Efficient instantly, Disney has expanded the period of its Incapacity Entry Service registration window for each Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. The newest DAS adjustments at the moment are in impact on each coasts as of February 2025. This covers particulars of the extension, plus our commentary in regards to the motivations for making this transformation and what else may be on the horizon.
As fast background, Disney overhauled DAS at Walt Disney World and Disneyland previous to the beginning of final summer season. In response to the corporate, the adjustments have been due largely to abuse, misuse, and proliferation of this system’s use–with issuances of DAS tripling from 2019 to final yr. For extra in regards to the specifics of the overhauled DAS, see Incapacity Entry Service (DAS) Adjustments at Walt Disney World FAQ.
We’ve been following this saga carefully for the final a number of months, receiving studies from readers and listening to accounts of different friends making use of for lodging at Walt Disney World. It’s a extremely delicate topic that may be very private since it’s, fairly actually, make or break for some friends making an attempt to expertise Walt Disney World. There have been widespread studies of friends who beforehand had DAS being denied and suggested to make use of different lodging, a few of that are new–or are revised and highlighted extra prominently.
The make or break nature of the DAS adjustments and ensuing denials are possible what led to the newest DAS coverage change by Disney. As of February 1, 2025, each Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort have prolonged the DAS registration window to 60 days previous to their park go to. Beforehand, the method may start no earlier than 30 days previous to your go to. Right here’s the brand new language:
“Friends can meet nearly with a Solid Member utilizing stay video chat to find out what companies could also be applicable to assist their go to to the theme parks, together with DAS. You will have a pre-arrival dialog as quickly as 60 days prematurely of a park go to.”
The exact verbiage differs from web page to web page, however that’s the overall gist of it. To the most effective of our data, no language has modified other than Disney swapping out situations of “30 days” with “60 days.” You in all probability get the concept with out us going web page by web page to comb via the precise adjustments. It’s a reasonably easy doubling of the applying window.
The motivation for this transformation can be possible pretty easy: visitor satisfaction.
The opposite current DAS verbiage change to take away “solely” from the eligibility standards possible concerned involvement from a military of attorneys, and even then, its motivations and outcomes are open to interpretation and debate. Whereas we’ll by no means know for certain what prompted the “solely” change or what outcome it’ll have on the ratio of approvals to denials, our view is that it’s pretty consequential within the amount of DAS issued regardless of being solely a single phrase.
With that, my greatest guess is that Disney desires to melt the perceived limitations within the coverage amongst potential candidates. To make it seem much less harsh or stringent, to encourage friends apart from these with developmental disabilities to use for DAS. It could possibly be a manner of unofficially increasing the scope of eligibility with out making any substantive adjustments to the coverage or overhauling this system but once more.
Against this, that is merely about making issues simpler for friends to plan round DAS and doubtlessly cancel or modify their holidays if they don’t obtain DAS as an lodging. Going from 30 to 60 days would possibly end in a negligible improve in DAS functions, however it doesn’t materially change the equation on approvals. It’s all about decreasing friction for friends who apply and are denied DAS.
One factor that repeatedly got here up within the feedback to the “solely” change is that 30 days merely shouldn’t be sufficient time given Walt Disney World’s trip bundle cancellation insurance policies. There and elsewhere, we’ve heard requests for a minimum of 60 days and as much as 180 days.
With the extension of DAS functions to 60 days, friends ought to be capable of make an knowledgeable resolution about their standing and cancel in the event that they’re denied and really feel visiting Walt Disney World is not going to be possible or fascinating with out the DAS lodging. Friends who booked trip packages who apply for DAS sufficiently early will be capable of obtain full refunds as a matter of coverage.
After all, this doesn’t change something with the cancellation insurance policies of third events. Friends who ebook airfare, off-site inns, rental automobiles, and so forth with out versatile cancellation or modification insurance policies within 60 days will nonetheless encounter the identical points. Given this, and the chance that trip planners are largely reserving journey greater than two months prematurely, this gained’t be seen as an ideal resolution by some DAS candidates.
Nonetheless, as we’ve talked about beforehand, there’s a push-pull with all of those coverage adjustments. If Disney have been to increase the window to 180 days or supply extra versatile cancellation insurance policies to DAS candidates, this may create a higher burden on Solid Members and pressure the system. It will induce extra DAS functions, together with these made in unhealthy religion.
That is exactly why I doubt Disney will take away this step of the registration course of: “Hyperlink legitimate theme park admission for every member of your social gathering.” Whereas some readers additionally requested that Disney not require the acquisition of admission previous to making use of for DAS, I’m skeptical that’ll ever occur. The outcome can be many extra individuals testing the waters, seeing in the event that they’re eligible for DAS with none precise dedication or intention to go to. I strongly suspect Disney would favor to course of refunds than increase functions in such a way.
It’s simple for friends to say that an optimum coverage is X or Y, as a result of we’re taking a look at issues within the vacuum of that one coverage and what’s greatest for us. Disney has to research how all of its insurance policies work in live performance, and never introduce loopholes that friends may exploit. As a result of if there’s something followers ought to perceive at this level, it’s that even the smallest loophole might be discovered and abused.
