Trip in February Wondering about multiple DAS on same Disney experience account.

[hobbes84]

OK so long story, but thanks for listening. About 6 months ago my mother was diagnosed with stage 2 plueral mesothelioma. She has been undergoing a clinical trial drug and chemotherapy since a surgery from having a tumor removed off of her lung. Her last treatment is in December and her doctors have said that she will be feeling well and reinvigorated come around February time. So she has decided to take my family and my three sisters families (19 people total) to Disney world during our Mardi Gras break. She will be in a mobility scooter and wont qualify for a DAS pass. I however suffer from pretty significant PTSD w/ high anxiety due to my time deployed overseas and have have a hard time managing myself in crowded places for more than 15-30 minutes at a time. I take my family to Disney pretty often and have never been denied a DAS since I started seeking them (from the advice of my therapist) with just my family. Now two of my sisters also suffer from high crowd anxiety and claustrophobia which is why they avoid taking their kids to Disney due to their conditions. I have told them about talking to GR when we get there about getting a DAS pass for their families. My concern is since we are all on the same My Disney Experience profile (we had to be to manage a couple of dining reservations we have due to so many people) Is Disney going to think were trying game the system since they are going to see us all on the same account. the only reason my sisters are even taking the kids is because my mom wants to make memories with her family while she can still be somewhat mobile before this disease takes away the ability for her to do so. Just wondering if anyone has had experiences doing more that one DAS pass with a big group like this. I know my one pass is god for up to six people but my sisters each have three kids and i know the older ones are going to want to ride with them. I will be planning like crazy to be as strategic as possible and make our fast pass usage as efficient as possible.

 

[gap2368]

They do not care who is on your MDE ( they scan the bands ticket to link each person to the DAS if your sister feel they need accommodation then they need to go to GR and explain there needs to the CM how many they can link to each DAS is up to the CM but normal is 5.

 

[hobbes84]

Thanks. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. My sisters were the ones getting into my head about it. I had a breakdown a few years ago in line for flight of passage and that prompted me to start going to therapy. It really scared my wife and my young daughter so I would hate for either of my nieces or nephews to go through that same experience. It took a while for me to get into the right head-space to get help and I hate having to use the pass, but I know my kids would just wonder when is daddy going to freak out again if I didn't have the accommodations. Especially during this special trip that their grandmother planned for them.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

As long as everyone is only signed up for one DAS return time at a time, you shouldn’t have a problem.

 

[AnneK]

Yeah, it won't matter that they are all linked in your account. Both my Mom and I qualify, she gets her own with my Dad linked to hers, and then my husband is linked to mine. Works just fine.

The main sticking point is that each individual can only be linked to one DAS Pass, so no double dipping.

 

[Lilsia]

I would also have a plan of escape if needed. You are going at a very busy time of year and crowds are all over the park, not just in the lines. There are many places that you can get bottle necked just getting around. A claustrophobic person's nightmare. I have been in the middle of these bottle necks and it is not fun. Maybe plan on going really early and leave during the busiest time of the day.

 

[hobbes84]

I would also have a plan of escape if needed. You are going at a very busy time of year and crowds are all over the park, not just in the lines. There are many places that you can get bottle necked just getting around. A claustrophobic person's nightmare. I have been in the middle of these bottle necks and it is not fun. Maybe plan on going really early and leave during the busiest time of the day.

Yea that is our plan. The last couple of times i went the CM who gave me my DAS highlighted some quiet and not crowded areas on my map. Just wondering what makes the last week of February so busy? I was looking at crowd calendars and a lot of them say the last week of February is one of the best times to go next year. Its after the marathon and before spring break.

 

[lanejudy]

Just wondering what makes the last week of February so busy?

Mardi Gras is that week this year, and i believe some southern states will have school vacation with a lot of people heading to WDW. It’s also school vacation for some New England states.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[mamabunny]

...Just wondering what makes the last week of February so busy? I was looking at crowd calendars and a lot of them say the last week of February is one of the best times to go next year. Its after the marathon and before spring break.

Did you check the ESPN/World of Sports calendar to see if there are any cheer groups or teams coming in? We always check that when we are looking at a trip to see what's happening there, since those large groups can easily suck up a *lot* of rooms in a hurry!

And for 2020, the last week of Feb has baseball spring training starting, and on Feb 28, Dance (cheer) competitions start, so most of those groups will arrive that week.

 

[hobbes84]

I saw the dance competition coming in on the 28th but our last day at the parks is on the 25th i thought we might be safe at the beginning of that week. I know Mardi-Gras but that's why were going since all of our kids are out of school for the week. I hadn't thought of spring training thanks for the tip. If i had my choice i would go in September (that's usually when I take my family and I know how to manage it pretty well) My mom Is just really worried she wont be feeling up to par that time next year. (her diagnosis is too unpredictable and could go south fast) I already have my escape plans ready and talked to my sisters about it they seem to appreciate that option and I told them to be ready to explain there conditions to the CM when we get there.(that's been the hardest part for all of us is talking about these problems) One thing they have always done for me since my daughter does not know i'm in therapy for PTSD they always let me bring up my family's magic bands instead of having them there to get added and scanned. I always thought that was a nice touch by Disney so she could see her dad that left before all my deployments and not the sum of what they turned me into after I came back. I don't want her to think about the time I freaked out in line for space mountain every time we go to the park.

 

[mamabunny]

I saw the dance competition coming in on the 28th but our last day at the parks is on the 25th i thought we might be safe at the beginning of that week. I know Mardi-Gras but that's why were going since all of our kids are out of school for the week. I hadn't thought of spring training thanks for the tip. If i had my choice i would go in September (that's usually when I take my family and I know how to manage it pretty well) My mom Is just really worried she wont be feeling up to par that time next year. (her diagnosis is too unpredictable and could go south fast) I already have my escape plans ready and talked to my sisters about it they seem to appreciate that option and I told them to be ready to explain there conditions to the CM when we get there.(that's been the hardest part for all of us is talking about these problems) One thing they have always done for me since my daughter does not know i'm in therapy for PTSD they always let me bring up my family's magic bands instead of having them there to get added and scanned. I always thought that was a nice touch by Disney so she could see her dad that left before all my deployments and not the sum of what they turned me into after I came back. I don't want her to think about the time I freaked out in line for space mountain every time we go to the park.

I wish I had a magical solution for all of our vets (and everyone) who suffers from PTSD. Just know that you aren't alone - and use every tool that Disney can give you (like the DAS) to have the best trip possible with your kids.

And please don't worry about what your daughter does or doesn't remember about Space Mountain, and that trip. We took our daughter to WDW for the first time when she was 10, and to this day, I'm amazed at how different our memories are of the exact same trip! She's 25 now, but remembers everything so differently, because she was a child. Kids focus on different stuff than we do as adults; for example, she remembered that my Mom had to be in a wheelchair, but had no memory of me being the one who pushed her everywhere. She remembers the moment she first saw Cinderella's Castle at the end of Main Street, but has no memory of the bus ride from the Resort to MK, even though we have pictures of her on the bus, grinning from ear to ear as we approached the big Magic Kingdom gate on World Drive! As a former little girl person myself (now a certified old lady person LOL) I can tell you that my daddy was *always* my hero, no matter what happened. The most important thing is that she knows you love her - and I bet she already does.