Rain Ponchos?

[SLP958]

What kind do you like for Disney? The cheap kind meant for one time use or the more expensive, kind for multiple uses.

I see advantages for both. Wondering which is best in the parks.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Cheap ones don't take up that much room and if you take along a gallon size zip lock you can store them after the first use and can use them again. This is what we always take.

 

[disney212]

We go in the middle. We get the Coleman brand which are heavier but we get that at the Coleman Outlet for $1 each. If we have our car then we dry them out and stick them in the trunk for a future use, if we don't have our car we stick them in the plastic bottle recycle as they can be recycled just like a plastic bottle.

 

[Disneylover99]

I prefer the cheaper dollar store ponchos for the humid August days when we travel. They Feel much lighter in the heat then the heavy duty ones.

 

[Srbright]

We actually didn't use them. We wore light weight clothing and just walked through the rain. We tried it and the humidity and SWEATING inside the ponchos were just too much. It took maybe 20 minutes to dry while we were walking and then back on our way.

Stacy

 

[SLP958]

Thanks guys!

 

[geneaut]

My only knock on the cheap ones is if you try to tuff it out and keep riding rides in the rain you run into an issue taking them on and off. Some rides require you remove them so you do get ample opportunities for the cheaper ones to tear. I ran into this a few weeks ago.

So, if you just want something to tide you over during a brief squall until you get to shelter then a Dollar Store pocho does work. However if you plan on staying in the rain for multiple rides you might want a more robust solution.

 

[The Hendies]

We bring both with us, and watch the weather as to which, if any, to bring to the park that day. The exception, we always bring the $ Store ones with us when we go to AK for Kali River rapids. Wear it on the ride then offer it to someone waiting in line.

 

[gcmeyer2]

We like compact ones that fit in a back pack and don't rip easily. There are reasonable Coleman ones at Walmart but I'm sure you can get them anywhere. The key is being able to get them on and off as you dodge the rain drops.

 

[ZoZo]

I bring a couple of cheap ponchos (from Target's camping section, for about $1 each) and also a nicer poncho, that's meant to be reused.

After several October trips where it rained pretty often, I got tired of the cheapo ponchos because they're made of a really flimsy material that tends to stick to your legs when wet. I got so tired of having to peel the cheap ponchos off of my legs every other step. Even the official ponchos you buy at WDW are made of a flimsier material than before, and they tend to stick to legs, too. Hate that!

So basically I keep a cheap poncho in my bag as a "just in case" if it doesn't seem like it will be raining much. But if the forecast calls for lots of rain on a particular day, I carry my nicer poncho -- it's made of sturdier plastic and tends to stand away from your body more (no sticking to legs!). It cost about $10 - I think I bought it at Target or Walmart.

 

[dna1990]

I much prefer to CARRY the cheap very light versions (when weather looks iffy). But if raining solid for several hours, the more durable jackets seem the better answer. The cheap ones are good for a couple of rides or hours, not much more.

 

[Hootch]

the cheap ones. We go in the summer and the rain is usually brief. We also have good rain gear that we use if we are expecting heavy, long rains which happened last trip.

 

[ThreeKMom]

We use the ones from the park, we've had the same ones for 4 trips now!

Twice we traded them in for new ones when they ripped. We keep them in our backpack when we are at the parks and as soon as our trip is over they go into the outside pocket of our luggage to wait for the next trip!

 

[SarahC73]

We actually didn't use them. We wore light weight clothing and just walked through the rain. We tried it and the humidity and SWEATING inside the ponchos were just too much. It took maybe 20 minutes to dry while we were walking and then back on our way.

Stacy

That's the exact same problem I had, they just made me too hot!