My Bizarre Childhood Disney World Fear Is STILL a Problem Today. Here's How to Fix It.

Not to alarm you, but there are probably dozens of things that could frighten your kids in Disney World.

Cinderella Castle

I honestly hope that your child is braver than I was, because I, personally? I was a weenie as a kid. I was scared of fur characters (anyone without a human face). I was scared of roller coasters. I was scared of heights. I was scared of It’s Tough to be a Bug (although that one seems pretty valid, tbh). But above all, I was scared of automatic flushing toilets.

In my defense, this was a fear that I had when I was more along the lines of toddler and preschool age, and then as I got into my elementary years, I just found them more startling than scary. But if your kid is nervous about automatic flushing toilets like I was, I have some BAD news for you. They are literally everywhere in Disney World.

Galaxy’s Edge Bathrooms

In fact, it’s rare to find a bathroom WITHOUT an automatic flushing toilet in Disney World. Maybe it’s a cleanliness thing, maybe it’s for water efficiency, but for whatever reason, Disney has decided that all its toilets need to go off seemingly randomly and as loudly as possible. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of doing your business. And I’ll admit that I’ve been jumpscared a time or two, even as an adult.

Bathrooms

Now, the good news is that the toilets in the hotel rooms are usually manual flushing, so you’ll likely only face this problem when in the public restrooms. I have occasionally seen manual flushing toilets when visiting restaurants that weren’t Disney-owned or sometimes in bathrooms that were off the beaten path (like tucked away in random corners of some of the hotels).

Bathroom at Wilderness Lodge Copper Creek Villas

So what do you do if your little one has this fear, just like I did? Well, you’re going to need to add some items to your packing list! Stickers or post-it notes are a common solution. Parents will throw them in the park bag and then cover the sensor for the toilet when they get to the stall. But I’ve also heard that electrical tape works partiularly well.

Bathrooms

Family restrooms are available next to nearly all the public restrooms in the parks, and they’re very helpful if your child needs assistance or comfort. The Baby Care Centers in each of the parks also typically have toddler-sized potties that make going to the restroom a little bit easier.

Tangled Toilets

So if you’re heading to Disney World and you’re worried about the potty problem, I recommend taking your children to public restrooms with automatic flushing toilets ahead of time so they know what to expect. And of course, stock your park bag with the necessary supplies to survive!

Stay tuned to DFB for more tips for Disney World!

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