Disney World is always growing and changing, but two years after Avatar: Flight of Passage opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the major upgrade the ride received was… a set of bathrooms. Still, these bathrooms were apparently added with very specific intent, as there was at least one high-profile issue with somebody who just couldn’t hold it while waiting for the ride.
Flight of Passage routinely has some of the longest wait times at Walt Disney World, so it’s perhaps not surprising that some people might get in line not realizing that a trip to the bathroom is needed, only to discover that after an hour or more, things have changed. Previously, there was actually a sign outside the ride informing guests there were no restrooms inside the show building, but that changed at the end of 2019, and the reason is as unfortunate, and gross, as you might expect.
The Orlando Sentinal reported on the incident where a 22-year-old Peruvian woman was waiting in line for Flight of Passage when she apparently felt something wet hit the back of her leg. Turning around, she discovered a 46-year-old Brazilian man apparently urinating right there in the queue. He was attempting to hide what he was doing, but apparently wasn’t doing a very good job. It took 20 minutes for the line to reach a point where a Disney World Cast Member was found, and the woman reported the incident.
NEW BATHROOMS IN FLIGHT OF PASSAGE! pic.twitter.com/1pJuJtDC4tDecember 16, 2019
The man apparently apologized profusely, claiming that he just wasn’t able to hold it or get to a bathroom, without causing an incident. He was removed from Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the day, and the woman was given a change of clothes. Disney Cast Members can help out guests who need clothes for any reason. Sometimes it is when somebody (maybe intentionally) violates the Disney World dress code, but usually it's when something unexpected happens, like a sinking ride vehicle or getting thrown up on.
The bathrooms added to Flight of Passage appeared the same year this incident took place, and it seems all but certain that the one directly followed the other. There may have been other incidents in the preceding two years that led Disney World to realize that simply warning guests there was no bathroom wasn’t going to be good enough.
Most Disney Parks attractions don’t have their own bathrooms, however, but Flight of Passage is quite large, so it’s one that at least has the size to add such a thing. For the record, you can get a reentry pass from any Disney World cast member that will allow you to get out of line to use the bathroom and then return to your spot, but it’s the sort of thing that not everybody is aware is an option.
Hopefully you don't need to be told to not go to the bathroom on the floor while waiting for a Disney World ride, but let this be the lesson if a lesson is needed. There are lots of bathrooms all over Disney World, and most of the tides still don't have them. If more attractions start to add them, I suppose we'll know why. The word is that Disneyland will be getting an Avatar experience in the future. Hopefully they'll just build in the bathrooms from the start.
