Theme parks are known for being immersive, but that usually ends at the restroom door. A typical restroom is plain and boring, however there are some exceptions. In the men’s restroom near Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa you’ll see some great Egyptian art. This is mild theming, but still pretty cool. Is the lack of restroom theming perhaps a lost opportunity for parks?

I recently had a chance to visit the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, winner of the 2018 Cintas America’s Best Restroom Award. This place was pretty cool with animal artwork everywhere inside and out along with 3D animal sculptures, some even coming out of the ceiling like you were underwater. In a funny Busch Gardens connection, the 2022 award was won by a restroom at Tampa International Airport. I don’t see a theme park on the list, but there are a number of zoos, gardens and other entertainment venues on the list, so perhaps someday one will go for it.

In Las Vegas there is an authentic, glass-encased section of the Berlin Wall serves as the backdrop for urinals. It’s in the men’s restroom at the Main Street Station Casino in Downtown Las Vegas just off Fremont Street. What about the ladies? There’s no such equivalent in the women’s restroom, but women can also view this free Cold War artifact by asking a security officer for an escort. This may highlight one of the reasons restrooms are often not themed as you may not want to make it so cool that it encourages opposite sex “tourism” of the location or photos and video. Of course, unlike Main Street Station, if both were essentially identical this would hopefully not be a temptation and issue.

HOP Shops Food Marts and Truck Plazas bathrooms are also becoming quite famous. They are the “Home of the Famous Disco Bathrooms”, each with its own unique song. In Maineville, Ohio you get “Party in the USA“ by Miley Cyrus or in Carrollton, KY you get “Dancing Queen“ by Abba. Below is a great video from Grace Adventures visiting one of these awesome restrooms.

Restrooms are a necessity in any theme park and a place guests will probably visit several times per day. The first thing a theme park cares about is that their bathrooms are numerous, clean and fully functional. However, there may be an opportunity here to continue theme and immersion. Many do this on the outside of the building, but as can be seen by places like Busch Gardens, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Main Street Station Casino and HOP Shops there is an opportunity to carry this inside as well. What would a Harry Potter, Star Wars or Nintendo theme park bathroom be like? Maybe someday we’ll find out.