

Disneyland Resort makes for a toadally magical family vacation. However, you may have questions or concerns if you're visiting the theme parks with someone who has additional needs (or maybe you're researching for yourself!). Disneyland Resort has options to help navigate the challenges of visiting the parks, whether you or someone you're visiting with has a chronic illness, a physical disability, an injury, a cognitive disability or a developmental disability such as autism. Today, we're going to cover one of the services that the parks offer to those with disabilities — the Disneyland Disability Access Service (DAS), and the changes that have gone into effect as of June 18, 2024.

What Is Disneyland Disability Access Service (DAS)?
Here is what you need to know about Disneyland DAS. You can also find this information on the Disability Access Service page on Disneyland's website.
Disneyland Disability Access Service (DAS) is specifically for guests who have autism or related developmental disabilities that do not allow them to tolerate waiting in a standard line. Instead of waiting in line, the guest and their party use the DAS pass to schedule a return time to ride attractions. The guest may use the Lightning Lane entrance, the ride’s exit or an alternate line, depending on the ride. Some attractions have a "secret" entrance designed just for this purpose.
You only receive this pass if you have autism-related needs that make it more challenging to navigate the parks or to wait in a standard line or area. It's for those invisible disabilities that are not easy for others to see.
The wait time is comparable to the current attraction wait time. However, guests using DAS are free to wait elsewhere (in a more comfortable environment) or enjoy other park entertainment. Guests may only have one active return time at a time. Once you go on the ride, you can schedule your next return time 10 minutes after riding. You can schedule another time for the same ride or for a different ride. Ride times remain active until used, or when the park closes. What should you do while you wait? Look for alternative experiences, such as visiting characters, dining, resting in the shade, watching park entertainment or finding rides with short/manageable wait times while you wait for your return time.
Disneyland Disability Access Service is similar to the disability pass program at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. There are some minor differences you should be aware of if you’ve used the Disney World disability pass in the past and are now heading to Disneyland for the first time, especially with the new changes in 2024.
Who can use the Disneyland Disability Access Service (DAS) and who cannot?
Many disabilities are not visible to others. The DAS pass at Disneyland is a way to meet the needs of guests with special circumstances (such as autism or developmental disabilities) that make it difficult or impossible to wait in a standard queue. The DAS is also ideal for children who wander or elope to other locations because of autism or related developmental disabilities since it allows you more control over your wait time and location — and the ability to keep a child in a stroller beyond the usual stroller parking area. (Get your stroller tagged by Guest Relations for this.)
A guest whose disability is based on needing a wheelchair or scooter will likely not qualify for DAS. If a guest in a wheelchair has additional needs, then that person might benefit from the DAS and qualify. During the DAS registration call, a representative will walk you through options that may work well for your needs.
Disneyland already complies with the ADA when it comes to disability ride access and offers a wide variety of options besides DAS. Other options that Disney might suggest for you (based on your needs and health issues) may include Location Return Time passes for older non-ADA compliant queues, wheelchair transfer options, sign language interpreters and handheld devices for the visually impaired. There are also other tools that any guest can use to manage lower wait times, such as Rider Switch passes, Single Rider lines and Lightning Lanes (as a paid service, it is not an ADA accommodation, but we mention it as an additional optional tool).
Do I need to bring proof of a disability/special need to Disneyland?
No, you do not need proof of your disability at Disney Parks in the United States. (But the rules can be different at international Disney Parks.) Keep in mind that the more details you can share with cast members, the better they can assist and accommodate you.
If it is difficult to talk about your issues, write them down so you have something to refer to when discussing them or bring a companion who can help communicate. It's helpful to be able to discuss what strategies and accommodations you use to manage other lines (for example, at the airport).
When talking to the cast member, it's better to focus on your needs and what is challenging or impossible about waiting in a standard queue, so they can let you know what kind of accommodation they can offer based on your situation.
How do I acquire and use the Disneyland disability pass?
This is where the new changes come in. These new changes streamline the DAS user's experience with an option to get the process started before a visit.
