How much danger are the kids in??

[Belle1962]

For some reason I seem to recall that Disney keeps a leash on crime stats that actually happen "on property".

As far as boys going into women's restrooms---as the mother of a son (now 23) I took my son with me. When he was younger--I went in the stall with him. As he got older I would make him "go" at the same time. I put him in the stall next to me and told him to not leave it until he heard me knocking on the door. If he "refused" or didn't have to go--I made him stand in front of my stall so that I could always have an eye on his shoes. If the stall next to me was not free and he had to be a few down I made him sing a song to me--as long as he was singing I knew he was still there--didn't really care if it bothered people or not.

But if you bring your son into the women's room--make sure he is not peeking into all the stalls. I can not STAND to see another person's child "eyeball" me through the cracks while I am doing my business.

I have often seen daddies at the mall and other places (even Disney) with the Daddy-Daughter dilema---I often offer to "keep an eye" on the girl for Dad if he wants to send her to the women's room (providing they are old enough to be self sufficent, ya know what I mean )

 

[daystar]

Hi,
My ds is six years old and i still take him into the ladies room with me...Like Belle1962, i to put my son in the stall beside me or make him stand infront of the door so i can see his shoes....As much as he hates to go in the girls restrooms he would say, i do it for his safety....You never know what's lurking out there....

 

[java]

I am taking my twin daughters(8) there in May and would never let them go anywhere alone! This is a twisted world and I refuse to let my guard down. I feel sorry for the little girl and her family. I hope and pray that degenerate gets what he rightfully deserves. Did they find out who the girl was and catch the person responsible?

I just read that they are thinking it is a family member because of the amount of pictures over time. I read on a local news site that Disney cooperated fully with the investigation. The police found the pictures online and were trying to locate where the abuse occured- they released the photos and Disney recognized the room as the Port Orleans. As many of them are decorated differently they are trying to pinpoint the room and go from there. This whole thing is just horrible.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I found this thread interesting and I hope nobody takes this the worng way- So here goes... I often feel that people have a false sense of security becasue they are in WDW. I too have been guikty of it as well. After all, it is the happiest place on earth! But my girlfriend and I were one day talking about just this subject and we both agreed that WDW would be the perfect place for some pervert to go. A huge crowd, anonymity, tons of kids etc. I agree that each child is different and packs of teeneagers are probably okay together although we were never allowed to go it alone. I would definetly take my kids into the bathroom with me. No question about it. I know somebody mentioned already over crowded bathrooms, but I have never seen a full bathroom anywhere in WDW. (just my experience). Overall, I think that you should follow the same rules at WDW that you would at home. Don't let it lull you into complacency. It is a magical place, but it is still an amusement park. Please, no flames, just trying to show a different perspective.

 

[wdwdasiy]

Okay, I fully agree with all that has been said. You must keep your children safe no matter what. This brings me to my question. I have DS2 who loves to move! All the time! I want him to be free to walk around some while we are in the parks and not be in the stroller the whole time. I was thinking of getting a "kid leash". What do some of you think? Of course I would have my eyes and hands on him at all times but if he runs into a crowd or toward something he sees (which he is known to do) I don't want to lose him. What do some of you think? Is this a good idea for a boy who runs or would people look at me strange or should I do what feels right and safe and not care if people think I'm off my rocker?

Thanks for any help!
Jason's mom

 

[daystar]

Hi,
My ds was just so busy and always on the go from the day he could walk till now at age six....At first i thought it was cruel to put my child on a kid leash but as time went and he didn't want to sit in his stroller any more....I thought more about it....I tried it with just letting him walk with me but that did not work...If you let go of his hand for a second he was gone...
I went to a local store, i think it was walmart and picked one up...We were going to a amusement park that week...My biggest worry is he walk off and someone picking him up...So i did use the kid leash and he did well with it until he got old enough to unvelcor it...He loved not being in the stroller and not having to hold my hand...I guess in some way it like they have a little bit of freedom....
I think in a crowded place it will come to good use if he's not in a stroller...I had many looks and comments good and bad about the leash....My only concern was the safety for my child...

 

[EthansMom]

and loved it for my son when he was 18 months and we went to Disney Land. I had several people who stopped me and asked where I got it. I have one that velcros around the childs chest and the leash part attaches at the back. It's very secure and gives the toddler plenty of range and independence. I think mine is made by Safety First.

At any rate, I plan to take the harness with us in April to Disney World as I expect my baby girl will have started toddling by then.



I recently went into the women's room at a local shopping mall and was somewhat surprised to see a boy of about 11-12 years old washing his hands as I was entering. As I came out to wash my hands, this boy was leaving with his mom and sister. I was taken aback at first, but realized that I'm not sure I would want my son using the men's room on his own at that age, either. Also, as long as no one is peeking at me, it's no big deal.

