Does Disney keep DAS info and pictures on file?

[SueM in MN]

• This thread should be able to answer all your questions.

Only read the first post. The thread was started before DAS was in effect. The first post has been kept updated, but the rest of the thread was conjecture before and right after DAS became active.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

1) I know you have to go to guest services. Must it be at a park, or can the guest services at the resort hotel suffice?

DAS can only be obtained at Guest Relations at the Theme Parks (not water parks or any non-park location).

2) if it must be at a park, are their guest services locations outside the gates, especially if we are there for rope drop trying to get our other kids to a popular ride early?

In Disney’s official information, they specify Guest Relations inside the park. Guest Relations in the park is open whenever the park is open to guests.
Some people have been able to obtain DAS at the outside of the park Guest Services. In the early morning, that Guest Relations area is often very busy with guests who have ticket issues that prevent them from getting into the park, so they may ask guests who can get in to go to the inside the park Guest Relations. (Ticket issues can also often be time consuming).
WDW is pretty efficient in the mornings. They often have a ‘greeter’ for Guest Relations talking to guests in line and solving easy requests (maps, buttons) without the guests needing to go inside. Some parks also have a CM who can take guests asking for DAS aside and take care of it before getting into the building.
During busy times, they may also set up a ‘DAS Request’ area - we didn’t use it, but I know at least Animal Kingdom has a separate DAS Request area during Spring break this year.

3) I have heard conflicting reports that the DAS is good for your entire stay. Some say it is, and others have said that we need to stop at Guest Services every day that we are at a park. Which one is it?

DAS is authorized for up to 60 days.

4) From 2015, I don't remember anything about fingerprints. Is that only for DAS? Or is that something new since 2015 that everyone does in addition to MagicBands scan?

During park entry, guests scan their Magicbands or park tickets and then do a finger scan that links the guest to that ticket/Magicband.
That is still the same and doesn’t have anything to do with DAS.

5) Does Guest Services identify one main adult with him, pictures, fingerprints, etc? Or the entire family? There may be a time or two when my parents want to take him into something or when my wife and I split up the kids to do different things simultaneously. From what I read in the posts above, we may encounter problems if we do this. What might I expect and what advice might you all have for us?

The process at Guest Relations is:
- you go to Guest Relations with the person you are requesting DAS for

- you answer a few questions and/or state the issues (not diagnosis) that make waiting in the regular line an issue

-the Magicband of the person DAS is being issued to is read and the CM ‘adds’ DAS to it electronically.

- A picture is taken of the person DAS is authorized for and attached electronically to DAS. Using the person’s picture is easiest. The picture is used at attractions to verify that the person using DAS is actually the person DAS was issued to. You CAN choose to use someone else’s picture, but that person would always need to be present when DAS is being used.

- the other guests in your group will also need to be present. Their Magicbands or park tickets will be scanned to link them as part of the DAS group. The ‘usual’ group size is 6, but Guest Relations can make exceptions to link a larger number.

- Once they are linked, any of those people can go to an attraction to request a DAS Return Time. The CM will be able to see a list of all the guests linked to that DAS and will ask which of those guests to include in the DAS Return Time. Even if a larger number are linked to the DAS, there may be attractions that will not include more than 6 in the Return Time - the CM at the attraction will let you know.

- you can only have one active DAS Return Time at a time; another can’t be scheduled until that one is used or cancelled. The guest DAS was issued to must go on the attraction to use the Return Time.

6) Finally, there are occasional times when his curiosity strangely makes him want to stay in one spot and soak everything in rather than impulsively running to the thing that catches his attention. My biggest fear is that we get to guest relations and he ends up being this "perfect angel" and patient AT guest relations, and they think we're trying to scam them. Based on how Guest Relations handles this sort of thing typically, is my fear justified or irrational?

Thank you all for any and all help that you can provide!

The CMs realize that guests don’t always ‘look disabled’. Just be ready to describe his issues with waiting in the regular line and how being able to wait outside the line will be helpful.

