Bathroom observation

[Quellman]

A thousand times this!!!

Before we even got into the parks, I noticed even within the Grand Floridian that some restrooms had a small sink and others didn't. I was surprised that it wasn't standard across Disney property. Once in the parks, I made a point to notice if restrooms had a small sink or not. Roughly half did across the 3 parks we visited and the various resorts (mostly monorail resorts). I had expected to see the small sinks in newer restrooms, but that was not the case. It was very confusing as there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to where they decided to install the small sinks.

I've seen bathrooms with a fold down stool under one of the sinks, but I agree Small child friendly bathroom fixtures should be standard!

 

[Kelly Anne]

Does Disney really think we need instructions on how to wash our hands? In most park restrooms is a sign above the sinks stating,

Wet Hand and apply soap.
Scrub hands and rinse.
Dry hands thoroughly using paper towels.

Without those signs I surely would have left with wet soapy hands many times.

I work in an Emergency room and we have those signs everywhere and sometimes twice in the same bathroom and we learned how to wash our hands properly.... It's more so for the health department and to remind people to wash their hands and how to do it properly.... Since some people do not know how.... And some just walk out with out doing so...

 

[DVCcurious]

It could be worse. When Disneyland first opened, half the toilets were pay toilets and half were free. There's a story that Walt needed to use the restroom and all the free ones were occupied and the pay ones were empty. He didn't have a dime to use the pay toilets. So he ordered that all toilets in Disneyland be free ones.

Does anyone have 10 dimes for a dollar?

Does anyone have 5 dimes for a dollar?


Can I trade you 1 dime for a dollar?



For god sakes will anyone give me a dime for $20!!!!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

It's probably been mentioned already (I haven't read all the posts) but Walt made it that way on purpose. He didn't put mirrors over the sinks because he didn't want people hovering at the sinks. He put one mirror at the front of the bathroom away from the sinks so you could preen before leaving.

 

[New England Mickey]

If you want beautiful, themed bathrooms, go on a Disney cruise; those bathrooms are gorgeous.

I agree, since the cruise is much less crowded than the parks I always took my time and admired the work and design in the bathrooms. Also, they always have a CM in the cruise bathrooms usually cleaning or doing work, which is nice.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've wondered why the bathrooms aren't more "small child friendly." It was always so hard to hold DD up to wash her hands when she was younger. I always wished that they had those flip-down stools under the sinks that some public restrooms have. There are so many small children who go to WDW that I know they would be used.

Actually, I wished they had some of those small toilets like some family restrooms have. They are so much easier than the big ones for small kids. The bathrooms outside of the Barney show at Universal have some small sinks and small toilets, and I always think that it is such a thoughtful touch.

I've never seen a bathroom with a flip down stool. I think they would be a magnet for lawsuits.

I also wonder if they put in smaller toilets, would they be broken by adult sized people using them? Because you know when the parks are busy and there is a line, they would get used by adults. And how many parents would stand their waiting for one to open up when their child had to go right away? As nice as they sound in theory, I think having small toilets would also cause problems.

 

[Disney Khi]

I've never seen a bathroom with a flip down stool. I think they would be a magnet for lawsuits.

I also wonder if they put in smaller toilets, would they be broken by adult sized people using them? Because you know when the parks are busy and there is a line, they would get used by adults. And how many parents would stand their waiting for one to open up when their child had to go right away? As nice as they sound in theory, I think having small toilets would also cause problems.

I understand why they might choose not to have the small toilets; they would just be convenient with small kids.

I have seen the flip down stools in lots of public restrooms just not at Disney. They are completely out of the way until you need them, then just flip down under the sink for the child to stand on. It's much easier than trying to hoist a kid up to the sink while juggling a bag and trying to keep clothes dry and then trying to turn on the water. Luckily DD is tall enough to wash her hands by herself now, but there were so many times I wished for those at WDW.

 

[maxiesmom]

I understand why they might choose not to have the small toilets; they would just be convenient with small kids.

I have seen the flip down stools in lots of public restrooms just not at Disney. They are completely out of the way until you need them, then just flip down under the sink for the child to stand on. It's much easier than trying to hoist a kid up to the sink while juggling a bag and trying to keep clothes dry and then trying to turn on the water. Luckily DD is tall enough to wash her hands by herself now, but there were so many times I wished for those at WDW.

Again, I think the stools would be a magnet for lawsuits, especially at Disney World. It would be way too easy to claim your child fell and was injured while using one of the stools. I would wager more people spend time looking for ways to sue Disney then spend time looking for ways to sue the local mall or restaurant.

 

[DisneyOma]

Most bathrooms have lower sinks, to be ADA compliant.