There are two ways to register for Disneyland Disability Access Service:
- In-person — Go to an Accessibility Services kiosk outside the park in the esplanade (near Harbor security)
- Advance live video chat (available 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST) — between 2 and 30 days before your visit
Disneyland recommends the live video option. You will need to accept the terms and conditions before you can join. There can be a long wait to set it up online, so we recommend joining when it opens in the morning.
How to Use Pre-Arrival and Planning Via Live Video Chat
Are you an advance planner who wants everything in place before your trip? Then the live chat service is for you. Guests are able to register virtually with a cast member from 2 to 30 days before a visit. This option is only available in English. Link all the tickets and make park reservations for each member of your party in your account before you call. You may need to set up a separate account for the DAS user (and link all the tickets there as well). Then you would have to log in to that account to use DAS.
Here's how it works. The guest utilizing DAS must be present for the call. If deemed eligible for DAS, the guest (and a parent or guardian if the guest is under 18) will participate in a virtual registration process. The guest who will be utilizing DAS must be introduced on the video call, and their photo will be taken.
Once in the park, guests who have pre-registered for DAS may book DAS selections using the app.
How to Acquire Disneyland DAS at the Disability Services Kiosk Outside the Park
The traditional way to acquire or set up DAS at the park has changed as of June 18, 2024. Here is how to do it.
Visit an Accessibility Services kiosk in the Esplanade between the theme parks. This new registration location is at the booths closest to Harbor security. Bring all of the valid theme park tickets or passes for each member of your group with you, along with the person inquiring about DAS. Here's the tricky part. Multiple people can be added to a person's DAS account. However, only three additional guests may be selected for a ride return time on the guest's DAS at a time. Exceptions can be made for immediate family members, but they are not always given. You'll want to link those tickets to your account in the app. Then add them to your DAS at the kiosk, Guest Relations kiosk or live chat.
Scan the QR code. Before you enter the line, you can scan a QR code or visit this Disneyland page to accept the terms and conditions before you speak to a cast member. That speeds up the process for everyone. This QR code takes you to this web address for an online chat.
Explain your needs to the cast member at the booth. You do not need a doctor’s note or even talk about your specific disability (and they will not ask). What you should talk about is the challenges your party member has. Be as detailed as possible so cast members can provide accommodations based on your specific needs. If your child can’t wait in a crowded or noisy place, elopes or wanders when outside of a stroller or experiences sensory overload, then explain these things to the cast member. But DAS is not just for children. Some adults may have medical situations in which they need to exit a line quickly or need to control their environment while they wait.
Someone who abruptly needs to exit a show or attraction because of sensory issues is a risk to themselves and others. So even if your child can successfully enjoy a ride, they may need the extra help of the DAS at shows and other attractions with high levels of sensory input.
Obtain cast member approval. If the Disneyland cast member determines that they will provide DAS, they will have the guest or their guardian register. Provide a valid park ticket for each member of the party upon signing in. Once your DAS expires, you will have to re-register for a new one. DAS passes generally expire after 240 days, or the length of the ticket — whichever comes first. (It used to be 120 days.) You may be asked to take a photo. This can prevent misuse. If you visit with a different ticket type (say, you are a Magic Key holder and attend a separately ticketed Disneyland After Dark event), you can have them add the DAS to that event ticket at the booth.
Begin planning to ride. You may obtain your first ride time immediately upon receiving DAS and entering a theme park. You must have a valid theme park ticket for each person in your party who wants to ride with you. However, you can add or remove people throughout the day. If you have people joining you later, you have to link them to the DAS. If more people join your party later in the day, who are not linked, you can add them at a Guest Relations kiosk inside the park.
When you go to add people to an existing return time, the clock will be reset and you will then get a new time. Keep in mind that you need to link party members to your account in the app AND have them added to your DAS at a kiosk or during the online chat. So, it's a two-step process with adding party members. If party members are only linked to your account but not added to your DAS, you will not be able to book your own return times for them in the app.
Outfit your stroller, if applicable. If you’ve been issued a "stroller as wheelchair" pass to prevent wandering, then add this sticker to a prominent place on your stroller. Even an umbrella stroller can be used for this purpose, provided you attach the tag. It is the size of a bumper sticker for a car, and once applied, it should be left in place for the duration of your trip. This signal lets cast members know your child does not need to disembark until the loading point.
