Knocking on companion door

[Daisy62]

to Daisy you were in hurry, what would you have done if someone was ready in there and because of special needs takes longer than normal? there the major problem for some, when people start wanting them out get out

I guess I would have Prayed I made it to a bathroom just like anyone else in my situation though I doubt I would have. I certainly wouldn't be pounding on the door.

 

[FortForever]

I'm not even 100% sure what a companion bathroom is. I am guessing you are not talking about the standard disabled stall in regular restrooms. I have seen a door on some of the buildings, in the center, that are marked with a wheelchair icon and I'm assuming that is the what the discussion is about.

At the risk of being called the bathroom police, I personally think it's rude of any non-disabled person to use that restroom. Even having a bunch of kids is no excuse. I raised four kids, using the regular restrooms without ever having an incident. Would it be more convenient to have your own private big restroom? Sure it would. Get over it and realize that for physically disabled people, everything about life is inconvenient. At least let them use THEIR restroom in peace.

I also consider knocking rude. If there is no "occupied" sign, then try the door (quietly, without making a scene about it.) If it's locked, there is someone in there. WAIT YOUR TURN. I seriously doubt anyone would intentionally spend longer than necessary hanging out in a restroom at Disney, or anywhere else. Knocking is very obnoxious. Please don't do it.

 

[elmoandzoey]

We have a different name for companion restrooms over here - we call them family restrooms. I think that term clearly indicates that this restroom is not only meant for disabled people but for anyone who needs to have a family member/companion with them for whatever reason.

My father once had an incident which probably falls under this category as well. He took my daughter to IKEA one day. She was just potty trained. I guess IKEA with grandpa was so overwhelming she forgot she had to go and wet herself. Now my father will not take my daughter into a men's restroom for two reasons: a) they usually have no changing table and b) men usually don't use the stalls if they need to pee (I think you know what I mean). So he uses the family (companion) restroom. He told me he was in there for all but five minutes but he constantly heared pounding and impatient yelling at the door to the point that my DD got so scared she wet herself again - so another change of clothes. When he was finally done, there was a woman standing in front of the restroom, pounding at the door, livid and screaming at him that he should have just taken the kid to the men's restroom and that they didn't need the restroom but she did because she really needed to go and couldn't wait in line for the women's restroom. It's people like that that always leave a bad impression and you of course jump to conclusions when you hear someone knocking.

Do I think it's rude to politely knock if you can't determine if someone is in the restroom? No. I rather want people to do that than try the handle - I've had so many instances when I locked the door but the lock didn't hold. I don't want anyone to walk in on me, thank you very much. Do I think impatient knocking and pounding is rude? Yes, very much so. People are in there for a reason and I doubt anyone will take longer than needed in such any public restroom.

 

[Daisy62]

Fortforever around here too it's just family restrooms. Never have seen a companion restroom anywhere but WDW. All the malls and stores here have family ones.

 

[SueM in MN]

Fortforever around here too it's just family restrooms. Never have seen a companion restroom anywhere but WDW. All the malls and stores here have family ones.

Companion Restrooms are single stall restrooms with a door. They are set up for use by people with disabilities and have raised seat toilets, roll under sinks, grab bars and room by the toilet to park a wheelchair for transfer.
Handicapped bathroom stalls are simply stalls in a restroom set up for use by handicapped people. There are 2 types - one is set up similar to Companion Restrooms and the other has only a toilet with grab bars and no room for a wheelchair.

In some places, the Family Restrooms have extra things, like child size toilets and changing tables. In others, they are set up exactly like WDW's Companion Restrooms. They are actually Companion Restrooms, although they are not labeled that way. Labeling them as 'Family Restrooms' causes problems for 'bathroom police' who see someone with a disability using them and are upset because they are labeled 'Family'. That is one reason WDW uses a different label.

NONE of the WDW ones are set up with child size toilets and many do not have changing tables.
WDW has them labeled as Companion Restrooms so people are not expecting those 'family restroom' items. Their location was only listed in the WDW maps/literature for guests with disabilities because there are do few of them in each park and they are the only toilets in the whole park that many people with various disabilities (not just mobility) can use, especially if they need assistance from someone of the opposite sex.

