Say it isn’t so...

[Slayd]

Local here. Might as well make the best of it. It won't be cold outside, the rain will only bother you if you let it. Accept the fact you'll get soaked and enjoy your time. Take ponchos, make your electronics waterproof, make sure park bags are light. Don't bother with waterproof shoes or anything like that. It will be raining so hard that you'll get water in your shoes no matter what. Take sandals or flip flops. Basically dress like you're going to the pool or a water park lol. Florida rain is very spotty. It will often rain like you've never seen before in your life for two minutes, then completely stop for an hour or maybe even the rest of the day. The only thing you need to worry about are lightning strikes. That's when stuff starts shutting down.

Also important to note is that the weather predictions here are pure garbage. Matthew's eye was supposed to go over my house and the edge of the storm barely even skimmed us. We were supposed to die in Irma as well, and it, again missed us after a *sure* hit. Prepare, but don't believe it until it happens.

I'm headed there with the family all week as well. This afternoon-Sunday.

 

[Koz]

We had a trip a few years back where they called for rain all week, and it did just that, it rained all week with very little relief. Parks were not very crowded but it's a bummer when you spend $5,000 + for a trip just to walk around in the rain.

 

[rentayenta]

Wishing you magical trip.

 

[BarbieGal457]

I leave Friday and have been worrying about this too. A friend very local to the parks said it's been raining non-stop. My game plan as of now is to bring a quality (lighter weight) rain coat and some nice sturdy rain boots and other quick drying shoes. I would rather be overly prepared! I am trying not to let it get me down though - I'd rather be in rainy Disney than rainy Philadelphia! Maybe we will be blessed with a bit lower crowds and more tolerable temps. I hope you have an awesome trip!

... dare I say, this is actually giving me an excuse to buy the rain jacket I was eyeing all winter?

 

[kat_lh]

This sucks and I'm so sorry. But maybe third time is a charm and the fourth visit will be wonderful weather?

Also, for those saying it's just rain, there's a big big big difference between a daily afternoon thunderstorm and a TD/TS rainstorm. I have dogs that had to be walked multiple times during Harvey and it was painful at times. So it could be just rain or it could be a lot more than "just rain."

I like this guy on facebook - Mike's Weather Page - he's got good, no nonsense, no freak out weather updates.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I’m going myself in August and might need that same positivity. So I’m sure when you come home from your trip and tell us how amazing it was, it will make me feel even more positive.

we were in Disney 2 years ago this August. in 8ndays we had one brief shower and another afternoon where we counted the drops and that was our only rain. because of other reasons August is only time we can go as a family

 

[nevergrowup826]

Does anyone know if PhotoPass photographers are still out in rain? One of my favorite things to do is to find new magic shots

 

[bigbabyblues]

We have been there 3 times for my youngest son's birthday, and all 3 times a tropical storm has come through--twice on his bday, once the day we were leaving to come home. We will be there for his bday this year as well, and we will go prepared for another one. Not much you can do about it.

 

[Minnesota!]

Let me tell you this - the BEST nap you will EVER have is during a rain/thunderstorm at Disney. A full morning of racing around and then a quick shower and then a nap, with the a/c going, Must Do Disney on low, and the thunder rolling...heavenly!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Let me tell you this - the BEST nap you will EVER have is during a rain/thunderstorm at Disney. A full morning of racing around and then a quick shower and then a nap, with the a/c going, Must Do Disney on low, and the thunder rolling...heavenly!

So very true.

 

[canyoncam]

I too am heading down. At the airport right now. I have done a rainy trip before 5 out of 6 park days with more than two hours of solid rain and at least two of those had more than four hours. However it never lasted all day or had much lightening. I enjoyed myself but really didn’t want to repeat it. This time I have 8 Park days out of an 11 night stay. If I am having a miserable time and it doesn’t clear up next week I might just upgrade to an annual pass and come back in the fall and next spring Maybe that’s what I really want to do anyway and this sounds like logical reasoning to my family who could care less about Disney and doesn’t understand why I keep coming back.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Please everyone who is there this coming week, make a trip report. I think it will really help people who might be in the same situation in the future. I hope for the best for everyone though and as hard as it sounds, please make the best out of it and try and be positive. For all any of us know, it can be the best trip you have.

