DAS The Way To Do Disney – The Pass That Takes The Stress Out Of Queuing With IBD

Disney World Florida – without the queues

This year, the family and I went to Disney World in Florida.

The day before I was to leave, I found out that there was a way to avoid queues, for people with chronic illness. The thought of not being slow-cooked in the sun for an hour, for a ride that may last a full minute, appealed to me. I had very little time to research, but I did find a blog which advised heading to Customer Service at the park I was visiting upon arrival and telling them about my condition.

The first park we chose to visit was The Magic Kingdom. As we walked in, Minnie Mouse stood in the centre of the main square, surrounded by people waiting to see her. While the family joined the queue, off I went to find Customer Service.

The magical DAS pass

A park attendant directed me to City Hall, located on the left of the City Square. I entered the building and joined another queue. To help manage the queue of visitors they had people walking around with iPads, asking if they could help. I explained that I was hoping to use a fast-queuing service because I have IBD. After awkwardly trying to explain my condition, the phrase that seemed to make the penny drop was “I need to use the toilet a lot.” From there I was asked how many were in our party, names, and that was it. No doctor’s note was required, it was all just taken on my word. The DAS pass lasted for 14 days and could be used in any Disney park.

How to use your DAS pass

The concept is easy. When you go to a ride, approach the Fast Pass attendant and request a DAS time slot. They ask how many of the party wish to ride. You are then given a time to return and go in via the Fast Pass queue. This means you can go see other things in that area, sit down, or visit the restroom at your leisure. When your time is due, you swipe the Fast Pass and the sensor flashes. The attendant will then acknowledge your return on their pad and request that the rest of the party swipe their passes too. You then get on the ride either instantly, or with a very short wait.

Things to consider are:

• You can only use the DAS pass one ride at a time. You cannot run around the park and reserve times for all the rides. You book it, ride it, then book another ride.
• The DAS holder has to ride.
• The ‘party’ does not just refer to your family. If you go as a group of families, in order to keep you all together, they can be added too.
• It does not work for meeting characters; you still need to queue for this.

Toilet facilities at Disney World parks

As for the use of actual restrooms, there is no shortage. All of the Disney World parks are very well equipped and in excellent condition.

So, while the DAS pass is not a queue jump as such, it does make the experience of queuing and worrying about getting to the toilet a much less stressful experience.

Here is a factsheet on the Disney Website that explains it better.