In Line ... Kids gotta pee ... then what?

[Mkrop]

For my family we all left the line or asked a CM how to proceed. This rarely happened and we have been going to various parks from WDW, DL, Hershey Park and Busch Gardens. We always went before getting in line.

I would allow a person back in who claims they have been to the bathroom but after reading here and on Facebook for years I have to say I am skeptical of some people because they think they can have the kids do other things while one parent waits in the long line. THIS is line cutting. Not the bathroom issue.

 

[JimmyV]

It's not neccessarily about the people who let you leave the line and allow you to rejoin, because from their perspective you were always in front of them so it's not a problem. But the people who have joined the line after you have left, have every right not to let you back in, because from their perspective you were not in front of them when they joined so it may just feel like somebody is pushing in front.

I understand your point from a theoretical standpoint, but in practice the idea may not withstand closer examination. You are absolutely correct with respect to the people who were already in line. They know that you were already ahead of them and they lose nothing by you re-joining the line. Everybody gets returned to the status quo. After all, a line at WDW is not a war of attrition where you try to "win" by having others fail. "Oh, look honey. Another guest just passed out from the heat and two others left the line to use the bathroom. We are cruising now!" People who are ahead of you get to stay ahead and the: "Sorry. Your human frailty means that you have to leave the line and start over" seems overly harsh.

But with respect to others who joined the line in your absence, you are correct in theory that from their perspective you were never in front of them. But what is most important to those people is wait time and not total number of people in front of them. If they joined the line when the posted wait time was 35 minutes, then they have a right to reasonably expect a wait of 35 minutes. And that wait time was calculated based on you being in the line and ahead of them. So if you rejoin the line and do not increase the wait time (which you won't), then all is good. To see how this plays out, just expand the scenario. Let's say that a person sees a posted wait time of 30 minutes and decides to join the line. They are a little confused because it appears as if the line is only long enough to account for a 10 minute wait. Then, all at once hundreds of people re-join the line, stating as they pass that person: "We were already in line and had to use the restroom." When all the people have rejoined, the line is now the full 30 minutes. The person who joined the line with the posted 30 minute wait gets exactly what was advertised. Their "perspective" doesn't matter as long as it contradicts the information that Disney has supplied them. The same holds true for people who are already in line. If you are at the end of a 30 minute line and all of a sudden, one person in every group is afflicted with an urgent need to use the restroom, what should be the result? Should every person get out of line moving you to the front? Then your 30 minute wait would jump to a one minute wait. Why should waiting in a line with a posted wait time turn into a game with "winners" (you, who get to leap to the front), and loses (everyone who left the line)? Conversely, if we let the people who need to use the restroom leave and rejoin the rest of their group, then everyone gets what was advertised, which is the wait time posted when they chose to join the line.

Despite feelings about courtesy, rudeness and compassion, in practice, the very few people who have to leave and rejoin the line don't alter posted wait times which is really what we all rely on when deciding to join a line. Yes, we all understand that they can be inaccurate. But the number of people who rejoin the line from the restroom don't compound that problem. Their impact on a 30 minute line is immeasurably irrelevant.

 

[jenna326]

Wow, I really didn't think there were that many unkind people out there who had issues with this! We recently booked our upcoming trip and our 3.5 year old finally decided she was ready to use the potty. We have not quite two months until we go and hope it all will go well on our trip, however, I am not going to put her back in a diaper for the trip or withhold liquids which could result in dehydration with the August heat. I will encourage a potty break between rides but even though you do everything "right", you never know and I will not punish her for needing to go to the bathroom. It's just as likely it will be my 31 week pregnant self that has the bathroom needs and believe me, i will be polite but if someone tries to turn into the line police on me, mama bear just might come out!

 

[Vijoge]

I once knew parents who would allow their small children to use the bathroom during church service. BUT, there was a catch. If they had to pee during church , couldn't hold it, and required a bathroom visit, they got a spanking. Right there, in the church bathroom.

ETA Of course, had these kids peed their pants in church they would have been spanked for that also.

 

[jenna326]

I once knew parents who would allow their small children to use the bathroom during church service. BUT, there was a catch. If they had to pee during church , couldn't hold it, and required a bathroom visit, they got a spanking. Right there, in the church bathroom.

