Popular Tourist Destination Adds Toilet Timers and We're Just as Confused as You Are

If you have been to Disney World before, you likely have your favorite bathroom.

Whether it’s the American Adventure or Norway bathrooms, the Tangled ones, or something else entirely, people are passionate about their choices. But, what if Disney World started timing your bathroom visits?! One tourist destination is doing just that!

A popular tourist destination in China is causing quite a stir after installing timers above toilet stalls in a female restroom, with each stall having its own digital timer, according to CNN. The Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in China include 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves more than 1,500 years ago.

But, this new addition seems to be controversial to visitors. A video has gone viral on Chinese news and social media sites showing the timers, which show a green pixelated LED display that reads “empty” when a stall is unoccupied. If a stall is in use, the timer shows the number of minutes and seconds the door has been locked in red LED lights.

The visitor who originally took the video told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a state-run local newspaper, “I found it quite advanced technologically so you don’t have to queue outside or knock on a bathroom door…But I also found it a little bit embarrassing. It felt like I was being monitored.”

Staff members told the Herald that the timers “were installed to cope with an increase in visitors to the attraction,” but that they weren’t necessarily there to control how long guests are permitted to use the bathrooms.

“It’s impossible that we would kick someone out [of the bathroom stall] midway. And we aren’t setting a time limit such as five or 10 minutes of how long one could use the toilets,” the staff member shared.

Another state-run newspaper, Nanchang Evening News, spoke with a staff member who said the timers have been in operation since May 1st and are a safety feature, which ensures “the well-being of all guests, in case some guests use the toilet for an extended period and an emergency occurs.”

Responses online have been mixed, with some users of online platforms saying the timers would discourage visitors from wasting time on their phones in the stalls. Others, however, remarked, “A tourist site isn’t an office – who would spend their time in the toilets? Is it really necessary?”

One thing is for sure — if toiler timers come to Disney World, we’ll certainly be letting you know.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Hopefully, this won’t be a trend that catches on and eventually makes its way to Disney World. We’re pretty sure that won’t be the case, but you never know — so stay tuned to AllEars for the latest updates, news, and more!