Favorite shoes and accessories for rain in the parks?

[ExcitedMama]

I promise I'm not mad about the forecast and I live in CA so I know how much we need rain! But I do want to be prepared. On our trip last year I found out how much walking a day at DL entails, and last year we were at DLH and this year HOJOs which must be further, so I was planning on good running shoes and socks. But if it rains I know my feet will be soaked so what kind of shoes would you bring for rain that are comfy? The kids have rubber rain boots and I think DH has waterproof boots but I need to find something for me.

I've seen a lot of posts about bringing ponchos but I've never seen in any in the stores here, probably because it never rains! If we buy the (probably overpriced) park ones will they last a couple of days? Anything else we should bring to be more comfortable in rain?

 

[tinkmt]

We were there last year and it rained one full day. I wore sandles so no help there but do bring a baseball cap for under your poncho (which we bought at the Target close to the park). It helps to keep the rain out of your face!

 

[crystal1313]

I've got 3 ponchos from the parks. They are thicker then the ones I've seen elsewhere and have held up well through the years.

I live in the east bay and found cute rain boots at Burlington Coat Factory for $20. They are comfortable. Not as comfortable as my Clarks. But they work. I can't stand having wet feet!

 

[tlovesdis]

They sell ponchos at the $ store!

 

[Butterfly123]

You might look for some shoe inserts with some arch support and cushion for your rain boots if you get some. That's what I've done in the past and it makes the boots much more comfortable.

 

[Nonsuch]

...I was planning on good running shoes and socks. But if it rains I know my feet will be soaked so what kind of shoes would you bring for rain that are comfy?

I like hiking boots treated with water repellant and waterproof socks -- these are made of material similar to wet suits (stormsocks is the brand I have used).
Instead of a poncho, try rain pants and a thin rain jacket. A wide brim hat, think Indiana Jones

 

[pumpkin5156]

I just bought ponchos for our family at Walmart. I live in San Diego. They were in the accessories department by the umbrellas and purses, etc. they had children's and adults sizes in various colors. For shoes I would say get rain boots or some type of boots, as wet feet are miserable, even if they are comfy tennis shoes or trainers.

Walmart even had small umbrellas that compact very small.

 

[Congo Queen]

One suggestion not to wear is jeans. Even under a poncho your legs get wet and jeans just hold onto that water and get heavy and cold and never dry. Instead wear synthetic blend hiking pants or exercise pants that wick moisture away from your skin and help it evaporate quickly.

 

[jetskigrl]

I have found both inexpensive and higher quality of rain ponchos at Target (near the sporting goods section). I like to stock up on the super cheap ones and then throw them away when the rain stops. Then if it starts up again, pull out a new poncho. That way we aren't carrying around wet ponchos.

For shoes, I bought waterproof hiking boots for our Alaska cruise and they worked perfectly for our hike to Mendenhall Glacier in the rain. I was able to walk through puddles even without my feet getting wet. I will definitely be using those the next time we head to DL in the rain.

If you don't have fully waterproof shoes, make sure you have extra pairs of regular shoes that you can swap out when the rain stops.

 

[GatorChris]

First of all, HoJo isn't that much further to the Esplanade than DLH. It just seems that way because it's all street and buses instead of the very distracting Downtown Disney. Our walks to and from HoJo on the last trip weren't even close to bad.

Ponchos have been mentioned, as have baseball hats. Agree with that. For shoes, I've used New Balance Training for when it rains. I use my runners on all other days for the extreme cushioning and breathability. But the Training shoes have complete synthetic uppers which repels water. I still wear a very worn out pair for yard work, and I can step in puddles without feeling the moisture. And those are old! The new ones I have are like ponchos for feet. I'd try those for the rainy day - plus they're still very comfortable to walk in. Especially compared to hiking boots.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

I promise I'm not mad about the forecast and I live in CA so I know how much we need rain! But I do want to be prepared. On our trip last year I found out how much walking a day at DL entails, and last year we were at DLH and this year HOJOs which must be further, so I was planning on good running shoes and socks. But if it rains I know my feet will be soaked so what kind of shoes would you bring for rain that are comfy? The kids have rubber rain boots and I think DH has waterproof boots but I need to find something for me.

I've seen a lot of posts about bringing ponchos but I've never seen in any in the stores here, probably because it never rains! If we buy the (probably overpriced) park ones will they last a couple of days? Anything else we should bring to be more comfortable in rain?

Look for ponchos at the Dollar Tree. They sell better quality ponchos in DL. I wear flip flops to DL unless it's going to be under 40 degrees (so, always.) They dry out faster than regular shoes after the rain. Only once of the twenty or so days we've been at DL while it was raining did it actually pour down for more than a couple of minutes. It's usually light and intermittent. Not worth schlepping around in waterproof shoes to me. Also, DL in our experience magically pushes the rain ahead a day or two beyond the forecast, and often times predicted rain simply does not happen during operating hours. It's kind of freaky, actually.

 

[ButterflyKisses77]

I wear flip flops to DL unless it's going to be under 40 degrees (so, always.) They dry out faster than regular shoes after the rain. Only once of the twenty or so days we've been at DL while it was raining did it actually pour down for more than a couple of minutes. It's usually light and intermittent. Not worth schlepping around in waterproof shoes to me. Also, DL in our experience magically pushes the rain ahead a day or two beyond the forecast, and often times predicted rain simply does not happen during operating hours. It's kind of freaky, actually.

I second this! Me too - flip flops all the way

 

[lilsassymom]

I second this! Me too - flip flops all the way

So there are no ride restrictions with flip flops? The reason I ask this is because our smallish amusement park here in Utah won't let you ride certain rides if you are wearing sandals/flip flops...

 

[krispin41]

So there are no ride restrictions with flip flops? The reason I ask this is because our smallish amusement park here in Utah won't let you ride certain rides if you are wearing sandals/flip flops...

Nope, although I do remember taking my flip-flops off on Soarin'