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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 1 - Pioneer Hall

May. 17th, 2013 | 09:57 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, So over the past few days I've been posting mine. I hope others have been encouraged by this to make their own top 10 lists of WDW restrooms If you want to do that please send your top ten lists too WDWNewsToday@gmail.com put in the subject line "top 10 restrooms" the only rules Tom mentioned for this one were no "historic"restrooms (as in ones that are not there anymore), and no WDW Hotel room restrooms,though public restrooms at the resort hotels, mini golf courses, Downtown Disney, Water parks, theme parks, and all of the WDW resort are fair game.

The restroom that got the top spot on my top 10 restrooms of WDW list is not in a park, in fact it's not even at a hotel, at least in the traditional sense, it's at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground, specifically at the "settlement" end of fort Wilderness next to Pioneer Hall and it has many of the things I like in WDW restrooms colorful tile in interesting patterns, interesting details, I've got a decent set of photos of it, and in addition to that it seems to perhaps have a sense of humor too. For those of you not familiar with this location Pioneer Hall is the venue for the long running dinner show known as the "Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue", and these restrooms are located beside the Hall, accessible from outside rather than inside, and this allows access from guests in this area of the campground even at times of day when the show is not running.


Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Entrance from Outside

Note that in the photo of the restroom sign below you can see a bus at the "settlement" bus stop, this should give you a good idea of the small amount of walking needed to get here even though the campground is large. You would park at the day guest parking lot at the "outpost" sue stop and all three lines that leave form there go to"settlement" the differences in the bus routes being just which campsite loops they pass (and can stop at) on the way to "settlement" from "outpost".
Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Sign

Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Sign

The first thing you will see when you walk in is that the floor tiles are in the pattern of a quilt!
Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Floor Tile Detail - quilt pattern

Then there are sinks to your left,


The sinks have "lantern" light fixtures, and tree branches for frames
Pioneer Hall Restrooms - lighting & Mirrors

even the tile "strip" that goes around the room has a rope design.
Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Wall Tile Detail - rope pattern

Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Wall Tile Detail - rope pattern

The baby changing station has a western themed print on tile over it.
Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Mural - Baby Changing Table
If you walk all the way to the end, past the sinks, then the whole restroom from that point on is to the left, and that is where the stalls and urinals are, the rope pattern continues on the walls and the intricate quilt pattern on the floor repeats in this area as well

Pioneer Hall Restrooms - around the corner

So it's time to turn around and hear out right? but wait, my favorite detail in the restroom, and one that a lot of people seem to enjoy is on the wall across from the sinks that were on our left as we came in, and many people swear this scene looks suspiciously similar to one scene that was seen in the movie "Blazing Saddles".

Pioneer Hall Restrooms - Mural

I'm just amazed that none of the WDWNT staff listed it in their top ten lists...is it in yours?

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 2 - Tusker House

May. 16th, 2013 | 09:22 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

My second favorite WDW restroom is in what I feel is probably the best themed area of any in the Walt Disney World resort, the Harambe village in the Africa section of Disney's Animal Kingdom this village is made to feel that it is in a rural area where people "make due" with materials that might be considered outdated or be discarded in a prosperous country like ours, but it is still "Disney Clean" it's like the most beautiful decay I've ever seen, I know that's a contradiction, but that is what they have achieved in Harambe.
The area below is made to look like an outdoor market, but you are actually indoors, and down that hall way straight ahead is the restroom.

Tusker House Interior Courtyard - Counter service

this restroom is in the Tusker House Restaurant, even the hallway just outside the restroom has steaks on the walls and simulated wear on the plaster,and even the no smoking signs look home made:

Tusker House Sign in hall to Restrooms

Tusker House Phones in hall near Restrooms

The signs on the restroom doors themselves are missmismatched, again they are using the idea that his is a part of the world that the "make due" culture that it seems like a foreign concept to a lot of people in our country today, but that was normal to folks from my moms generation and earlier, the idea that If you've ever had an older relative who said something like "we didn't know we were poor because that is just how everyone lived back then" this is probably a person familiar with this concept.

