Chances are you have heard that Walt Disney World is busy these days. We are in the middle of the 50th-anniversary celebration, people are finally traveling again after postponing trips, and we are currently in the midst of spring break crowds.
During a time when many people are traveling to Walt Disney World, demand for pre-registration for the Disability Access Service is at an all-time high, and guests looking to pre-register are paying the price.
The Disability Access Service or DAS is a program in place at Walt Disney World to accommodate guests who might not be able to tolerate waiting for an extended time in the conventional queues for a number of qualifying reasons. While guests who qualify do not get to just “skip” lines, they are able to wait for a ride outside of the standard queue.
Guests are supposed to be able to pre-register for the service virtually over a video chat between 2-30 days prior to arrival. Disney states that the service is available from 7 am to 10 pm ET. During the interview, the cast member will ask about why the guest requires the DAS and a second cast member will then help guests to book two advance return windows for select attractions. We go into more detail on this system in Your Guide to Using DAS With Disney Genie.
The system was put in place to save guests time and reduce lines at guest services within the parks. However, guests are finding that getting through on this video chat service is extremely difficult as of late. Guests are finding themselves in the queue for several hours without getting through to a cast member. Additionally, the queue is filling up for the day much before 10 pm. I personally joined the queue three times and waited over two-four hours each time. I also attempted to join the queue twice between 7 and 8 pm to find the queue was filled for the day.
If you or someone from your party is going to be pre-registering for the Disability Access Service, it is important to be prepared to wait for an extended period or you may choose to register at guest services upon arrival at the parks. When trying to pre-register for an upcoming trip, we recommend attempting to join the queue right at 7:00 am. I was able to get through much more quickly when attempting this strategy. When finally getting through, guests should also expect that not all offered attractions will be available for advanced selection. Many popular attractions may have already reached capacity for advanced booking. Disney does state that advanced selections are subject to availability.
While the pre-registration process for the Disability Access Service is meant to serve as a convenience for guests, it has become very difficult to complete. Unfortunately, at this time, the process is another stressful task for some guests to complete when planning their Walt Disney World vacation. As more travelers flock to Walt Disney World this summer, we can expect that these extended wait times will likely continue.
*Please note that if a guest attempts to retrieve DAS and is found to be making false statements, Disney states that that guest will be barred from entering all parks at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort and will not be refunded for any tickets or passes purchased. Please respect the system, and guests it seeks to accommodate. For more information on the Disabilty Access Service please visit the Walt Disney World website.
Comments
I called for the advanced DAS system for a trip starting on April 11, 2022. The only option is to wait on a virtual chat - no other choice and I waited 11 hours from 10:30 am and someone picked up at 9:30 pm. I had to hit the back button every 20 minutes for that time period to keep the chat active. I find this wait inexcusable on Disney's part. Yes, you have the choice to wait until you get to the park to obtain the pass but then you have to take time away from your limited park time AND you don't get to pick 2 advance selections. While the DAS process is the only thing that has been made better after covid - hours and hours of waiting is such non-sense for a premium vacation. Between all calls and the DAS process I spent 22 hours on hold for a 3 day disney vacation. Basically I spent more time on hold than I did in the parks. Disney has lost my business after 25 years of at least annual trips. They have no excuse for this type of bad service along with other negative consumer changes. I hope more complain and take business to other places.