Crohns disease and Disney...and bathrooms

[lookame]

I'm so excited my parents are taking me, my son and my fiance to Disney in October. It's an exciting time since my son will be turning 5(a couple of weeks before we go) it'll be my son's and my fiance's first time at Disney and my fiance and I will be celebrating our anniversary(2 years engaged lol) Anyway onto my question...
August 2010 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as crohns disease. My question is about bathrooms. Are there generally long lines for the bathrooms? Are there several easily accessable bathrooms? I'm worried that I'll get the urge to need to go (and with the disease it's not oh I have to go...it's I have to go RIGHT NOW!) and there will be a huge line for the bathroom or I'll have to go in search of a bathroom. Any tips?

 

[livndisney]

I'm so excited my parents are taking me, my son and my fiance to Disney in October. It's an exciting time since my son will be turning 5(a couple of weeks before we go) it'll be my son's and my fiance's first time at Disney and my fiance and I will be celebrating our anniversary(2 years engaged lol) Anyway onto my question...
August 2010 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as crohns disease. My question is about bathrooms. Are there generally long lines for the bathrooms? Are there several easily accessable bathrooms? I'm worried that I'll get the urge to need to go (and with the disease it's not oh I have to go...it's I have to go RIGHT NOW!) and there will be a huge line for the bathroom or I'll have to go in search of a bathroom. Any tips?

No worries, there is ALWAYS another bathroom! Some bathrooms may have lines, but often there is another bathroom nearby. I would plan and locate all the bathrooms for a park ahead of time. Circle them on the map so if you encounter a line, you can move on to the next one. For example-have to go after the Peter Pan ride? There is a bathroom near the line. If that one is full, Columbia House next door has a restroom.

There are also bathroom outside the park for before and after riding the bus.

 

[SueM in MN]

Also be aware of when things END.

After a parade, fireworks or any large show that holds many people, a large number of those people will be heading to the bathroom.
Those times, there may be long lines. That is also true in the 15 minutes or so before a parade or fireworks start because people will try to use the bathroom quickly before the parade or what ever starts.

As livndisney mentioned, there are many restrooms and they are pretty well marked on the park maps, so you are never far away from one.
This website may be helpful to you - she took pictures and made notes about all the restrooms at WDW. She has not updated it, so some restrooms may have changed their decor or some of the layout, but it is a good reference in general.

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

 

[lookame]

Thanks I've been worried about that since my parents booked the vacay. The nice thing is my parents are trying to book a room with two bathrooms in case one morning I don't feel very good. It normally calms down around noon after I've taken my medicine but some days it doesn't like to cooperate so knowing about the bathrooms in advance is super helpful

 

[Donut23]

Thanks I've been worried about that since my parents booked the vacay. The nice thing is my parents are trying to book a room with two bathrooms in case one morning I don't feel very good. It normally calms down around noon after I've taken my medicine but some days it doesn't like to cooperate so knowing about the bathrooms in advance is super helpful

I suffer as well. I remember a trip to EPCOT where I visited EVERY ladies room surrounding World Showcase.

DH and I have been traveling to WDW and DL for years so we know all the locations. I suggest when you arrive, take a copy of each park map back to the room. Take a moment and circle each bathroom location on each park map so in a crisis.....you can see them quickly.

There ARE many.....and some are very much out of the way. Earlier advice was great advice. Stay away from main locations after fireworks or a parade.

You will be fine! Have a wonderfully magical trip!

 

[ireland_nicole]

my DM has Chron's, and also has had a bowel resection, so def. needs to go NOW often. She keeps on her meds, and has talked to her MD on how to titrate her meds if she has a flare while on vacay. Also, and this may be too personal, but she wears a poise pad positioned properly for her, and carries a change of bottoms in a ziploc JIC. FWIW, she's never needed them, because the bathrooms really are plentiful and we know where all of them are LOL, but she likes having the peace of mind of knowing that she won't need to be embarrased to interrupt her touring day in a worst case scenario.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I have been in rest rooms also when a women would very politely request to go ahead of someone. Everyone was so nice and she was very grateful. Might not always be that way or the best solution but in a pinch you could make the request. I have seen pregnant women do the same.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

You'll also want to be aware of the length of some attractions. Carousel of Progess and Ellen's Energy Adventure come to mind. EEA particularly because once that ride starts, you are effectively stuck and you will hear numerous warnings that if you don't think you can be on that ride for 38 minutes (I believe) get off before it starts.

