Potty training questions: before or after our trip to WDW?

[Fall1]

OK, so I need help with potty training questions! I'm new to this, so I have no idea.

My twins are currently 22 months old and have not begun potty training yet. We are going to Disney World in October when they'll be 28 mos old. I'm wondering if I should try to PT before our trip or just forget it and do it when we get back.

Something tells me to wait til we get back, but I'd love some advice from other parents out there!!

Thanks!!

 

[clc053103]

I would give it a try maybe 6 weeks prior to disney to see if they are all that interested. If not, I wouldn't push it, just try again post disney. I PT'd prior to Disney but DS had just turned 3. However, I thought Disney was great for the newly PT'd b/c there are bathrooms every 5 feet!

 

[we're all mad here]

I'd wait. The idea of new potties might scare them, my DD was 4 newly trained and was terrified of the self flushing potties. But we had to go every hour because she "thought" she had to go. Diapers were much easier than that! If you do potty train, I'd suggest bringing post-its to put over the sensor on the potty so it doesn't flush while they are on it.

 

[BellyBaby]

This was EXACTLT my scenario last year. Our dd's 1st trip, she was 28 months old. We figured no one was going to die if we waited to train her. Time in the parks is much too precious to waste with a newly-potty trained toddler. They get changed when you go - done and done. And really, public toilets are big, noisy, and scary at the best of times. I can't imagine our trip had we not simply delayed training til afterwards.

In the meantime, you can buy the potty and set it out for her to get used to it. That's enough for now, and the time up to the trip is still being used for potty-training set up, and ready to go once you get back. Have fun!

 

[jana616]

I haven't had a PTed kiddo at WDW, but my experience training my ODS says to wait until you get back. There are so many accidents, times where they think they need to go, times when they know they need to go RIGHT THEN, etc. that it will be a huge hassle. Like a PP said, just taking them to change them on your schedule is SOOOO much easier. I would 100% wait if I were you, especially with two! Have a great trip!

 

[wrighter]

Unless one of them shows an aggressive desire to do it on their own, I would wait. I have traveled with my children at all ages and stages of potty training, and by far it was much easier when they were in diapers/pullups. Especially at WDW, where those loud flushing toilets can be scary, and dirty! No worries about making time to get to the bathrooms. Understandably, many people might feel that dealing with pullups isn't fun, either. But I found it much easier than dealing with the potty.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

 

[abouley]

Another vote for waiting. 28 months is a great age to do it and it'll be much easier dealing with diapers while traveling. Our first trip with our son after he was potty trained was hard. He had been potty trained for probably 8 months but I can't tell you how many times we got to the front of the line and heard "mommy I have to go potty". So frustrating! Then he started using it as an excuse if he were a little timid about a ride. We forced him on POTC after he said he had to go potty and then the ride broke down and we were stuck for 30 minutes or so the whole time listening to him whine about having to go potty. Horrible! I agree about getting a potty and starting to have them sit first thing in the morning and when you change their diaper but don't force the issue until after the trip!

We go to DL in a month and my DD is 30 months and will be starting preschool the week we get back and I was hoping to have her potty trained by then but I don't want to deal with it at DL. Luckily it's a 2 year old room so she doesn't have to be potty trained but I thought it'd be easier to not have too many changes at the same time.

Alison

 

[MarkinNM]

In the past as rule, we dont take the kids to Disney UNTIL they are pottie trained! It’s an incentive and it really works, I would NEVER take kids to Disney in diapers.....

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd wait. 28 months is an ideal time to start pt'ing, IMHO. Also, it is also much easier to have kids in diapers than newly potty trained (dd decided she wasn't wearing diapers anymore a week before our Hershey trip - very stressful). I have twins - trust me, they will not have be on the same bathroom schedule, so you'll probably spend most of your vacation in the bathroom.

 

[djp0630]

If they have interest, potty train now. Once they get to a certain age, they resist and it's harder to potty train. I would not decide based on Disney, but on their readiness and openess to this. At 22 months, you might have an easier time. I just finished potty train my 3 year old DD (she was potty trained the week before she turned 3), and it too forever since she was so resistant. I had a baby when she was 28 months so I waited and I think it hurt me.

 

[sau418]

I had to read this as we are leaving in 25 days and my oldest decided this past Friday that she was done with diapers. While I am thrilled she is ready to potty train, I am secretly hoping I can at least work with her on pull ups while we are on vacation. She hates loud restrooms and air dryers and flushing can really scare her so it would really be better for her to wait. At least with pull ups if she wants to go and has an accident it will not be such a big deal.

