Potty Training at WDW

[Mammabruski]

We will be leaving for WDW in just 10 days, and I am sooo excited. Except for one problem: my 2 year old DD is in the process of potty training. She does pretty good, but has her accidents (three last week). Most of all, she will wait until she is already having a BM before saying “I have to go poop”. Sorry for the TMI… Anyways, we put her on the potty pretty frequently, but she’s stubborn so she will only do her business if it suits her. In fact we’ve put her on the potty, she will not go and then she’ll have an accident less than five minutes later. OR when she does tell us, she does so with “urgency”, as in I HAVE TO GO NOW! We have a rewards system and a big incentive for her to be fully trained- she gets to share a room with her big sister with bunk beds!

So here’s my problem: Do I take the risk of a pretty icky accident while waiting for a ride or where ever, or do I put her in a pull up? I would treat the pull up like panties and still get her to the potty frequently, but we would just be covered in case of an accident. The last time we did this she had quite the potty training regression... Or should I just let it go and keep up with the panties and just bring at least two sets of clothes in baggies in case of accidents?

What do ya’ll think? TIA!

[Imalismom]

For YOUR peace of mind, I would do the pull up. If you are on edge all day about an accident, you will not have a good time.

[SBETigg]

Oh my! Bringing back memories. Those are fun times. I would go with the pull-up plan as well. As much as I would hate for her to have a regression, I think the alternative is worse. Vacations wreak havoc with routine as it is, and she will get back on track once you're home again.

[DizneyRox]

I would stay with your routine... If she's not in diapers now, I wouldn't go back to diapers. We were fortunate enough to have a quick break (almost overnight) but there were a few accidents.

A trip to Disney with diapers is very different than a trip without. It's just how it is. Do the bathroom breaks before and explain that there are going to be lines and if you need to get out of line, that's what you do.

[Mammabruski]

Thanks for the input, folks... Does anyone know how to ask to move a post to the right forum? I thought I posted this in vacation planning...

[AgentC]

This is a hard one. I have taken both of my children to WDW while potty training. My son was super easy to take. I can't remember having one problem. My daughter was not. She was (and still is sometimes) a wait until the last minute child. This was quite difficult at Disney when the nearest bathroom was not always close and sometimes had a line.

I think only 3 accidents for a 2 year old in one week is very good. Since you have ten days, I would see how she does next week. Maybe even push it until the day before you leave to make a decision. If she has improved, I would stick with panties and bring 2-3 changes of clothes.

If she hasn't I would switch to pull ups and try to get the type that feels wet so it is as close to panties as you can get.

Another idea is to go with the panties, but bring a few pull ups just in case it becomes a problem. It sounds weird but when I had a back up pull up my daughter almost never had an accident because she didn't want to go in the pull up.

Good luck!

[BrerGnat]

Ok, first of all, just reading through your post, I would have to say it sounds like your daughter is NOT yet ready for potty training. I'd put her back in REAL DIAPERS and try again in a few more months, when she is really ready. One of my DS's was notoriously difficult to potty train. He was in control, and that was that, and he let us know it. He wasn't fully potty trained until shortly before his 4th birthday. I tried at 2 and a half...gave up after a couple days because he clearly was not ready. Don't push it, especially on vacation. Let her decide when she is ready to be a big girl and enjoy your trip. Potty training will be waiting for you when you get back.

[Mammabruski]

Again, thanks for all the advice. I think waiting until next week to make a decision might be a good idea.

Ok, first of all, just reading through your post, I would have to say it sounds like your daughter is NOT yet ready for potty training.

It may seem that way, but we actually need to have her potty trained by August. I know, a lot of pressure, but she turns three and starts preschool and she must be trained by then. Her stubbornness is more a personality thing. She was doing amazing, almost no accidents at all until we took a long weekend and put her in pull ups "just in case". Anyways, it set her back quite a bit. She also stays dry all night and during naps, and has some serious bladder control, like her big sister. Potty training is a tricky thing, but it will happen.

I guess time will tell how it goes... Again, thanks for all the advice!