Obtain future DAS return times. DAS return times can be obtained in two ways:
- Use the Disneyland app to select a return time.
- Visit a Guest Relations location or kiosk to obtain a return time from a cast member. (It's the best option if you do not have a smartphone or you want to reserve a ride in the other park before hopping.)
Adding Party Members
If you need to add additional guests to your DAS, you can now do this inside the park at a Guest Relations kiosk. Sometimes you need to add someone the day of. The disability kiosk and live chat are also options to do that.
How to Use Same-Day DAS Return Time Self-Selection Tool
In the past, you went to Guest Relations or a kiosk to receive a return time. Now all registered DAS users make a return time (for them and up to three linked party members) in the Disneyland app. Once DAS is set up and you have entered the park, a button should appear on the app. It allows you to make ride selections from your phone that day.
To find it, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom of the app. On the next screen, scroll down to Disability Access Service (DAS). This button appears once you scan into a theme park. When you tap it, you can view the DAS-Eligible Options. You will be able to select a ride that is located in your current theme park. (If you are hopping soon to the other park, the list of rides for that park will appear a few minutes after scanning into the other park.) Once made, you can view your plans on the app home screen under "Upcoming Plans," or under the "My Day" tab.
Using the Disneyland app, you can book, redeem, change or cancel a Disneyland DAS return time. Users can select the next return time 10 minutes after they scan into the previous ride. A DAS return time is valid until the park closes or you use it or cancel it. You may only hold one DAS return time at a time.
How to Obtain Additional Return Times at Any Guest Relations Kiosk
Once you set up DAS at Disneyland, you may want to get a return time under certain circumstances:
- You do not have a functioning phone or smartphone.
- You want to select a ride in the other park before park hopping.
- You will also need to go to a Guest Relations kiosk or do an online chat if you have latecomers you need to link to your DAS party. Linking on the app is not enough. Only a cast member can link people to your DAS.
Present the park ticket of the guest receiving DAS benefits. The guest with DAS does not need to be present. Ask for a return time for a specific ride. You do not need to present other party members’ tickets to reserve because they are electronically linked to the main DAS user. Let the cast member know if all members want to ride, or just certain members. If you are park hopping, you may reserve DAS return times in either park in person.
The guest and party must report to the ride together. The guest who has the DAS must ride with the guests in their party and must scan their ticket first before other party members, or an error message will occur. Each person must scan their park ticket upon entering. You have to enter the ride queue together. But there is still time to change their mind.
Some kids love the idea of riding when they are looking at the outside of a dark ride structure but change their minds when confronted with the actual ride vehicle. One adult member of your party will be able to depart from the ride (usually through a hidden exit) and the others can still ride. If an adult has to leave, they will be issued a pass to return. (Similar to the child switch program, just at the last minute).
How Do I Find a Guest Relations Kiosk?
Look on the park map for the "i" symbol (although a few more items than kiosks will appear). At Disneyland, you'll find kiosks in front of Plaza Inn, in New Orleans Square near Haunted Mansion, in between Fantasyland and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, across from the Matterhorn and in Tomorrowland (to the left of Alien Pizza Planet.) Note: Due to construction the Haunted Mansion location may move occasionally. Ask any cast member where the closest Guest Relations spot is, and they will direct you there.
At Disney California Adventure, the booths are located on Buena Vista Street near Carthay Circle, near the entrance to Cars Land and at Pixar Pier across from Jessie's Critter Carousel. The kiosks usually look like a podium with an umbrella and have cast members waiting to serve you and answer any questions.
You can pick up a Guide for Guests with Disabilities from any Guest Relations location. There is one pamphlet for each park. A cast member can circle all the locations for you.
Location Return Times
If someone in your party has mobility issues and cannot climb stairs or hills (or access the queue with assistive equipment or wheelchairs), you may also acquire location return times. About 15 rides in Disneyland Park offer location return times. You do not have to be registered for DAS to get these, but a cast member may decide this is the best accommodation for you instead of DAS. You can combine location return times with DAS return times. We have done this at Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean. It's also available at some Fantasyland rides and a few others with extended or twisting queues. Guest Relations can circle all the locations on a map for you.
