Just back--Few Thoughts/Observation

[Threeboysandachickie]

Sorry, I must disagree! It is not acceptable to encourage anyone to give up whatever modicum of privacy is provided by closing a stall door in a public restroom! A baby stroller in no way replaces the privacy provided by a stall door.

Besides, your restrooms must be designed differently. Around here, there is barely enough space to fit my knees without bumping the door, to try and "wedge" a baby stroller in that space would never work. It would stick out far enough to block the narrow hallway outside the stall doors and limit access to stalls further down the row.

Yes our restrooms must be designed differently. We have 3 to 4 in a row with handicap on the end. The regular stall is large enough for myself and my guide dog to fit in together. I Guess Disney bathrooms will shock my system a bit!

 

[lanejudy]

If you wedge in the stroller no one can really see anything. IfI am having feminine issues or bowel emergencies I would find a family lounge or companion door when I had a stroller with me.. I also am not all that private, (four babies kind of made me loose all sense of bodily embarrassment). After all men use Urinals out in te open or in Europe they urinate against a steel trough. To me thats more disgusting if your dh needs to haul your daughter in there!! do men's restroom have handicap stalls? Do they have these same problems?

Around here, and in most of WDW, there is rarely another "family lounge or companion door" in the same general area. There are only a couple of "companion" restrooms in each park. So that would rarely be an option - agreed that when I had a baby stroller with me I avoided using the larger stall whenever possible. But it's not always possible and I don't see a stroller as equivalent to a stall door in terms of privacy.

We aren't talking about Europe...or 3rd world countries where people walk around half dressed and "do their business" in ditches. In the U.S., yes men's restrooms do have a larger accessible stall with grab bars, etc., just like the ladies room, and frequently at least one regular stall depending on the size of the restroom. And there should also be narrow privacy dividers between urinals so if the man steps right up nobody can see anything if walking past. I would guess the reason not as many men have the same "problems" with the larger stalls is that most men use the urinals anyway and even fewer take babies or young children in with them - though it's more common now than in previous decades.

There are a few MK bathrooms whose HA stalls I have to leave the door open while entering with my scooter. They are about the same width as a regular stall, so there's no room to put your scooter in there. Lucky, they're at the end of the row, and not many people walk by, in terms of privacy.

I agree that this is far from an ideal situation for you or anyone else needing the larger stall with a mobility device. If a larger stall were available in these locations, I'm sure you would use that rather than leave it open for someone else. Which is essentially what PP was suggesting, that women with a baby stroller routinely leave a larger stall unused and just leave the door open to a regular stall with a baby stroller used to provide privacy. I don't consider that acceptable advice.

Obviously by this thread we've learned that there are many different types, styles, sizes of restrooms. Generally speaking, nobody should be made to feel they HAVE to use a smaller space when a more accommodating space is available and better suits his/her needs - whatever those needs may be.

 

[ttintagel]

Around here, there is barely enough space to fit my knees without bumping the door,

Really? I'm 5'10" and I've never had that problem, even at WDW. When I was injured and needed help in the stall, both my adult sister and I fit comfortably in a regular stall, and neither of us are particularly petite. I would have no trouble at all fitting an umbrella stroller in a regular stall with me; it's only the ridiculously large ones that wouldn't go in. One or even two older children capable of standing would also be OK.

 

[crashbb]

??? Am I misunderstanding, or are you suggesting I leave the stall door open while I am attending to my private, ahem, feminine hygiene needs?

Because then those boys who genuinely have to be brought in the restroom (and I agree there are cases) might inadvertently see something their mamas don't want them to see. (And possibly be scarred for life )

Surely that's not what you are suggesting? How can that be more fair than a mom using a HA stall? It doesn't seem courteous at all to leave the door open. Yuck! But I must have misunderstood. Or maybe it's just me who's bothered by that idea.

No, it is not just you. Not a chance I'm doing that unless I absolutely have to (I would definitely use the accessible stall before doing that). And I would find it strange to walk into a public restroom and see someone else doing that (it wouldn't scar me for life, but I'd find it very weird).

