Restroom question

[CindyZMomof3]

I posted this on the strategies board also, but I think this is a good place to ask my question too:

In late August I will be in WDW alone with my 8yoDS. I am concerned about the restroom issue. He is at the age where going into the Ladies room simply mortifies him, but there is no way I will send him in the men's room alone, or leave him alone while I go in. Are there family restrooms around the world?

Any other tips?

Thank you,
Cindy Z in CT

 

[JRLATL]

Some Family Restrooms are available in WDW. I also have an 8 yo DS, and never hesitated to make him go in with me. He stands outside my stall, if he does not need to go at that time. Some restrooms have 2 exits, and too many things can happen. Sometimes our children just have to trust that we make them do things they are not crazy about for their own safety.

 

[CindyZMomof3]

Good point.

He'll just have to grin and bear it!

 

[all4fun]

The restrooms you're talking about are actually "companion" restrooms and thier actual intent is to be available for disabled guests who need assistance in the restroom. I personally don't have a problem w/parent and child using it, but I just thought it should be clarified that they actually aren't designated as "family" restrooms.

I saw somewhere that the baby stations also have adult restrooms in them, although I don't know if they are "private" or not. (Of course the baby stations are not always conveniently located but if you're near one, you could check it out) Anyone know?

 

[Dopey's Girl]

I've used the baby stations several times in the past, but it's been a while. As I remember, they are private adult bathrooms. But even if they are not, the stations are SO much less crowded than the rest of the park. It is specifically for families with little ones and there is always at least one CM on had to "meet needs". I've been in there before when there was NO ONE else there. Your son could either accompany you or wait in the parent waiting room without feeling too embarassed or unsafe.

 

[LoriAnn630]

There was another thread I was reading about this issue. This is what my best friend told me when I had my first child. "Sometimes you have to say or do things that may upset other people for the best interest of your child and your family." I will be bringing my 7yr old son into the ladies room If I have to. He doesnt like it very much iether. Id rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Scoootch]

Originally posted by all4fun
The restrooms you're talking about are actually "companion" restrooms and thier actual intent is to be available for disabled guests who need assistance in the restroom. I personally don't have a problem w/parent and child using it, but I just thought it should be clarified that they actually aren't designated as "family" restrooms.

I saw somewhere that the baby stations also have adult restrooms in them, although I don't know if they are "private" or not. (Of course the baby stations are not always conveniently located but if you're near one, you could check it out) Anyone know?

I know alot of people will argue this point with me but.....If the "companion" bathrooms were meant strictly for only the handicapped than I think they would only have the little wheelchair handicap symbol on the sign outside the door rather than the symbol for 2 people and the word "companion". While it is definetly intended for handicapped people who need assistance, it is surely meant for situations such as the OP is describing as well as for if you need to bring small children in and strollers and whatnot -- why else do they have baby changers in them otherwise? I do not mean to say anyone with a stoller and a small child should be using them either. But there are situations where I have taken my dd who is an infant while dh has taken our ds on a ride and I needed to use the rest room. Sorry, but I'm not about to leave my dd in a stoller outside the stall in the ladies room and the only options are to either take the stoller into the handicapped stall in the ladies room (which not only occuppies the handicap stall but is a tight squeeze ) or to use the companion restroom where I have adequete room to bring her with me in the stoller. And for those of you thinking "well just wait till they're off the ride", many times I have said I'd meet back up with them at a particular time and sometimes it's just that it's a crowded day and can take 45mins or more for them to get on and off a ride. So to me, if they are intended to be stricly handicapped then that's what the sign would say. Besides, how long do people take to use the rest room? It's not like it will be occuppied all day. I agree it is meant for the handicapped who need assistance but as family oriented as WDW is, I'm sure they have these bathrooms for all sorts of situations that are considered out of the ordinary. JMO, please don't flame me The baby centers are great too but on the same note, they will not fit a stoller in the restrooms so I have had the same problem there. Although for those who are interested such as the OP's dilema, they are unisex bathrooms in the baby center (at least in the MK one).

 

[SueM in MN]

They are called Companion Restrooms by Disney, not Family Restrooms. You will not find them listed on the maps, only in the Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities. They are meant for people who need extra room (like to bring a wheelchair in with them) and/or a companion into the stall with them. Many of them don't have changing tables.

They would be a good solution for the OP, but for people who do have other options, please choose to use another option, if possible.

