Should I be this anxious about DAS?

[Dis703]

I struggle with anxiety as well and sometimes in the moment when trying to explain things verbally I can completely lose my train of thought. So I agree with others that perhaps writing down what you want to say is a great place to start. I've requested a DAS for myself and my 3 kids at one time or another and the process itself was extremely smooth. The CMs have handled it very well and pretty quickly. Sometimes it helps to remember that they are there to help you and are most often very eager to do what they can to make your experience a positive one. Sounds like your anxiety is taking over a bit which is understandable, but in actual practice I really think you have nothing to worry about.

That said, if you are worried about not being issued a DAS perhaps it will help ease your mind to create a back up plan for how you would manage attractions if for some reason you didn't get one. Not that there is any reason to think you won't, but sometimes just having a plan can help alleviate some anxiety as well.

 

[sparky68]

My son is a T1D kid, has neuropathy - he uses a discrete folding chair that fits into a shoulder sling rather than use a wheelchair as he cannot stand in place for long - he *hates* using a wheelchair in public places... and your comment is exactly why the Area Manager kinda went ballistic on the CM and then walked us around for most of the rest of the day - did a LOT of standing in the background watching CM interactions... was actually *really* good of the manager - used it as a learning tool... WHY we LOVE disney honestly - someone screwed up, but then they really bent over backwards to try and make it honestly better and do better... kudos to them.

Was it the folding chair that was objected to? Cause no matter how discreet they are not allowed. For obvious reasons. Lines would soon be full of people all sitting in folding chairs.

 

[DisneyOma]

I suffer with severe anxiety and panic attacks, especially when surrounded by people and for some reason queuing. I literally wont buy groceries if there is a queue. It takes heavy medication to get me on a plane to Disney because I have been known to claw at the walls of the plane.
No pity party here! I am better than I have been in the past and I have never asked for or looked for special treatment but I think next year I may just try and be a little kinder to myself on our wdw trip.

So I thought I could ask for DAS. The only trouble is that now my husband has had to listen to anxiety fueled pacing rants about how I ask for it, what if I'm humiliated, how i can't deal with confrontation etc (which kind of proves that I'm not stable imho!)

Has anyone ever been humiliated asking for the pass? Are panic attacks a good enough reason? Do I need a doctor's note? I'm so worried I'll be stuck with a mean cm and end up crying, having a panic attack and ruining my husband's day.

Thank you!!! Our first day we are having a very low pressure day and just playing fantasia mini golf so I can try here

Thank you everyone for being so helpful and also not mocking me. I understand a trip to Disney may seem counterintuitive to take if you have anxiety but as I think we all know it's a magical place and worth it!

For me it's a very unreasonable thought that as soon as I am in a queue I am trapped. I then start obsessing over my own behaviour, ie what if I need to leave the queue, what will people think, how can I escape. On the one occasion my husband took me to a show me got me the corner end seat next to the fire exit, lots of my friends sounded disappointed for ne without realising that he picked the only seat I could deal with and therefore sacrificed a better seat for himself. I have other symptoms then brought on by the anxiety which are very noticeable to others and I spiral. 2 minutes in the stretching room I could deal with, but 20 minutes queueing I start really panicking. Even on the flight over my doctor prescribes diazepam and I have to have a window seat so I can pretend I'm not inside. Sorry if this is tmi, like I said, no pity party here, but just an explanation.

I love your suggestions especially the backpack tip, that's a really great idea! It must be hard for the CMs with so many different people to try and help every day. I know I would find it very difficult. But I also take your point that it is their job!

I know you've stated that you've been before, but I wonder how you'd handle a ride evac, or a ride stoppage where you have to sit for an extended period of time? Asking because your condition echoes that of my niece, who we took to WDW a few years ago. We did not get a DAS for her (we should have) but one of the issues we had that DAS wouldn't have solved was when a few of the attractions stopped while we were on them. For example, Splash backed up while we were headed up the last ramp. She did not like all the logs being above us, didn't like being stuck in the log with a lot of people around, the vultures overhead, and we were there for at least 10 minutes, maybe closer to 15. I was worried that they were going to have us evacuate. She was pretty stressed and might not have been able to get out of the log without assistance. Do you have any tricks/strategies you could share that help you deal with that?