Tusker House Restroom - missmatched signs
note that even though these signs appear mismatched they both actually have braille markings on them.
Tusker House Restroom - missmatched signs

There's a third door (presumably the cleaning supply closet) between these two, and I love this!
Tusker House - Janatorial Closet? or Cast member access to backstage? - Door near restrooms

The restroom itself is simple enough, if they made it too colorful it would belie the illusion they built outside, so it's sort of like the folks in the village who are trying to build the tourism industry realized that many tourists would be turned off by "third world" facilities so they focused much of their modernizing efforts here:
Tusker House Restroom seen from entrance

The dark grout adds color and contrast the blue braid design dresses it up some but again, without going too far and blowing the illusion. The floor tiles look like what is a very common hand relatively inexpensive tile, and being in earth tones blends with many of the other paving surfaces in Harambe.


Tusker House Restroom Baby Change Table

Tusker House Restroom looking back to entrance
As much as I like this restroom it's not one where I got a full set, which probably means I heard someone coming in and stopped taking photos , but this is still my seemingly ever so unlikely choice for second favorite restroom at the Walt Disney World resort.

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 3 - Hollywood Brown Derby

May. 16th, 2013 | 07:55 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

So far on my list I have had very little overlap with the top 10 lists shared on episode 228 of WDW News today one example of a contributing factor to this is that the three new restrooms in Fantasyland (circus, Belles, tangled) made many of the teams lists. In my list I have not used any restrooms that I have not visited, but there are other reasons too, for instance my bias in favor of restrooms that I have photos of,  and the fact that I have not had to include factors like which restrooms are best for parents of small children. That said, the next restroom on my list made onto the lists of four of the seven hosts of the top 10 restrooms list so it is sure to have ranked quite well, this restroom is found at The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Disney's Hollywood studios.

Hollywood Brown Derby


One thing I want to do more of in future sets of WDW restroom photos is make sure to get photos of the entrance, I don't have a photo of the entrance of this one from the outside, but I do have a photo of the lobby it sets just off of.

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

As you open the door you see an entry vestibule with a baby change station at the end:
Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom - Baby Changing Table


Now in this shot you can see the archway at the far end of the room and, after you come in the door, that archway is where you would enter this restroom from, here's the entry door from the inside:
Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom


Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

Some explanation here for those not familiar with this restaurant The Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, at disney's Hollywood Studios in walt Disney World Florida, is styled after a famous real world restaurant in hollywood California, that restaurant is famous for it's caricatures of Hollywood celebrities here's a quote from the California restaurants web site " night shortly after The Hollywood Brown Derby opened in 1929, a young artist offered to sketch caricatures of
diners in exchange for a bowl of hot soup and a cup of coffee. His full name was too long and complicated so the
last syllable, "Vitch" became recognized as the name of one of the world's finest caricaturists (his economy of line and
sharpness of perception caught a personality in just a few brush strokes). Sketches began covering the dining room
walls and celebrities used all sorts of strategems to be included in the "Wall of Fame" collection at The Brown Derby.
The prestigious collection of caricatures was continued with a succession of other noted artists," So that is the reason for the artwork that covers so much of the walls in this restaurant.
Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

but the details in here go beyond the artwork it looks like it really was built in the 1930's rather than 1989, from the style of the tiles, to the sinks and even the chrome pipes that show here and there:

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom - Floor tile detail

Now here's a photo that takes us back to that entryway looking in from near the baby change station in that entry vestibule.

Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom


The end stall while longer than the others does not have the built in sink that some newer restrooms have but if you look in the previous photos you will see that there is a "roll under" sink not far from the others. also note that by putting the flushing handle on the wall they have avoided the more "modern" look of todays restroom equipment dominating the restroom, I mean the toilet itself is not "period" to the 1930's but by not having that large valve box showing the tile becomes a much more dominant feature than the toilet itself.
Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom

even the urinals follow this "hide the modernity by putting the works behind the wall" strategy:
Hollywood Brown Derby - Restroom


That's my number 3 WDW restroom, more to come!