Because of this we beforehand talked about that we strongly suspected Walt Disney World would concern refunds on lodging, tickets, and different journey elements–even these explicitly being ineligible for refunds–as a visitor courtesy to those that had utilized for DAS in good religion and been denied. Doing this with out having it’s the revealed coverage is crucial, in any other case it might be abused. Anybody who wished a refund for something would merely apply for DAS with the expectation they’d be denied, after which they’d request a refund.
Generally, Solid Members have plenty of discretion over cancellations and refunds, even when the official coverage says in any other case. Even outdoors of DAS, you possibly can typically obtain a refund as long as you’ve a very good purpose and don’t have a monitor document of abusing the system in your visitor file.
Suffice to say, the DAS utility window being prolonged from 30 to 60 days is nice information.
It seems that Disney is beginning to hear. If there have been a giant dial on DAS coverage depth, Disney cranked it from the minimal to the utmost final yr. The possible aim of ping-ponging from one excessive to the opposite was eradicating abuse, making it clear that the corporate was critical about DAS and would solely grant it in essentially the most excessive situations–and scammers needn’t even trouble.
Now that phrase has gotten out that DAS is a critical coverage and never only a rubber-stamp formality, it seems that Disney is taking that huge DAS dial and decreasing the depth of the method. Our greatest guess is that this utility extension and the “solely” elimination are usually not the one adjustments within the pipeline, and Walt Disney World is looking out to seek out extra of a center floor. Not less than, that’s our hope. It doesn’t appear coincidental to have two adjustments within the span of per week after completely nothing for over 8 months.
As we’ve mentioned beforehand, Disney wants to seek out this center floor. Making measured and cautious adjustments, and assessing the affect earlier than additional changes is the savvy method.
On the one hand, there have been heartbreaking tales of DAS denials, lots of which have gone viral for good purpose. These have made it actually appear to be a extra versatile and humane method providing higher discretion to Solid Members is important. All of this strongly advised that Disney went too far with the DAS overhaul, and wanted a point of enjoyable its insurance policies.
Alternatively, Disney must keep away from enjoyable its guidelines an excessive amount of, or else danger a return to the rampant abuse that was fostered by vastly standard TikToks and influential social media teams. This has been exacerbated by a way of entitlement, lack of disgrace, and Disney creating an incentive for DAS scammers by monetizing line-skipping through Lightning Lanes.
It’s a extremely tough for Disney to steadiness this, however it must occur. The pendulum swung from one excessive to a different, and there was plenty of collateral injury amongst disabled friends who wanted DAS and have been denied underneath the overly-stringent system. Cranking the DAS dial to its most setting hasn’t simply eradicated the scammers, it has harm friends who’re truly disabled.
With that mentioned, it’s truthful to level out that there was a constructive affect on the visitor expertise for everybody: better-flowing strains and decrease wait occasions. We mentioned this at size in Right here’s Why Standby Strains and Lightning Lanes Are Shifting Quicker at Walt Disney World.
The underside line is that the DAS adjustments and, to a lesser extent, change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Go are having a major affect. It ought to go with out saying that there are controversies, downsides, and unlucky realities to the above. However the enchancment to the movement of strains–standby and Lightning Lanes–in addition to decrease wait occasions can be plain.
In my opinion, this has been achieved very nicely–to the extent that there’s now extra ‘bandwidth’ within the system earlier than it begins negatively impacting the standby line or Lightning Lanes (once more). That’s one purpose why Premier Go hasn’t been a priority to us, and in addition why we expect Walt Disney World can go a bit additional in decreasing the depth on that proverbial DAS dial.
Assuming that capability or bandwidth exists within the Lightning Lanes, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what different coverage adjustments Walt Disney World makes to DAS. As talked about above, a giant reader request was an extended utility window–that’s now been granted. So what different tweaks can be significant to you with out unduly disturbing the steadiness of issues?
From the skin trying in, the massive change we’d prefer to see is a “recalibration” of the interview course of. We’ve heard from numerous readers who’ve been denied, and there’s a phrase that has been used repeatedly to explain the method: interrogation. Whereas we are able to recognize how aggravating this course of is for Solid Members and the verbal abuse they take for disgruntled friends, there’s a greater manner of dealing with the method that feels much less adversarial.
This wouldn’t be an precise public-facing coverage change, as it might be virtually unattainable for the corporate to convey. Disney in all probability isn’t going to jot down in its FAQ that “the interview is now an interview, as an alternative of a scene from Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance prefer it was the final ~8 months.” Someway I don’t see the Disney Authorized crew approving that verbiage. Disney has an exemplary status for visitor service and lodging. It will be a disgrace to lose that as much more collateral injury to the DAS overhaul.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the newest change to DAS insurance policies at Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Assume that is about enhancing visitor satisfaction, making DAS work higher with cancellation insurance policies, and decreasing friction for DAS denials? Assume that Disney is adjusting the DAS dial, decreasing the depth setting? Hopeful that additional adjustments might be made that end in elevated approvals for individuals who actually want DAS whereas retaining abuse low? Agree or disagree with our evaluation of the adjustments or coverage as a complete? Please attempt to keep on matter–we’ve seen a few of these DAS feedback sections get heated and private. Focus on the coverage itself, not others’ use (or lack thereof) of it.
