Pools, Potty, PROBLEM!!!

[miatamel]

I just read something disturbing in my Passporter that had I known before I wouldn't have booked this cruise. There are these two wonderful family pools. Great! No un-pottytrained kids allowed. Um, okay, understandable. "No swim diapers." WHAT!? How in the world are you going to keep an active, inquisitive toddler who loves the water and wants to be with her siblings out of the water??!! They are relegated to this "ear" that is basically a water fountain on steroids or something. Certainly not enough to keep my almost two year old happy. She'd rather play in the water!!
Now, my DD who turns 2 on this cruise has been FULLY potty trained for months (even at night). I was going to pack swim diapers just to be considerate and safe in case she got too busy or excited to tell me. So here's the rub--if I put the swim diaper on her, she doesn't get to swim. If I DON'T, people (lifeguards?) are going to look at us sideways because she's so tiny and assume we're breaking the rules and polluting the water to boot (she have a pool at home and she asks to go potty here).
That also applies to Flounders--I was going to buy and have to basically "untrain" her to send her there. She tells you and goes in there herself, but she still has to be physically put on the potty and wiped which they don't do there. And even tho she's trained she's way to young for Oceaneers.
This just seems a bad age all around to be on this cruise. If it's going to be a "family" cruise, make it fun for ALL ages!!
Maybe somebody can make me feel better about this out there. Because right now it doesn't seem like it's going to be so much fun for either me or her trying to keep her out of the pool and telling her "no, you can't get in there baby" and putting her in the diapers that she disliked so much she started pottying at 14 months.
What else is there for her to do if she can't swim or play in the nursery with the other kids every once in a while??!!

 

[aprilgail2]

You can take her in the O/C to play while you stay there with her.....when my daughter was 2 1/2 she loved going to the movies on the sip, she loved going to the shows, we didn't really use the Mickey pool much since it was always so gross looking, grayish water and packed with kids jumping off the black ear into the pool by mid day...when I did take her it was 7am before many other people got there. The CM will tell you that she can't go in with swim diapers on if they see a child with them on....it is hard to keep the older ones in the mickey ear when they see all the other kids running and playing in the Mickey Pool....but it is a saftey issue, EColi is a dangerous thing for kids to get from someone pooping in the pool and swim diapers do not hold that in...
The last cruise the Mickey Pool was closed down and emptied out numerous times for kids having accidents in it...we had fun the first cruise when she was just 2 1/2..we spent the whole time together since my daughter hated flounders (she said all the toys were for babys...the toys tend to be on the 1 -2 year old lever rather than for kids over 2) so we just did everything together and had a great time...when we got off the ship in ports we went to the beach where she could play in the water all she wanted..after all the beach time she was not interested in swimming more anyway...

 

[miatamel]

I don't know--I was just SO excited about this when I book (last minute). My husband works 90 hour weeks and so desperately needs a rest/break and now I'm concerned that that is just going to be stress, stress, stress for him travelling with a two year old. My 4 yr old we'll never see--she's Miss Social and won't want to come out of the O Club. However, that's not the case with the babe--she's not social at all and I'm afraid she won't stay in Flounders, even though I booked time there on line. (And if she won't stay and I've reserved other times, I have to pay a cancellation fee?? What's up with that?) That, on top of late dining time, and this might be a nightmare in the making.
Wonder how much I'll lose if I cancel the whole trip?!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

When we have gone, all 7 times, one of the mickey ears was reserved for toddlers in swim diapers. It only has jets of water spurting from the sides of the ear. Most moms sat on the ear to keep close watch on the kids. The other ear was deeper and for younger kids who are potty trained but not ready for the bigger part of the pool. They even sell swim diapers on board, but they dont carry a lot and they are very expensive, so I suggest you take your own. We did. You will see many toddlers with swim diapers on in the one ear. No one has ever said anything about not doing it. When we asked a few years back we were told that was what that ear was for. But they MUST wear swim diapers by law. Our GS and many others played in it all the time.
There were a couple of older kids in there too, but they were special needs kids and probably wern't potty trained either.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[CACruisin']

Our DD turned 2 on our cruise last summer. She loved the ear. We have a pool at home and swim all the time so I was concerned that she would want to go in the bigger pool. It was never an issue!

We also used Flounders a number of times. Before the cruise I was concerned since I am a stay at home mom and DD has rarely been left with anyone outside of family. Again, no problems. She loved to "go play with toys" and went in happily and was happy everytime we checked on her. The attendants are wonderful and kind. There were toys and climbing things to play with. Also, the counselors took her over to Oceaneers Club one morning to play in that area when the older kids were gone.

You can also take your DD to Oceaneers Club anytime to play as long as you stay with her. We did this once for "Mouseketeer Training." DD also loved all of the live broadway type stage shows and the movies. She was not fond of the variety type shows, so we didn't get to see many of those. Bingo was also not on her list of fun things to do. (Oh well!) We interacted with characters, walked up and down stairs (many, many times! ) and watched movies in the room for down time. Overall, there were many things to do with a 2 year old on board.

