Cold wet weather coming

[Hummingbird15]

So according to Accuweather a cold wet wintry storm is on the way, starting as soon as Sun. evening through Wed. Since that's when we'll be there, can someone tell me which rides close down in DL and DCA when it rains?
And what about the parade??

It will just be me and my adult daughter on this trip. This is our second trip to DL this year and we've gone at least once a year for 20 years and have never experienced the parks in the rain. We'll arrive early Sun. afternoon through Tues. afternoon.

Advice, tips for enjoying holidays in the park in the rain?
Thanks!

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/anaheim-ca/92802/watches-warnings/38848_pc

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

You are gonna have a blast. There are never crowds in the rain, and as long as you go into it with the attitude that this is gonna be an exciting adventure, you will have one! Its the Negative Nancys who enter the park with a defeatist attitude that don't have fun. Very few rides will close, and there is something very special about experiencing Big Thunder when it's raining!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The teacups and Alice in Wonderland in Fantasyland will close in the rain. The parade is subject to rain cancellation. They do a rainy day cavalcade instead which usually consists of as many characters as they can cram onto a Main Street vehicle. The parade is usually cancelled when it is actively raining, but I have also been at the park when it wasn't actually raining at parade time but it must have been deemed too wet still or likely to rain soon since the parade was still cancelled. Fantasmic can be cancelled if it's raining or if they can't get the stage dry enough for the performers in time for the show. The fireworks can run in the rain; they are more at the whim of the winds. I have seen World of Color in the rain, so that show is likely to go on still.

Make sure to gather a lot of fastpasses early in the day for rides like Star Tours, Space, Indy, Tower, and Soarin' and save them for later in the day, because when the rain hits, the crowds head to the indoor rides with indoor or at least partial indoor queues.

Some other good rainy day fun things to do are to visit the art gallery on Main Street, the Muppet movie, the animation studio, and to ride Toy Story. I have been to the parks on a couple of rainy evenings at what should have been peak times (3-day weekends and holiday weeks) and been able to ride Toy Story with anything from 10-25 minute waits versus the 45-55 minute waits I am accustomed to during peak times.

Eat at off-peak times since sometimes not as many food locations are open in the rain.

 

[MrsPinup]

Enjoy it! Pack an umbrella and put a smile on. I am praying for rain for our upcoming trip

 

[cmpaige]

I am right there with you: Will be in the parks for a whirlwind trip with our three kids next Monday and Tuesday. Between the rain forecast and the fact that the cast parties are scheduled for those two nights, I expect DL to be pretty much empty. I have had two previous rain experiences at DL: one was great because it rained just enough to keep the crowds (almost) completely away. We walked on rides all day long, never waiting for anything more than a minute or two. The other time was miserable because it rained REALLY hard for about 4-5 hours straight and was FREEZING cold. We ended up camping out in the pizza place by Space Mtn for about three hours that day b/c it was raining so hard you got soaked the minute you stepped outside (and our son was only about 1 at the time). I'm hoping next week is nothing like that, but a little bit of rain would be AWESOME. Just bring layers, umbrellas, and maybe even a parka. Riding Splash Mtn in the rain is pretty hilarious. Talk about NO lines. We went three times in a row without even getting off the boat.

 

[Butterfly123]

I would bring ponchos, and I like to wear pants that dry faster than heavy jeans. I hate wet jeans! Bring extra socks with you, too. And maybe a hand towel to dry seats off before you sit down. Have a great trip!

 

[Hummingbird15]

We will definitely stay positive and take your good advice. Our favorite ride at CA is Toy Story, so lower lines for that ride is a plus. Our favorites at DL are Splash Mtn and Big Thunder so time will tell if those will be open. Hopefully it won't rain the whole time.

Thanks again and keep those great tips coming!