 

[tlh0726]

I waited until after our march trip to really start full steam potty training with my youngest. (mostly due to not wanting to deal with accidents and the constant false alarms while standing in lines) He would go "squirt" when you took him, but there was no real interest in his part before the trip.
During the trip we had him in pull ups and would take him in with us and sometimes he would go on the potty. Once back, it took one weekend and he was done with diapers.

It is all up to what your kids are ready for.

I do agree with the other poster, with 2 you will be spending alot of time going to and from the bathroom. And they never tell you 5 mins before the fact it is always I gotta pee NOW!!!!!!

 

[2DisPrincesses]

I was stressing out about the same issue before one of our trips. We decided to wait and not push the potty training until we got back from vacation and I do not regret our decision one bit! You would most definitely be leaving lines to rush to the bathroom only to stand in more lines at the bathroom and they do not give you much warning that they have to go at that age (mine still doesn't and she's almos four). Unless your kids are really wanting to potty train before your trip, I wouldn't push it.

 

[polynor]

my son is now 3 and is finally potty trained (though we did just go through the weekend with 3 accidents).
he was poo-trained for months before a major trip (overseas, not to WDW) but not pee-trained. when he had to do a number 2 in a foreign bathroom he changed his mind and did it in his pullups. Based on that -- if they're freshly potty-trained any new bathroom environemnt will freak them out. After he was somehwat pee-trained he told me he had to use the potty in a Target. As soon as he heard the handdryers -- he didn't have to anymore.

He's alot better now and will do it in public bathrooms -- but he only gives us about 10 seconds of warning that when we take him out we still put on the pullups if we are going to place with an easily accessible potty just in case. So if they're freshly trained - I would expect emergencies and accidents at WDW -- too much stimulation going on to remember the potty.

I would vote to wait if they allow you. (my son woke up one day and decided he would wear underwear now)

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I would wait until after the trip. I've done both and diapers are much easier than a newly potty trained child in WDW.

That said, sometimes if they want to start using the potty, there's no stopping them. Even though we'd decided to wait until after our trip, my older dd decided she wanted to use the potty about a day before we left for Hawaii, when she was about 28 months, as well. We got a little potty for her to use in our condo, and had her wear pull-ups during the day while we were out and about. It was a little bit of a pain, but IMO, you can't say no to a child who wants to learn.

 

[RMulieri]

I would wait..Those self flushing pottys scare the kids at WDW..Plus my DD when she learned literally wanted to use and explore every bathrroom at WDW we encountered. I swear we spent more time in bathrooms than on rides.

 

[Mr Poohbrain]

I would wait..Those self flushing pottys scare the kids at WDW..Plus my DD when she learned literally wanted to use and explore every bathrroom at WDW we encountered. I swear we spent more time in bathrooms than on rides.

Another vote for "wait" - totally agree about the self-flushing potties. I had to carry around a sticky note to put over the sensor so it wouldn't flush on my DS. They are loud and intimidating to a potty-newbie. (We are leaving in 3 weeks, and I would not even attempt to PT my 2 YO right now).

Mrs. Poohbrain

 

[stephanie71717]

Last year we kept my son in pull-ups for our Disney trip, mostly because he is a pretty big kid and was more comfortable wearing them. He decided that Disney would be the place he would start using the potty. By time our vacation was finished he was using the potty full force..strange because he wouldnt go near it at home.

 

[Goofy_Dad_24]

We took my son when he was 23 months old and untrained, and when he was 30 months and fully trained.

During the second trip there was only one time we had to get out of line to go to the potty, and it was something we weren't even that excited about doing either.

If you do potty train before, make sure you ask them if they need to go potty before getting in line for anything that takes longer than 5 minutes.

 

[crisi]

My experience potty training. If you start potty training when you are ready, you will finish when they are ready. If you start potty training when they are ready, they'll do it pretty much themselves. Unless you reach some state of zenlike acceptance - you will stress about this, and when its done you will wonder why you stressed at all.

In other words, this isn't something you can successfully project manage to a due date. Give them opportunities to use the potty (28 months would be pretty young for them to be done), and let them decide. If when they are three, they still haven't really decided to take advantage of the opportunities provided, you might want to start taking some more direct action.

Also, there is a huge difference - and often a huge delay - between "my daughter used the potty!!!!!" for the first time and "we can leave the house without needing to bring along a change of clothes just in case." Until you reach that second point - you really are still in the learning stage - and that stage can last a year or even two.

Because I never enjoyed the "hauling around extra clothes" we elected to not encourage potty training right before our first trip - pullups would be fine. Having to leave lines for the urgent potty needs of someone just learning was not part of our plan.