Companion bathrooms question?

[wrldpossibility]

Hi,

I thought this would be a good place to get clarification: what ARE companion bathrooms at Disney? Are they for use for people with disabilities only, or are they designed to be used by families with small children too? I have read conflicting info. Just for clarification, I don't have anyone with a disability in my group, so I want to be clear on the rules before going to Disney. I do have three small boys, so if the bathrooms are for use for families, too, I will use them (for those times when my husband is not available...I won't make my small boys go into the men's room alone). If they are just for disabled people though, we will not use them and I'll take the boys with me into the women's room. Thanks!

 

[spiceycat]

sometimes the restroom says "family" not companion...

 

[Talking Hands]

The ones at Disney say companion and have a handicapped logo on them. They are not family bathrooms.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you for asking.
Especially in MK and Epcot, it is very difficult for anyone who needs to bring a wheelchair or a companion to assist them in the bathroom. Almost none of the handicapped stalls in the bathrooms are large enough for that. And some older people who need someone of the opposite sex in the restroom can't use the men's or ladies' rooms.The only places available for some people to use are the Companion Restrooms. MK has 8 of them, which means (for example for my DD) that those are the only 8 toilets in the whole park that some people can use.

The only place that you will find them listed is in the Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities and all of them I have been in are marked with "Companion Restroom" and a wheelchair sign. If they were meant for general use by families, they would be on the park maps.

I usually say that anyone who is going to use them should keep in mind that for some people using them is a choice, but for other people they are a necessity. I personally would appreciate it if the people who have other possible choices would consider their other choices before deciding to use them.
And, again, thank you for asking.

 

[Pamlur]

My daughter-in-law lost her sight about ten years ago (two years after they married) as a complication of her Type I Diabetes. We just got back from nine days at WDW with all kids and grandkids, and she was so thrilled with those companion restrooms. She's not shy about asking for help from friendly-seeming strangers, but if he can go in and help her that makes it so much better. She doesn't use a cane, either she holds his hand and he tells her about steps or he walks in front and she walks with her hand on his back. If I was around, we'd "tag off" and I'd take her into the ladies' room, but I wasn't with them all the time and the companion restrooms gave them more freedom to roam the parks.

 

[Twende]

We just used them last week and I will admit that they were great for us.

I was able to help my mom get undressed and she could do her "thing" and I could then do mine while getting her redressed! I never had to worry about her wondering off or getting herself locked into a stall.

Some of the wheel chair restrooms were large enough for us to do the same thing but not all of them had sinks in them and at times we really needed a sink!

I would say as long as you are not spending all day in there and holding things up when someone else is in a quick need then use them.

I know of a number of single fathers who use companion restooms for their young children. They say they are a God send!

 

[Kay1]

We've stopped using them for the most part but they were sure a blessing when the boys were younger. My younger son has autism and still can't go into a mens room alone but now big brother is old enough (15) to fill in when Dad isn't with us. The only time we need them is when Scott and I are alone. He's 14 and I sure can't sneak him into the ladies room anymore!

 

[mickeyfan2]

They are for anybody who might need a little assistance. So handicapped, small children, mom's who need more room. Some even have the baby changing table in them.

 

[Talking Hands]

I don't believe any in the parks have changing tables in them. In fact I saw one parent with diaper age children walk into one and come immediately out just for that reason. You would have to change the baby on the floor. If you need to change a larger child or adult you are better off going to first aid where there are tables large enough to change them easily.

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't believe any in the parks have changing tables in them. In fact I saw one parent with diaper age children walk into one and come immediately out just for that reason. You would have to change the baby on the floor. If you need to change a larger child or adult you are better off going to first aid where there are tables large enough to change them easily.

A few do have changing tables, although many do not.
The tables in the ones that do have them are a maximum of 4 feet long (I measured the last time) and are counter height, mostly stainless steel tables. They are not well suited for use with a larger child or an adult.

 

[JoannaOhio]

I am currently on vacation in Florida with my DD & her Dear Fiancee who is disabled with MD. The companion restrooms are a real blessing for them, because he needs her assistance, and that's pretty difficult to pull off in a regular restroom for either gender. I knew ahead of time that this would be the case, so I researched them in the guidebooks for people with disabilities, and marked them on my park maps. I try to do everything I can to make life as "normal" as possible for him, and it pleases me when I can tell him exactly where the closest companion restroom is. As has already been stated, this restrooms should be available to those who really need them.

