Top 10 Toilets at Disney World
This post covers the top toilets and best bathrooms at Walt Disney World, with a list of hidden gems and rad restrooms. Picking a favorite restroom is like choosing a favorite child, but it’s also important to do. We also share all of the big bathroom news from a busy year at WDW. (Updated December 27, 2023.)
When Disney Blogstorians (because that will totally be a thing) document the history of the bizarre phenomenon of sites like this one, this post will live in infamy as the point this site jumped the shark. I’ve actually wanted to do this list for an eternity, but I’ve avoided it because, well…it’s weird. That is, until the Tangled Toilets opened, and every blog had like 38 posts on them. All bets were off at that point. That really broke down the bathroom barrier, and the toilet taboo.
Truthfully, I don’t know why I’ve shied away from this topic. Just think, there’s probably some dude sitting in a forgotten corner of the Imagineering offices with the title of “Potty Show Design, Tiling & Technical Director” who takes his work very seriously, yet is the butt of jokes. Good sir, your day is finally here. You can now do a celebratory fist-pump and regale your family with this blog’s praise of your fine work. I can only hope my great investigative journalism shining a light on your work helps earn this blog its first (of many) Peabody Awards…
While this might seem like a tough topic to tackle, I’ve had a mental list of the top toilets at Walt Disney World for years. Maybe decades. The hard part was the photos. I’ll bet most of you reading this have never taken photos of a restroom. Why would you? Until compiling this, I hadn’t either. As such, you probably don’t know about restroom photography decorum.
First and foremost, you never take a photo when another person is in the restroom, especially if they cannot see you. Can you imagine sitting in there–alone–and hearing someone waltz in, fire off a series of photos, and then rush out? That pricey once in a lifetime Walt Disney World trip just got even more expensive due to the years of therapy after it.
Unfortunately, the difficulty presented by capturing all of these restrooms empty is why we don’t have photos for each. I’m not just going to repeatedly duck in and out of various Walt Disney World restrooms to see if there’s anyone in there. That wouldn’t be fun to explain to security when they inevitably showed up to see what the heck I was doing loitering in restrooms. I do some weird stuff for the sake of blog posts, but that’s a bridge too far.
2023 WDW Restroom Retrospective
You might notice the updated parenthetical above, and be thinking, “why on earth does a post about toilets at Walt Disney World need an update?!” Well, a lot has changed on the toilet tech front and this blog aims to be on the cutting edge of the “new sanitation revolution.” We envision a brighter tomorrow, with smart toilets and health monitoring (think Baymax but for your butt) hopefully coming soon to Tomorrowland.
Unfortunately, the last year has not been a bright one for bathrooms. Sadly, 2023 will go down in the restroom record books (which, to be clear, is a book about bathroom records that’s also stored toilet-side, for serious latrine learning–like Kramer’s coffee table book about coffee tables) as one of the worst years in recent memory.
Before we get to the bad bathrooms, let’s start with the good: Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ. While these aren’t going to win any awards or claim a spot on this list, as they’re somewhat small for the busy lobby of an all-you-can-eat restaurant. But credit where credit is due–the themed design is fun and fitting and, unlike the rest of Toy Story Land, they didn’t screw up and put the urinals way too close to the ground!
Otherwise, most bathroom brainiacs will agree that the story this year was one of squandered potential. If you think about the big additions at Walt Disney World in 2023, what immediately jumps to mind is TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom and World Celebration in EPCOT. Potty professionals and enthusiasts alike have been anxiously awaiting these restrooms for 4+ years.
After building these latrines at a lackadaisical pace, Walt Disney World finally debuted them this year. While nice enough, the TRON toilets were undersized, as was the just one (1) at Moana’s Journey of Water. Other restrooms in and around the center of EPCOT are just refurbishments of existing restrooms. Neither bad nor good.
Then there was the big blow(out), which was the closing of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. While no one wants to admit it, the main reason this much-maligned and misunderstood ‘resort’ had such an ardent fan following was because of its restrooms. (Probably.) Some might say that ~$4,000 was a small price to pay for secreting in style in space. I wouldn’t, but some might!