 

[Ellie Webbs]

I know you've stated that you've been before, but I wonder how you'd handle a ride evac, or a ride stoppage where you have to sit for an extended period of time? Asking because your condition echoes that of my niece, who we took to WDW a few years ago. We did not get a DAS for her (we should have) but one of the issues we had that DAS wouldn't have solved was when a few of the attractions stopped while we were on them. For example, Splash backed up while we were headed up the last ramp. She did not like all the logs being above us, didn't like being stuck in the log with a lot of people around, the vultures overhead, and we were there for at least 10 minutes, maybe closer to 15. I was worried that they were going to have us evacuate. She was pretty stressed and might not have been able to get out of the log without assistance. Do you have any tricks/strategies you could share that help you deal with that?

I guess I would just have to close my eyes. I do have a silly song I sing to myself which goes something like 'everything's ok, everything is awesome '
Embarrassing, I know

 

[DisneyOma]

I guess I would just have to close my eyes. I do have a silly song I sing to myself which goes something like 'everything's ok, everything is awesome '
Embarrassing, I know

That's kind of what we did!

 

[CP3uhoh]

I suffer with severe anxiety and panic attacks, especially when surrounded by people and for some reason queuing. I literally wont buy groceries if there is a queue. It takes heavy medication to get me on a plane to Disney because I have been known to claw at the walls of the plane.
No pity party here! I am better than I have been in the past and I have never asked for or looked for special treatment but I think next year I may just try and be a little kinder to myself on our wdw trip.

So I thought I could ask for DAS. The only trouble is that now my husband has had to listen to anxiety fueled pacing rants about how I ask for it, what if I'm humiliated, how i can't deal with confrontation etc (which kind of proves that I'm not stable imho!)

Has anyone ever been humiliated asking for the pass? Are panic attacks a good enough reason? Do I need a doctor's note? I'm so worried I'll be stuck with a mean cm and end up crying, having a panic attack and ruining my husband's day.

I wouldn't worry about it at all if I were you.....we just got back and it is being ABUSED beyond belief now and you are certainly someone who is well qualified, for lack of a better term. It's pretty clear they don't turn away anyone who requests judging from the people I saw using it which is a shame for people like you who genuinely need something like that. You can say your kid is Autistic and just jump the lines and they doin't even require any proof. Now, you do have to wait the posted time to return but it's essentially a virtual que that has no wait at the end unlike FP or other virtue ques. This is why more virtual ques will become a thing because they won't have to deal with this anymore. Honestly, I had more respect for the people that would hire someone with a cast on their leg in the old days.

 

[Evita_W]

I wouldn't worry about it at all if I were you.....we just got back and it is being ABUSED beyond belief now and you are certainly someone who is well qualified, for lack of a better term. It's pretty clear they don't turn away anyone who requests judging from the people I saw using it which is a shame for people like you who genuinely need something like that. You can say your kid is Autistic and just jump the lines and they doin't even require any proof. Now, you do have to wait the posted time to return but it's essentially a virtual que that has no wait at the end unlike FP or other virtue ques. This is why more virtual ques will become a thing because they won't have to deal with this anymore. Honestly, I had more respect for the people that would hire someone with a cast on their leg in the old days.

That is your opinion on the abuse, but honestly, neither you nor I truly know if someone needs a DAS. Of course no proof is required, as it is illegal for them to require proof. If you look at the FP queues right now, you will see some people using them, but not that many when you consider they are used for guest recovery, club 33 members, child swap and DAS. It is rare to have more than a dozen parties in any of the former FP queues at any time right now. This leads me to believe that while some may be abusing it, the system isn't being nearly as abused as you are making it out to be.

The times where you do tend to see more parties is if a major attraction (or multiple at once) went down or there was say a major issue with the Skyliner, etc. to the point where they had to issue a lot of guest recovery passes.

