My experience of DAS & FP+

[tinkerpea]

Hi all
I come from the UK where pretty much every single park already has a system like the new DAS implemented.
I did hope when they took away the GAC & brought out the DAS that they would tweak a few things as I new some of it would not work for my autistic son, I also have some needs from having head surgery but mine are usually met with being able to go on rides with my sons GAC instead of us getting 2 since I ride everything my son does and vice verses..

Anyways we was in the world for 15 nights at the end of October through to the 13th of November which had wait times over 70 mins for alot of rides & wanted to share my experience


We arrived at Epcot and took our son to GS to obtain his DAS card,
I had explained to him how it would differ from the GAC as he had gotten very used to the way it worked since we go for 3wks every yr or so since he was 4 months old and he has needed a GAC from age 4/5 now 11

The CM was very nice asked his needs and I was surprised that all I had to say was he had Aspergers, she spoke to Brandon who was very shy but said his name and age,

She explained the card and off we went,
I already had some FP scheduled so we got a RT for TT and ride Ms with the FP+ the CM marked the card with 15 minutes return even though it was a 30 min wait another thing I did not expect since I'd been told only 10 gets knocked off the time.
Anyways we did Ms went back over to TT & rode with about a 7 minute wait.

This worked this way for most rides, but I had a few experiences where is go up alone to get a time and the CM would mark the card with 10 mins even though it was 30 min wait!! Def some inconsistencies...
So it looks like its CM discretion on some rides, they would say have a magical day it won't be long and hand me the card.

If a ride was less then 10 we would be sent through the FP lane, although I had read on here we would go through stand by if less then 10, so some rides are still walk on if under 10 mins

After the 1st wk we had learned to schedule FP for the major rides and get a DAS time for the ride next to the FP ride scheduled, between this and eating or going through 10 min Qs we hardly waited around for much and the trip went quite smoothly.
I will add that some CM let us through the FP line right away even when wait time was 15 mins,

Now FP+
We found that sometimes due to meltdowns we would miss our FP+ time, if we was with in the hour we would go to the ride and let them know we had a DAS card and that we was late due to a medical condition, they would ask us to tap our bands then they would allow us access by over riding the system so that the light went green, we would then go through FP as normal.

We only found this out as we was late for fp + and asked for a RT on our card our son was upset and the CM asked why, we explained we had missed our FP+ time due to medical reasons and the CM said don't worry I can sort that, we asked if this was allowed normally and she said yes.

All in all we had a lot of worries about the DAS card but we was willing to try it, and found that with a little planning you can make it work

We also found it worked brilliant for characters, which the GAC did not.
Tips
GS can act as a ride, you can go to GS at the start of the day and ask for them to check the ride time for you then put a RT on your card so that by the time you reach the ride you can go on,
This is great for people with ASD.

If the DAS is not working for you, go to GS and let them know! They have other accommodations they can allow but will not volunteer them up unless you are having problems with the DAS,
Another thing we learnt when we had a meltdown about something and the CM told us to go to GS and let them know the situation.

Hope this has helped.

 

[altaztaz]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We leave tomorrow for a 10 day vacation and I am concerned about the changes.

 

[nyrebecca]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. The info about missing the FP+ time is very awesome to hear. Thankfully we only had one issue this trip (when Splash Mountain was broken, UGH!), but we have a few trips planned for next year, and I will keep this in the back of my mind incase of meltdowns.

 

[curemyreed]

Thanks for letting us know how you combined FP with the DAS system. Also, I didn't know you could get your first return time while at GS.

 

[tinkerpea]

Thanks for letting us know how you combined FP with the DAS system. Also, I didn't know you could get your first return time while at GS.

Apparently a lot of people did not know, as they have not actively forwarded on that information BUT we did it a few times in the trip, as the 1st CM who did t for us after we visited in the morning when we had struggled the day before with an issue said this was a accommodation that is available!
I don't believe it to be a secrete as its no different to going to the ride or like in DL a kiosk and getting a time.

However there are also other accommodations they can give out, that can help with children who need to loop.

 

[curemyreed]

I did know that about the looping and I am grateful Disney recognizes this may be an issue for people with certain disabilities and they have a way to help, if needed. I am hoping that going to Disney at a low attendance time and going straight to DD favorite ride at rope drop will continue to allow her to ride as many times as she would like. This strategy, used with the FP system, has always worked in the past. It helps that her favorite ride is Figment....folks aren't exactly racing to get to that one!

 

[DLRwish]

I just don't understand why parents giving a diagnosis in the Autism spectrum are immediately given a DAS card with almost no further questioning. I'm NOT saying your son didn't need it, I'm just saying that it isn't fair to others who have needs but are questioned so much and often denied one just because the diagnosis is not Autism or something similar.

