Question about restrooms in the parks

[mom2001scrapper]

Are family bathrooms available? My son is 6 years old and I do not feel comfortable allowing him in the men's room by himself. I just get very paranoid. Is he too old to come into the ladies room with me? What are my options?

 

[Pokprincess]

I still take my son in with me.. if my husband & older son is not around.. he's only 7.. can't be toooo careful I say. We go in, do our business & get out (after washing hands that is )

Disney is the happiest place, but things still can happen.

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I'll be taking my sons into the womens room as long as I see fit. Im more worried about their safety than I am about other peoples thoughts on boys in womens rooms. Its not like a 7 yr old girl going into a mens room where there are urinals.. all business is done in a stall so nothing is seen.

 

[WeLuvTink!]

We found lots of family bathrooms located with the mens/womens bathrooms in the parks. That's the safest way for us.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I have seen some mention of family bathrooms on here but don't worry about taking him in with you. I would take my 8 year old in with me if Dad or big brother weren't around. (Although he has gotten to the age where he complains about it.) When my nephew is with us, I always take him in with me (he is 8 and has special needs which are not readily apparent, he is also big for his age and looks at least 10). Anyway, no one has ever batted an eye at us. Do what feels safe to you.

 

[NotUrsula]

This is always a VERY loaded topic around here ... best brace yourself.

FYI, other than the restrooms in the Baby Care Centers, there are no designated "Family" restrooms in the WDW parks. The single-room washrooms located in the parks are actually companion restrooms which were put there for the use of the disabled, and the signage indicates that (there is a wheelchair symbol on the signs.) That said, if you need to use them you certainly can, but please be considerate and try to be prompt when using them, since you cannot tell from the inside if there is anyone outside waiting.

There are folks who literally cannot use the regular washrooms because they need toileting assistance from a companion of the opposite sex, or are using a large wheelchair that cannot fit inside the normal disabled stall, and these washrooms are their only option.

 

[bzzymom]

I wouldn't hesitate to take a 6 year old boy into the woman's restroom, nor would I be bothered by someone else bringing them in.

 

[Stimpy]

If my DH isn't there, my DS did come in the women's bathroom with me. I know that it has the potential to make a few people uncomfortable and I do feel bad but I feel my son's safety is more important. Believe me, he doesn't want to be there either. We do try to minimize everyone's discomfort as much as possible. I will find the closest stall to the door, emptiest bathroom, off-times, no fooling around, in and out etc. Fortunately, we haven't run into anyone even giving us a second glance. I think, especially in a place like Disney, women understand....most of them anyway.

On our last trip, DS was 7 1/2, I did let him go into the men's room by himself. I stood right outside the door and if he wasn't in and out in about 2 minutes I was ready to go in. I didn't have to go in, but I did call in to him once. I think I made more men feel uncomfortable doing that than I ever made any woman feel by bringing him into the ladies room

 

[ParrotBill]

Nothing wrong with using the assistance restrooms.. they are not plentiful but keep your eyes open and remember where they are...they are not marked on the maps.

We used the baby centers when our daughter was a toddler, and One assistance room we used when my daughter was a little older was at EPCOT's Refreshment Port..strangely the rest room there is not even marked on the park map!

 

[reginaastralis]

We've used the assistance restrooms often as well. No offense, but how do they expect you to bring in a sleeping toddler in a stroller into a stall. I often make single trips with just my dd and I ... so if there is an assistance restroom available, and I need it, well ... Also, sometimes, especially at Downtown Disney, there wasn't a baby changing station in the restroom, but one in the assitance restroom. Obviously they expect families to use it, though we always do so as quickly as possible.

I wouldn't bat an eye taking my son in the restroom with me. I often bring my sister into MY stall, but she's nine going on 19, so she isn't keen on this. We're a very crowded stall, the 2 yr old, me and the 9 yr old. LOL. I don't know how overprotective I am going to be when it's MY daughter, but even with just my sister, I don't let her go to the restroom alone. Maybe I need to cut the string, but ... I don't think you can ever be too safe.

JMHO.

 

[mom2001scrapper]

Thank you to everyone for all of their help. I'm just scared to let him on his own in a place that I don't know.

We're working hard on memorizing cell phone numbers just in case he gets lost even though he will have it on him. I'm just paranoid.

 

[SueM in MN]

There are folks who literally cannot use the regular washrooms because they need toileting assistance from a companion of the opposite sex, or are using a large wheelchair that cannot fit inside the normal disabled stall, and these washrooms are their only option.

