My DAS experience 10/27-11/01

[ckergald]

Just thought I would share our experience with the new DAS program. I have 2 sons both of which are autistic. My oldest (age 6) loves all the rides, especially thrill rides. My youngest (age 3) enjoys being in the park and spending time with the family but does not like any of the rides, and rarely wanted to leave his stroller. We have used the GAC program before so upon arrival we went to guest relations and obtained a DAS card for each of the boy's. Previously we would only need 1 GAC but since we would be splitting up at times this trip we opted to obtain a card for each of them. I had no issues obtaining the DAS cards, I just had to explain what type of assistance each child needed.

Great so first stop - Buz Lightyear space ranger spin - 10 minute wait, I asked for a return time, was told I didn't need one just show DAS and right on through the fast pass lane. Next stop Space Mountain - 20 minute wait, once again when I asked for a return time I was sent on the ride immediately through fast pass lane. Similar experiences for little mermaid, and Thunder mountain. However the haunted mansion and Winnie the Pooh both had 20 minute waits and we were given return times for those rides of 15 minutes and 20 minutes later. I'm fine with the return times, however I was kind of surprised different rides with the same wait times were implementing the pass differently.

Then we got around to Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my oldest son's favorite rides so I sat off with my Youngest while she brought him on with the plan to swap off after they rode and I would take him back on a second time. She had no problems using the DAS while I waited in the gift shop, however when I went back around I was told by a cast member since the wait was short they would not honor that. I tried to explain to this cast member it was not about the wait, but that my son does not do well in crowds, often spitting on people and tossing his arms around violently and could easily hurt another person waiting in line near us. This cast member told me I'm sorry but that's our policy, luckily another cast member overheard this and pulled us over into the other lane, but again I wonder how well the cast members are being trained on this system and why everyone seems to be implementing it differently.

The next day I had similar experiences at Hollywood studios, and was refused a rider swap at Toy Story mania, so I brought our youngest on with us, who absolutely hated this ride and refused to ride anything else for the remainder of the week. He hated this ride so much he climbed out of the lap bar restraint to the point were they had to stop the ride. Later that day I was speaking with another family that was given a rider swap for this ride so inconsistency seems to be a theme here.

Our day at EPCOT went smoothly, Test track was broken, Soarin had a long wait and as expected we were given a return time about 5 - 10 minutes less than the posted wait time. All other rides had short wait times and we were sent through the fast pass lane.

Our final day was back at the magic kingdom, Once again space mountain had a 20 minute wait however this time I was given a return time. Splash mountain was working this day so we pulled fast passes and were able to get several rides in that day. Wait times less than 20 minutes we were sent directly on, over 20 minutes were given a return time. 20 minute wait at the jungle cruise - we were given a return time. 20 minute wait at Buzz lightyear - we were asked if we wanted to wait or ride now. Once again we had problems at Pirates, maybe it's just that ride.

Overall we had a great trip, and I'm very grateful they have a program in place to help with these kinds of issues, however the previous system was much easier to use and seemed to be a more consistent experience across all attractions and parks.

 

[SueM in MN]

Some of the difference may be due to things about that particular attraction at the particular time you are coming.
Some have a waiting area at boarding for guests with disabilities, which may be small. If the area is already filled with other guests, they may have you return.
The person handing out the return times may also have reasons that are not visible to guests for sending the guest right on.

So, apparent inconsistencies may be because of attraction considerations, not poor training.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Thanks for he updated information, this was smoother than we had in Sept pre DAS. Also, I am not sure if Dave is still at POTC but I needed a second person to push the wheelchair of a scooter rider, he found someone ASAP for us.

 

[seidelhd]

Inconsistency was the theme of our recent trip. It was Oct 13-14, so I tried to chalk it up to this being a new system. The CM I spoke with at Barnstormer said they were getting new training every morning by their supervisors. Things seemed very in flux. I hope they get the kinks worked out before our next trip in April, as it will be much more crowded then.

 

[curemyreed]

Welcome to the DISboards!!!

