Rainy / stormy park day tips (with a kid)?

[BubblyTrip]

Looks like this trip will be our hottest (low 90s) and rainiest. We'll be in the parks this Sun-Wed. I know I need to attempt to get Jedi Training for a dry part of Sunday (very big priority for 6 yr old boy). We are at Epcot Mon and MK Tues and Wed. Will definitely tour in any weather, but......

What other rain / t-storm tips and trucks will you share with me?

Thanks!

 

[Alesia]

My best tip: unless you're made of sugar, you aren't going to melt.

Rain is something you can't control, so don't stress about it. Just go with the flow.

 

[Missyrose]

Poncho up and have fun!

 

[kaetra]

Epcot is a great park for rainy days I think as nearly ever attraction is indoors. There is an arcade and play area at the end of Mission Space. We've spent rainy time there and in Innoventions. Also the play area after Figment is accessible without going on the ride. If you've never done Ellen's energy adventure a rainy day would be a good day to try it.

Lots of indoor attractions/queues at MK too. Dumbo queue/play area, Storytime with Belle, Little Mermaid, etc. Fantasyland and Tomorrowland (Buzz, Monsters, People Mover) are pretty rain friendly.

With an umbrella, a poncho and water-friendly shoes you can still have a fantastic time!

 

[srauseo]

Rain bothers kids much less than adults for the most part. Kids just roll with it. My niece (6) and nephew (4) barely noticed the rain - and it wasn't just a drizzle. They were fine to keep going all afternoon. She got mad because they closed the HISTK playground because of the rain (no lightning, just rain). So, if you are cool with putting on the poncho, the 6YO will probably be just fine! If it's only going to rain part of the day, try and plan the indoor attractions for that time. Most of the HS attractions are indoor or under cover. MK is more of an issue with outdoor rides.

 

[joannamet]

Pack ponchos or lightweight rain jackets and a tiny umbrella in your backpack every day and hope everybody else goes back to their resort. Some rides and shows shut down for a while for heavy rain or lightning but there's still plenty to do.

 

[dprincessmom]

And when the rain stops, crowds will be a lot less than they were before it started and you may even catch some walk ons.
Heavy rain, stop for a snack or meal and wait out what you can.

 

[dprincessmom]

And I agree with everyone else, your child will not worry about the rain and have an awesome adventure.

 

[Shmily01]

We always just throw our ponchos up and do what we can since a lot of people leave the parks during the rain or wait it out if it's too heavy. We've had some of our most magical experiences in the rain talking to cast members and other vacationers.

 

[luvmy2babies]

If you have a child in a stroller, make sure the cover fits well. I like a thin rain jacket for children. That’s what my two wear. I generally get my son’s on Amazon (if you have time) and my daughter’s at Wal-Mart in the same section where they sell ponchos. I wear a poncho because I can fit it over the park bag I’m wearing on my back. We toured through a tropical storm that lasted multiple days in 2012. The wind was far more bothersome than the rain; but the children were less bothered by it. They had fun splashing me by jumping in puddles since I wasn’t wearing socks. If you’re in AK and it rains, go on the Safari when it stops. We went on it one morning and the driver said “rain is predicted for later if you have time, the safari is great after it rains” and boy was she right. Best safari ride ever. The animals were so close to the vehicle and the lions were even running around and roaring.

 

[WillAustin]

With an umbrella, a poncho and water-friendly shoes you can still have a fantastic time!

This. Especially the shoes.

 

[ksinniger]

This. Especially the shoes.

Agreed times ten! If you need to wear socks, bring extras. And something to dry feet off in between walking thru puddles, because wet feet can be a magnet for blisters.