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 4 - Pop Century Classic Hall

May. 15th, 2013 | 10:21 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

I wish I'd gotten a better photo of the signs pointing to this restroom, if memory serves right it is located across from the "store" entrance of "Everything Pop". Anyhow, just off the lobby of Pop Century is this small alcove set off from the main hall,
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom
Once you step into it you turn 90 degrees:
the Door has this small window just so you can see if someone is exiting as you enter.
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

Once you step into the restroom you can see the layout pretty easily in one look, as there's nothing too odd about the layout of this restroom.
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

if you walk to the far end you can get a good look at the Baby changing Station:
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom - Baby Change Table

Then turn back around and you are facing the door you entered through:

Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

The large stall at the end or the restroom nearest near the baby change table is a handicapped acessable stall with a roll under sink right in the stall.

Pop Century Classic Hall restroom - Handicapped stall

This restroom has a couple of things going for it, the bright colors go well with the other themes of the Pop Century resort:
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

but I also like the neat looking textures of the (possibly googie inspired?) grill work above the tiles and in the lighting fixtures:
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

I've been avoiding sharing too many "Mirror self portraits" in this top 10, but this one is practical as it gives you a better idea of both the light fixture details as well as the sink and mirror set up (albeit mostly via reflection).
Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

and lastly a view of the area across from the sinks, as we are headed back to the exit (you can see the door in the shot too).

Pop Century Classic Hall restroom

and that's number 4, more to come!

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 5 - Restaurant Marakesh

May. 15th, 2013 | 08:24 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

I mentioned earlier that colorful tile patterns are one of the things I like in restrooms of WDW, but I realize now, as we go higher up the list, that interesting details, and unusual textures, that are just way different from a standard bathroom are another thing that I like, and there is no better place for making a good first impression for a restroom than by having an interesting door, unfortunately my photo of this one is blurry:
Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

Lucky for me the interesting details don't stop at the door, for instance this light fixture is inside:

Restaurant Marekesh

Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

The door that you see here is almost certainly the supply closet for the cast members that maintain this restroom, and you can see the placement of the light fixture. This is one of the smaller restrooms on my list and it can be a challenge to get an angle that shows the layout well, but let's see how I did.
so here's the entry doors inside, and that supply closet door again:
Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

Note that in this view of the sink you can see that same supply closet door in the mirror.
Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

This restroom is small enough that they went with the fold up version of the Baby Changing station:

Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

This would be to the right of the sink on the same wall
Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom

and it looks like the only stall in here is a accessibility stall with its own sink as well.
Restaurant Marekesh - Restroom -accessibility stall

and that's it for number 5, more to come.

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 6 - Yacht Club Convention Hall Restrooms

May. 15th, 2013 | 06:37 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - Door

  This is one I'm a little surprised no one at WDWNT had on their list as in addition to visiting this restoom at Mousefest 2008 I also was in this space for WDWNT:The Weekend back in 2010, I know a few folks had at least one restroom on their list at one of the Deluxe or DVC resorts where the restrooms have cloth hand towels, not for those who are my age we may remember a different kind of cloth hand towels, the one switched out by a laundry service and the towels were dispensed from a roll that fed out of the bottom of a dispenser box mounted on the wall and the used end disappeared back into the dispenser where once the roll was used up the roll would have to be switched out, but that's not what I'm talking about here, I'm talking about a basket of hand towels like the ones pictured below:
Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - hand towels

and this is a nice difference that gives a plussing to how I perceive the quality of these restrooms, there are also hand towels in the restrooms of the main part of the yacht club too but the decor there seemed dated in a different way than the decor here did, I'm not saying that this restroom did not seem like it could have fit right in in a different decade, but I would mean that in a more positive way about this one, the decor in this restroom also seems to lean towards style that is patriotic and that may make it a bit more timeless also. just look at the Eagle that is atop the frame of the mirror and the stars on the wallpaper below and judge for yourself:
Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - mirror frame detail

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - floor tile detail

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - wall detail

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom - wall tile detail

Yacht Club convention Hall Restroom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigbrian-nc/3119311952/in/pool-440896@N22/

That's numer 6, more to come!

