Automatic flush toilets

[Disneymom1102]

We’re going to Disney next week and my daughter is TERRIFIED of automatic flush toilets. Covering the sensor doesn’t work. She will literally hold her bladder for the entire day rather than go in one with auto-flush. Does anyone know where there are regular flush toilets at Disney, esp. epcot? Or a site I can find that at?

 

[scrappingbuckeye]

I've never been in one, but supposedly the baby care centers have non-automatic toilets. Wish I had known that when my son was little, he hated them too. Another trick is to take post it notes to cover the sensor.

 

[Meglen]

Maybe try to work on her learning there ok?. Get a noise machine and have her hit it Everytime she flushes. I understand it's easier to adjust and let her be scared but 90% of places these days have auto toilets. The only thing that works is covering the sensor but if she's to smart for that than you might spend half the trip looking for a toilet. :/

 

[Geomom]

I've been there! DD15 was my child terrified of auto flush toilets. I spent many many years going in the stall with my DD covering it with my hand and then finally just giving her a stack of post it notes to cover the sensor. She even ran away from us once on Tom Sawyer's Island when she really needed to go, but was too scared of the auto flush toilets to actually use them. It also seems like the few regular flush ones that existed have been replaced by the auto ones over the years.

So...I don't really have any advice, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and that I feel for you both!

 

[d-train]

Our little one was terrified of them too - which was an issue on his first two trips.
The advice we got 3-4 years ago on the boards was to bring a sticky note pad.
Put a sticky note over the sensor before she sits down.
It should prevent it from flushing automatically - worked for us almost every time.

 

[erc]

Wow, I thought we were the oddballs. My DD was the same way when she was little (and really even now at 11 is not impressed with them). When we got to one of the parks and she had to go my wife asked a very nice CM if there were any non-automatic toilets and she was given a small roll of Mickey Mouse stickers that we used for the entire stay. Once my DD saw that the stickers worked she was fine and I guess seemed to be comforted by Mickey Mouse always being there with her.

 

[barb969]

Wow, I thought we were the oddballs. My DD was the same way when she was little (and really even now at 11 is not impressed with them). When we got to one of the parks and she had to go my wife asked a very nice CM if there were any non-automatic toilets and she was given a small roll of Mickey Mouse stickers that we used for the entire stay. Once my DD saw that the stickers worked she was fine and I guess seemed to be comforted by Mickey Mouse always being there with her.

I had a problem like this when I was a kid 70 years ago. In NY city many public toilets has a contraption which automatically raised the seat in to a thing on the wall. A bluish-purplish light glowed which sanitized the seat which then came back down. Needless to say this scared small children. To get us to pee she held us above the seat and we put our feet on her thighs and peed. The problem was solved completely at the age of 7, when we moved out of the city.

 

[MikeOhio]

Assuming there are no special needs issues here, sometimes it is better to just make your child tough it out rather than catering to every off the wall fear or request they come up with.

 

[BabiesDaddy]

Assuming there are no special needs issues here, sometimes it is better to just make your child tough it out rather than catering to every off the wall fear or request they come up with.

No Dad of the Year shirt here

 

[BabiesDaddy]

I've looked around online and it looks like what others have already said, Baby care centers and using post it notes. The only other thing you could do is email Disney. I could tell online that this comes up alot, they might be able to give you exactly the locations for these toilets.

 

[SteveH]

@Disneymom1102 you have several options, and depending on her age, potty training status and any special needs.

Fear of the auto flush toilets is more common then people think, if she's old enough to go on her own then you might be dealing with a Sensory Processing Disorder. If that is the case talk with your doctor and see if you can get some help. As mentioned covering the sensor usually works. Many young adults deal with this because it was never addressed, please don't just ignore it. Fear of things is normal, but letting them overwhelm and control them is something you need to help her through.

You might check out the The Potty Training Answer Book that is talked about in this NPR Story.

@BabiesDaddy well I'd say he's not completly wrong, help kids get over fears isn't a bad thing, sometimes a bit of the tough love does help.

 

[BabiesDaddy]

I agree that sometimes tough love is needed. But when your child is TERRIFIED as the poster has said, you could be doing more harm than good. Sometimes fears have to work themselves out. I'm sure the poster knows her child, and has taken the steps necessary to try and help her child with this fear. She also only asked for help with finding toilets, not parenting advice from someone on a disney board.

 

[Disneypro1]

Assuming there are no special needs issues here, sometimes it is better to just make your child tough it out rather than catering to every off the wall fear or request they come up with.

yep.. Worked for generations...and generations..
As for auto flush? I havnt seen anything but in the last several years.

 

[DizBelle]

If only people would have flushed the toilet on their own, there would have been no need for auto flush.

 

[Disneypro1]

If only people would have flushed the toilet on their own, there would have been no need for auto flush.

that is true!

 

[sponica]

I'm not a kid and I hate auto flushers...especially when they flush because i'm moving around trying to find a non existent hook to put my purse on...

OP: Does your kiddo not like them even with the sensor blocked because of a "loss of control?" I mean my 3 old's favorite thing to do is flush the toilet. She would absolutely throw a fit if she couldn't flush it manually.

 

[LSUmiss]

I agree that sometimes tough love is needed. But when your child is TERRIFIED as the poster has said, you could be doing more harm than good. Sometimes fears have to work themselves out. I'm sure the poster knows her child, and has taken the steps necessary to try and help her child with this fear. She also only asked for help with finding toilets, not parenting advice from someone on a disney board.

And wdw is filled with enough challenges when you bring little kids, this would not be my hill to die on!

 

[ColonialMouse]

I asked my DD13 who has this same fear. She’s been able to get by with post-it notes but whenever possible having DD11 go into the stall with her. She tells me some of the restaurants (and of course hotel rooms) will have non-auto toilets but she can’t remember anything but auto toilets in the parks otherwise, and not which restaurants have them.

Best of luck. I wish I could offer more help, but even at 13 she still struggles with it at times.

Bruce

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Same fear for my 3 year old here. We found 2 manual toilets when we were there this week. 1/ ABC commissary restaurant in HS, and 2/ the restroom off the lobby of the Yacht Club resort. At AK, the leftmost stall of the men’s restroom behind Tusker House restaurant (right by stroller parking for FOTL) is auto flush but was broken as of Oct 9. Rendering it manual for now. We did not find manual flush toilets in the baby care centres but did not do a comprehensive search.

The women’s bathroom toilets at TTC are extra sensitive and two stalls flushed as soon as we walked into them.

Good luck. Would appreciate it if you find some other manual ones to let me know. We are back there in December.

 

[WhenYouWish]

Post it or note card to cover the sensors. Maybe use mickey stickers on the post it to get the child involved and give them the power to solve the problem that scares them.