As for virtual queues, they actually are more of a problem with far more potential for abuse, as if you have a DAS with a virtual queue, then when you return you immediately skip whatever line there is when you get back. Basically those with virtual queue return times end up returning to what was the standby queue and DAS returns to what was the FP queue.

As for being denied a DAS, I have seen people turned away, but not generally someone in the position of the OP. Nothing can be guaranteed by anyone here of course, but yes people do get turned away. Now the good news is once you have had it, renewing is usually very easy, most CMs will ask if it worked well for you last time and if your concerns are still the same. If you answer no to either of those questions, they will likely ask more questions to try to find the best solution. If you say yes to both questions, they will usually just renew it without further question.

 

[CP3uhoh]

That is your opinion on the abuse, but honestly, neither you nor I truly know if someone needs a DAS. Of course no proof is required, as it is illegal for them to require proof. If you look at the FP queues right now, you will see some people using them, but not that many when you consider they are used for guest recovery, club 33 members, child swap and DAS. It is rare to have more than a dozen parties in any of the former FP queues at any time right now. This leads me to believe that while some may be abusing it, the system isn't being nearly as abused as you are making it out to be.

The times where you do tend to see more parties is if a major attraction (or multiple at once) went down or there was say a major issue with the Skyliner, etc. to the point where they had to issue a lot of guest recovery passes.

As for virtual queues, they actually are more of a problem with far more potential for abuse, as if you have a DAS with a virtual queue, then when you return you immediately skip whatever line there is when you get back. Basically those with virtual queue return times end up returning to what was the standby queue and DAS returns to what was the FP queue.

As for being denied a DAS, I have seen people turned away, but not generally someone in the position of the OP. Nothing can be guaranteed by anyone here of course, but yes people do get turned away. Now the good news is once you have had it, renewing is usually very easy, most CMs will ask if it worked well for you last time and if your concerns are still the same. If you answer no to either of those questions, they will likely ask more questions to try to find the best solution. If you say yes to both questions, they will usually just renew it without further question.

it's being abused, we were there for a week and just got back, was there in March, People ask, "Is FP back?" The cast member tells them what DAS is and then you can hear them talking about going to get it after. This happened several times. Cast members are more than aware, You would see a child who clearly was autistic or someone else with an issue and be very glad that they offered this. You would also see groups of 8-12 go through. That isn't child swap and if you have one person like yourself who needs it, why do 11 PEOPLE NEED TO ACCOMPANY THEM. It's being abused, and before you say how do you know they were all together, the matching shirts sort of give it away. It's also pretty obvious that there seemed to be no one doing it for Haunted Mansion which is routinely 15 minutes (but still a crowded line) and yet for Slinky Dog and Splash Mountain there was a group going by every two minutes. Again, you seem to be someone who needs this, which was my point, you should't feel bad about using it because their are jerks abusing it. My cousin has PTSD from the Afghan war. He can't sit with his back to the door in a crowded place. So should my family go with his to Disney and jump every line by being in the same party. It's dump and that's not even that abusive. There's clearly people lying about having anything at all. We use to do child swap and everyone waited in the que and then when you got to the front you switched there and the kid who was tall enough got to go twice (we have 2) while the other parent waited with the younger one. That's not the only child swap scenario, obviously, but not sure why they changed it.

Anyway, don't get use to this system, it will be gone in a year.

 

[DisneyOma]

iWe use to do child swap and everyone waited in the que and then when you got to the front you switched there and the kid who was tall enough got to go twice (we have 2) while the other parent waited with the younger one. That's not the only child swap scenario, obviously, but not sure why they changed it.

Anyway, don't get use to this system, it will be gone in a year.

Children too short to ride aren't even allowed in the queue, so not sure how your above scenario happened?

 

[Ellie Webbs]

That's kind of what we did!

Makes me feel better!