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 7 - Pecos Bills

May. 15th, 2013 | 07:04 am

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

There was some aversion to restrooms that may become busy on the show, but being a person who;

  • goes to WDW at less busy times of year

  • almost always gets the the parks early

  • usually looks for opportunities to tour the park in a different pattern than the crowds do.

some of the restrooms I will choose are ones that may get busy at certain times, I'm just not as likely to be there at those times.
Pecos Bill's is a high volume WDW counter service restaurant, but I would imagine I probably took these photos early in the morning before the restaurant portion opened for the day. Whereas with the TTC restrooms of the previous post those would be more likely to be mid day some time after the initial rush to the Magic Kingdom had subsided.

Pecos Bills - Restroom - Entry from outside

Pecos Bills Restroom - Floor Tile - looking in from entrance

While this restroom has bright colors (though if you don't like this shade of green you may feel like you've walked INTO a giant Avocado peel that was turned inside out), it has nice tile work, it has that cool chunky frame around the mirror that looks like something right of of a colonial spanish building, this is one restroom that most folks might not think of when they think of a well themed Disney restroom, so in addition the the theme fitting elements that it does have i'll have to admit one other possible thing that may affect how well I like a WDW restroom and that factor is the fact that i am more  likely to be fond of a WDW restroom that I have managed to get good photos of, and this choice may be in part due to that bias.

Pecos Bills Restroom - Floor Tile - looking in from entrance

Pecos Bills - restroom

Pecos Bills - Restroom - looking back towards entrance

Pecos Bills Restroom - Tile Detail

Pecos Bills - Tile Detail

Pecos Bills - baby change station

Pecos Bills restroom - headed towards exit

Note the small trashcan here, I suppose it takes up less floor space rather than using one of the larger cans seen around the park, but the fact that they CAN use this small of a waste bin in such a high volume location shows how often it must be maintained.

Pecos Bills - Waste Basket

Pecos Bills - Exit from inside

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 8 - TTC- north restrooms

May. 14th, 2013 | 09:34 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.


One running theme that you may notice in the restrooms that I like is that many of them have colorful tile patterns. At the Ticket and Transportation center there are actually three different sets of restrooms to chose from, in the building just to the southeast of the Monorail station there are not one but TWO sets of restrooms , after you pass through the gates by Mickey's Gift station
Mickey's Gift Station (and in this same building) there is one set on the side facing the monorail station, it appears to be a more "old style" restroom, before they started making them more colorful:
TTC South Restroom - Facing exit


also in that same building but on the side facing the bus loading bay (you might be more likely to approach this from the lost and found building) is one that has had what appears to be a quite recent renovation:

Southeast Restrooms at the TTC (near bus stops)

and I do like the tile work and the colors in this restroom, but for some reason it just did not quite make my list, but for some reason the restroom at the North building of the TTC did make my list, I'd be hard pressed to come up with much of a justification of why I prefer this to the more recently renovated ones in the South building, I just do.

TTC North Restrooms - looking out & left from entrance

Perhaps the view from outside (monorails and flowers) is an easy reason to pick as who the smell and sound of busses is not high on most folks lists of things they use to add a certain ambiance to a scene.

TTC North Restrooms - looking out from entrance

TTC North Restrooms - overhead sign

Note that in the shot below you can see that the tiles in the women's room appear to have slightly different colors in their pattern:
TTC north Restrooms - Entrances

Even though i've taken a fair number of photos in WDW restrooms, i do get self conscious, afraid that someone will walk in, and that sometimes results in shaky photos.
TTC North Restrooms - looking in from entrance

TTC North Restrooms - Custodial Closet at entrance

TTC north Restrooms - Tile Stripe Detail

TTC North Restrooms - looking back to entrance

TTC North Restrooms - looking in from center

TTC North Restrooms - looking back from center

TTC north Restrooms - Tile Stripe Detail

TTC north Restrooms - Tile Stripe Detail

TTC north Restrooms - Hand washing Sign

Brawny and Sparkle, both products of the Georgia-pacific Corp. sponsor the hand washing stations in the restrooms of WDW. I wonder if WDW gets free hand towels and toilet paper in exchange for their Georgia Pacific product placement at the sinks around the resort? It would be a variation on that old rumor that WDW gets free soda syrup for all the Coca-Cola logos around the resort.

That's number 8, more to come!

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 9 - G Force Records

May. 14th, 2013 | 08:55 pm

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW


Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.


