Walt Disney World Disability Accommodations and Services for Families

Tickets and annual passes

First thing’s first: you must reserve your tickets for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Disney World Resort requires reservations to visit the parks and often does not have openings for walk-ins. You can purchase one-time or multi-day tickets on Disney’s online reservation system or by calling (407) 939-5277.

For frequent park-goers, Disney World offers annual passes that also offer discounts on food and merchandise throughout the park.

Lightning Lane Passes are a tiered system for paid access to faster ride queues (prices and availability vary depending on the day).

Disney World app

To plan your Disney day, My Disney Experience mobile app makes planning ahead and creating a detailed, dependable schedule a whole lot easier. It allows you to create a customized itinerary based on the attractions, dining, and entertainment you want to experience, and updates are made throughout the day to optimize your park time. You can either select the exact rides, restaurants, and shows you want or enter more generalized interests like "Princesses" or "Star Wars" for a themed itinerary. The app also features a personalized tip board to display current and predicted wait times at the attractions you’re interested in, so you can see when a line might be shorter.

The app also gives you access to the Disability Access Service (DAS) system within the parks.

Who is eligible for the Disney DAS pass?

Per Disney, Disability Access Service (DAS) is “intended to accommodate a small percentage of guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” With DAS, a rider and a maximum of 3 of their party members wait outside the traditional line by being given a specific time to return (comparable to the current wait), so they can spend the interlude away from the overwhelm of line waits. Once it’s the DAS recipient’s time to ride, the party enters either through a shorter queue or via an expedited entrance.

How to apply for Disney's DAS system

There are two ways to register a guest for DAS:

• Live video chat:
  • Plan on trying as early as possible before your visit in case it takes a few days to connect, as waits can be long online. We recommend trying in the early morning.
  • You can apply as early as 60 days in advance of a park visit, for which tickets must already be purchased.
  • If you are applying for DAS on behalf of your child, make sure they can be present during the call because they must have their photo taken.
• Onsite:
  • Located at the Accessibility Services Kiosk at the Florida parks. You will be given a tablet to connect to an online Accessibility Services agent.
  • No in-person Cast Member can assign a DAS to a guest.

When connected to a Cast Member to request DAS approval, guests are asked to answer detailed questions about why the person needs DAS and how they manage line waits in everyday life. They are then transferred to a “Medical Professional” who determines eligibility. Please note that at this time, the professional status of these employees cannot be verified, and they will not offer proof of medical license when queried. The interview process is by all accounts personal and detailed and can take upwards of 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Note: Guests whose disabilities do not affect their ability to wait in long lines must wait in the standard queue. Guests with medical, mobility, or developmental disabilities other than autism are no longer eligible for DAS. As of May 2026, the information on who qualifies for a DAS remains inconsistent. For example, some children with autism have been approved while others have been denied.

For more information from park guests who have been through the approval and denial process and their experiences, an active group to consider learning from is Disney DAS Defenders Facebook group.

How to use Disney DAS registration

If your child is approved for DAS, make note: the maximum party size is the registered DAS guest and up to three additional party members, for a total of four people.

DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to one year, whichever comes sooner. Once the service has elapsed or when a new ticket is required, guests will need to re-apply.

If you are approved for the DAS program, you will be able to select return times right from the My Disney Experience mobile app during the day of your visit.

When your return time is ready, you will scan your app at the “Lightning Lane” area of a ride. You can only hold one return time pass at a time. There is a “cooldown time” of ten minutes between when you scan a DAS return time and when you can reserve your next ride queue.

Other options for shorter waits at Disney World parks

• Guests who have been denied DAS approval have been told to try “return to queue,” where they leave the traditional line when they are unable to stay in it any longer, and ask a Cast Member working at the ride to be given a time to return. There is no official designation for this on a guest’s ticket, and you will need to disclose to the Cast Member why you need the accommodation.
• The Rider Switch program enables one parent or caregiver to ride an attraction while another parent or caregiver waits outside the attraction with the child who does not ride. The first rider then swaps with up to three other members of their party without anyone having to wait in line again.
• Single Rider Service allows riders to wait in a shorter line to be placed on some rides without a companion. This option is only appropriate for those who can ride alone without a parent or caregiver. Only select attractions have the single rider option.

There are many ways in which Disney Parks accommodate guests with disabilities. Here are a few things you’ll want to know before you start your trip.

Mobility needs

• Detailed guide maps are available for all theme parks. Printed copies are also available at Guest Relations or can be downloaded below:

  • Magic Kingdom park
  • EPCOT
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park

• This page details the rides and attractions in the different parks that can accommodate wheelchairs and rides that require a transfer.

• You can rent a stroller, wheelchair, or ECV/motorized scooter at Stroller Shops and rental counters located in the main entrance of each theme park, as well as select parking structures. Manual wheelchairs are $12 per day to rent; ECV rentals are $65 per day plus sales tax. Both require a refundable deposit of $20.

• If your child’s stroller will be used as a wheelchair, check with Guest Relations when entering the park at either Guest Relations to get a “stroller as wheelchair” tag to be placed on your stroller.

• ScooterBug works with Disney Resort Cast Members to manage deliveries and returns of rented strollers, ECVs and wheelchairs. Pre-orders and deliveries of mobility rentals through ScooterBug to Disney Resort hotels are available on their site or by calling (800) 726-8284.

