Disney Changes Disability Access System at Walt Disney World & Disneyland

Today, Disney Parks and Resorts announced several changes to policies and processes for the Disability Access System (DAS).

Who Qualifies?

The biggest change is the eligible criteria for DAS at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. DAS will be changing to accommodate “guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” That is a lot more specific than the previous language which was: “Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.” This new system is still developing. Some reports say that Disney will introduce a defined “return to queue” process for guests who need to leave a queue and re-enter and may formerly have received DAS accommodations. The new website design addresses the different types of needs and accommodations that are available, which will help make guests more comfortable during their visit.    

Changes to the DAS Registration Process

Changes to the DAS registration process are being rolled out at Disney World on May 20th, and Disneyland on June 17th. If you are visiting the parks before these dates you can follow the current registration process when you take your vacation. For DAS specifically, both Disney World and Disneyland will continue to offer pre-registration via video chat, similar to the current process. According to the website, beginning May 20th at Walt Disney World, video chat will be the only option for registration. If you have not pre-registered, you will be directed to the same video registration process as guests use to pre-register. This is important to keep in mind! We can only assume that there will be a delay in approval or access if you do not pre-register before arriving at Walt Disney World. In Disneyland, the changes go into effect on June 17th. After this time, although it is beneficial for you to have the video chat in the privacy of your home and not spend park time on a DAS registration, there will be an accessibility window where you can speak in person about a DAS request.

Other Notable Changes to the DAS System

A positive in the changes to DAS is the enrollment eligibility will increase from 60 days to 120 days. This is good for locals and frequent guests. But once the new system is in place, your DAS group will be “immediately family, or no more than four people”. That means that if your immediate family is 7 people, they will be able to get a DAS return time together. But if you have a DAS are visiting the parks with 5 friends, only 3 of them will be using a DAS return time.

Why Is This Happening?

Disney Parks & Resorts said that DAS use has tripled over the last five years. There are multiple factors to this including social media. There have been a number of TikToks over the past few years that have show the benefit of using DAS which has led to more awareness of this service. Because of the higher awareness, there has been a larger realization that a wider range of medical conditions could qualify. The more eligible medical conditions qualify for DAS, the more use it will see. And with so many videos being shared on social media, it is easy to see how DAS has increased in use. As someone who needs and uses the DAS system (and frequently travels with someone with a physical disability), I’ve seen the benefits and overuse in person. It has become more common that the Lightning Lane is overflowing, which affects the guests with DAS and those who paid for Genie+. And when the Lightning Lane is overflowing, it makes the standby waits longer. It is a snowball effect. When something like this happens there is always the discussion of guests “abusing the system.” We can’t definitively say this is the case or not. I have seen video on social media, as mentioned before, explaining DAS as a “hack.” It is most definitely not a hack. Everyone must learn that DAS is for those with an actual disability. Also, everyone must remember that many disabilities are invisible. It’s impossible to tell just by looking at someone if they truly need an accommodation. It’s a fine line that Disney is trying to trying to navigate so they can still provide a good guest experience to ALL of their guests.

Key Points

• Guests who have medical conditions that are not developmental disabilities will be accommodated in different ways.
• It will be beneficial (especially at Disney World) to request a DAS via a virtual chat. Guest Services will not be working with DAS requests in person starting May 20.
• DAS Advance will not be automatic or available for every DAS recipient.
• Current DAS holders will need to re-apply.
• The DAS party size is limited to 4 guests with exceptions for immediate family members.
• You will need to renew in 120 days; previously, it was 60.
• The DAS’s actual function of setting return times while in the park using your My Disney Experience App will remain the same.