rain ponchos

[michelle1]

as this is our first time in rainy season should i bring heavier rain ponchos..1 for each of us to use the whole 10 days or the less expensive disposable ones? From what I've read here alot of people toss them after each use...does that mean i need to bring enough for the whole trip?!

 

[OhioTony]

We were there for Hurricane Jeanne last year but to be honest it only rained that day. Our plan was--
we brought about 20 disposable ones in the double pack fron the dollar store(10 packs). The day of the hurricane the parks were closed but when the biggest part had passed we could walk around the resort, so we all put on our ponchos and did .
We were afraid it would be bad weather the whole time and thought we did't bring enough ponchos.So we took those off when we got back to the resort and hung them in the shower to reuse the next day but never needed them again.
I guess to make a short story long you can reuse the disposable ponchos until you feel like throwing them away .The still take up less room and if the day clears up and you no longer need them ,toss them and you won't have to carry them.
The less things to carry , the better.

 

[stacy6552]

On our August 10 day trip, I think we had maybe 3 or 4 cheapies each and I ended up returning a few. I think they are the way to go because of size and convenience. Toting the bigger ones around, especially after you have used them. If you have the patience and inclunation to be really thrifty, I could refold the cheapie ones into ziplock sandwich bags. If you over buy, you can always return the extras. I also buy them in the same color, so our group is easier to keep track of.

Another thing to think of for the rain, is a stroller cover. Cover the stroller everytime you leave it unattended. We went on Buzz Lightyear our first rip and didnt head this warning and sure enough came off to find the stroller soaked.

 

[missypie]

The cheapie ones are like wearing a dry cleaner bag. They're fine for wet rides, but not for walking around the park all day. We brought 2 each of the cheapie/disposable ones, then each of us had a heavier poncho that we bought at Walmart.

Before you automatically go the poncho route, think about what you and your family like to wear in the rain. I would have personally preferred a lightweight waterproof jacket and a ball cap (I hate hoods), but I didn't give it much thought because I was sure we wouldn't have much rain. It ended up raining all or a good part of the day for 6 of the 10 days we were there.

Also, make sure everyone has at least 2 pairs of shoes.

 

[jjan]

We did both for June... bought 10+ disposable ponchos and packed one everyday for the quick thunderstorm that we might have encounted. We then also bought the heavier ponchos at Wal-Mart that we would have only brought into the park if the weather stated rain for most of the day (never needed them). We plan on doing the same in August. It worked really well for us.

 

[michelle1]

thanks everyone!!! we are going August 26-sept 5...I'm expecting ++ rain so any day it doesn't will be a bonus!

 

[amw]

Michelle,

I see you're from Toronto, so I'll be locale-specific When we went last, I purchased kids' ponchos at Dollarama. They were the kind that buttoned down the front. They were so durable that my DD3 used it the entire trip, and I still brought it home. My younger daughter has used it this year when walking to school in the rain. It's still holding up strong two years later! On the other hand, the clear adult over-the-head ponchos from Dollarama tore right away, and I only ended up using it to cover the stroller.

Thus, we carry two Mickey adult ponchos with us in a backpack (that we were forced to buy in a storm), and two of the dollarama kids' ones - and we're good for the whole trip.

I've also seen the button-up kids' ones at Wal-mart for 93 cents - I'm not sure how they compare.

 

[jrjac]

Considering the Florida heat & humidity, aren't the heavier ponchos too heavy?

 

[amw]

Considering the Florida heat & humidity, aren't the heavier ponchos too heavy?

We went in November 2003, so it probably wasn't as humid... but it certainly was wet! It rained five of the seven days - and heavy too. They really kept us dry and fit over backpacks. I do prefer the lighter ones for my kids though - at 3 and 5, I thought they might be tripping over the child-size one, and they have better mobility in the "disposable" ones.

I should add that I've also used the Disney "heavy" ponchos in the off-season to line the sidewalks during Christmas parades in Toronto. Good way to keep our bums dry

 

[rstyocom]

I looked at our Walmart & Dollar Store. I just find the ones that are 1 size fits all and its way too big for a 3 year old.

Do they make the disposable ones for kids? Where can I find?
Thanks!

 

[dizkidz2]

We went in June a couple of years ago, it was very hot & humid, and it rained every day almost all day. We would use them for a day or two, then throw them out. They would begin to smell after awhile. They were the $1 ones from Walmart or Target. They were easy to refold and stick in the little pouch or ziplock baggie.
The heavy ones would be to hot, but probably more durable.

 

[jjan]

I looked at our Walmart & Dollar Store. I just find the ones that are 1 size fits all and its way too big for a 3 year old.

Do they make the disposable ones for kids? Where can I find?
Thanks!

As far as disposable ones... most people that I have seen just put knots in the bottom corners of the ponchos and 'hem' them up that way.

 

[amw]

They do make kid sizes -- my DD3 can where it with 6 inches to spare (probably to small for a 8-10 year old, but they could probably fit the adult). I found them at Wal-mart Canada in the girls' dept. where they sell umbrellas. They are orange with snap-style buttons down the front. Thicker than the dry-cleaner type disposable, but still fit in a photo-size baggie. They probably also had them in the women's handbag dept. where the adult umbrellas are, but I would check the kids dept. first. Also, I only saw them during Spring/Summer season so I would go soon before the Fall stuff comes out

 

[HolliePoppins]

as this is our first time in rainy season should i bring heavier rain ponchos..1 for each of us to use the whole 10 days or the less expensive disposable ones? From what I've read here alot of people toss them after each use...does that mean i need to bring enough for the whole trip?!

Just go to the camping section at your local wal-mart. They are only 88 cents and they worked fine. Thats cheap enough to buy 1 for each day. We only brought 2 each for our 8 day trip but only had to use them 1 day.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I would go with the disposable ones. We were at Disney the 18th - 25th of June and it rained most days, but were inside or back at the room when it happened most of the time. We had brought the ones that we had bought at Disney back in 03 but they were for only if we ran out of the cheapies. On a side note my twelve year old sun was at Scout Camp and used one of the disposable ponchos for all of the rain from Hurricane Dennis, at it did just fine even in the woods.

 

[sherry66]

We use the disposable ones. I pick a few up at the dollar store occasionally,then when we go to WDW I have tons. We travel in Feb so we don't get alot of rain .They are great for the water rides. I just tied a knot in the one for DS then 6. If we use them all then I have more room to bring things home.

 

[michelle1]

: Majority rules...disposable seems the way to go...thanks everyone!