family restrooms?

[ArwenMarie]

At the end of the day, we will all do what we want to do or think is appropriate for our kids. No snide comment or dirty look is going to change that for me. I would not want to break a rule or a law but in this case, it's not a rule or the law. The pictures of the sign on the companion restrooms shows everyone can use it. It doesn't say anywhere on there that it is for ONLY the handicapped/disabled. Maybe they need to put an ONLY sign along with it.

They don't put an ONLY sign because it's not only for the disabled. I do think you are supposed to let a disabled person go first though, but that might just be etiquette.

 

[SpringSprite]

So I don't think those signs on disney's restrooms are all that clear if they are meant to convey that they are for handicapped use only.

I agree. I am a mom of two boys who are 5 and 3 - the 5 year old still occasionally needs help with wiping, and the 3 year old is not yet potty trained, is in pull ups. When I am without my husband, I would absolutely use these bathrooms, and would feel justified. I do take my boys into the stall with me when possible, but sometimes all three of us don't fit. And if were to take them into the women's room with me, and leave them outside the stall (which I'll do as long as I can see their feet), the three year old doesn't yet fully obey the "no looking under stalls" rule. So what am I supposed to do?

 

[DisGirl819]

I have seen restrooms in airports and other public places with the same signs as the companion restrooms at wdw. Many of them also are labeled family/companion. I was under the impression they were the same in wdw but without the signage. I have used them with my small children when we were near one and we all needed to go. I would let a handicapped person use it over myself with small children but the signs do not say handicapped only and I assumed that they were like the family/companion restrooms I have encountered elsewhere. That said, OP, at nine I'm surprised your son doesn't ask to use them men's room. My four year old asks to go alone. Depending on the location I will let him. I haven't in wdw yet because of how busy it is but at 9 I would expect my son to use the men's room.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

These are Companion Bathroom signs. Two adults male/female and a wheelchair. No children in the picture as children's needs can mostly be met in a traditional bathroom. There are adults that need assistance of someone (companion) of the opposite sex and therefore it is inappropriate for them the take that person into the traditional bathroom. There are guests who's equipment can not fit into the handicapped stall particularly if they need someone with them. There are those with a disabling condition that requires them to have a sink in close proximity to the toileting area. There are guests who are older children but due to special issues not toilet trained and therefore may need some changing that can only be handled in the larger space.

There are many guests with special needs in the parks who NEED the Companion bathrooms, there are very few of them and it is disappointing to see guests using it because it's convenient or telling others they are Family Restrooms. My one exception is a Dad that is traveling alone with a little girl as men's room have urinals.

As a Mom who travels alone often with my 30 year old DS who is very disabled and can not go into the Men's room alone - these Companion bathrooms are our ONLY choice. There are not many of them, and if he has to go we often have to travel quite a distance just to get to one. It is difficult when the bathroom is tied up by those who don't require it and you can usually tell because when they open the door and see my DS waiting there - they become embarrassed, look at the ground, apologize and hold the door open for us. If I have my DH or other DS with me, we don't use them either, they take him in the regular bathroom. I guess until you are the person who really needs them - maybe you don't get how important they are to others.

I have never noticed these bathrooms and after doing a quick google search it appears like the only place you can find them are in a Disney park. I only looked quick but everything I saw had something to do with Disney. It is possible that some people have used them and not even realized what they were. When you look quick at them it seems like they are a unisex, handicapped accessible restroom. I do not doubt there are people that don't care and just use them. It seems though that most of them are near the rest of the restrooms. I know if I was looking for a restroom in a hurry and saw that sign it might not register because I am fortunate enough not to have to think about needing a companion bathroom. I am aware now and will keep a watch out that I don't inadvertently use one. In case anyone is looking the wdw site does have a map where they all are and it lists the companion ones as well.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/restrooms/

Again, as a former CM who was responsible for these restrooms, they are not there solely for the use of the handicapped. They are there for those needing a companion. Disney put them there for parents who have multiple children that they would need to keep an eye on but would not be able to in one of the regular restrooms. They are there for dads who need to take their young daughter to the rest room. They are there for the disabled who travel with a friend or relative who assists them in using the restroom. They were not intended to be exclusively for one group or another. They are there for the guests who, for whatever reason, find using the regular restroom to be difficult.

