WDW DAS going digital? - YES - started April 30, 2015. See page 6

Missyrose

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Saw this was posted on OTPN's Web site last night, anyone have any other details?

Did you finally get used to the Disability Access Service cards (also known as DAS cards) that are currently being used at the Walt Disney World Resort?
If that is the case, you are out of luck, as we have been informed by inside sources that the DAS cards will soon no longer be used at the Walt Disney World theme parks, as these will be replaced by an electronic version of the Disability Access Service that will be linked to the tickets/MagicBands.


While additional information about this change are extremely scarce at the moment, we have been told that Cast Members working at various locations around the Walt Disney World Resort are in the process of learning how to use this new system, which aims to simplify the process Guests have to go through.

Here's the full story:
http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/04/disability-access-service-cards-to-be.html
 
appears to sound like the DL version.

my thoughts:

As long as they have kiosks outside the attractions or multiple kiosks scattered throughout the park, it's viable. Currently, not enough kiosks in place to work with the DAS.

There was a comment as to the how long the FP+ line can be @ BTM. I agree 100%! They really should divide that line via signage as to accessible walk up to obtain a return time.

The additional ability to book DAS online via MB would be convenient for many. However, you still see many people surrounding the kiosks who appear to be confused with the technology & who require CMs assistance. They would still need to keep that option open for face-to-face assistance.

Not going to hold my breath, but it sure would be great if the two parks' computer systems were able to communicate.
 
It could be much easier.

How many times have I entered a park to realise that I had left my DAS/GAC card at the hotel ... and spent time at Guests Relations

having it on the MB sounds nice.

And if it becomes available on the app, it's even nicer.
 
A great idea- one less thing to carry around with me.

I accidentally put a wet wipe in with my card so it got tattered by the end of the holiday. CMs had trouble writing the return times because it got wet! Magic bands are at least water proof.
 
My only worry is for when MDE or MB scanners go down. The chaos!

I can't imagine they'd require all MBs present like they do for DL tickets?
 


I had heard rumors of a change about 2 weeks ago, but didn't want to post anything without knowing more.

After DL went digital, the question for WDW became 'when' not 'whether'

Regarding long Fastpass lines, the line in front of the Fastpass line is usually due to one of 4 things:
1) people whose Fastpass Plus time has not actually come yet who are standing in front of the entrance and blocking the area

2) people who don't understand how Fastpass Plus works and are getting explanations

3) people whose Magicband or card is not working

4) people who have their Magicband or pass out away and don't get it out until they are at the scanner

There are 2 Fastpass scanners at the entrance and a lot of the time, people with issues are either blocking both of them or people are waiting patiently behind them.

There was an interesting video someone posted about a year ago showing a huge Fastpass line in front of an attraction.
But, listening to it, you could tell that most of the line was actually people in category 1 - waiting for their time.
 
I had heard rumors of a change about 2 weeks ago, but didn't want to post anything without knowing more.

After DL went digital, the question for WDW became 'when' not 'whether'

Regarding long Fastpass lines, the line in front of the Fastpass line is usually due to one of 4 things:
1) people whose Fastpass Plus time has not actually come yet who are standing in front of the entrance and blocking the area

2) people who don't understand how Fastpass Plus works and are getting explanations

3) people whose Magicband or card is not working

4) people who have their Magicband or pass out away and don't get it out until they are at the scanner

There are 2 Fastpass scanners at the entrance and a lot of the time, people with issues are either blocking both of them or people are waiting patiently behind them.

There was an interesting video someone posted about a year ago showing a huge Fastpass line in front of an attraction.
But, listening to it, you could tell that most of the line was actually people in category 1 - waiting for their time.
Sorry Sue, I know the post said nothing's been confirmed yet. But I figured if anyone might know more, it would be the fine folks on this board.
 
I'm definitely open to this, but I am curious how it will work with the "runner" option. We have great success with having our son stay with one parent and ride another ride while the other parent runs to get a return time. My son is one of many who does not do well when presented with the actual ride and unable to ride it. Under this new system (I'm not familiar with the fine details of the DLR system), would the runner need to take his ticket or magic band to get the return time at the ride? And if so, wouldn't that eliminate the ability to stagger the FP+ times with the DAS times (something that works really well and I assumed WDW was okay with).

