Someone explain to me how DAS works

[TiggerBouncy]

DW pulled her leg when we were at WDW last week and it hurt really bad, so she pretty much couldn't walk at all. It was thankfully our last day, so we were planning to avoid the parks altogether, but she really wanted to get a last ride on Spaceship Earth since we know it's going to be shut down for almost 2 years. So we go to Epcot, and rented a scooter (I didn't even know that was an option until we got there and noticed them - I thought you always had to pre-rent them).

She rides up to the ball which had a 30-40 minute wait. They ask if we have a fastpass, which we didn't (or rather, we did, but it was for much later in the day and we wouldn't make it since we had a flight to catch that afternoon). However, we told them we are fine with the wait. Normally we wouldn't wait more then 20 minutes for Spaceship Earth but since it was really the only thing we wanted to get done before our flight, we were not in a rush and told them it was no big deal to wait our place. So they told us to go around back. However, they took us in back and put us on the ride in about 5 minutes (waiting for a good time to slow the ride I guess).

Now I have heard that with DAS you don't get to the front of the line. You wait your turn, so there is no way to abuse the system and pretend disabled to cut lines. However, in my experience with this one ride, we were put to the front.

I don't want to start a fight or a controversy. I am just wondering how in this case where you go to a separate entrance do they track when you should get on the ride, or is it all speak and they do actually put you to the front, or is that just for some rides like Spaceship Earth? Like how would they know when her place in line is since it's a different loading place?

 

[ArielRae]

What you did didn’t have anything to do with the DAS program. Because you have a scooter/wheelchair you have to go around back to to access the Spaceship Earth ride cause there is no way to do so the traditional way.

So when you go to the handicapped entrance they will load you when they have an opening or set time to do so. Sometimes for that ride if there are no other handicapped waiting and none have just boarded you may be told they can take you right on. Other times you have to wait behind others or wait until the next open time they can get you on. They try not to slow the ride to often cause it can ruin the experience for the other riders.

Another ride you will experience this similar situation is It’s A Small World at the MK.

Here is a link to the disability board here on the DIS and the thread all about the DAS program.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

 

[Hoodie]

Your experience is because of the loading for Spaceship Earth, not the DAS. A DAS would have given you a return time to then enter the fast pass line. Also should note that SE is one of the few where you will be directed to another entrance with a scooter. Had you gone to another ride, you just would have entered the regular queue with the scooter and waited with everyone else.

 

[lanejudy]

Yes to what the PPs have said. It is not DAS - your wife did not have a DAS. SE is one of the few attractions with an alternate boarding for mobility devices. You happened to hit it just right; often people report a back-up at this ride with a longer wait to get on there. Sometimes the CM will give a "wheelchair return time" to keep guests from having to wait extra long for the accessible entrance.

I hope your wife is feeling better and glad you were able to enjoy your last day!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

A DAS would have given you a return time to then enter the fast pass line.

Ah. that makes sense.

Also, I figured that in most rides the scooters would go in the same line and SE was a little different.

Thank you for explaining it and also how it's different than DAS.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I hope your wife is feeling better and glad you were able to enjoy your last day!

She had a rough time that trip. We were just off the Dream on a sea and land, and she got what I am pretty sure is NoroVirus. She was unable to eat anything more or less the entire time at WDW, then when her leg muscle was pulled, being unable to walk or eat. The poor thing had a rough time of it. Besides the scooter, we picked up some lidocaine patches in Japan that helped. They had a weird name, but lidocaine is the same no mater what country it came from.

That said, we met some of the most amazing CM's along the way who were absolutely terrific. So despite these hangups, we had a great time thanks to the cast and crew of Disney! She's feeling much better now. She is over the stomach issues, and although she is still limping slightly, being at home with the benefit of medications we have in our cabinets helped. She'll be right as rain by our next trip!

 

[gap2368]

DW pulled her leg when we were at WDW last week and it hurt really bad, so she pretty much couldn't walk at all. It was thankfully our last day, so we were planning to avoid the parks altogether, but she really wanted to get a last ride on Spaceship Earth since we know it's going to be shut down for almost 2 years. So we go to Epcot, and rented a scooter (I didn't even know that was an option until we got there and noticed them - I thought you always had to pre-rent them).

She rides up to the ball which had a 30-40 minute wait. They ask if we have a fastpass, which we didn't (or rather, we did, but it was for much later in the day and we wouldn't make it since we had a flight to catch that afternoon). However, we told them we are fine with the wait. Normally we wouldn't wait more then 20 minutes for Spaceship Earth but since it was really the only thing we wanted to get done before our flight, we were not in a rush and told them it was no big deal to wait our place. So they told us to go around back. However, they took us in back and put us on the ride in about 5 minutes (waiting for a good time to slow the ride I guess).

Now I have heard that with DAS you don't get to the front of the line. You wait your turn, so there is no way to abuse the system and pretend disabled to cut lines. However, in my experience with this one ride, we were put to the front.

I don't want to start a fight or a controversy. I am just wondering how in this case where you go to a separate entrance do they track when you should get on the ride, or is it all speak and they do actually put you to the front, or is that just for some rides like Spaceship Earth? Like how would they know when her place in line is since it's a different loading place?

One thing to remember is that sometimes with space ship earth ( and other ride where wheelchair go in the back entrance BTMRR JC) the CM will often give you a little card and on it will be the current time the wait time and then your return time and this is what you give the CM at the back entrance to get on the ride. Space ship earth is really the one ride at Disney where you do have a good chance of them letting you right on since most of the time the wait is under 30 minutes. Here is what the return ticket look like but they might be putting them on the MB ( I know the DAS and rider swap is)