Please know how much I appreciate your sharing your experiences using the DAS system with your sons.

 

[ckergald]

Thanks for all the Comments,

Sue I agree, some - possibly most of these inconsistencies may be due to factors I could not see, however I don't think all of them were. I suspect it's more due to this being a new program and they may still be training the various CM's on the program. I do hope it improves with time, and I while it's not as easy to use as the GAC system it's still much better than nothing.

seidelhd - I agree Oct is a slow time of year, I hope once peak season rolls around they have all the kinks worked out.

 

[ittakesallkinds]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I registered specifically to get information on visiting the park with my 7 year old son who has autism (or possibly both sons, 2 year old does not yet officially have an autism diagnosis, but it's just a matter of time), and was wondering how it would work with the new program. We spent half a day there when he was 4, and used the old program, which helped tremendously. I have been wondering what the new program would be like and I appreciate your post very much!

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I registered specifically to get information on visiting the park with my 7 year old son who has autism (or possibly both sons, 2 year old does not yet officially have an autism diagnosis, but it's just a matter of time), and was wondering how it would work with the new program. We spent half a day there when he was 4, and used the old program, which helped tremendously. I have been wondering what the new program would be like and I appreciate your post very much!

If you have not looked at it, there is a big thread near the top of this board with DAS Information. The first post of that thread is a DAS FAQs post.

 

[Schmeck]

Just thought I would share our experience with the new DAS program. I have 2 sons both of which are autistic. My oldest (age 6) loves all the rides, especially thrill rides. My youngest (age 3) enjoys being in the park and spending time with the family but does not like any of the rides, and rarely wanted to leave his stroller. We have used the GAC program before so upon arrival we went to guest relations and obtained a DAS card for each of the boy's. Previously we would only need 1 GAC but since we would be splitting up at times this trip we opted to obtain a card for each of them. I had no issues obtaining the DAS cards, I just had to explain what type of assistance each child needed.

Great so first stop - Buz Lightyear space ranger spin - 10 minute wait, I asked for a return time, was told I didn't need one just show DAS and right on through the fast pass lane. Next stop Space Mountain - 20 minute wait, once again when I asked for a return time I was sent on the ride immediately through fast pass lane. Similar experiences for little mermaid, and Thunder mountain. However the haunted mansion and Winnie the Pooh both had 20 minute waits and we were given return times for those rides of 15 minutes and 20 minutes later. I'm fine with the return times, however I was kind of surprised different rides with the same wait times were implementing the pass differently.

Then we got around to Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my oldest son's favorite rides so I sat off with my Youngest while she brought him on with the plan to swap off after they rode and I would take him back on a second time. She had no problems using the DAS while I waited in the gift shop, however when I went back around I was told by a cast member since the wait was short they would not honor that. I tried to explain to this cast member it was not about the wait, but that my son does not do well in crowds, often spitting on people and tossing his arms around violently and could easily hurt another person waiting in line near us. This cast member told me I'm sorry but that's our policy, luckily another cast member overheard this and pulled us over into the other lane, but again I wonder how well the cast members are being trained on this system and why everyone seems to be implementing it differently.

The next day I had similar experiences at Hollywood studios, and was refused a rider swap at Toy Story mania, so I brought our youngest on with us, who absolutely hated this ride and refused to ride anything else for the remainder of the week. He hated this ride so much he climbed out of the lap bar restraint to the point were they had to stop the ride. Later that day I was speaking with another family that was given a rider swap for this ride so inconsistency seems to be a theme here.

Our day at EPCOT went smoothly, Test track was broken, Soarin had a long wait and as expected we were given a return time about 5 - 10 minutes less than the posted wait time. All other rides had short wait times and we were sent through the fast pass lane.

Our final day was back at the magic kingdom, Once again space mountain had a 20 minute wait however this time I was given a return time. Splash mountain was working this day so we pulled fast passes and were able to get several rides in that day. Wait times less than 20 minutes we were sent directly on, over 20 minutes were given a return time. 20 minute wait at the jungle cruise - we were given a return time. 20 minute wait at Buzz lightyear - we were asked if we wanted to wait or ride now. Once again we had problems at Pirates, maybe it's just that ride.