It's not even just the large wheelchairs that don't fit in the handicapped toilet stalls. My DD's wheelchair is rather small and narrow (her seat cushion is only 14 inches wide compared to an 'average' wheelchair seat cushion that is 16 inches wide). There are many handicapped stalls where the wheelchair can't fit in and close the door - and often that doesn't leave room for me to help her.

Please keep in mind if you choose to use the Companion Restrooms that there are not that many of them (there are about 6 in each park) and some people don't have the choice of whether to use them or not.
Those 4-7 Companion Restrooms are the only toilet (not the only restroom with many toilets) in some parks that some people with disabilities can use - some examples (I'm sure there are others):

• a mother with an older son with autism or Down Syndrome who is too old to comfortably come into the ladies room with her
• someone who can't walk whose wheelchair doesn't fit into the regular handicapped stalls or doesn't fit into the stall in a way that alows them to transfer (so they can't leave it outside the stall and walk in)
• someone who is very noise sensitive and can't handle the loud noises (toilet flushing, etc) that keeps happening in a regular restroom. They may need the Companion Restroom because it is quieter. (Examples might be someone with autism who is very sensitive to sudden noises or someone with Cerebral Palsy, like my DD who gets a 'startle reflex' each time a toilet flushes in the next stalls.
• someone, like my DD, who needs room for a wheelchair and a helper (we don't fit in many of the regular handicapped stalls)
• an older man or woman who has to assist their spouse/SO who has had a stroke or other situation that makes assistance in the restroom necessary
• someone with a colostomy or other need that makes being in a bathroom with a toilet and a sink necessary

If you have other choices, please consider them instead of the Companion Restroom and keep in mind that some people don't have any other choices.

Also, please don't knock on the door if it is occupied (many do have a little sign above the doorknob that changes to say 'OCCUPIED' when the door is locked). When we use the Companion Restroom, we usually get at least one knock on the door, which may mean they just didn't know to look for the occupied sign. Most people are nice, but I have heard people tell their child to keep knocking or trying the door to annoy us so we finish faster - (yes, I have heard a mom who didn't know I could hear her 'stage directing' her child to do that). We are hurrying as fast as we can, but it's very time consuming to transfer someone who can't stand out of a wheelchair, help them to undress, etc, etc. When someone keeps knocking, it takes us longer because it upsets DD and she can't relax.

So again, if you can make another chice, please try to do so.
Thanks from all the people who have no other choice.

 

[Stimpy]

Also, please don't knock on the door if it is occupied (many do have a little sign above the doorknob that changes to say 'OCCUPIED' when the door is locked). When we use the Companion Restroom, we usually get at least one knock on the door, which may mean they just didn't know to look for the occupied sign. Most people are nice, but I have heard people tell their child to keep knocking or trying the door to annoy us so we finish faster - (yes, I have heard a mom who didn't know I could hear her 'stage directing' her child to do that). We are hurrying as fast as we can, but it's very time consuming to transfer someone who can't stand out of a wheelchair, help them to undress, etc, etc. When someone keeps knocking, it takes us longer because it upsets DD and she can't relax.

So again, if you can make another chice, please try to do so.
Thanks from all the people who have no other choice.

Wow! I can't even imagine someone being so inconsiderate as to think about doing this! That is just pathetic on their part. I have seen an adult in the handicapped stalls with children changing clothes, going potty and taking forever, which I really find a bit inconsiderate too.

I was raised to never use the handicapped stall unless it was an emergency and I continue doing that with my own children. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I have used the stalls for my "convenience", ex. baby sleeping in stroller, and I was in & out as fast as possible. (I have used them in an emergency but again, I try to be as quick as possible) We have never used the Companion restrooms because I always believed they are there for the people that need them for the reasons you mentioned. As someone with medical issues myself, I absolutely know the difference even a minute or two waiting can make.

 

[SueM in MN]

Wow! I can't even imagine someone being so inconsiderate as to think about doing this! That is just pathetic on their part. I have seen an adult in the handicapped stalls with children changing clothes, going potty and taking forever, which I really find a bit inconsiderate too.

In the case I was talking about, I yelled out the door (with the door shut) the first time to say that I was in there with someone in a wheelchair and would be as quick as we could. I know the child at least heard me because I could hear him telling the mom what I said. (And I could hear that he told her accurately too)
When we came out, I informed her that I did not appreciate the frequent knocks and that I could hear what was said outside. She said she thought that "some child had closed the door" and wanted to make sure "the child was OK".

