I wanted to add an additional question related to the OP's questions: What is considered proper ettiquette for 'urgent' bathroom visits with the very young?
DD (almost 3) is potty trained, and we always visit the bathroom prior to shows and waits that may take longer, but sometimes she just has to go, pronto.
Is it alright to ask to take the next available stall (when there's a line) because your young child needs to use the bathroom, or risk having that accident? What do you think?
I would certainly allow another parent with a young child to go ahead in that situation, since I can relate, especially with the sometimes very long lines for the ladies'.
I can say that is someone with a small child asked me to go ahead I would say yes, as long as I wasn't feeling the need as urgently as the child in question.
This is part of the reason we waited to go to DL until our kids were older, we didn't want to have to worry about strollers or diapers or anything like that. When they were younger we just did 6 Flags.
I have elementary school kids both with special needs. It is important for people to remember just because a child "looks normal" you really don't know the situation ADD, ADHD, Autism, or underlying special needs like seizure disorder or certain types of sensory issues that can make waiting in extremely long lines tough. Also "holding it" is dangerous for everyone and some people forget to go until its a gotta go right now situation (Especially teachers and medical personnel) who habitually have to "hold it".
Now in my family it has become habit to not walk past a bathroom without everyone trying, however there are still those moment when 5 minutes later someone has to go
.
I think the best way to think about things like the golden rule: Just ask how would I feel about ... and go with your gut. No one is going to please everyone 100% of the time.
Have a magical time and tons of fun!
Kris
Make sure you get a GAC if your family has someone with these special needs, it will cut down on wait time for some rides, not all but some. It won't help for the bathroom but it will help for other things.
I personally dont mind, If you've got the resources (meaning someone to hold your place in line.) use them. why sacrifice your time and your families in the park just all standing in line. You've come here to experience the park as a whole so do what you gotta do. I may sound cocky but thats the way it is. I didnt spend 200+ dollars to just stand in line.
No, I know it may sound harsh but thats just the way I feel. If I were to be standing in line and someone, was to pass me to try and catch up to their family I honestly wouldnt mind as long as they did it politely. Yeah If they go pushing me aside with out excusing themselves then yes I will say something.
I think you may have mis read my post, if youre implying by what I said that I use this "line jumping" you are mistaken. I dont have to worry about being ousted any more than you do when Im in the park. I simply said, that if someone were to do this, AS long as they did it politely I personally wouldnt mind it. It may have been my mistake to go into so much detail but thats the only point I was trying to reach. Nor that my time is more valuable than anyone elses in the park.
I think you mis-stated in your first post. Your first post reads as if you would hold the line for someone in your party or expect someone to hold the line for you because you paid $200. Well I paid more because I've got an AP, or because I've got a 6 day park hopper, but I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to be OK with me pushing through the line because I didn't want to wait. I think what you meant to say was what you said in your second post.
I definitely think it's okay to take your younger ones out if they need some space, especially when waiting for rides like Star Tours that can get a bit warm and tight. This post made me think of my family who travels in large packs and when the group ranges from 8 to 82, it is inevitable that someone will have to go at some point. When we do need to leave the line we go in as small as group as possible and always try to be strategic when trying to reenter the line. Sometimes that means going to the exit and letting the cast members know you got split from your group. This leaves the least amount of people inconvenienced. But now I wonder, when the older kids split from the real young and the real old, sometimes we get halfway to the front and get thirsty so we will send a runner? Do people find this rude? I mean, they were in line before so it's not like they just appeared.
Also, when you have a group of ten or more 15+ year olds coming through the line, that was not a group that had to go to the bathroom at the same time, they had a place holder and I agree that's rude. However, in Disney spirit we never say anything and politely just move to the side of the line.
I carry a bottle of water with me throughout the parks, so does DBF, so do the kids. DBF generally has 2 or 3 bottles, I tend to have 1 or 2, the girls will have 1 or 2 as well. This means if we get thirsty halfway through the line we have something to drink on hand. I would find that an unnecessary reason to leave the line and re-enter, however, if it was done by just 1 person then it's more reasonable.
I think that cell phones are one of the world's worst inventions. They make people incredibly rude.
Texting and walking on a busy day at the park isn't a good combination. It drives me crazy when adults are playing on their phone while waiting in line with their kids. Isn't part of the point of going to amusement parks about spending time with loved ones? And yes, on rides, it is so rude! I think that you can wait until you get your family off of the Small World ride to call daddy and check in and have a visit about the meaning of life, etc.
It also drives me bonkers when 4 or 5 people cut in front of me to go looking for their family. Sometimes I wonder if they really have family at the front of the line.
Ok but don't just assume that adults are ignoring their kids when they are "playing" on their cell phones. I play games with my kids via the cell phone(s), we play in line, yes it might look like we are ignoring each other but in reality we are playing back and forth. In general I agree with you, but it really annoys me when people say things like "pay attention to your kids" or "get off your phone" or "talk to the people you're with instead of being so self-centered". I then have the pleasure of saying to those people "I'm playing a game with my kid(s), how is that being self-centered or ignoring my kid(s)?" lol Cell phones don't make people rude, the people who are rude with them would be rude without them.
I too get frustrated with those who push past "looking for their family", it's my general decision that the majority of them don't have family at the front of the line, rather they simply don't want to wait so push past and then they get to a certain point and just stop. I do know that if someone did that and stopped in front of me I would say something to the CM's working the ride.
I am soooo looking forward to the day when all 6 of my children will be able to fully dress themselves, bathe themselves, and use the potty on vacation. 
