Yes, I carried a potty chair all around Disneyland.

Yup, I did! I toted a potty chair all around Disneyland and California Adventure last Wednesday.

It was Libby's 2 week anniversary of being diaper-free. Two weeks isn't very long! I've taken her for a few outings without diapers, but I've been nervous and haven't ventured too far away from home.  I've also been carting around a supply of clothing and kept a potty chair in the van.

The potty in the van is a red one, which matches our red gingham picnic blanket.  Libby dubbed it the "picnic potty".  So far, she's used it in the Walmart parking lot, church parking lot, at the park and in the driveway.  It's very handy!  Her favorite potty chair is the pink one though. Pink is just better for everything.

For a day at Disneyland, I packed up the pink potty, baby wipes, plenty of extra panties and leggins, an extra pair of shoes, some socks, and three or four plastic bags.  In addition to all of the new potty items I was bringing along, I also packed up the rest of our Disneyland baggage: sunscreen, snacks, ears, blanket, jackets, water, camera and purse items....  Toting the bag with the potty chair in it really seemed to add a lot to my load.  Plus the week's worth of clothing really filled up my diaper bag which I like to keep packed lightly. There comes a time during the day, twice actually, when I need to carry everything I brought with me, plus carry the stroller and herd the children. I now had two large tote bags stuffed full and a backpack, also jam packed, double stroller, kids.  I put the ears on my head to at least get something out of my hands; ok so that only helped a wee bit.

As I passed through the Disneyland security checkpoint, I laid all my bags on the table and unzipped everything.  I was using a Minnie Mouse reusable grocery tote bag for the potty chair, so it was wide open already.  The security lady peeked in all of my bags and when she saw the potty she kind of snickered to herself.  I heard her!

She said to me, "You didn't need to bring that, there is a child sized toilet in the baby center" and I said, "Yes, I know, but it's the only tiny toilet and if I'm in Toon Town or Critter Country, there's no way I can get back to Main Street to the tiny toilet in time. So, I thought I would just run her to the nearest ladies' room and set her potty on the floor for her, then I can clean it there and hopefully we can avoid an accident. She's only two."  Security lady smiled and said, "Good idea". And off I went.

I heard giggling as I walked away.  I'll bet we were the talk of the security checkpoint people when they met around the water cooler that day!

Throughout the day, we stopped in every rest room we passed by and I took out her pink pot and set it on the floor. And, every time she refused to use it. She told me, "No, not that one!  The Dizzyland one!" I held her and she went on the big giant handicapped toilets!  They are huge!  Well, compared to my itty bitty girl they really are big.  But, they are Disneyland fixtures, so who am I to argue?  I carted that pink potty around all day long and she didn't piddle in it once.

That's ok though, because she didn't have one single potty accident all day long!  That was the goal, after all.  Ah, the magic that is Disneyland!  Love it!

Gracie had a close call.  This girl has a bladder of steel.

She told me she wanted to be brave like her friend, Paige.  Paige can ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride without being scared at all. She's just fine. She doesn't scream or hide or cry.  She doesn't have to hold hands or anything!  She's amazing!  And Gracie wants to be brave like Paige.  Gracie gets scared, but not too bad.  This time, she was determined to be free of fear.

I took the girls to the bathroom before we got on the ride and Libby went, but Gracie wouldn't go.  Nope. Don't need to.  Nope.  Don't have to go.  Nope.  I'm fine, Mom, I'm fine.   Well, all right then, off we went.

As soon as that girl saw the water, she started dancing around.  Ohhhhhh No!  We were next in line for a boat and she's hopping around and  holding herself.  "Mom!  I gotta go potty RIGHT NOW!"  Oh, child of mine.  We walked right onto the ride, there wasn't a line at all, and now you have to go?  Not two minutes ago in the rest room?  Can you hold it till the ride is over?  "Maybe I can".

My choices are  1.  Take her out of the que and find a restroom or 2. make her wait and hope she learns that she should go potty when she has the opportunity.   Hmmmm.  Choice number one is much safer.  Choice number two is very risky, but the ride isn't all that long and she does have a bladder of steel.  She's probably just nervous, plus the water is powerfully suggestive, I'll bet she has a gallon in her because she drank a couple of juices and she hasn't gone since we left the house.  What to do, what to do?  She's hopping furiously.  It's our turn to board!

I opted to make her hold it, er, hoped she would hold it. The boats are rows of bench seats and Gracie got in the middle.  Great.  She better hold it or we'll all be sitting in a puddle. She was really wiggling as we went down the waterfalls.  Oy.  Waterfalls and a full bladder in a frightened four year old.  This is not good!

Did you know the Pirate ride is 14.5 minutes long?  Plus getting in and out of the boat adds valuable time, very precious seconds.  She made it.  She didn't flood the boat!  She wasn't brave either, but that wasn't nearly as important as the potty emergency.  Once the ride ended, I grabbed that child by the hand and stuck the other one on my hip and we RAN to the nearest rest room I knew of - at the train station in New Orleans' Square.

I shoved her in the first stall and praised the girl for being so strong and not having a potty accident!  Thank you again, Disneyland Magic! Now, here I am in the rest room without the pink potty for Libby.  Oh well.  I put her on the big toilet and she was just fine.

What an unbelievable day!  No potty accidents from either child!  Most people think Disneyland magic is all about the rides or the characters or the decorations... it's also a very magical place to go potty!