I am not saying they are only for the use of people with disabilities, but, please be aware that they are the only stalls in the whole park that someone who needs to bring a wheelchair into the stall with them can use in MK and Epcot. They are also the only stalls that someone who needs to assist an opposite sex adult or older child in the restroom can use.

The wheelchair accessible stalls in the regular bathrooms look large if you are in them by yourself or with a stroller, but at MK and Epcot almost none of them are are large enough to fit a wheelchair into the stall and close the door. And, if you can get the door shut, there is usually not enough room for an assistant to safely help the person with a disability to get onto the toilet. Even without a wheelchair, they are tight for an adult needing assistance from another adult in the restroom. MGM and AK are newer parks, so most of the Ladies and Mens Rooms do have larger wheelchair accessible stalls, but no matter how many stalls there are in the bathroom, there is usually only one or two wheelchair accessible stalls, and that still doesn't help someone with an older child or adutlt of the opposite sex.
At MK, there are only 6 Companion Restrooms, at Epcot 8. Those are the only stalls that my DD (for example) can use in the whole park. On our WDW trip in March, we found the Companion Restrooms to be very busy with families. So busy that, whenever DD had to go to the bathroom at MK, we went back to First Aid to use their Companion Restroom. At least didn't have a line and people knocking on the door to ask if the room was occupied and if we were going to be done soon every few minutes.
And, for the question of "how does does it take to use the restroom", because there was a line of families waiting to use the Companion Restroom near the Pirates, we did have to wait over 20 minutes to get in (after walking all the way from Haunted Mansion to Pirates because that was the closest restroom we could use). The "families" who were using it included a man all by himself, a woman with a man and a child in a stroller, and a woman with a girl who looked about 3.
So, if you do choose to use them out of convenience rather than necessity, please consider that there are some people who don't have a choice and can only use those 6 or 8 stalls in the whole park.

 

[Figaro]

Sue has explained a lot better than I could(smile). I will add that the word "family" was taken off of all of the companion restrooms according to the nurses at the First Aid Stations when what was happening to Sue happened to the other disabled people who need to use the companion restrooms.

The male and female symbol along with the wheelchair symbol is to let people know that both males and females who are disabled can use the companion restroom. I think the confusion has been because people haven't noticed the change and because so many malls and airports do have the word "family" along with the male, female and wheelchair symbols, so people don't pay attention. Or as a good friend of mine said: "that pesky vacation brain drain means I do all kinds of stupid things like standing in a line at the food court for food I don't want because I didn't even look to see what line I was in."(smile)

 

[SueM in MN]

Actually, I have never seen the word "Family" on any of the WDW Companion Restrooms. I do believe that when people started asking for family restrooms, someone decided to just change the signs on a few of the family ones. I think they were quickly changed back.
Also, with only the "wheelchair" symbol on them, some people with special needs children or adults who didn't have wheelchairs, did not feel welcome using them and some people thought they were ladies rooms only if that's what they were next to.

 

[Scoootch]

"Also, with only the "wheelchair" symbol on them, some people with special needs children or adults who didn't have wheelchairs, did not feel welcome using them and some people thought they were ladies rooms only if that's what they were next to."


I understand your point here - I fault Disney for this. As I mentioned though, I don't think that just anyone should use these rest rooms. Certainly not JUST BECAUSE someone has a child in a stroller, there is more than adequete room in the regular restrooms for changing a child. But there are circumstances such as I've been in myself where bringing a child in a stroller with you is the only option and these bathrooms are the only ones that are large enough to do this. I whole heartadly agree though that the handicapp stalls are too small often times for a handicapp person needing assistance and that there are not enough of them -- there are like 20 stalls or so and only 1 is handicapped in the regular rest rooms So while the main intention for these "companion" rest rooms may be for the handicapped who need assistance, I don't agree that it's the only intention and until Disney decides to specifically address the fact that there are others who have special or unusual situations and may need to use a restroom such as these, it really is the only option sometimes. BTW, not all of the companion rest rooms may have a diaper changer but many of them do. I suspect that Disney realizes that these bathrooms can and are used for both the handicapped and families -- although again, I only have used them when the situation was as such that I needed to, not just because it was convenient. Unless Disney decides to put in separate "specific" rest rooms for situations other than for the handicapped there really are no other options -- at least not for the situation I mentioned, even if I bring the stroller with me in the regular ladies room the only stall large enough to bring it in with me still would take up the handicap stall.

Again though, let me make it clear, I do not advocate just using these rest rooms for sheer convenience. I would not want to occupy them unnecisarilly (sp?) when a handicapp person may be in need of using it, but sometimes there are situations where these bathrooms are the only option.