 

[Talking Hands]

??? Am I misunderstanding, or are you suggesting I leave the stall door open while I am attending to my private, ahem, feminine hygiene needs?

Because then those boys who genuinely have to be brought in the restroom (and I agree there are cases) might inadvertently see something their mamas don't want them to see. (And possibly be scarred for life )

Surely that's not what you are suggesting? How can that be more fair than a mom using a HA stall? It doesn't seem courteous at all to leave the door open. Yuck! But I must have misunderstood. Or maybe it's just me who's bothered by that idea.

What do you think we did when handicapped stalls were not in existence. Exactly that, we pulled the stroller as fr as possible into the stall and the stall door stayed open. Even now there are handicapped stalls I can't get my wheelchair into and close the door let alone a standard stall. Whene my children were growing up I did not have the option of using a handicapped stall. We learned to cope with what was available. No changing tables either. If it had not been for ADA there would be no handicapped stalls for you to even have this convenience. Providing accessible stalls was done for those of us with handicaps and you reap the benefit and get an attitude when those who need the stalls complain that we can't use them when others take them in spite of regular stalls being available.

 

[North of Mouse]

If you wedge in the stroller no one can really see anything. IfI am having feminine issues or bowel emergencies I would find a family lounge or companion door when I had a stroller with me.. I also am not all that private, (four babies kind of made me loose all sense of bodily embarrassment). After all men use Urinals out in te open or in Europe they urinate against a steel trough. To me thats more disgusting if your dh needs to haul your daughter in there!! do men's restroom have handicap stalls? Do they have these same problems?

I have had three children, but it by no means made me lose my sense of bodily embarrassment in front of total strangers. There is NO way that I would leave a stall door open to other's eyes no matter the situation. I always used the larger stall with a stroller and shut the door. In fact, it wouldn't be considered having a lack of embarrassment to me, but actually just being crude!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

While I have pulled the stroller in front of me and left the door open due to it being crowded or no larger stall was there, I prefer to be able to wheel it in and close the door whenever possible.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If it had not been for ADA there would be no handicapped stalls for you to even have this convenience. Providing accessible stalls was done for those of us with handicaps and you reap the benefit and get an attitude when those who need the stalls complain that we can't use them when others take them in spite of regular stalls being available.

Bears repeating .

 

[LoveMMC]

Isn't there a difference between not having access and instant access?
I have waited in line with mom's wheelchair for a person to finish then when our turn came so i transferred her- and this is someone who needs to go at a moments notice- she still got the space and bars she needs- just had to wait her turn.
It's great people fought for the larger stalls but can't people still wait for a turn?

* I know big difference between my stroke ridden mother who understands waiting and a child with autism who struggles with understanding holding bladder/waiting.

Not meaning to argue just think access is vital but does not mean instant access
I get more frustrated when pushing my students or mom and little shops have steps so they can't get in (like Niagara on the lake)
Having to wait for 2 mins for a mom in a bathroom is not a worry to me.

 

[jahber]

Whene my children were growing up I did not have the option of using a handicapped stall. We learned to cope with what was available. No changing tables either. If it had not been for ADA there would be no handicapped stalls for you to even have this convenience. Providing accessible stalls was done for those of us with handicaps and you reap the benefit and get an attitude when those who need the stalls complain that we can't use them when others take them in spite of regular stalls being available.

Yes, exactly. You used them when you had no other choice. Now that there is a choice for a mom to also have some dignity while using the bathroom, you would deny it to her? I would hardly call asking for the same basic privacy as others "getting an attitude."

Obviously, if someone expressed an urgent need, I would give up my place in line whether they had a visible disability or not. I did it yesterday, so I can state this with confidence. And yes, I would give up my place in line to someone in a wheelchair. All I ask is that if I am already in the stall with my stroller, I not be guilt-tripped for wanting a little privacy while I go (or attend to other private needs). How is that an attitude?

