Disney World’s Disability Access Service (better known as DAS) has gone through some controversial changes recently.
Magic Kingdom
These updates include making the service even more limited, which has upset many fans and caused dissatisfaction with the current accommodations for those with disabilities. Now, yet another change has been announced for Disney’s DAS system that extends its validity period.
Disney World has extended the period during which its Disability Access Service (DAS) is valid. Most recently, DAS was only valid for 240 days following approval, but now DAS is valid for up to one year after being approved. Prior to that, DAS was only valid for 30 days (with Disney extending it to 120 days and later, 240 days).
EPCOT
The new change allows for a longer period between when a park guest may need to re-register for the program. The official language on Disney World’s website says:
“DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 1 year, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.”
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Originally, DAS was offered to those with a wide range of disabilities, but that is no longer the case. Before the changes in 2024, the service allowed those to enter the Lightning Lane line via a return time after they were approved for the service.
However, in May of 2024 at Disney World and June of 2024 at Disneyland, the service changed as Disney wanted to tackle the overuse of the service. The wording was adjusted to state that only select guests qualify for this service “due to a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder.”
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This left many with non-developmental disabilities — but who might still benefit from the service — out of luck, and they were offered accommodations instead of DAS. These accommodations included being told to purchase Lighting Lane (or Genie+ pre-July 2024) or talk to Cast Members at each attraction to see what accommodations they could provide.
Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios
Since the changes were made in 2024, there have also been changes made to the way registration is done, as well as the length that DAS is good for before needing to reapply. Disney later made another quiet change to its DAS wording. The Disney website previously stated, “DAS is intended to accommodate only those 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.” Disney quietly updated the Disability Access Page’s language to remove the word “only,” which could impact who can access the service, though we have yet to see any major changes.
Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom
We’ll be on the lookout for additional changes to Disney’s DAS program and more updates from Disney World and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest news!
Learn More About Disney’s Disability Access Service HERE!
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We just applied for DAS service for a member of our party that had recent surgery and is unable to stand for any length if time. She was denied since it wasn’t a cognitive disability and we were told to check in at each attraction for accommodations. It worked on but some of the attractions didn’t have wheel chairs inside and had to fly to the moon and back to get one which extended our wait times at each attraction. Too bad it was misused and felt the need to crack down.
I just wish it would go back to 8 people. Now out party can’t ride together EVER. We are constantly split up with half of us going from one end of the park to the other.
If my child has a developmental disability from birth, and the outcome will never change, the issues have not changed in 30 yrs and never will. Why must I reapply over and over and over?????
The problem with the new DAS requirements/guidelines, is that they have cast members interviewing and deciding who get s a DAS pass. The decision should be made by medical professionals, not customer service agents who know nothing about mental and physical medical issues.
This is why they are getting sued. Disney needs to use something like IBCCES at Universal where you submit actual medical documents and a healthcare professional makes a determination and decision as to who meets the requirements and who gets a DAS pass..
I haven’t been in years and don’t plan on it because of this. Why should my disability that was accommodated for years no longer be. Why are others accommodated for free while Disney expects others to shell out $200+ to accommodate ourselves. It’s disgusting and ableist. I’d rather go to universal at this point.
What’s almost comical, but actually very frustrating, about having a DAS qualification “validity period” for a developmental disability such as autism is that these are disabilities that do not go away. Unlike someone who has to temporarily be in a wheelchair (who don’t qualify now anyway), those with autism should qualify once and be done with it. It’s irritating to have to qualify over and over again for something that won’t change in one’s lifetime.
Well, isn’t this just lovely? Originally, “DAS was offered to those with a wide range of disabilities, but that is no longer the case. Because the service changed as Disney wanted to tackle the overuse of the service.”
As usual, because people abused the system, those of us who are legitimately disabled are now going to have a harder time obtaining DAS, if at all.
So, to those of you who abused the system, we, the disabled, truly appreciate you making it harder for us…thank you…not!
Does being a disabled women apply to the new DAS?
So. how is the lawsuit in California going.
hi I have Cerebral palsy and am in an electric wheelchair and my husband is legally blind and has severe back issues and PTSD from being in an abusive relationship and i have depression and anxiety and now i’m really worried about being approved for DAS what should we do
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is set up a call with them to see if you are approved.
Universal’s disability pass is more family friendly than Disney’s and easier to apply for and get approved.
I have a grandson who has autism. He can’t stay longer in a line. Before he was able to have DAS. Last month, he was refused DAS ….. He has autism and can’t stand in a line….. I don’t understand. The lady told us that he wasn’t disable enough and we have to use the swap….But if we do that he will have to wait anyway but not in the usual line. It is ridiculous.
I had DAS for years and was approved again in September of 2024 after the changes took place. I was very happy until I was denied for our trip this past May and again for our upcoming July trip. So, the issues I have that qualified under the new program all of a sudden did not qualify. These approvals or denials make no sense. These CMs (and the “medical professionals”) must have some kind of refusal quota and, once reached, you are out of luck it you call after that time. This is the only thing that makes sense. I hope there is a special place in the next world for those who lied about DAS and messed things up for those of us who really need it. I am appalled at the stories I hear from people who were refused and should have been first on the approval lists.
They are using a chainsaw where a scalpel should be applied.
We just reapplied as someone in our party has had accommodations for over 10 years. The coordinator, Claudia, said it’s now only for people with disabilities like Down’s Syndrome and that autism no longer qualifies. This happened today.
Just applied again this year, for Down’s child (24th time for her) went through the whole process in 15 mins.
Cast member was very friendly and moved things along.
BUT….
If my child has a developmental disability from birth, and the outcome will never change, the issues have not changed in 30 yrs and never will. Why must I reapply over and over and over?????
I’m not sure, but I truly believe this all comes down to money for Disney. As much of a “Disney fan” as I have always been since I was a child, they are just getting more and more greedy. If they can deny people who are legitimately disabled it forces us to either stand in line or pay their exorbitant daily lighting lane single, multi or premier pass prices & I’m sorry, but for those of us who are legitimately disabled and getting paid through Social Security Disability, we don’t get paid enough to practically get into the parks as it is now and now you want us to possibly pay extra because Disney CSR’s are deciding that I’m not “disabled enough”? If it’s good enough for the government, it should be good enough for Disney!
I understand why they started doing this, they’re are a lot of people who used and abused the system (and again, to that I say thank you…not) but these decisions shouldn’t be made by CSR’S, they should be made by qualified medical professionals.
I’m not sure, but I truly believe this all comes down to money for Disney. As much of a “Disney fan” as I have always been since I was a child, they are just getting more and more greedy. If they can deny people who are legitimately disabled it forces us to either stand in line or pay their exorbitant daily lighting lane single, multi or premier pass prices & I’m sorry, but for those of us who are legitimately disabled and getting paid through Social Security Disability, we don’t get paid enough to practically get into the parks as it is now and now you want us to possibly pay extra because Disney CSR’s are deciding that I’m not “disabled enough”? If it’s good enough for the government, it should be good enough for Disney!
These decisions shouldn’t be made by CSR’S, they should be made by qualified medical professionals.
Mark Schmidt: I agree with you, her medical/mental issue do not going away. Reminds me of my daughter. She has been disabled since she was a child. However, when she turned 18 she had to reapply for her SSI disability and provide doctors/medical proof and paperwork of her disabilities. As if all her medical issue went away when she turned 18. Same thing with Disney, why do people have to reapply once accepted?