We spend four days in December between both parks. Our first day we activated passes. Waited in line at guest relations to find out how to get a disability pass or DAS pass as they call it. The line was quite long but went pretty quickly. We registered and weren’t expecting to have to pick a ride right then and there for our first pass, but it was a nice surprise.
How do the DAS passes work?
Straight from Disneyland themselves:
Disability Access Service
DAS is intended for Guests whose disability prevents them from waiting in a conventional queue
environment. This service allows Guests to schedule a return time that is comparable to the current
queue wait for the given attraction. Once a return time is issued, Guests are free to enjoy other
theme park offerings such as meeting a Character, grabbing a bite to eat, enjoying entertainment or
even visiting another attraction until their listed return time. Return times are valid until redeemed
prior to park closing.
Guests can only have one active return time at a time. As soon as an outstanding attraction return
time is redeemed, Guests can receive a return time for the same or a different attraction.
This service can be used in addition to Disney’s FASTPASS® Service.
Here is a link for more information:
Both Disneyland and California Adventures were very accommodating. When we arrived each day we would simply approach a DAS kiosk and choose which rides we were going to use the DAS pass with. We also used MAXPASS and FASTPASS in conjunction with this. It was slightly inconvenient that we couldn’t book rides via DAS with the Disneyland app. Some rides we would have to wait in the FASTPASS line. Others we were told to enter through the exit. All park employees were amazing with us. They were friendly, always greeted us with a smile, and were patient when meltdowns occurred.
Our son has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). We were very nervous about this trip and how he would fair. He did really well. We did have to take breaks mid-day and go to the hotel for some quiet time and snacks. We would also go back for a break before the evening fireworks, light shows, or parades.
Food was another hurdle we were worried about. ASD… five preferred foods. It was pretty amazing that almost every restaurant had something our little guy would eat. We brought our own snacks each day as well.
A huge money saver was buying souvenir type items ahead of time. We packed them in our suitcases and gave our son and grandbabies one item a day before going to the park. They loved it! We bought stuffed Mickey’s, little blind bags, and light chasers. We did end up purchasing bubble blowers in the park. It was nice to not have the kids feel like they were missing out and still be able to save money in the process.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience. We can’t wait to go back!