DAS card the night before first park entry?

[boakl]

We will be in the area for a few days before entering a park for the first time. I have read up on DAS cards, and where they can be requested.

Is it advisable to go over the a Guest Relations office outside a park's gate the night before our first entry to have my son assessed for the need of a DAS card? We like to use rope drop to our advantage, and we fear that visiting in the am may ruin any advantage we gain by being one of the first to enter a park.

Thank you in advance.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Some people have had success outside the park, but there’s no guarantee.

 

[Cloudy]

I would recommend giving it a try. The lines in the AM at Guest Services inside the park, depending on season, can be very long. I would try the International Gateway location at Epcot as my first choice just because it is not a main entrance.

 

[Hoodie]

We have gotten outside the park at DHS. That said, if your first day is at MK, you can enter the park an hour before park opening. Last time we went, we walked in, got the DAS, and still had 15 minutes to get to the castle for the show and rope drop.

 

[boakl]

I would recommend giving it a try. The lines in the AM at Guest Services inside the park, depending on season, can be very long. I would try the International Gateway location at Epcot as my first choice just because it is not a main entrance.

Thanks, we will be there Easter Week, and we know it will be crowded!

 

[boakl]

We have gotten outside the park at DHS. That said, if your first day is at MK, you can enter the park an hour before park opening. Last time we went, we walked in, got the DAS, and still had 15 minutes to get to the castle for the show and rope drop.

Thanks for the heads-up! Our first day is Epcot, hopefully if we get shot down the night before, we can use this strategy

 

[gap2368]

I find RD crowded to be very hard to handle. I normlh stay back and let the big crowd go first also if you stop at GR when the park opens you can get your first return time and by the time you get to the ride it will be close to time to ride

 

[DLgal]

We have always done it at the guest services booth outside the parks (once at MK, twice at International Gateway, and once at Epcot front entrance.) This is one of Disney's official places to obtain a DAS, per their own information.

It is different at Disneyland. Have to go to guest services inside the parks.

 

[DisneyOma]

I would recommend giving it a try. The lines in the AM at Guest Services inside the park, depending on season, can be very long. I would try the International Gateway location at Epcot as my first choice just because it is not a main entrance.

Thanks for the heads-up! Our first day is Epcot, hopefully if we get shot down the night before, we can use this strategy

FYI, there's no parking, or bus, or drop off access at International Gateway. Not sure how you would get there, except park at HS and walk or take the boat?

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We will be in the area for a few days before entering a park for the first time. I have read up on DAS cards, and where they can be requested.

Is it advisable to go over the a Guest Relations office outside a park's gate the night before our first entry to have my son assessed for the need of a DAS card? We like to use rope drop to our advantage, and we fear that visiting in the am may ruin any advantage we gain by being one of the first to enter a park.

Thank you in advance.

one thing to think about doing outside the park the night before is how is your son going to do with seeing the park and not be able to go in? I know with my grandkids that would be a big mistake and he has to be there either way. no way for one of you to go over and leave the rest of party at hotel

 

[gap2368]

one thing to think about doing outside the park the night before is how is your son going to do with seeing the park and not be able to go in? I know with my grandkids that would be a big mistake and he has to be there either way. no way for one of you to go over and leave the rest of party at hotel

This is why I do not think getting a DAS card outside the park is a good idea unless the person is older and can understand and know ahead of time that they will not go into the park, I even have a hard time with this when I am down late on a Friday and do not go into the park until the next day.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

This is why I do not think getting a DAS card outside the park is a good idea unless the person is older and can understand and know ahead of time that they will not go into the park, I even have a hard time with this when I am down late on a Friday and do not go into the park until the next day.

I know that going the night before would be a major meltdown when any would find out that they were not going in. well maybe not the teen but the rest for sure would be bad

 

[boakl]

one thing to think about doing outside the park the night before is how is your son going to do with seeing the park and not be able to go in? I know with my grandkids that would be a big mistake and he has to be there either way. no way for one of you to go over and leave the rest of party at hotel

He will be fine as long as he knows it is in his future

 

[boakl]

I know that going the night before would be a major meltdown when any would find out that they were not going in. well maybe not the teen but the rest for sure would be bad

He is 13, and as long as he knows he will be going in the next day, we will be fine with seeing the park the day before

 

[SueM in MN]

Just be aware that it’s likely you can get DAS at Guest Relations outside the park, but it’s not guaranteed.
Disney’s website page about DAS doesn’t specifically say inside and outside the park. The description of where to find Guest Relations on that page describes the one inside the park.

 

[FlyingBelle]

We were in WDW last week and were able to get DAS at guest services outside MK. We were transferring from our resort to WL for dinner and noticed no one in line. Still had to go through bag check/security though.

 

[MinnieMSue]

We were in WDW last week and were able to get DAS at guest services outside MK. We were transferring from our resort to WL for dinner and noticed no one in line. Still had to go through bag check/security though.

Dumb question and somewhat unrelated but is there a guest services outside of MK where you don’t need a ticket to get to it but not at ticket and transportation? I need to activate AP and we will be at a restaurant at one of the monorail hotels. It would be easiest to get them activated there and if we need to to get a DAS

 

[SueM in MN]

Dumb question and somewhat unrelated but is there a guest services outside of MK where you don’t need a ticket to get to it but not at ticket and transportation? I need to activate AP and we will be at a restaurant at one of the monorail hotels. It would be easiest to get them activated there and if we need to to get a DAS

There is a Guest Relations just outside of Magic Kingdom entry.
You would need to go through security, but not enter the park. The location is marked with a red star on the screenshot from the My Disney Experience app.

Depending on how busy it is, they sometimes send guests with non-ticket related issues (like obtaining DAS) to Guest Relations inside the park so they can handle guests who can’t go into the park without resolving their issue.
You should have no problems though since you need to activate your APs and would be able to request DAS while you are doing that.

If you are at Disney Springs, you can get AP activated there, but DAS is only issued at the 4 Theme parks.

 

[MinnieMSue]

View attachment 308598
There is a Guest Relations just outside of Magic Kingdom entry.
You would need to go through security, but not enter the park. The location is marked with a red star on the screenshot from the My Disney Experience app.

Depending on how busy it is, they sometimes send guests with non-ticket related issues (like obtaining DAS) to Guest Relations inside the park so they can handle guests who can’t go into the park without resolving their issue.
You should have no problems though since you need to activate your APs and would be able to request DAS while you are doing that.

If you are at Disney Springs, you can get AP activated there, but DAS is only issued at the 4 Theme parks.

Thanks SueM. I completely forgot there was a guest relations over there.

 

[boakl]

View attachment 308598
There is a Guest Relations just outside of Magic Kingdom entry.
You would need to go through security, but not enter the park. The location is marked with a red star on the screenshot from the My Disney Experience app.

Depending on how busy it is, they sometimes send guests with non-ticket related issues (like obtaining DAS) to Guest Relations inside the park so they can handle guests who can’t go into the park without resolving their issue.
You should have no problems though since you need to activate your APs and would be able to request DAS while you are doing that.

If you are at Disney Springs, you can get AP activated there, but DAS is only issued at the 4 Theme parks.

Excellent! I really appreciate the map!!