Bathroom difficulties at WDW

[eternaldisneyfan]

I e-mailed WDW Guest Communications about problems with their bathrooms (stalls too small, Companion bathrooms flooded with families) and they want to here more! I want to be thorough, maybe even giving the minimum stall size needed for someone with an electric wheelchair with equipment and an assistant. I am also going to site some examples of Companion bathroom misuse (woman putting her child to sleep, family of 6, woman using it to avoid long line, etc). Many of the stalls in regular bathroom are way too small. If you guys have any stories or suggestions, I'd love to hear about it.


Christamae

 

[Nik's Mom]

Hi! I'm a parent of an autistic 7 year old ds, and a 4 year old ds that shows autistic tendencies and sensory problems. Both have motor skill problems and need assistance in buttoning/zipping pants when going to the restroom. I really wish the stalls were a little wider. The companion restrooms are few and far between. If the regular stalls were just a little bigger, we could just use those.

 

[spiceycat]

single people going in the companion bathrooms.

happen on our last trip often.

families too.

although one of the cm was very helpful - told us to knock on the door and ask how long they would be..... the family came out immediately took one look at mother in a wheelchair and went to the regular bathrooms.

you know some of this is Disney fault. it use to call these bathrooms - family bathrooms - the ones at DD anyway.

 

[Juliah]

A cot to lay an older child or adult on to take care of hygiene needs. As far as I've seen, these are only available at the first aid centers, which can be a long, long trek from where one is in a park (especially Epcot!) It would be nice if there was a dispenser of anti-bacterial wipes on the wall near the cot to clean it before using.

Companion restrooms in the public areas of all the resort hotels. Once when we were at AKL to dine, we had to get an escort to the concierge level to use a companion restroom. Shoot, we've used the one in the Polynesian, even though we were staying there, because it was such a long way back to our room. BTW, I'm concerned because that restroom was near Capt. Cook's, and all that area has been torn out to expand seating for Capt. Cook's. Does anyone know if there's still a companion restroom somewhere in the main building at the Polynesian?

And, of course, more companion restrooms in the parks and more space in them.

Thanks for working on this Christmae!

 

[Talking Hands]

Handicapped stalls with doors that you can actually close when in a wheelchair and don't have a companion. Some in the MAgic Kingdom are terrible. Can't shut the door

 

[lovethattink]

I can sight a prime example of CM's suggesting the companion bathroom for diaper changes. As I was walking into the restroom at Everest the CM told us to use the companion bathroom. I told her no thanks, and changed his diaper in the restroom.

 

[dclfun]

Before it happens on this thread and starts a discussion, there are people who use the companion/family restroom that have invisible disabilities or have several small children with one adult that they need to "manage" who may not appear to need this restroom but actually do. Since Disney now designates these restrooms as "family" then I can see how people who don't really need them also would feel like they were appropriate to use. That said, to me AK is the worst. I once was literally trapped in the accessible bathroom at AK across from Flame Tree barbecue. Once inside I could not turn around in my chair to reach the door which had shut behind me. My service dog could not get behind my chair to get the door handle due to lack of space. The accessible restroom in the Africa area ( next to the gift shop) requires that you go in one door and make a sharp turn to the left, opening another door. If someone is already using that large stall ( where there is plenty of space once inside ) I am then blocking the entrance to the rest of the restroom as I wait in the alcove. For someone in an ECV or without a SD and no arm usage who could not reach the door handles at all it would be impossible. It would be nice if there were w/c pushplates on the accessible restrooms. I agree with the cots for larger children/adults but there would need to be a way to keep them sanitary or have paper to pull out...hmm....I can see people napping in there or "playing" with the disposable paper roll. ---Kathy

 

[joanchris]

I don't think I have any suggestions other than what is already here, but want to thank the OP for doing this! I think what would be most helpful is if there were a somewhat larger stall in the regular baths that a parent and one child (typical, or who may need mimimal assistance) could use without being too cramped, then that would encourage more parents to use the regular bathrooms and leave the companion restrooms for those that truly need them. Thanks again!

 

[Forevryoung]

What about just putting a small sign on the companion restroom door that says:

"This restroom is here for people with disabilities and those needing additional assistance. Please be considerate."

Not the best wording but it might be a start.


FYI The "handicapped accessible" bathroom in the columbia harbor house at the MK is NOT accessible... it's a triangle and I couldn't get the special needs stroller into the stall so I left it right outside the stall and then we couldnt close the door because the stroller was in the way! Go figure

 

[dclfun]

I doubt Disney would put up a sign asking guests to be considerate. The one thing I don't expect from them is to be able to "control" what other guests do. To me, the focus of improvements should be on space and accessible features that currently are lacking. They should also be able to provide measurements, including toilet height and rail measurements plus space constraints to people asking in advance. ---kathy

 

[LindaDVC]

I would just suggest more combination family and companion/accessible bathrooms to meet everyone's needs. I often had trouble finding them even with the guidebook.