 

[Gracie09]

Ah so as long as the situation works for your child then that must be how it is for everyone? What if you next placement is a boy that was molested in the bathroom whose ptsd incidents are triggered by men in the bathroom? Would you send him alone into a crowded mens room? or would you send your fire starter? Or the child you know is a peeper or acts out? Every childs history and experience is different. None of us controls what other people do, but we do decide for our own kids.... not to mention the consequences of severe neglect.... so lets not pretend everyone is afraid of the mythical bogey man. They may have very real reasons that aren't your business. Oh and since many Disney visitors are non English speakers, would you send your child put of sight on a crowded park in a foreign country? One known for a high crime rate and murders?

And that is why they have companion restrooms! If you can't take your eyes off a child I assume he's in the same stall as you? Because everything you list he can do while you are in the toilet with your pants around your ankles and there is nothing you can do at that point to stop him. Or are you saying it's ok to not supervise the child while he's in the women's room? And every one should just suck it up?
But we are talking about the ops apparently "normal" English speaking tween in a restroom that is not designated for his gender. At some point the girls/women's right to semi privacy in a gender appropriate restroom take precedence over a Mommys fear of her tween going to the bathroom.

 

[Gracie09]

What a terribly dismissive tone you took with that. Thanks for belittling my young teen daughter's concerns and feelings.

But they're girls. They should understand ::eyeroll::

 

[lauritagoddess]

To address the OP's question about what other moms with sons do in this situation, is that at some point my DS just started going into the men's room on his own. The first time he went on his own was on a Disney cruise actually when he was 6. I think I started letting him regularly go into a men's room on his own when he was about 7-8. At the beginning our rule was that he had to let me know before he went in if he was just going for a quick visit or longer. If he was just going in to pee, then I expected him out quickly. If he wasn't out quickly, then I told him that he should expect me to call in to him and that he should answer and that if he didn't I would just come into the men's room looking for him. I think he was aghast at that idea and was pretty good with getting in and out. I also told him that he was never to talk to anyone in the men's room, that if anyone tried to start a conversation with him in there that he was to leave immediately, even if he was at the urinal in the middle of peeing. On our last trip to WDW, he told me some guy did start talking to him while he was washing his hands because he'd noticed the Hidden Mickey book he was holding and asked him about it, but he said he just walked out when that happened. Oh, and I do have him carry a cell phone now when we're in the parks, but especially if he's going off to a men's room that's some distance from where I am. One time before he used to have one, he was a long time coming back from because there was unusually a line there, and I was getting worried by the time he came back. This way he can just tell if there's a line or other delay.

 

[Iowajes]

I also told him that he was never to talk to anyone in the men's room, that if anyone tried to start a conversation with him in there that he was to leave immediately, even if he was at the urinal in the middle of peeing. On our last trip to WDW, he told me some guy did start talking to him while he was washing his hands because he'd noticed the Hidden Mickey book he was holding and asked him about it, but he said he just walked out when that happened.

I worked at a coed daycare that did field trips. We stood directly outside the door, and if they took too long yelled in. I never had to enter a bathroom, but if a kid didn't yell back, I would have. We taught the boys about the same thing- leave the bathroom immediately, don't stop to wash your hands, if someone starts a conversation with you while peeing. However we taught them to say "I can't talk to strangers in the bathroom" if they were washing their hands, finish up then leave. If the person didn't stop talking to them, walk out immediately.

Because pretty much no "normal" man is going to talk to another man or boy doing their business- it is just not part of the etiquette of a bathroom. But many friendly people, with no ill intent, will talk to a boy washing up, or try to help him reach the soap or paper towels and start a conversation. It is only after they are cued to the 'stranger danger in a bathroom' that many men even realize it might have been seen as a problem.

