Poncho or Raincoat or ?

[lucyem]

Looking at 5 days of rain after our WDW arrival. Never had that predicted before. We have been so lucky in the past that I am not complaining. And we all know weather reports change daily But I do want to be ready just in case.

1. Buy a poncho ahead of time. I have no experience with them except the $1 store version which was less useful then a garbage bag. The hood is pointless and kept blowing off. I have seen more expensive ones at stores but have no idea if they would be useful or not.

2. Mickey poncho in the park. Worth it? I know my mom bought one and used it for years at home when she had recess duty as a teacher. Can't you have them replaced for free during your trip if they rip?

3. Just bring my standard light raincoat and a baseball cap. We have done this in the past and it works. Though I always end up sitting in a puddle and wondering if perhaps a poncho would be better to help prevent this.

We do not carry a lot of stuff to the parks so its not like we need a poncho to help cover a backpack. Just want to keep sort of dry and the rain out of the face.

Thanks!

 

[ghtx]

I vote you give the cheap $1 poncho another chance. It's cheap because it's just a piece of plastic. But guess what? It keeps you dry I've never had a problem with hoods blowing off. They're what keeps your head dry.

 

[dvcHammer]

you can get a better cheap poncho at Target or Walmart in the sporting goods section. Good for more than one use, but cheap enough to toss when you are done with it.
If I'm done with it after a ride like Kali River Rapids, I will give it away to someone else in line waiting to get on

The Mickey ones are expensive, but make a good souvenir. I just hate carrying them around when the rain stops.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

During a Florida shower, a poncho keeps you a lot dryer than a raincoat... especially when it starts coming down sideways. On our last trip, during a downpour, my sister and I were wearing Disney ponchos, mother was wearing a raincoat, and father was holding an umbrella. My dad got completely drenched. My mother's lower half was entirely wet. And my sister and I were almost completely dry.

The cheap ones that you can buy for a dollar are really disposable... the quality of a trashbag. If you plan on going that route, you might want to buy a couple, especially for a long trip, because after a few uses, they rip and tear and really aren't worth saving.

I've actually had good experience with the Disney ponchos. Of all my years at Disney, the first time I purchased a poncho was this past summer because I was out of luck with no raincoat. However, I was very glad I did because it kept me ridiculously dry. I started out with the standard clear poncho with WDW design on it, which has a drawstring hood so you can adjust and secure it around your face... I believe that cost $8. I then "upgraded" to Mickey/Minnie ponchos which I found at Mouse Gear in Epcot (they are adorable with Mickey Ears on the hood) which come with a storage bag and are just so stinkin' cute - they were $15/each. My dad said it was worth the $30 just to watch my sister and I walk through the park in our Mickey and Minnie ponchos.

 

[MrsDuck]

We like the ponchos because they cover your lower half at least a bit. I'd splurge for the Mickey ones, personally!

 

[phanomouse]

I prefer my rain jacket, though I am talking GoreTex and maybe you aren't. Reason I prefer my jacket, It is BREATHABLE!

Yes a poncho will keep you dry from the water coming down or even from the side, but they hold in all that humidity and you'll get soaked from the inside out.

If you are looking for an inexpensive solution and you don't have a good quality waterproof/breathable jacket then yes you should go for a poncho.

 

[bartleby1]

We always use cheapo ponchos. I love them because they are lightweight and tiny to throw in a bag. If I don't feel like carrying them after they are wet and yucky, they go in the nearest trash can. We even used them when we were at disney for a tropical storm that lasted DAYS, a few years back, and they worked fine (even in torrential downpours!).

Bring a few clothespins or clips of some sort to make the hood tight so it doesn't blow off if the winds are bad.

 

[Zeppelin]

you can get a better cheap poncho at Target or Walmart in the sporting goods section. Good for more than one use, but cheap enough to toss when you are done with it.
If I'm done with it after a ride like Kali River Rapids, I will give it away to someone else in line waiting to get on

The Mickey ones are expensive, but make a good souvenir. I just hate carrying them around when the rain stops.

you can even get cheap WDW ponchos at Walgreens...we bought three prior to our arrival and it turned out to be a very good decision....

hands down if its during a warm weather season a poncho is much better- easier to pack and carry all day...