 

[elmoandzoey]

Companion Restrooms are single stall restrooms with a door. They are set up for use by people with disabilities and have raised seat toilets, roll under sinks, grab bars and room by the toilet to park a wheelchair for transfer.
Handicapped bathroom stalls are simply stalls in a restroom set up for use by handicapped people. There are 2 types - one is set up similar to Companion Restrooms and the other has only a toilet with grab bars and no room for a wheelchair.

In some places, the Family Restrooms have extra things, like child size toilets and changing tables. In others, they are set up exactly like WDW's Companion Restrooms. They are actually Companion Restrooms, although they are not labeled that way. Labeling them as 'Family Restrooms' causes problems for 'bathroom police' who see someone with a disability using them and are upset because they are labeled 'Family'. That is one reason WDW uses a different label.

NONE of the WDW ones are set up with child size toilets and many do not have changing tables.
WDW has them labeled as Companion Restrooms so people are not expecting those 'family restroom' items. Their location was only listed in the WDW maps/literature for guests with disabilities because there are do few of them in each park and they are the only toilets in the whole park that many people with various disabilities (not just mobility) can use, especially if they need assistance from someone of the opposite sex.

This is really interesting to read. Up front - I don't live in the US, I live in Germany. Handicapped toilets here are what you described as companion restrooms. By law, handicapped restrooms needs to provide space for a wheelchair, grab bars, adjustable sink, mirror, the whole works for wheelchair access. Largers stalls with just a grab bar would not qualify as handicapped restrooms because not all handicapped people would be able to use them - so they are not allowed to be labeled as such to give a false impression. I can see where Disney doesn't want to call their companion restrooms family restrooms because clearly, companion restrooms are supposed to be what we call handicapped restrooms. This is a bit confusing you know I clearly would have thought that a companion room was the equivalent to a family room.

I'm not very well versed in political correctness because, again, I am not American and I hope no one will take this the wrong way - but why are they not called handicapped or wheelchair restrooms? Would that not be political correct to label them that way? I am just trying to understand why Disney would go all the way give these restrooms a new way that seems to be a bit confusing to some people (like me).

 

[Baklava]

At the risk of being called the bathroom police, I personally think it's rude of any non-disabled person to use that restroom. Even having a bunch of kids is no excuse. I raised four kids, using the regular restrooms without ever having an incident. Would it be more convenient to have your own private big restroom? Sure it would. Get over it and realize that for physically disabled people, everything about life is inconvenient. At least let them use THEIR restroom in peace.

The risk you run by policing the bathroom is that you can't tell who needs it. That mom with 4 kids may need to change a diaper on her 8 year old with IBS. She may need to cath someone. Deciding that she's not worthy of that bathroom because you imagine that she doesn't need it is not okay. There's a chance that's HER bathroom too.

You can't always tell a room is occupied. Knocking is less rude than jiggling a door handle. I'd rather knock than accidentally walk in on someone who didn't lock the door.

 

[buffettgirl]

The fact that the companion rest rooms have a sink, and not every handicap accessible stall does, makes them the choice for anyone who needs to have that sink in the room with them. I can't even understand why this is a problem. I could come up with 20 reasons off the top of my head why someone would choose to use that bathroom vs taking the chance with a stall that may not fit their needs.

 

[serenitynow]

At the first knock, I usually say, "someone is in here". If they knock again I have firmly said "sorry we are going to be in here for a while yet".
That way the knocker knows I'm not coming right out and they can find another bathroom if they are in a real need of a quick restroom. After that ...
The few people that have dared to knock again have found themselves with a VERY long wait .
Bless their hearts!

 

[Daisy62]

I didn't say the companion bathroom was the same as a family bathroom. I simply stated that I've never seen a companion bathroom anywhere but WDW. While I think the companion ones should be used primarily by those that can't use other rest rooms I can see it used in a truly emergency situation. Had it now been close to where I was I would not have made it. I don't think anyone would havE liked to be next to me on the monorail
back if that were the case.

 

[DisneyOma]

I didn't say the companion bathroom was the same as a family bathroom. I simply stated that I've never seen a companion bathroom anywhere but WDW. While I think the companion ones should be used primarily by those that can't use other rest rooms I can see it used in a truly emergency situation. Had it now been close to where I was I would not have made it. I don't think anyone would havE liked to be next to me on the monorail
back if that were the case.

