Hiya Dan!
Welcome to planDisney! Walt Disney World Resort is one of the best places for all kinds of families to visit. Cast Members strive for inclusivity and safety for guests as one of their
Keys to Customer Service. Knowing that everyone is welcome and everyone belongs is at the heart of what Walt Disney World Resort strives for.
The Disability Access Service (DAS) is a great service that assists guests with disabilities who have difficulty handling a traditional queue. There is a way to pre-register for DAS through DAS Advance but it is currently only available to guests in the United States. Guests who are outside of the US can only register once they arrive by visiting Guest Relations in any of the Parks and speaking to a Cast Member. Registration is only needed once during your trip and if approved you will be valid for up to 60 days. During this in-person registration process you must have the person who is disabled with you and the Cast Members will ask a few questions. If approved they will assist in setting up DAS on your
My Disney Experience Mobile App which you will use throughout your trip to book return times. DAS Advance, however, allows guests to do this whole process through a video chat within the 30 to 2-day window before the first Park day. If you are arriving in that window you can pre-register with DAS Advance as well. Those who use DAS Advance do get the fun feature of choosing two attraction return times per day to enjoy. These are called DAS Advance selections. These pre-arranged selections are based on availability and provide one-hour windows to experience a specific attraction. Since you cannot pre-register for DAS, the DAS Advance selection option is not available to you. Again, if you arrive a little earlier to the US you may be able to get this set up. If not, traditional DAS will work just fine.
Remember that during your time in the Parks when using DAS only one return time can be made at a time and the person who qualified for DAS must join their party at the attraction. Also, unlike DAS Advance selections which do have a strict return time window and expire, traditional DAS allows guests to return to that attraction at any point after the time has passed. This allows for flexibility for the person needing DAS who may need to rest a bit more or return to their room with the desire to return later.
I'm sorry that you have to wait to register and don't receive the DAS Advance selections but consider timing your arrival for just a few days earlier. If you are on US soil at least 2 days before your first Park day then you can visit the
US DAS Advance webpage registration page and get set up!
Dan, this is a lot of information and maybe something that may be frustrating to hear. Don't fret my friend. Please know that your experience in the Parks can still be magical and special. Hug your
favorite characters from your childhood, eat delicious foods shaped like Mickey, and remember that life is full of possibilities.
I hope I helped and if you need any more help, you know
where to go!
Happy planning!
-Nimmy