Walt Disney World Extends DAS Registration Window - Here's What's Changed

13 days ago in "Disability Access Service Card - DAS"

Posted: Sunday February 2, 2025 7:35am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney World has made further updates to its Disability Access Service (DAS) policy, giving guests more time to register.

Expanded Registration Window

Guests can now determine DAS eligibility up to 60 days before their park visit, doubling the previous 30-day registration window. The updated policy now states:

"Speak with a Cast Member via live video chat to determine eligibility as soon as 60 days in advance of a park visit."

This gives guests more flexibility in planning their trips and may help reduce congestion in the video chat system, which has faced high demand when many guests tried to register close to their travel dates.

Wording Change on Eligibility

This update follows a January 28 policy change in which Disney removed the word "only" from its DAS eligibility statement. The revised wording now reads:

"DAS is intended to accommodate 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."

Previously, the phrase "only those Guests" was used, which some viewed as a stricter limitation. While Disney has not provided clarification on whether this signals a broader interpretation of eligibility, the change leaves room for more flexibility in how the policy is applied.

What Hasn't Changed?

  • DAS eligibility still applies to guests with a developmental disability like autism or similar that prevents them from waiting in a conventional queue.
  • DAS is valid for 240 days once approved.
  • The party size remains limited to the registered guest and up to three additional people (total of four).

How to Register for DAS at Walt Disney World

  • Registration is available via live video chat.
  • Speak with a Cast Member via live video chat to determine eligibility as soon as 60 days in advance of a park visit.
  • At this time, live chat is offered in English only.
  • In-person registration is no longer be available at theme park Guest Relations locations.
  • If DAS is provided after a conversation with a Cast Member to determine eligibility, the Guest with a disability (or a parent/guardian) will participate in the registration process. This requires having a photo taken of the DAS-registered Guest.
  • DAS registration maximum party size is the registered DAS Guest and up to 3 additional party members, for a total of 4 people.
  • DAS is valid for up to 240 days. Once the service has elapsed, Guests will need to re-register.

DAS FAQs

How long is DAS valid?
DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 120 days, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.

Is DAS issued at the Walt Disney World Resort valid at the Disneyland Resort?
DAS is valid only throughout the Resort at which it was issued. DAS issued at Walt Disney World Resort, for example, is not valid at the Disneyland Resort, and vice versa.

What happens if any of the statements made by a Guest in the process of registering for DAS are found to be not true?
If it is determined that any of the statements a Guest made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true, the Guest will be permanently barred from entering Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and any previously purchased Annual Passes , Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products and services will be forfeited and not refunded.

Where do Guests utilizing DAS go to receive return times?
Guests utilizing DAS (and their party members) to make return time selections right from the My Disney Experience app during the day of their park visit. Registered Guests using DAS and members of their party will be able to book, redeem, change or cancel DAS return times using the My Disney Experience app via a smart phone or other smart device. If additional assistance is required, Guests can also obtain return times directly from a Cast Member at any Guest Relations or Guest Experience Team location.

What can Guests do during their DAS virtual wait?
Guests utilizing DAS can enjoy many other experiences throughout Walt Disney World Resort during a DAS virtual wait, such as other rides, shows, concerts, parades and Character Greetings. They can also take a rest in a break area, get something to eat or go shopping.

Does the Guest utilizing DAS have to be present to obtain a return time at a Guest Relations or Guest Experience Team location?
No. Any member of the DAS-eligible Guest’s travel party may obtain a return time, but the Guest registered for DAS must be present and experience the attraction with their party.

Does a Guest utilizing DAS have to ride the attraction at the exact return time listed?
No. DAS return times are not limited to a specific window and are valid until the park closes or an attraction closes for the day.

Can a Guest have more than one active DAS return time at one time?
No. A Guest may only have one DAS return time at a time. The Guest may obtain another return time for the same or different attraction 10 minutes after they redeem a return time.

Can a Guest with an active DAS return time receive a boarding group for one of the virtual queue attractions?
Yes. A Guest can hold one active DAS return time and one virtual queue boarding group at the same time. When a Guest utilizing DAS goes to the attraction with a virtual queue, they, along with their party, will speak to a Cast Member at the attraction about accessing the queue.

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jennab551 hour ago

I mean you could try, but again it might be dependent on ride, queue time, etc. I don’t think it supposed to be black and white at every ride all the time. Some might find it helpful, and others will just be mad if they don’t get the same thing when they go.