Overall we had a great trip, and I'm very grateful they have a program in place to help with these kinds of issues, however the previous system was much easier to use and seemed to be a more consistent experience across all attractions and parks.

So, if the queue is around 20 minutes or less, the DAS is like an unlimited FP?

 

[ckergald]

So, if the queue is around 20 minutes or less, the DAS is like an unlimited FP?

Sort of,
unlimited - not really you can only have one DAS appointment at a time, so let's say Splash Mountain is a 60 minute wait, you can't get a return time for splash mountain and then go to another ride with a short wait time and use your DAS, you can however wait in the regular line.

20 minutes seemed to be the cut off most of the time but it was not consistent. Also October is the slow season, I'm not sure if this threshold will adjust up when peak season comes around.

 

[KPeveler]

So, if the queue is around 20 minutes or less, the DAS is like an unlimited FP?

Not always - sometimes, at least here in CA, we are being told if the wait is 10 minutes or less, we must wait in the standard queue. We cannot get at time, nor can we use the FP line.

Also, it may be that during non-peak times, it is easier to simply send in guests with disabilities with the DAS, rather than have them wait 10 minutes. It may be like Sue said, that if there are no guests with disabilities on the ride or waiting, it is sometimes better to just load people and have them on their way than to have them stand around for 10 minutes, and then suddenly have a bunch of people show up. For some reason, people always tend to show up in bunches, not spread out. Other times, there may be guests waiting already, so a return time is given.

I imagine that as we get to more crowded times, we will see this happen less and less. I will be there the second week in January and I expect it to be moderately crowded, so I do not expect to be sent right in.

It may also be different for guests with a DAS with a wheelchair and those who do not have mobility equipment. There is often a limit to the number of guests with wheelchairs on a ride at once, but no limit it placed on guests with non-mobility disabilities. Especially in the older parks, the experience of guests with wheelchairs, whether they have a DAS or not, may differ from those with out.

 

[forgop]

My 6yo son has autism and we last made the trip when he was 3 and was able to still fit in a toddler stroller. The GAC along with the wheelchair pass allowed us to wheel him right up to all of the rides and he did great with that.

That said, he wants to do what he wants to do it and if we go to an attraction and leave under the premise of a return time, I know we're going to have a miserable time because it'll be one meltdown after another. We cannot so much as come upon slowed traffic on the interstate or turn around in the car without him having a meltdown.

I know the GAC program was being abused, but the entire change is making me strongly consider selling my DVC membership because the parks will no longer be enjoyable.

 

[ckergald]

My 6yo son has autism and we last made the trip when he was 3 and was able to still fit in a toddler stroller. The GAC along with the wheelchair pass allowed us to wheel him right up to all of the rides and he did great with that.

That said, he wants to do what he wants to do it and if we go to an attraction and leave under the premise of a return time, I know we're going to have a miserable time because it'll be one meltdown after another. We cannot so much as come upon slowed traffic on the interstate or turn around in the car without him having a meltdown.

I know the GAC program was being abused, but the entire change is making me strongly consider selling my DVC membership because the parks will no longer be enjoyable.

I know the feeling, my son had meltdowns when we needed return times for Soarin and Splash Mountain, didn't understand why we had to leave when he just got there. I don't think we will be renewing our annual passes.

 

[bookwormde]

Just wondering for families who can not send some one ahead to get the return time, if anyone has asked for a different accommodation such as getting the time somewhere out of sight of the attraction (while many did not like the kiosk idea, it would have solved this issue).

I would not overreact until you have asked for an accommodation that will work and it have been refused.

And thanks for the first hand experience informaiton

 

[ckergald]

Just wondering for families who can not send some one ahead to get the return time, if anyone has asked for a different accommodation such as getting the time somewhere out of sight of the attraction (while many did not like the kiosk idea, it would have solved this issue).