That's horrific? Really, spanking a child because they had to use the bathroom?

 

[mjkacmom]

I haven't read all of the responses, but it seems like those with only one child think it's rude to leave and then rejoin your family. I get it - you have no one to rejoin! However, with multiple kids, the odds of one of them needing to use the bathroom increases, even if you do a potty break right before, and families really do want to ride together, and it's more disruptive to have multiple people leave the line. And kids aren't going to be pleased with the sibling who made them all get out of the line after an hour of waiting.

I don't care who needs to get back in line for a bathroom break. Heck, it's Florida, folks need to stay hydrated. They were in line ahead of me to begin with!

 

[KrazeeK120]

I once knew parents who would allow their small children to use the bathroom during church service. BUT, there was a catch. If they had to pee during church , couldn't hold it, and required a bathroom visit, they got a spanking. Right there, in the church bathroom.

ETA Of course, had these kids peed their pants in church they would have been spanked for that also.

Um, what? I don't believe in spanking anyway, but any type of punishment should be used for poor behavior, not for a biological function. It's not like the kid can help when he or she needs to use the restroom. And if you don't comprehend that fact, perhaps you shouldn't be a parent. Teaching a kid to "hold it" can be very, very bad for their health, lead to urinary tract infections, etc.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Also, anyone other than an agent of the property you are on who attempts to stop me walking my kid back to our place in line, using any means other than verbal means, is breaking the law. I don't have to explain myself to other people in line at WDW. If they have a problem, they are welcome to address it to a CM. If I'm breaking any rules, the CM will tell me.

Interesting theory. Which law, exactly are they breaking?

Does that include people that simply don't get out of the way of you walking past them or just those that actively block you?

 

[rg35]

Ridiculous that people think this is cutting the line. If someone has to pee, they have to pee. If the queue allows it, then one parent can take the kid to the bathroom and rejoin.

Some queues (Jungle Cruise comes to mind) are almost impossible to maneuver in and out of though.

 

[rg35]

I once knew parents who would allow their small children to use the bathroom during church service. BUT, there was a catch. If they had to pee during church , couldn't hold it, and required a bathroom visit, they got a spanking. Right there, in the church bathroom.

ETA Of course, had these kids peed their pants in church they would have been spanked for that also.

Wow. That's just awful.

 

[whiporee]

I once knew parents who would allow their small children to use the bathroom during church service. BUT, there was a catch. If they had to pee during church , couldn't hold it, and required a bathroom visit, they got a spanking. Right there, in the church bathroom.

ETA Of course, had these kids peed their pants in church they would have been spanked for that also.

Not a lot of love for this, but I see the parents' point. Kids have to be taught consequences. They have to be taught that you have to think ahead and take opportunities when they are presented. Otherwise the kid thinks that whatever they want to do is okay and other will adjust to their behavior (this is a battle I am currently losing with my own kids). You can learn to adjust to controlling your bladder in most cases -- just because you're not bursting at this moment doesn't mean you a) can't go and b) can't get yourself to go with a little bit of running water. If you know there's a consequence to passing up the bathroom before getting in a line (or church) then you are less likely to do so. I don't spank (though I sometimes REALLY wish I did), but my bet is those kids in question learned to use the potty before church, before lines, before movies, before car trips. A lot of us did.

Just on a sidenote -- is thee anyone posting here who would prevent the person who went to pee from getting back in the line. I see a lot of strawman vilification, but I don't think I've read a single post of someone saying they would not let someone they saw leave with a kid kid back in line. I don't think anyone calls this line jumping or cutting or anything of the sort.

Holding places for people who haven't been there yet, there's a lot of argument about that. But this scenario seems pretty clear-cut and permissible. We can argue about whether it's rude or not, but I don't think anyone's suggesting a parent and kid who go off to pee not be allowed back in. Or am I missing something?

