Disney World Disability Pass (DAS) Guide 2024 & Essential Tips

The Walt Disney World disability pass is a service provided to guests with disabilities that cannot wait in traditional lines. This service is commonly referred to as DAS which stands for Disability Access Service. The Walt Disney World disability pass allows guests that qualify access to the Lightning Lane for attractions along with an ADA entrance for attractions that do not have Lightning Lane.

Keep reading for our complete overview of the Walt Disney World disability pass including qualifications, how to register for DAS in advance, and how to use it at the theme parks.

BIG changes are coming to DAS starting in May that will change the criteria for DAS, read our article on this newest announcement for all the details.

Disney World Disability Pass Overview

The Walt Disney World disability pass is a program that provides accommodations for guests that have difficulty tolerating long waits in conventional queues. This program is known as DAS which stands for Disability Access Service. This service works by providing guests with a return time for rides that is equal to the current standby time. 

So for example, if Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a 60-minute wait time then the DAS user will return to the attraction in 60 minutes and then will use the Lightning Lane to experience the ride.

Guests can only hold one return time at once for attractions but rather than wait in the conventional standby queue, they can enjoy other areas of the park or use this time to rest. The return time does not expire and is good for the rest of the day. Once a guest redeems their return time or cancels it, they can select a new one for an attraction. This is all done in the My Experience App or guests can visit any of the cast member Guest Services umbrellas around the parks.

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How Do You Qualify for Disney World DAS?

• What prevents you from standing in a conventional line?
• What can Disney do to help?

We will not go into specific answers that qualify for DAS to protect the integrity of the program. Disney will focus more on the condition that prevents an individual from waiting in a standard queue instead of the diagnosis. The cast member will not look at doctor's notes or any other type of paperwork. Determination of approval for DAS is based entirely on the conversation with a cast member so be sure to be specific about your needs or your child's needs. Focus on the challenges faced by waiting in a standard queue and what that experience looks like for yourself or your child. Approval for DAS is an extremely personal process and it is not diagnosis based. Someone's diagnosis may prevent them from waiting in a standard queue while someone else with the same condition may not have the same struggles.

Once registered for the Disney World disability pass, the pass is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 60 days, whichever is shorter. DAS is only valid at the resort it was issued at but you can only use it at Disney World if approved there and it wouldn't be valid at Disneyland. In that case, a guest would need to reapply. 

The pass allows five members to join the DAS holder in their party so the group can ride together. 

Be honest during the conversation with a cast member when applying for DAS. According to Disney, if they determine any of the statements made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true then the guests will be permanently banned from Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and will have any Magic Key/annual passes held revoked.

How to Apply for Disney World Disability Pass

There are two ways to apply for the Disney World disability pass. Guests can apply in person at the theme park or online in advance of the trip. The person applying for the Disney World disability pass needs to be present for this conversation whether you sign up in advance or in person. So if you are applying for your child, they need to be present for the conversation with the cast member although you can speak for them. Once the guest applying is approved for DAS they will have their photo taken and linked to their ticket. 

When applying make sure to have all your tickets ready to be linked to the DAS holder's account. As long as everyone is linked to My Experience App then you will be all set. 

Guest Services

The first method to apply for the Disney World disability pass is to go in person at guest services which are located at the front of each theme park and at Disney Springs.

Guests can also visit the guest service kiosks in the park, and look for the cast member umbrellas. These kiosks usually have shorter lines which can be helpful if you're visiting in the morning when lines are long.

Just tell the cast member that you would like to apply for DAS. The cast member will have a conversation with you to determine your eligibility and explain the process of how to use it. Cast members in guest services are trained well to work with guests with disabilities and are sensitive to discussing these personal details.

DAS Advance

Guests can also choose to pre-register for what Disney World calls “DAS Advance” which allows guests to meet with a cast member using live video chat to apply for DAS. Guests can pre-register as soon as 30 days in advance of a park visit but no less than 2 days before arrival.

During the chat with the cast member, guests that are approved for DAS can book up to 2 one-hour return arrivals for certain attractions. The video chat can have long wait times, especially during the afternoons and evenings. The best way to avoid a lengthy wait is to log on right before the chat hours begin.

Before your chat, make sure to:

• add your travel party to your Family & Friends list, so they can be included in DAS plans
• link valid theme park admission for each member of your party
• ensure that every member of your party has a valid theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system

Other important things to note:

• Live chat is available from 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Eastern Time.
• At this time, live chat is offered in English only.

Once a cast member becomes available, you will be invited to do a video chat to talk to a cast member about your needs. If you are approved for the Disney World disability pass, then you can pick two advance DAS return times for each day of your park visit.

Advance DAS Eligible Attractions 

Guests can pick 2 one-hour return windows per day for these attractions.