  At the Disney's Hollywood Studios all through the front part of the park there are several restrooms that look very much alike inside, no mater how the exterior looks, by the time they got around to adding the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith in 1999, they broke with this and went a bit different, that said I actually like the style and colors  of the tiles in those other restrooms at the studios, and the real things that set the G Force Records restrooms apart are mostly in things on the outside like the signs which resemble compact discs, though the disc here is larger more akin to a laser disc, and perhaps why I have been told that this particular sign has since been removed.

G-Force records restroom - outermost Sign

These restrooms are located to the left as you enter the compound of the G-Force records studio:
G-Force records restroom - outermost Sign

There's a nice quiet practical place to wait for the other members of your party which is out of the traffic of folks coming and going to visit the attraction.

G-Force records restroom - to get there "Walk this Way"


G-Force records restroom - Mens Room Sign

G-Force records restroom - Companion Restroom Sign

Now all the signs above are cute but, for some reason, I like the sign for the Women's room better than the one for the Mens or the one for the Companion restroom, (the one for the companion restroom was damaged and missing what looks like it might have been a microphone stand emblem at the time I took these photos). Still this one is not my absolute favorite...


G-Force records restroom - Womens Room Sign
nor is the no smoking sign...
G-Force records restroom - No smoking Sign

This is the one that is really my favorite!

G-Force records restroom - Baby Change Sign
The headphones really are just the perfect thing here, though I guess nowadays they might go with ear buds and an iPod.

The rest of the bathroom is ok, my feeling is they are trying to make the floor here look like what you might really find at a studio where the money is all put into the recording equipment and the tiles were just whatever they were able to salvage form elsewhere, but I can't help but look for (and see) the patterns in what is supposed to represent a floor without patterns.

G-Force records restroom - Looking back towards entrance

Rock & Roller Coaster - Restrooms Floor tile detail

if it were not for that flaw it might have made it even higher on my list.

and that's number 9, more to come ...

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Top 10 Restrooms of the Walt Disney World resort - number 10 - Flame Tree Barbecue

May. 14th, 2013 | 06:50 am

Recently on episode 288 of the Walt Disney World News Today (WDWNT) podcast http://wdwnewstoday.com/blog/archives/1041 they did one of their "top ten" lists, one that had been long joked about, and now they were really doing it, well Disney fans have been joking about the fact that Disney's quality of experience extends even to their restrooms for a long time, (http://www.wdwtoday.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Humorous_nicknames_for_WDW_restrooms) there was even a web site on the Disneyland restrooms called "the Happiest potties on Earth" which is a take on Disneyland's self designation as "The Happiest place on Earth". I have long had a Flickr tag of TOTVKOTW that is an abbreviation for "Thrones Of The Vacation Kingdom Of The World" and in addition to the ones I have tagged I always seem to keep finding ones I have missed.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TOTVKOTW

Well one of the things that the folks at Walt Disney World News Today always do when they make a top 10 list is they ask others to make thier own lists and send them in, so over the next several days I'll be posting my top 10 WDW restrooms as posts to my blog and will send this list to WDWNT.

by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/bigbrian-nc/]bigbrian-nc[/url], on Flickr

These restrooms are actually across the pathway from Flame Tree Barbecue in their own building as you are headed to Dinoland from Discovery island they are on your right,  if you turn to face the building you will see there is a cast member gate off to the right of the building and when live entertainment was more frequent in this park the little  sidewalk leading back to that gate was often used as a performance space for many live entertainment acts including the Village Beatniks.

Discovery Island Restrooms near Dinoland, across from Flame Tree Barbeque

The Village Beatniks - rolling out

Like most (or all?) WDW restrooms a water fountain is near the entrance:

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as well as a phone:
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Like the other restrooms in Disney's Animal Kingdom, the restrooms have heavy wooden doors rather than the "touch less" walk around the wall entreyways found in many of the high volume restrooms in the other parks, this is done to make the restrooms a safe refuge in the event of an Animal escape.

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the main thing that makes this restroom rise to the level of a top 10 is the great decor in the tiles, both floor and wall.

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even the signs are made of tile:

100_5332 (this blurry sign is actually a no smoking sign.

The Baby changing station also has a tile sign.

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and that's number 10, more to come.

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