restroom question

[mjkacmom]

Disney doesn't mind them being used by anyone who needs them so neither do I. I have never had the need to use one but if others need to, who am I to judge?

Then why did they leave them off of the maps? Oversight? I would think that fact would discourage people from using them as "family restrooms."

 

[RMulieri]

There are Family restrooms around, but they are often in use.You need to do what you need to do, but I let my 6yr old into the womans room by herself and so does my DH.We just stand by the door.

 

[livndisney]

The bathroom in the mall is listed on the map as handicap accessible. Being in a guidebook doesn't mean its exclusively for them. However common sense give someone with a disability a leg up on usage, but its listed as companion. There is no differentiation as to what type of companion.

Don't know what mall you go to, but the one at my mall is a family restroom and is set up different than the companion restroom. The "family" restroom has a small toilet and a larger one. The companion restroom does not.
you neglected the 1st part that said" Most restrooms throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort have facilities designed for access by Guests using wheelchairs. "

No "neglect" just trying to keep thread on track.

By Disney's own comment there, the companions aren't exclusive for just handicap as most of the other restrooms are accessible.

You clearly missed my comment on what Disney has told me on the use of these restrooms. I am sure the "intended" use of these limited toilets is so you can drive your stroller into them.
I've at times walked across the park to use them. However if I have two kids and the oldest needs to use it right then, I'm going to the nearest Companion with our sit and stand. Because you can't take your stroller into the babycare center right?
Most restrooms are accessible. These aren't the ONLY ones that can be used. for some, sure, for all, no.

As several have pointed out-not all the stalls work for the disabled.Some "disabled" stalls do not allow for a side transfer. And not all restrooms have a disabled stall.


Wow-talk about missing the point!!!!!

 

[jordanandjess]

My boys are 7 & 8 years old and if there is no family washroom they come into the women's with me. I don't care what anyone else thinks, and I don't care if the boys don't like it. There safety is my # 1 priority and if that makes me an overprotective parent then so be it!

I'm right there with ya!!!!

 

[okeydokey]

Then why did they leave them off of the maps? Oversight? I would think that fact would discourage people from using them as "family restrooms."

Don't ask me about their maps. I am just telling you what I was told specifically by Disney personnel.

This subject comes us quite often and it is always the same argument. In the end, if a Mom doesn't want her 7 year old to go the restroom alone, that is her decision. Your objection really doesn't really mean much, so why argue?

 

[spacemountainmom]

Personally, I was a bit stunned two yeas ago to encounter a ten+ year old boy in the restroom at Epcot. I will give the kid credit - he just stood there and waited for his mom. No harm - no foul.

I am not a prude, but have been peeked at and had kids try to crawl under into my stall (both sexes) and do not appreciate it. You, as a parent, need to teach your child that is not appropriate behavior. If you child tries that with me, I loudly tell them to stop. I wouldn't let my kids do that, please control yours.

I understand the issue, I have a daughter and a son and it is difficult with a small child who has to go. I still am not real comfortable letting my ds11 go into the mens room at certain places, but I am not taking him to the women's room. He has been told what to do if anyone approaches him and knows to come right back out if he feels uncomfortable. He can be slow (using the facilities) at times and I have had to ask random men to check on him and I've never encountered anyone that wasn't completely nice and understanding about it.

I have also taken other people's girls into the ladies room with me. I have no problem with that when asked.

Parents need to be cautious with their children and teach them what to do in any situation. It is our job to raise them to be capable citizens.

 

[mjkacmom]

Don't ask me about their maps. I am just telling you what I was told specifically by Disney personnel.

This subject comes us quite often and it is always the same argument. In the end, if a Mom doesn't want her 7 year old to go the restroom alone, that is her decision. Your objection really doesn't really mean much, so why argue?

