Update on Pg 2: DAS for son?

[PrincessV]

I really appreciate this post, I have to say.. I have thought about starting my own thread on the exact same topic, but have hesitated because I never want people to feel we are abusing the system. We are in the same boat as the OP (DD was just recently diagnosed with mild autism). She presents "very typical" and CAN get through a DL day waiting in lines (she won't throw herself on the ground, have a fit, or completely lose her mind), but her overall experience is VERY dampened by having to wait a lot and in her "black and white, all or nothing" autistic way of thinking an absolutely incredible day at WDW is tainted by having to wait in lines At the time I couldn't understand how she could be so grumpy about a 15 minute line when we were having the most incredible trip, but to her - it really ruined her experience Even if it wasn't a long line, or a long wait, just having to stay stationary with people around her really affected her day and impacted her overall enjoyment of WDW. We are very "play by the rules" type people and struggle with the idea of using the DAS when she isn't severe. The "mild" autism diagnosis is hard because (and I am not sure OP, what you were told when your DS was diagnosed) but we were told we would have to really advocate for our DD because people will not see her needs. Mildly autistic kids can so easily fly under the radar but it doesn't mean their needs are not real.

Yep, I 100% understand all of this - you are not alone! And for sure, the advocacy this "late" into life is probably the hardest thing for both my son and me. We're really just starting to see all of the workarounds we developed over his childhood to help him manage what is easy for neuro-typical folks, and only just starting to explore how accommodations can benefit him. My son has nearly infinite patience and if he really wants to do something, he's willing to wait far longer than I am for it, but the physical experience of being in a line full of people is overstimulating and agitating in ways he's just learning to articulate. He can manage 15-20 mins of it, so long as he gets a break from it in a less congested, noisy spot afterward - sometimes that's the ride/attraction itself, and sometimes it's having a meal or snack or just sitting somewhere relatively out of the way for 10 mins. Like I said, it turns out we developed all sorts of "hacks" to help him without having a diagnosis or knowing exactly what we were doing! It's all unraveled in the last couple years, though, since WDW has gotten to be so busy that rides we never waited more than 15 mins for in the past now regularly post 45+ min waits. I'm realizing DAS was designed for situations just like this - we just never saw the need until now.

 

[PrincessV]

Allowing her to use fidgits or an electronic device to occupy her time might help as well.

Having a smartphone has made a HUGE positive difference for my son, as has bringing noise-canceling headphones. @friedela I can vouch that we've waited many times in FP queues for 15 mins or so, so it's definitely something for which you'll want to prepare and find some solutions.

 

[friedela]

Thanks everyone for the tips! We honestly haven't decided if we will go for the DAS pass or not. She doesn't know about her diagnosis yet and I don't know how to communicate her needs to GR without her wondering why I am talking about her (she hates having us talk about her struggles to other people). So it's a tricky situation..

 

[gap2368]

Thanks everyone for the tips! We honestly haven't decided if we will go for the DAS pass or not. She doesn't know about her diagnosis yet and I don't know how to communicate her needs to GR without her wondering why I am talking about her (she hates having us talk about her struggles to other people). So it's a tricky situation..

You can write her ness down on paper and just let the CM know that you have some concerns about the park and want them to read something the CM can not read dr notes but they can read notes from you.

My guess is your DD know she is different then her friends but not what. I would have a talk with her to let her know that everyone is different and one thing that make her special is her ASD. But she will one day find out and how would she feeel if she know you hid this form her for. X long

 

[Mto3]

We are in a similar situation but don’t have a diagnosis yet (going through testing now). After 1 day in the parks on our November trip, I realized we needed to get the DAS pass. I had researched before the trip and hoped I wouldn’t need it. My daughter does not want anyone aware of her struggles and would be upset if anything was shared with anyone. I waited in the guest services line by myself while my husband took the kids and kept them busy. I explained the situation to the cast member and how part of her disability included the fact that she could not have it shared with others. The cast member put the DAS on my magic band and took my picture rather than my daughters (I had everyone’s magic band with me). This accommodation was huge for us and truly helped her enjoy her vacation. We still had some tough moments but nothing like the first day without the pass.

 

[Jocelynaus]

.

 

[CBMom01]

You can write her ness down on paper and just let the CM know that you have some concerns about the park and want them to read something the CM can not read dr notes but they can read notes from you.

My guess is your DD know she is different then her friends but not what. I would have a talk with her to let her know that everyone is different and one thing that make her special is her ASD. But she will one day find out and how would she feeel if she know you hid this form her for. X long

I like this idea - having my son explain in a note, written in advance. He got flustered at GR (but they were very nice) and embarrassed. Having him write a note would be a good exercise for him, i think. Great idea.

 

[sarajda]

Consider bringing headphones or earplugs (if he can handle things in his ears) to help him if he needs to shut out some of the noise. I found this really helped my son the last trip. Just make sure you have a ziplock big enough to keep everything dry if you go on water rides.

 

[PrincessV]

We finally went on our long weekend trip and I wanted to report back on our experience!

We were at EP our first day, but the line for GR was out the door and we had no plans to use DAS that day, so we waited. The next day was MK, and again - the line for GR was insane, and we didn't really need to use DAS that day, so we were going to try again the following day. BUT, at the end of Main St. I saw a stand marked Guest Assistance, manned by a couple CMs. I approached one of them and mentioned that we were interested in the DAS and asked if GR was the only place to handle it. The CM at the stand said she could handle it right there! She was wonderful: kind, welcoming, and very reassuring, which we needed. I had prepared a brief explanation for why we thought DAS would be helpful for my son, and I was prepared to provide further details if they were needed. They weren't. As I briefly explained my son's needs, the CM smiled and nodded and said his situation is exactly why the DAS system exists and that she thought it could be helpful for him. She explained how it works, and the entire time she made sure to include my son by looking and smiling at him, and asking if he had any questions or concerns. He really appreciated that. I know he was nervous and hesitant about even asking for DAS, and I think she saw that and really helped make him feel comfortable.

