Please Help!!....pool Question

[lijory]

I am looking for a recent cruisers help regarding pool issues. I just hung up the phone with a DCL agent and she told me that children who are not potty trained are not allowed in the swimming pools even with a swim diaper on. She said it is a new federal law that was effective 9/12/02. The people on the boat strictly enforce it she also said. I am planning a trip for next April on the Wonder with my family and My daughter will only be 11 mths. Has anyone had any problems with this recently onboard or heard anything about this. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am so upset, I was ready to book. Linda

 

[aprilgail2]

non potty trained children are not permitted in the pool....no problems, they just are not allowed in due to health reasons.

 

[lzj21428]

There are signs by the pools stating this policy. When we were on our April cruise I saw someone had brought a little blow up pool and some water toys and the baby was happily splashing around in it. They had it set up near the mickey pool near the lounge chairs. Don't know how they filled it up, but it seemed to work for them and didn't seem to be a problem.

Anyone else ever see something like that or done that?

I thought it was a great idea.

 

[mmouse37]

The DCL rep is right....it is new government rule (I think Health Department) but what I understood was every cruise line, not just Disney has to comply...even hotel pools.

There are plenty of other things to do onboard...don't let that stop you from booking.

MJ

 

[4nana]

Afraid so ~
Our two little grands, 18 mos old, did not go in the pool. The closest we got was to let them wade (fully clothed) up around the edge where it splashed just enough to get their feet wet.
I thought I read they now have some type of splash/sprinkle set up for babies in the Mickey ears. Anyone know, cause they really need a water activity for the tots.
Our tots did have plenty of other opts for playing/swimming on the 7day ~
Dawn Bch @ St. M and Coki Bch @ St. T and Castaway Cay,
which all were so much family fun.

 

[floridaminnie]

On our March cruise I saw them tell parents with little ones not potty trained that they could not go in the pool.

 

[MFan]

How would they know whether a kid is potty trained or not? In my opinion, my two year old is trained, plus she's been swimming weekly for the past 11 months. She hasn't worn a swim diaper for the past 3 months. We put her on diapers when we travel for our convenience (to minimize stops) and at nights just in case.

 

[floridaminnie]

The two that I saw were infants and they weren't anywhere near to being potty trained.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi MFan!

In my opinion, my two year old is trained

I would imagine DCL (as well as other cruisers) would prefer a child be trained in fact rather than in opinion.

plus she's been swimming weekly for the past 11 months.

The ability to swim has no correlation to the ability not to discharge bodily fluids while in the water. There are very few guarantees in the world, however, if a parent places their child in diapers at night "just in case," then I see no valid argument for allowing that same child to be exempt from DCL's pool rules.

She hasn't worn a swim diaper for the past 3 months.

I'm not quite sure what that means. She hasn't needed one or you don't have her wear one for religious reasons or the stores have been out of stock...

 

[AnnMorin]

Originally posted by Buckaroo's Dad



I'm not quite sure what that means. She hasn't needed one or you don't have her wear one for religious reasons or the stores have been out of stock...

Hey BD what religion would that be pray tell?


The reason they do not want non potty trained children in the pools as that would amount for the rest of us the same as swimming in a toliet. Human waste carries a multitude of germs that can cause very serious infections.. I thinki it would be wonderful if they came up with a sprinkler area or something, and the blow up pool for one is a great idea. The notion of swim diapers just contains the visable signs of an accident it does not prevent the bacteria from being mixed into the regular pool water. Also if a child does have a visable accident the pools must be emptied and disinfected which is unfair to all the other patrons.

 

[MFan]

BD,

I think there is a big difference between a child who is aware of his/her need "to discharge bodily fluids" while awake vs. deep in sleep. I know a few kindergarteners and older kids who still wear diapers at night to prevent accidents. But, that doesn't mean they will let "go" in a swimming pool any more likely than you or I would.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She hasn't worn a swim diaper for the past 3 months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This means she's been telling us when she needs to "go".

 

[December99]

Ok...so not to be gross here but what in the world difference does it make that a kid not potty trained can be in the water vs a kid potty trained. Are they going to make the parents guarantee that their 5 year old is NOT going to go to the bathroom in the pool?????

I don't care how old kids are, they do it because they don't want to get out and they wait until the last possible moment to get out and go. I've seen it not only with my kid but with others. NO matter how many times I told her that you don't do that in a pool - sometimes it just happened. And I'm not talking BM....

 

[Stewblue]

Just guessing but I suspect that the key issue with non-potty trained cruisers is that they do not make any distinction between generating "floaters" or adding to the liquid volume of the pool.

 

[cathyrob]

We were on the Magic back in Feb. My son was 15 months and he was not allowed in the pool. They definitly enforced the rules. They wouldn't let him in the Mickey ears either. They did say he could splash around in the blue area of the Mickey pool when it wasn't crowded. However, that pool was sooooo cloudy and gross that I opted not to. We brought his sand toys and bucket, and he was very content splashing around in that while Dad and I lounged on the chairs by the Goofy pool. Your child is not missing much by not being allowed in the pools. As for a previous poster asking how they know if your child is potty trained, I saw many parents putting their children in the pool who were definitly under 2 and they were asked to take them out. DCL seemed to spot check children under 3, since most children are not potty trained well enought at that age not to be in swim diapers.

Funny thing was, that on our cruise they had to drain the Goofy pool because a 4 year old had an accident. HMMMMMM!