Why does my objection not mean much? Yes, I'm asking you about the maps - my decision. WDW is trying to make people happy, without ruffling feathers. Not putting these few bathrooms on the map will prevent a lot of people who don't need to use these particular facilities from using them. If they were intended to be family bathrooms, like the ones in the mall, they'd be clearly marked on the maps for families to find them. Sure, it's the mom's decision, but when her little snowflake gets older, she's certainly not doing him any favors by keeping him in a bubble. People say you can't be too cautious - yes, you can.

 

[KellyNY]

Personally, I was a bit stunned two yeas ago to encounter a ten+ year old boy in the restroom at Epcot. I will give the kid credit - he just stood there and waited for his mom. No harm - no foul.

I am not a prude, but have been peeked at and had kids try to crawl under into my stall (both sexes) and do not appreciate it. You, as a parent, need to teach your child that is not appropriate behavior. If you child tries that with me, I loudly tell them to stop. I wouldn't let my kids do that, please control yours.

I understand the issue, I have a daughter and a son and it is difficult with a small child who has to go. I still am not real comfortable letting my ds11 go into the mens room at certain places, but I am not taking him to the women's room. He has been told what to do if anyone approaches him and knows to come right back out if he feels uncomfortable. He can be slow (using the facilities) at times and I have had to ask random men to check on him and I've never encountered anyone that wasn't completely nice and understanding about it.

I have also taken other people's girls into the ladies room with me. I have no problem with that when asked.

Parents need to be cautious with their children and teach them what to do in any situation. It is our job to raise them to be capable citizens.

I agree that we have to teach kids how to deal with situation but OPs son is just 7, not 11 like yours, big difference.

 

[SueM in MN]

exactly. folks assault kids inbetween the racks of Target.. so security be darned in Disney. Pervs will find a way.. unfortunately.

The bathroom in the mall is listed on the map as handicap accessible. Being in a guidebook doesn't mean its exclusively for them. However common sense give someone with a disability a leg up on usage, but its listed as companion. There is no differentiation as to what type of companion.

you neglected the 1st part that said" Most restrooms throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort have facilities designed for access by Guests using wheelchairs. "

By Disney's own comment there, the companions aren't exclusive for just handicap as most of the other restrooms are accessible.

I've at times walked across the park to use them. However if I have two kids and the oldest needs to use it right then, I'm going to the nearest Companion with our sit and stand.

Most restrooms are accessible. These aren't the ONLY ones that can be used. for some, sure, for all, no.

Most restrooms have this type of handicapped stall.

It looks very large if you are coming into it without a wheelchair. It does work for some people, specifically those who are able to get out of their wheelchair and walk a few steps. Or for those who are able to park their wheelchair outside the bathroom and just need a little extra support of the grab bars for getting up or down. Some people who can't walk are able to make a transfer straight forward from their wheelchair onto the toilet seat, but that requires strength (plus the ability to turn around) that some people don't have. And, it is very easy to be waiting in the line for the accessible toilet stall and then find out it won't work for you.
This is a picture of my DD's wheelchair in the slightly narrower accessible stall that was right next to the one in the other picture. Her wheelchair is a narrow adult size, but does not fit into the stall with the door shut. That stall which looks so big empty looks pretty small once a wheelchair is inside.

The reason some of the stalls are narrower is that some people park their wheelchair outside of the stall and then use the grab bars like parallel bars to walk in or use the bars to pull themselves up and down.

Some bathrooms also have larger stalls, but not all bathrooms and there are people that even those larger stalls won't work for. So, for those people, those 5-6 Companion Restrooms are the only toilets in the whole park that they can use.
Many people are very nice about it, but I have been told by families, "You have your own stalls in the bathroom. Go use one of those and leave the Family Restroom for those of us with families." All I did was asked if they were in line to use the Companion Restroom (they were sitting on a bench across from it and the room was occupied). We also get pounding on the door if we are in for more than 5 minutes - the pounders are usually people with children. I have never been 'pounded' by a person with a disability.
It is bad enough that at some parks, we don't even bother some days trying to use them, we just go straight to First Aid and use their restroom. Sadly, the First Aid people say that is very common. Many families are nice, but there are enough who make using the Companion Restrooms uncomfortable for people with disabilities and they feel their only option is First Aid.