 

[McCall]

Perhaps the best answer is for Disney to go to Keyed restrooms for the disabled only. or have an attendent at each one with the key. I have been to many places where this is done.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Originally posted by Scoootch
[Again though, let me make it clear, I do not advocate just using these rest rooms for sheer convenience. I would not want to occupy them unnecessarily when a handicapp person may be in need of using it, but sometimes there are situations where these bathrooms are the only option. [/B]

I agree with the above, but . . .

My DH and I have four DDs, when my DH has had to take one of the younger girls into the restroom, these are the ones he uses. I DO NOT want my DDs in the men's room and DO NOT want them going in the ladies room alone!! He was told by a CM that this is ONE of the intended uses for the companion restrooms. Fathers with DDs and Mothers with DSs!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I don't know how old this list is but I had copied this from some post:

Epcot:
Companion Restrooms are found at First Aid, Future World East opposite Test Track, Future World West opposite The Land, Near Canada, Near Morocco and Near Spaceship Earth.


Animal Kingdom
Companion Restrooms are found at First Aid, Safari Village opposite Flame Tree Barbecue, Harambe Village in the Mombasa Marketplace, and Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures in Dinoland.


Magic Kingdom
Companion Restrooms are found at First Aid, the lower level of Cinderella's Royal Table, Splash Mtn., Mickey's Toon Town Fair, and the TTC East Gate.


MGM
, companion-assisted restroom facilities are at First Aid as well as at these locations:
Opposite the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Opposite Star Tours,
FANTASMIC!, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

 

[cindysteve]

I have never seen a line of wheel chairs waiting to use these facilities. I understand that there are not other options for these guests. I also understand that someone's DD8 should not be going into the men's room because urinals do not afford men any privacy. As long as the family usage of these facilities is not creating lines for disabled guests, people should not be so upset with family usage. Just MHO.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have never seen a line of wheel chairs waiting to use these facilities. I understand that there are not other options for these guests. I also understand that someone's DD8 should not be going into the men's room because urinals do not afford men any privacy. As long as the family usage of these facilities is not creating lines for disabled guests, people should not be so upset with family usage. Just MHO.

My DD uses a wheelchair and her wheelchair doesn't fit into the handicapped stalls at MK or Epcot (those parks are older and not as accessible). Our only alternative is the Companion Restrooms, so that means at MK, we only have 6 stalls we can use in the whole park.
On our trip this past March, my DD and I waited in line about half the times when we needed to use the Companion Restroom and almost every time we used one, someone tried the door or knocked while we where in there.
MK was the worst, where at times there were several people waiting ahead of us. That might not sound like a big deal, but since there are not many of the Companion Restrooms, we often had to go out of our way to get to one, passing regular restrooms along the way. Sometimes, we just gave up and went to another Companion one or to First Aid rather than wait in a long line. So, just because no one sees a line of wheelchairs doesn't mean that family usage is not causing people with disabilities to wait.
I don't know and am not making any judgments about people who chose to use the Companion Restrooms (they may have issues that are not apparent). It did appear that some of those people had other choices available to them (ie. a woman taking a 3-4 yr old boy into the companion restroom while the man she was with sat on a bench waiting for them to come out; a man who was in by himself; a woman with a little girl). I think a lot of the people using them were not aware of the lack of wheelchair accessible restrooms and just saw the Companion restrooms as nice Family Restrooms.
We almost always had to wait for the handicapped accessible stalls at Ak and the Studio, even when there were multiple empty regular stalls (the newer parks have wheelchair accessible stalls that a wheelchair does fit in, for the most part).

I'm not saying that they are only for people in wheelchairs. I realize that for some people (like the man with a DD or woman with an older DS, or someone alone with an infant or small child in a stroller), they are the best option. Just, please look at the other options available if there are any.

 

[HaleyB]

This is a problem that Disney really should fix. More restrooms for disabled guests and more family/unisex rest rooms.

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by HaleyB
This is a problem that Disney really should fix. More restrooms for disabled guests and more family/unisex rest rooms.

I second that.
I think the biggest problem with adding more is that MK and Epcot were built so long ago. Family restrooms weren't even an idea then and there were a lot fewer people with disabilities going to WDW.
When we first started going to WDW more than 15 years ago, there were only a couple of Companion Restrooms in each park. They have added since then and every few years another one shows up. So, in another 15 years, they may have enough