Rain theme park strategy - Do we switch park days and lose fast pass selections?

[kam0202]

WANTED: Theme park experts when FL weather is expecting thunderstorms! Do we stick to our original theme park designated day with fast passes, or switch days to less chance of rain and lose our fastpasses and just get new fastpasses for less than ideal rides/times?

 

[kam0202]

Also, are most outdoor rides (test track, thunder mountain, splash mountain) closed during downpours and including the monorail?

 

[MainMom]

I'm not an expert in rain strategy. However, we are arriving tomorrow and plan to just play it by ear. I don't want to change anything yet. We will take it day by day. If others cancel maybe there will be better FP's for us!

 

[Alesia]

I have never (and will never) changed plans because of rain.

Any forecast for more than a couple of hours out is completely unreliable. Forecasts for less than 2 hours out are moderately unreliable. If you plan a trip to Orlando, you should just plan on getting rained on every day, particularly if it's between April and November.

 

[warrenz1963]

Your signature indicates you've had plenty of experience with Florida weather already. Rain and/or thunderstorms happen mostly every day from late spring to early winter. Many days they do not last very long so it's that big a deal. Like the PP said, weather predictions are unreliable. Just make your plans as best suits you and deal with whatever weather happens when it happens, if it happens. Attractions that are affected by weather don't always shut down for rain, but they will shut down for lightning. And orlando is the lightning capital of America.

 

[2buzzboys]

It's Florida - it can be raining on one side of the street and not the other. So when they say rain, it may not be at Disney. When it does rain it wont last long at all. I say risk it and don't change anything.

 

[ITALIANNYC]

It's not the rain. It's the lightening. I was there last week and it rained for 10 mins but there was thunder and lightening in the area. They closed the major rides at MK. Seven dwarfs. Splash. Jungle cruise. Big thunder mountain.

Were down about an hour then came back on.

Canceled the electric parade at 9 also.

Everything was fine by wishes

 

[MainMom]

If the OP is going this coming week it's looking to be a little more than the typical afternoon rain. However, I still wouldn't change plans now. Make the decision the day or so before your park day.

 

[yulilin3]

Don't change parks but be more flexible. My son's 20th birthday is Monday (he was born 6-6-96 we always joke about that) and his favorite park has always been AK. He gets very few days off work so we planned it all out, including fp for the new Jungle Book show. It looks like an all day rain event now so on Sunday night I will check the forecast and probably change the JB fp for Dinosaur.
We still plan to be there from the afternoon until closing and I'm sure the park will be less busy so we will be able to enjoy it that way. Maybe even go on Kali, it's my least favorite ride there cause you get wet but since we will be already wet, no problem
As Crush would say: just go with the flow...

 

[mocame]

This past trip (a month ago) we had rain on our planned Hollywood Studios day. I thought that this was perfect because a lot of the attractions are indoors. Well, apparently everybody thought that too! Considering the rain, the park was busy. It was not a fun day between the rain and the crowds. Found out later that the other parks were empty due to the rain and the people that braved the rain at the other parks had a great time because the wait times were so low. We also found out that some other days after that, the crowds were lower at Hollywood Studios, so if we would've switched days, it would've been easier to tour that park (nice weather/shorter lines).

So, knowing what we do now, we would've switched park days, canceled our FPs, and tried to find new FPs instead. We had pretty good luck getting our 4th or more FPs during our trip, so I don't think obtaining new FPs would've been a problem.

 

[Quellman]

Generally if they close an attraction and you have a Fastpass for it, they will reissue you another one. The new one generally is good for readmission on that attractoin you missed (should it reopen) and often just about any other one in the park. Be sure to read if some rides will be excluded.

 

[kam0202]

I have never (and will never) changed plans because of rain.

Any forecast for more than a couple of hours out is completely unreliable. Forecasts for less than 2 hours out are moderately unreliable. If you plan a trip to Orlando, you should just plan on getting rained on every day, particularly if it's between April and November.

Thank you, appreciate the response and encouragement to just plan for it!

 

[kam0202]

Your signature indicates you've had plenty of experience with Florida weather already. Rain and/or thunderstorms happen mostly every day from late spring to early winter. Many days they do not last very long so it's that big a deal. Like the PP said, weather predictions are unreliable. Just make your plans as best suits you and deal with whatever weather happens when it happens, if it happens. Attractions that are affected by weather don't always shut down for rain, but they will shut down for lightning. And orlando is the lightning capital of America.