 

[Disney Khi]

Again, I think the stools would be a magnet for lawsuits, especially at Disney World. It would be way too easy to claim your child fell and was injured while using one of the stools. I would wager more people spend time looking for ways to sue Disney then spend time looking for ways to sue the local mall or restaurant.

That's something interesting to think about.

 

[joelkfla]

Aren't those usually for employees, and required by the Health Department?

No, they were put up when WDW gained a sponsor for the restrooms. The sponsor's name was at the bottom of the sign. I'm not sure, but I think it was Georgia Pacific, manufacturer of paper towels and toilet tissue.

 

[joelkfla]

DAk used to have 2 of the best-themed restrooms at WDW; I think they're both now defunct. One was in Camp Minnie Mickey, behind the old FOTL theater. It captured the Adirondack resort theme to a T, including birch bark paneling and rusty old radiators.

The other was a single-seater next to the bat habitat on the Jungle Trail. While normal and modern on the inside, from the outside it looked like an old outhouse, except that instead of a half-moon cutout on the door, it had the outline of a bat in flight. It wasn't a bathroom, it was a "batroom".

 

[vratiana]

There are small toilets in the baby care centers in each park. Not as convenient as every restroom, but it can be helpful if you need it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I know this isn't probably totally up to date, but it is a great place to start:

http://www.cassworld.ca/bathrooms.htm

 

[joanchris]

I love that they do that. It's so frustrating to me to wait in a long line of women to wash my hands because someone is busy reapplying a full face of makeup at the sink/mirror!

We took a tour about a week ago (Marceline to the Magic Kingdom, great tour!) and someone asked about the lack of mirrors, and this was the answer. They don't want people preening in the mirrors, in the way of people who just want to wash up and get out.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I've never seen a bathroom with a flip down stool. I think they would be a magnet for lawsuits.

they are becoming quite common in our area. I've seen them in quite a few local restaurant chains and grocery stores. the ones I have seen are metal and bolted into the ground. They are easy enough for an adult to put down, but a child could not do so easily (so little risk of fingers getting caught ).

 

[Angel Ariel]

Again, I think the stools would be a magnet for lawsuits, especially at Disney World. It would be way too easy to claim your child fell and was injured while using one of the stools. I would wager more people spend time looking for ways to sue Disney then spend time looking for ways to sue the local mall or restaurant.

The fall risk is no worse, imo, than the risk of something happening when an adult is juggling the child and any bags they may have trying to lift or otherwise get a too small child up to the sink. if they were a huge lawsuit risk, I do not think any big company would use them at all.

 

[maxiesmom]

The fall risk is no worse, imo, than the risk of something happening when an adult is juggling the child and any bags they may have trying to lift or otherwise get a too small child up to the sink. if they were a huge lawsuit risk, I do not think any big company would use them at all.

But the liability is different. Mom drops a child for whatever reason it is her fault. A child falls off of a stool provided by a company, and it is arguably the company's fault. And as I stated, I believe more people look at Disney and see deep pockets, or at least way deeper pockets, then they do at a mall or restaurant.

 

[disnut8]

I also wonder if they put in smaller toilets, would they be broken by adult sized people using them? Because you know when the parks are busy and there is a line, they would get used by adults. And how many parents would stand their waiting for one to open up when their child had to go right away? As nice as they sound in theory, I think having small toilets would also cause problems.

Personally, I have never stood in a line at Disney World to use a bathroom. Mainly because there's another one close by and I didn't wait until the critical moment to decide I needed to go. A wise man once said "if you have a chance to use a bathroom, do so because you might need one later and one is not available".

But, I can see the point about adults using the kids' smaller toilets. I won't mention where I was and I will keep specifics to a minimum but I have seen a very full grown woman barge past a long line of women to get into the bathroom and when she couldn't force her way in front of people, she used what was available to relieve herself. So be glad there are not mirrors over sinks at Disney World.

 

[Quellman]

I've never seen a bathroom with a flip down stool. I think they would be a magnet for lawsuits.

I also wonder if they put in smaller toilets, would they be broken by adult sized people using them? Because you know when the parks are busy and there is a line, they would get used by adults. And how many parents would stand their waiting for one to open up when their child had to go right away? As nice as they sound in theory, I think having small toilets would also cause problems.

Here is a LINK to the patent office spotlight on the stools. Here is a crappy small picture I found. I agree that they could be ripe for law suit depending on their implementation, but much better than even the lower handicap sinks, which sometimes have very deep sink troughs to accommodate wheel chairs. Little hands can't reach that far back. As others have said, I have seen them implemented else where and find them dreadfully useful.