Something similar to that happens at least once every trip we make to WDW, even if we go during non-busy times. On our last trip, we could not get into the Companion Restroom at Morocco (the door was jammed, even though the dor sign said vacant and no one answerred when we knocked). We had to come all the way past Canada to get to the next Companion Restroom. The door there read "Vacant", not "Occupied" so I tried the door and knocked, but there was no reply. At that point, a CM came up and asked me what the problem was. I said that we had been in Morocco and could not use the Companion Restroom there because the door seemed to be jammed. The CM tried the door too with no success and no reply was ready to use a key when a man sitting on a bench near the restroom came up. He said that his DD was in there and that when she came out, he was going to go in next, then his wife with the stroller and then his other child was going in. He told us we would just have to wait in line behind them. The CM asked if there was any 'reason' they could not use the regular restroom and the man said that they just wanted to use the Companion Restroom. The CM explained that DD and I could not use any other restroom and asked them to please choose another option. When their DD came out, they did choose to go into the regular restrooms, but they were throwing daggers at me with their eyes.

Many people are very nice and even though they were waiting for the room when we arrive, they will tell us to get into line ahead of them and/or choose another choice (like one family where the mom was going to take the son into the Companion Restroom called over the boy's dad and told him to take the child to the men's room). Many of those people will even hold the door and ask if I need help.
We don't expect that and will wait in line, but it's really frustrating to go all the way across the park (passing many restrooms you can't use) and have to wait a long time for the only restroom you can use.

 

[Colinsmom]

I have two boys; the older one will be 5yo on our trip in December. I don't hesitate to take him into the women's restroom and will be doing this for a long time to come. Disney may seem like a safe place but the statistics are too scary to me to take any chances. It's not like there is anything to see in a women's restroom - everything happens behind stall doors!

And regarding the 6yo memorizing a cell phone number - I think that is a great idea, but if they are scared or upset, they may not be able to remember it. How about a card in their pocket that they can pull out in an emergency, or one of those wristbands from sayitbands.com?

 

[murcor]

my 6 yr old ds goes with me in the ladies room in restaurants, airports, disney

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I HAVE to use the handicap stall in bathrooms. I have no other choice. I find it annoying when people use it (esp when my pregnant self REALLY needs to go lol) and dont need to (like just 1 person lol) I usually am by myself (dh works crazy hours) and I always have a side by side double stroller and my 4 yr old walking along. or a triple stroller. and I cannot leave my kids sitting in the bathroom outside of the stall so I MUST take them into the handicap stall so I can keep them with me and away from predators or other sick-o's..

That being said, we always hurry to get everything done and get out (including always using the sinks where everyone else washes hands instead of the sink in the stall) because I know Ive had to wait for what seems like forever when you really need to go and I wouldnt want to put others through that. There is actually 1 bathroom at DTD that I am surprised is labeled a handicap stall since I could BARELY fit my single stroller through and I see NO WAY on earth how a wheelchair (which most are a little wider than my tiny single stroller) could fit.

 

[all4fun]

Personally I have no qualms with young boys coming into the ladies room and I will be bringing my ds into the ladies room wherever we are if that is the only option (ie we're not with dh or there are no actual "family" restrooms available). Unfortunately even at WDW I don't know at what age I will feel comfortable sending him into a restroom alone. He's only four now so I don't plan on worrying about that for quite a while.

Sue in MN can verify but are the toilets raised a little higher than normal? Younger kids might find a regular height toilet easier to use anyway. As long as your child is respectful of the other people in the restroom (ie just minding own business and not trying to peek into stalls or anything, which I've been the "victim" of myself) then I don't see why anyone would have a real problem with it. If they do, well, I guess they'll just have to get over it. You'll only be there for a few minutes anyway.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sue in MN can verify but are the toilets raised a little higher than normal? Younger kids might find a regular height toilet easier to use anyway.

The Companion Restrooms do have raised seat toilets. This is a problem for my DD, who needs the Companion Restrooms for the 'quiet' and the space for her wheelchair. Since she's only 5 feet tall, her feet usually don't touch the floor in the Companion Restroom or the handicapped stalls. We can make do with the height, but we need the space and the quiet.

Some of the Companion Restrooms have changing tables and others don't (Many children with special needs use diapers. Because of their age and lack of privacy, it is not appropriate for many of them to be changed in the open in regular restrooms.)
This is a picture of a Companion Restroom from the allearsnet website.

The picture also shows the 'roll under sinks' which are often higher and always have less obstruction underneath so a wheelchair can be rolled underneath them.