disability access service Archives - Buster and the Banshee

Our Experience Registering for the NEW Disability Access Service

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As we previously reported, Disney has revamped the rules for its Disability Access Service (DAS). In particular, qualifying for DAS has become much harder: DAS is intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time. Disney narrowed the criteria for qualifying due to widespread abuse by people with low morals. Previously, people with wide spectrum of invisible disabilities were granted DAS. However, because Disney does not require any sort of medical documentation, it was easy for people to…

FIVE OBSERVATIONS on the New Disability Access Service Policies at Walt Disney World

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As we previous reported, Disney announced that they were making changes to their Disability Access Service in order to reduce abuse and fraud. Well, these changes have gone into effect at WDW this past week, so now we have some real world feedback on the new system. In this article I will summarize some of the initial observations I have, based upon what I am hearing. To put together this article, I read various stories that people have posted on different social media sites, message boards, and other forums. However, rather than basing my opinions on individual stories, I looked…

EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

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This past week, Disney dropped a whole bunch of new information about Tiana's Bayou Adventure, coming to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Because the amount of information that is now out there on the inter webs, we at Buster and the Banshee thought that we would do everyone a solid by consolidating all of that information in one place. If you have any questions about the ride, keep reading because you are bound to find the answer! Also, in true Buster and the Banshee fashion, we will also include our own commentary on some the announcements, as we love to…

CHANGES COMING to Walt Disney World’s Disability Access Service

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This past week, Walt Disney World announced that there are changes on the horizon to their Disability Access Service (DAS). You can read our past articles on DAS, but in a nutshell, DAS allows people who can't wait in the traditional queue to receive a return time for when they can ride the attraction. The return time is based upon the current standby line wait time so, effectively, this allows an individual to wait outside of the normal line. This service mainly is meant for people who might have some invisible disability which makes it harder for them to tolerate…

Six Flags Sued Over Disability Policy. How Will This Impact Universal and Disney?

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Previously, I had written an article about a new process that Universal Studios and other theme parks had implemented to handle disability accommodations. In a nutshell, Universal, Six Flags, Sea World, and others now utilize a third party company, the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), to certify that the person's disability accommodation request is valid. The process that the IBCCES uses involves uploading a statement from your medical provider regarding your disability and necessary accommodations. That means that Universal Studios, Six Flags, and others are no longer just taking your word for it. They want proof!…

Are Changes Coming to Disney’s Disability Access Service?

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Walt Disney World's Disability Access Service (DAS) allows guests with non-visible disabilities who unable to wait in the conventional line to get a return time for an attraction. This is about EQUAL ACCESS, not preferred access, since the return time will approximate how long the person would have had to wait in line, if they had been able to wait in the regular queue. I did a whole series of articles about DAS, so I refer you to them if you want to learn more about the nuts and bolts of the service. However, one of the first steps in…

WDW’s Disability Access Service Part 4: Using DAS In the Parks

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This post is the fourth in a multi-part series on Walt Disney World’s Disability Access Service (DAS). Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Signing Up Part 3: Making Advanced Reservations In this part, I will talk about how to use the My Disney Experience app to make same day reservations, and how to redeem them via the Lightning Lane. What Are Same Day Reservations? Same day reservations are the "bread and butter' of the Disability Access Service. This is where you use the My Disney Experience app to reserve a return time for a particular ride. When you make your reservation, you will…

WDW’s Disability Access Service Part 3: Advanced Planning Reservations

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This post is the third in a multi-part series on Walt Disney World's Disability Access Service (DAS). Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Signing Up In this article, I will talk about making Advanced Planning Reservations after you have pre-registered for the DAS. What Are Advanced Planning Reservations? After you pre-register for the DAS, Disney allows you to reserve up to two one-hour windows to select attractions anywhere from 2 to 30 days in advance of your park day. This is a neat perk that gives you better control over your park day. You can think of it like the old…

WDW’s Disability Access Service Part 2: Signing Up

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This post is one of a multi part series on the WDW Disability Access Service. These posts are based upon our own personal experience with using DAS with our daughter, so your mileage may vary. In our first article in this series, we provided an introduction to the Disability Access Service: what it is? how it works? who is eligible? In today's article, I will walk you through the process of signing up for the DAS. Before You Sign Up Before you start the process of requesting a DAS for yourself or members of your party, you need to be…

Tips For Navigating WDW In a Wheelchair

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When we visit the Walt Disney World parks, we usually bring Little Banshee along in her wheelchair. Although she can walk on her own (and even navigate stairs - hooray for occupational therapy!), she uses a wheelchair for three reasons. She has low muscle tone so she wouldn't be able to handle the rigors of walking around for an entire day in the park. She has a tendency to "elope", or wander off at a moment's notice. This is not uncommon for those on the autism spectrum. Therefore, it is safer for her to be in her wheelchair. A wheelchair…