Bathroom Question

[rt2dz]

So I decided to take my oldest DS (11) to WDW for a Mom & Me trip. We leave in 14 days.

Well, today a concern dawned on me. Obviously, he is too old to go into the bathroom with me. I have no problem with him going into the men's room without me, but I am a little concerned about what he will do when I need to go to the bathroom. Despite having 4 kids, I have the bladder of a camel, but I'm guessing there will still be times. Memorial Weekend will be crowded. I don't think he'd wander off, but that is still a lot of people milling about. If I were a "bad guy" I'd go where people drop their guard, at a time where I'm not likely to be noticed. And, it's not like Disney hasn't had problems ever...

Ideas/Suggestions/Reassurance.... ????

 

[Mama Who]

You sit him on a bench right outside the bathroom and tell him he is NOT to move from that spot.

11 is old enough to holler if he's bothered by someone weird. He's old enough not to wander off. If a CM had a legitimate need for him to move they would understand, "Mom will be right back and said DON'T!" and cut him some slack.

What exactly are you concerned will happen? Knowing what your worries are makes reassurance a little easier.

 

[maxiesmom]

An 11yr old is plenty old enough to know to wait in one spot for you, or suffer severe consequences. No one is going to try anything with him right out in the open like that, and there are always people near the bathrooms.

If you are really worried, maybe give him a cell phone to carry pre-programmed with the number of your cell phone.

 

[Hannathy]

pick a spot to wait and he stays there till you are done. Be it a bench, a spot on the wall, a gift shop, etc. I'm sure he has waited for you other places, Disney is no different.

I toured with my DS alone when he was 7 and this is what we did and it was fine.

I'm sure he will also have his cell phone so he can text you if he needs to move or if you are taking to long.

 

[scrapquitler]

So I decided to take my oldest DS (11) to WDW for a Mom & Me trip. We leave in 14 days.

Well, today a concern dawned on me. Obviously, he is too old to go into the bathroom with me. I have no problem with him going into the men's room without me, but I am a little concerned about what he will do when I need to go to the bathroom. Despite having 4 kids, I have the bladder of a camel, but I'm guessing there will still be times. Memorial Weekend will be crowded. I don't think he'd wander off, but that is still a lot of people milling about. If I were a "bad guy" I'd go where people drop their guard, at a time where I'm not likely to be noticed. And, it's not like Disney hasn't had problems ever...

Ideas/Suggestions/Reassurance.... ????

In our family, when we are on a trip to Disney or another amusement park, our rule is as follows: " If someone needs to pee, everybody pees" Even if you don't have to go, you go in the restroom and try. This minimizes the number of bathroom stops we have to make during the day, and it eliminates the feeling that we are constantly in the rest room. So in this case, your son would go to the bathroom at the same time you go. If he comes out of the mens room before you finish (which WILL happen, since there is always more of a wait in the ladies room than the mens room), you explain to him that he wait right HERE (and you show him where HERE is) and NOT move.

 

[rt2dz]

He is a super responsible kid. I trust him to babysit his brothers for a couple of hours--and that includes a 2 year old and an autistic 6 year old. I guess it's just that I used to work in an industry that watched police blotters and know (even beyond what hits the media), that boys are primarily assalted between 9-13 years of age, when by strangers. Many times attacked/kidnapped in crowded areas.

I generally don't helicopter, but I'm also not in that big of a public place that is that crowded alone. Just a little nervous. I'm sure it will all be fine.

I do like the idea of sending him in to the restroom at the same time regardless, so there is less open area time.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In our family, when we are on a trip to Disney or another amusement park, our rule is as follows: " If someone needs to pee, everybody pees"

Yup - that goes double at the rest areas on the way down

 

[Schmeck]

We used to let our 8 year old daughter hang out in the gift shop if she didn't want to go on an attraction with us. I'd show her the CM at the register, and she'd browse through the shop while we rode. You could always have your son hang in a gift shop, near the register, while you went to the bathroom.

 

[MSSANDRA]

He really will be fine. We gave our then 11 year old and his 11 yr old cousin a little bit of freedom at that age. The could go ahead to one ride and do it while we did another very near by and we would meet after that. They both knew the parks well. They both had cell phones too. I would encourage that. He could be a great help to watch the kids at a table while you get CS food or at a buffet.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

He really will be fine. We gave our then 11 year old and his 11 yr old cousin a little bit of freedom at that age. The could go ahead to one ride and do it while we did another very near by and we would meet after that. They both knew the parks well. They both had cell phones too. I would encourage that. He could be a great help to watch the kids at a table while you get CS food or at a buffet.

Remember when we were all kids & Mom would just drop us off at the front gate with $5 and tell us where to be at closing time? My how times have changed

 

[Mama Who]

I generally don't helicopter, but I'm also not in that big of a public place that is that crowded alone. Just a little nervous. I'm sure it will all be fine.

Okay, let's look at the possibilities:

1) Someome could try to hurt him right there in the open area in front of a crowd of people. Unlikely. And he's old enough to yell and to be taken seriously if he does.