Splash4eva2 hours ago

Are you a solo traveler?

Splash4eva2 hours ago

Would anyone like me to try the solo/ single parent alternative that was told to me even tho i have DAS? I can do it on a ride or 2 if anyone cares. Not sure if any has used it yet

flynnibus2 hours ago

Noted… But you’re a broken record at this point. Your grievance is clear - and within your power to get past. You can try… or just cross your arms from afar. Repeating your choice here every time just becomes droning.

jennab552 hours ago

But line length, party size, weather, time of day, are not consistent, so why should the answer be consistent? The answer will never be black and white.

jennab552 hours ago

But again, you do know. Assume you won’t qualify for DAS and will receive the options we’ve been discussing. Other options to get shorter lines, go early or stay late when lines are shorter, go at less busy times, buy LLs. If you don’t feel a combination of those things will work for you, then it might be time to look elsewhere.

Jrb19793 hours ago

It's never going to be consistent due to party size, what the wait times are like, time of day.

jaklgreen3 hours ago

No, my issue is with the not knowing what kind of accommodations they decide to give you before you book your trip. And I know that most people have seen reports about how every cast member at the rides tells you something different. The inconsistency is not something that a huge company like Disney should have. Every cast member should be trained and the accommodations should be consistent to the person.

jaklgreen3 hours ago

It would be nice to know before you book a trip though how you will be accommodated. For many, the type of accommodations do make the difference between having a someone normal trip and a frustrating and sad experience. That is my main issue with how Disney is handling things. The whole "trust me bro" mentality telling people to just go and see what they can do for you, is not how it should work. Going to the parks is not like stopping into your local store. It takes a lot of money and a lot of planning for these trips.

jennab553 hours ago

Precisely the type of people who hang out in the fb group that shouldn’t be named. They call anyone ableist who doesn’t agree that DAS is the only acceptable answer for every disabled person and they are entitled to it.

jennab553 hours ago

I don’t think anyone here is uncaring. I think many are just over people thinking they should get DAS just because they are disabled. It’s a Disney policy and they’ve changed it. They’ve made other accommodations for people who no longer qualify for DAS, but many people are unwilling to accept those, even though the accommodations could work, because they are “less than” what they want. To be honest, a lot of it just seems very entitled. No one is entitled to DAS, it’s a made up program by a theme park that they could get rid of tomorrow. I’m also making these statements as a person with and a child who also has disabilities .

Chi844 hours ago

Why don’t we concentrate on what may be new or on people’s experiences. This argument is an exact repetition of what has been previously said in this thread.

Chip Chipperson4 hours ago

That's not the only possible accomodation, though. Depending on the attraction and the guest's needs they may be able to wait outside the line with another member of their party and meet up at the LL merge point. So there are 2 known accommodations, one of which doesn't involve waiting in the Standby line. That's not dismissive of people's issues at all.

Keladry845 hours ago

No one here is saying or has said that. You're interpreting it that way, but that is not what is being said or implied. I've noticed that people who think DAS and only DAS should be the accommodation for everyone's disability no matter what tend to interpret any denial of DAS, suggestion of other options, or different possibilties by Disney to accommodate as dismissive/painting people as liars/ableist, etc. A suggestion of other accommodations available to use is none of those. DAS is ONE specific accommodation. There are many other accommodations and processes. All are listed very clearly on the website, in my opinion much more thorough and more clearly than what I've seen for other parks. It was much easier for me to navigate and understand what is there for Disney than it was for my local theme park. If DAS didn't/had never existed, I think many people would be very happy and satisfied with what is there. Reading between the lines of what has been approved vs. not, I agree with another poster: DAS is being issued for disabilities where the difficulty is specifically caused by something in the queue (in other words environmental). Other accommodations are suggested for those whose difficulty primarily comes from the length of wait, and/or is situational to factors other than specifically the queue design. For the first scenario, that person will never be able to move through the queue, because every time they reach that point, they will need to exit. For the second scenario, once the mitigating factor is resolved, they can access the queue/environment. Disney is not evaluating severity, they are evaluating cause/effect. This is entirely individual, even among people with the same disability. A denial for DAS is not in any shape or form make\ing an evaluation on if a person is disabled or not, it is simply a checklist for the cause/effect that they are offereing that one specific accommodation for. Other avenues of access are available for other cause/effects of need. This is not discrimination, nor is it abelist.