The only thing that can make the Most Magical Place on Earth a little less magical? Potty training. But for many parents who have visited with toddlers, it’s a reality that needs to be faced. Potty training can take months to over a year, so if you have a trip planned during those toddler years, you may be visiting the parks with a kid still making the transition out of diapers.

As the parent to a two-year-old, I made the, erm, interesting decision to plan a trip to the parks just two weeks after we initially started potty training. And despite it being a relatively short trip, I learned plenty along the way.

Potty Training in Disney World

While Disney makes plenty of accommodations for young kids in general, I’d argue that they don’t have a ton of specific accommodations for toddlers going through potty training. What I mean by that is you’re not going to find many options for smaller toilets, or lower sinks that will work for the under-three set. I found the best way to go about potty training was to bring everything we’d need on our own, taking the advice of other parents who had been through the experience before me.

Restrooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

What to Pack for Potty Training

There are a few items that were recommended to me for packing, and I found them incredibly useful to bring with us. I brought along my usual diaper bag and stroller, and just made sure to bring these essentials in the parks:

• Ziploc Bags: Whether it’s dealing with soiled underwear, or needing a place to store extra clothes, bringing lots of Ziploc bags (or spare shopping bags from home) will come in handy throughout the day.
• Extra Underwear: Accidents are likely, so bringing extra underwear just in case is essential. In my case, I bought a pair of cheaper Hanes underwear ahead of time, so I wouldn’t feel guilt having to toss anything away in case they were ruined beyond repair.
• Extra Clothes (for kid AND you!): Not only did I bring extra clothes for my toddler in case of an accident, I also brought a change of clothes for myself just in case I was holding her when or if an accident happened.
• Pull-Ups: For myself, we typically avoid pull-ups outside of daycare or sleeping. However, I made an exception for our first time in the theme parks. I brought pull ups to put over her underwear, so I didn’t have to worry about a clean-up in case there was an accident on a ride.
• Folding Potty Seat: The vast majority of toilet options are regular, adult-sized toilets, so I brought a foldable travel potty seat with us to make it small enough for my toddler to use.
• Post It Notes: Most of the toilets throughout the parks are automatic flushers, and nothing will set them off quicker than a squirming toddler. To avoid scaring her, I was given the advice to cover up the sensor with a post-it note, and it really did end up being helpful!

Key Places to Know in the Parks

When you’re visiting the parks, there are bathrooms everywhere. However, all bathrooms are not made alike when it comes to a potty training toddler. While a travel toddler seat can make any toilet into a toddler-friendly cubicle, when you want a little more privacy, there are some alternatives to know.

• Companion/Family Bathrooms: You’ll find companion bathrooms all throughout each of the parks, Disney Springs, and water parks by checking the map on your My Disney Experience app. Now, one important thing to remember — these are not bathrooms that are just intended for younger kids and families. They are also large enough to accommodate wheelchairs, allowing a place for those who need more space. With that in mind, companion restrooms can be a good spot for a toddler and parent who need a little extra room, but make sure you aren’t taking the area from someone who may need it more!
• Baby Care Center: With the above in mind, you may want to consider one of the Baby Care Centers. These are located in each of the parks, and come equipped with changing tables, a nursing station, and a small shop for baby and young child needs. There’s also a companion restroom that will give you and your toddler a little more space if necessary for using the toilet.

Tips to Remember When Potty Training at Disney World

I stressed a lot about doing Disney while potty training, even considering changing our trip until my daughter was more confident with it. But, all in all, I was glad we didn’t cancel our trip. These were a few of the major lessons I learned along the way.

Pack All the Extras

I am already a serial overpacker, but I took it to the next level with our trip. I brought a small potty for the hotel room, a travel potty seat, and so many pairs of underwear and clothes. Since laundry isn’t exactly an easy process at a hotel (unless you’re in a DVC room that includes a washer and dryer), bringing extras of everything was a must. We didn’t end up using half of what I brought, but I was still relieved we brought everything that we did.

That being said, if you didn’t bring enough, don’t fret. Whether it’s an extra pair of clothes, more pull-ups, wipes, or anything else, you can easily place an Instacart order from a nearby Target or Walmart to get whatever you need conveniently delivered to your hotel.

Be Flexible

While I’m typically a big-time planner, keeping our plans more fluid during this trip was key to a less stressful vacation. Instead of doing back-to-back Lightning Lanes and packing our days with dining reservations, we instead opted for quick-service and a more laid-back ride schedule. This gave time for plenty of restroom trips and took the pressure off both my daughter and myself if we needed to make a sudden change of plans.

Set a Timer

One of the major causes of accidents during potty training is simply when your child is distracted and having fun. And where could be more distracting than Walt Disney World? To make sure we were at least trying to go pretty often, we set a timer for finding a bathroom every hour or going after every ride. This may be different for your child depending how long they are in their potty training process, but for us, it was a nice reminder to stop what we were doing and try again.

Consider Lightning Lanes

Speaking of rides, I found that the less time we had to wait in lines, the less stressed I was about my daughter having an accident in line. While it’s not something that’s always in our budget, I chose to purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass to ensure we were spending less time waiting in lines. It’s not a necessity, but certainly helps if you are stressed about the same.

Consider Pull-Ups

Another thing that helped to alleviate stress (for me, at least) was pull-ups. We went straight to underwear after our first week of potty training, but the idea of dealing with an accident in the park with barely anything keeping it in was…a lot. I didn’t want to confuse her by putting on pull-ups, so I split the difference by keeping the underwear and putting a pull-up on top. This made it so she was aware of any accident she might have had, but the pull up at least kept it contained so those around us weren’t subjected to it as well.

Don’t Let It Ruin the Fun

One of my biggest pieces of advice from the trip? Don’t let your stress over potty training hold you back from going and having fun. Potty training is going to be stressful wherever you go (or it certainly has been for me!), but Disney World provides a kid-friendly, and accessible place to do it. If you find yourself getting stressed just remember — all the parents at the park have either been through it, are going through it too, or will be going through it soon. Do what you can to prepare in advance, and then let yourself and your family have a blast.