 

[Evita_W]

it's being abused, we were there for a week and just got back, was there in March, People ask, "Is FP back?" The cast member tells them what DAS is and then you can hear them talking about going to get it after. This happened several times. Cast members are more than aware, You would see a child who clearly was autistic or someone else with an issue and be very glad that they offered this. You would also see groups of 8-12 go through. That isn't child swap and if you have one person like yourself who needs it, why do 11 PEOPLE NEED TO ACCOMPANY THEM. It's being abused, and before you say how do you know they were all together, the matching shirts sort of give it away. It's also pretty obvious that there seemed to be no one doing it for Haunted Mansion which is routinely 15 minutes (but still a crowded line) and yet for Slinky Dog and Splash Mountain there was a group going by every two minutes. Again, you seem to be someone who needs this, which was my point, you should't feel bad about using it because their are jerks abusing it. My cousin has PTSD from the Afghan war. He can't sit with his back to the door in a crowded place. So should my family go with his to Disney and jump every line by being in the same party. It's dump and that's not even that abusive. There's clearly people lying about having anything at all. We use to do child swap and everyone waited in the que and then when you got to the front you switched there and the kid who was tall enough got to go twice (we have 2) while the other parent waited with the younger one. That's not the only child swap scenario, obviously, but not sure why they changed it.

Anyway, don't get use to this system, it will be gone in a year.

It can also be guest recovery, DAS is only valid for up to 6 people. Exceptions are occasionally made, but really for more than 8 or 9 people and if they are making exceptions for more people, they really need to review that again.

My question is how do you know they were using a DAS and not guest recovery? For example I was reading where some people had very major issues at their resort and each person in their party was given something like 8 guest recovery passes per day per person and they were a party of something like 12 people.

And I did say that abuse does exist, but I just don't think it is as rampant as you think it is. And I can tell you from experience, the current system, while it has its flaws is far less abused than the previous system. At Disneyland, I have to use one example, DH can't do stairs and under the old system with small world, if you can't do stairs, you had to use the ADA entrance. One time we went to go on it and we asked people at the front of the line how long they had been waiting, it was two hours while the standby was 5 minutes. We are locals and said it wasn't worth it and went elsewhere. Pirates had similar issues if you used a mobility device, same for Haunted Mansion and several other attractions. It got to where the assistance pass didn't help at all in many cases and in some situations you were stuck either not riding or using the alternative entrance as there was physically no other options.

It is actually DH that needs it, but no we don't feel guilty using it when and where needed just because there are a relatively small number of jerks that are abusing it.

 

[Lilsia]

it's being abused, we were there for a week and just got back, was there in March, People ask, "Is FP back?" The cast member tells them what DAS is and then you can hear them talking about going to get it after. This happened several times. Cast members are more than aware, You would see a child who clearly was autistic or someone else with an issue and be very glad that they offered this. You would also see groups of 8-12 go through. That isn't child swap and if you have one person like yourself who needs it, why do 11 PEOPLE NEED TO ACCOMPANY THEM. It's being abused, and before you say how do you know they were all together, the matching shirts sort of give it away. It's also pretty obvious that there seemed to be no one doing it for Haunted Mansion which is routinely 15 minutes (but still a crowded line) and yet for Slinky Dog and Splash Mountain there was a group going by every two minutes. Again, you seem to be someone who needs this, which was my point, you should't feel bad about using it because their are jerks abusing it. My cousin has PTSD from the Afghan war. He can't sit with his back to the door in a crowded place. So should my family go with his to Disney and jump every line by being in the same party. It's dump and that's not even that abusive. There's clearly people lying about having anything at all. We use to do child swap and everyone waited in the que and then when you got to the front you switched there and the kid who was tall enough got to go twice (we have 2) while the other parent waited with the younger one. That's not the only child swap scenario, obviously, but not sure why they changed it.

Anyway, don't get use to this system, it will be gone in a year.