Magic Kingdom Park

• The Barnstormer
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Haunted Mansion
• “it's a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
• Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
• Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

EPCOT

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination With Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Soarin' Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• Turtle Talk With Crush

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play and Dance!
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular 
• Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
• Toy Story Mania!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
• Festival of the Lion King
• DINOSAUR
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
• It's Tough to be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
• Na'vi River Journey

Keep in mind that not all attractions will be available as the selections are limited to availability. The sooner you register for the Disney World disability pass, the more availability there will be. Advance DAS works differently as these are specific one-hour return times that do expire after that hour is up. However, there is no penalty for missing these return times and you can still book your regular return times.

Renewing DAS at Disney World

Disney World keeps records of guest's history with using the Disney World disability pass so it will show up in your account if you have used DAS in the past. Qualifying for DAS in the past does not automatically qualify a guest for future passes but it does make the process smoother since the cast member will see you have a history with the program.

All DAS users need to renew their DAS every 60 days or when they are using a new park ticket. The process will be exactly the same each time you reapply.

How to Use DAS at Disney World

Using the Disney World disability pass is easier than ever because, since the introduction of Genie+ at the parks, guests can now use My Experience App to book return times. Once you are scanned into the park, you can book your first return time. Once you enter the park, open My Experience App and sign in to your account. Tap the “More” option at the bottom right of the welcome screen. Then, tap on the Disability Access Service (DAS) button to see the available attractions. The tool can also be accessed from attraction detail screens.

When park hopping, you can't book a return time until you physically scan into that park. So you cannot book a return time for EPCOT if you are currently scanned into Magic Kingdom.You will need to wait until you arrive at EPCOT to book your return time.

You can also have a cast member book return times for you. Just visit guest services or any of the guest services umbrellas around the park. But it is much more efficient to do it from the app. It is quite similar to using Genie+ at Disney World and if you like, you can use both Genie+ with DAS at the same time.

The Disney World disability pass does not provide instant access to rides so guests still wait to experience the attraction, they just have the option of waiting somewhere else aside from the standard queue. Once your return time is ready, just go to the entrance to the Lightning Lane and scan your ticket or MagicBand. The person that is registered for DAS has to scan first before the other members of the group.

The scanner turns blue for DAS guests and the cast member will have to approve it on their end, this is where they verify the photo matches who is scanning in first. This is quick though and you can move seamlessly through Lightning Lane with everyone else, using DAS does not make guests stand out in anyway. 

Does DAS work on all rides?

Disney World's DAS system works on all rides at the theme parks including those without a Lightning Lane and the Individual Lightning Lane attractions.

For attractions that do not have Lightning Lane, just simply ask a cast member and they will typically direct you to enter through the exit of an attraction. 

What if a ride breaks down?

Just like with Genie+ at Disney World, if an attraction breaks down that you held a return for, you will be given a Multiple Experience Pass. A Multiple Experience Pass allows guests to redeem this return time on the attractions listed on the pass, at any time. You can then also book a new return time right away.

Virtual Queue & Disney World Disability Pass

When a virtual queue is used, typically for a new attraction, DAS users will still need to obtain a boarding group to experience the attraction. If a DAS guest succeeds in requesting a boarding group they will be able to access the attraction through the Lightning Lane just as they would for other attractions.

A Guest can hold one active DAS return time and join one virtual queue at the same time. Once their boarding group is called, the Guest utilizing DAS, along with their party, will be able to access that attraction through a shorter line as they did previously with virtual queue attractions.

Disney World Disability Pass at Special Events

The Disney World disability pass works differently at special events like Mickey's Not Very Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. If it's an event where Genie+ isn't offered, then typically DAS will not be offered either. This is because the lines for rides are typically so short that it is not necessary to use the Lightning Lane. 

Depending on the event, you can request a return time for certain lines. For example, at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party DAS holders can request a return time to meet certain characters like Jack Skellington and Sally. A cast member at the entrance to the character meet and greet will assign a return time and then direct you to a separate queue when you return. Depending on each party, this may change but if you encounter any difficulties just ask a cast member about possible DAS accommodations. 

How many guests can you have on a Disney World disability pass?

You can have up to five guests on a Disney World disability pass with the DAS holder for a total of six. If you have a large family, you may be able to add more to the DAS holder's group but this is not guaranteed. The standard rule is a total of six including the DAS holder.

Guests with Cognitive Disabilities

Disney has an entire Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities which provides more detailed information and tips for Guests utilizing DAS to use in planning their visit. This guide is extremely helpful for guests with cognitive disabilities! 

Do I need Genie Plus if I have DAS?

You can absolutely use Genie Plus if you have DAS. It is not needed as you will likely be able to do everything you want to do with DAS. But it can be a great way to maximize your day by using both Genie+ and DAS at the same time.