Potty Training While at Disney....

[jjoobrien]

HELP! Any suggestions? My DD will be 2.5 when we go and will most likely be potty training. Anyone been there, done that?

 

[GoofyGirlie]

i myself haven't been there,,but are you sure she will be potty training by then???can you hold off til you come back??
are you potty training cause you want to or she does??

my best advice is to get pullups of course and expect to go to the bathroom lots of times,,,buy potty toppers from buybuybaby or in the toilet paper section at the store,,they are great,,open them up and they even have tap on the back of them so you can tape em down,,i think those are the best things made,,i put one down for dd to go and then i use it!!!

i would stop in the bathroom every 1/2hr or soo and sit her on the potty,,,

i do not envy you!!!

gl
dawn

 

[buckler]

My DD was 2 yr 10 months and was finally done with potty training during our 5 days at Disney. She wore pull ups the whole time (Disney themed ones!) but never once went in them. She made it to the bathroom every time. Her older sister got princess underwear for the trip and the younger one got a set too after the trip since she had proven she could do it.

My one tip is to take post-it notes with you to put over the electronic eye on the automatic flushing toilets. The kids are too short for the toilet to know they are still there and it will flush while they are on the potty and freak them out. By putting a post-it over the eye it won't flush until you remove the note (don't forget to remove it!). To save on notes I would just tear a strip off of a larger sheet. You don't need a lot to block the eye.

 

[java]

I say get it done before you go. We had the disney deadlline for us and it gave us a light at the end of the tunnel so to say. He was completely trained by the time we went(he was 2.5) and it made life much easier. Except for one biggie- you are standing in a line....almost to the front..."I gotta go" So before you get on a line I suggest a potty break. And bring an extra change of clothes in case of accidents and GOOD LUCK!! I also never had problems with the eye because the toilet was reading my big butt in there as well lol. And they have little potties in the baby care centers and one other place that escapes me right now- I think the bathroom by IASW?

 

[WantToGoNow]

Unless you think you'll be finished by the time you go, I'd hold off unless your child is really wanting to use the potty. My dd has been completely potty trained in panties for about 3 months now (she's 27 months). We don't go until November so I'm sure by then I won't need to worry about Pull-Ups but I'm sure I'll still need to make an effort to stop at every bathroom I pass.

 

[skuttle]

My DS was 2.5 when we went to WDW in December. We kept trying to push the potty, but about a month or so before the trip, when he still wasn't interested, we backed off so we wouldn't be in the middle of training at WDW. DS STILL isn't interested in the potty. He'll go at daycare, but not at home.

 

[BlueBayou]

My DD5 was not daytime potty trained until she was just over 2 1/2 years old. I tried to hold off on potty training my DD nearly 3 because we had two summer trips, but right at 2-years-old SHE decided she wanted to be potty trained. I could not believe she stayed dry the whole six hour trip to Disneyland. She did not have a single accident the whole week.

She would sleep in a pull-up at night.

I would hold off on potty training if you can, but if your child is ready and wanting it, go for it!

Sher

 

[lclark0621]

Just got back from WDW with a potty training toddler of 2.5

Well to be honest he is about 99% potty trained.

But...

We put him in pull ups for the trip. He understands they are his "just in case undies". I still use them when we go out of the house for a long time at home to.

He only was wet a couple of times. I was SO proud of him. He told us just about everytime he had to go.

I know some people think the devil invented pull ups, but we love them! Like I said, he only wears them when we will be out of the house for a long time & he even calls them his "just in case undies".

The few times he was wet was when we were on a ride & could not get off in time or things like that. And at that point he asked if it was ok to use them.

Let me tell you, for me, public restrooms are a real pain with my DS! He will ONLY go (in a public restroom) if he can sit backwards. That means we need to completely strip from the waist down. He will tolerate socks.

But I need to get the shoes off, so I can get the pants & pull ups off.

Then I need to store the stuff in the bag hanging from the back of the door, all while juggeling a 36 lb 2.5 year old boy, who is trying to TOUCH everything.

By the time I finally have him sitting on the potty, I am covered in sweat. It is quite a circus act, let me tell you!

I always wipe down the seat with those antibacterial wipes before he sits on it.

Then when he is done, the wiping begins. Oh is that tough in a tiny bathroom stall! I usually put his shoes on him & have him stand on, leaning onto my leg. That must be pleasent to look at. The image is priceless!

Then off come the shoes again, as the pull up & pants go back on, then the shoes go back on. Again, all while juggeling the active boy, trying to prevent him from touching anything or falling.

Yep, it is a sight to see.

If anyone has any better tips, please let me know!

My best advice, is pack an entire new outfit (including socks) every day! You never know when accidents or overflows will happen.

And pull ups DO work, as long as used correctly!

 

[Merriwind]

OMG lclark, what a story--lol!

I don't know if this will help at all, but when DD8 was little, I had her sit sideways on public potties. I actually learned this tip from a lady in the Marrakesh restroom. DD used to squirt when she was really little. Sitting sideways solved that problem--and it doesn't require stripping. I don't know if you're little guy would be interested, but maybe it's worth a try.

"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" You always know when there's another mom in the restroom!!

Sorry to hijack the thread. Good luck with potty training!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I am another vote for wait until you get back to potty train. It is much eaiser to either not bother with it or be fully potty trained during vacation.

Unless you DD is REALLY ready, waiting until after you get back won't hurt anything. (and if she really is ready it won't be much of an issue.)

Personally I am more of a fan of waiting until a child is REALLy ready to be fully trained (night time too, very few acidents) then working on it for a very long time (often a year.)

