question about family or co-use bathrooms

[4fosterkids]

I'll be taking my 14 year old son on a quick 3 day trip to WDW with a girlfriend and her DD,but without the rest of our family. We are usually altogether on Disney trips, so I'm used to having my DH there to go to the bathroom with him. Although he has medical issues and delays, he is able to use the bathroom independently most of the time, but I am a bit nervous letting him go to crowded restrooms by himself, even if I'm waiting outside the door.

Any suggestions or directions for alternatives?
Thanks so much

 

[loadsapixiedust]

I'd let him use the companion restrooms. They are single room restrooms with an external lockable door so you could wait right outside for him and be confident he was OK.

 

[4fosterkids]

and these are where? Does each park have them?
I just want to be prepared before we get there! LOL

 

[Haley Whippet]

and these are where? Does each park have them?
I just want to be prepared before we get there! LOL

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disabgeneral.htm#Rrooms
You will find info on this page,
Deb

 

[SueM in MN]

There is also a list in the Guidebooks for Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities. You can get a copy at Guest Relations in any of the parks in case you forget where they are while you are in the parks.

 

[AJKMOM]

I just got back from a 5 day trip with my DS, 18, autistic. He was able to go in the restroom by himself, and I ran in to the women's room, did my thing, washed up, and met him outside. I just reminded him to wash his hands and I hurried. Most times I was out before him.

My biggest fear was in the airports because I knew if someone noticed his autism, they could walk away with all our luggage and he wouldn't stop them. I ended up drinking a lot less, using the restroom on the plane a lot more, and a few times (thanks to Northwest canceling our flight) taking all 4 pieces of luggage in with me. That was fun!

 

[4fosterkids]

Thanks for all the info everybody!
Always appreciated

 

[Chuck S]

If your son has issues, then he may want to use the companion restrooms. If, at 14, he is comfortable using the regular mens room, and is able to do so wthout help, then I think I would let him do so. Mens rooms at Disney are rarely "crowded" like the ladies rooms seem to be on a regular basis.

 

[ducklite]

You can also use the rest rooms at the First Aid Stations or in the restaurants where things are a little more controlled and it would be harder for him to wander off if he got done before you.

Anne

 

[BCV23]

If your son has issues, then he may want to use the companion restrooms. If, at 14, he is comfortable using the regular mens room, and is able to do so wthout help, then I think I would let him do so. Mens rooms at Disney are rarely "crowded" like the ladies rooms seem to be on a regular basis.

And yet they are busy enough.

If I am at WDW or traveling alone with our son who has DS and health problems, he uses the regular men's room. It was very scary for me to do this at first but he obviously prefers it. He does not like the companion bathrooms even though I waited outside the few times I tried that.

Like AJKMom, if I'm using the women's restroom I really hurry! I also make sure we talk about which bench to meet at after, etc.. And I laughed about the airline part. A week and a half ago, he and I were returning from a trip on which we flew alone. He made a beeline for the first men's room he spotted at ORD. I positioned myself about five feet from the door but was still getting nervous when he didn't come out for some minutes. But there was lots of activity so I didn't worry too much. Finally, a pilot walked out and told me that he was washing his hands. I thought that was so nice of the pilot but also that he must have seen situations like this before...ie an older mom hanging out near a men's bathroom door!

So bottom line, you know your son best but I would consider giving him that extra bit of independence.

 

[LindaDVC]

Once at a rest area along 95 an older gentleman was waiting for his wife. He got anxious and asked for help. I assume she had alzheimers ( or some similiar problem ) and we all began to look for Mary. There was a second exit to the ladies room and luckily she was found and safe.

Only you know if your son is able to handle these situations and the family / companion bathrooms are there if you need them. Disney seems to have added quite a few since we used to have to search for them and now they seem much easier to spot.

Linda

 

[SueM in MN]

One thing Linda's post made me think about was a Disney bathroom site that someone made. It has pictures of all the regular restrooms (not the Companion ones) and does a pretty good job of noting things like which ones have more than one exit.
Even if you plan to use the Companion ones with your son, it might be helpful to know a bit about some of the others (just in case).

 

[LisaBi]

I struggle with this too. DS is 13 (will be 14 all too soon!) and has Downs. We go to WDW just the two of us. I can generally trust him to hang just outside the ladies room while I use it, but I usually try to wait until he needs to go. It always takes him forever, so I'll do a super quick dash into the ladies while he uses the mens.

The safety issue, is a big concern for me, especially at the airport, but an almost bigger issue is when he has a BM - he usually can't handle that on his own. It never fails that either he doesn't tell me that's what he's doing, then ends up needing help in the men's room, or he does tell me, but he needs to go NOW and we're no where near a companion restroom (in which case I do take him into the ladies room and get nasty stares). It's a lot easier than finding a CM to stand guard at the men's room while I go in to help.

I wish there was a companion restroom with every "normal" one.

 

[CPT Tripss]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disabgeneral.htm#Rrooms
You will find info on this page,
Deb

And here too! http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/restrooms.htm

 

[Andrew Bichard]

There are plenty of companion restrooms around, so you should be OK. If your son does use the mens room, make sure he won't bother anyone else if he does so.

One trip, I go into the mens room at the American Pavillion in Epcot. Inside, there is just one person, a boy about 10-12 with some sort of delay. He is playing with water in the basins, turning taps on & off. I use a wheelchair, but the handicap stalls are too narrow to turn around in, so I cannot shut the door behind me. The boy follows me into my cubicle, keeps looking over my shoulder and asks me what I am doing.

OK - it wasn't his fault - but I was very uncomfortable 'doing my thing' with somone peering over my shoulder.

Andrew

 

[shovan]

The Orlando Airport also has companion restrooms.

 

[tiggerUK]

we have this trouble with joe (asd). he is only 9 (almost 10) but big for his age and looks about 12/13. we always use the companion/disabled toilets with him, there is just no way we could trust him in the mens on his own. if there is no companion toilets we use the ladies but we are now getting some very funny stares. but there really isn't anything else we can do! thankfully joe is happy using the companion ones, and at the moment is happy for us to go in together, but i'm sure as he gets older he'll want me to wait outside the door.