From your experience...how often to plan potty breaks in Disney

[ClaireN]

Taking newly potty trained son in July. He doesn't really have accidents but can wait until the last minute and get distracted. What are your procedures for potty breaks and how do you decide when to take them? Also, any "wish I'd known before" advice would be appreciated as well.

 

[bpesch]

We never plan potty breaks. I honestly can't think of anything I would like to do less than overstress about going to the restroom. We just take it as it comes, ask frequently and go when available.

 

[amandaw]

Taking newly potty trained son in July. He doesn't really have accidents but can wait until the last minute and get distracted. What are your procedures for potty breaks and how do you decide when to take them? Also, any "wish I'd known before" advice would be appreciated as well.

I've thought about this as well. My DS, who turned 3 in March, has just been potty-trained since Christmas. He does really well & very, very rarely has an accident. But just like yours, he can wait until the very last minute. While that is fine at home, it may not be ok in a crowded theme park. While I don't plan potty trips at home or when we're out & about around town, I am going with a bit of a plan for our upcoming trip. I am going to ask him often, plan potty trips for a minimum of every 2 or 2 1/2 hours & if we are about to go into a line or show that could be a while, then we'll potty right before. We'll see how that works. Of course, bring a change of clothes (including shoes), just in case. I always put mine in a ziplock bag. That way, you have a bag to put the dirty clothes into. Here's wishing both us trips without potty accidents!

 

[Virtucomp]

I agree with the tip about the plastic bags. We used to carry gallon sized ziplock bags in the bag when my kids had just potty trained. Extra clothes for accidents.

July will be warm and you want to make sure little ones do go too long without drinking water. I guess if he has an accident you know he is not dehydrating.

 

[areck]

Go knowing accidents happen. Be ready with a change of clothes. Treat it as no big deal. After all, the pace is out of his control. You'll be fine. No kid wants to have an accident.

 

[ratlenhum]

When my son was that age we carried 2 extra underwear and 2 extra shorts. We just asked him every time we passed a bathroom and any time DH or I went we took him in with us even if he said he didn't have to go. And some how, he always went when we took him in LOL We never had a problem. I think the little ones get so caught up they forget until the last minute but if you ask when you know a bathroom is right there or coming up it might make them think about it.

 

[Carina]

.... and any time DH or I went we took him in with us even if he said he didn't have to go. And some how, he always went when we took him in LOL

No specific advice, as my youngest is 12. And we did not travel when they were that age,

BUT When I read the advice above it reminded me, we always used to say, to all 3 of our kids, whenever they told us they didn't need to go (usually when we were taking another kid)...

"You don't need to go but you DO need to try" I must have said that line a million times when they were little, but it used to make them feel like they weren't being made to go if they didn'e have to, of course they ALWAYS tinkled EVERY TIME... But they didn't 'have to'

My 3 kids are close in age, and I really didn't have time in my life for their bladders to be on 3 different schedules.

Even now, on road trips they know they need to go when we stop for a break even if they don't "have to"

 

[xbatman]

Our DD was 4 the first time we went, so we didn't worry about accidents, but we did (and do) have the "when one goes, everyone goes" rule so we don't have to stop again a short while later.

 

[Klarah]

Now looking back I see, It must never be an issue for us because we are always going lol, Haha

When we pass it I ask it, (silly - meaning every restroom we pass I point it out and ask)
Oh, after we eat we all go before leaving the restaurant.
Oh and after the big thrill rides, seems like we always have to go and it seems that the restrooms are right there!
Oh and before we find a seat for the parade, etc. I dont like having my group leaving and 1 of us having to hold a spot for 5 etc.
Oh and we always go upon entering and exiting the park, defintly upon entering because we are all so excited and want to check our hair before the first pics of the day. lol

I took my newly potty trained 2 year old nephew last month (March 2011) to Magic Kingdom and finding a restroom never seemed an issue. I brought disposable full seat potty covers though,

 

[growinupdisney]

Every time we pass one I ask...but my dh goes what seems like every 30 min so my dd4 has plenty of opportunities!!!

 

[MichaelColey]

Both of my older ones (DD5 and DS8) have been potty trained for several years, but they both like to wait until the last minute. We never ask them if they need to go, but tell them that everyone is going now. We typically stop every 90-120 minutes (at a convenient time) for everyone to go, plus again before we leave the park (otherwise DD5 needs to go about 30 seconds after we pull out of the parking lot <G>).

 

[THEJOEL]

First of all bathrooms are EVERYWHERE and very easy to find.
Just go with it if they need to go...just go. My wife and I joked that she spent 1/3 of her time eating, 1/3 on rides and the remaining 1/3 of our trip in the bathroom with my DD4.

 

[dragonfly08]

My girls are 4 and 7 now, so this was less of an issue on our trip, but what I've learned is that planning stops and "making" them go simply doesn't work. They're very resistant to that. I just accept that I might be making mad dashes to the restroom at the last minute. If I know that it'll be a while before we'll have access to a toilet (before getting on line for the bus or a ride, for example), I might politely ask them to try and explain my reasoning. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't, but I don't push because otherwise I'll end up with a kid who won't ask to use the bathroom even when she has to, just to be difficult and not miss anything! When they were newly PT'd I simply carried spare underwear and pants whenever possible and let them drive the process. Good luck!

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

For my wife.....everytime we pass by one

The rest of the family has a much larger capacity

 

[WDWaddictsx4]

Part of the beauty of having a little one is the Rider Switch Pass. If he is not tall enough to ride an attraction, walk up to the CM at the attraction and request a switch pass. Agree with your other party-members on where to meet up, then take the little one to a restroom. Also, plan bathroom breaks before and after all meals, be they CS or TS. It's also not a bad idea to keep your eyes open for nearby restrooms just as you're walking through the park.