We started letting the boys go in alone at age 7. IMO, age 8+ is to old for a women's restroom. If the US would stop with the stalls with giant gaps in them, then it would be fine if they went in the stall with their mother (face the door while the mother goes), but since you can easily see in most stalls, it just isn't appropriate.

 

[JanaDee]

My youngest daughter is disabled and I hardly EVER find the handicapped stall empty when we need it. Just about every time we arrive, it's occupied by a mom with child in a stroller.

We don't receive any apologies either.

The stalls are handicap accessible, not handicap ONLY. I wouldn't apologize for using that stall, either.

 

[Crl1817]

Again, as a former CM who was responsible for these restrooms, they are not there solely for the use of the handicapped. They are there for those needing a companion. Disney put them there for parents who have multiple children that they would need to keep an eye on but would not be able to in one of the regular restrooms. They are there for dads who need to take their young daughter to the rest room. They are there for the disabled who travel with a friend or relative who assists them in using the restroom. They were not intended to be exclusively for one group or another. They are there for the guests who, for whatever reason, find using the regular restroom to be difficult.

Thank you. I will let dh know about these and that they are okay for him to use with our 4 year old dd.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Thank you. I will let dh know about these and that they are okay for him to use with our 4 year old dd.

Absolutely!

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

Again, as a former CM who was responsible for these restrooms, they are not there solely for the use of the handicapped. They are there for those needing a companion. Disney put them there for parents who have multiple children that they would need to keep an eye on but would not be able to in one of the regular restrooms. They are there for dads who need to take their young daughter to the rest room. They are there for the disabled who travel with a friend or relative who assists them in using the restroom. They were not intended to be exclusively for one group or another. They are there for the guests who, for whatever reason, find using the regular restroom to be difficult.

I am not disagreeing with you. The point I was trying to make was that most people probably don't even realize that this may be the only option for some people. These signs look like they are handicap accessible and also unisex. I would not have known that this is some people's only option. When I look at those signs I immediately think family restroom. I agree that it should be deferred to the use of handicapped individuals however I see nothing wrong with others using it when it is necessary.

 

[minnie mum]

And, again, this thread is about non-existent family bathrooms. It's not about handicap stall etiquette.

I would disagree. First, as JennaDeeDooDah has repeatedly posted (as a former CM who should know), family bathrooms DO exist in the form of the posted companion bathrooms. And the handicap stalls in the gender specific restrooms are an alternative for some guests.

Neither of these facilities are marked with an ONLY sign on them, nor were they intended that way.

Unlike the handicap parking spaces at your local mall, the handicap stall in public washrooms are there for the use of those guests who require the additional space and facilities therein. But they are not required to remain vacant when not in use by a disabled guest in a wheelchair. I require the use of the handicap stall. I wait in line just like everyone else. When it is my turn, I use that stall. Do I get upset if I go into a bathroom, see a line of people in front of me, and see one of those people go into the handicap stall? Of course not. Many people other than those in wheelchairs need that stall. Including mothers with children that for whatever reason can't be left alone while they do their business.

The same thing applies to the companion restrooms. Must they be left vacant unless you are a mixed gender duo/group and one of you is severely disabled? No. Of course it is there for the use of those guests. But it is also for the use of those guests who have a valid need for multiple people in the room at the same time. Like a parent with an opposite sex child. Or a single parent with multiple small children who can't be left unattended.

The Disboards is known for its entertaining rants by self entitled guests with unrealistic expectations. I would assert that one could be characterized as self entitled or having unrealistic expectations if you get all up in arms because you have to wait a few minutes because someone else is using "your" companion bathroom or "your" handicap stall when you need one. Or because you have determined that your need is so much greater than the other persons. Being entitled to use a facility doesn't mean you don't have to wait your turn just like everyone else.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I am not disagreeing with you. The point I was trying to make was that most people probably don't even realize that this may be the only option for some people. These signs look like they are handicap accessible and also unisex. I would not have known that this is some people's only option. When I look at those signs I immediately think family restroom. I agree that it should be deferred to the use of handicapped individuals however I see nothing wrong with others using it when it is necessary.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear on why I quoted you along with the other poster. You had pointed out that you could only find information on companion restrooms at Disney. Since I was a Disney cast member who dealt with those restrooms, and they are something rather special that Disney offers, I wanted to share what information I was given when I was being trained about what they were used for. In no way was I trying to say you were wrong. Just trying to help the other posters understand that this is a Disney thing (as you pointed out) and that it is their intent that they be used by anyone who could benefit from them.