We have been there several times, but perhaps worrying over nothing for next week's forecast? Thanks for your response!

 

[kam0202]

It's not the rain. It's the lightening. I was there last week and it rained for 10 mins but there was thunder and lightening in the area. They closed the major rides at MK. Seven dwarfs. Splash. Jungle cruise. Big thunder mountain.

Were down about an hour then came back on.

Canceled the electric parade at 9 also.

Everything was fine by wishes

Good to know. We will be flexible next week should any of the rides shut down. Thanks!

 

[kam0202]

Don't change parks but be more flexible. My son's 20th birthday is Monday (he was born 6-6-96 we always joke about that) and his favorite park has always been AK. He gets very few days off work so we planned it all out, including fp for the new Jungle Book show. It looks like an all day rain event now so on Sunday night I will check the forecast and probably change the JB fp for Dinosaur.
We still plan to be there from the afternoon until closing and I'm sure the park will be less busy so we will be able to enjoy it that way. Maybe even go on Kali, it's my least favorite ride there cause you get wet but since we will be already wet, no problem
As Crush would say: just go with the flow...

Thanks for your response. Enjoy celebrating your son at AK on Monday! Thanks for the encouragement to just roll with it!

 

[kam0202]

This past trip (a month ago) we had rain on our planned Hollywood Studios day. I thought that this was perfect because a lot of the attractions are indoors. Well, apparently everybody thought that too! Considering the rain, the park was busy. It was not a fun day between the rain and the crowds. Found out later that the other parks were empty due to the rain and the people that braved the rain at the other parks had a great time because the wait times were so low. We also found out that some other days after that, the crowds were lower at Hollywood Studios, so if we would've switched days, it would've been easier to tour that park (nice weather/shorter lines).

So, knowing what we do now, we would've switched park days, canceled our FPs, and tried to find new FPs instead. We had pretty good luck getting our 4th or more FPs during our trip, so I don't think obtaining new FPs would've been a problem.

Thanks for your response and good to know that obtaining new fastpasses shouldn't generally be a problem.

 

[tlmadden73]

When I went it thunderstormed EVERY day.

MK Day. It thunderstormed MINUTES before our SDMT FP reservation. We had to go just wait under shelter while we waited for the time of our BOG reservation (and had to make a mad dash there .. (no real cover to wait there). It poured during lunch and we went to hotel for short break afterward. Came back at 4:30 and had a fun rest of day.
We received a "free" --- "use anytime for the rest of the day" for SDMT (or several other nearby attractions). It actually turned out a lot better because it made the rest of the day flexible.

DHS day.
It thunderstormed in the late afternoon and we just made a dash to Muppets. Since DHS doesn't have many outdoor things, everything was still open for the hour or two it took for the storm to pass.

I wouldn't change your plans for a "potential" thunderstorm. Just be prepared for it with ponchos .. good shoes and a plan of where to go when it pours.

 

[kam0202]

Generally if they close an attraction and you have a Fastpass for it, they will reissue you another one. The new one generally is good for readmission on that attractoin you missed (should it reopen) and often just about any other one in the park. Be sure to read if some rides will be excluded.

Very helpful comment about reissuing another FP. Appreciate it!

 

[kam0202]

When I went it thunderstormed EVERY day.

MK Day. It thunderstormed MINUTES before our SDMT FP reservation. We had to go just wait under shelter while we waited for the time of our BOG reservation (and had to make a mad dash there .. (no real cover to wait there). It poured during lunch and we went to hotel for short break afterward. Came back at 4:30 and had a fun rest of day.
We received a "free" --- "use anytime for the rest of the day" for SDMT (or several other nearby attractions). It actually turned out a lot better because it made the rest of the day flexible.

DHS day.
It thunderstormed in the late afternoon and we just made a dash to Muppets. Since DHS doesn't have many outdoor things, everything was still open for the hour or two it took for the storm to pass.

I wouldn't change your plans for a "potential" thunderstorm. Just be prepared for it with ponchos .. good shoes and a plan of where to go when it pours.

Good advice, appreciate you sharing your experience and recommendations! Very helpful! Thanks!

 

[thksphoenicians]

Sounds like you've got a good game plan now, but I just wanted to add that one of my most magical memories from our last trip was watching visitors of all ages (including DH) running multiple laps through the Splash Mountain queue and onto the ride in their raincoats/ponchos. I've never seen people so happy to be getting even wetter in a rain storm! Try not to let the weather dampen your spirits.