If you are potty training at WDW the change of cothes is a good idea (even for those who aren't) also they make a fold up travel potty seat that is good and if you put a post it note or sticker over the eletric eye that can help. A poorly timed flush can really put you back in potty training!

Best of luck and have a wonderful and magical trip no mater what the bathroom issues are!

 

[mhochman]

DS, who was almost 3, kept telling us that he would start wearing underwear when we got to Disney. He insisted that he would do it. We weren't pushing, but brought Mickey underwear with us. The whole flight down he kept telling us "I'm going to show Mickey my underwear." Well, sure enough, we get into our room at WL and he asks for his underwear. We put him in them and reminded him to let us know before he has to pee. So we head to Magic Kingdom, but don't get to see Mickey on day 1. Day 2 we go back to MK (DS back in underwear; we all agreed that a diaper was best for nighttime) and go visit Mickey in Toon Town. My amazing son, on his own, pulls his shorts down to show Mickey his Mickey Mouse underwear. I think Mickey was confused since he didn't know the back story. Anyway, I wasn't fast enough with the video camera and the photographer didn't know what was going on, but I can safely say (and we often do) that DS potty trained himself for Mickey.

Incidentally, we had practiced peeing in the potty for months before the trip. It was the trading the diaper for underwear that occurred for Mickey. He had no accidents on the trip (believe it or not), though certainly some after the trip.

 

[DisneyPhD]

DS, who was almost 3, kept telling us that he would start wearing underwear when we got to Disney. He insisted that he would do it. We weren't pushing, but brought Mickey underwear with us. The whole flight down he kept telling us "I'm going to show Mickey my underwear." Well, sure enough, we get into our room at WL and he asks for his underwear. We put him in them and reminded him to let us know before he has to pee. So we head to Magic Kingdom, but don't get to see Mickey on day 1. Day 2 we go back to MK (DS back in underwear; we all agreed that a diaper was best for nighttime) and go visit Mickey in Toon Town. My amazing son, on his own, pulls his shorts down to show Mickey his Mickey Mouse underwear. I think Mickey was confused since he didn't know the back story. Anyway, I wasn't fast enough with the video camera and the photographer didn't know what was going on, but I can safely say (and we often do) that DS potty trained himself for Mickey.

Incidentally, we had practiced peeing in the potty for months before the trip. It was the trading the diaper for underwear that occurred for Mickey. He had no accidents on the trip (believe it or not), though certainly some after the trip.

Cute story, this was a boy who was READY! I beat once he got it he got it good too. My DD was older but once we took the pull ups away for good she was done, 1 accident of each kind and then she was fully potty trained, even over night. My brother started training his DD when she was 2 and she still was having accidents when she was over 4 years old (5 sometimes).

 

[jenr812]

I purposely held off on PTing for my son last year. We went a month before his third birthday and he really had NO interest in PTing at ALL! He basically trained himself a few weeks after we got back, right around his third bday. But I really didn't want to deal with it at WDW in the heat and crowds (we were there for the 1st week in July!). I just imagined him having to go (desperately) after we'd just waited in line for an hour! LOL And then having to wait in line at the restroom as well. Egads! LOL

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I purposely held off on PTing for my son last year. We went a month before his third birthday and he really had NO interest in PTing at ALL! He basically trained himself a few weeks after we got back, right around his third bday. But I really didn't want to deal with it at WDW in the heat and crowds (we were there for the 1st week in July!). I just imagined him having to go (desperately) after we'd just waited in line for an hour! LOL And then having to wait in line at the restroom as well. Egads! LOL

Smart move. It seems most boys just get ready around their third birthday. Even with kids who have been trained for years that's just the worse thing to be up front in line and hear "I have to go". I can't imagine trying to potty train in the July heat at Disney!

 

[cruiserkaren]

We were there last week with my dd2.5 who is pretty much completely potty trained. (We still have a few issues with going #2!). She was in a pull up the whole time. She was absolutely terrified of the LOUD toilets. We started out in her big girl panties but at the airport when the automatic flush went off I knew it just wasn't going to happen. Her eyes got as big as quarters and welled up. I put a pull up on her right then and told her if she needed to go in her pull up that was okay. She went once in our room right after we go there but again it was the loudest flush I have heard outside of a cruise ship. Same for the parks, she didn't even want to go into a restroom. This from a girl who had up until this point not been scared of anything!

Anyway, she wore pull ups the whole time we were on vacation and as soon as we got home she went right back to using the potty, never missing a beat.

 

[tiff211]

I wouldn't hold off. We started potty training DD as soon as she turned 2 because I wanted her fully trained by the time the baby was born (due end of August). So right to panties at daycare and at home. Lots of Laundry but very effective. She turned 2 in Nov and we went to WDW in April. She was about 85% trained. We put pullups on her and undies over them. We brought her to the bathroom frequently. I had one of the foldup seat covers you get with the potty section. I did cover up the auto flush feature since the sound of the reg. flush scared her. She went a couple of times in her pull-ups but overall did a great job and when we got home, we picked up right were we left off!

 

[llp479]

Our DD was just past her 3rd b-day when we went to WDW. I hadn't even started training with her as she had shown no interest at all. While we were in MK she looks at me and said, "I gotta go potty." Shocked I looked at DH, and quickly took my youngest to the restroom. She went, and that was that. Never had an accident from that point on. Not even at night. I returned home with a ton of diapers that many years later ended up pinned to a wall to catch a waterfall from a leaking roof! (There's a story for another day BTW - much more effective than towels or buckets!)

DD is now almost 9, and every time we're at the MK I be sure to make a comment to her when we go past "her first potty!"