I love the idea of electronic, so I have high hopes for this!
 
I'm definitely open to this, but I am curious how it will work with the "runner" option. We have great success with having our son stay with one parent and ride another ride while the other parent runs to get a return time. My son is one of many who does not do well when presented with the actual ride and unable to ride it. Under this new system (I'm not familiar with the fine details of the DLR system), would the runner need to take his ticket or magic band to get the return time at the ride? And if so, wouldn't that eliminate the ability to stagger the FP+ times with the DAS times (something that works really well and I assumed WDW was okay with).

I love the idea of electronic, so I have high hopes for this!

In DL the runner would present everyone's tickets. Since WDW uses MBs I can't imagine them making someone take all the MBs with them. Maybe it will automatically load it to anyone attached in MDE. I don't know.

But in DL you could still have a runner getting times.
 
In DL the runner would present everyone's tickets. Since WDW uses MBs I can't imagine them making someone take all the MBs with them. Maybe it will automatically load it to anyone attached in MDE. I don't know.

But in DL you could still have a runner getting times.
When you go to a kiosk for an additional FP+ reservation, you don't need to have everyone's Magic Band with you. Anyone linked as your friends/family comes up as an options for booking. I'm guessing that would be how the new DAS would work too.
 
Sorry Sue, I know the post said nothing's been confirmed yet. But I figured if anyone might know more, it would be the fine folks on this board.
that's OK.
The rumors are more firm now with it probably being connected to DAS becoming electronic.
The first rumors I heard were more of the 'sky is falling' category.
:)
 
When you go to a kiosk for an additional FP+ reservation, you don't need to have everyone's Magic Band with you. Anyone linked as your friends/family comes up as an options for booking. I'm guessing that would be how the new DAS would work too.
I agree.
At WDW, guests can already link their 'friends and family' into a group. You can choose one person who has access to making Fastpass Plus for all members of the group. When a Fastpass Plus time is on that person's ticket, the system knows that and will not allow more Fastpass times to be made unless the guest has met the requirement to make another. Each person can have Fastpasses that are the same as one or more of their group or the whole group can have the same Fastpass Plus.
I obviously don't know, but could see WDW doing that with DAS; that way, you would not need to take all the Magicbands (after all, they are meant to be worn). The person making the DAS would have access to that pass and all the others in the group. So, they could either include or not include other group members in the DAS Reurn Time.
 
It makes sense that the DAS would essentially just be linked to the entire account of the family present at the initial DAS application time. I really love the idea of not having to carry around the paper pass.

The article was unclear on if the new training the cast members were going through was for DAS only working at FP+ kiosks or if each attraction would have the technology capable of adding the time (which seems like a better option for families but not as a Disney investment). There are so few FP+ kiosks; it would change our game plan a bit (doable, for sure, but different than the convenience of getting a time at a ride).
 
If this happens, I can see how it will be a change for the better. Last September in the near constant rain my card was pretty much destroyed after a week of use. As far as adding times at the attractions, Disney already has handheld terminals they use for verifying that you are a resort guest during EMH. It would be nothing more than a software update to make these work for assigning return times.

I will be keeping an aya on this before my September trip. Hopefully they will have it worked out by then.
 
Orlando Theme Park News is reporting today that it is going digital starting April 27th and had some more specifics about how it would work.
 
Orlando Theme Park News is reporting today that it is going digital starting April 27th and had some more specifics about how it would work.

Just read the article, and I'm wondering if they will be able to make allowances for parties of more than six? I know it says limit of six, like the current system, but I know that in some cases, they do make exceptions and allow more people.

It also looks like the return time will be assigned by the system, rather than the attraction CM, which should make it more accurate.

Overall, sounds like a good plan, so long as everything works as advertised.
 
I'm sure however it works once it goes live, there will be tweaks.

Ds' DAS expires May 14th. Wonder if they'll accept the paper until then or if we'll need to change it?
 
I'm sure however it works once it goes live, there will be tweaks.

Ds' DAS expires May 14th. Wonder if they'll accept the paper until then or if we'll need to change it?

No doubt they will have to tweak it some. I like that the times will be automatically assigned - it takes the pressure off of the CM to have to make a quick, accurate calculation, and also eliminates any pressure on them to fudge the times. They can simply say "I can't shorten the wait time, it's set automatically".
 

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