RAIN! Give me your best tips!

[CathieArms]

Okay, so looking at the forecast, it appears that we might get LOTS of rain about 2/3 of the time we're at WDW. I've been watching the weather reports, and some of it looks like it won't just be late afternoon showers. So, with that in mind, what are your BEST tips for getting through the parks with consistent rain. And, do you think rain makes the parks less crowded??? That might be one silver lining in the clouds of expected rain!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Go to the thrifts and find some rain jackets or, better yet, just invest in some decent ones from a sporting goods store.

Those dollar panchos are nasty and don't keep much rain out, plus they look horrible and you don't get the benefit of all the wonderful pockets in a rain jacket.

Also, make sure you have shoes that will bear the rain - bring waterproof style sandals. I'd recommend not wearing flip flops - wet means slick, which means it would be easier to slip out of a backless sandal, especially in a crowd when someone steps on your heel.

Make sure you insulate your cell phone by putting it in a baggie or something similar. We have a wet bag/water bag for our little digital and have a waterproof camera/video camera as well, which is excellent for pouring rain. The light outdoors when it's raining is great - all light everywhere is perfectly diffused - so take a lot of pictures when you can!

Oh. I have, in the past, rain-x'd a pair of old glasses (not my current ones) when I knew I was going to be out in the rain for a long period of time. It really helped.

Finally, if you can, pack a backpack with dry clothes and store them somewhere in a locker or on a stroller or whatever. Getting into dry clothes and dry socks can be a huge pick me up!

 

[bluezy]

We were at Disney in May of 2009 and had hours upon hours of rain each of the 7 days we were there. We weren't expecting that (forecast changed dramatically while we were there) but fortunately I'm an over-packer and we were prepared. Here are the things that helped us the most:

1. I always make sure each person in the family has at least 2 pair of shoes. Most of us wear sneakers/running shoes so 2 pair of shoes was critical on this trip. Every evening I'd stuff the wet shoes with towels or washcloths to soak up the water. They'd be 90% dry by morning. In the morning I'd pull out the towels and let them air dry the rest of the way. They'd be good to go by the next morning.

2. Plenty of socks. I only carry a small bag in the parks but I'd put extra socks in for those of us who wanted a dry pair at some point during the day. The wet ones went in a ziploc bag.

3. After a full day of wearing the cheapy $1 rain ponchos, we bit the bullet and bought the Disney rain ponchos. That was the best money spent on that trip. The cheapy ones are fine for a quick shower or for staying dry on water rides, but they don't cut it for all-day rain. They stick to your skin and tear easily. The Disney ones are not very expensive (compared to other things at Disney) and we had no trouble getting them replaced for free if they tore (I think we replaced 4 or 5 of them that week). The trickiest thing was spreading them out in the room each night to let them dry -- there were 7 of us in connecting rooms at POP. We each had a rain coat there as well, but they would be soaked in no time -- basically felt like they had gone through the washing machine. We only used them for walking around the resort in the evenings. The ponchos worked better for us (though they're a little more challenging in the bathrooms than a coat would have been).

4. Keep a good attitude and don't let the rain slow you down. I felt like it kept the crowds down quite a bit. I heard several CM's and other guests saying that you could get into a lot of TS restaurants without ADR's that week because so many people just didn't want to go back out in the rain to get to lunch or dinner.

We were fortunate that there was no lightning with the rain so it didn't cause any attraction shut downs. We still got to do almost everything we wanted to do on our trip -- except that I wanted to get to at least 2 fireworks shows that week. Of course it was pouring every night at 9:00 and that's where I drew the line. I was not standing in the rain to watch fireworks. Fortunately, our 2nd to last night there it wasn't raining and we got to see Illuminations.

Despite getting over 12" of rain while we were there, we all had a great time on our trip. I think it was a little better that we didn't know it was going to rain every day before we got there. If we had known, we would have been worried about it. Instead, we just rolled with the punches. You can't control the weather, but you *can* control how you react to it and adapt to it. We leave for Disney in 9 days and right now the long range forecast (that I know will change many times over before we even leave the house) is showing a few hours of rain every day we're going to be there. It doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes I think I'd rather have all-day rain than the high heat and humidity. I'm sure with just a little planning, you will still have a great time even if it rains while you're there. Enjoy!!!!

 

[SYDCOLEMOM]

Some of our best times at WDW are when it rains !! park clears out, wait times dwindle to just about nothing. We throw on our ponchos and run from ride to ride. If rain is in the forecast we take a change of clothes and dry shoes and put them in a locker. We just returned from a 10 day trip. Before we left the forecast had a 30 to 40% chance of rain everyday in the outlook but it actually only rained twice and it lasted only 30-40 minutes both times. Dont stress, have a fantastic time !!

 

[savannie]

It rained the first year we went, about ten years ago. It was supposed to rain the whole trip, but it really only rained a few times each day and the showers were spread out. A little rain during the hot summer months is really the best thing you can ask for at Disney. It cools everything off and ride times are super short. The first poster had great ideas. I also agree that cheap ponchos do nothing but blow around your face when you're trying to run from ride to ride, but the Disney ponchos worked very well. Indoor restaurants and rides are usually busiest during rain, so try to go to the outdoor rides if it isn't storming. Water rides are actually more fun in the rain, in my opinion. We have the cutest picture of my little brothers, then 2 and 3, sitting in their stroller with their ponchos on and grinning from ear to ear while we waited for the Buzz Lightyear ride. Have fun!