An additional thing you may not have thought of is being able to use a stroller as a wheelchair. It’s a tag that allows a stroller to go in lines and be used the same as a wheelchair.
Many people it works well for kids who are impulsive or get overwhelmed. It helps ‘contain’ them and also provides a ‘safe haven’ from so much stimulation.

 

[kpd6901]

Thank you so very, very much for all of this helpful information!!

 

[gap2368]

Thank you so very, very much for all of this helpful information!!

One more thing if you get your DAS after the park opens ( not just when they let you in the front of the park before opening ) you can have the CM at GR add your first DAS return time there. This way you can make your way slowly to your first chose of ride and get on instead of having to go to the ride it self get a return time find some place to wait and then go back to the ride. Just note you can only get a DAS return time at GR when you are dust getting a DAS or renewing your DAS.

 

[kpd6901]

We are all arriving as 2 separate parties (my parents and my family), but we are all arriving on the same day. We are NOT going to a park on arrival day, but will have ADR at Fort Wilderness for dinner, arriving at 4:30 all together. Would it make sense to swing over to Magic Kingdom before our dinner ADR at FW and take care of the initial logistics at, say 3-3:30pm, at the Guest Relations located outside the gate, not use a ticket for the day (7-day tickets over an 11-day resort stay)? This way, we don't have to worry about it the next morning. We have a split stay going on, so our first park day will be without FPs, so our other kids will be heading over to popular locations first thing. If we can avoid going through the process that first morning, it would be fantastic! So, arrival day, at a park, outside the gate, would be ideal. Are there any problems with this?

Second, since we have a split stay going on, my TA said that tech is offering to "decline" the sets of magic bands associated with the second and third portions of our three-part split stay. Then, everything will default to the first set, so we don't need to have three sets of magic bands. If DAS is attached to magic bands, should I expect difficulties with the split stay?

Thank you again!!

 

[gap2368]

We are all arriving as 2 separate parties (my parents and my family), but we are all arriving on the same day. We are NOT going to a park on arrival day, but will have ADR at Fort Wilderness for dinner, arriving at 4:30 all together. Would it make sense to swing over to Magic Kingdom before our dinner ADR at FW and take care of the initial logistics at, say 3-3:30pm, at the Guest Relations located outside the gate, not use a ticket for the day (7-day tickets over an 11-day resort stay)? This way, we don't have to worry about it the next morning. We have a split stay going on, so our first park day will be without FPs, so our other kids will be heading over to popular locations first thing. If we can avoid going through the process that first morning, it would be fantastic! So, arrival day, at a park, outside the gate, would be ideal. Are there any problems with this?

Second, since we have a split stay going on, my TA said that tech is offering to "decline" the sets of magic bands associated with the second and third portions of our three-part split stay. Then, everything will default to the first set, so we don't need to have three sets of magic bands. If DAS is attached to magic bands, should I expect difficulties with the split stay?

Thank you again!!

You can try to go to the MK from the fort to get a DAS since it will not be in the morning and they will not have a lot of people needing ticket help you will have a better shot at getting your DAS but just be ok if they say no. ( I have added people to my DAS outside MK in the afternoon) Just know that it really does not take long to get a DAS just go in and say why your child has a hard time waiting in the line and why waiting outside of the line will help, they either say yes scene his MB, take his picture and then scan every one else in your party MB ( I might have the scanning picture thing backwards but you get the idea) or they will tell you no to the DAS.

Nothing is on your MB it is like an ATM card that is used to access your account, it does not matter how many you have ( I have over 30) I always get my MB because I like to match my MB to what I am wearing or what park I am going to.


why are you not using FP if you have a park ticket to get into the park you can use FP and since you are staying on site you can book them 60 days before you get to Disney.

 

[kpd6901]

Why are you not using FP if you have a park ticket to get into the park you can use FP and since you are staying on site you can book them 60 days before you get to Disney.

