I wish Disney would open family washrooms!

[Dan1]

I'll chyme in here too FWIW.

Last year I took my 24 year old special (wheelchair plus other) needs daughter for a week to WDW on my own.

We have gone many, many times over the years as a family. Yet now the other daughter has left the nest and my wife has no interest.

Yet, WDW and Disney 'stuff' is one of the few joys my daughter has.

So, off we went just my princess and I.

We stayed in Old Key West which was great for her wheelchair needs.

The bus system was excellent for us as well. The longest we had to wait was about 30 minutes coming back from the Spirit of Aloha dinner. Other than that the buses came around every 2 to 10 minutes for us; or so it seemed.

My greatest concern, however, was the companion washrooms.

Most of the time they were empty.

The only time I got upset was when, as someone mentioned earlier, we had to wait for 20 minutes or so for a mom and her three non-special needs daughters.

There are only so many companion washrooms in any of the WDW parks. Many people don't realize that not every his and her washroom location also has a companion washroom. I could be wrong but its about 3 to 1 ... possibly 4 to 1. At least it seems that way to me.

I do not have any issue with a mom wanting to take her young son, or dad and daughter, into a companion washroom.

All I ask is to be respectful and don't dilly dally.

I hope that helps.

And, yes, we are going back again next spring, this time for two weeks just my daughter and me. For anyone who is hestiant about bringing a special needs family member on their own to WDW, that should speak volumes.

Dan

PS. Orlando International Airport does not have any companion washrooms once you get past security. At least we couldn't find any. Very surprising on so many levels. If anyone does know of their location in the secured area please let me know. Thank you.

 

[cmesq61]

It would be fine for you to use that rest room. You son has a need to use it and you would be his companion. We use that rest room because my son uses a stroller as a wheelchair with his medical devices in the bottom and that way we can just roll him on in and not worry about his stroller, but one day we where waiting on the people inside to come out and it was a father with his daughter. He did not want to take her into the men's room and I saw nothing wrong with him using it. The only time I get made is when people abuse it, like go inside to change all there kids out of there swimsuits or use it as a dressing room to dress there little girl in her princess dress and then take forever doing her hair...yes we got caught behind that one. If you are going in, taking care of business and then getting out then you should not have any worries.

I SO agree. The OP is clearly the sort of situation these restrooms are meant for. We were at Universal recently when they had one of those graduation parties for what looked like middleschoolers. Teenage girls were using the only handicapped restroom in the RPR lobby (I was in the lobby for cocktails) to change out of their wet bathing suits! Although my daughter was mortified, I told the girls they ought to be ashamed of themselves. They of course defended themselves by saying their teachers told them to. I'll save my rant on that topic for elsewhere.
if I have accomlished nothing else as a parent, I know that at least my children are sensitive to the needs of the handicapped.