MK DAS and FP+ Question

[Maggie'sMom]

DD and I are heading down at the end of May. We can make our FP+ choices starting tomorrow. This will be our first time using the DAS and our first time with FP+. For some reason (I think due to the FP+), it's been a lot more difficult for me to come up with a touring plan for this trip that I'm happy with compared to previous trips.

One place where I'm struggling is with our MK plan. Generally, it makes sense to schedule the FP+ for the afternoons and use standby or the DAS in the mornings when waits are shorter. But the Anna and Elsa meet and greet and the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train are throwing me off. We want to do both. It seems with the popularity of these two attractions that I should schedule FP+ for them. (Of course, I'll be scheduling a FP+ for a different ride until the 7DMT FP+ comes online. I'm assuming it will before our trip.) Because we are hitting FL in the morning, I'd be using 2 of my FP+ before noon. Is that crazy? That other option would be to schedule the Anna and Elsa FP+ for 4:00 after my DD's BBB appointment. But with the current ending time on the meet and greet being 5:00, I'm afraid the FP+ line will be a lot longer and difficult for DD at 4:00 instead of at 10:00am.

I know it's really hard to say since there are so many unknowns with these two attractions, but what would you suggest?

 

[Aristomommy]

We are doing all out FP+ for late morning or early afternoon as I don't know how much endurance my child has in the parks. You could head straight to see Anna and Elsa using your DAS and then have FP+ scattered throughout the day according to how long you will stay at the parks. If you space them 2-3 hours apart and grab a time on our DAS before you go, it should work fairly well.

 

[drusba]

This does not solve your issues but adds some more info that may provide some guidance. You cannot use DAS to get a fastpass time for any of the character meet and greets at the Fairytale Hall (at least they did not allow us to get a time with a DAS in Feb). Also, Anna & Elsa at Fairytale Hall are going fast once the 60 day window opens for FP+. We are arriving May 11 and staying until 21. I could not even find A & E in the list of attractions for a fastpass when I first went on line March 12 at 60 days out. Then after several days I learned that was likely because they were already down to giving only one FP+ at a time to any group and thus my putting in more than one person for an FP+ resulted in Anna and Elsa not even appearing as a potential FP+ in the list. Then on March 18, tried to do it on a one person at a time basis. I atrempted to get May 13 but it was gone for even single person FP+ and ultimately succeeded for an afternoon time (desired) on May 20 by getting different times for each of the four people in the group but fortunately the times are all like 5 to ten minutes apart so there is a thirty minute window where we can actually go as a group. Be aware it took seemingly forever to do that on-line and when I was doing it there alreay some morning times for May 20 gone completely.

In other words whatever you do when your 60 day window opens, make sure you quickly go find an Anna and Elsa time and be prepared to have to set everyone's time separately if you go on and cannot do it by group. 7DMT is not yet being shown for times I will be there but like you I am waiting to make it when it shows up and I expect the process may end up similar to Anna & Elsa.

Note, being barred at Fairytale Hall for a DAS was contrary to what we had been told but the CM's there were adamant that was correct. That may be a CM problem because we also ran into other inconsistencies. For example, we were told that DAS gets you back into the fastpass line with a time that is about 10 to 15 minutes less than the current stand-by line. So what happens when the stand-by line is only 10 minutes? Most just let us in the fastpass entrance without having to wait for a new time. Then we had one CM, confirmed by another standing right there with her, that refused to do that and insisted that it was a rule that our return time had to be at least 1/2 hour from when we showed up to get a DAS time. I can hardly even tell you the horror story we had in getting a DAS. We went to Guest Relations inside Studios, waited almost 30 minutes and then got a CM who plainly got wrong information or was proof positive that when you set up a system that allows low paid field personnel like the park CMs to make discretionary decisons about a handicap pass, you are creating a process that can only lead to disaster. Our D is Down Syndrome, an obvious handicap; though ambulatory, she also has heart tissues and thus long lines and long days in the park are not advised. We spent 5 minutes with the CM at guest relations arguing over whether we were entitled to a DAS with the CM insisting that we had to confirm that she needed a wheelchair. An "adult" eventually showed up and immediatley apologized but my reaction was that this should not happen at all but will happen under the current system.

 

[OurBigTrip]

This does not solve your issues but adds some more info that may provide some guidance. You cannot use DAS to get a fastpass time for any of the character meet and greets. Also, Anna & Elsa at Fairytale castle are going fast once the 60 day window opens for FP+. We are arriving May 11 and staying until 21. I could not even find it when I first went on March 12 at 60 days out. Then after several days I learned that was likely because they were already down to giving only one FP+ at a time to any group and thus my putting in more than one person for an FP+ resulted in Anna and Elsa not even appearing as a potential FP+ in the list. Then on March 18, tried to do it on a one person at a time basis. I atrempted to get May 13 but it was gone for even single person FP+ and ultimately succeeded for an afternoon time (desired) on May 20 by getting different times for each of the four people in the group but fortunately the times are all like 5 to ten minutes apart so there is a thirty minute window where we can actually go as a group. Be aware it took seemingly forever to do that on-line and when I was doing it there alreay some morning times for May 20 gone completely.