So, I'll just post what I have on the disABILITIES FAQs about Companion Restrooms:
These are large enough for a wheelchair to go into and are set up for people who need assistance in the bathroom (whether or not they have a wheelchair).

• meet ADA wheelchair accessibility standards for size, space and arrangement of the room.
• raised seat, wheelchair accessible toilets with grab bars
• sink
• a single room with a door that can be locked, so there is no privacy from the other people who are in there with you.
• almost all have autoflush toilets
• some have a urinal
• some have changing tables

A few examples of people who need Companion Restrooms:

• a mother with an older son who is autistic and 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 allows them to transfer (so they can't leave it outside the stall and walk in)
• someone, like my DD, who needs room for a wheelchair and a helper (we don't fit in many of the regular handicapped stalls)
• someone, like my DD, who don't do well with all the noise in a regular restroom and need a quieter restroom.
• 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
• and, many other needs that can't all be listed.

The Companion Restroom or handicapped stall are the only toilets some people can use. So, there may be only 4-8 toilets in all of that park that they can use.
Handicapped stalls and Companion Restrooms are made so that people with disabilities are able to use the restroom. They may also be useful or convenient for some people without disabilities. Some people do choose to use them for convenience. But, there are not enough of them to be used that way if everyone who found them convenient used them.
I would like to ask people to consider whether or not they have other options. In some cases, they don't and should be using the Companion Restrooms or the Handicapped Stall. (One example might be a father traveling alone with a young daughter who doesn't feel comfortable bringing her in with him.)
But, please consider whether there are other options before using them for convenience.

I would also add, please, if you send your child in to use the Companion Restrooms alone, make sure that they have left the bathroom in a condition that the next person can use it. We often have to spend 5 or 6 minutes cleaning because the seat was 'sprinkled' or someone who was hovering left the toilet covered with paper and urine splatters.
Because I have to lift DD, I need to make sure the floor is dry - sometimes kids handwashing make it look like ducks have been bathing in there with splashes all over the floor. For safety and to avoid slipping while lifting my DD, I need to clean all that up.
Some people who need the Companion Restrooms are not able to do that cleaning and will need to go on to the next one and hope it is fit to use.
It's especially annoying to have spent 5 minutes cleaning and then have someone banging on the door because "you are taking so long."

So, courtesy and consideration for all users are most important.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I agree that we have to teach kids how to deal with situation but OPs son is just 7, not 11 like yours, big difference.

Well...I'm not sure of the exact date, but it's been a few years since ds11 has been in a ladies room. I either found a "family or companion" restroom, or I stood right outside of the men's room and didn't really care what anyone thought about it.

 

[DreamLiveLoveDisney]

Most restrooms have this type of handicapped stall.

It looks very large if you are coming into it without a wheelchair. It does work for some people, specifically those who are able to get out of their wheelchair and walk a few steps. Or for those who are able to park their wheelchair outside the bathroom and just need a little extra support of the grab bars for getting up or down. Some people who can't walk are able to make a transfer straight forward from their wheelchair onto the toilet seat, but that requires strength (plus the ability to turn around) that some people don't have. And, it is very easy to be waiting in the line for the accessible toilet stall and then find out it won't work for you.
This is a picture of my DD's wheelchair in the slightly narrower accessible stall that was right next to the one in the other picture. Her wheelchair is a narrow adult size, but does not fit into the stall with the door shut. That stall which looks so big empty looks pretty small once a wheelchair is inside.

The reason some of the stalls are narrower is that some people park their wheelchair outside of the stall and then use the grab bars like parallel bars to walk in or use the bars to pull themselves up and down.

