Missed Your Disney DAS Renewal? You Can Renew Inside the Parks

Disney recently extended the DAS renewal period. Passes are now valid for the length of the ticket or up to one year, whichever is shorter. We recently renewed our son’s pass (more on that below), but will have to do the same thing again in February. That’s when our Annual Passes expire. The good news is that from that point on, our Annual Passes will be aligned with our DAS renewal window.

Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) is an accommodation provided by the parks to help individuals with significant developmental and/or cognitive disabilities, particularly autism (like my son Noah), enjoy the magic of the parks. Individuals with an approved DAS can select an attraction return time through the My Disney Experience app. When returning, you enter the queue through either the Lightning Lane or a specially designated entrance. There is typically a reduced (but not eliminated) wait time.

Our oops moment

Ideally, you should renew a DAS at home. However, if you’re like us and accidentally miss the renewal window, it can still be completed in the parks (albeit virtually). We ended up renewing Noah’s pass last week in the Guest Relations waiting area at EPCOT.

The renewal process

The DAS renewal process itself was the same. We needed to describe what accommodations Noah needs, why he needs them, and what happens when he doesn’t have them. The big difference was that we also had a live audience for the conversation. This is why I strongly recommend checking DAS renewal dates before your visit.

The CM we spoke to had great suggestions for areas to take a break (KidCot Fun Stops) and how to help Noah have a comfortable day (lots of downtime and snacks). I really appreciated the thoroughness of the advice! The whole process took about half an hour.

Lessons learned

What I learned from this DAS renewal experience is that I am much more comfortable renewing Noah’s DAS at home (his next renewal deadline is on my calendar). But it is reassuring to know that we can renew in the parks if needed. Find a spot with air conditioning, though.

I’m very excited that the next time we renew, it will be for a full year.