I think you'd be wise to take advantage of FPs (everyone should but anyway) You can really cut down your wait time in lines using them and that could be important to you with having Crohns. It's not like you can't leave the line, but I figure it's probably better to just get through the line quicker than having to get in say Soarin' or TSM's ridiculousness then have to turn around and hightail it out of there.

You may also want to think about things like Maharajah Jungle Trek and the african walking trail who's name completely escapes me right now. I don't think there's restrooms along those trails and it may be a hike to get to one should the need arise.

 

[SueM in MN]

You'll also want to be aware of the length of some attractions. Carousel of Progess and Ellen's Energy Adventure come to mind. EEA particularly because once that ride starts, you are effectively stuck and you will hear numerous warnings that if you don't think you can be on that ride for 38 minutes (I believe) get off before it starts.

I think you'd be wise to take advantage of FPs (everyone should but anyway) You can really cut down your wait time in lines using them and that could be important to you with having Crohns. It's not like you can't leave the line, but I figure it's probably better to just get through the line quicker than having to get in say Soarin' or TSM's ridiculousness then have to turn around and hightail it out of there.

You may also want to think about things like Maharajah Jungle Trek and the african walking trail who's name completely escapes me right now. I don't think there's restrooms along those trails and it may be a hike to get to one should the need arise.

Good points.
This link takes you to a page about Ride length - a list of how long attractions last.

As LockStockBarrel mentioned, some of the long ones have no way to leave once it has started. The biggest ones are Ellen’s Energy Adventure at Epcot, Carousel of Progress at MK, Star Tours at the Studio and the Backstage Tour at the Studio.

 

[snorris49]

i don't have a lot to add, other than agreeing with PP's. I also have Crohn's and am at WDW a lot. I also try to find some quiet / secluded spots for restrooms when I need them (if I can). My "favorites" include the bathroom between future world and the Mexico pavilion (in the now defunct Odyssey building), ones hidden at the boardwalk, Japan pavilion, one right by the guest services at MK, etc. The great thing is that there are so many restrooms that you can usually get to one if the other is busy. I usually avoid the restrooms at the beginning of the park, if I can (the one in MK is usually sooo busy). Overall though, unless it's after a parade or fireworks, you usually don't have to wait.

 

[SDSorority]

i don't have a lot to add, other than agreeing with PP's. I also have Crohn's and am at WDW a lot. I also try to find some quiet / secluded spots for restrooms when I need them (if I can). My "favorites" include the bathroom between future world and the Mexico pavilion (in the now defunct Odyssey building), ones hidden at the boardwalk, Japan pavilion, one right by the guest services at MK, etc. The great thing is that there are so many restrooms that you can usually get to one if the other is busy. I usually avoid the restrooms at the beginning of the park, if I can (the one in MK is usually sooo busy). Overall though, unless it's after a parade or fireworks, you usually don't have to wait.

I was just going to ask where some secluded bathrooms are!! I don't have crohn's, though one of my best friends does. I have anxiety, especially 'bathroom' anxiety, and like to try to find ones that are not tremendously busy. Thanks for the tips on places to look!!

 

[TJMunk]

Also, one of the things you may want to think about is if you have to exit a queue and how to meet up with your party again. I might suggest going to GR, letting them know you have a medical condition that may require you to leave a queue quickly to take care of your needs, and then meet up with your party again. You'd like to meet up with them back in the queue once your needs are taken care of, if you can, so that you can still ride the attraction. I don't know if they would have any suggestions or ideas, but it's worth a try.

-TJMunk

 

[lookame]

Wow! thanks so much for all of you helpful tips. This certainly puts my mind at ease. For the most part the disease is maintained with a coarse of several daily pills it's just a little more frustraiting in the mornings so any long rides can be saved till later in the day. I can also take an immodium if my crohns is looking particularly evil that day.

Thanks so much you guys are awesome!