First off, no one is "jumping the line". DAS is not a free front of the line pass. Those people have waited, just like everyone else, with the exception of Club 33. I have made 3 trips since last October and have not noticed anything like what you are saying. The DAS/FP line has mostly been empty and as for people commenting, well that is just what people do, they like to grumble. I highly doubt that people are flocking to guest services asking for a DAS because they see someone else has one. I have also noticed a huge increase in the amount of families that do private tours. They use the FP line also. The point is, you really don't know who or why is going through that line and if it is "more then usual" because you could not tell how many people were using it with a FP or with DAS/club 33, tour, etc before. I can answer the Haunted Mansion issue, since they do not have a FP line, when someone comes back for their DAS, they are escorted to a side door so you never really see them and have no idea how many are using a DAS for that ride. I would also like to repeat, how can you tell by looking at someone what their issues are? There are many legitimate reasons why someone has a DAS that are not obvious by looking at the person. DAS has been around for several years and works very well. It is not going to be "gone in a year". Do you have a better system? I am sure that Disney would love to hear your suggestion on how to make it "perfect". Keep in mind that they can not legally ask for a doctor's note on your medical condition. I am not saying that there are no people who have lied, but I don't think that it is as bad as what you make it out to be. The cast members are pretty good with questioning the reasons why you need one. They don't just hand them out to anyone who goes and it says "I want a DAS".

 

[DisneyOma]

We got 3 sets of guest recovery FP on our last trip after I ended up in the ER one day. We were only a group of 4, but it was for all of us on our reservation, not just me. I was the only one who had missed out on the previous day's FP.

OP, I hope you have a great trip, get the DAS if you need it, and ignore the ignorami.

 

[sparky68]

First off, no one is "jumping the line". DAS is not a free front of the line pass. Those people have waited, just like everyone else, with the exception of Club 33. I have made 3 trips since last October and have not noticed anything like what you are saying. The DAS/FP line has mostly been empty and as for people commenting, well that is just what people do, they like to grumble. I highly doubt that people are flocking to guest services asking for a DAS because they see someone else has one. I have also noticed a huge increase in the amount of families that do private tours. They use the FP line also. The point is, you really don't know who or why is going through that line and if it is "more then usual" because you could not tell how many people were using it with a FP or with DAS/club 33, tour, etc before. I can answer the Haunted Mansion issue, since they do not have a FP line, when someone comes back for their DAS, they are escorted to a side door so you never really see them and have no idea how many are using a DAS for that ride. I would also like to repeat, how can you tell by looking at someone what their issues are? There are many legitimate reasons why someone has a DAS that are not obvious by looking at the person. DAS has been around for several years and works very well. It is not going to be "gone in a year". Do you have a better system? I am sure that Disney would love to hear your suggestion on how to make it "perfect". Keep in mind that they can not legally ask for a doctor's note on your medical condition. I am not saying that there are no people who have lied, but I don't think that it is as bad as what you make it out to be. The cast members are pretty good with questioning the reasons why you need one. They don't just hand them out to anyone who goes and it says "I want a DAS".

Big problem with your claim about them being good about the questioning. Don't people here get upset about being questioned?
What I'm seeing? Legit or not, the general public is becoming very aware that saying you have anxiety gets your a das. This will not end well.

 

[sparky68]

It can also be guest recovery, DAS is only valid for up to 6 people. Exceptions are occasionally made, but really for more than 8 or 9 people and if they are making exceptions for more people, they really need to review that again.

My question is how do you know they were using a DAS and not guest recovery? For example I was reading where some people had very major issues at their resort and each person in their party was given something like 8 guest recovery passes per day per person and they were a party of something like 12 people.

And I did say that abuse does exist, but I just don't think it is as rampant as you think it is. And I can tell you from experience, the current system, while it has its flaws is far less abused than the previous system. At Disneyland, I have to use one example, DH can't do stairs and under the old system with small world, if you can't do stairs, you had to use the ADA entrance. One time we went to go on it and we asked people at the front of the line how long they had been waiting, it was two hours while the standby was 5 minutes. We are locals and said it wasn't worth it and went elsewhere. Pirates had similar issues if you used a mobility device, same for Haunted Mansion and several other attractions. It got to where the assistance pass didn't help at all in many cases and in some situations you were stuck either not riding or using the alternative entrance as there was physically no other options.