 

[KrazeeK120]

Not a lot of love for this, but I see the parents' point. Kids have to be taught consequences. They have to be taught that you have to think ahead and take opportunities when they are presented. Otherwise the kid thinks that whatever they want to do is okay and other will adjust to their behavior (this is a battle I am currently losing with my own kids). You can learn to adjust to controlling your bladder in most cases -- just because you're not bursting at this moment doesn't mean you a) can't go and b) can't get yourself to go with a little bit of running water. If you know there's a consequence to passing up the bathroom before getting in a line (or church) then you are less likely to do so. I don't spank (though I sometimes REALLY wish I did), but my bet is those kids in question learned to use the potty before church, before lines, before movies, before car trips. A lot of us did.

Just on a sidenote -- is thee anyone posting here who would prevent the person who went to pee from getting back in the line. I see a lot of strawman vilification, but I don't think I've read a single post of someone saying they would not let someone they saw leave with a kid kid back in line. I don't think anyone calls this line jumping or cutting or anything of the sort.

Holding places for people who haven't been there yet, there's a lot of argument about that. But this scenario seems pretty clear-cut and permissible. We can argue about whether it's rude or not, but I don't think anyone's suggesting a parent and kid who go off to pee not be allowed back in. Or am I missing something?

How do you know the children didn't use the restroom before leaving for church? I think most church services of most denominations are about 1 hour long, plus whatever the drive time is, plus however long they sat before the service started. It's totally and completely possible that a child (or even an adult) may need to visit the restroom after, say, 1.5-2 hours, depending on amount of activity and liquid intake earlier in the day. It is puzzling to me that people think there should be consequences for a basic bodily function.

 

[Vijoge]

How do you know the children didn't use the restroom before leaving for church? I think most church services of most denominations are about 1 hour long, plus whatever the drive time is, plus however long they sat before the service started. It's totally and completely possible that a child (or even an adult) may need to visit the restroom after, say, 1.5-2 hours, depending on amount of activity and liquid intake earlier in the day. It is puzzling to me that people think there should be consequences for a basic bodily function.

And I imagine you really get a lot out of church when you're sitting there and the only thing going through your head is "OMG I hope he hurries up. I have to pee. I hope I don't wet my pants. Please, God, don't let me wet my pants in church!"

 

[yeahdisney]

Just got back from six flags. On every ride they had a large sign posted. NO LINE JUMPING: leave the line for any reason, you rejoin the line at the back and you would be leaving the park if caught. And they actually announced that message over and over on the overhead system thought out the day. So much so my 15 old said I get it; no line jumping! One line wait was 90 Minutes. I thought everyone better of gone to the bathroom first!

 

[IrishNYC]

Just got back from six flags. On every ride they had a large sign posted. NO LINE JUMPING: leave the line for any reason, you rejoin the line at the back and you would be leaving the park if caught. And they actually announced that message over and over on the overhead system thought out the day. So much so my 15 old said I get it; no line jumping! One line wait was 90 Minutes. I thought everyone better of gone to the bathroom first!

I honestly do not understand why Disney is the exception to this and can't/won't enforce it.

 

[Vijoge]

Just got back from six flags. On every ride they had a large sign posted. NO LINE JUMPING: leave the line for any reason, you rejoin the line at the back and you would be leaving the park if caught. And they actually announced that message over and over on the overhead system thought out the day. So much so my 15 old said I get it; no line jumping! One line wait was 90 Minutes. I thought everyone better of gone to the bathroom first!

I have an extremely overactive bladder. No way could I ever wait in line for 90 minutes without having to pee. And if I don't drink and end up dehydrating myself my blood pressure plummets and I pass out.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We learned our lesson when my 5 year old decided she had to pee right when Carousel of Progress got started. Poor thing almost had an accident and I was running like a mad woman through Tomorrowland to get her to the bathroom. After that we asked her before EVERY attraction. She hates public restrooms and would never speak up when she had to go.

I think she learned her lesson, too

Go to the bathroom before you get in line!! Yes, there are exceptions where people have emergencies, but this could be helped if people stop and break often.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I'm going with one parent leaves the line with child and quickly comes back.....ONLY if the line has somewhere to rejoin without pushing your way back through the entire line.

 

[mjkacmom]

I honestly do not understand why Disney is the exception to this and can't/won't enforce it.

Because six flags is full of gangs of teens who cut the lines, WDW is filled with families with young children with tiny bladders.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Because six flags is full of gangs of teens who cut the lines, WDW is filled with families with young children with tiny bladders.

It is also full of gangs of teens who cut the lines.