Some bathrooms also have larger stalls, but not all bathrooms and there are people that even those larger stalls won't work for. So, for those people, those 5-6 Companion Restrooms are the only toilets in the whole park that they can use.
Many people are very nice about it, but I have been told by families, "You have your own stalls in the bathroom. Go use one of those and leave the Family Restroom for those of us with families." All I did was asked if they were in line to use the Companion Restroom (they were sitting on a bench across from it and the room was occupied). We also get pounding on the door if we are in for more than 5 minutes - the pounders are usually people with children. I have never been 'pounded' by a person with a disability.
It is bad enough that at some parks, we don't even bother some days trying to use them, we just go straight to First Aid and use their restroom. Sadly, the First Aid people say that is very common. Many families are nice, but there are enough who make using the Companion Restrooms uncomfortable for people with disabilities and they feel their only option is First Aid.

So, I'll just post what I have on the disABILITIES FAQs about Companion Restrooms:
These are large enough for a wheelchair to go into and are set up for people who need assistance in the bathroom (whether or not they have a wheelchair).

• meet ADA wheelchair accessibility standards for size, space and arrangement of the room.
• raised seat, wheelchair accessible toilets with grab bars
• sink
• a single room with a door that can be locked, so there is no privacy from the other people who are in there with you.
• almost all have autoflush toilets
• some have a urinal
• some have changing tables

A few examples of people who need Companion Restrooms:

• a mother with an older son who is autistic and 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 allows them to transfer (so they can't leave it outside the stall and walk in)
• someone, like my DD, who needs room for a wheelchair and a helper (we don't fit in many of the regular handicapped stalls)
• someone, like my DD, who don't do well with all the noise in a regular restroom and need a quieter restroom.
• 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
• and, many other needs that can't all be listed.

The Companion Restroom or handicapped stall are the only toilets some people can use. So, there may be only 4-8 toilets in all of that park that they can use.
Handicapped stalls and Companion Restrooms are made so that people with disabilities are able to use the restroom. They may also be useful or convenient for some people without disabilities. Some people do choose to use them for convenience. But, there are not enough of them to be used that way if everyone who found them convenient used them.
I would like to ask people to consider whether or not they have other options. In some cases, they don't and should be using the Companion Restrooms or the Handicapped Stall. (One example might be a father traveling alone with a young daughter who doesn't feel comfortable bringing her in with him.)
But, please consider whether there are other options before using them for convenience.

I would also add, please, if you send your child in to use the Companion Restrooms alone, make sure that they have left the bathroom in a condition that the next person can use it. We often have to spend 5 or 6 minutes cleaning because the seat was 'sprinkled' or someone who was hovering left the toilet covered with paper and urine splatters.
Because I have to lift DD, I need to make sure the floor is dry - sometimes kids handwashing make it look like ducks have been bathing in there with splashes all over the floor. For safety and to avoid slipping while lifting my DD, I need to clean all that up.
Some people who need the Companion Restrooms are not able to do that cleaning and will need to go on to the next one and hope it is fit to use.
It's especially annoying to have spent 5 minutes cleaning and then have someone banging on the door because "you are taking so long."

So, courtesy and consideration for all users are most important.

Wonderful addition to this thread. Thank you for sharing and putting things a little more into perspective for everyone.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I'll just add - why can't EVERYONE leave the restroom in a decent condition?

1. If you sprinkle while you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie!
2. Most toilers have a flushing device, please use it.
3. Please don't leave a big wet mess around the sink. It takes just a moment to grab a towel and wipe it down.
4. Please pick up and throw away your towels.
5. Please dispose of any feminine need products or diapers in the appropriate place.

Thank you ever so much!

 

[robinb]

You know why! It's because our daughters and their comfort are nothing next to the comfort of a mom and her little boy! The son, who can (and apparently will) wander off in the mens bathroom, will be perfectly fine and will stand completely still while mom is on the pot in the ladies room. A kid who wanders and is curious certainly won't be looking around and, as we all know, those stalls are hermetically sealed so there is not problem...