We used DAS the following two days to ride SDD and FOP. I never could snag a FP for either of them, even 60 days out, and without DAS, my son would have just accepted that he'd have to skip them because the wait was too long. He'd never complain; he'd just accept it stoically and internalize his disappointment. The joy I saw on his face as we rode confirmed that using DAS was the right call for us; it really changed the mood of our day for the better!

In retrospect, I think there are better ways to incorporate DAS into a day than how we winged it. We wound up requesting return times when the standby wait was at its daily peak and had a 3-hour wait for FOP - which was fine because we just did it after dinner, at the end of our night, but could maybe be used to better effect if requested when standby is typically a bit shorter? I'm thinking the best method would be to have a DAS return time sandwiched between FPs and maybe be able to utilize DAS more than once. I think DAS will be most helpful for my son for most of the year when we don't have onsite resort reservations (we live close enough that we often do day trips) and can only make FPs 30 days out or less.

I know there were some folks reading along, wondering if DAS might work for their needs, too, and I just want to say that it's 100% worth asking! In my experience, the CMs know what to look for, understand how limitations can impact a visit, and are very helpful and reassuring.

 

[lanejudy]

Thanks for reporting your experience! I'm so glad your son had a wonderful visit and got to enjoy all the attractions he wanted.

 

[Disneylvr]

Thank you so much for reporting back!!! If the line is too long at GR, I'll have to look for the stand you saw. We leave 3 weeks from today!

 

[gap2368]

We finally went on our long weekend trip and I wanted to report back on our experience!

We were at EP our first day, but the line for GR was out the door and we had no plans to use DAS that day, so we waited. The next day was MK, and again - the line for GR was insane, and we didn't really need to use DAS that day, so we were going to try again the following day. BUT, at the end of Main St. I saw a stand marked Guest Assistance, manned by a couple CMs. I approached one of them and mentioned that we were interested in the DAS and asked if GR was the only place to handle it. The CM at the stand said she could handle it right there! She was wonderful: kind, welcoming, and very reassuring, which we needed. I had prepared a brief explanation for why we thought DAS would be helpful for my son, and I was prepared to provide further details if they were needed. They weren't. As I briefly explained my son's needs, the CM smiled and nodded and said his situation is exactly why the DAS system exists and that she thought it could be helpful for him. She explained how it works, and the entire time she made sure to include my son by looking and smiling at him, and asking if he had any questions or concerns. He really appreciated that. I know he was nervous and hesitant about even asking for DAS, and I think she saw that and really helped make him feel comfortable.

We used DAS the following two days to ride SDD and FOP. I never could snag a FP for either of them, even 60 days out, and without DAS, my son would have just accepted that he'd have to skip them because the wait was too long. He'd never complain; he'd just accept it stoically and internalize his disappointment. The joy I saw on his face as we rode confirmed that using DAS was the right call for us; it really changed the mood of our day for the better!

In retrospect, I think there are better ways to incorporate DAS into a day than how we winged it. We wound up requesting return times when the standby wait was at its daily peak and had a 3-hour wait for FOP - which was fine because we just did it after dinner, at the end of our night, but could maybe be used to better effect if requested when standby is typically a bit shorter? I'm thinking the best method would be to have a DAS return time sandwiched between FPs and maybe be able to utilize DAS more than once. I think DAS will be most helpful for my son for most of the year when we don't have onsite resort reservations (we live close enough that we often do day trips) and can only make FPs 30 days out or less.

I know there were some folks reading along, wondering if DAS might work for their needs, too, and I just want to say that it's 100% worth asking! In my experience, the CMs know what to look for, understand how limitations can impact a visit, and are very helpful and reassuring.

Did you see the stands at other parks or just the MK

 

[PrincessV]

Did you see the stands at other parks or just the MK

Great question... I'd swear I saw one at either DHS or AK, but for the life of me, I can't recall which, or where. I just remember thinking, "Huh, that looks like the stand we used at MK - wonder if they have them in all the parks?" Sorry that's not very helpful info! I'll try to remember to ask my son tonight, as he tends to notice - and retain! - more than I do.

 

[gap2368]

Great question... I'd swear I saw one at either DHS or AK, but for the life of me, I can't recall which, or where. I just remember thinking, "Huh, that looks like the stand we used at MK - wonder if they have them in all the parks?" Sorry that's not very helpful info! I'll try to remember to ask my son tonight, as he tends to notice - and retain! - more than I do.

Thanks I will be at Disney in 2 and a half weeks and was just wondering

 

[SueM in MN]

There is one at Animal Kingdom
It is in front of the shop that is across from the entrance to Bug’s Life.

There was just something in the news about WDW having Ambassadors around in the parks for things like helping people with Magicband issues, Fastpasses and other customer service. They did not specify anything about DAS, but that is probably who you met.

 

[cmwade77]

They are also adding the guest experience team to Hollywood Studios next. I believe in the end they want to have them at all four parks.

 

[camper06]

When I was there in October, there was a guest relations at Hollywood Studios on the corner where you turn to go to tower of terror. It was a small building with someone working the window, and there was another CM outside of it with an ipad to issue the DAS. I went to the one when you first enter the park, and there was a CM going thru the line asking what you needed. He ended up sending a few of us up to that one. It really was much quicker.