Using the new Disability Access Service DAS Card

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This thread is for discussing using the new DAS card. If you wish to discuss the overall concept of the changes - please use this thread.

More information
Disability Access Service (DAS) Card begins on October 9 - what you need to know

 

[mr spalding]

no they are not directed to the Diamond lot. They are directed to disability lot.

Diamond lot parking does involve a paid placard that is shown to a cm who directs you to it.

Then what would keep the scammer who has no handicapped placard or DAS to park in a handicapped parking space? Does the gate give a DAS holder some type of placard to hang from their mirror because those lots have to be monitored for placards on a regular basis? We have driven up to handicapped parking (albeit, late in the afternoon) on numerous occasions and never even seen a person directing traffic.

 

[mr spalding]

just to clarify the disabled lots do not have posted handi-cap signs indicating a fine for parking there. Thus anyone can legally park there. The only indicator is a blue line on the ground. This is a sad thing and leaves for a lot of abuse.

Missed your earlier reply. You are correct then regarding the abuse.

 

[Dasnowz]

There is nothing to stop it. Parking has a person out there usually until dusk only in the lot currently being parked. There will usually be a person doing point that directs traffic. The lots are not monitored as closely as you would think.

 

[BroganMc]

So for attractions where the main stand-by line isn't accessible and you are forced to use an alternative entrance, such as the exit (haunted mansion) or the fast pass lane (space mountain), you now have to get a return time ticket even if the wait is just a few minutes? Am I understanding that right? What a hassle. Now it's just another thing to think about and prepare for. Great. Very magical, Disney.

The rule WDW is currently working under is if a Standby time is 10 minutes or less, let the DAS or wheelchair user into the alternate entrance. If the Standby time is over 10 minutes, subtract 10 mins and give them a Return Time for the difference.

So yes, you can go to a ride with a 15 minute wait and be given a 5 minute return time pass. I'm officially calling these "BATHROOM PASSES". Just long enough to go for a quick bathroom break and return.

Universal uses a 30 minute rule. If a Standby is 30 minutes or less, let the disabled person in. Anything over they give you a Return Time.

I'm really really hoping Disney decides to adopt Universal's rule. (I've suggested just this to management.) Makes more sense to me and a lot less work for CMs and guests alike. But if they don't, well I now have my coveted "bathroom pass".

 

[BroganMc]

Oh another tip for you all that was told to me. I haven't tried it so YMMV.

I was told with DAS cards there is no hard 6 persons-per-party rule. You can bring your entire family to Guest Relations to get a DAS for more. Everyone has to be there and a manager has to approve it and do a headcount. Made me want to try it out during my next Grand Gathering when I have 17 people with me. (Yeah I'm being a facetious little devil. I wouldn't actually do that nor expect I'd be given a pass for 17 nor be able to use it at any attraction with ride vehicles. Can you imagine how my group would snarl the wheelchair line at TSM? I'd supply the rotten tomatoes for people to throw at us.)

But if you are a family of 6 and Grandma & Grandma come along, you could ask for a pass for 8. You just have to get everyone to Guest Relations for the headcount.

 

[Rob562]

My question about DAS is in regard to my sister, who can't do stairs because of a bad knee (she usually wears a brace on her knee when she's in a situation like a theme park).

When she went to WDW the last time she got the Alternate Entrance GAC that allowed her to bypass any stairs in the queue. Admittedly these are few and far-between, but they're out there. (Off the top of my head, you've got Splash, Space Mountain (Standby only), TSMM and the Dinosaur load area, but there's also theaters like Fantasmic, Indy, etc where they allowed her to sit in the handicap sections to avoid the stairs)

If she were in a wheelchair she'd be directed to the wheelchair access, but how do they handle it with someone who's not in a wc but can't do the stairs?

-Rob

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Rob, those attractions would issue her a return time card since she isn't using the DAS card.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Handicapped parking at each park is different and does vary. If the spot has the blue wheelchair symbol sign indicating a fine, then it's only for those with a placard. The vast majority of spots do not simply because WDW is visited by millions of people outside of the United States and they do not have a placard but still require assistance. This is just like DAS - Disney doesn't require documentation, they will just take your word for it. So if you are parking at one of the theme parks and the designated disability parking lot is full, exit and return to the normal parking area and speak with the Cast Member who is directing Guests before entering a row.

 

[DISNEYCASTAWAY]

My question about DAS is in regard to my sister, who can't do stairs because of a bad knee (she usually wears a brace on her knee when she's in a situation like a theme park).

