family restrooms?

[plgshpz]

Hi - We will be going to WDW for our first trip this November. Are there any family restrooms in WDW? I have a problem about letting my two boys enter the mens restroom by themselves. There will be no men with us on this trip, only women. My boys are 9 and 11 and they would never enter a women's restroom with me. (they would rather hold it all day if they had to) Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

plgshpz,

I think there are a few family restrooms at WDW but they are few and far between. You will also get debated on weather they are considered "family bathrooms" or "compainion bathrooms" for hadicap persons. I just wanted to share my experence on the bathroom with boys at Disney. My DS is 9 and while he goes alone now almost anywhere we go that DH is not along, there was no way I was going to let him go into the bathroom alone at Disney. We had DH along so not to be a problem. Sure enough the first day while DH goes to make us some lunch PS while DS and I go on a ride, we both have to go and right then. I debated and decided it would have to be ok. What I did was ask a man with a child commimg out of the restroom if there was more that one entrance or exit to that restroom. If there had been I would have looked for another one that did not. I waited right outside and told him to hurry. Then my bigger worry that I had to go in while he was waiting. Disney magic worked. Another mom with a son about my son's age had the same problem. We sat the boys together right outside the restroom with orders not to move and I hurried real fast. I Beat the other mom out but waited for her to come out.After that I felt much more secure than I ever thought I would at Disney. DH was there most of the time but it did happen a couple other time during the trip. This is a very tough issue and you have to do what is best for yourself and your boys. Enjoy your trip and your boys!!

Jordan's mom

 

[Cameo]

The baby care centers in the parks all have unisex bathrooms. We went into the ones at the Magic Kingdom (by the Crystal Palace) and at Epcot (by the Odysey restaurant??).

 

[TrystMoon]

You can always do the counting trick..... pick a one exit restroom and have your kid count loud enough so you can hear him while he is in the restroom..... if the counting stops you bust in there (and probably yell at him for not counting loud enough for you to hear. )

 

[sha_lyn]

I don't think I would be worried about bathrooms at WDW. If you are worried about what others might do to your child they are not going to do it in a place as busy as the bathrooms at WDW. I really do not understand not letting a 9 or 11 yr old go to the bathroom by themselves.

 

[SueM in MN]

The official name of the restrooms is "Companion Restrooms" and there are only a few in each park. The debate comes from the fact that they are usually the only restrooms big enough to bring a wheelchair into the stall. The regular handicapped stall looks big, but most of them are not big enough to get a wheelchair into. I've done it, but the front of the wheelchair is touching the toilet and sometimes the door won't shut. My DD won't use the toilet if the door won't shut and I'm afraid of either dropping her or hurting my back when I lift her onto the toilet because we don't have room to manouver safely.
It's not a big problem for someone who can walk and is using a wheelchair because they can't walk long distances. They can usually park the wheelchair outside the stall and either use a regular stall or the handicapped stall (if they need handrails).
But, for someone who needs the wheelchair in the stall with them or needs an assistant in the stall with them, a regular handicapped stall is useless. They may need the extra room so they can park the wheelchair close to the toilet or their companion may have to lift them on and off the toilet. So, if people are using the companion restrooms as family restrooms, it ties up the only toilet that a person with a wheelchair can use. The same goes for the extra large stalls (especially the real big ones with the sinks).

 

[ratow]

I have to agree with sha_lyn.

Statistically, stranger abduction is rare. Even if someone was planning to snatch a child it would be much more likely to happen at your local park or on the walk home from school. You know, those places where you feel comfortable sending your child alone. It's much more likely to be someone who has befriended your child or someone you already know.

Unfortunately, the stranger abduction cases receive a lot of publicity because they are a parents worst nightmare!

I am ok with my 9yo dd or 7yo ds going into the restrooms alone. My first choice is my husband or myself going with them but if that is not possible, they can go alone with me waiting by the door.

 

[CindyLouB]

In Dec 01, neice was 8 and nephew 10. IN Dec 99, neice was 6 and nephew 8. Only adults on trip were me and my sister, so no male to bring nephew into mens room. He had no problem going alone and we had no worries letting him. We always knew to just wait outside for each other and not wander off. Going back this dec, they are now 9 & 11, same rules apply. Of course, they know the rules about what to do if one should get lost, no strangers, etc, etc. We never even gave it a second thought about letting him go into the mens room alone...

 

[Kermit]

Have you thought about getting them 2-way radios and keeping them on? At 9 and 11, I would probably feel comfortable letting them go into any restroom that doesn't have 2 exits alone. (Ask a CM to make sure there isn't another exit. There are only a few that do.) Crowded restrooms are actually better than ones where they'd be by themselves, since no one would actually do anything with people watching. If your children have special needs, then you may want to use the family restrooms, but otherwise, you'll have a less stressful vacation if you don't have to walk across the park every time someone needs to go.

 

[KJMAX1]

I would have to say I wouldnt be so worried at that age of my boys going into a bathroom alone. I would warn them they had 4 mins, and if they werent out I would be coming in, and wouldnt it be embarrassing to have your mom come in?!?

I had my friends 9 yr old son with me, and he went into the bathroom alone to change after swimming. I would have to say this was my worst nightmare. There were two exits, and even though we specifically discussed where he should come out, and not to leave guess what he did? He went out the opposite door, and wandered off thinking he could find me! He is a very smart, and wise kid, but this time it just escaped him. My first instinct was to get a CM, and I kept calling for him. We found him a few hundred yards away crying, and with a group of STANGERS!! trying to help him! All those things we have told him NEVER to do, he did. So do go to a one exit bathroom, and give them a few minutes before going in. If all else fails grab some man coming out and ask him if he would call to your sons that their mom is waiting and they had better hurry. Or you can always grab a CM as ask him to check on them. I love the two way radio idea.