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

Personally, I'd go pull-ups in the parks. You do not want to have to deal with an accident in real panties while in the parks. You can use pull-ups like panties but don't have to worry about wet garments or poopy garments if there is an accident.

[Disney Doll]

We won't do undies with an unreliable child at WDW. It's just asking for unnecessary stress on vacation and accidents are not just hard on parents. My oldest was 3 before we put him in undies and because we waited until he was ready we only ever had one accident. It was a very easy transition. Potty training doesn't have to be a hassle. Consistency is important so I'm sure that pull-ups are going to result in another set back, but I don't think there's much you can do about that. Being mostly potty trained at home and being potty trained at Disney are not the same thing.

[BrerGnat]

Just wanted to add, I'd bring pull ups for nighttime EVEN if she stays dry all night at home. She will likely sleep really deeply at WDW due to being so worn out every day. She probably will wet herself at night even if she can hold it all day long. So, plan for that at the very least.

[tdk316]

It may seem that way, but we actually need to have her potty trained by August. I know, a lot of pressure, but she turns three and starts preschool and she must be trained by then.

I fought this fight with my oldest and it was a disaster. He was finally potty trained the December following the August I wanted him trained. I too thought it was a personality thing but it turns out he has ADHD and severe sensory processing disorder (and might be on the autism spectrum, but the jury is still out on that one) and his current therapists are amazed that he was potty trained as early as he was because of his conditions. And here I thought he was just being stubborn...

Obviously I don't know your specific situation or family but I wish I had taken it a little easier instead of stressing so much. When he decided that he wanted to be potty trained he was and he's only had two accidents since then.

To answer the actual question you asked, use the pull ups so you can both enjoy the trip.

[KAT1811]

First off I really feel for you. Potty training stinks for both the child and the parent (most of the time) . I have four children, all of whom are potty trained. I will say that when my children were nearing potty training age I did it around our Disney vacations. We started when we got home, no need for the added stress on vacation (for either one of us). Seeing as that isn't an option for you I would suggest either the pull ups or even the old fashioned plastic covers for underwear. Bring extra clothes (I'm sure you already planned that part) and roll with the punches. BM is very commonly an issue with potty training and most children have a hard time mastering the sensation. She will be fine and I'm sure you will be too. Try to see if she has a slight pattern to her BM. Does she commonly go in the morning or at night? Then plan to put her in the pull up until she has done her business then switch over to regular underwear after. Maybe an added reward system in Disney may help too. Maybe a small stuffed animal and if she doesn't have any accidents she gets another one at the end of the day? Good luck. She seems as ready as any child to be potty trained. She's mastered #1 and is working on #2, just like most children her age. I hope you have a fabulous trip!

[Georgesgirl1]

We were going through this on our last trip. ODS was VERY newly potty trained when we left for our trip and I was super nervous about the whole issue. I brought pull-ups as a back up (and for nights as I didn't want him to wet a hotel mattress), plastic pants to go over his underwear, and lots of changes of clothes! We took him to the potty every two hours and stressed that if he didn't go then, he wouldn't be able to go for awhile. We also stressed that if he had an accident, we would have to miss some of the fun things we could be doing because we would have to got to the bathroom and spend time changing him. He actually did better than he had been doing at home.

[AgentC]

We also stressed that if he had an accident, we would have to miss some of the fun things we could be doing because we would have to got to the bathroom and spend time changing him. He actually did better than he had been doing at home.

Funny. I found the same thing with my daughter. She was much more likely to have an accident at home when she knew it was easy to get clean underwear. Her accidents away from home were much less frequent.

[ginger19]

If she can control when she goes, she is likely ready for potty training.
I would use this trip to my advantage personally. She can ride the rides if she uses the bathroom when you take her and let's you know if she has to go. Make it exciting that it's time to go on rides and that she is a big girl now and not focus on stressing her with punishment if she doesn't. That being said I would also stop at the bathroom VERY frequently, especially before getting in a long line. I would also say that she will likely be exhausted and will need a pull up at night because she may not wake up.

have fun