Looking back to last year, the best addition was the restrooms in Connections Cafe & Eatery at EPCOT. These are tremendous toilets in terms of importance and demand. Located inside a Starbucks and right next door to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, they’re effectively doing double duty (think about it for a second…or not).Â
That’s also what keeps them off of this list. Although these are nice high-capacity restrooms (bonus points for the adjacent water filling station), they’re a victim of their location. Again, these service a fast food restaurant, coffee shop, and thrill ride. Suffice to say, I’ve heard some stuff in here. Consider avoiding them unless you’re a gambler or it’s the beginning or end of the day.
The other good news is that there’s a great big beautiful bathroom tomorrow! At some point in the first half of 2024, we’ll be treated to the new restrooms in CommuniCore Hall at EPCOT. There are also several ride refurbishments and reimaginings on the 2024 Walt Disney World Closure Calendar, and it’s likely that a few of those will result in redone restrooms. All of that, plus the new resorts and restaurants that’ll debut in the new year.
The bottom line is that 2024 should be an exciting year for the Wonderful World of Walt Disney World Washrooms!
When mentioning CommuniCore Hall, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also pay our respects to the bygone bathrooms of Walt Disney World. While nothing of value was lost this year, we’re still mourning the Innoventions restrooms. This was a huge blow for the gloriously-weird early 1990s restrooms.
CommuniCore Hall is the replacement for the Innoventions buildings that housed those beloved bathrooms. Here’s hoping that the creative minds behind the EPCOT overhaul can put their tile-selecting talents to good use and create new restrooms worthy of the legacy of EPCOT Center. (In the spirit of Creations Shop, I hope they opt for “Bathroom Building.”) Imagineers love to pay tribute to extinct attractions–it’d be awesome to see a nod to these retired restrooms in CommuniCore Hall!
With all of these important updates out of the way, let’s turn to our list of Walt Disney World’s most outstanding outhouses…
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – I’m truly torn about these toilets. On the one hand, they’re incredibly industrial and utilitarian, lacking the warmth and good vibes I’m looking for when rating a restroom.
On the other hand, they’re large and incredibly efficient, real “people eating” bathrooms in a land that’s often busy and crowded–a stark contrast to the restrooms in Toy Story Land. Plus, the background music ‘radio’ feed is fun and these restrooms are the best place to hear it.
Space 220 Restaurant – As noted above, Epcot is the epicenter of washroom work at Walt Disney World right now. Restroom refreshes in World Showcase, in the entrance plaza under Spaceship Earth, and in other areas of the former Future World. However, only one newcomer is a space (comfort) station standout.
Space 220’s is actually a similar story to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The Space 220 restrooms have a sterile quality, but that’s perfect for a space station. There are also a number of clever signs, and the comm chatter you can hear in the restrooms is fun and amusing.
Arendelle/Norway – The other relatively recent addition in Epcot to make the list is the expanded area of the Norway pavilion that is, essentially, the Kingdom of Arendelle.
This area is home to Anna & Elsa’s Royal Sommerhus, the Wandering Reindeer gift shop, and some of the nicest, most modern, and thematically charming restrooms in all of Walt Disney World.
Hollywood Brown Derby – Flush like the stars, in the restroom that is a beacon for the show business elite. These restrooms are located just inside the side entrance to the Hollywood Brown Derby, making them easy options even if you’re not dining at the restaurant.
The two upsides here are that they are rarely crowded and well-themed, making them far and away the best options in a landscape of dull restrooms at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Mexico – Despite the restroom situation being pretty deplorable in World Showcase, there are some gems. These include the ones up and outside Katsura Grill in Japan, ones back by International Gateway, and the unheralded ones in the World Showplace pavilion, created to flush in the new millennium.
Of all of these, though, my favorite is the restrooms inside San Angel Inn. Classy, rarely crowded, and the most convenient spot if you’re in urgent need after spending some time at La Cava del Tequila, these are a beacon of light in the darkness that is the World Showcase restrooms.