When she went to WDW the last time she got the Alternate Entrance GAC that allowed her to bypass any stairs in the queue. Admittedly these are few and far-between, but they're out there. (Off the top of my head, you've got Splash, Space Mountain (Standby only), TSMM and the Dinosaur load area, but there's also theaters like Fantasmic, Indy, etc where they allowed her to sit in the handicap sections to avoid the stairs)

If she were in a wheelchair she'd be directed to the wheelchair access, but how do they handle it with someone who's not in a wc but can't do the stairs?

-Rob

My husband has a disability that does not allow him to use stairs or steps. We just got back from WDW and had our DAS card within 2 minutes. A CM met us outside city hall and asked what accommodations we needed. He took my husbands pic and returned with card in hand. We had no problems. He does not use a wheelchair only a cane.

 

[Ariel Savage]

An earlier poster described herself as a wheelchair user and said she had difficulty acquiring a DAS and was told that they were mostly for children with autism. Another poster said her husband has difficulty with steps and uses a cane and they were immediately given a DAS. It sort of seems like it's coming down to the CM's judgment rather than a strict set of guidelines.

 

[Ariel Savage]

The rule WDW is currently working under is if a Standby time is 10 minutes or less, let the DAS or wheelchair user into the alternate entrance. If the Standby time is over 10 minutes, subtract 10 mins and give them a Return Time for the difference.

So yes, you can go to a ride with a 15 minute wait and be given a 5 minute return time pass. I'm officially calling these "BATHROOM PASSES". Just long enough to go for a quick bathroom break and return.

Universal uses a 30 minute rule. If a Standby is 30 minutes or less, let the disabled person in. Anything over they give you a Return Time.

I'm really really hoping Disney decides to adopt Universal's rule. (I've suggested just this to management.) Makes more sense to me and a lot less work for CMs and guests alike. But if they don't, well I now have my coveted "bathroom pass".

Yes, I like the Universal rule. I'll suggest that too when we go. I'm kind of bummed though that they're basically making you wait to miss part of the attraction (interactive queue, or in some cases, like HM, part of the ride. My sister has been to Disney 9 times and because of the handicapped entrance, has never been able to see the growing room). I just feel like they're forcing you to go to this "special" entry and now punishing you for needing to use it. I'm assuming there's no place to wait around in the area either. A quick bathroom break for some more mobile people is convenient but for a significantly disabled person 5 minutes isn't enough to really go anywhere/do anything.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Yes, I like the Universal rule. I'll suggest that too when we go. I'm kind of bummed though that they're basically making you wait to miss part of the attraction (interactive queue, or in some cases, like HM, part of the ride. My sister has been to Disney 9 times and because of the handicapped entrance, has never been able to see the growing room). I just feel like they're forcing you to go to this "special" entry and now punishing you for needing to use it. I'm assuming there's no place to wait around in the area either. A quick bathroom break for some more mobile people is convenient but for a significantly disabled person 5 minutes isn't enough to really go anywhere/do anything.

The process last Christmas and this past summer for wheelchairs has been to move through the FP queue and the stretch room in HM. We had gone quite a few years without seeing it and truly missed that part of the experience. It really sets up the show and has now been fixed. With DAS, I assume the process has not changed except you either go through the standby queue or get a return time on you DAS, either way you get to enjoy all but a very minimal walk through the secondary queue to get on your doom buggy as they redirect you to the exit passthrough.

 

[lnsemsf]

Handicapped parking at each park is different and does vary. If the spot has the blue wheelchair symbol sign indicating a fine, then it's only for those with a placard. The vast majority of spots do not simply because WDW is visited by millions of people outside of the United States and they do not have a placard but still require assistance. This is just like DAS - Disney doesn't require documentation, they will just take your word for it. So if you are parking at one of the theme parks and the designated disability parking lot is full, exit and return to the normal parking area and speak with the Cast Member who is directing Guests before entering a row.

In Florida almost every blue spot is a handicapped parking space which requires a placard to park in it and a fine/towing if you violate it. If you have an entire lot dedicated to handicapped parking, the law states that you must put a handicapped parking sign at the entrance to the area, and paint all spaces inside blue. That establishes that the entire lot is reserved and that they don't need to mark spaces individually. If it's by the space, they need to paint a symbol or put up a sign. I read the law on spaces because a friend of mine was hit by a car crossing the street which shattered his legs and he's in constant pain from it. He refuses to get a placard because he doesn't have a license and never plans to get one so he just deals with parking wherever people can park. Under the law, the spaces at WDW are all reserved and you CAN be fined/towed for parking there. Will they do that... PROBABLY NOT, but I'm not willing to risk it.