 

[jcvalenti]

Rain ain't so bad - it clears out the lines (especially those with outdoor queues).

The tips are:

1. Buy good ponchos before you leave - check camping aisles at Target, Dicks, or REI.

2. Think about getting a Sealline Storm Sack or equivalent dry bag. A 5 outré bag is great for keeping your cameras, phones, wallets and whatnot dry in the torrential downpours ... Or on wet rides like Kali.

3. Look up every once in a while. You can usually see the storms coming ... So when it's inevitable, bundle your stuff up and find a seat at a bar or a corner of a restaurant to stay dry in.

Most of all, just accept the fact you're going to get wet. No sense griping at mother nature.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If takeing poncho's also take a large ziplock bag to put the poncho's in when the rain is over. It makes it easier to carry them
Also be prepared that it will be extremely humid if it rains. So having kleenex to clean glasses.

 

[MNCruzn]

1. Ponchos - you can buy them there and get them with cute Mickeys or Castles on them, but they will be more expensive, and they do sometimes run out dependent on where you are. Bring your own...

2. Be OK with being wet. If you want to maximize your vacation, you need to be OK with possibly being a bit wet. Water shoes are terrific (Keen/Teva/Merrel) for this.

3. Have fun with it... the greatest day we had in Epcot was when it rained (torrential downpour) for most of the afternoon. It was warm, and we walked through the 2" deep puddles from country to country. By the time Illuminations was scheduled to start, there was just a few drops, and we had front row seat since so may people had left! One of the family's best memories...

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

1. the dollar store ponchos are useless. save your dollar and invest in a better one.

2. go see shows and ride indoor rides.

3. take a big ziploc for your purse, or something to keep your purse dry.

4. enjoy the time while everyone else runs for cover

5. ride the water rides since you're already wet, lol!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I spray my purse or any clothe bag or shoes with Camp Out is a waterproofer that you can get at walmart in the shoe dept.

 

[CathieArms]

Thanks, y'all! I'm absolutely certain to use more than a few of these tips!

 

[ZoZo]

I agree that, if you're expecting lots of rain on your trip, it's worth it to invest in good ponchos. The $1 "emergency" ponchos are fine in a pinch, but if there is lots of rain, they're a pain. The plastic material they're made of is very lightweight and flimsy, and when wet, they tend to stick to your body (especially your legs). I was so frustrated to have to pull the poncho away from my legs every few steps!

I got a good-quality Coleman brand poncho at Target a few years back. It was around $10, and made out of much better material. The WDW ponchos are okay, but I like my other one better. To me, the WDW ponchos are hard to fold down after you've worn them.

 

[3mickeymom]

Thank goodness we brought one for our first trip! I wouldn't have beebn able to put the baby into a wet stroller. The cover kept it dry during downpours.

 

[sscassel]

Embrace the rain. Lines get shorter and you could have some really great laughs people watching in down pours, we did! We also saw the shops along Main St. I never really watched the glass blowing till that day. What we do:

1- buy the DIsney ponchos., don't get cheap ones
2-when not using them, store them in a small backpack- ones your kids get from sports. works nice
3-I disagree with the flipflop comment. cetain ones are gret. The actually sell a pair in the stores there, I know because my daughter stepped on my original pair and I was fortunate to see the same ones in the parks. They are made by Croc. You won't slide or have squishy shoes after it rains- believe me I HATE that. I normally spend good money on good shoes. I like comfort. I have switched to these. Even at the end of the day your feet dont feel to bad.
4-try not to carry too much stuff around, consolidate so it doesn't get all wet. As stupid as i feel they are, I sometimes use a fannie pack. keeps it consolidated, close to you(doesn't stick out in the rain), easy underneath the ponchos. FYI- don't be suprised if anyone from England giggles if they hear you say fanny pack. Years ago we learned from an English family the a fanny to them is a ******. So go ahead, where your ****** pack, it helps!

 

[sscassel]

I got censored word begins w/ V and it belongs to a women.....

 

[moepanz]

Thank goodness we brought one for our first trip! I wouldn't have beebn able to put the baby into a wet stroller. The cover kept it dry during downpours.

Yes! We bring the stroller cover with us everyday and use it every time we park the stroller rain or shine. In Fla. you never know when a storm may pop up and it keeps birds and other wild life out as well.

 

[clmouse]

Cathie-we will be there the same time! When I looked at the forecast and it said rain - my heart dropped.

Bluezy -we were there the rain week in 09 too. It just kept coming!

So I know what it feels like to be there in the rain, It sux! But hey, it is what it is. Just be prepared.

Disney on a rainy day is still better then work on a beautiful day, just embrace it.

Look for me there, I'll be the one in the mouse ears.

 

[seashoreCM]

... a fanny to them is a v...

The way it was told to me was that the fanny is the rear. However you don't put the fanny pack behind you as it is more likely to be pickpocketed from.

 

[MonorailPilotMulan]

Enjoy the rain! It cools the air and drives people out of the park. If it gets stormy with lightening and all, take shelter and be safe but I personally think that rainy days are the best to visit the parks in. If you ever leave the park because of weather, don't rule out the possibility of coming back out. Once the park is kind of cleared out from heavy storms they don't tend to recover very much as many people just want to relax and stay away once they've left for the day. Take advantage of it!

 

[hthrbells]

There are some great tips on here!!