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

Feb 02, 2025 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.

Discuss on the Forums

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JAN J20 days ago

Makes sense, I hadn't considered it from that perspective.

Tigger&Pooh21 days ago

Agree that is the assumed reason for not limiting DAS. I also believe re-rides are simply not the problem that some posters here claim it is. If Disney felt DAS re-rides were causing a considerable backlog at certain attractions they could probably tweak DAS to include some limits (likely X number of attractions per day rather than "no re-rides"), but since it's apparently not a particularly high volume of riders Disney isn't interested in creating such limits.

JAN J21 days ago

Probably was easier to just say "set it at 10 minutes" rather than "estimate each ride's running time". My solution would be a scanner at the exit but then it would cost them money to buy and maintain.

DisneyHead12321 days ago

I think this is a largely uncharted topic, because in the past, disabilities often involved physical differences, with an assumption that people still wanted to do the same things in general. Now, with the huge increase we’re seeing in the ND population, it’s a bit different because the desire to do things differently is itself the disability, at least in part (note - I’m using disability in the sense that it qualifies people for DAS. I know some people use the term disability, some use difference, and I am open to both, depending on a person‘s unique situation and self perception.) I don’t know if wanting to go on a ride over and over would be considered something that needs to be accommodated if it were ever brought up in a legal sense. I actually think this is one of the few areas where a difference in ND thinking styles might be granted legal protection. If a person wants Disney to turn on all the lights in the dark rides and lower the volume on everything, that’s changing the experience for everyone else. If a person wants to go on a ride over and over? I feel like that’s similar to a person who goes to a zoo or museum and stands at one exhibit the whole time. It’s well within the choices they are allowed to make for themselves to have an enjoyable day. Now if the entrance to said exhibit is small and they are blocking it for other people? That’s a bit different. Again, I think this is one that would have to be discussed in detail in court as there is little that has been said about it thus far, that I’m aware of. I could see it going either way. My guess is that if Disney ever does limit DAS rides, it will be for a handful of attractions with the highest number of riders, the argument being that re-rides prevent other park guests from experiencing the ride (but more likely they’ll just sidestep the issue entirely with virtual queues.)

Chi8421 days ago

Right. I’m speaking only about the possible legality because talking about what the disabled person needs is only part of the issue. Needs likely differ greatly based on the individual. The court was using “like experience” differently from how many use it here. A business has to provide reasonable accommodations to give the disabled guest a like park experience to that of the non-disabled guest. But it looked at what the average guest actually does, not what each person could do if they wished based on the absence of a disability.

DisneyHead12321 days ago

In practice I doubt they would ever cap DAS because fixation on certain rides can be a thing for ND people. It would be a bad look to tell children with autism they can’t re-ride Small World multiple times if they wait the same amount of time as everyone else. Comparing their experience to what the average guest does is going to be perceived differently if their experience differs specifically because of the nature of their disability. (I say perceived vs legally different because I realize the need for alternative line programs hasn’t even been established from a legal standpoint, so it’s possible DAS isn’t required from a legal perspective at all.)

Splash4eva21 days ago

Thats why they implemented the “10 minute rule” as noted by myself before there definitely are rides/attractions that go well beyond that but for whatever reason Disney chose 10 minutes as the time frame. Im not a tech guy but im surprised Disney couldnt write some code where each ride is programmed in that DAS users use and the next tap isnt available until the ride time is up…

Chi8421 days ago

No, I’m saying that Disney would be able to cap DAS to limit or prevent re-rides. At least based on my reading of the GAC to DAS case. The court looked at statistics of what the average guest did, not what the guest could have done if they wished.

Figgy121 days ago

People can use stand by as many times as they wish, capping DAS to once per ride would give a much different experience to those needing DAS

JAN J21 days ago

I apologize but I absolutely don't understand what you mean. The first part is true for all accomodations (based on previous discussions in this thread, it's also the law: a business does not have to significantly impact its operations to provide an accomodation). As for the second part... I don't understand your point. Why are you saying Disney would not cap DAS to one use? The other person that replied to you had the same opinion as me but I don't understand your answer. PS: English is not my first language

Chi8421 days ago

JAN J21 days ago

How so?

Chi8421 days ago

Its not like that at all.

JAN J21 days ago

I believe the reason that they don't do it is because the DAS holder is technically queueing as well (even if virtually), so that would be the equivalent of saying a person can't go twice in a stand-by line.