We have a split stay. Staying Nov22-Dec.1, but to get the free dining promo, we needed to have a new reservation with park hoppers beginning no earlier than Nov. 24. So, Nov.22-23 is a separate reservation. Getting tickets for Nov. 23 is just not the economically wise thing to do, but we can have our Nov. 24 reservation tickets activated early upon arrival. ItsI just that my understanding is that we can only set FP 60 days prior to our arrival, but only for the second reservation (beginning Nov. 24). Once activated upon arrival, we can book FP for Nov. 23 but highly doubtful the popular ones will be open just one day prior to our Nov. 24 MK day. So, we plan on most likely not having access to the desired FP for that first park day.

 

[gap2368]

We have a split stay. Staying Nov22-Dec.1, but to get the free dining promo, we needed to have a new reservation with park hoppers beginning no earlier than Nov. 24. So, Nov.22-23 is a separate reservation. Getting tickets for Nov. 23 is just not the economically wise thing to do, but we can have our Nov. 24 reservation tickets activated early upon arrival. ItsI just that my understanding is that we can only set FP 60 days prior to our arrival, but only for the second reservation (beginning Nov. 24). Once activated upon arrival, we can book FP for Nov. 23 but highly doubtful the popular ones will be open just one day prior to our Nov. 24 MK day. So, we plan on most likely not having access to the desired FP for that first park day.

I am pretty sure you can book FP 60 days out for the Nov 24 date, you can go on the theme park part of this board and ask there

 

[lanejudy]

we needed to have a new reservation with park hoppers beginning no earlier than Nov. 24. So, Nov.22-23 is a separate reservation. Getting tickets for Nov. 23 is just not the economically wise thing to do, but we can have our Nov. 24 reservation tickets activated early upon arrival.

You can make same-day FP (and next day if needed) as soon as the package tickets are activated early. You will need to activate those tickets early to use them before your package check-in; then go online right away to schedule what you can. It may not be the top rides, but definitely plan to use what’s available. You never know what might pop as available.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[mamabunny]

You can make same-day FP (and next day if needed) as soon as the package tickets are activated early. You will need to activate those tickets early to use them before your package check-in; then go online right away to schedule what you can. It may not be the top rides, but definitely plan to use what’s available. You never know what might pop as available.

Enjoy your vacation!

We are constantly checking the MDE (My Disney Experience) app while in the parks - the number of FP+s that pop up out of the blue is actually startling at times. And we have been known to make all kinds of elaborate plans, and then have to cancel a month or even 2 weeks out (due to work or health problems) and so all of those FP+ are suddenly there. We actually set calendar reminders to check for ADRs and FP+ at 30 days prior to arrival at that Park, 2 weeks prior to arrival, 5 days prior to arrival and during the day at the Parks. We have scored some "impossible" ADRs and FP+ by just being diligent.

and remember... you're at Disney World - don't worry about what you can't do - focus on what you *can* do, and have an amazing time!

 

[kpd6901]

Oh, don't get me wrong, once we activate the tickets upon arrival, we will check for FPs. But we are simply being prepared for not having any of the popular ones available. Even if we only save 20 minutes on line 3 times, it is better than nothing.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Thank you both so very much!

I am glad they keep it on file, since I'm middle aged it makes me incredibly anxious when I have to go ask. It was easier before the program changed but after the first time felt like an interrogation. I've been since the program changed so I am very happy to know they keep the information saved and I just need to tell them I need to renew my DAS.

Thanks again!

Last time I visited in Feb they did bring up my info after scanning my magic band but did still asked why I needed the DAS.

 

[lanejudy]

Last time I visited in Feb they did bring up my info after scanning my magic band but did still asked why I needed the DAS.

Just to let you know… this thread is from 2018. While I don’t believe there has been any change related to this question, I’m going to close the thread. WDW and DLR plan some disability accommodation changes in May/June and current discussion is taking place on that thread.