Leyla Dabdoub

If you are thinking about going to Disney but are unsure because you have a family member with special needs, let me help you. I always felt that every single time that we went to Disney, my son came back much more aware and present than before.

As a mother of a child with ASD I know how hard it can be waiting in those long lines at Disney, especially during the very hot months. My family and I live in South Florida and we travel to Disney World very often since we are pass holders. In this page you will find the MUST bring items to help your child have a successful Disney trip and tips on how to navigate the DAS pass.

The way to obtain a DAS pass is to go to Guest Relations as soon as you walk into the park. There, a team member will ask you the reasons why you need the pass and although there’s no document necessary you do need to be able to explain why and they could deny the pass. This applies to CA and FL. In Disney Paris is a complete different pass called Priority Card and you must request it online as early as 1 month before your trip.

If they approve DAS pass, you will manage it through your Disney App so make sure you download it ahead of time. In the following video you will see how easy it is to “book” a ride through the app with the pass as most rides are available for DAS. I would definitely suggest you start with your child’s favorite ride (if it is your first time going to Disney, do some research on age and height).

DAS pass will remain active for 60 consecutive days once you get approved and you can park hop with the pass as well. So basically you have to only request it on the first day of your trip and then you get to enjoy.

Once you choose the ride you want, it will show you the time frame that you can go back to the ride through the lightning lane (AKA fast lane). Double check that it is fully scheduled because more than once we have made the mistake of not completing our return time.

We alternate rides using Genie + and DAS pass so that we don’t have to wait very long in between rides. However, Genie + does have an additional cost per person. DAS pass is free!

Some other things you need to know regarding DAS pass is that the person that receives the pass, in our case my son, has to be the first one to scan when we arrive to the lightning lane. If my son doesn’t meet the height requirements or simply doesn’t want to ride, then the rest of the party cannot go on the ride.

You can also arrive about 5 minutes before your designated time without a problem. Please consider that if the regular line is very long and you are visiting during peak season, you will have to wait in the lightning lane for about 15-20 minutes. Some rides cannot be booked through DAS pass such as Tron or Guardians of the Galaxy (these rides can be booked through Virtual Queue typically at 7am and 1pm).

Things to bring for a child with special needs: Noise canceling headphones, chewies, fidgets, favorite snacks, don’t be afraid to bring their tablet or phone as well so they can use while you wait for the ride.

Things to bring for the family: It rains a lot in FL, so ponchos is always a good idea unless you want to pay $12+ per person inside. My family and I always bring a small cooler backpack full of water and cold snacks, you could always bring a reusable water, but water inside the park is expensive $3.75 last time we visited. Sunscreen, hand sanitizer, snacks, wipes. Honestly, you can find almost everything inside the parks except deodorant and trust me you don’t want to find out the hard way (I was at Disney over the summer with no deodorant and you can imagine how that went).

The Roshis 2024

I hope this helps make your trip a much easier and enjoyable trip! Make sure you subscribe and follow along on IG @leyla.and.twins