Greetings, Lisa! Thank you for stopping by planDisney. I am honored to help you plan a magical, memorable visit to the Disneyland Resort for you and your daughter. As a mom of daughters, I was deeply moved when I read your question and felt your loving concern. As a mama bear I know we can make this a very special and magical experience for your family with a little faith, trust, and pixie dust. One of the million things I treasure about Disney vacations is the Cast Members want every Guest to have a warm, welcoming, and magical experience in a way that works best for them.
I recently helped a friend with a similar question; her daughter has a physical condition that prevents her from standing for long periods of time. I spoke to a very compassionate Cast Member who explained the process to me.
Disability Access Service (DAS) is an offering at the Disneyland Resort theme parks to help Guests who are challenged with waiting for attractions in a queue environment. DAS allows Guests to schedule a return time. While it doesn’t provide immediate access to the attraction, you don’t have to wait in the conventional queue. As soon as you redeem a return time, you can book another return time for the same attraction or a different one. A terrific, new feature just added is DAS Advance, through which you could make two selections for each day of your visit, subject to availability.
Lisa, the good news is you can start the registration process for DAS now, as you are within 30 days of your visit! You can
register in advance via a live video chat, and if you are deemed eligible, your daughter (and you, if she is under 18 years of age) will participate in a virtual registration process. The Guest applying for DAS needs to be present on the video call. During this video call you’ll also be able to make the DAS Advance selections for your trip.
You and your daughter can have fun planning for your trip by jotting down your must-do
attractions, including your top picks for the DAS Advance process! Also, think about restful, entertaining activities while waiting for DAS return times. At Disney California Adventure Park I love to grab popcorn and a park bench on Buena Vista Street to enjoy the jazzy tunes of
Five & Dime (multiple shows daily.) My favorite rest spot at Disneyland Park is
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café! I can usually find an open table where I take in the view of the majestic castle, enjoy a coffee with my Mickey Sugar Cookie and soak in the Main Street, U.S.A. ambiance.
Another great feature of DAS - you can request return times through the
Disneyland mobile app! After you enter the park, tap on “More” on the bottom right of your welcome screen, then tap on the DAS button to make selections.
In conjunction with DAS, you could consider adding Disney Genie+, providing access to Lightning Lanes – this significantly reduced wait times for me and my family on our recent visit. You can add Disney Genie+ after you enter the theme park, through the Disneyland mobile app.
Lisa, I wish you and your daughter health and happiness always. Please come back to see us if you need more help. You’ve got a friend in me!
Kamini