 

[Hummingbird15]

I am right there with you: Will be in the parks for a whirlwind trip with our three kids next Monday and Tuesday. Between the rain forecast and the fact that the cast parties are scheduled for those two nights, I expect DL to be pretty much empty. I have had two previous rain experiences at DL: one was great because it rained just enough to keep the crowds (almost) completely away. We walked on rides all day long, never waiting for anything more than a minute or two. The other time was miserable because it rained REALLY hard for about 4-5 hours straight and was FREEZING cold. We ended up camping out in the pizza place by Space Mtn for about three hours that day b/c it was raining so hard you got soaked the minute you stepped outside (and our son was only about 1 at the time). I'm hoping next week is nothing like that, but a little bit of rain would be AWESOME. Just bring layers, umbrellas, and maybe even a parka. Riding Splash Mtn in the rain is pretty hilarious. Talk about NO lines. We went three times in a row without even getting off the boat.

So we'll keep our fingers crossed for showers, not torrential rain!

 

[Hummingbird15]

Enjoy it! Pack an umbrella and put a smile on. I am praying for rain for our upcoming trip

I wouldn't hope or pray for rain, but we'll definitely enjoy ourselves in spite of it!

 

[AquaDame]

I called today and moved our tour from Monday to Sunday to (hopefully) miss the rain! 20% chance vs. 50%... I'm not sure if they cancel it or not if the parade doesn't go...

 

[Hummingbird15]

I called today and moved our tour from Monday to Sunday to (hopefully) miss the rain! 20% chance vs. 50%... I'm not sure if they cancel it or not if the parade doesn't go...

That sounds like a good plan. They're now saying that the rain should start Sunday night and last throughout the week.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/anaheim-ca/92802/watches-warnings/38848_pc

 

[chepar]

Good idea to change your tour date.

Last year we were there during the monster storm the week before Christmas. It poured the entire 5 days we were there - several rides pretty much shut down the entire week, many other rides shut down numerous times (I began to suspect electrical issues from all the rain).

We had a tour scheduled on the first day and I didn't cancel, hoping the parade was still a go. DD and I were the only people on the tour and the parade was canceled. Kind of disappointing. Fantasmic was canceled the entire week, so I got my reservations for the dessert thing refunded.

Except for our last evening, there were no parades or fireworks at all, none of the cart vendors were open, any eatery that had covered seating (counter service or regular restaurant, in either park or DTD) was completely mobbed.

The park was pretty empty though, and most rides were at the most a 5-10 minute wait (the weird exception being TSM, which always had a wait of 45+ minutes). The rain was ok for a couple of days, but it was really tiring after the third day - we ended up going back to our hotel room for several hours each afternoon because it was just miserable with the constant rain (and wet shoes).

It was a disappointing trip, not only because it was so ridiculously expensive to go during Christmas time - but I had really built up this ideal Christmas time trip in my head. But you can't help the weather, so you just deal with it and try to have a positive attitude.

Hopefully the rain won't be so bad (or so long) on your trip.

 

[furb & dez]

Enjoy the rain! Disneyland in the rain is truly magical.

Someone previously said bring extra socks... do this!

 

[LisaCat]

Ponchos, quick drying pants, water resistant footwear and extra socks. If I know it's going to rain a LOT, I will pick up several of the "disposable" $1 ponchos at WallyMart so I have at least one extra in my bag at all times in case the one I'm wearing gets torn. A couple of gallon zip bags for wet items and a microfiber towel in another zip bag are also nice to have.

Oh - and on the socks, make sure they are synthetic rather than cotton - nothing ickier than cold, wet cotton socks. Bleh!

 

[mikethern]

Will be in Disneyland Monday. Rain is at least 70% likely. Love it!

 

[cloudconnected1039]

I just checked NOAA weather and it gave a 100% chance of rain on Monday and 30% chance on Tuesday Never been to DL in the rain before, so we're definitely looking forward to this!!

 

[mikethern]

Also, Monday closes earlier than other days, which means it was already scheduled to be a less-busy day. Look at the monthly schedule to see what I mean. Add the rain, and it should be empty! It will be literally the perfect storm. lol