Disney in the rain...tips, tricks?

[todzwife]

If rain is in your forecast, how do you plan? Do you bring rain boots, coats and umbrellas? Tough it out in a poncho only? I would love to hear everyone's ideas!

 

[momtotwolittleones]

We are driving for a late Nov trip, so I'll check the forecast before we go. If there's a chance of rain, I'll pack rainboots and a rain poncho and decide that morning if it's needed. I've never had it rain when in DL, so I'm certainly no expert, but that is our tentative plan right now. I think umbrellas would get annoying, so I'd only bring them if it called for heavier rain.

(Staples had a pack of 2 rain ponchos for $1 last time I was there, so I grabbed two of those packs to bring with us just in case.)

 

[PoohBearFriends]

We had a lot of rain in March when the girls were little. We found a Coleman poncho that also turned into a blanket. It worked great b/c it was lined and warm and also could cover the stroller and keep everything dry.

We are from the NW so Raincoats for all and we made it just fine. We did buy gloves when we were there b/c it was cold out in the rain.

 

[DizMe]

Last year in January, it poured during part of our trip! The park was virtually empty. Just a few days before we went, there were ducks swimming down Main St so that tells you how rainy it was

We discovered that DL is not really set up for lots of rain. Almost every restaurant is outdoors, for instance. Even though the park seemed empty, everyone who WAS there was vying for the few indoor seats available at lunch time.

I brought rain boots , which were just ok (bulky, not terribly comfortable, and probably not a whole lot better than runnning shoes or something light and somewhat waterproof), waterproof rain coat , which turned out NOT to be waterproof, poncho , and non-denim pants . Denim is VERY uncomfortable when wet because it doesn't dry and holds that dampness against your skin. My friend brought an umbrella which was the best rain gear we had. My dd had running gear (she's a runner and an apparel buyer for a running store) which worked great--her clothes were water resistant and water wicking or whatever that's called. That's a big expenditure for a chance of rain, though, unless it's stuff you already own.

If it's really going to rain, you will have very light crowds which is nice! It's also rare for it to rain continuously so you'll probably only have rain some of the time. Be aware that the ride seats get wet on a lot of the rides, so have a poncho or something you can sit on that's waterproof.

 

[SeattleTink]

I have been to DLR twice in the rain. Ponchos are your friend! It is a must. The ones they sell at DLR are expensive compared to the dollar store ones...but they are really a lot better quality. I suggest a "billed" cap of some sort to wear under the poncho. (Like a baseball cap) This really helps with keeping the rain out of your face.

The ground gets really slippery...so a good pair of shoes with rubber soles is a must. We just wore sneakers and our feet got really wet. You can bring rainboots, but most are not comforable when walking long distances.

The best part is you can pretty much do anything with a short wait. Locals (for the most part) stay away in the rain. If you have the right attitude, it can be a blast exploring the near empty park in the rain. Of course, I am a NW native, so rain really doesn't bother me too terribly much. It has never stopped me from doing anything.

My favorite memory from those "rainy" trips is riding Splach Mountain. It is a blast in the rain and with wearing ponchos it is really fun....and when we were there they just let us ride it again, and again, and again without getting off because the lines were so short.

One other thing, if you are there at when the holiday decorations are up and it rains, it is gorgeous! The lights all reflect off of the water on the ground and make it even than much more beautiful.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[greenkai3000]

Are all of the attractions open on rainy days? Even outdoor ones like California Screamin' , Dumbo and the Jungle Cruiese?

 

[kryptonian99]

We typically just bring an umbrella and poncho. But if the forecast does show a chance of rain when we are going to be there, then I'll pack some waterproof shoes. If you're feet are dry an umbrella will pretty much take care of the rest.
I think the most important thing is to have the right attitude about a rain day. If you have a positive attitude it could be the best day at disneyland.
When we went in march it absolutely poured one day. By late afternoon it felt like we had the entire place to ourself. I've never had the experience of looking down main street and having a clear shot all the way to the castle, not a single person in sight. It was amazing, and the best day I've ever had at any Disney park. And I didn't even have on waterproof shoes that day. Sure we got back to the room with soggy socks, but it was totally worth it.
Now I pray for rain days when I go.

 

[DisMike]

Actually the absolute BEST is what happened the first time I ever went to Disneyland. If this ever happens, you are one lucky bug!

I was living in NJ and it was my first visit to California. I was there for my grandparent's 50 anniversary. We decided that we'd all go to Disneyland that Friday.

Well, it had been pouring all week long. Floods, mud slides, the whole nine yards. We woke up on Friday morning and the same pattern was beginning. There were heavy clouds with a big threat of rain.

Friday was the only day we had to go to DL so we were going come (you know what) or high water.

The place was almost completely empty when we got there. It turned out that it never did rain. Just threatened all day long and with the way the weather was during the week, no locals were biting. Also it was in January to it was a normally light day anyway.

The only bad part was that it was 1979. No pay to enter and ride whatever whenever. They had the old A,B,C,D,E tickets. I could've ridden any ride all day long without ever having to get off if it were priced like it is now where you pay to enter only. The good part though was the ticket books were only $16.

 

[heather_sue_98]

We went on October 4th, 5th, and 6th. The 4th it rained a bit off and on for about four hours. The 5th it RAINED (not just rained) from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Like previous posters have said, rain clears out the park. It was just DD5 and I, and we ended up doing lots of things that we usually overlook. This was her sixth trip to the parks, and it was her first time riding the Disneyland Railroad, first time on Star Tours, first time to Minnie and Friends, plus we rode Little Mermaid about eight times, and had no wait in the middle of the afternoon for Soarin'. It was great. I'd take another couple days of rain any day.