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear on why I quoted you along with the other poster. You had pointed out that you could only find information on companion restrooms at Disney. Since I was a Disney cast member who dealt with those restrooms, and they are something rather special that Disney offers, I wanted to share what information I was given when I was being trained about what they were used for. In no way was I trying to say you were wrong. Just trying to help the other posters understand that this is a Disney thing (as you pointed out) and that it is their intent that they be used by anyone who could benefit from them.

No problem. It was late when I posted that so I may not have made sense.

 

[HM]

When I took my son to WDW by myself and he was in 4th grade, I let him use the men's room while I stood outside. We also took advantage of the companion rest room near Morocco. Mostly though, he has a camel bladder and could wait until we went back to the room mid-day.

 

[bwang123]

If you search google images, it shows a picture of a wheelchair with a man and a woman and states Companion Restroom. It does not show a picture of a baby, etc. that should lead anyone to believe that it is a 'family' restroom.

the companion bathrooms have a changing table which i assume would be for babies. not sure it could hold an adult or someone in a wheelchair.

 

[hsmamainva]

The stalls are handicap accessible, not handicap ONLY. I wouldn't apologize for using that stall, either.

If the average park visitor is waiting in line at the restroom, and I'm waiting in line with my daughter, they could take the very next door that opens. I don't have that option. I'm waiting in line for one stall.

Granted, those necessary wait times are better at Disney! Which usually does have more than one handicapped stall. It's much worse in the general public area where there's only one.

I apologize for being touchy about it.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I would disagree. First, as JennaDeeDooDah has repeatedly posted (as a former CM who should know), family bathrooms DO exist in the form of the posted companion bathrooms. And the handicap stalls in the gender specific restrooms are an alternative for some guests.

Neither of these facilities are marked with an ONLY sign on them, nor were they intended that way.

Unlike the handicap parking spaces at your local mall, the handicap stall in public washrooms are there for the use of those guests who require the additional space and facilities therein. But they are not required to remain vacant when not in use by a disabled guest in a wheelchair. I require the use of the handicap stall. I wait in line just like everyone else. When it is my turn, I use that stall. Do I get upset if I go into a bathroom, see a line of people in front of me, and see one of those people go into the handicap stall? Of course not. Many people other than those in wheelchairs need that stall. Including mothers with children that for whatever reason can't be left alone while they do their business.

The same thing applies to the companion restrooms. Must they be left vacant unless you are a mixed gender duo/group and one of you is severely disabled? No. Of course it is there for the use of those guests. But it is also for the use of those guests who have a valid need for multiple people in the room at the same time. Like a parent with an opposite sex child. Or a single parent with multiple small children who can't be left unattended.

The Disboards is known for its entertaining rants by self entitled guests with unrealistic expectations. I would assert that one could be characterized as self entitled or having unrealistic expectations if you get all up in arms because you have to wait a few minutes because someone else is using "your" companion bathroom or "your" handicap stall when you need one. Or because you have determined that your need is so much greater than the other persons. Being entitled to use a facility doesn't mean you don't have to wait your turn just like everyone else.

VERY well said, I totally agree

 

[JanaDee]

If the average park visitor is waiting in line at the restroom, and I'm waiting in line with my daughter, they could take the very next door that opens. I don't have that option. I'm waiting in line for one stall.

Granted, those necessary wait times are better at Disney! Which usually does have more than one handicapped stall. It's much worse in the general public area where there's only one.

I apologize for being touchy about it.

People with strollers don't have another option, either. What do you expect them to do?

If no one is waiting for the handicap accessible stall and I'm next in line, I'm going to use it.