In other words whatever you do when your 60 day window opens, make sure you quickly go find an Anna and Elsa time and be prepared to have to set everyone's time separately if you go on and cannot do it by group. 7DMT is not yet being shown for times I will be there but like you I am waiting to make it when it shows up and I expect the process may end up similar to Anna & Elsa.

I thought that the DAS could be used for any character meet & greet that had FP+.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I thought that the DAS could be used for any character meet & greet that had FP+.

I am planning to use a FP+ for Anna and Elsa, but this was my understanding too. The DAS can be used for any attraction that has a FP+. There have been plenty of reports of people using it for Rapunzel at FTH.

We have two days in the MK. I'll see what availability I can get for the Anna and Elsa PF+, but shoot for later morning. There's just the two of us traveling so luckily I'm not trying to get FP+ for a large group.

 

[aaarcher86]

I am planning to use a FP+ for Anna and Elsa, but this was my understanding too. The DAS can be used for any attraction that has a FP+. There have been plenty of reports of people using it for Rapunzel at FTH. We have two days in the MK. I'll see what availability I can get for the Anna and Elsa PF+, but shoot for later morning. There's just the two of us traveling so luckily I'm not trying to get FP+ for a large group.

Agreed. I've seen people report using it successfully for Fairytale Hall.

 

[lanejudy]

... Our D is Down Syndrome, an obvious handicap; though ambulatory, she also has heart tissues and thus long lines and long days in the park are not advised. We spent 5 minutes with the CM at guest relations arguing over whether we were entitled to a DAS ...

When you go back in May, you might want to re-think how you request the DAS. Indicating "Down Syndrome, heart issues, long lines and long days are not advised" is really not going to net you a DAS. That in now way indicates an inability to be in the line. I would hear that as needing a mobility aid (wheelchair) and a good touring plan to get as much done as possible in a short day. Now, since you discussed this for some time with the CM, presumably there was more shared than you have indicated in this post -- and you are not obligated to share more on the DIS -- but my understanding of the DAS would actually point towards the first CM was following policy. Down Syndrome is a diagnosis, they don't need to know the specific diagnosis as different people may have different needs with the same Dx. Long days are not advised -- WDW is under no obligation to offer you an alternative to get more done in less time than the average guest. Ambulatory but with heart issues -- this doesn't really give anything specific about an inability to wait in line; like I said, it sounds like to prevent taxing her heart she should take breaks and maybe utilize a wheelchair.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your DD doesn't qualify for a DAS, just that based on the little you posted it doesn't seem like you explained her issues with waiting in line. I suggest you be more specific about line-waiting when you go to Guest Relations in May.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Aristomommy]

I am planning to use a FP+ for Anna and Elsa, but this was my understanding too. The DAS can be used for any attraction that has a FP+. There have been plenty of reports of people using it for Rapunzel at FTH. We have two days in the MK. I'll see what availability I can get for the Anna and Elsa PF+, but shoot for later morning. There's just the two of us traveling so luckily I'm not trying to get FP+ for a large group.

It remains to be seen how fast the FP+ line will move, but I would personally get an early morning time if you can. Between many people in stand by line plus FP line, the place can get extremely crowded and for us the queue is not the most comfortable one for our daughter. But if you need a break from the sun, then it might work for you later in the morning.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

It remains to be seen how fast the FP+ line will move, but I would personally get an early morning time if you can. Between many people in stand by line plus FP line, the place can get extremely crowded and for us the queue is not the most comfortable one for our daughter. But if you need a break from the sun, then it might work for you later in the morning.

Thanks. Right now, I'm going to try for a 10:00-11:00 FP+ time for Anna & Elsa if I can get one. That will give us the first hour or so to get through a lot of Fantasyland with shorter waits. Tomorrow is my day. I've read that FP+ booking opens at midnight. I'm a bit of a night owl anyway so I'll be up at midnight tonight to hopefully at least book the Anna & Elsa fastpass.

I'm going to book an early afternoon FP+ for Splash and a later afternoon FP+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle. I'll likely replace the Enchanted Tales with Belle FP+ with the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train when that one become available then either do ETwB first thing in the morning or use the DAS for it.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Woohoo! Got my FP+ for Anna and Elsa for 9:55 to 10:55 on our first park day!

 

[Aristomommy]

Woohoo! Got my FP+ for Anna and Elsa for 9:55 to 10:55 on our first park day!

I hope you come back and let us know how the FP+ and DAS worked for you. I'm trying to learn as we plan our trip.