Potty Training and WDW

[Amy71452]

Hi apologies if this has been asked before, we're very excited for our first Disney trip and are flying over in early December. We've been potty training our DD since she turned 3 in June apart from pauses for a house move. We've not had much progress and are worried how it will impact our holiday. Is WDW good for potty training to continue or should we pause and pack some pull ups and nappies for our 2 weeks away? I'd hoped this wouldn't be a question, but what did everyone else do with potty training kids on a flight and stay at the resort?

Thanks so much for your help and advice

 

[FreeTime]

I would not pause while on your trip. You mentioned that you have not made much progress. It may be due to the pause you already took. At three, most children are able to fully recognize the urge to go. You may want to tell them that their reward for going on their own is to get to go to WDW or to do X while visiting.

 

[Amy71452]

I would not pause while on your trip. You mentioned that you have not made much progress. It may be due to the pause you already took. At three, most children are able to fully recognize the urge to go. You may want to tell them that their reward for going on their own is to get to go to WDW or to do X while visiting.

Thank you , is it well set up to deal with a few accidents? We can pack spare clothes in case as long as we can have toilet stops every hour or so. Are they well set up for this. I like the incentive idea!

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Prepare for accidents. Disney can be a very difficult place, at least when outside of your room, for young kids when it comes to bathrooms. Lots of strange people, noisy echoes from all the hard surfaces, toilets that flush on their own sometimes when you are still on them, faucets that come on by themselves, scratchy paper to dry your hands or worse yet blow dryers that for little people hit them at face level. And then the worst - all the smells. Even the more practiced kids at potty training can have setbacks. I think you risk much greater setback if there is potty pressure on a trip like this than you will by understanding the challenge Disney is for young kids using the bathroom. Yes, your child is three. That means when you return to the familiar, quiet home environment she/he will be able to pick back up after the vacation. Concentrate on the trip on just having a great vacation. This is from a mom of 4 grown, including one with special needs.

 

[Amy71452]

Prepare for accidents. Disney can be a very difficult place, at least when outside of your room, for young kids when it comes to bathrooms. Lots of strange people, noisy echoes from all the hard surfaces, toilets that flush on their own sometimes when you are still on them, faucets that come on by themselves, scratchy paper to dry your hands or worse yet blow dryers that for little people hit them at face level. And then the worst - all the smells. Even the more practiced kids at potty training can have setbacks. I think you risk much greater setback if there is potty pressure on a trip like this than you will by understanding the challenge Disney is for young kids using the bathroom. Yes, your child is three. That means when you return to the familiar, quiet home environment she/he will be able to pick back up after the vacation. Concentrate on the trip on just having a great vacation. This is from a mom of 4 grown, including one with special needs.

oh wow this sounds like such an overload, I think we might be best off with pull ups to deal with the accidents. I did think there would be a lot going on

 

[mjkacmom]

I’d stall the pt’ing at WDW but having pt’d 5 kids, my advise is to lose the pull-ups completely unless sleeping, bare bottom training, when out no underwear, commando, since underwear feels like diapers/pull-ups. I found it much easier before 3 than after 3 (my after 3’s were #1 and #2, I learned what not to do with them, 3, 4, and 5 were trained in under a week). ETA it’s not too late to try and get her trained before December.

 

[sponica]

I’d stall the pt’ing at WDW but having pt’d 5 kids, my advise is to lose the pull-ups completely unless sleeping, bare bottom training, when out no underwear, commando, since underwear feels like diapers/pull-ups. I found it much easier before 3 than after 3 (my after 3’s were #1 and #2, I learned what not to do with them, 3, 4, and 5 were trained in under a week). ETA it’s not too late to try and get her trained before December.

I was far more motivated with my first than my second, for whatever reason. Although lockdown helped with my first, much easier to potty train when you never leave the house.

That being said OP, I wouldn't even try to potty train on vacation, it's hard enough at home racing through the day (to daycare, to work, reverse, dinner, bed). I'd put her in pull-ups and try to stick to a 90 minute bathroom cycle

 

[Karin1984]

Whatever you decide, I would bring diapers and extra clothing on each park day. If there is an accident, you do not want to think about where in Magic Kingdom you can get new pair of pants.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I would not pause while on your trip. You mentioned that you have not made much progress. It may be due to the pause you already took. At three, most children are able to fully recognize the urge to go. You may want to tell them that their reward for going on their own is to get to go to WDW or to do X while visiting.

had one daughter who refused to train ended up being almost 5 when we got rid of the pull ups and she had no choice. and was trained in a couple of days with no pull ups available. and I do mean her choice of not training

 

[Betty Rohrer]

oh wow this sounds like such an overload, I think we might be best off with pull ups to deal with the accidents. I did think there would be a lot going on

one idea I have used is to put a pull up on over the underwear so if accident happens you only have to change the underwear and pull up. but the child still feels the wetness of accident. but yes all that was said above is true of bathrooms at Disney and other places. if I remember correctly you are flying and there is one place I would do only pull up as seatbelt sign could be on when child needs to go

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I’d stall the pt’ing at WDW but having pt’d 5 kids, my advise is to lose the pull-ups completely unless sleeping, bare bottom training, when out no underwear, commando, since underwear feels like diapers/pull-ups. I found it much easier before 3 than after 3 (my after 3’s were #1 and #2, I learned what not to do with them, 3, 4, and 5 were trained in under a week). ETA it’s not too late to try and get her trained before December.

even that did not work with granddaughter, she is the youngest grandchild, as she would wait until getting ready for bed and in pull up to go. had to completely get rid of the pull ups for her train. in the 6 months after only had one accident

 

[mjkacmom]

even that did not work with granddaughter, she is the youngest grandchild, as she would wait until getting ready for bed and in pull up to go. had to completely get rid of the pull ups for her train. in the 6 months after only had one accident

I assume she was pee trained? Many many kids poop train later, or need pull-ups at night to prevent bed wetting (more common in boys I believe).