 

[Kellykins1218]

Maybe people are getting an attitude when you complain because they themselves have a legitimate reason for using the stall that YOU can't see and they don't want (or have any obligation) to explain to you?

 

[jahber]

Just to clarify, because I feel like I must be speaking a different language: I'm not suggesting that I would ever use an HA stall in a crowded restroom if my kids were capable of standing still in the stall with me (or even right outside the stall if they were old enough). I do in fact leave my stroller in the corner of the open area and take my little kids in with me. I would, however, like to be able to wheel an infant into the stall with me. That's all. Sorry if that seems like an egregious abuse of the facilities. I just thought I might be permitted to pee in private without leaving my infant unattended.

 

[Talking Hands]

If I have my infant grandson with me, he is in a wrap or front pack. No way for me to use a stroller. My older grandson at 2 1/2 walks. He hates strollers anyway.
Also I agree with the person who said that if a baby changing table is in the handicapped stall it should be low enough for a person in a wheelchair to change an infant. I have no desire to change him on a bench or table in public and baby care is often too far away.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I think they should be low enough no matter where they are located

 

[ppony]

Just read the OP. I have to respond that none of the boat staff asked carriages to be collapsed when we took them. Furthermore, my son uses his stroller as a wheelchair. So I hope the OP didn't cast stones at everyone w/ o knowing what their situations were. We didn't need to change him in the parks as he was in full meltdown within 3 hours of arriving at the park. But I would have if I had needed to. He won't tolerate changing tables in public, he won't even leave his stroller. So I need room to maneuver the stroller, him AND me. Ever try that in a single stall? Not possible.

Also, as an obese person myself, I have never had more people staring at me and some kids laughing as I have this trip. Whether I have medical issues or not that are making my weight a real severe difficulty is noone's business. I do, but I'm pushing on, doing my best for my family. For those that hate us so much, don't worry, we'll soon be housebound and die, so we won't bother you again. After this trip, I feel like going home and never leaving it again.

 

[ppony]

It's dangerous trying to use an escalator with a stroller- very unwieldy.

And illegal in some states. As I just found out this April.

 

[ppony]

I have 2 little ones who are autistic and I absolutely use the HC when they are in their stroller. Even if they weren't ASD I would still use it because you can't leave them alone outside the stall and sometimes it's impossible to do your business while your kids are trying to escape, looking under the stall wall at your neighbor etc. I rarely use the companion restroom with my one son because he can escape from ANY seatbelt in about 2 seconds. In the HC stall, I can catch him before he gets the door open. In the companion restroom, the door is too far from the toilet & I don't really want to make a dash for him, as he runs out the door, with my pants down. Oh, and believe me, he'd be gone before I could pull them up.

I swear, we're walking on the same road!!!! Hugs!!' I understand. Boy, do I understand.

 

[ppony]

Speaking of "we all wait turns for elevators," have you ever been on a cruise ship in an ECV, and tried to get on an elevator without an able-bodied companion at your side? My last cruise, in 2007, there was a bank of six elevators, 3 on each side. You could see which elevator was heading to your floor, and I would situate my ECV sort-of in front of that elevator so as to not block people who were getting off the car. As the crowd got off, a crowd of able-bodied would push to get on 'til the car was full, and my ECV was left behind. I got stuck in this situation for usually 20-30 minutes at a time, multiple times a day, every day. I talked to a crew member about this, and I was told that it was very common. He suggested a certain elevator in another area of the ship, where there wasn't a crowd. Sure enough, there were others there in wheelchairs and ECVs, waiting for the elevator. However, we were getting on the cars.

So no, I don't necessarily agree that "we all wait turns for elevators." At least, not on cruise ships. I don't plan to go on a cruise again because of the inaccessible elevators.

On the one and only cruise we have been on thus far, have witnessed this as well. We have to use them as my son can't walk the halls or stairs, but I NEVER cut in front of a wheelchair or ECV usurer waiting and am happy to say I've motioned them ahead of me many times. It was SO sad to watch.