 

[Ariel Savage]

The process last Christmas and this past summer for wheelchairs has been to move through the FP queue and the stretch room in HM. We had gone quite a few years without seeing it and truly missed that part of the experience. It really sets up the show and has now been fixed. With DAS, I assume the process has not changed except you either go through the standby queue or get a return time on you DAS, either way you get to enjoy all but a very minimal walk through the secondary queue to get on your doom buggy as they redirect you to the exit passthrough.

That change is very nice to hear! I'm actually heading to Disney tomorrow (!) and have been getting stressed out, so this is a nice bit of sunshine! Only happy thoughts from this point on! Thanks!

 

[DVC4bestvacations]

So for attractions where the main stand-by line isn't accessible and you are forced to use an alternative entrance, such as the exit (haunted mansion) or the fast pass lane (space mountain), you now have to get a return time ticket even if the wait is just a few minutes? Am I understanding that right? What a hassle. Now it's just another thing to think about and prepare for. Great. Very magical, Disney.

Don't blame Disney blame the people that abused the system!

 

[jencor]

Don't blame Disney blame the people that abused the system!

How about I don't blame anyone and just do as they ask without complaining. It is not for me to point fingers. We will enjoy our time there either way, but if I get angry at anyone, then it takes away from what I want, and that is to enjoy my time there and be thankful we can still go.

 

[DVC4bestvacations]

How about I don't blame anyone and just do as they ask without complaining. It is not for me to point fingers. We will enjoy our time there either way, but if I get angry at anyone, then it takes away from what I want, and that is to enjoy my time there and be thankful we can still go.

Even better!

 

[Gabe1]

Ok you guys want some tips on using DAS? Here goes from the perspective of someone who went from using GAC the first part of her trip and switched to DAS the last two days. I was in Disney from Sep 21 to Oct 11 of this year (2013). DAS was implemented on Oct 9, my second to last day of the trip.....................

Amazing! I've read so many first hand reviews of GAC to DAS. By far the best. Have the most respect for your 'calm' during all these changes. Kudos.

 

[BroganMc]

Amazing! I've read so many first hand reviews of GAC to DAS. By far the best. Have the most respect for your 'calm' during all these changes. Kudos.

Thank you! I confess the DAS change did upset me a great deal during my trip. I hate changes that upset my apple cart and I have no way of knowing how to right it. But I have decades of experience dealing with upset apple carts.

My first NYE trip to Disney, Southwest Airlines BROKE my power wheelchair before I ever got off the plane. So I spent those 3 days figuring out how to navigate the crowded parks in a borrowed manual chair after dark AND my days on the phone trying to get my power wheelchair fixed. Calm, patience and persistence is the key to survival. (When all else fails, get a stiff drink to relax the nerves. )

 

[Gabe1]

Thank you! I confess the DAS change did upset me a great deal during my trip. I hate changes that upset my apple cart and I have no way of knowing how to right it. But I have decades of experience dealing with upset apple carts.

My first NYE trip to Disney, Southwest Airlines BROKE my power wheelchair before I ever got off the plane. So I spent those 3 days figuring out how to navigate the crowded parks in a borrowed manual chair after dark AND my days on the phone trying to get my power wheelchair fixed. Calm, patience and persistence is the key to survival. (When all else fails, get a stiff drink to relax the nerves. )

Oy. What a horrible ordeal that must have been. I worked at Ohare for an airline as a special services runner right out of college. I boarded, met planes for unaccompanied children and people with every disability imaginable and a few VIPs for good measure with all sorts of attitudes from amazing to evil. But the more severe the disability generally the nicer they were. Those with more minor challenges seemed to enjoy harassing the heck out of us and demanded the world.

Ticked me off when wheelchairs didn't come right up 'cause I needed them off first or had to wait until everyone else was off. Worse to find out they never loaded the wheelchairs at departing city and I was the one who had to tell the passenger it would be on the next flight, tomorrow. It happened with strollers too and those peeps seemed to be angrier but while I empathized so much more fixable. The only issue I hated more than a missing or broken wheelchair was when a departing city forgot to load an unaccompanied child and failed to notify us. Nothing like having parents meeting the plane and no kid, thankfully that didn't happen to often and they were never misplaced just mishandled.

I couldn't do this much more than a few years and left the airlines and dealt with cargo, simpler. That is why I have so much empathy for front line CMs with DAS. Pretty powerless to fix much.