2) Someone could try to get him to go to a secondary location to hurt him out of view. Again, old enough to know better than to go and old enough that yelling, "You're not my Dad!" will be taken seriously.


I understand that it's hard to let them grow up- I just sent my teen on his first across town, unsupervised, public transit excursion, believe me, I get it! I really do think he will be absolutely fine.

 

[Disneymooner07]

This might be a bit unorthodox, but you could give him a cellphone and actually be on the phone with him while you go into the bathroom so that he will actually be "talking" to you while you're out of sight. (Tell him to keep talking or singing or whatever on his end and you don't have to reply You could use an earpiece or headphones so it doesn't freak out other people that you're on the phone while on the potty )

I know this arrangement sounds a bit odd, but at least for your peace of mind, you'd know what's happening with him in real-time if, god forbid, something were to happen and you could run out within a few seconds instead of finding out that he's missing several minutes later.

Just a thought

 

[Hannathy]

This might be a bit unorthodox, but you could give him a cellphone and actually be on the phone with him while you go into the bathroom so that he will actually be "talking" to you while you're out of sight. (Tell him to keep talking or singing or whatever on his end and you don't have to reply You could use an earpiece or headphones so it doesn't freak out other people that you're on the phone while on the potty )

I know this arrangement sounds a bit odd, but at least for your peace of mind, you'd know what's happening with him in real-time if, god forbid, something were to happen and you could run out within a few seconds instead of finding out that he's missing several minutes later.

Just a thought

Did you read he is 11? not 7 or 8 but 11. Most 11 yr olds are bigger than I am.

Plus do you know how embarrassed an 11 yr old boy would be to be talking to his Mom on the phone while she was using the bathroom!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

He is a super responsible kid. I trust him to babysit his brothers for a couple of hours--and that includes a 2 year old and an autistic 6 year old. I guess it's just that I used to work in an industry that watched police blotters and know (even beyond what hits the media), that boys are primarily assalted between 9-13 years of age, when by strangers. Many times attacked/kidnapped in crowded areas.

I generally don't helicopter, but I'm also not in that big of a public place that is that crowded alone. Just a little nervous. I'm sure it will all be fine.

I do like the idea of sending him in to the restroom at the same time regardless, so there is less open area time.

He's 11 and super responsible according to you. WDW bathrooms are busy with lots of other parents. He'll be fine. If someone tries something, all he has to do is yell and there will be dads rushing to help.

 

[Disneymooner07]

Did you read he is 11? not 7 or 8 but 11. Most 11 yr olds are bigger than I am.

Plus do you know how embarrassed an 11 yr old boy would be to be talking to his Mom on the phone while she was using the bathroom!

LOL, yes, I read that he's 11. (Though I have to say, not all 11 year olds are that big - my cousins' boys in that age range are very small for their age.) But I'm just trying to be helpful by brainstorming ways to alleviate the OP's stress and anxiety

I'm not saying that I would do it myself (also not saying I absolutely wouldn't, I don't have an 11 year old kid yet so I don't know how I'll feel by then), but I'm just trying to help her cut the apron strings...maybe one string at a time

 

[Disneymooner07]

I also just came across this article randomly, so never say never, right? Maybe OP's fears are not entirely unfounded...

"Police searching for man who grabbed 12-year-old boy in south city McDonald's bathroom"
http://fostercity.patch.com/article...-mcdonalds-bathroom?ncid=txtlnkuspatc00000003

 

[maxiesmom]

I also just came across this article randomly, so never say never, right? Maybe OP's fears are not entirely unfounded...

"Police searching for man who grabbed 12-year-old boy in south city McDonald's bathroom"
http://fostercity.patch.com/article...-mcdonalds-bathroom?ncid=txtlnkuspatc00000003

Note that that happened IN the bathroom. And there are way more people in the restrooms at WDW. The odds of someone trying something are slim to none, there are just always witnesses around.

 

[deegack]

Note that that happened IN the bathroom. And there are way more people in the restrooms at WDW. The odds of someone trying something are slim to none, there are just always witnesses around.

Exactly. If a kid was yelling in a Disney world bathroom my guess is there would be a dozen or so people, guests and CM, running to their aid before he took a breath.

 

[deegack]

Note that that happened IN the bathroom. And there are way more people in the restrooms at WDW. The odds of someone trying something are slim to none, there are just always witnesses around.

Exactly. If a kid was yelling in a Disney world bathroom my guess is there would be a dozen or so people, guests and CM, running to their aid before he took a breath.

 

[mjkacmom]

Remember when we were all kids & Mom would just drop us off at the front gate with $5 and tell us where to be at closing time? My how times have changed

You are right - things are safer, but parents are more paranoid! I navigated the MK alone at 9 (with my little pack of tickets). I'd let 11 year olds go off in the parks together (with a cell phone). I would certainly be comfortable having any child over the age of 5 or so wait outside the ladies room for me (maybe not at a empty truck stop...).