It seems the perfect solution here is for the mom to take the son into the stall with her. My husband takes the girls into the stall with him when they're out, too. Of course, my oldest is nearly 10 and has been using the bathroom by herself since she was about 5...

Erin, I think you're on to something. I can understand when those moms who bring their older boys into the ladies room say that they are doing it for the safety of their sons. What I am failing to understand is why they leave them outside the stall while they relieve themselves . If safety is a #1 priority where better to have a older boy then right there where you can see him at all times? Wait for the handicapped stall if you need more room for your 5th grader. Unless ... ... the privacy and the comfort of the mom is an issue too.

Here is something to consider when deciding how old is "too old" for going into a bathroom designed for of a different gender. If a boy is too old to be in the stall with his mom (or, girl with her dad) while each does their business they are more than likely to be too old to be in that bathroom in the first place. Your fear for your son's safety may indeed trump my 6th grade DD's loss of privacy and feelings of awkwardness seeing a grade school boy in the ladies room but YOUR privacy and comfort does not. If you are taking an older child into a different gendered bathroom YOU are creating the situation and YOU need to suck it up and deal with your son/daughter in the stall with you ... all safe and sound. If you are too embarrassed to potty and wipe in front of your older son then you can be sure that there are other women and girls who are feeling the same way when they see him waiting outside your stall.

 

[spacemountainmom]

Erin, I think you're on to something. I can understand when those moms who bring their older boys into the ladies room say that they are doing it for the safety of their sons. What I am failing to understand is why they leave them outside the stall while they relieve themselves . If safety is a #1 priority where better to have a older boy then right there where you can see him at all times? Wait for the handicapped stall if you need more room for your 5th grader. Unless ... ... the privacy and the comfort of the mom is an issue too.

Here is something to consider when deciding how old is "too old" for going into a bathroom designed for of a different gender. If a boy is too old to be in the stall with his mom (or, girl with her dad) while each does their business they are more than likely to be too old to be in that bathroom in the first place. Your fear for your son's safety may indeed trump my 6th grade DD's loss of privacy and feelings of awkwardness seeing a grade school boy in the ladies room but YOUR privacy and comfort does not. If you are taking an older child into a different gendered bathroom YOU are creating the situation and YOU need to suck it up and deal with your son/daughter in the stall with you ... all safe and sound. If you are too embarrassed to potty and wipe in front of your older son then you can be sure that there are other women and girls who are feeling the same way when they see him waiting outside your stall.

Well said!

 

[disneymomma1978]

Erin, I think you're on to something. I can understand when those moms who bring their older boys into the ladies room say that they are doing it for the safety of their sons. What I am failing to understand is why they leave them outside the stall while they relieve themselves . If safety is a #1 priority where better to have a older boy then right there where you can see him at all times? Wait for the handicapped stall if you need more room for your 5th grader. Unless ... ... the privacy and the comfort of the mom is an issue too.

Here is something to consider when deciding how old is "too old" for going into a bathroom designed for of a different gender. If a boy is too old to be in the stall with his mom (or, girl with her dad) while each does their business they are more than likely to be too old to be in that bathroom in the first place. Your fear for your son's safety may indeed trump my 6th grade DD's loss of privacy and feelings of awkwardness seeing a grade school boy in the ladies room but YOUR privacy and comfort does not. If you are taking an older child into a different gendered bathroom YOU are creating the situation and YOU need to suck it up and deal with your son/daughter in the stall with you ... all safe and sound. If you are too embarrassed to potty and wipe in front of your older son then you can be sure that there are other women and girls who are feeling the same way when they see him waiting outside your stall.

very well said!