I would not overreact until you have asked for an accommodation that will work and it have been refused.

And thanks for the first hand experience informaiton

Not quite what your asking but every time I requested a return time my son who's picture is on the DAS had to be there with me. So sending a runner ahead won't work unless that person is the runner or with the runner.

I did not ask for different accommodations, hopefully someone else can comment on this

 

[SueM in MN]

Not quite what your asking but every time I requested a return time my son who's picture is on the DAS had to be there with me. So sending a runner ahead won't work unless that person is the runner or with the runner.

I did not ask for different accommodations, hopefully someone else can comment on this

The person who is getting the DAS card needs to be there when first requesting the DAS from Guest Relations and when actually going on the attraction.

The DAS holder (one whose picture is on the DAS) does NOT have to actually be present to get a Return Time.
Obviously, if the DAS holder is alone or is only with one person and can't be left alone, they would need to be present.

But, the way DAS is set up, a runner is allowed to get a DAS Return Time without the DAS holder present. The runner needs to bring the DAS card with them, but the DAS holder can be somewhere else and doesn't have to be present.
We are at WDW now since 10/24 and DD has not been physically present to get any of the DAS Return Times.
So, if your experience was that they required the DAS holder to obtain a Return Time, they were not following their policy.

 

[lanejudy]

My 6yo son has autism and we last made the trip when he was 3 and was able to still fit in a toddler stroller. The GAC along with the wheelchair pass allowed us to wheel him right up to all of the rides and he did great with that.

That said, he wants to do what he wants to do it and if we go to an attraction and leave under the premise of a return time, I know we're going to have a miserable time because it'll be one meltdown after another. We cannot so much as come upon slowed traffic on the interstate or turn around in the car without him having a meltdown.

I know the GAC program was being abused, but the entire change is making me strongly consider selling my DVC membership because the parks will no longer be enjoyable.

Could you do some social stories with him in preparation? Something like:
this trip will be a little different than our last trip
we will get a card and it has your picture on it (yeah!)
we will take this card and they'll tell us what time to come back and ride X (name favorite ride)
while we wait we can get a snack (or do this other ride or whatever he likes)
then we go back and show the card and we go on your favorite ride!

Sorry, I really do understand. We do a lot of social stories and/or discussions about expectations. I have never expected WDW to give us immediate access to whatever her little heart desires at any given moment.

 

[curemyreed]

Could you do some social stories with him in preparation? Something like:
this trip will be a little different than our last trip
we will get a card and it has your picture on it (yeah!)
we will take this card and they'll tell us what time to come back and ride X (name favorite ride)
while we wait we can get a snack (or do this other ride or whatever he likes)
then we go back and show the card and we go on your favorite ride!

Sorry, I really do understand. We do a lot of social stories and/or discussions about expectations. I have never expected WDW to give us immediate access to whatever her little heart desires at any given moment.

I wish my DD had the ability to comprehend Social Stories or discuss expectations. There truly is a spectrum, isn't there? If you do a lot of these stories, then they must be something that really helps your DD with what to expect and how best to respond. I hope others who can use Social Stories see your post. I like how yours is written and it might help some with ASD tour the parks more easily.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I wish my DD had the ability to comprehend Social Stories or discuss expectations. There truly is a spectrum, isn't there? If you do a lot of these stories, then they must be something that really helps your DD with what to expect and how best to respond. I hope others who can use Social Stories see your post. I like how yours is written and it might help some with ASD tour the parks more easily.

 

[altaztaz]

Thank you for this. We have a big trip planned for Nov 29th- Dec 8th and I am concerned how this is going to go with my autistic child. We can't backtrack with him. So say we are walking to POTC to get return times, we won't be able to go back and ride anything in the meantime. He doesn't understand that just because we turn around to walk the way we came, that he will still come back to ride whatever ride we were walking to before. This is not only in the parks. This happens if we go for a walk in the neighborhood, mall, etc. He can never go back the same way he came. I really hope they allow for a runner to get the return times.