American Adventure – Modern Americans use the restrooms more than our forefathers in 1982. Or, so you would think if you strolled through the World Showcase and found small restroom after small restroom, all of which are insufficient for demand, especially in the era of “Drinking Around the World.”
Teddy Roosevelt once offered words of motivation to those toiling in the quest to find a restroom in Epcot: “courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” These sage words gave former Epcot VP Jam MacPhee a spark of inspiration, and he used them as his motivation for adding new restrooms to American Adventure. Easily the largest set of restrooms in World Showcase, these toilets embody the American Dream.
Pioneer Hall – If you’ve ever been in the men’s restroom here, you know exactly why it made the list. That. Mural. I assume (and hope, quite frankly) that this is some sort of twisted inside joke among the Imagineers added clandestinely during construction, and by the time someone in management caught this thing, it was already too late to change it.
Whatever the reason for this inexplicable mural, it is glorious. Sorry, ladies, but from what I understand, you don’t have the national treasure that is this mural in your restroom. Our friend Adam recreated this mural in a brilliant piece of performance art, but I don’t think the internet is ready for that photo yet, so here’s a celebratory group photo of my crew in there following the Walt Disney World Marathon.
Deluxe Resorts – Only commoners should be forced to subject themselves to using paper towel to dry their hands, a truism Disney recognizes when stocking the Deluxe Resort public restrooms with cloth towels for hand-drying. In general, the public restrooms at these resorts are small, but well appointed (often with floor-length, wood doors for the stalls), with nicer soap than their counterparts in the parks. I’m not even kidding.
If I had to pick favorites, I’d choose the restrooms outside of Citricos and Victoria & Albert’s, the hallway near Belle Vue Lounge in BoardWalk Inn, and the lobby level of the Contemporary. With the unwashed masses tracking their muddy boots all over the floor, I guess the parks simply can’t do nicer restrooms? 😉
Tangled Toilets – The opening of the Tangled Toilets paved the way for bathroom blogging, and for that, I think we can all rejoice. There was some initial outrage over the hype about these restrooms, but that was entirely the result of over-coverage by bloggers rather than actual hype by Disney. Sadly, there was no “grand opening” for the restrooms nor a press release.
Irrespective of all that, the restrooms are nice. While they do draw significant crowds due to their location at the boundary between Fantasyland and Liberty Square, they can easily meet demand thanks to their huge size. Other favorites in Magic Kingdom include those in the old Tomorrowland Skyway building (near Carousel of Progress), Tomorrowland Terrace, and tucked away in Caribbean Plaza north of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Restaurantosaurus – I know what you’re thinking: “but Tom, isn’t all of Dino-rama just one giant toilet?” Figuratively, yes. However, I would caution you against treating it as such, because security might disagree with that assessment. Being the newest of the parks, Animal Kingdom was constructed after Walt Disney World had really exploded in popularity, so the park built restrooms in light of modern attendance numbers.
As a result, you don’t really need “hidden gem” restrooms here, as the park does a much better job–on the whole–of meeting restroom demand. There are some colorful locations up in Discovery Island and my second-favorite location is the restrooms in Harambe Village, but the Restaurantosaurus ones are personal favorites.
Journey Into Imagination – This restroom was the inspiration for doing this list in the first place. My absolute favorite restrooms at Walt Disney World. These are on the far right front side of the Imagination Pavilion, and they are never crowded. That’s one selling point, but the even bigger one for a Disney geek like me is that they are one of the last vestiges of EPCOT Center, playing the Journey into Imagination pavilion’s original 1983 background music loop.
While the rest of the pavilion got new music in the late 1990s, these restrooms were strangely forgotten–or intentionally spared so we fans could enjoy this wonderful loop. No comment as to whether I’ve ever spent ~15 minutes in here solely to enjoy the full loop. The video above is a small clip–the entire time I stood there in fear that someone would walk in, because that would’ve been a fun one to explain. YOU’RE WELCOME, AMERICA.