 

[tvguy]

I just read something disturbing in my Passporter that had I known before I wouldn't have booked this cruise. There are these two wonderful family pools. Great! No un-pottytrained kids allowed. Um, okay, understandable. "No swim diapers." WHAT!? How in the world are you going to keep an active, inquisitive toddler who loves the water and wants to be with her siblings out of the water??!! They are relegated to this "ear" that is basically a water fountain on steroids or something. Certainly not enough to keep my almost two year old happy. She'd rather play in the water!!
Now, my DD who turns 2 on this cruise has been FULLY potty trained for months (even at night). I was going to pack swim diapers just to be considerate and safe in case she got too busy or excited to tell me. So here's the rub--if I put the swim diaper on her, she doesn't get to swim. If I DON'T, people (lifeguards?) are going to look at us sideways because she's so tiny and assume we're breaking the rules and polluting the water to boot (she have a pool at home and she asks to go potty here).
That also applies to Flounders--I was going to buy and have to basically "untrain" her to send her there. She tells you and goes in there herself, but she still has to be physically put on the potty and wiped which they don't do there. And even tho she's trained she's way to young for Oceaneers.
This just seems a bad age all around to be on this cruise. If it's going to be a "family" cruise, make it fun for ALL ages!!
Maybe somebody can make me feel better about this out there. Because right now it doesn't seem like it's going to be so much fun for either me or her trying to keep her out of the pool and telling her "no, you can't get in there baby" and putting her in the diapers that she disliked so much she started pottying at 14 months.
What else is there for her to do if she can't swim or play in the nursery with the other kids every once in a while??!!

I think this is an International health rule, not a Disney rule. Not much they can do.

 

[Rence]

I think this is an International health rule, not a Disney rule. Not much they can do.

It is a CDC regulation that applies to all cruise ships. The fountain play area on DCL is the only exception to the rule on any cruise line. The fountain play area was granted an exemption by the CDC to the rule because of the continuous circulating water and the filtration system that Disney installed.

It is not a Disney rule and DCL could get some steep fines if the didn't enforce the rule

 

[Otimon]

The rules are there for the safety and well being of the other children as well as your own.

If it were my youngster I would see she got some playtime in the "pool" right inside your cabin. Bring along a couple of water toys and some of that soap she can use to write in the "pool" with which can just be rinsed off. Could make it a lot of fun and something special just for her.

Hope you all have a wonderful time.

 

[Aneille]

I've never been on a cruise. But I do have a daughter that was also potty trained before 2 years old so I understand your concern about the looks. I talked about taking the Disney cruise and it was a minor concern for me.

But in the end your daughter has every right to go in the pool. She is potty trained the same as a 3 year old or even a 4 year old that has only been trained a few months. Disregard the looks and if CM comes up to you just explain your daughter is potty trained. Its not unheard of, just not that uncommon nowadays.

As far as the Flounders room I'm not sure what you can do. My 2 year old needs help getting on the toilet unless there is a stool. And even if there is a stool she would then also need some help with her clothing. She can pull them up and down but hey she's only 2! I would never put my daughter back into diapers though. Is their someone you can call about that because that will be a problem, but I wouldn't stress over it.

These things aren't going to ruin your trip I don't think.

 

[scrapperjill]

You know...if your daugher is potty trained you shouldn't feel the need to put her in a swim diaper at all...no matter her size or age. I'd leave the swim diapers at home...and have her enjoy the Mickey Pool as much as she wants. If your concerned about her being to into playing to pay attention to when she has to go...I'd just ask her frequently..or even take her out for potty breaks every now and then. Maybe make stopping by the restroom right before you get in the pool a habit while your on the cruise.

Same with flounders...Potty her before you leave her there....After all more than likely you won't be leaving her there to long. I don't remember if you said or not...is she able to get her self on the potty alone? I know in the Club everything in the restroom is "small"...ie it's made for little kids. So I would guess the pottys in Flounders are small also. I don't have any experience with flounders...but maybe they could page you if she goes to the potty..then you can come to assist her. I don't know for sure but I want to say they do something like that if a baby needs to be changed...I could be wrong..after all I could be thinking of something else.

Anyway..I think you and your family will still have a wonderful time no matter what happens.

 

[my3kids]

I thought Flounders was specifically set up to allow diapers to be changed and assisting the youngest guests. While she wouldn't get help in the Club bathroom, I thought there isn't a problem getting help in Flounders.

If she is potty trained, let her go in the Mickey Pool. Once you see what a madhouse it is, you might not want to let her get in, but if she is trained, send her in without a second thought.