The best part was, when the rain stopped at 5:00, even a lot of the people who had toughed it out had gone home by then, and many of the outside rides and attractions ended up opening back up. PPF was scheduled to close at 6:00, and I think a lot of people wrote it off for the day. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, and they gave all six of the princesses one more round of 20 minutes each, having two out at a time. The line was pretty much non-existent, and we did Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana, Ariel, Belle, and Tiana in a matter of about 45 minutes! Talk about Pixie Dust!

Tips?

Check the weather before you leave. I didn't do this for this trip, mostly because we were in Vegas for the week before, and because having not had it rain on us ever before, I didn't really even think to.

If it does rain, still go!

If you buy a poncho, spring for the Disney one. They're lots nicer and thicker.

You may be able to avoid buying new shoes using this trick a CM told me about: Ask one of the stores for two plastic shopping bags. Wear one pair of socks, then put the plastic bag over the socks, then layer another pair of socks, and then your shoes. This worked really well for DD on the first day.

On rainy days, characters hang out in the Animation Building in DCA. We saw Goofy, Donald, and Chip and Dale (together) with about five minute waits. We also saw Minnie and Stitch on their way out as we arrived, so I know they were there, but not what their wait times were like.

I was glad I had the Minnie and Friends Breakfast scheduled on the day it ended up being so rainy. We got lots of characters on a day when we wouldn't have had so many because of the rain. So if you think it will rain and like to do the characters, maybe schedule a character meal.

When it's raining, I think it's even more important to go with the flow of your kids. I kept asking DD5 if she wanted to go back to the room, or rest, or sit down, etc. For her, a mid day mini-break in front of the fire at GCH was enough, but if she would have needed to go back to the hotel, that would have been fine too. I can't help it if she's a die-hard just like me, right?

I'd take rain any day at Disneyland. It made it much less stressful to decide what to do when the decision was already narrowed down by what was available and open. It really was the icing on the cake for an already special surprise trip with my little girl!

 

[Eeee-va]

If it's forecast to rain one day during your trip, I wouldn't worry if you have semi-waterproof shoes (but bring an extra pair of socks, at least). If it's forecast to rain maybe 3 days, it would be worth looking into actual waterproof shoes, IMO. That's pretty much the ONLY thing I didn't enjoy about Disneyland in the rain was the wet feet! Shows probably won't run if it's raining hard, and parades probably won't run if it's raining much at all (I'd read here that they'd run unless it was raining HARD but that didn't turn out to be the case.) Be careful not to slip!

The hilarious thing about the rain was that there was a line to get into Innoventions!

If I had it to do again, I would be sure to do whatever ride I felt like as many times as I wanted. I think it would've been fun to do Space Mountain like 6 times, even if it's quite a walk to get through the queue. (And that queue gets SLIPPERY by the way; we saw someone fall though her family was there and she seemed to get up fine.) By the evening, TSMM was basically a walk-on...I wish we would've done it more, even though it's not my favorite, just because we could.

You may be able to avoid buying new shoes using this trick a CM told me about: Ask one of the stores for two plastic shopping bags. Wear one pair of socks, then put the plastic bag over the socks, then layer another pair of socks, and then your shoes. This worked really well for DD on the first day.

HA! I put plastic grocery bags over my socks but never mentioned it here because I thought everyone would think I was crazy.

 

[cyclenut]

I don't know if there is much more I can add to the above except to say that most of the rain we get here in SoCal is not that heavy or that long. We do have a few days a year where it sometimes happens but we can also go a couple of years without any real heavy rains.

Point being, the chances of getting slammed by heavy rains (the kind that flood main street) are not very large. Yes, it CAN and it HAS happened, but it really isn't that frequent. We did have some very heavy rains for a couple of days (and one day in particular) last year a few days before Christmas but it was only that one day all year that was really bad.

Planning is definately important but I would not go overboard on purchasing special gear. You can find inexpensive non-cotton gear at Khols or if you can find a columbia sportswear outlet, look for sales there too.

I won't wear denim when it is raining. Bad idea. I also try to avoid cotton sox. Those are good things for spending long days in the park anyway so worth purchasing, as long as you are not going to spend a lot more than you otherwise would on clothes and you'll wear them at other times as well.

Ponchos are great and you can usually pick up some "emergency" ponchos that you can carry in a backpack if there is just a threat of rain. I also agree that the seats on rides do get wet so you'll want something long enough to sit on. I also suggest a hood or waterproof hat over an umbrella simply because it keeps your hands free.

As for places to go in Disneyland when it is raining, I totally agree that most all seating is outside and virtually unsheltered. There just are not many places to go and "get dry".

Locals (like me) do stay away. We can come any time and there is really no reason to brave the rains.

Some rides do close in heavy rains but most stay open. The island closes. Canoes close. Autopia closes. Not sure what else off the top of my head. I imagine there is a thread here somewhere that lists rides that are typically closed when it rains.

Just for an interesting reference, Knott's Berry Farm will typically close the entire park when ther eare moderate to heavy rains occuring. DLR drainage is much better than KBF.

 

[michray]

We were there on Oct 5th too. Poured the whole day except the last few hours. We walked on to most rides. I was talking to one of the guys working at our hotel and he said he waits till it rains and then goes to Disney just because of the no lines. My kids did great and were little troopers!