Should I try for DAS? Or don't bother?

[BeePee]

I had previous DAS for my IBSD. I'm not super comfortable with the return to line thing, but I understand IBS does not qualify anymore.

I also have adhd and anxiety in crowds. I just cant stand in line for over a half hour. For this reason I would just not go to disney, rather than having to wait on lines. Do you think there is a chance of qualifying? It seems people with adhd are getting denied as well.

Will they refund tickets if a person is not qualified for the das?

 

[bwr827]

They will refund; many reports online confirm that.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I had previous DAS for my IBSD. I'm not super comfortable with the return to line thing, but I understand IBS does not qualify anymore.

I also have adhd and anxiety in crowds. I just cant stand in line for over a half hour. For this reason I would just not go to disney, rather than having to wait on lines. Do you think there is a chance of qualifying? It seems people with adhd are getting denied as well.

Will they refund tickets if a person is not qualified for the das?

Disney is handling refunds on a case by case basis. You can always book your ticket through a third party that has a refund policy, less a small handling fee, as long as the tickets are unused, and be sure to call for DAS ahead of Disney’s hotel refund window.

You won’t know unless you try. Early reports of people who were in a similar situation seem to be pleasantly surprised with how well Disney’s new accommodations are working for them, so even if you are denied that does not mean you will be locked out of Disney forever.

 

[BeePee]

This is giving me a lot of anxiety. I was going to plan a trip for the summer, but im thinking I will cancel and wait until next year. And hopefully everything is more clear at that point and more people share their experiences.

 

[lanejudy]

I recommend not booking a package. WDW resort room-only reservations can be cancelled up until 7 days prior to arrival (8 days in 2025). Tickets purchased from some authorized resellers can be refunded minus a restocking fee. Or as PP mentions, fully-unused tickets will retain value towards future tickets.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

This is giving me a lot of anxiety. I was going to plan a trip for the summer, but im thinking I will cancel and wait until next year. And hopefully everything is more clear at that point and more people share their experiences.

That’s certainly your prerogative, but out of curiosity what additional information are you waiting for? More evidence that AQR is working? Clarity around under what circumstances RtQ is granted? Given that DAS is granted based on needs, not diagnosis, whether someone else with IBS/ADHD/anxiety was able to get a DAS doesn’t really have anything to do with whether or not you will.

Another possibility would be to book a short (1-2 day) trip this summer that isn’t necessarily ride-centric, and if you find the new accommodations don’t really work for you you can still have a great time eating at favorite restaurants, hunting for hidden Mickeys, watching the shows, swimming in the pools, shopping at Disney Springs, etc.

 

[BeePee]

That’s certainly your prerogative, but out of curiosity what additional information are you waiting for? More evidence that AQR is working? Clarity around under what circumstances RtQ is granted? Given that DAS is granted based on needs, not diagnosis, whether someone else with IBS/ADHD/anxiety was able to get a DAS doesn’t really have anything to do with whether or not you will.

Another possibility would be to book a short (1-2 day) trip this summer that isn’t necessarily ride-centric, and if you find the new accommodations don’t really work for you you can still have a great time eating at favorite restaurants, hunting for hidden Mickeys, watching the shows, swimming in the pools, shopping at Disney Springs, etc.

I suppose waiting to see if people with similar issues to mine get approved for DAS. Part of my anxiety requires me to extensively plan my days. I don't think I want to go through the stress of planning only to be denied and then have to cancel. It's also ridiculously expensive, so I don't think I would spend all my time and $ and not be able to go on rides.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I suppose waiting to see if people with similar issues to mine get approved for DAS. Part of my anxiety requires me to extensively plan my days. I don't think I want to go through the stress of planning only to be denied and then have to cancel. It's also ridiculously expensive, so I don't think I would spend all my time and $ and not be able to go on rides.

Good luck! If rides are your thing I guess you can always buy Genie+, which I know isn’t the same as DAS but does let you get into LLs. For one person the cost isn’t *that* expensive.