The DAS is need-based not diagnosis based, so why is Autism the guaranteed diagnosis ? I've read stories and experiences with the DAS, and some CM have told guests that " The DAS is only for cognitive disabilities." and "I'm sorry, this is only for people with Autism." It just really bugs me. This is discriminatory to those who don't have Autism but do have other disabilities.

I do not have Autism or anything of the sort, but I'd be pretty upset if I'd bee denied one right off the bat because I'm not autistic.

 

[aaarcher86]

I just don't understand why parents giving a diagnosis in the Autism spectrum are immediately given a DAS card with almost no further questioning. I'm NOT saying your son didn't need it, I'm just saying that it isn't fair to others who have needs but are questioned so much and often denied one just because the diagnosis is not Autism or something similar. The DAS is need-based not diagnosis based, so why is Autism the guaranteed diagnosis ? I've read stories and experiences with the DAS, and some CM have told guests that " The DAS is only for cognitive disabilities." and "I'm sorry, this is only for people with Autism." It just really bugs me. This is discriminatory to those who don't have Autism but do have other disabilities. I do not have Autism or anything of the sort, but I'd be pretty upset if I'd bee denied one right off the bat because I'm not autistic.

Whether it's discriminatory really depends on the reason for the refusal. Not everything qualifies or requires a DAS and it's not right off the bat discrimination to deny someone the card. The main purpose of the card is to help avoid physical lines which typically occurs with autism. I don't disagree they should fully listen to someone's challenges before deciding.

 

[nyrebecca]

I just don't understand why parents giving a diagnosis in the Autism spectrum are immediately given a DAS card with almost no further questioning. I'm NOT saying your son didn't need it, I'm just saying that it isn't fair to others who have needs but are questioned so much and often denied one just because the diagnosis is not Autism or something similar.

The DAS is need-based not diagnosis based, so why is Autism the guaranteed diagnosis ? I've read stories and experiences with the DAS, and some CM have told guests that " The DAS is only for cognitive disabilities." and "I'm sorry, this is only for people with Autism." It just really bugs me. This is discriminatory to those who don't have Autism but do have other disabilities.

I do not have Autism or anything of the sort, but I'd be pretty upset if I'd bee denied one right off the bat because I'm not autistic.

I can not speak for others, can only speak on my own experience. With that said, yes, my son has Autism. When we went to ask about the DAS I never mentioned that diagnosis, nor did the CM ask me about the diagnosis. We were asked what issues we may need help with, I explained a few and we went from there. I personally feel that no one should be able to just give a diagnosis. Each person with a diagnosis is different, and their needs are different.

I think the system is still new, and each time someone goes and asks for a DAS for the first time it is a whole new experience. Some CMs are better than others at knowing the rules the DAS is going by. Just like in any job you have your more knowledgable employees. Have some people been given wrong info? I am sure the answer is yes. Will the kinks hopefully be worked out? I hope. Will everyone be happy in the end? Probably not.

 

[DLRwish]

Whether it's discriminatory really depends on the reason for the refusal. Not everything qualifies or requires a DAS and it's not right off the bat discrimination to deny someone the card. The main purpose of the card is to help avoid physical lines which typically occurs with autism. I don't disagree they should fully listen to someone's challenges before deciding.

I'm saying it's discriminatory when a CM says that the DAS is ONLY for autistic children and adults. I've been reading so many trip reports with very similar replies from CM's to disabled families.

 

[DLRwish]

I can not speak for others, can only speak on my own experience. With that said, yes, my son has Autism. When we went to ask about the DAS I never mentioned that diagnosis, nor did the CM ask me about the diagnosis. We were asked what issues we may need help with, I explained a few and we went from there. I personally feel that no one should be able to just give a diagnosis. Each person with a diagnosis is different, and their needs are different.

I think the system is still new, and each time someone goes and asks for a DAS for the first time it is a whole new experience. Some CMs are better than others at knowing the rules the DAS is going by. Just like in any job you have your more knowledgable employees. Have some people been given wrong info? I am sure the answer is yes. Will the kinks hopefully be worked out? I hope. Will everyone be happy in the end? Probably not.

I agree with everything you've said. The DAS is there to held with issues and diagnosis does not mean entitlement.

The system is new and fresh, so we'll see.

 

[Sparkly]

Thank you for your report, I'll be sure to tell my Mum about scheduling our FP+ carefully around the DAS return times to maximise what we do. She was worried we would end up spending the day waiting around for an hour each time although I assured her that we could still possibly do rides or eat in the meantime (and we're going in February not July!)

 

[tinkerpea]

I just don't understand why parents giving a diagnosis in the Autism spectrum are immediately given a DAS card with almost no further questioning. I'm NOT saying your son didn't need it, I'm just saying that it isn't fair to others who have needs but are questioned so much and often denied one just because the diagnosis is not Autism or something similar.

The DAS is need-based not diagnosis based, so why is Autism the guaranteed diagnosis ? I've read stories and experiences with the DAS, and some CM have told guests that " The DAS is only for cognitive disabilities." and "I'm sorry, this is only for people with Autism." It just really bugs me. This is discriminatory to those who don't have Autism but do have other disabilities.