Like a DAS return time, location return times have a start time. What's different is that you collect them from the individual rides in person and generally are given a one-hour window to return. You'll present all the tickets in the party to a person at the attraction. Sometimes it's at a designated umbrella. Sometimes it's a cast member at the ride entrance or exit.
You can get location return times (one at a time) in addition to DAS return times, and the two may overlap. In fact, on one journey we had a person using DAS and another person in the party using a wheelchair. We also used Lightning Lane Multi Pass. At one point, we had a DAS return time, a location return time and two Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations to streamline the day and meet the needs of the people in our party.
Other Tools to Help With Your Visit
Other hopful tools and tips can assist DAS Disneyland disability pass users in managing a day in the park. First of all, arriving before park opening provides access to the shortest lines of the day. The end of the day also sees shorter lines. Both these times of day offer the coolest temperatures if heat is an issue for you. You can use the Disneyland app to scout out the shortest wait times. Park guests with DAS can make ride selections from a phone rather than having to visit Guest Relations each time.
Disneyland offers a paid service called Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Guests who use DAS may also use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to make ride selections, although they may not need both most days. Our guide to Lightning Lanes at Disneyland has all the deets. Since any park guest can utilize Lightning Lanes and it is a paid service, this is not an ADA accommodation, but instead an additional optional tool to consider.
Single Rider is a great tool for parties that are able to split up on select rides. Rider Switch can be used for children or adults who cannot ride. One adult can stay with them while others ride, then use Rider Switch to skip the line and take a turn. Plus, the adult can bring a buddy to ride with them. Adults who cannot wait in a long queue can also use Rider Switch, and then use the shorter entrance after the rest of the party returns (with a buddy, of course). If you need to leave a queue, let a cast member know so you can come back. These tips may also help you manage your time in the park.
Frequently Asked Questions About Disneyland DAS
You probably have a few questions about using DAS/Disneyland disability pass. We have answered some of the common FAQs in a separate post!
Other Facts and Details About the DAS Disneyland Disability Pass:
- DAS is valid for up to 240 days or your length of ticket, depending on the length of a guest's ticket or pass.
- DAS covers the guest requesting the service and up to three additional guests for each ride.
- Once the usage period passes, the guest will have to re-register. If you register at Disneyland Resort, the DAS benefits are for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Should you travel to a different Disney Park (such as Disney World or an international Disney Park), you would need to register there as well.
- If an attraction's wait time is 10 minutes or less, you do not need a return time. You can inform a cast member that you are registered for DAS.
- DAS return times can be used in combination with Lightning Lane Multi Pass services, an optional, paid service that we find useful in skipping the line.
- Disney Parks updated the Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities. It provides more detailed information and tips for guests utilizing DAS to use in planning a visit. The updated guide helps guests take advantage of all of the new and enhanced products and services. It also lists break areas. Guest Relations can circle some suggested break areas on the map.
- A guest whose disability requires them to use a wheelchair or scooter may not need DAS. But these guests can get location return times for certain rides. This is helpful if they cannot navigate steps or hills in the queue or fit in the queue with assistive devices or a wheelchair.
- Acquire a return time for an attraction in the other park from a Guest Relations kiosk before you hop.
- The DAS is linked to your ticket or Magic Key. If you visit with a different ticket (for After Dark events or the Oogie Boogie Bash), you'll need to add your DAS to that other ticket. You do not have to re-qualify. On party nights, extra cast members are stationed outside the kiosks to assist with this.
- If you need to add additional guests to your DAS, do it at Guest Relations in the park or via online chat.
- You must have a valid ticket or pass to attempt to sign up for DAS. Refundable Disneyland tickets offer peace of mind.
Hopefully, we have cleared up any confusion over the Disneyland disability pass and how to use it. Now that you know where to go and what to do, you can hop to it and have an amazing trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!
Are you familiar with using the DAS Disneyland disability pass? Do you have any tips to share about making the most of your visit using DAS at Disneyland? Let us know in the comments below! If you are looking for discount Disney tickets, look no further than Undercover Tourist. Undercover Tourist Disneyland tickets come with a 365-day refund policy in case your plans change.
Related: Tips for Using a Wheelchair or ECV at Disneyland
Related: FAQs about Disneyland Disability Access Service (DAS)
Hoppy planning!