 

[lds0191]

we just returned last week from our cruise. i saw some really little kids in the mickey pool. i never saw any cm say anything to the parents unless they were putting kids in there w/diapers. one day the pool was closed and drained at least twice that i know of so it is frustrating for the kids when a parent does put kids in that are not potty trained. i don't think you should have a problem. someone mentioned that the pool maybe looked dirty, i never saw that; always looked clean to me and even though it was chaos w/so many kids sometimes the kids loved it! the cm's keep a close eye on rowdy kids and do not hesitate to stay on top of the situation. i also don't have any info on Flounders so can't help you there.....

 

[mom2sean_n_alex]

My almost 3 year old is TINY, and we just got back from the Wonder. I didn't send him to Flounders. It is an option. We did things as a family, afterall that is why we went. My older son wasn't interested in the kids clubs at all either, so we did the family thing. I DID put my 2 yr old in a swim diaper, like you just in case! But we didn't really need to, he told us every time that he needed to go. Even though he was in swim diapers NO ONE said a word to us. We pretty much stayed in the Goofy Pool as a family, and not the Mickey Pool. I was fully prepared to defend my son's potty training skills. (He really had only been trained 3 weeks prior to our trip - day/night trained too) But like I said... No one said a word. It might have been different if we were at the Mickey Pool, because they have CMs there watching the pool, but not at the Goofy pool.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wouldn't let this stop you from going on the cruise. Don't worry about it, go and have a good time - you'll work it out.

 

[mom2sean_n_alex]

I wouldn't let this stop you from going on the cruise. Don't worry about it, go and have a good time - you'll work it out.

Yeah I agree whole heartedly!!!

 

[sweetsue]

We just got back from the 7-day Magic Eastern turned Western cruise. My DD4 is not potty-trained. We ended up barely using the pools at all - and had an absolutely FANTASTIC time.

If your child is potty trained, don't worry about letting them go into the pool. Just be conscious of sending them to the restroom on a regular basis to avoid an accident.

The main problem is having a BM in the pool. One of the big ways to spread things like the Norwalk virus is through fecal matter. DCL has to report every confirmed "fecal" incident. This is an issue in cruise ships because the pools are so small, the chemicals in the pool don't circulate fast enough to keep the water safe. Until I found out the health reason behind it, I was quite ready to fight their policy through court if necessary since it is discriminatory to special needs children! Then I thought about what would it be like if my daughter caused an entire group of kids to get sick. I'd feel horrible. Reading up on it actually kept me out of the pools myself - too gross!

So.... we swam at every port instead. We swam at Castaway Cay, Cozumel and Costa Maya. She had a blast and never missed swimming at the other times. There is so much to do onboard withoiut ever getting wet. I just avoided going to the pool area at all. Instead, sit out on deck 4. Use the time to be together at the Oceaneer's Club. They have tons of character events in the club that she would surely enjoy. Play shuffleboard. Watch a movie together. Take turns on who will stay with her and who will be with your other kids. Go to the "non-water" family events like the vegetable races with all of you.

Also, Flounders Nursery should help your child go to the bathroom. It is only in the clubs that they will not assist.

Sweet Sue

 

[jodifla]

Yes, the pool shouldn't be an issue for you at all.

And since they'll change diapers in flounders, I can't imagine that they couldn't accommodate a potty trained youngster in there!

We took our DS, 2, who wasn't potty trained, and had a terrific time.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I agree, if she is potty trained I would let her in the pool with out sd and not worry about it. Just make sure she goes before she gets in the pool.

I think you are going to be just fine. Have a great trip.

 

[miatamel]

Thank you, everyone. Everyone on this board has been so nice. I have just been stressing about EVERY LITTLE thing in regards to this vacation and I just need to stop it! I've never tried a vacation of this magnitude before--flights, transfers, cruise, packing for young'uns, etc.--and I let myself get all worked up about the pools during the night since I read about it before I went to bed. (Not to mention the fact that I had foreign in-laws at my house for a month!) I think a good night's sleep and a glass of wine would do wonders for me and I'll feel much better.
Thanks for all your help, again. I feel better already!!

 

[jgalecpa]

Thank you, everyone. Everyone on this board has been so nice. I have just been stressing about EVERY LITTLE thing in regards to this vacation and I just need to stop it! I've never tried a vacation of this magnitude before--flights, transfers, cruise, packing for young'uns, etc.--and I let myself get all worked up about the pools during the night since I read about it before I went to bed. (Not to mention the fact that I had foreign in-laws at my house for a month!) I think a good night's sleep and a glass of wine would do wonders for me and I'll feel much better.
Thanks for all your help, again. I feel better already!!

Mia,

Don't fret. It is normal to worry about a trip like this. You should know that virtually everyone of us has stressed about the same or similar things.

However, In-Laws for a Month!!!!!! I think that definitely makes you a Stress-Queen of the Month winner.

I'm not a Doctor, but once was a radio DJ. My name was "Doctor Jimmy", So I officially prescribe a Glass of Merlot, watch Desperate HW's today and call it a night.

Jim