Rain ponchos for adults and kids....

autismgoesdisney

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
We are done with the cheap $1 ponchos! They are constantly ripping and truly just don't work out. Since we go the end of August, there are normally a few days we have them on (sometimes just for an hour but still).....so we are looking to purchase some sturdier ponchos ... any suggestions on which ones are sturdy and we can reuse each year/trip!

Thanks :)
 
I have bought adult and youth ponchos at Walgreens and Michaels. They were maybe $5-$7 I think and have lasted for many trips.
 
I bought them at WDW and we use them at home and on our WDW trips. I think they are a good value. I miss the park specific ones though. I fold them up neatly and put them in ziplock bags, squish out all the air, and they store/pack nicely.
 
Sierra Designs makes good ponchos - have used them backpacking.

Heard good things about Stormtech ponchos - a little cheaper than the SD - can find those for around $18-$20......
 


~Disney's ponchos are nice! They can last for years, but I always toss em after each trip. Also, there was one year when Disney's ponchos kept tearing on us -- I think it was 2008. And, each time Disney replaced them! Have fun! :goodvibes
 
:hyper:
~Disney's ponchos are nice! They can last for years, but I always toss em after each trip. Also, there was one year when Disney's ponchos kept tearing on us -- I think it was 2008. And, each time Disney replaced them! Have fun! :goodvibes

I read somewhere that they do return ripped ones. I'm guessing not every year though :hyper:
 
Had bought some ponchos at Disney back in the 90's - the yellow ones. They lasted us a good 8-9 years before we had to toss 'em....
 


We go at the end of every August and we use the WDW ones. They have lasted 5years so far. They do exchange them if they rip:thumbsup2
 
We were also 'done' with the cheap $1 ponchos that are hard to put on, clingy, and tear easily.

We found nice ponchos for our last trip at Walmart. They were stronger heavier duty plastic and we had no problem with tears. Being heavier, they went on better, hung better and were more comfortable, but did get a bit hot.

Our problem with the sturdier ponchos was when it wasn't raining. We had 4 pretty bulky ponchos to try to fold up and store for the rest of the day. We tried folding them as tight as we could and keep them in zip loc bags so the rest of the bag wouldn't get wet. That worked to keep the bag dry, but the ponchos took up a lot of space. We then had to try to remember to hang them up to dry when we got back to the room and refold for the next day. We are commando and try to pack as light as possible in only one small backpack.

After trying both types, we are going back to the cheap ponchos. We buy enough for each person to have one per day of the trip plus a couple spares and don't save them. One and done and they go in the trash. No folding, hanging to dry or taking up space in my bag.

Our thinking is that the convenience and compactness of the cheap ponchos is going to win out over the weight and bulk of the nicer ones.
 
MomToPirate&Princess said:
We were also 'done' with the cheap $1 ponchos that are hard to put on, clingy, and tear easily.

Yeah when I went to put on my cheap poncho it ripped apart like I was Hulk Hogan ripping his shirt off lol

It was however useful to sit on. :)
 
We were also 'done' with the cheap $1 ponchos that are hard to put on, clingy, and tear easily.

We found nice ponchos for our last trip at Walmart. They were stronger heavier duty plastic and we had no problem with tears. Being heavier, they went on better, hung better and were more comfortable, but did get a bit hot.

Our problem with the sturdier ponchos was when it wasn't raining. We had 4 pretty bulky ponchos to try to fold up and store for the rest of the day. We tried folding them as tight as we could and keep them in zip loc bags so the rest of the bag wouldn't get wet. That worked to keep the bag dry, but the ponchos took up a lot of space. We then had to try to remember to hang them up to dry when we got back to the room and refold for the next day. We are commando and try to pack as light as possible in only one small backpack.

After trying both types, we are going back to the cheap ponchos. We buy enough for each person to have one per day of the trip plus a couple spares and don't save them. One and done and they go in the trash. No folding, hanging to dry or taking up space in my bag.

Our thinking is that the convenience and compactness of the cheap ponchos is going to win out over the weight and bulk of the nicer ones.

I agree with this. While I am cheap enough that I still hang them up to dry if we wear them back to the room, if it stops raining while we are still out, I've been known to pitch them. The solution we've found with the cheap ponchos is baseball hats: if you put on a hat over the hood of the poncho, your head stays dry, the rain is out of your eyes, and the hood stays in the right place. We did this for days on end during Tropical Storm Debby last summer, and it worked out great.
 
Frogg Toggs...light..packable..breathable..and can get the lower model poncho for about $20...
 
I'm honestly a fan of the Disney ponchos! They may be a little pricier, but you can find them in pretty much any gift shop, and ask for a little bag to put it into when you're done with it (so the inside of your bag doesn't get wet) and they roll up small enough to shove into a bag.

They're really sturdy and lasted us a couple of days (probably would have lasted longer if we hadn't been at a halloween party with wings on...)
 
We're cheapo dollar poncho people, but we also consider them to be totally disposable. We pack enough for each of us to have one for each park day. Each morning, we enough for each of us to have one. If it rains, we throw them on. Once it stops, we throw them away.
 
I would suspect that you'll probably find some decent ones in any camping section of a store. I have a Disney one because on our last trip my Dollar Tree one ripped right after I put it on!
 
In our experience the WDW ponchos are the best. We keep them and wear them to sporting events too. Over the years, we have tried others and we always go back to the WDW ones. The cheap ones rip. We've tried the Walmart and Target ones that are nicer, but still cheaper than WDW, and for me the hood slipped down over my eyes and when I pushed it back where it wouldn't, the whole front of my head got wet. DD the water went down her neck on those. We threw them away after less than an hour at WDW, and bought the WDW ones. We actually got some supposedly real high quality sporting event team ones, and those the first sporting event we wore them to, the water went down both our necks and again, the hood was flopping in my eyes. Plus the ones that weren't the cheap throw away, were generally bulky and hard to deal with. You can get the WDW ones to fold up pretty small if need be- not the $1 poncho size small, but still better than most of the other ones you can find.
 
I like Target's $1.47 ponchos. They are just a bit thicker and not as clingy. I also have 2 or 3 WDW ones left over from Tropical Storm Fay. Have used those over the years...still in great shape. I use those if it is raining when we leave the resort. Oterwise, I carry the cheap ones and use as needed. I have been known to reuse the cheap ones once or twice per trip, but will also toss after use. And, I agree with the comment about the baseball cap.
 
We are done with the cheap $1 ponchos! They are constantly ripping and truly just don't work out. Since we go the end of August, there are normally a few days we have them on (sometimes just for an hour but still).....so we are looking to purchase some sturdier ponchos ... any suggestions on which ones are sturdy and we can reuse each year/trip!

Thanks :)

Frog togs makes a nice feeling poncho (made of a tyvek type cloth rather than vinyl). Not nearly as clammy as the vinyl. About $10 at Wal-Mart
 
If I'm going mid-late June.. should I be buying ponchos when I get there? I know when I went back in '97, we needed them, but I forget what month that was. Not sure if it rains daily in all months or just some.
 

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