Just wanted to share our experience with the DAS at WDW last week since reading these boards was helpful with our planning...
We did MK, Epcot, HS, and AK over 4 days with our twin high functioning ASD sons, age 8. We often have sensory issues, but have tolerated some lines at other amusement parks in the past, so wasn't sure how they would be tolerating things this time around. Stayed offsite in a terrific vacation home, so no pre-booking of FP+. My plan at all the parks was to hit rope drop and follow a touring plan, using a DAS if needed. We did the two Universal Parks a few days beforehand, and had a difficult time with the noise in the lines and the pre-ride rooms they place you in. One son especially had a hard time with this, and only rode a couple of rides over those two days, so by the time we requested the DAS, I knew pretty well what our issues were going to be.
We dropped by guest services outside MK the day before we started our "Disney days" to activate our military tickets, and they were happy to go ahead and issue our DAS cards at the same time. Each kiddo got their own since it was likely they would want to ride different rides.
The parks were somewhat crowded but not unbearable. AK was the only one that felt a bit packed by late morning. We hit rope drop every day, rode the popular rides til the lines built up, then the adults took turns entertaining the kiddos between DAS wait times. Touring plans were only useful for telling us what to hit first, as the kids often changed their minds about which rides they previously said they wanted to ride. We didn't utilize FP+ for the same reason. Scheduling rides was just not something that was going to work for us.
All told, the DAS was exactly what we needed. The boys were more than happy to wait near the ride with a snack or go ride something else in the meantime. FP return lines had waits of up to 15 min, but that was tolerable for our guys, especially since they usually kept moving. I had all sorts of anxiety about how it would work for us after hearing mixed reports, but the cast members were very kind, and I have no complaints.
We did MK, Epcot, HS, and AK over 4 days with our twin high functioning ASD sons, age 8. We often have sensory issues, but have tolerated some lines at other amusement parks in the past, so wasn't sure how they would be tolerating things this time around. Stayed offsite in a terrific vacation home, so no pre-booking of FP+. My plan at all the parks was to hit rope drop and follow a touring plan, using a DAS if needed. We did the two Universal Parks a few days beforehand, and had a difficult time with the noise in the lines and the pre-ride rooms they place you in. One son especially had a hard time with this, and only rode a couple of rides over those two days, so by the time we requested the DAS, I knew pretty well what our issues were going to be.
We dropped by guest services outside MK the day before we started our "Disney days" to activate our military tickets, and they were happy to go ahead and issue our DAS cards at the same time. Each kiddo got their own since it was likely they would want to ride different rides.
The parks were somewhat crowded but not unbearable. AK was the only one that felt a bit packed by late morning. We hit rope drop every day, rode the popular rides til the lines built up, then the adults took turns entertaining the kiddos between DAS wait times. Touring plans were only useful for telling us what to hit first, as the kids often changed their minds about which rides they previously said they wanted to ride. We didn't utilize FP+ for the same reason. Scheduling rides was just not something that was going to work for us.
All told, the DAS was exactly what we needed. The boys were more than happy to wait near the ride with a snack or go ride something else in the meantime. FP return lines had waits of up to 15 min, but that was tolerable for our guys, especially since they usually kept moving. I had all sorts of anxiety about how it would work for us after hearing mixed reports, but the cast members were very kind, and I have no complaints.
