding on one, and some on the other, and then at the point when we're boarding DD8 cries and one of us stays back with her, is the CM who is there to see this happen actually going to know that her brother is the one listed on her DAS, but I'm actually the one staying back. If the lines are all merged before we get to the platform, how will the platform CM even know we came in on a DAS, other than being able to guess because her disabilities are very obvious?

I understand that it's technically against the rules for someone to stay back with her, without everyone staying back with her. I'm usually a total rule follower, you kind of have to love rules to parent lots of children, and before that I was a teacher. But I really see this rule as being designed to deal with people taking advantage of a person with a DAS by making them go through the lines for rides they won't ride, not as being designed to prevent a child from changing their mind if they're suddenly spooked by something. So, if there's no way they'll be able to enforce it, I'm not going to worry too much.

when you get a DAS at GR you sign a paper ( it is on the iPad) but you do say that the person with the DAS is riding,

the way it works at the line is you go in the FP line, then FP and stand by merge then you have any where from 5 to 10 ( sometimes longer wait in a line) so the ( and some times only the CM at the first FP know you are using a DAS) basically what I am saying is that the CM when you are barding will not know that you are using a DAS,

What I would do is try to do rides you think the child that is using a DAS will ride if a the last minute she dose not want to, the just do not ride with her, if it happened more then a few times maybe she is not up for rides this day and I just would let the other children do standby or say your sister dose not want to ride to day if you all would like to then you can.