A Disney guest recently discovered that the park has a strict restroom time limit in the worst way possible.
From what you can wear (capes, costumes, and inappropriate clothing are a no-go, folks) to how tall you need to be to ride rides, there are lots of rules governing the magic at Disney’s theme parks.
Sometimes, it’s hard to know that these rules even exist until you encounter them for yourself. For example, plenty of guests have been turned away for trying to bring selfie sticks into Disney World, while others have only discovered the minimum age requirements for Disney’s fancier restaurants — such as Victoria & Albert’s, Takumi-Tei, and Monsieur Paul — when trying to visit with young ones.
Disney World also restricts the size of strollers in Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom to a maximum of 31 inches wide and 52 inches long for the sake of other guests’ comfort.
Stroller wagons are also not allowed, so guests with young children need to plan accordingly, while the list of other banned items ranges from the obvious (such as firearms, knives, or any kind of weapon) to the unexpected (such as balloons at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, dry ice, sneakers with built-in wheels, and remote-control toys).
Recently, a Disney park guest stumbled upon yet another little-known rule after unwittingly breaking it.
On Monday, a video went viral of a female guest collapsing to the ground and wailing after being told she had broken Disney’s “bathroom pass” rule. As reported by the Global Times, this mandates how long Disney guests are allowed to leave the line of an attraction to visit the restroom to still be allowed to return to their spot.
As it turns out, the limit is 20 minutes. The woman had reportedly been gone longer than this, so she was told by Disney cast members that she would need to rejoin the line all over again. Despite a fierce debate, the cast members didn’t budge, leaving the woman devastated.
The Disney park in question was Shanghai Disneyland, the newest addition to Disney’s theme park lineup. Home to popular attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, Roaring Rapids, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and TRON Lightcycle Power Run, plus the newly opened Zootopia Land, wait times can get notoriously lengthy at the theme park – and not just for its attractions.
In March, an eight-hour line formed as guests rushed to purchase new Duffy and Friends backpacks, causing some guests to faint and forcing Disney to bring in security to control the situation. A separate incident in 2022 saw a massive crowd form to chase a parade float featuring Gelatoni the Cat – one of Duffy the Disney Bear’s friends, all of whom are extremely popular at Disney’s theme parks in Asia.
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The restroom incident has since sparked debate about whether this rule is fair to guests, especially those who may have certain medical conditions.
A staff member from the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of Pudong New Area in Shanghai, quoted by Chinese media outlet cqcb.com, mentioned that due to the large number of visitors, congestion may occur in certain areas, and resort staff should enhance crowd control and provide better assistance with managing queues.
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Like Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and all other Disney parks, summer is an extremely busy period to visit Shanghai Disneyland. According to Thrill Data, wait times are at their longest between June and August.
It does feel a little harsh to have to face the brunt of that all over again just because you needed the restroom. However, line jumping—which many consider this behavior to be—is a controversial topic among Disney parkgoers, with many calling upon cast members to clamp down on unruly behavior. Some other parks, such as Knott’s Berry Farm, have even started encouraging guests to snitch on those who skip the line.
To help mitigate the issue, some attractions that reliably draw in long lines – such as Avatar: Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – have actually introduced restrooms into the queue area. Disney cast members will also guide you to a “secret” restroom in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance upon request, too.
Do you think a 20-minute restroom rule is fair?