EthansMom

 

[G00fyDad]

If i tried to use that harness thing on DS2 it would be either one of two BAD experiences. Either it would be like strapping a leash on a cat or I would be playing "Drag the Kid". I'd rather just keep him in a stroller. I think DW is taking one but hey, that's her headache. I want no part of it. Hopefully your little one will be more easy going with it than my little whirlwind of energy.

 

[Ellester]

Besides, Disney has "family" restrooms everywhere. Why is this even an issue?

The only one I remember seeing was at the entrance to WS in Epcot. They are actually few and far between. Plus, I believe they are technically "companion" restrooms for people with disabilities that need help in there. I have two dd's and I agree that I would much rather they not go in the bathroom with my DH and the urinals. But since they are 6 and 3, there is no way they are going in there alone if I am not around. And when your 3 year old says "I have to go" running around to find a companion bathroom is not often a reasonable option.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The only one I remember seeing was at the entrance to WS in Epcot. They are actually few and far between. Plus, I believe they are technically "companion" restrooms for people with disabilities that need help in there. I have two dd's and I agree that I would much rather they not go in the bathroom with my DH and the urinals. But since they are 6 and 3, there is no way they are going in there alone if I am not around. And when your 3 year old says "I have to go" running around to find a companion bathroom is not often a reasonable option.

There is a companion restroom in the Cinderella Castle on the ground level. And anyone who needs help, whether it is a handicapped person or smaller children should be able to use them.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is a companion restroom in the Cinderella Castle on the ground level. And anyone who needs help, whether it is a handicapped person or smaller children should be able to use them.

They are technically not Family Restrooms (especially at MK). Technically, they are Companion Assist Restrooms for people who have need to have someone with them in the stall and/or need to have a wheelchair in the stall with them. They are also very helpful for situations where an adult doesn't want to take an opposite sex child into the restoom with them.

Almost NONE of the handicapped stalls in MK and Ecpot are large enough to get a wheelchair into the stall and close the door, much less have someone in the stall to assist, so almost none of the handicapped stalls in the restrooms are really accessible. The last time I counted, there were 8 total companion restrooms in all of MK. So, that means for someone who needs their wheelchair in with them or someone who needs an assistant in the with them, there are a total of 8 stalls in MK that they can use.
Epcot (being an older park), is almost as bad.
AK and the Studio are much better. Since they are newer parks, most of their restrooms do have a stall that a wheelchair can fit in, or enough room in the stall for a same sex assistant to help in the stall.

When we were at WDW last March, we often had to wait to use the Companion Restroom. Since we need to have DD's wheelchair (and me) in the stall to help her, we don't have a choice, we can't use any other stalls. Often, when she needed to use the restroom, we had to travel quite a ways to get to one of the Companion ones, passing regular restrooms that we couldn't use on the way.
I am not making any judgements here, because I don't know the facts. But it appeared that most of the people who came out or were waiting in line to use the Companion Restroom could have chosen to use the regular restroom, either a regular stall or the handicapped stall in the regular restroom (ambulatory male by himself, male with a small boy, woman with a small girl, woman with baby and small boy while the man with her waited outside).
I am not saying that these restrooms are only for use by people with disabilities, just asking people to be aware that for some people it is a choice to use them and for others it is a necessity.

 

[BroganMc]

I am not saying that these restrooms are only for use by people with disabilities, just asking people to be aware that for some people it is a choice to use them and for others it is a necessity.

Agreed. I use a powerchair, am an adult, but often find the wheelchair INaccessible stalls in MK problematic. I can "walk" out of my chair and take care of myself in the stall, but what to do with the chair.

My priority list for a Family restroom would be:

Disabled needing assistance
Disabled using wheelchair but not needing assistance (they're usually alone)
Dad with child daughter

* And please remember someone may be patiently waiting outside, so don't dawdle if you're not in need.

I've taken my nieces and nephews to the ladies room in the parks and around town. Unless I'm waiting outside the stalls watching, they are required to stand with their shoes to the door and talk to me the whole time. If one of them is known to run or it's exceptionally crowded, I keep them in the stall with me (eyes facing the wall for my privacy).

Which reminds me, please be considerate if you are a parent with a child wanting to use the only accessible stall in the public restroom. Do your business, be quick, clean up after yourself (close up those baby changing tables!!!!!) and yield to the person in the wheelchair. While regular stalls may open, those of us with disabilities can usually only use that one accessible stall (it has a higher seat, grab bars, more room).

J