I don’t know anything about your anxiety, but I do know a lot about extensively planning our vacations. I am definitely the planner in our family, but earlier this year had a chance to do some spontaneous traveling. I have never done anything like that before, and found that it was surprisingly liberating to NOT have to worry about anything. Where am I going to eat? Ask for a recommendation at the hotel or wander until something looks interesting. What am I going to do? Ask for recommendations, grab a map, and see how it goes. And if I don’t see everything…there’s always next time! I went when I wanted to go, stopped when I wanted to stop, and ended up having an amazing time.

My husband and I have another trip coming up soon. I have some plans in place but again, am trying to keep it more unstructured than normal so that we can embrace just being there.

It definitely requires a different mindset, but different isn’t always a bad thing.

 

[lanejudy]

It's also ridiculously expensive, so I don't think I would spend all my time and $ and not be able to go on rides.

I get that it's expensive and that's definitely a point to consider. However are you saying there are zero attractions you can do standby? The waits have been lower recently, why is up for debate but regardless it seems to be the lowest waits and crowd levels since a while. There's also G+ and ILL$ if you really prefer the LL entrance vs standby. Not knowing your party or really much about your needs, you may find the alternate accommodations work better than you expect at the moment.

 

[bwr827]

This is giving me a lot of anxiety. I was going to plan a trip for the summer, but im thinking I will cancel and wait until next year. And hopefully everything is more clear at that point and more people share their experiences.

Summer seems to be a slow period now. What if you made your plan based on Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes, and then if you ended up getting approved for DAS it would be a bonus?

No disrespect intended -- I don’t pretend to know or understand your personal situation.

 

[BeePee]

I get that it's expensive and that's definitely a point to consider. However are you saying there are zero attractions you can do standby? The waits have been lower recently, why is up for debate but regardless it seems to be the lowest waits and crowd levels since a while. There's also G+ and ILL$ if you really prefer the LL entrance vs standby. Not knowing your party or really much about your needs, you may find the alternate accommodations work better than you expect at the moment.

That's good to know. It just worries me that I may end up spending all that $ and for some reason that day lines could be crazy long. Especially the summer, I've heard is a lot worse for crowds. I was thinking of going to DL, since we have only been to WDW. Are crowds there generally better/worse/the same?

 

[Vampiress88]

I had previous DAS for my IBSD. I'm not super comfortable with the return to line thing, but I understand IBS does not qualify anymore.

I also have adhd and anxiety in crowds. I just cant stand in line for over a half hour. For this reason I would just not go to disney, rather than having to wait on lines. Do you think there is a chance of qualifying? It seems people with adhd are getting denied as well.

Will they refund tickets if a person is not qualified for the das?

In order to start the process to see if you do qualify, you would need to have tickets linked into your My Disney Experience account. Once tickets are purchased they are non-refundable.


That’s what they email me

 

[lanejudy]

Especially the summer, I've heard is a lot worse for crowds.

Summer has not been peak time at WDW for several years now, and recent reports (the past 2-3 weeks) are low crowds.

 

[Grim Grinning Ghostie]

Summer is the new slow season, it seems, since COVID taught parents that taking their kids out of school isn't actually the end of the world. Now, must people visit when the heat is less stifling.

That being said, crowd levels are unpredictable, and there is never really a consistently "slow" season, so please don't book for summer under that assumption if you absolutely require it to be slow and don't do well in the heat.

There's no guarantee you'll be accepted OR denied, as it's needs-based rather than diagnosis-based and your case will be assessed on an individual basis, but it's definitely worth it to try for it IF you can manage a visit with the answer being "no."

Genie+ may help if you are denied, as well as taking your medication for your ADHD (if you are prescribed any), and they do sell ear defenders and the like if you have sensory needs that can be managed well enough to handle some lines.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Summer visits are always a bit different from other times of year, IMO, given the summer FL weather.

Add in the new DAS policies, and I can understand why you might prefer to wait.