Never used DAS before but should we now in Covid times?

[MomOTwins]

Hi all, this is my first time posting in this sub-forum. I recognize there are a lot of threads like this, and I've been reading up on several, but every kid is different and I sort of just want to get some feedback and thoughts, and I promise I won't be in the least bit offended by anything anyone says.

Our 5-year-old DS is mildly autistic. He has been going to Disney World since he was a baby and loves it more than anything. He can usually communicate to us--often using gestures and quotes from Disney movies/books/songs--but comprehension is often a challenge for him, which means we can't explain why things are different now than on prior disney trips in a way he understands--although thankfully he LOVES wearing his disney store masks. He does have meltdowns where he gets very distressed, and routine is very important to him so he wants to do the same things on every Disney trip. Fastpass had always been our friend prior to 2020--we always made sure to get a FP for each of his must-do rides in advance of the trip, and used "refresh" to pick up same-day FPs for every other ride.

On our trip in Oct. 2020, we definitely noticed more challenges than usual, mainly due the lack of FP. We often had to leave lines because he would get overwhelmed and stressed out, especially when the queue would stop for a cleaning (I wish those were on a schedule so you could plan ahead and avoid them), or when it was a must-do ride for him but the queue was always long even when we rope dropped it (7DMT and Frozen, for example).

That said, he still had an amazing time in the end, and still asks to go back each night. I am thinking about planning a short early 2021 trip and seeing if they would give us DAS if fastpass is still not available (I know there are no guarantees). If not, I might at least ask for the ability for him to stay in a stroller the whole queue, since he always wants us to carry him in the queue and with the longer queues now due to distancing and no FP my back was DESTROYED last trip. DH is opposed (and I totally see his point) because our son's autism is so mild compared to others who really need the service, and our son can still have a really good trip without it. We definitely wouldn't want to be abusing the system or be contributing to Disney cutting back on the service because it is being overused. But lord knows I would love for him to get to go on all his favorite rides this next trip after the awful year he has been through with his pre-school closed, and that seems less and less likely to happen with the increasing park capacity and no sign of fastpass returning any time soon. Can I hear your verdicts on whether it would be appropriate to ask if Disney would give us DAS based on the above explanation of our situation?

 

[martikus]

I wouldn’t hesitate to request based on what you wrote. Even if mild or not, das is there for situations like your sons. And if waiting in a little shorter line is what it takes go for it. I can’t imagine how hard the year has been with all the routines disrupted! Enjoy your trip.

 

[camper06]

I see nothing wrong with requesting a DAS in your situation. If the lines turn out not to be that long, you could go in standby, but if the lines are long and crowds are heavy, at least you'd have it if you need it! Just because you have DAS does not mean you have to use it. Just gives you another option.

We were there in October. I thought crowds were a lot heavier than I anticipated, based on reading reports and seeing pictures on various sites. I was sure glad we had it!

 

[DisneyOma]

Be prepared for a cleaning to happen even if you are using DAS. Bring some things to distract him - a small treat, a video on your phone if he can handle that (I know kids on the spectrum who would not want to get off the phone if I gave it to them)

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hi all, this is my first time posting in this sub-forum. I recognize there are a lot of threads like this, and I've been reading up on several, but every kid is different and I sort of just want to get some feedback and thoughts, and I promise I won't be in the least bit offended by anything anyone says.

Our 5-year-old DS is mildly autistic. He has been going to Disney World since he was a baby and loves it more than anything. He can usually communicate to us--often using gestures and quotes from Disney movies/books/songs--but comprehension is often a challenge for him, which means we can't explain why things are different now than on prior disney trips in a way he understands--although thankfully he LOVES wearing his disney store masks. He does have meltdowns where he gets very distressed, and routine is very important to him so he wants to do the same things on every Disney trip. Fastpass had always been our friend prior to 2020--we always made sure to get a FP for each of his must-do rides in advance of the trip, and used "refresh" to pick up same-day FPs for every other ride.

On our trip in Oct. 2020, we definitely noticed more challenges than usual, mainly due the lack of FP. We often had to leave lines because he would get overwhelmed and stressed out, especially when the queue would stop for a cleaning (I wish those were on a schedule so you could plan ahead and avoid them), or when it was a must-do ride for him but the queue was always long even when we rope dropped it (7DMT and Frozen, for example).