 

[disney world dreamer]

i assume you're looking at the weather channel?
i have been too but i take that with a grain of salt.
go onto WESH.com and look at their forecast. they have been voted the best news station for weather accuracy for 7yrs running.
they are calling for mid/upper 80's from now through next tuesday and they are giving a much lower percentage for rain/storms than the weather channel.
and even if it is hotter and does rain everyday its likely to only be quick passing storms vs all day rain.
i'll be in the parks from sunday to thursday next week and i simply plan on bringing a disney rain poncho as i always do and if it really starts to downpour i head to the nearest gift shop or indoor attraction.
and since the rain/storms usually occur mid afternoon you can sorta plan around that so you end up in an indoor attraction during that time to hopefully avoid it all together.
for example save mid afternoon for something like the hall of presidents, monster's inc laugh floor, muppet vision 3D, ellen's energy adventure....
also its handy to have an app with the local weather and radar to look at when it starts clouding up to see where the rain is and what direction its headed.

 

[ryanhuey]

BE PREPARED and you'll be fine. It amazes me the amount of people that are unprepared and will stand inside gift shops and wait until the rain clears. I wouldn't take an umbrella into a park personally. We take one good set of ponchos with a bag/system to store them for heavy rain days (The Disney ones are expensive but cool and decent quality... if you can find them). We also bring cheap ones from the dollar store for the light rain days. Carry the cheap ones at all times even if its only 10%. They are small and you can carry 2 or 3 in your pocket and not even notice. I like to take extras and pass them out. Make mental notes of what rides and attractions would be good in the rain.

We went in the rain with our 6-yr old boy to all parks. He could have cared less about the rain or wearing the poncho, as long as we were moving, waiting for a ride, and not just standing around like the others. You get good at donning and doffing the ponchos quick an will barely miss a beat.

 

[philschrek]

We had three days of solid rain last year and traveled with a 10 year old, 5 year old, 3 year old, and 11 month old. The baby stayed in our maclaren stroller which has an excellent rain cover. The rest of us just dealt with being soaked We don't like ponchos, we do take an umbrella and use sometimes but typically just when walking outside the parks to the gates, etc. Our kids weren't bothered by the rain at all, one of our favorite memories from that trip was encouraging them to splash in the puddles on the way from Beach Club to Hollywood Studios. They were shocked that we weren't yelling at them for doing it Water shoes/comfortable sandals are definitely helpful for rainy days.

 

[andiraye]

My 7yo HATES rain and getting wet. He flipped out on kali river Rapids. So we waited out some big storms and got snacks and dinner and ran for rides with low wait times. He was fine, even though he walked around damp the rest of the day. It was Disney! But my advice is to bring good ponchos. A worthy investment. The disposable ones didn't cut it.

Also, we learned the hard way that you should cover your stroller with a rain cover every time you leave it. When we went inside for lunch at BOG it was a bright sunny day. Suddenly we noticed all these people walking in wearing ponchos. When we got outside our stroller and everything in it was soaked! Rain comes fast in FL!

 

[Retro Magic]

Honestly, the only real concern with rain are shoes. I learned that the hard way once and my shoes fell apart there was SO much water everywhere
Lesson learned for the next time!

Otherwise, at the end of the day it is only water. Just take it all in! I say to myself, I'd rather be at the parks on a rainy day than at work on a rainy day

 

[sbd78]

LOL, this was our trip 2 years ago. We went in June and were lucky enough to hit the first tropical storm of the season! What are the odds? Everyone said, ah, you'll have 1 afternoon rain and it will clear back up. Not the case this trip. We had downpours nearly the entire time. My advice if a lot of rain is predicted, wear shoes that can handle moisture like crocs, etc. and bring ponchos. And a stroller cover. The good thing about the weather that trip was there was no wait for the rides!

 

[sbd78]

^^Yikes that's big. Sorry guys!

 

[SillyFamily]

i love the big pictures!!!!!!!

i second the shoes!!!!!

We like to get cheap ponchos froom walmart or target. in my everything bag or locker. i store multiple sets for each person. We simply toss them after using them instead of storing wet ponchos.

Embrace the rain its hot in florida!!!!

One of the best memories of my life was an amusement park in the rain. If your unhappy, the kids will be too. We started singing and dancing in the rain. It still makes me smile thinking of that day.