Linda

 

[1stluvispooh]

My big suggestion would be to have manual flushing tolets. Not that they have to get rid of all the auto-flushers, may just in the compainion restrooms. DD is autistic and is scared to death of the auto flushers. She wont even stay in the bathroom long enough for me to put a post it on so it wont flush on her. We have had several intances with these most recently at a waterpark!

 

[SueM in MN]

My big suggestion would be to have manual flushing tolets. Not that they have to get rid of all the auto-flushers, may just in the compainion restrooms. DD is autistic and is scared to death of the auto flushers. She wont even stay in the bathroom long enough for me to put a post it on so it wont flush on her. We have had several intances with these most recently at a waterpark!

I can see that for some people with physical disabilities, it is easier to have an autoflush toilet so that they don't have to worry about reaching to flush.
It would be nice if there was some way to temporarily turn off the autoflush if necessary.
My DD has cerebral palsy and she moves around quite a bit while in the bathroom, which some of the autoflush toilets interpret as getting off the toilet (sometimes, she's just leaning forward and then back.)
Our personal record for the toilet flushing because of movement in one bathroom trip is 12 times. We do put Post-it notes over the sensor, but some of the toilets also have a button that sticks out and if you hit that, the toilet flushes.

 

[1stluvispooh]

I can see that for some people with physical disabilities, it is easier to have an autoflush toilet so that they don't have to worry about reaching to flush.
It would be nice if there was some way to temporarily turn off the autoflush if necessary.
My DD has cerebral palsy and she moves around quite a bit while in the bathroom, which some of the autoflush toilets interpret as getting off the toilet (sometimes, she's just leaning forward and then back.)
Our personal record for the toilet flushing because of movement in one bathroom trip is 12 times. We do put Post-it notes over the sensor, but some of the toilets also have a button that sticks out and if you hit that, the toilet flushes.

12 times. You would have been scraping my kids off the ceiling. That is if she hadn't bolted before the 1st flush!

 

[Nanajo1]

I find some of the companion/hp doors too heavy for me to open. A push button opener would be very helpful. I can usually use my ECV as a "battering ram" to get the door open when I'm leaving. Not really but I do use it to hold the door as I exit.
Thanks for taking on this project.

 

[SandrainNC]

The problem we have run into is that the changing tables are very very small except at Magic Kingdom (I think that is the right park anyway). My 5 year old has Down syndrome and not potty trained, so we can't get him onto the changing table. And the stalls are too small to get done what we need to do (they are fine if it is just a wet pull up though). But there are so few of the companion bathrooms. I only needed to use a companion restroom once last trip at Epcot and I got a mean look when we came out by a woman in a wheelchair who was waiting. I guess she didn't notice my son having Down syndrome, or just figured we should have used the regular restroom no matter what. I would never have used it if it wasn't necessary.

Sandra

 

[scroot]

We attend plays at Grady Gammage Auditorium on the Campus of Arizona State University. Gammage was the last building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to be built.

Gamage has two accessible bathrooms. Both are what we call "one holers" or "knock and lock" much like the companions at WDW. There are several bathrooms for anyone without special needs to use very close to the accessible ones. However, there is always a long line becuase the accessible bathroom is the first one you see. And nothing attracts a line like a line.

ASU has installed a large sign, almost impossible to miss, that has the universal handicap symbol on it and says, "persons with disabilities receive priority for this bathroom. Please let them move to the front of the line." It works pretty well. There is a hat check right next to it and often the checker will tell folks how things are supposed to work if it even looks like there may be a problem. Disney could assign a cm companion bathroom patrol.

I acknowledge that there are many people with hidden disabilities. But, I also remember a dad and two boys literaly running to get in front of DW as I pushed her chair to the companion bathroom by Norway at EPCOT. I guess that would be the line of need for me. If the three of you can run past our wheelchair, you don't need the companion bathroom. Same gendered groups without disabilities ought to use the regular bathrooms. It is part of the aculturation process.

I suppose many folks would like to park in handicap parking spaces too, but those spaces, like the accessible bathrooms are about "need" not "want".

 

[PatMcDuck]

I guess I can only add the wish for more companion bath rooms. I am dealing with my 16 year old son, and I do not like taking him into a ladies room any longer unless I HAVE to, he is so big. (Down syndrome, autism, orthopedic issues, low stamina, uses a companion chair in the parks) My husband takes him most of the time, but if I am with Sean alone, it's up to me. I also take him sometimes just to give DH a break, when I see a companion rest room available. Otherwise, I just try and get a handicapped stall and get in and out as quickly as possible. I use these rest rooms also so that I can use the rest room myself and make sure my son does not ruin or roll himself away.......

 

[Talking Hands]

If you need to change a large child the best place would be the the first aid centers in each park. They have cots that will fit and oler child or adult that needs changing.

 

[scroot]

What's with hanging the toilet paper so high on the wall in the handicap stalls? You gotta figure is someone is transfering a chair to the toilet they aren't going to have the easiest time reaching tp hung five feet in the air.