BONUS BATHROOM: Sivako Secret – Will you “rise to the challenge” and use the covert commode in the queue for Avatar Flight of Passage?! There’s actually nothing special about these, aside from their mid-queue location in what’s frequently the longest line at Walt Disney World. That alone can make them the most welcome latrine scene–an oasis in a desert, but in a reverse sense.
The Avatar Flight of Passage mid-queue restrooms were actually added to the attraction not that long ago and were borne of necessity. For the first few years of the attraction’s existence, there was a sign outside the entrance that informed guests there were no restrooms in the queue. Of course, most kids and even adults can’t forecast their bathroom breaks 2-3 hours in advance, so didn’t do a whole lot. Hopefully there’s a Disney+ behind the bathroom scenes on the making of these.
DOUBLE BONUS: Cinderella Castle Suite – Okay, so this one features a royal throne that none of us will ever be able to sit upon (there’s literally a “Show Ready” sign on it, letting you know it’s not for use among us peasants), but we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention it here.
You can see more in our Cinderella Castle Suite Photo Tour, but this is unquestionably the most memorable bathroom in all of Walt Disney World. If given the chance, I could spend hours photographing it’s ornate and lavish details–and that bathtub! Wow.
Normally, I avoid speculation as to what Walt Disney would think, but in this case, it goes without saying that Mr. Disney would totally agree with this list of the best bathrooms at Walt Disney World. As he so often said, “if you can dream it, you can do it.” 😉
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Your Thoughts
Everyone has their favorites, so what is your favorite bathroom at Walt Disney World? Any location with particularly exceptional theming? Better than average TP? Great music? Low crowds? Share your wisdom on this urgent matter in the comments below! Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Ha! I love this post, and I agree with a lot of your choices. We did a weeklong babymoon at Disney World, so I became very well-versed in bathroom choices. Imagination and American Adventure are my favorites, I never had to wait. I would even walk out of my way to go to the Imagination bathrooms.
You mentioned most of my favorites, and I’ve got a couple of new ones to check out on my upcoming trip. You did miss my favorite restrooms for theming–the ones on Discovery Island with a dung beetle on the outside.
My “go to” is upstairs in the harbor house. It’s small and so few know it even exists. Quite peaceful.
Well, you have to go all the way to Fantasyland to use those.
Ha! I have actually had this debate with a friend (he claims the “Pirate Potties in adventureland are the best, I prefer the newer Tangled restrooms). I have heard of the Imagination bathrooms thanks to the internet, but I have somehow not experienced them.
(I figure the bathroom mural is part of the price of admission to Hoop-de-Due Revue.)
A post George Costanza would approve of.
My husband likes the ones in Tomorrowland Terrace since it’s always empty. And it’s clean because no one realizes they are even there.
I’m not sure what is more amazing.
1. Someone typed “poo” in this blog.
B. That someone was a female, although I guess that is rather sexist of me to think only males can be potty minded.
4. That I am the first person to comment on the posting of said “poo”.
Not that any of this is wrong. I will still be laughing at bodily functions when I am old and no longer in control of them.
Cracking up!
1) Good on your for waiting for people to be finished at the urinal before taking pictures, unlike one particular Disney news Twitter account.
2) The restrooms up by Artist Point should get a shoutout for being fancy, but roll that into your Deluxe Resorts and I understand why it’s not called out by name
I need that cowboy mural in my life.
Skippers canteen has a nicely decorated restroom.
I’m reading this blog while having lunch at Restaurantasaurus and the line about Dino Land being one giant toilet had me laughing like a loon for over a minute. And now I feel compelled to check out the bathroom before heading back into the park. And the Journey Into Imagination bathroom is totally a to-do for tomorrow. It’s like a really strange Scavenger Hunt!
Tom, I LOVE this post!
When I was about 10, I remember returning to the table of a nice restaurant after using the bathroom and announcing to my mom that when I grew up I was going to write a book about the best restaurant restrooms in LA. She thought it was hilarious and I never did write that book, but I’m pleased I’m not the only one with this fixation. I also take bathroom photos at times, but I think all of mine are from Las Vegas Strip hotel bathrooms.