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I assume she was pee trained? Many many kids poop train later, or need pull-ups at night to prevent bed wetting (more common in boys I believe).

no it was both she just refused. she would hold both until she got evening pull up for bed and then need changed. she only had one accident after using her last pull up and knowing there were no more. and yes she marches to this day to her own drummer. the trick with her is having her believe it is her choice even if it is not

 

[mom25kiddos]

Prepare for accidents. Disney can be a very difficult place, at least when outside of your room, for young kids when it comes to bathrooms. Lots of strange people, noisy echoes from all the hard surfaces, toilets that flush on their own sometimes when you are still on them, faucets that come on by themselves, scratchy paper to dry your hands or worse yet blow dryers that for little people hit them at face level. And then the worst - all the smells. Even the more practiced kids at potty training can have setbacks. I think you risk much greater setback if there is potty pressure on a trip like this than you will by understanding the challenge Disney is for young kids using the bathroom. Yes, your child is three. That means when you return to the familiar, quiet home environment she/he will be able to pick back up after the vacation. Concentrate on the trip on just having a great vacation. This is from a mom of 4 grown, including one with special needs.

As a Mom of five, I concur with all of this-potty training at home, versus in a new, big world is very different. Enjoy your holiday, use the pull ups as back up, celebrate if she is successful at using the potty on holiday, but otherwise relax. I wish I had stressed less about potty training with my older kiddos.

 

[slo]

We were at WDW every year when my girls were little, so I'm sure I was potty training during those trips (my girls are 25 & 20 now). When we were out I always put my girls in underpants and then a pull up over the underpants. This way if they had an accident they could feel the yucky cold material on their skin, which they hated. I always had extra underpants and pullups with me, but I didn't have to use them often. This system worked really well for my girls.

I think it's funny how we all have our full proof system for potty training and it only works on our kids - LOL!!!

 

[rdaky]

I would just use the pullups or diapers and wait until you get back home. It's going to add a lot of stress with the noise and sounds and difference in routine as already mentioned. Also, restrooms aren't always just a few seconds away, sometimes there is a line, and then the issue of having to go right when you're about to get on the ride and you have to leave the line. Or worse, they have an accident on the ride and the entire ride has to shut down for clean up. (Yep, this happens) Just wait until you get home. Disney is overwhelming enough without having to potty train at the same time.

 

[Ann-CA]

What method are you trying to train her with at home?

My son was mostly trained doing the 3 day potty method (no underwear, didn’t go anywhere for 3 days) a few months before we went to Disneyland. My son really struggled with public toilets. But I think he had had enough practice at that point. He needed to poop right in the middle of the day. My plan was to try to get him to go to the baby center since they have the little toilets, but we were too far, and he had his first big toilet poop at Disneyland. It’s possible, but I wonder if she’s not consistently going, it sounds like she’s not near trained. I think that’d feel stressful and I’d do a pull-up but just encourage her to go often.

I did wonder if taking her to the “special” toilet at the baby care centers might be a small way to keep encouraging potty training. If the DW ones were anything like DL, it’s a really nice space for kids to go!

 

[Amy71452]

What method are you trying to train her with at home?

My son was mostly trained doing the 3 day potty method (no underwear, didn’t go anywhere for 3 days) a few months before we went to Disneyland. My son really struggled with public toilets. But I think he had had enough practice at that point. He needed to poop right in the middle of the day. My plan was to try to get him to go to the baby center since they have the little toilets, but we were too far, and he had his first big toilet poop at Disneyland. It’s possible, but I wonder if she’s not consistently going, it sounds like she’s not near trained. I think that’d feel stressful and I’d do a pull-up but just encourage her to go often.

I did wonder if taking her to the “special” toilet at the baby care centers might be a small way to keep encouraging potty training. If the DW ones were anything like DL, it’s a really nice space for kids to go!

We're mostly trying the 3 day method when at home (we have done it over 3 days and longer) so go bottomless. She can go on regular intervals when we put her on the toilet every 30 mins but does not initiate. We're still using pull ups when we're out at the moment as we can't stop every 30 mins, but endeavour to be in a house as much as possible (ours or grandparents etc) it's getting a bit cold to keep doing the bottomless approach and drying the washing, so we need to think of another plan. I could do a whole thread on advice haha.

 

[Amy71452]

Thanks all for the replies, the baby care toilets sound good, are there many of these. The auto flush would confuse me the first time haha !!!

Are there many baby centre toilets? We'll probably use pull ups and nappies for the trip on this advice. Do they stock a load in the shops or should we pack enough in luggage ahead of going out?

 

[saraheliz]

I travelled with my week prior to turning 3 year old, who had been SOLIDLY potty trained for a year (started refusing a diaper just before she turned 2) and it was a nightmare. The bathrooms were loud and scary, she started withholding and having accidents, etc etc. We had brought some pull-ups for nighttime (even though she was nighttime trained we were afraid of her sleeping hard with the long, busy days and having an accident) so we ended up just putting her in pull-ups halfway through the trip and we were all a lot happier (and she actually did a lot better using the potty since we were less stressed). I say for the amount of money you're sinking into vacation, just use the pull-ups.

Keep in mind it's not just about extra clothes for her. It's about pee on the seat getting off a ride. It's about pee all over your lap on the bus. It's about a kid pooping their pants right as Goofy rounds the corner to say hi at a character breakfast and then trying to deal with a full change of clothes. Not worth the hassle on vacation, imho. Yes, tell her she should still ask for the potty, that these are just special vacation underwear, etc...but not worth ruining a vacation over!