The Question Most Parents Have About DAS
Many families understand the basics of Disney’s Disability Access Service, but they’re still unsure how to actually use the DAS pass once they arrive in the parks.
Understanding how to use the DAS pass at Disney World — including how to book return times and structure your day between rides — can make the parks much more manageable for neurodivergent kids.
In this post, I’ll walk through how the DAS pass works inside the parks, what our family does while waiting for return times, and a real example of what one of our park mornings looked like.
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Step-by-Step: Using the DAS Pass in the Parks
Once you arrive at the park and scan through the entrance, you’ll be able to start using the DAS pass in the My Disney Experience app.
Here’s what the process looks like:
1. Open the app and select the menu icon (it looks like a hamburger on the bottom right).
It will bring up this page and you will click on the Disability Access Service button.
The list of available attractions will appear in the app along with the current standby wait times.
2. Choose your ride
Select the attraction you want to ride and Request DAS Return Time.
Your return time will be based on the current standby wait time minus about 10 minutes.
For example, if the posted wait is 60 minutes, your return time will usually be about 50 minutes from now.
This is because you will still wait briefly in the Lightning Lane before boarding the ride.
You will select from your party who wants to ride and then confirm your selection.
3. Return during your window
When your return time arrives, head to the Lightning Lane entrance for the attraction.
The DAS rider scans first. The Mickey icon will briefly turn blue while a Cast Member verifies the rider’s photo.
Once confirmed, the light turns green and the rest of your party can scan in and enter the Lightning Lane queue.
4. Book your next DAS return
Ten minutes after scanning into the Lightning Lane, you can go ahead and book your next DAS return time.
Using DAS in the Parks
Once you understand how to book return times, the next question most families have is what the day actually looks like in between rides.
That’s where things can either start to feel really smooth — or unexpectedly overwhelming.
If you want a simple, real-life breakdown (including what to do while waiting and common mistakes to avoid), you can download my DAS guide for using it in the parks here.
It should land in your inbox in a minute or two — if you don’t see it, check your promotions or spam folder just in case.
What We Do While Waiting for DAS Return Times
Even with DAS, you’ll still have downtime between return times. For our family, having a plan for those waiting periods makes a huge difference.
Depending on how long the wait is, we might:
- grab a quick snack or mobile order food
- snack on something we packed
- watch a nearby show
- trade pins with cast members
- find a quiet shady spot to sit
- play a small card game or Disney Spot-It!
- do puzzle books or coloring
- play with a small toy we packed (these people are my kids' favorite!)
These small breaks help our kids stay regulated so the day doesn’t become overwhelming.
Over time, we've learned that how you structure the waiting periods can make or break a park day with DAS.
If you want more ideas like these, I put together a full guide with simple, neurodivergent-friendly ways to fill that time without adding stress.
But there are also a few common mistakes families make when they first start using the service.
Mistakes Families Make When Using DAS
Many families assume DAS means they won’t have to wait at all — but that’s not exactly how it works.
Here are a few common mistakes we see:
Not planning what to do while waiting
Even though DAS removes the need to stand in a physical line, there will still be time between return windows. Having snacks, activities, or nearby shows planned makes a big difference.
Choosing rides randomly
Before entering the park, we always decide our top three ride priorities. This makes it much easier to choose which DAS return time to book first.
Waiting too long to take a break
If kids start showing signs of fatigue or overwhelm, stepping away for a break can help prevent the rest of the day from unraveling.
Knowing where to go ahead of time makes this much easier — I put together a guide to quiet places in Magic Kingdom that work really well when kids need to decompress.
To show how this strategy works in real life, here’s what one of our mornings using DAS at Hollywood Studios looked like.
A Real Morning Using DAS at Hollywood Studios
Before arriving at the park, we always make a plan with our top three ride priorities.
On this particular day, my daughter’s top ride choice was Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, so that’s what we booked first.
We meandered over to the ride and found a quiet spot to sit while she snacked on goldfish crackers until our return time.
After riding, her next choice was Tower of Terror, which had about a 50-minute wait.
Since we had a longer return window, we decided to watch Disney Villains: Unhappily Ever After while waiting.
After the show, it was about time to use our DAS return for Tower of Terror.
She rode once and immediately begged to ride again. At that point the wait was about 80 minutes, so we booked another return time.
Instead of another show, we found a shaded spot and played a few rounds of War.
I had actually made a huge mistake that day — our family had split up earlier and I accidentally sent Dad and Brother with our park activities bag.
Fortunately, the gift stores were selling these fun cards, which saved the day and helped us pass the time.
After the second ride, she was starting to show signs of a meltdown, so we decided it was a good time to head out for a break.
Staying on property at Art of Animation made that easy. We hopped on the Skyliner, rested for a few hours, and later headed to Magic Kingdom for the evening.
Every Disney Day Doesn’t Have to Look the Same
Some days we ride more rides than expected. Other days we take longer breaks, spend extra time watching a show, or decide to leave the park early.
And that’s okay.
For our family, the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to create a day that our kids can actually enjoy.
Using the DAS pass helps us build a flexible rhythm for the day — choosing a few priorities, filling the waiting time with activities that help our daughter stay regulated, and stepping away when she needs a break.
When we approach Disney this way, the parks feel much more manageable for our whole family.
Planning Your Day with DAS
If you’re planning to use DAS on your trip, having a simple plan for how your day will flow can make a huge difference.
If you want everything laid out in one place — including what to do while waiting, common mistakes to avoid, and a simple way to structure your day — you can download my DAS guide for using it in the parks.
Start planning your day here👇
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