 

[tlbwriter]

Here is something to consider when deciding how old is "too old" for going into a bathroom designed for of a different gender. If a boy is too old to be in the stall with his mom (or, girl with her dad) while each does their business they are more than likely to be too old to be in that bathroom in the first place. Your fear for your son's safety may indeed trump my 6th grade DD's loss of privacy and feelings of awkwardness seeing a grade school boy in the ladies room but YOUR privacy and comfort does not. If you are taking an older child into a different gendered bathroom YOU are creating the situation and YOU need to suck it up and deal with your son/daughter in the stall with you ... all safe and sound. If you are too embarrassed to potty and wipe in front of your older son then you can be sure that there are other women and girls who are feeling the same way when they see him waiting outside your stall.

Very good point. If it's that important that your child not be separated from you in the bathroom, if it really is all about his safety, and if you really are concerned that predators are everywhere, take him into the stall with you. It keeps him safest (and that's your goal, right?) and it reduces the discomfort of other women and girls in the bathroom. Looks like a win-win situation to me.

 

[okeydokey]

Why does my objection not mean much? Yes, I'm asking you about the maps - my decision. WDW is trying to make people happy, without ruffling feathers. Not putting these few bathrooms on the map will prevent a lot of people who don't need to use these particular facilities from using them. If they were intended to be family bathrooms, like the ones in the mall, they'd be clearly marked on the maps for families to find them. Sure, it's the mom's decision, but when her little snowflake gets older, she's certainly not doing him any favors by keeping him in a bubble. People say you can't be too cautious - yes, you can.

Because you are not the child's mother. You decide for your family and she will decide for hers. I just don't understand why we argue about this all the time.

My son at 7 used the mens' restroom, that is my decision. I can't assume to decide for any other parent. It's not up to me.

 

[TenderDonkey]

After reading these boards before our trip, I was really concerned about the bathroom situation. I didn’t want to offend anyone and I would not dare to use an empty companion bathroom. So we just used diapers. We actually found some pretty nice ones. It saved a lot of time too. So diapers are the way to go.

 

[tartemis]

I'm typicaly fairly liberal about these things and I guess I still don't really call one way or the other -- BUT ...

I was at a water park in the women's locker and there was a 7 or 8 year old boy in there with the mom. The mom was off doing something -- maybe in the shower -- so it was just me and this boy. I start to undress, trying to cover up as best I could, and the boy starts groaning and shielding his eyes. Hey I don't look that baswd! I was annoyed then -- had the boy just stayed there quietly, I wouldn't have cared, but he really was making a big scene. I was completely embarassed. Through this whole thing his mom was still missing (I had seen here earlier in there with him) so I just hightailed it out of there, but that is a situation were a child SHOULD NOT have been in the women's locker room.

 

[KellyNY]

Erin, I think you're on to something. I can understand when those moms who bring their older boys into the ladies room say that they are doing it for the safety of their sons. What I am failing to understand is why they leave them outside the stall while they relieve themselves . If safety is a #1 priority where better to have a older boy then right there where you can see him at all times? Wait for the handicapped stall if you need more room for your 5th grader. Unless ... ... the privacy and the comfort of the mom is an issue too.

Here is something to consider when deciding how old is "too old" for going into a bathroom designed for of a different gender. If a boy is too old to be in the stall with his mom (or, girl with her dad) while each does their business they are more than likely to be too old to be in that bathroom in the first place. Your fear for your son's safety may indeed trump my 6th grade DD's loss of privacy and feelings of awkwardness seeing a grade school boy in the ladies room but YOUR privacy and comfort does not. If you are taking an older child into a different gendered bathroom YOU are creating the situation and YOU need to suck it up and deal with your son/daughter in the stall with you ... all safe and sound. If you are too embarrassed to potty and wipe in front of your older son then you can be sure that there are other women and girls who are feeling the same way when they see him waiting outside your stall.

I just donot understand why we are talking about 5th graders. OPs son is 7, last I checked it is 2nd grader.