That said, he still had an amazing time in the end, and still asks to go back each night. I am thinking about planning a short early 2021 trip and seeing if they would give us DAS if fastpass is still not available (I know there are no guarantees). If not, I might at least ask for the ability for him to stay in a stroller the whole queue, since he always wants us to carry him in the queue and with the longer queues now due to distancing and no FP my back was DESTROYED last trip. DH is opposed (and I totally see his point) because our son's autism is so mild compared to others who really need the service, and our son can still have a really good trip without it. We definitely wouldn't want to be abusing the system or be contributing to Disney cutting back on the service because it is being overused. But lord knows I would love for him to get to go on all his favorite rides this next trip after the awful year he has been through with his pre-school closed, and that seems less and less likely to happen with the increasing park capacity and no sign of fastpass returning any time soon. Can I hear your verdicts on whether it would be appropriate to ask if Disney would give us DAS based on the above explanation of our situation?

even if you decide not to get the DAS I would get the "stroller as a wheelchair" we have used this even though it was because I could not carry my toddler grandson in lines. having a place for him to retreat while waiting which could help with waiting in line. also I would get the DAS as having it if needed doesnt mean you have to use all the time. remember unlike the FP you can only have one time at a time instead of 3 plus most times one of you would have to take son's band to ride to get return time. yes I would try for it in your situation and use as needed

 

[marcyleecorgan]

give yourself the option

 

[gap2368]

I think you should ask for a DAS

 

[Lilsia]

My niece is a very high functioning autistic. The first trip that they went on, they did not get the DAS and she had a great time, but things still got to her. The second trip, I told my sister about the DAS. They got it, used it when they needed it, and had a better trip. They don't use it for all of the rides but just when they really felt like they needed it. Some of the rides have queues that are too stimulating for her so they used the DAS to bypass those. I also want to say that my niece went from an extreme(non verbal, would not look at anyone, etc)to being main streamed in school, hugs everyone, looks you in the eyes when she talks to you, and able to function as well as any typical child. This was done through a tremendous amount of work and putting her in the situations that she did have to wait, or do something that pushed her boundaries. But even with all that, sometimes they still need a break, we all do. You don't have to use it all the time, but it would be good to have it just in case. Have a fun trip.

 

[Bjkandma]

Try for the DAS. Know you can only have one at a ti me and they don't expire. So if he changes his mind and you have a DAS, you need to have it cancelled (We go back to ride), or scan his band at the ride to cancel it.

 

[Selket]

Can I hear your verdicts on whether it would be appropriate to ask if Disney would give us DAS based on the above explanation of our situation?

I think I'd tell anyone who thinks they need assistance to discuss it with Guest Services. They should know the best way to make it a successful trip. If you have a DAS and don't need it, then you don't need to use it but you have it on standby if you need it. I think the stroller as wheelchair tag sounds also like a good idea. One of my kids had a medical issue that caused him to stand and walk later than most kids and when we were there when he was 18 months old he still couldn't stand and he was BIG - no way I could carry him through the lines. We needed it for a couple more years because his ability to go distances was very low (and he couldn't do stairs very well).

I also travel sometimes with family and friends that will get a DAS based on other medical needs. Generally they can use the FP reservations and just trying to arrive early or stay late, etc. so the waits are short anyway and they don't need it. But sometimes it has been useful. Hopefully the crowd level will be low for your trip and you'll find you won't need to use it - best of all worlds!

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

You should totally get the DAS. As martikus already said, it was made for families like yours. Don't bother to think about it anymore and don't hesitate to get it when you arrive. You are not taking anything from anyone else. Your son deserves it, you deserve it, and your husband deserves it. Please get one.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I think you should ask for a DAS if you feel it will make the trip easier and les stressful for you all. They are designed for situations like yours and you shouldn’t feel guilty using it.

 

[cdoc29]

We get a DAS for our son for just in case. We never never know how he will do at times but when he starts to get frustrated DAS is a life saver. We get out of line go up and get our return time and then take him to a less stimulating place for a cool down. Our next trip we will probably use it more than than normal as there is no Fast Pass which has been our go to for planning and am not sure how it will work for a trip end of February without them. We are hoping for low crowds as part of our strategy but having the DAS as a back-up is the way to go with children on the spectrum.

