Help Please with Ponchos!!

[Lizzytish]

We now have 3 WDW and 3 US/IOA ponchos. Yes, each a.m., "no, it won't rain, let's leave the ponchos here". Well, of course, last year at all parks, it always poured! When at US/IOA, left the WDW ponchos in room and of course - RAIN. Bought 3 more at US/IOA. Now my question --

I was hoping to only wear my fanny pack (Mickey of course!) but I can't for the life of me fold the darn things small enough to fit only 1 in my fanny pack. DS and nephew will have fanny packs so I will be stuck with mine and DH's (DH won't wear a fanny pack). I've folded, twisted, used rubber bands - so I figured I would ask my fellow imaginative, intelligent and dear friends what to do!!

Help please !! Many thanks as always.

 

[slp87]

I buy the cheap ones from Target for $.99 each. They come in a very small package. When we're through I throw them away and start fresh. I hate attempting to get them back into the bag. The one problem I can see is if it rains off and on and you're needing to put the poncho off and on. We go in March when there isn't much rain so that's the best advice I've got. Hope it helps.

 

[dbail2]

I also buy the cheap ones from Bobos stores for $1.00. They are light and small. We hang on to them for as long as possible till they tear.

 

[WDWAurora]

Another vote for cheapos here! Mine were $0.89 at Wal-Mart. They're so much lighter....when you use them multiple times in one day, just loop them through the fanny pack, as you never really have to put them totally up...I buy about 12 or so of these before a trip and save the leftovers for football games, etc!

 

[Eljay]

The clear plastic cheapie ponchos roll down really tiny & fit into a sandwich size Ziplock bag. We give them a good shake & roll them up between showers, then we hang them on a hanger back in the room to dry overnight. The darn things are indistructable! Sometimes you can even find them 2 to a pack at the dollar store! We use them on the Kali River Ride at AK too.

 

[EEyorelover22]

We also had the cheapo ones too from Target, but the rain this year was pretty bad. We had those on and sitting waiting for Fantasmic in the pouring rain was not fun until I bought the Mickey ones. I was worried about the camera. My camera starting acting up when we were there and I think it was the mositure from the rain.

We then took the Mickey ones since our cheapo ones were trashed from wearing them everyday while we were there and put them in the smallest Disney bag from the stores there and ran our fanny pack strap through the bag handles. If you sit on the bag after you fold the poncho up, it does get relatively small.

My DH was able to even get the cheapo ones back in those little bags by folding them, putting them in the bag and then he sat on them and they went down almost to the original size.

If it rains like it did when we were there, you'll need the Mickey ponchos.

 

[Lizzytish]

I do have a few of the $1 cheapie ponchos but after investing about $6 a piece times 6, I don't want the $36 plus wasted. I love all the ideas especially looping the fanny pack through a Disney bag. I still have some here - I'll defintely give that a try. Thanks again for everyone's tips.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I start by opening them the same way you would wear them. Then I fold them into little tiny accordion (sp) pleats. Then I fold it up really really small. The trick is to push the air out of the poncho with each pleat and each fold. I can carry two in my fanny pack.

 

[dawgsgirl]

Do the cheap ponchos come in child sizes too? Thanks for the help!!

 

[Eljay]

Originally posted by Lizzytish
I do have a few of the $1 cheapie ponchos but after investing about $6 a piece times 6, I don't want the $36 plus wasted. I love all the ideas especially looping the fanny pack through a Disney bag. I still have some here - I'll defintely give that a try. Thanks again for everyone's tips.

Actually, I gave up on a fanny pack a while ago. There just isn't enough room. A small back pack will hold the heavier ponchos & the rest of your stuff still hands free.

 

[momof2sons]

Dawgsgirl


I haven't seen any of the cheap pounchos in kids size. Last year we bought ds who was 4 one at disney just for that reason. If it rips just take it to any store while you are there and they replace it for free. They are pretty tuff though and we had no problems with his.
It fit better that the cheap adult size that we rubberband up.

 

[dawgsgirl]

momof2sons

Thanks!! We will be going to WDW for the first time in Sept. and I am trying to get all this straight. I'm sure my neice will like the Disney poncho better anyway!

 

[momof2sons]

dawgsgirl

You are welcome. They have a Mickey on the back and are yellow. A lot of people have them on when it rains. So be watchful of her in the sea of yellow mickey. You wouldn't want to loose her.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[Mic]

I agree with Gail Hayden on pushing the air out of the Mickey ponchos as you fold them. We had to buy 6 of the Mickey ponchos a few years ago after I forgot to pack the cheapies in everyone's fanny pack. I am just too cheap to throw something like that away, so when we got back to the room, I laid the ponchos across the table and dried them with a towel. I then folded each one up, pushing the air out with each fold, and put them in a sandwich-size ziploc baggie(never leave home without theses!). I am pretty proud of myself...we have used these on several occassions since.

 

[JESW]

We just got back (6/25 - 23) and with all the rain we had we were wearing the ponchos most of the time! I would love to be able to use a fanny pack, but with the 4 of us (me, DH, DD4 & DS8) I still have to carry a back pack. (I bought a light green one from Coulmbia right before the last trip - very light weight and easy to carry)

Good luck with your ponchos!

Jill

p.s. This last trip DH ended up buying one of the $10 Mickey umbrellas because he got so sick of the way the poncho felt. WIth the heat, humidity AND rain, it felt like we were walking around in a hot house.

 

[elemusing]

I have bought child sized Mickey ponchos at MGM; unless they quick making them, they do have them.

 

[Memph1s]

BUT if you want to use the ones from the parks. What I do is fold them the way truckers do tarps. Start by having it flat and fold each side to the center and then fold over. Then do the same thing again in the other direction smoothing out the air as you go. I can get them down where they fit into a quart ziploc bag. Have someone sit on it and then zip the bag up and you will have a nice flat bag that will fit in a fanny pack. If we have to open them in the park we will just fold them over a couple of times and tuck them under the fanny pack belt for the rest of the day and then repackage when you get a chance.

 

[jjarman]

I vote for the Disney ponchos. They are pretty durable and are replaceable at the gift shops. I didn't know this until after we had returned and wish I had known that. They do have the child's size but don't try to skimp and buy one for you unless you are indeed child size. They will not cover your legs. The adult size is only a dollar more I believe.

I know everyone in the parks will have the yellow ponchos with Mickey on them but that is really half the fun. Some people mark theirs so they can pick each other out in a crowd. Once at Epcot WS, DS 11 got turned around coming out of the bathrooms in a rain storm. I was looking for him and not panicked or anything since he was 11 after all. Many kind people asked what he was wearing and I laughed and said well, he has on a yellow poncho with Mickey on the back. Everyone just laughed.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

I always rolled my yellow Disney poncho to about the size and shape of a cardboard toilet paper roll. Then I really secure it with rubber bands. I take off my fanny pack, and thread the strap into the middle of the poncho roll. Then I put my fanny pack back on, and my poncho is very secure on my strap all day.
Not really a problem.