Special Assistance Passes

What is a special assistance pass?

A special assistance pass is a pass that aids those with special medical needs while they are visiting the Disneyland Resort.  For the most part, these passes help alleviate difficulties guests might incur while waiting in line for attractions and each guest’s pass is designed to best suit his or her special need.  The pass is good for the guest and his/her part up to six total guests.

For example, if you have a heart condition or back problems which makes it difficult for you to stand in long lines, you will be accommodated on each attraction through a special queue more quickly on attractions that are safe for those with heart conditions or back problems (i.e. no high speed or turbulent attractions).  If the rest of your party would like to board such attractions, they will have to wait in the queue, as the person holding the pass should not board the attraction.

If you are visiting Disneyland and have a sun allergy, your special assistance pass will allow you to bypass queues that are in the sun.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will not be asked to wait in a shaded area the same amount of time that people are waiting in line (i.e. if there is a twenty minute wait for the attraction, you may be asked to wait approximately the same amount of time in the shade).

By and large, I am most pleased at how accommodating the Disneyland Resort is when it comes to providing special assistance to those with autism-spectrum disorders and those with conditions that made them medically fragile.  Children and adults with these special needs are given special assistance passes that allow them to board attractions without waiting.  These passes are perhaps the least restrictive.

It is ultimately up to the guest relations Cast Member to determine eligibility for passes and the parameters and amount of assistance provided by each pass so that it is appropriate to the guest’s needs.

How do I get a special assistance pass?

Upon arrival at the Disneyland Resort, bring proof of your special need to Disneyland’s City Hall or California Adventures Guest Relations Lobby.  It is easiest if you have proof from a physician of your disability this way the Cast Member can discretely read the paper and not have to ask too many questions.  Other proof can include medication, but since the Cast Members are not physicians, that can make deciding the appropriate pass (or if one is even necessary) difficult.  Medical documentation is not as necessary for those with a clear physical disabilities.

How does the pass work?

The pass is good for the special needs guest and five others in their party (up to six in all).  The guest and his/her party will be able to access eligible attractions through a special entrace.  Simply ask the host or hostess in front of each attraction about how to access the given attraction.  The special needs guest must ride all of the attractions with the party.  If the party wants to ride an attraction that the special needs guest cannot ride, the party will have to wait in the regular queue.

What types of special needs are eligible for a special assistance pass?

Many disabilities are eligible for a special assistance pass.  And while I am (no longer) a guest relations Cast Member, here are a list of disabilities who may benefit (be granted) a special assistance pass:

1. •autism spectrum disorders
   

2. •heart conditions
   

3. •severe back problems
   

4. •anxiety problems
   

5. •medically fragile (cancer, MS, CP, etc.)
   

6. •broken leg
   

7. •sun allergies
   

8. •severe asthma
   

9. •many more
   

A special note...

I don’t mean for this to sound insulting, but I beg my readers to not abuse the special assistance pass and try to get one when it is not really necessary.  Every day Disneyland Resort guests fraudulently try to get special assistance passes and when they are granted them, these guests make waiting for attractions more difficult for those who really need to get on attractions quickly so that they can enjoy their time comfortably and safely at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”