Deaf and hearing loss accommodations

• Sign Language Interpretation: The Resort provides American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for guests to select live shows in the park. The schedule changes weekly. For show times with ASL interpretation, download the schedule from Disney's website, request it by email, or visit Walt Disney World Guest Relations inside the parks.

• Disney Parks offer assistive listening services on the Disney Handheld Device. The device provides assistive listening, amplified sound through induction loops, handheld captioning, and audio descriptions for Guests with a hearing or visual disability.

• Packets containing attraction dialogue and narration, a flashlight, pencil and paper are available for many attractions and shows at their entrance.

Blind and low vision accommodations

• The Disney Handheld Device offers audio description for attractions. For a list of attractions that utilize the device, check here. Per their site, “Disney Handheld Devices are available, on a first-come, first-served basis through Guest Relations and require a $25 refundable deposit. You must return the device on the same day for a refund.”

• Braille Guidebooks featuring descriptions of attractions, restaurants and stores printed in braille as well as large text are available on a first-come, first-served basis through Guest Services. A $25 refundable deposit is required. You must return the device on the same day for a refund.

• Portable Tactile Maps, which feature a representation of building boundaries, walkways and landmarks for each theme park, are also available on a first-come, first-served basis through Guest Services and require a $25 refundable deposit. You must return the device on the same day for a refund.

• The parks also offer stationary braille maps featuring braille and large print with raised graphics to highlight key landmarks and attractions.

Sensory considerations

• For a list of which sensory experiences accompany Disney’s attractions, download the Sensory Experiences For Guests With Disabilities guide. It includes a handy chart outlining what each attraction offers in both parks so that there are no surprises, including: Scents/Smells, Flashing Lights, Loud Noises, Periods of Darkness, Bumps, Fast, Lifts off Ground, Wet, Element of Surprise, Type of Restraint, and Amount of Time.

• Disney Parks also offers information on their Services for Guests Who Are Neurodivergent site which includes varying guides, including a visual schedule to prepare for your trip.

Quiet locations for sensory breaks at Disney World parks

• Quiet locations are available in all four theme parks, including the Baby Care Centers and First Aid stations. For other specific break areas like secluded seating or activity trails, please ask a Cast Member at Guest Relations for current recommendations in the park you are visiting.

• Check out this guide from Disney for suggestions on where to take a break in the parks.

A quiet area for resting near Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom offers a majestic view.

Medical needs

Disney Parks partners with AdventHealth for medical care services. A dedicated Care Concierge can help you prepare for your trip ahead of time and have needed equipment and providers available to you when you arrive. They can even offer in-room medical care where needed. Download the AdventHealth app or call (407) 939-7480 for more information.

If you need to keep medication cold, Disney Parks’ First Aid stations will store your medications so that they’re safe and ready when you need them.

Bathroom accessibility at Disney World

First Aid and Baby Care Centers are available in all four theme parks and offer Companion Restrooms and quiet changing/feeding areas.

For small children, Baby Care Centers offer a quiet place to change diapers, eat snacks, and have some moments of calm.

Dietary restrictions at Disney World

Most table service restaurants in the theme parks can accommodate food allergies or intolerances, and advanced requests can be made through the My Disney Experience mobile app when booking dining reservations. Here is a comprehensive guide to the Disney Parks’ special dietary requests.

Service animals at Disney parks

Disney allows trained service animals in nearly all areas of the parks as long as they remain on a leash. Here is a detailed list of the locations in which they are not allowed and locations they can relieve themselves.

Inside EPCOT’s iconic sphere is Spaceship Earth, showcasing the span of human history in a relaxing 15 minute tour.

What to pack:

• Year-round, the heat in Orlando can be intense. Afternoon rain showers are a common fixture in the climate. Plan ahead with:
  • Refillable water bottles
  • Personal fans
  • Rain ponchos
  • Hats
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
• A safety bracelet, bluetooth tracker, or nametag can help parents feel more confident about keeping track of their children in crowded environments.
• For those who calm themselves with tactile items, bringing fidgets can be soothing during the high stress periods like waiting in lines.
• Keep snacks on hand for the tough moments. Food orders can take time. Consider ordering food ahead on the mobile app and find a table to rest while you wait.
• The parks and their environs can get very loud. For those with auditory defensiveness, noise-cancelling headphones, noise dampening headphones, or Loops can make a huge difference in comfort and stamina.

Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an 18-minute peaceful tram tour of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve’s creatures, from lions to giraffes.

Where to take breaks:

• Many guests choose to stay close to the parks and take breaks at their hotels in the afternoons when the heat is at its highest or the rain is too intense, returning in the evenings.
• Indoor and covered live shows are another way to rest and beat the heat. Plan your day around when to watch.
• Have a transportation lover? There are many ways to keep your child engaged outside the parks, as there is a transportation system full of free rides on monorails, boats, and even a sky lift. This is a great way to take a sensory break and explore.

The EPCOT SeaBase Aquarium offers fans of aquatic life a place to recharge and admire animals in a soothing environment.

Still have questions? Call Disney’s Disability Services at (407) 560-2547 or email Disney Parks Disability Services. Above all, keep in touch with us! We’d love to know how your visit goes. If you have any insider tips of your own to share, please do!