 

[Lanie]

Depends on the rain... Raincoats are great for a drizzle and to run from 1 place to the next. Mickey ponchos cover you much better when it is raining really hard, but they are not as easy to store or to take on and off.

 

[disnut8]

The hood is pointless and kept blowing off.

Thanks!

Take a medium sized binder clip. Use it right under your chin so the hood stays tighter. The binder clip is also good in the resorts to keep the curtains closed and your room darker. Also good for hanging up wet bathing suits. Many, many uses for a medium sized binder clip on trips.

 

[perdidochas]

Looking at 5 days of rain after our WDW arrival. Never had that predicted before. We have been so lucky in the past that I am not complaining. And we all know weather reports change daily But I do want to be ready just in case.

1. Buy a poncho ahead of time. I have no experience with them except the $1 store version which was less useful then a garbage bag. The hood is pointless and kept blowing off. I have seen more expensive ones at stores but have no idea if they would be useful or not.

2. Mickey poncho in the park. Worth it? I know my mom bought one and used it for years at home when she had recess duty as a teacher. Can't you have them replaced for free during your trip if they rip?

3. Just bring my standard light raincoat and a baseball cap. We have done this in the past and it works. Though I always end up sitting in a puddle and wondering if perhaps a poncho would be better to help prevent this.

We do not carry a lot of stuff to the parks so its not like we need a poncho to help cover a backpack. Just want to keep sort of dry and the rain out of the face.

Thanks!

If it's cool, I choose 3 (raincoat can double as insulation, if you have a breathable one (goretex or it's imitators). If hot, 1 (with a baseball cap).

 

[bartleby1]

Take a medium sized binder clip. Use it right under your chin so the hood stays tighter. The binder clip is also good in the resorts to keep the curtains closed and your room darker. Also good for hanging up wet bathing suits. Many, many uses for a medium sized binder clip on trips.

BINDER CLIP! That's what they're called, LOL! When I was posting above about using a clothespin or clip, I could not for the life of me think of what the clips were called that I was thinking of. I sat here staring at one for a while trying to think of what to call it, LOL! Thank you so much for posting. That was driving me crazy!

 

[somesong2sing]

I am going to be there this weekend and all next week too.

I just went to walmart yesterday and in the department where there are backpacks, purses, belts, umbrellas, etc. there are ponchos that are in a mesh like bag. The adult ones are 4.98 adn the kid ones are 3.48. There are several colors. Navy Blue, Pink, White, and Yellow.

These ones have hoods and snaps down the chest area which makes it a lot tighter. They dollar ones were too cheap in the wind and ripped. THese however fold up nicely, but they dont fit back inthe small mesh bag easily.

I opened one of each size and I fit into the kids size! I am 5'4" and 138 pound female. The adult ones were huge and I was swimming in them! My other half is 250 and 6 feet tall. Very muscular, so the snaps on the sides where your arms go were really handy!!

My daughter just has a plain rain coat, but its small since she is only 5.

We don't carry much either but a back pack. even folded up, the Ponchos fit great! THey are a lot more durable than the Mickey ponchos are to be able to reuse them is great!!

Good Luck!

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

We like the ponchos because they cover your lower half at least a bit. I'd splurge for the Mickey ones, personally!

I agree with splurging on the Mickey ponchos if you can. We tried the cheap dollar store ponchos and they didn't work for us. Even though we bought a bunch of them with the intent to just throw them out after one use, they didn't really keep us dry in the first place and it was very frustrating trying to use them during the August afternoon downpours we experienced while on our trip. We ended up buying the $8 Mickey ponchos in the Test Track gift shop at Epcot and I think they were definitely worth the investment; and we plan to reuse them on our next trip. I've heard many people say that they've had their same Mickey ponchos for years