That was the reason behind my two uses of the companion restroom - besides the sink being right there if I needed to wash things. Also, the excruciating pain I used to get so suddenly along with the other symptoms that made it hard to walk. So glad (knock on wood) that those days are long gone for me.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is what I have posted in multiple threads about Companion Restrooms.
Obviously, some fact and some my opinion.....

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; measurements vary and many do not have a changing table. If there is one, it may be mounted lower than usual so it can be used to by someone seated in a wheelchair to change a child.

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.

 

[dismom57]

so very well said, manners, common sense and an empathy towards others.

 

[DisneyOma]

Do any of the accessible stalls in the regular bathrooms have sinks? I know some do in other places - ours at school do, anyways - but I can't remember seeing them at WDW.

(The ones in our student restroom accessible stalls have the sink between the toilet and the toilet paper dispenser - dumbest design ever. One can barely reach the toilet paper while on the toilet. And if you wonder why I know - if our staff bathroom is broken, as it often is, we are told to use the student bathroom, which is not right in my book, but otherwise we have to go pretty far from our classroom to go the bathroom.)

 

[Angel Ariel]

And some times it takes longer and if it's just a family with younger kids waiting I don't feel bad about the extra time we need, they could always use the other restrooms where we can't.

as a parent of a young child with developmental delays, her special needs are just as invisible as others' are. you would never know if you saw her in her stroller that she is anything other than a typical 3 year old. you do not know just by looking at a group what their needs are or aren't.

 

[SueM in MN]

Do any of the accessible stalls in the regular bathrooms have sinks? I know some do in other places - ours at school do, anyways - but I can't remember seeing them at WDW.

(The ones in our student restroom accessible stalls have the sink between the toilet and the toilet paper dispenser - dumbest design ever. One can barely reach the toilet paper while on the toilet. And if you wonder why I know - if our staff bathroom is broken, as it often is, we are told to use the student bathroom, which is not right in my book, but otherwise we have to go pretty far from our classroom to go the bathroom.)

as they renovate them, they are adding large stalls with sinks. So, some restrooms have handicapped stalls with sinks and others don't.

There are still the smaller handicapped stalls that don't have sinks. Those are made for a different type of need (people who have knee, hip, balance or other issues that make grab bars helpful on parallel walls close to both sides of the toilet).

 

[pugdog]

as a parent of a young child with developmental delays, her special needs are just as invisible as others' are. you would never know if you saw her in her stroller that she is anything other than a typical 3 year old. you do not know just by looking at a group what their needs are or aren't.

Where did people start thinking I am out to get everyone with an invisable disability? I have worked in healthcare for 30 years, 22 of them in a childrens hospital. I know a ton about invisable disabilities because I see and work with them every day. I have also been married to my DW for 25 years and have dealt with her disability that whole time and have volenteered a ton at the local disability rehab facility in town too. So when I say families with kids in strollers I truely mean the kids with no hidden disabilities.

I know that a lot of times what is written here is not what was ment by the writer but to jump down their throut is just as bad as someone who might have ment what they wrote. Maybe ask clarifing questions first before you jump on someones back and bash them in the head.

 

[SirDuff]

Where did people start thinking I am out to get everyone with an invisable disability? I have worked in healthcare for 30 years, 22 of them in a childrens hospital. I know a ton about invisable disabilities because I see and work with them every day. I have also been married to my DW for 25 years and have dealt with her disability that whole time and have volenteered a ton at the local disability rehab facility in town too. So when I say families with kids in strollers I truely mean the kids with no hidden disabilities.

I know that a lot of times what is written here is not what was ment by the writer but to jump down their throut is just as bad as someone who might have ment what they wrote. Maybe ask clarifing questions first before you jump on someones back and bash them in the head.

Do you ask them if they have any hidden disabilities? If not, how do you know? The point of HIDDEN disabilities is that they are hidden and that people cannot see them.

 

[SueM in MN]

Ok - let's get off the hidden disabilities path or the thread will be closed - there are hidden disabilities of all kinds.
Since they are not visible, it's not possible to know who has one or not.
In addition, the Companion Restrooms are used by people for convenience. There is nothing to prevent them being used for convenience and it's not possible to tell the people using them for convenience from those who have no other choice.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Where did people start thinking I am out to get everyone with an invisable disability?

Respectfully, I did not say this at all. Nor was I bashing your head in with anything. I made one statement, politely offering a counterpoint.

Out of respect for Sue's request I won't continue that discussion.