Rain in August?

[Disney2014FamilyTrip]

Wife & I and the kids are going to Disney the first week in August. First time going this late. Usually have gone in May and once in June.
We know there is always a good chance of rain in the middle of the day, so we are trying to decide on what to have when it rains. (in hot August!)
How do others feel about: A) Poncho's, B) Raincoats, C) Umbrellas
Thanks

 

[richmo]

Lightweight raincoat.

And I generally try to leave it in the car unless I'm pretty sure its going to rain. (A smartphone with radar is nice to have too)

 

[Mama Steph]

When we went in late August a few years ago, it rained every single day. We found ponchos to work the best for us. Lightweight and easy to shake dry and toss in a bag afterwards. We would take them out and hang to dry completely when we got back to our resort.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[disnut8]

Wife & I and the kids are going to Disney the first week in August. First time going this late. Usually have gone in May and once in June.
We know there is always a good chance of rain in the middle of the day, so we are trying to decide on what to have when it rains. (in hot August!)
How do others feel about: A) Poncho's, B) Raincoats, C) Umbrellas
Thanks

We do ponchos - the old Disney yellow ones that are great but not available anymore. We also have the lighter and cheaper ponchos you can get a the dollar store or Wal Mart and they are fine. I'm not a big fan of "get those cheap ponchos and then just throw away since since are still our from 2005 and still good. And ponchos can be washed in the delicate cycle and used for a long time.

Umbrellas? My in-laws LOVE umbrellas and carry them everywhere. We've found dealing with open umbrellas in crowded areas not to be great. My personal opinion, but having an umbrella protects the user but not others around them. Since it's over and usually behind you, there's no way to see what it's doing to others. Kind of like the coolers on wheels.

 

[aretha30]

We go in August just about every year, this year we will be there 8/4-8/12. We take ponchos from Wal-Mart. The .99 cent ones you find in the camping section. We bring extras in-case one gets ripped and can't be used again. They are light weight and take up very little space in the bag we carry in the parks. We dry them out when we get back to our room for the night and repack them for use the next day since it's just about guaranteed to rain everyday.
Another tip, we wear our sneakers in the AM and our sandals in the afternoons (we take a break each day for a few hours at the resort) because they will dry quicker. There is really no way to keep your feet dry in a FL storm!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We went the first week of August last year. It rained most afternoons, sometimes for just a few minutes where we could duck under cover and wait it out. Other times it was much longer. We used inexpensive ponchos and just tossed them when the rain stopped. They were small enough that I could carry one for everyone. And they're cheap enough ($1.50 each at Walmart) that I didn't feel bad tossing them.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

We hate ponchos of all kinds. They just make you sweat so then you are soaked anyway! We just keep going. Maybe carry a trash bag or something waterproof to stash our phones, etc if we get caught in a downpour, but other than that we just get wet.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We went in August several times and it rained every single day like PP said. We use ponchos - and bring extra sets as well. The rain didn't stop us at all - it was never that long.

 

[tajz90]

We use raincoats and umbrellas. The umbrellas are used for walking in less crowded areas of course to and from transportation, to from rides etc. and only in downpours. Rain is a good time to get things in. People generally clear out!

 

[KCSherri]

I hate wearing ponchos, but I was there a few weeks ago when the skies opened every day and ALL day…it was raining cats and dogs, and even small children, I think…it was WET.

People carrying umbrellas presented challenges…especially if they would suddenly stop as you were behind them. I just about lost an eyeball several times because of these sudden, unplanned stops with no warning.

Although ponchos are a pain (and can make you hot), they were very easy to fold up and throw in a cinch sack (or back pack) each morning. I'd dry them out in the hotel room each evening.

As another poster upthread said, be sure to have waterproof shoes if you can. The puddles were ankle deep in places, so I wore my Tiva's or Keen's on days that I knew would be a washout.

 

[dawnhaze]

Since being hit in the face by someone's umbrella while leaving a Fantasmic showing and having my glasses so severely scratched that I had to replace the lens, I'm not a fan of umbrellas at WDW.

