Hiya Nicole - welcome back to
planDisney!
I'm so glad that you stopped by with another question for our team of panelists!
I'm so excited to hEAR that you'll be visiting during the
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration, full of exciting new attractions and experiences, entertainment, food, and so much more! It looks like you'll also still get to experience some of the holiday decorations!
The
Disability Access Service (DAS) is designed to help Guests who may have difficulty using standard attraction queues. Once a Guest is registered for DAS, they can use the
My Disney Experience Mobile App inside a Theme Park to select an attraction they, and up to five additional Guests, would like to experience. You will receive a return time, usually about the same wait as the standby line, and simply need to return and use the attraction's Lightning Lane entrance for a reduced wait. This lets you spend the time you'd wait in the standby queue anywhere that meets your needs in the park. Once you experience that attraction, you'd use the app to select another and will get a new return time.
Guests located in the U.S. are currently able to
pre-register for DAS using an online video chat with a Cast Member. There can be some time spent waiting for the video chat, but pre-registering allows you to schedule two DAS Advance selections per day - these allow you to visit attractions during a one-hour time window. The best news is that these
are in addition to the return times you will be selecting for other attractions throughout the day! You can pre-register at least two but not more than 30 days prior to your arrival. Or, you can always register for DAS at a
Guest Relations location inside a Theme Park.
Even though DAS return times utilize the Lightning Lane entrances to attractions, DAS is completely separate from the Lightning Lane selections you can make as part of a
Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane purchase. So, long story short, they can all complement each other, and while many Guests do find DAS to be sufficient, you'll be able to fit more into your day if you are also booking Lightning Lane access to attractions. In reality, it comes down to how busy things are - if wait times (and thus DAS return times) are short, DAS is likely all you'd need to have the day you desire, but on busier days, I've found that combining DAS with Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes can help!
If you have trouble registering or using DAS within the app, I suggest that you stop and speak with a Cast Member for assistance, either at a Guest Experience Team podium or Guest Relations location within a Theme Park. They can also help you understand any changes or updates to DAS, and how to get the most magic out of your day!
I hope this information is helpful as you plan your upcoming trip -
let me know if any other questions pop up!
Ryan J.