Walt Disney World DAS Now Valid for One Full Year

17 days ago in "Disability Access Service Card - DAS"

Posted: Sunday May 18, 2025 12:15am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

As of today, May 18, 2025, Walt Disney World has extended the validity period for its Disability Access Service (DAS) to one full year.

DAS Overview

Previously, DAS was valid for up to 240 days before requiring re-registration. Now, guests who are approved for the service will have access for 365 days from the date of registration, reducing the need for frequent re-enrollment and offering greater convenience for eligible guests who visit the parks regularly.

Recent DAS Changes at a Glance:

This update follows two other recent adjustments to the DAS program:

In February 2025, Disney extended the advance registration window from 30 to 60 days before a park visit.
In late January 2025, Disney revised its DAS policy language by removing the word “only” from the eligibility statement, potentially broadening the interpretation of who may qualify.
Previous wording:
"DAS is intended to accommodate only 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."
Updated wording (January 28, 2025):
"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."

What Is DAS?

DAS is designed for guests with developmental disabilities like autism or similar conditions that prevent them from waiting in conventional queues. Once registered, eligible guests can request return times for attractions through the My Disney Experience app or in person at Guest Experience locations, allowing them to wait outside the physical line.

The current policy requires registration through a live video chat with a Disney Cast Member, available daily from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In-person DAS registration is no longer available at the parks.

What Hasn’t Changed:

DAS eligibility remains focused on developmental disabilities like autism.
Party size remains limited to the registered guest and up to three additional people (four total).
One active DAS return time is allowed at a time, in addition to a boarding group from a virtual queue (if available).

How to Register for DAS at Walt Disney World

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

puppawuppa14 days ago

Thank you

Tigger&Pooh14 days ago

No, it's on a go-forward basis. The expiration date of the DAS you received back in March likely was 240 days. Once that expires and you re-apply for DAS, then it will be valid for a year.

puppawuppa14 days ago

If I read correctly the DAS i got in March will be valid until March 2026? I have an Annual Pass. TIA

Tigger&Pooh14 days ago

I've seen that reported as well -- and not just with this new extension to one year but it has been happening already with the 240 days. If someone already has tickets for a 2nd/3rd/etc. visit further in the future, the DAS will be set with the longer expiration. But the tickets have to already be purchased and in MDE.

JAN J15 days ago

In the FB DAS group they said that some people who already had tickets for future trips were able to get an extended validity. Not sure how long though.

nickys15 days ago

I’d be interested to see what happens if someone already has another ticket already booked within a year when they apply for it.

jennab5515 days ago

Valid through the length of your ticket is how it reads.

muteki15 days ago

Dated tickets/day guests still 14 days or whatever it was I assume?

jennab5516 days ago

Smart ad now APs will be approved through the length of their ticket, which makes sense. Then they can reapply for DAS and if denies make the choice to renew or not.

wdwmagic17 days ago

Walt Disney World DAS Now Valid for One Full Year https://www.wdwmagic.com/other/disability-access-service-card---das/news/18may2025-walt-disney-world-das-now-valid-for-one-full-year.htm

JAN JApr 09, 2025

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

Tigger&PoohApr 08, 2025

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 JApr 08, 2025

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.

DisneyHead123Apr 08, 2025

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.)