It is actually DH that needs it, but no we don't feel guilty using it when and where needed just because there are a relatively small number of jerks that are abusing it.

The updated das pass can't magically make an old ride wheelchair accessible. How is the new system an improvement for your husband? I'm not familiar with the lines at small world Disneyworld. My memory of small world in Disneyland is hazy.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I wouldn't worry about it at all if I were you.....we just got back and it is being ABUSED beyond belief now and you are certainly someone who is well qualified, for lack of a better term. It's pretty clear they don't turn away anyone who requests judging from the people I saw using it which is a shame for people like you who genuinely need something like that. You can say your kid is Autistic and just jump the lines and they doin't even require any proof. Now, you do have to wait the posted time to return but it's essentially a virtual que that has no wait at the end unlike FP or other virtue ques. This is why more virtual ques will become a thing because they won't have to deal with this anymore. Honestly, I had more respect for the people that would hire someone with a cast on their leg in the old days.

I was just at MK, Epcot and DHS 3 weeks ago. I got a DAS for my 6yo dd, who has Autism.

I have to know, how exactly you know if a person needs or doesn't need a DAS, just from looking at them? This just really strikes me the wrong way, as the parent of a kid who 'looks' typical-until she isn't. In fact, after using the DAS on 8 rides, we had to be escorted out the chicken exit of 5 of them, due to her sensory and anxiety issues (and these were tame rides, she refused nearly everything). But you wouldn't know that from seeing us head in the FP entrance.

I'm grateful for the DAS, at least my dd got to try (and did go on a few) rides. That is progress for her. I'm glad she had the oppertunity and that the CM were so helpful and gracious towards us!

 

[Evita_W]

The updated das pass can't magically make an old ride wheelchair accessible. How is the new system an improvement for your husband? I'm not familiar with the lines at small world Disneyworld. My memory of small world in Disneyland is hazy.

The new system has less people abusing the system, which eliminated the problem. Then they further updates policies recently where if the only issue is not being able to do stairs, you go through the regular queue and tell them at loading. That doesn't solve the all of the issues for DH, but does for a lot of people and allows them to put more parties on at once that can't handle stairs as they don't count as one of the I think four or six groups of people with mobility issues they are allowed to have on at a time.

But the biggest thing is that it dramatically reduced the abuse.l, which has helped at all attractions.

 

[Evita_W]

Back on to topic though, no the OP shouldn't need to feel anxious about getting a DAS, but I can understand why they would be.

 

[Lilsia]

Big problem with your claim about them being good about the questioning. Don't people here get upset about being questioned?
What I'm seeing? Legit or not, the general public is becoming very aware that saying you have anxiety gets your a das. This will not end well.

It's not as easy as saying "I have anxiety". The cast members tell you that they don't want to hear your medical diagnosis, which is what anxiety is. They want to know specifically why you can't wait in line. Most people that lie can't really think on their feet fast enough. I am not saying that some people don't get through. But if someone walks in and says "I want a DAS because I have anxiety", that is going to bring up red flags for the cast member. I have unintentionally overheard conversations where the cast members tell people that they do not qualify for a DAS. Like I said, I am sure it happens, but I don't think it is anywhere near what some are making it out to be. With FP gone for now, it has been easy to see how few actually go through the FP line now. People with DAS still make up a small minority of guests.

 

[trivan]

i use a DAS, would you be able to tell from the way I look, behave or act no. Do I shared on the internet what qualifies me, NO. If we want to stop the abuse let’s discuss what the steps you need to do to get a DAS, what it is and how it works, how it can help, but leave the details on what qualifies off. People will always try to beat the system, DAS, fast pass-by hoping the fence, or even taking a face mask when no one is watching. It’s an unfortunate side of our society and hurts those who try to do the right thing And who really need it.

To the OP, just do it, follow The advice given here and you will be fine. Best to you.