I personally stick with ponchos. Easier to tote around than a raincoat, at least for me. I have one of Disney's and it has survived four trips in two years, so that works for me.

 

[KCSherri]

Since being hit in the face by someone's umbrella while leaving a Fantasmic showing and having my glasses so severely scratched that I had to replace the lens, I'm not a fan of umbrellas at WDW.

That's EXACTLY what I was saying!!! I didn't have glasses on - and I could have lost an eye! I think they can be very dangerous in some of the more crowded areas of the park….

 

[Storm98]

Our family doesn't use ponchos either we just keep going . The one thing we hate is wet running shoes so we pack flip flops or sandels so when it starts to rain we put our shoes ans socs in plastic bags in our nap sacks put our sandels on for that short period of time then when it stops raining we have dry shoes to put back on. Works for us.

 

[darkwing818]

One word... Ponchos

 

[heidijanesmith]

Wife & I and the kids are going to Disney the first week in August. First time going this late. Usually have gone in May and once in June.
We know there is always a good chance of rain in the middle of the day, so we are trying to decide on what to have when it rains. (in hot August!)
How do others feel about: A) Poncho's, B) Raincoats, C) Umbrellas
Thanks

When we went 1st week of August it seemed to rain everyday around 4-5PM. We were usually in our room for our daily break at that time, so it worked out perfect. When we were caught in the rain, I like a poncho. Easy to fold up and hands free.

 

[Aurora0427]

Ponchos for sure. Although August can be a weird month. We went in early August 2007 for ten days, and I don't think it rained once. But we went in late August in 2012, and it rained after 3pm everyday. I read on www.easywdw.com that September is one of the rainiest months, so maybe early August won't be as bad!

 

[North of Mouse]

Umbrellas? My in-laws LOVE umbrellas and carry them everywhere. We've found dealing with open umbrellas in crowded areas not to be great. My personal opinion, but having an umbrella protects the user but not others around them. Since it's over and usually behind you, there's no way to see what it's doing to others. Kind of like the coolers on wheels.

LOL, guess this is a matter of who is on the receiving end of inconsiderate people more than what you are using.

We love umbrellas (tiny fold ups easy to carry). BUT, we are 'very' conscious of what/who is around us and don't go out in 'driving' rain - we'd rather wait.
We have been soaked by people in ponchos that could care less if they brush up against you in the parks, also inside when they decide to leave them on. Have been very dry on a bus, and families get on, leave their ponchos on, and sit beside you - yuck!

So, IMO, it's not what you use to keep yourself dry, it's how considerate you are around others.

Personally, we can't stand the humid feeling of being inside a poncho (tried them), but I think it's whatever makes people the most comfortable and happy.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I use an umbrella as my glasses get 3 drops on them and I can not see where I am going. I am the one who has been pushed by poncho wearers to the point of almost falling and being told to find a place to get out of their way. so it goes both ways, and best to leave enough room to be able to stop even in a crowd

 

[jennc27]

Our first trip we went in Aug and we were lucky because we only had 1 day of rain out of 8. However, before we left I bought some ponchos at the dollar store. I think it was two to a pack. Since we had a stroller I also bought a rain cover that come in handy the day it rained. The advice I had received on here was when it rains go to the parks. The day that it rained we were eating dinner at ASMovies and by the time we arrived at MK it had stopped. The park was empty. We had some photos taken and there was hardly anyone in them! Asked about fireworks and parade and was told that they would happen on time. We walked onto most of the rides and then was able to find some great viewing spots near the gate. When the fireworks was over we were one of the first out the gate and on the bus!

 

[Aliceacc]

We're going the end of July/1st week of August.

I have 3 disposable ponchos for each member of my family. I got them at Target for $1.49 each.

Some years we need them, some years we don't. But when a storm does pop up, it's incredibly easy to pull out your poncho and keep touring.

If one of your kids is still in a stroller, don't forget a poncho or two for the stroller!!! A bright color will help you find yours in the sea of strollers.