Thanks for working so hard for us!
It’s not too late to follow your dreams! 😉
‘Merica!
I have many pictures of many restrooms at Disney! Mostly because I love how they are such experts at integrating design and theming in every square inch of the parks (and I’m an artist as well as a production designer for film and television). You are never ‘taken out’ of the moment by a cheap and poorly designed restroom.
My very first restroom shot was of the one right near the Pirates ride at Disney World. Even the theming music played overhead! I took a shot of the Trails End restroom as well on our recent trip last month – girls have the same fun mural – and several others. I have pictures of restrooms in the Fort Wilderness Lodge near the Whispering Canyon restaurant, and the outside restroom near the main Animal Kingdom Lodge pool, which is truly awesome).
Every little thing at Disney counts. 🙂
Great article!
This entry finally justified the enormous subscription fees I have been paying to this Blog for all these years. In the immortal words of Sting “Pee, pee, let them pee!”
In certain dark corners of the internet, a DTB subscription can be traded for 16 raccoons. Mind you, they aren’t certified to be rabies-free, but 16 raccoons is a lot of raccoons, no matter how you slice it.
The bathrooms in the “club level” of spaceship earth are game changers. You have to be on the list with corporate sponso du jour but there is nothing better.
Don’t fret, I have a hunch that your fine work on this subject will earn you the inaugural Peebody Award. (SORRY, had to ‘go’ there)
Somehow, I’m one of those people that have taken a picture of bathrooms in Disneyland. I thought I was the only weirdo.
The restrooms next to the Alice in Wonderland ride have tiles with hearts on them & awesome stall doors that look like cards!, so I just had to take a couple of pictures. And in the old Club 33, their toilets were so different & interesting, so my friends and I took pictures. 😉
I’ll have to remember this post for the next time I go to WDW!
Me too! Alice in Wonderland loo is great – had to take a pic or two! 🙂
I also have photos of this bathroom. I have been known to pretend to be looking for someone to check out the bathrooms in fancy restaurants, though. I was psyched to find free feminine hygiene supplies at Trader Sams in December. SSSSShhhhh…..
While I squeezed my way into the restroom at the China Pavilion this past Wednesday I thought “There’s got to be a list somewhere of the best bathrooms at Disney”. Although this list is two days late for that trip, I’ll have it bookmarked for the next. Thanks for doing the “dirty work”!
This is a spectacular post all around, but I’m mostly impressed that you managed to get photos of multiple bathrooms when they were both (a) spotless and (b) empty.
I’ve been taking photos for this post since 2013, and I just finally got the last of the photos I needed on our January trip thanks to surprisingly low crowds. The ones without photos are that way because I could never get any without people in them. Even *I* have certain lines I won’t cross, and that’s one of them.
I love this list, Tom! The lobby level Contemporary restrooms are so nice, and of course the Tangled restrooms are the grand dame of themed bathrooms. I would like to give a quick shout-out to my most frequented bathroom on this past week’s trip, the bathroom that connects Adventureland and Frontierland near the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and the shooting arcade. I probably spent at least 45 minutes total in that area over two MK days… which just goes to show how important this list is! 🙂
The Adventureland breezeway restrooms are nice, but they are some of the most crowded restrooms in Walt Disney World. Definitely not worthy of inclusion on such an esteemed list of venerable restrooms.
The bathrooms at Sanaa are beautiful! I do think the San Angel Inn ladies restroom IS really nice, but Sanaa’s trumps it.
Oooh, we are going to Sanaa for the 1st time in April. I will make a point to utilize the facilities 😉
Thanks for the heads up!
Now that you mention it, I have to 100% agree. The bathrooms at Sanaa are amazing! I find myself taking at least 5 extra minutes just enjoying the “deluxe” life
one of my all-time favorites is a little specific: the single room bathroom in the DVC lobby of the villas at the wilderness lodge. that lobby is the perfect place to hang out with cool train memorabilia & read a book, or just chill. and when duty calls, no one really uses that restroom since they go straight to their villa. perfect poo spot.