We’ll have 3 days to drive around the Dolomites. Which passes are must sees, and which directions should we drive them in? What else is priority? Best of the cable cars? We’ll be staying in La Villa, driving up from Mestre on our first morning. Due to RA I can only manage short easy hikes. We expect to do a lot of driving between passes, towns and valleys, with plenty of stops for my photographer husband.

La Villa/Stern in alta Badia is in the heart of the Dolomites.
All passes around Stern are among the best in the Dolomites:
Pordoj,Campolungo, Sella towards Val Gardena,
Falzarego towards Cortina d'Ampezzo......
wherever you drive, you cannot get wrong!

Thanks neckervd! Any stand outs for cable cars/chairlifts?

A few lifts that have stood out for me as particularly memorable - with great views even if you don't hike much:

Telecabin Forcella del Sassolungo (Google it!) - near the Sella Pass
Seceda - two-part lift out of Ortisei that takes you to the base of the Odle peaks
Sass Pordoi at Pordoi Pass
Lagazuoi - Falzarego Pass, closer to Cortina

What time of year?

Go to images.google.com and search Dolomite passes, Dolomite roads, trails, etc.

My favorite pass is Giau, but even the google images don't do it justice.

Three days isn't much, so have a plan for each day but definitely don't resist the urge to linger somewhere or take an unplanned turn off. There are trailheads everywhere, off the tops of lifts, off the sides of the roads, leading away from the facilities at the top of each pass, etc. It's very easy to take short, simple walks (at opposed to what I call hikes).

Don't forget the lakes. Misurina, Praies / Pragser Wildsee

Thanks ms_go, Jean and Ingo!

Jean, great advice! We’ll be there, if all goes as planned, the first fall weekend. Everything I think will still be open.