 

[MomOTwins]

Oh wow, I was so nervous to check back here for responses and am really overwhelmed by how supportive everyone was. It has been a rough year—his preschool was so good for him and he was making so many steps forward so when it closed last year due to Covid it was really hard on him (and mom and dad). I think I now have the confidence to tell my husband we can ask and it wouldn’t be inappropriate to do so. Here’a hoping for a better 2021 for everyone!

 

[ToyStoryManiaMouse]

I'm an Autistic adult who travels independently, has a doctoral degree, and is employed full-time in healthcare. I always usa DAS, and for similar reasons you described that you are considering. I could probably make it through the day without it. Without it though, I end up exhausted, having to get out of lines, missing things I want to do, and totally frustrated. The ability to walk around while I wait is so helpful. If someone had a mild vision impairment, we would never tell them they should try to make it through the day without their glasses. Same for Deaf individuals or those who need mobility assistance. Making it through the day and enjoying some things should not be the bar for a great trip for children with disabilities because it is not the bar for what is considered a great trip for children without disabilities. If there is an accommodation that can help your son have EQUAL access to the parks and EQUAL enjoyment, go for it! That is part of how Disney created DAS. They looked at how many rides people without disabilities were riding and saw that, with DAS, people with disabilities could ride the same amount of rides on average. So I use DAS because then I'm not trying to just barely make it through those long cues. I can enjoy the park equally to my sister who is non-disabled. And then I can go back to my routine at home and the environments I have more control over and have melded to how my brain works.

 

[MomOTwins]

I'm an Autistic adult who travels independently, has a doctoral degree, and is employed full-time in healthcare. I always usa DAS, and for similar reasons you described that you are considering. I could probably make it through the day without it. Without it though, I end up exhausted, having to get out of lines, missing things I want to do, and totally frustrated. The ability to walk around while I wait is so helpful. If someone had a mild vision impairment, we would never tell them they should try to make it through the day without their glasses. Same for Deaf individuals or those who need mobility assistance. Making it through the day and enjoying some things should not be the bar for a great trip for children with disabilities because it is not the bar for what is considered a great trip for children without disabilities. If there is an accommodation that can help your son have EQUAL access to the parks and EQUAL enjoyment, go for it! That is part of how Disney created DAS. They looked at how many rides people without disabilities were riding and saw that, with DAS, people with disabilities could ride the same amount of rides on average. So I use DAS because then I'm not trying to just barely make it through those long cues. I can enjoy the park equally to my sister who is non-disabled. And then I can go back to my routine at home and the environments I have more control over and have melded to how my brain works.

This is such a helpful perspective, thank you! I feel much better now—it also really helped me think about the experience from my son’s point of view and made me feel more confident in advocating for him to have an equal experience of the parks. Truly, thank you.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

This is such a helpful perspective, thank you! I feel much better now—it also really helped me think about the experience from my son’s point of view and made me feel more confident in advocating for him to have an equal experience of the parks. Truly, thank you.

think of the "stroller as a wheelchair" tag the same way plus it will also help you enjoy the parks. and like the DAS you can use as needed.

 

[DisneyOma]

That is part of how Disney created DAS. They looked at how many rides people without disabilities were riding and saw that, with DAS, people with disabilities could ride the same amount of rides on average.

That's really cool - where did you see that info?

 

[Hippomom]

When my son was young he is on spectrum,and went to wdw we got it, we actually only needed it for a few rides because we were able to find short rides or use fp. But it so much lessened his anxiety and ours knowing we could get a return time if we needed it.

 

[Salohcin83]

Everyone has expressed most of what I was going to say but I wanted to offer the perspective that I was initially like your husband and thought we should “save” the DAS for someone else. I was wrong and it made the trip so much better for our DS last time. As others have said we don’t always use it but when we have it has made it possible for him to do rides that he literally cannot be in the line long enough to do in normal situations. I realized when I made that comment to DW that I had been wrong to oppose it in the first place (for what I thought were the right reasons). DS was able to do 5 rides that he had never been able to do before and as someone else mentioned that didn’t take anything away from others but allowed him to get the same enjoyment from the trip that someone like me could get without the DAS.