 

[pugdog]

Just got back yesterday and had to wait several times for people who don't need them.
ug: All of EPCOT have changing tables, the other parks vary, most don't.

 

[JoannaOhio]

Just got back yesterday and had to wait several times for people who don't need them.

(Added 12/26: Thanks to everyone who responded with more information about invisible disabilities I hadn't thought about. I apologize for the judgment I originally made in this post.)

We were at Epcot today, and every time my DD's fiancee needed her to go with him to the companion bathroom, they had to wait for people to come out who were not in a situation where they couldn't have used the regular restrooms. It was quite annoying!

 

[SueM in MN]

I just want to point out that the people who appear not to need them might have invisible needs ...........
- like one woman who asked here in the past about using the Companion Restrooms because she has a colostomy and needs the extra space and a sink
- or a mother of an autistic child

But, I have also seen people who appear to not have any visible needs to use the Companion Restroom (and have even heard kids tell their mom they did not want to wait and would use the ladies room). I have heard enough people calling it the Family Restroom to know that not everyone who uses it has a special need. In fact, one time, we had gone all the way from Haunted Mansion area to the Pirates area in Adventureland to use the Companion Restroom there. We waited a few minutes outside the door and when the door opened, headed over there to go in. Several people sitting on the bench right outside it stopped us and said "Hey, there's a line for the FAMILY Restoom and we were all in line before you." They included a mom with a baby in a stroller (the man she was with stayed outside and she took the stroller in with her - there is no changing table in that particular restroom), a mom with about a 3 year old and a whole family (man, woman, child in stroller and toddler).
My hope is just that people who have other options to using those restrooms realize that some people do NOT have any alternatives.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I think maybe some of the confusion arises from other places (not WDW) naming the companion restrooms, "family restrooms". The Denver Zoo has several large "family restrooms". I would have assumed they were HC because I seem to recall they had the logo. But while they might have had the logo the wording was specifically "family". Its was confusing to me, with a HC DH. I can just imagine how confusing it must be to the people that don't deal with disabilities daily.

 

[alisonbestford]

I just want to point out that the people who appear not to need them might have invisible needs ...........

DH has only one eye - and a hole where the other one used to be, as a result of a brain tumour.
I have to clean the hole throughout the day and, obviously, can hardly do it out in public
The 'companion bathrooms' are an ideal place to do this but we've had to endure frequent comments, both in the US and at home in the UK, as DH is only 38 and walks!
Please be open minded when you see someone who you think is abusing the facility

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

I agree about the 'invisible' disabilities bit! My DSis has an ileostomy and most of the disabled stalls in the regular bathrooms just have door that open outwards and rai;ls to hold. Due to the nature of her 'disability' she needs to have a sink to use. She's lost count of the amount of 'comments' she's had over the years as she's a healthy looking 45 year old!

 

[taximomfor4]

We were at Epcot today, and every time my DD's fiancee needed her to go with him to the companion bathroom, they had to wait for people to come out who were not in a situation where they couldn't have used the regular restrooms. It was quite annoying!

You don't always know if they "really" needed them or not. We don't look like we do, but sometimes we do. As several on here have already posted, I would hope that people would NOT line up to use a bathroom that is the only option for others with special needs, but nobody can truly tell from looking which families belong in there and which do not.

Beth

 

[JoannaOhio]

Thanks to everybody who chimed in to further educate me about invisible disabilities. I suffer from CFIDS, fibromyalgia and arthritis (all of which are invisible) so I'm accustomed to foks staring at me when I use handicapped parking or toilet stalls. However, I hadn't really given enough thought about what other kinds of disabilities might be invisible before I made my previous post. I apologize and stand corrected. I won't be so quick to judge in the future.

 

[taximomfor4]

Thanks to everybody who chimed in to further educate me about invisible disabilities. I suffer from CFIDS, fibromyalgia and arthritis (all of which are invisible) so I'm accustomed to foks staring at me when I use handicapped parking or toilet stalls. However, I hadn't really given enough thought about what other kinds of disabilities might be invisible before I made my previous post. I apologize and stand corrected. I won't be so quick to judge in the future.

The Disboards in general have been hugely educational to me, also. I always thought I was a very understanding, empathetic person but have grown much more humble and learn more every day. It's all personal growth, and hey, at least we are open to the learning! Many choose to remain ignorant or else lack our giant source of personal anecdotes.

Beth