Good luck and congratulations on potty-training the little one!

 

[PHXscuba]

Our family also has the theme-park rule that everyone has to go in and try. Otherwise with four kids, we are in a bathroom after every ride! DS6 is one of those wait-until-you're-bursting-before-telling-me kids, so we have to convince them they need to try.

My mother was around one time when I had a newly potty-trained kid I was trying to coax into a bathroom. She showed them this analogy using a cup: "Your bladder is like this cup. Right now, for example, the cup is 90 percent full (and showed them). But you don't feel like you have to go right now. But as soon as we add a little water, then your cup wants to overflow (and you have to go right now). So why don't we go empty out your "cup" and start over?"

Kind of goofy, but it worked for a younger child to explain why to try going even when they don't feel bursting yet.

PHXscuba

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

No specific advice, as my youngest is 12. And we did not travel when they were that age,

BUT When I read the advice above it reminded me, we always used to say, to all 3 of our kids, whenever they told us they didn't need to go (usually when we were taking another kid)...

"You don't need to go but you DO need to try" I must have said that line a million times when they were little, but it used to make them feel like they weren't being made to go if they didn'e have to, of course they ALWAYS tinkled EVERY TIME... But they didn't 'have to'

My 3 kids are close in age, and I really didn't have time in my life for their bladders to be on 3 different schedules.

Even now, on road trips they know they need to go when we stop for a break even if they don't "have to"

Our DD was 4 the first time we went, so we didn't worry about accidents, but we did (and do) have the "when one goes, everyone goes" rule so we don't have to stop again a short while later.

We do this as well. We have 5, and though accidents are rare now, inevitably we will be in the last stages of waiting in line when someone has to go "RIGHT NOW!!!" I go often myself, so I always take the younger ones at least, and the older ones know that if they don't go when everyone else goes, they will have to hold it if we aren't able to go. They don't like holding it, so they often go when the rest of us go. I refuse to rule my life by having to visit every single bathroom in the world, as you know most children want to do! When we pass a bathroom, that is your chance. You better go while the gettin's good, b/c you may not be able to go again! Obviously that's harder with a newly potty trained kiddo. I would bring more than one change of clothes unless you are for sure going back to your room mid-day. For my kids it was like they would never have an accident for weeks, then in one day there would be like four. If you don't want to worry about the occasional accident, there's always pull-ups. I didn't like to switch back and forth once I trained a kid, but it's a tool that's there if you need it. Boy, if I let my kids run the show with potty times, I would be in the bathroom all the time. So glad they are getting older now and understand that even if you aren't ready to wet yourself, you can go potty. There's always some that can come out!

 

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

Now looking back I see, It must never be an issue for us because we are always going lol, Haha

When we pass it I ask it, (silly - meaning every restroom we pass I point it out and ask)
Oh, after we eat we all go before leaving the restaurant.
Oh and after the big thrill rides, seems like we always have to go and it seems that the restrooms are right there!
Oh and before we find a seat for the parade, etc. I dont like having my group leaving and 1 of us having to hold a spot for 5 etc.
Oh and we always go upon entering and exiting the park, defintly upon entering because we are all so excited and want to check our hair before the first pics of the day. lol

I took my newly potty trained 2 year old nephew last month (March 2011) to Magic Kingdom and finding a restroom never seemed an issue. I brought disposable full seat potty covers though,

Yup. That's the way we do it!! My DD5 gets so tired of hearing me say, "Here's the potty. Do you need to go?" and "Here's the potty. You have to at least try."

 

[brookmey]

Now looking back I see, It must never be an issue for us because we are always going lol, Haha

When we pass it I ask it, (silly - meaning every restroom we pass I point it out and ask)
Oh, after we eat we all go before leaving the restaurant.
Oh and after the big thrill rides, seems like we always have to go and it seems that the restrooms are right there!
Oh and before we find a seat for the parade, etc. I dont like having my group leaving and 1 of us having to hold a spot for 5 etc.
Oh and we always go upon entering and exiting the park, defintly upon entering because we are all so excited and want to check our hair before the first pics of the day. lol

We do the exact same thing. And we all try, whether we have to or not. DH and I also go, even if we don't have to, to show the kids that we ALL have to go, that it's something we ALL have to do. We usually drive from TX, so everytime we stop we all pile out to go. At first the kids got annoyed at me, but now it's become just part of our trip. They know we won't get in line for anything until everyone has used the bathroom. Oh, and when DS was just potty trained, I brought a change of clothes everywhere with us, plus a ziplock bag for wet clothes.

Taking a newly potty trained kid to WDW is a little tricky. Last year we went for spring break and DS was newly potty trained. It wasn't too difficult in the parks, but we also had to make sure DS went before riding a bus or a boat. In the parks I actually brought 2 sets of clothes for him, just in case. It's better to be safe than sorry!

 

[SmallWorld71]

My advice is to know the bathroom locations before you pick out a parade spot. While it may seem like bathrooms are everywhere when you are walking around, I remember waiting for Spectro with DD a number of years ago. She had to go twice while we were waiting and it was extremely difficult making it through the crowds to get to the closest restroom. We were in Liberty Square and had to use a restroom in Frontierland one time because it was near impossible to get back towards CHH. We were gone for about 1/2 hr. for a two minute potty trip and cut it pretty close to the start of the parade. Not to mention, that whoever you left behind has the not so easy task of holding on to your spots. If you can be near a restroom, it's so much easier.