Recently we returned from our first Disney trip together (Larra’s first ever). We left for the trip excited, but unsure of how well the parks would cater to Alex’s specific needs like carrying his injection supplies and medicine into the parks on shot day, as well as his desire to use single-stall restrooms.
Overall, we had a great time and left the parks exhausted, but looking forward to our next visit. In the course of our stay, we picked up some various tips and info that might help other trans Disney enthusiasts enjoy their vacations, so we have compiled them here for your convenience!
(PS: Keep an eye out for our upcoming post with tips for 20-somethings travelling to Disney without kids!)
TIP #1:
When it comes to booking your trip, the website will ask of the names of all your party members. The name of primary person on the vacation account must match their legal documents, but all other guests can use their preferred names on reservations as well as the Magic Bands, which serve as room keys, park tickets, Fast Pass+ reservations, and much more. If you are over 21 and plan to order drinks, you will still be required to show the wait staff legal ID.
Additionally, if you choose to get personalized Mickey ears as a souvenir, you can put whatever name you choose (NAME, no vulgarity is permitted), and the staff is very good about double-checking the spelling.
TIP #1.5:
When using your Fast Pass+ reservations, you scan the Magic Band and the name attached to your band appears on the cast member’s screen. Because of this, using your preferred name on your Magic Band is ideal, as it will allow fewer opportunities for misgendering.
TIP #2:
Bring a buddy! Obviously most people don’t take Disney trips alone, but in the case of a trans guest, having a friend who is familiar with your gender identity and can run interference or help you in intense, uncomfortable, or even emergency situations can be a major help and comfort.
TIP #3:
Trip timing can make or break a vacation for a trans guest who needs or chooses to bind. Heat is obviously not just uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous when combined with a binder. Our trip was in early March, and Alex thinks that the weather would have been tolerable had he still been binding. Mid-to-late Fall to early Spring are ideal times when the heat isn’t too intense. An added bonus is that cool weather negates the issue of swimwear for those of you who don’t feel comfortable in it. However, if you prefer summer travel, or for other reasons can’t avoid it, check out our tutorial on altering tank tops to comfortably conceal binders.
TIP #4:
When meeting characters in the parks, you will encounter a) non-speaking characters, usually these are masked characters or animals, and b) speaking characters. An unfortunate reality of meeting talking characters is that they may misgender someone. It only happened to Alex once, and the character sort of smoothed over it when corrected. Obviously, many characters have long lines and many guests to see. Moreover, I’m not sure how character training covers mishaps like misgendering. All-in-all, our experiences with characters were mostly fun and positive, but this is definitely an instance where I imagine having a buddy to correct them would be helpful if you yourself don’t feel comfortable or don’t want to do so.
TIP #5:
One thing we were particularly concerned about was Alex’s ability to carry his testosterone and needles into the park on shot day. Since we spent 7 days in the parks, there really wasn't a way to schedule around it. If you’re travelling during a very hot time, or you just don’t feel comfortable carrying your supplies with you, there is always the option to take a park break and return to your hotel for the shot, however, the parks do allow sharps and medicine in, they just request that your notify the bag inspectors that it’s in there.
TIP #6:
Bathrooms: the Disney Parks all have gender-neutral single-stall restrooms throughout the parks. They’re set up the same way as many “family” restrooms in malls and other amusement parks, but it’s important to note that Disney refers to them as “Companion Restrooms” and they are designated as such on the park maps.
(No, they don’t all have corny townspeople on them.)
Alex feels like there were actually more gender neutral restrooms than he expected, which was a pleasant surprise, but they seemed difficult to locate until we figured out what they symbol on the map was. Additionally, many of the cast members that we asked about them didn’t seem to know what we were talking about when we asked for a “family,” “single stall,” or “gender neutral” restroom. Seems like that’s something that Disney should add to their cast member training.
he restrooms themselves were usually clean and decent-sized. It seems like someone in a wheelchair would have ample room to maneuver, and a mom with kids would be able to fit a stroller in easily. Almost every regular restroom and most of the “companion” restrooms featured a sharps box, which was very convenient for Alex, as I imagine it would also be for diabetics or anyone else who relies on injectable medicines. However, in the afternoons many of these sharps boxes were full, so if you cannot dispose of the sharp safely, take it to the park’s first aid area and they can dispose of it for you. Alternately, you might elect to keep a hard-side case in your bag to carry the used sharp until you return to your hotel.
Below are listed all of the Companion Restrooms in the main Disney Parks as well as Downtown Disney:
Midway down Main Street USA on the left as you enter the park.
Tomorrowland, between the Carousel of Progress and Space Mountain.
Fantasyland, between the WDW Railroad and Pete’s Silly Sideshow.
Fantasyland, next to Gaston’s Tavern, tucked away behind an archway.
Fantasyland, next to the Pinocchio Village Haus.
Between Fantasyland and Liberty Square by Rapunzel’s Tower.
Frontierland, between Splash Mountain and the WDW Railroad.
Adventureland, behind the Pirate’s League, POTC Ride, and A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas.
Behind the Epcot ball on the left as your enter the park.
Future World East, between Mouse Gear and Test Track.
Future World West, behind the Epcot Character Spot, across from the Tips and Showtimes Board.
Future World West, in The Land.
Cnada (World Showcase), next to the Refreshment Port
Norway (World Showcase), next to Phineas and Ferb attraction.
Disovery Island, across from the Isle of Java.
Dinoland USA, next to Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures
Asia, next to Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
Asia, Between Maharajah Jungle Trek and Yak & Yeti Quality Beverages.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch, next to Snakes & Spiders and the Conservation Station.
Africa, by the Monbasa Market Place.
Africa, on the dead end past the Festival of the Lion King.
Discovery Island, across from the monkeys and behind the Memory Maker sales center.
Hollywood Studios (7 Total)
To the right of the entrance, across from Hollywood Scoops.
Next to Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster.
In Pixar Place, next to Toy Story Midway Mania.
Across from the Studio Catering Company
Next to Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunts Show.
Between Star Tours and the ABC Sound Studio.
Downtown Disney (6 Total)
Right off the bridge to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
Across from the Disney Design-a-Tee.
Next to The Art of Shaving, Sanuk, Sound Lion, Apex, etc shopping strip.
Another directly across from the previous location.
Across from Disney’s Candy Cauldron.
In addition to the many companion restrooms, there are even more sex-segregated multi-stall restrooms throughout the parks, and Alex found that most people in the mens’ restrooms didn't give him a second glance, but they definitely weren’t as clean as the companion restrooms.
And that’s it! That’s all we have for you in this post. We hope to have another one put together soon on general tips for 20-somethings at Disney. We hope these tips were helpful, and if you have any questions about something we didn’t cover (or something we did!), please don’t hesitate to send us a message!
Have a Magical Day, cuties!