I do not have Autism or anything of the sort, but I'd be pretty upset if I'd bee denied one right off the bat because I'm not autistic.

I have needs that are not cognitive, and also had no problem getting a card at MK.
My husband decided to take the boys to do things I don't do and since I had not long been out if hospital after having chemo, and other treatments and it was insanely busy I needed accommodations, mine are not accommodated by using a wheelchair and all I had to do was explain my needs it took no longer then 3/4 minutes and I was not questioned over and over again.
I only used the card that day as we used my sons when ever we was together, but I think its a case of some CM making sure you mention all needs as they may not have any knowledge of what needing something can do.or the condition if that's all that's mentioned so they over ask in order to give out the correct accommodation, where as others may also know somebody with the condition-needs etc you have and so they feel they know what to do in that situation.

 

[tinkerpea]

Thank you for your report, I'll be sure to tell my Mum about scheduling our FP+ carefully around the DAS return times to maximise what we do. She was worried we would end up spending the day waiting around for an hour each time although I assured her that we could still possibly do rides or eat in the meantime (and we're going in February not July!)

I'm pleased you found it helpful, it really did maximise what we could do when scheduling them

 

[DLRwish]

I have needs that are not cognitive, and also had no problem getting a card at MK.
My husband decided to take the boys to do things I don't do and since I had not long been out if hospital after having chemo, and other treatments and it was insanely busy I needed accommodations, mine are not accommodated by using a wheelchair and all I had to do was explain my needs it took no longer then 3/4 minutes and I was not questioned over and over again.
I only used the card that day as we used my sons when ever we was together, but I think its a case of some CM making sure you mention all needs as they may not have any knowledge of what needing something can do.or the condition if that's all that's mentioned so they over ask in order to give out the correct accommodation, where as others may also know somebody with the condition-needs etc you have and so they feel they know what to do in that situation.

I'm glad to hear your experience was positive with the DAS.
It's not trip reports in the DIS, but rather a large number of bloggers who have reported their experiences with rude CM's and denial of DAS with the reason being that the DAS is for cognitive/behavioral problems, specifically children with Autism. That is discrimination.

I sure do hope I won't have a hard time. I'll explain my needs, as everyone has mentioned, and just carry it from there.

Also, how is DAS supposed to accommodate the need for a shady area while waiting in line..or a separate waiting place? We are used to this sort of system due to the Universal Studios GAC and the Knott's berry Farm GAC- they are the same. The DAS system is just a similar copy of those, am I correct to assume this?

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm glad to hear your experience was positive with the DAS.
It's not trip reports in the DIS, but rather a large number of bloggers who have reported their experiences with rude CM's and denial of DAS with the reason being that the DAS is for cognitive/behavioral problems, specifically children with Autism. That is discrimination.

I sure do hope I won't have a hard time. I'll explain my needs, as everyone has mentioned, and just carry it from there.

Also, how is DAS supposed to accommodate the need for a shady area while waiting in line..or a separate waiting place? We are used to this sort of system due to the Universal Studios GAC and the Knott's berry Farm GAC- they are the same. The DAS system is just a similar copy of those, am I correct to assume this?

If you have not checked out the specific DAS thread about WDW, I would suggest checking it out. This is a link to that thread and post 1 is a FAQ about DAS.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3178976
The accommodation with DAS would be that you are getting a Return Time and can wait anywhere you want until that time comes.
So, you can choose your own shady or quieter place to wait.
Most lines at WDW are actually pretty well shaded, so it is possible to wait in either the regular or Fastpass line and be shaded.

 

[DLRwish]

If you have not checked out the specific DAS thread about WDW, I would suggest checking it out. This is a link to that thread and post 1 is a FAQ about DAS.

The accommodation with DAS would be that you are getting a Return Time and can wait anywhere you want until that time comes.
So, you can choose your own shady or quieter place to wait.
Most lines at WDW are actually pretty well shaded, so it is possible to wait in either the regular or Fastpass line and be shaded.

Thank you! I'll check the post out!

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm referring to DLR and DCA.

Thanks again, Sue.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you! I'll check the post out!

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm referring to DLR and DCA.

Thanks again, Sue.

There is a separate thread about DAS at DL and DCA.
Here is a link to that thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3179460

WDW and California work generally the same, but there are some differences because WDW has more Mainstream (accessible) lines and most lines at WDW are shaded or indoors.

 

[StregaNona]

I'm saying it's discriminatory when a CM says that the DAS is ONLY for autistic children and adults. I've been reading so many trip reports with very similar replies from CM's to disabled families.

Last week I spoke to Guest Relations CMs and that was exactly what I was told. I feel similarly to you.

 

[2fit4fatmom]

I'm sorry, I'm curious what is "looping"