Good luck and have some fun.

 

[patty57]

Janice, I looked at the WESH weather forecast, and it looks like better weather from Monday on. Even Saturday & Sunday may not be all day rain. Fingers crossed for you...and me since I will be there starting Saturday.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

Please everyone who is there this coming week, make a trip report. I think it will really help people who might be in the same situation in the future. I hope for the best for everyone though and as hard as it sounds, please make the best out of it and try and be positive. For all any of us know, it can be the best trip you have.

Good luck and have some fun.

Well, I'm a local, and I can tell you that it stopped raining yesterday afternoon around 2:00ish, and hasn't rained yet today. There are some scattered showers along the east coast, and some moving in from the west, but the forecast is at 40% at 4:00 for rain at WDW, but back down to 20% at 9:00 for fireworks time. Just like with any of the forecasts down here, the further out you look, the less accurate. I know it sucks to plan and see this forecast, but its the weather. Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get. Today is my 5th graders Safety Patrol trip to Universal, and everyone was all doom and gloom yesterday that they worked and waited all year only to have a washout - well, still hasn't rained yet today......

Hope all of you guys get have an enjoyabe vacation despite the "Dire" forecasts.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

It'll be raining here in Georgia too. I wanted to get my vegetable garden planting finished.

On the plus side hopefully it will be easier to turn the soil and pull the weeds in the flower garden area since the Georgia clay will be all wet.

So for you - the plus side is hopefully lines will be shorter because everyone will stay at their resort!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

I noticed to that the front was staying off shore today and the weather looks like it has improved! My daughter in route to Disney World now with her Boyfriend and things are looking up! So this is some positive news! Hopefully headed into the weekend the rain will just be scattered and not the heavy all day rains! My girl packed ponchos, umbrellas and lots of shoes just in case!

 

[Christine]

My son, who is leaving tonight, had a pool day today and he said the weather ended up being pretty fantastic today and he's bummed he's leaving. So I guess it's true that it can just change on a dime.

 

[plainoldt]

Same here - leaving in the morning and expecting craptacular weather all week. Silver lining? Lower crowds!

 

[mafibisha]

Thanks for your replies, but I don’t need rain gear or advice. I have plenty of rain gear left from my last two trips and could write a book of advice from what I learned about park touring in the rain during those trips.

I am leaving in two days for my third rain-soaked trip in a row, and I’m pretty bummed about it.

I posted hoping that somebody would give me hope that this current weather situation would blow out to sea or hit some part of Florida that isn’t Disney. Or that it would pass in a couple of days.

But obviously, those things are not going to happen, and I feel like crying over it.

This is us. Have plans for Friday through Tues morning. This is far from our first trip but little getaway after having SIX MONTHS of crappy and worst winter weather EVER. So the thought of schlepping through more rain - down pours -- and paying to do it makes me want to cry too. We do have some wiggle room to reschedule when there will still be potential rain -- but not down pours. Half of us want to do that, reschedule --again after a never ending winter we'd rather not pay tons of money to walk with heads down and wet feet. And half want to go for it regardless. UGH What are your latest thoughts JerseyJanice?

 

[RocketCityMama]

My first trip to WDW was May 2009. We wore our ponchos every day that week. I heard at the time it was a record in Florida/Orlando for the most inches of rain in a week. I don't doubt it. It really got to me after a couple of days. Then on our Epcot day, we went back to our house (staying off site) for supper when I heard someone in our party talk about going back to Epcot for the night show. We had missed the MK fireworks the first night because of rain, so they were determined to go. Only one other person felt the same as I did, and we almost protested to stay inside for the rest of the night. But then we realized we didn't want to be party-poopers, and we were at Disney World, so we might as well go.

And it was one of the best nights I ever had at Disney World. It was the first time I rode Soarin', which blew my mind. I had no idea what it was going in. Then we went to the World Showcase and watched Illuminations. It was my first ever Disney night show/fireworks event. I'll never forget walking into Magic Kingdom for the first time, or seeing the sign over the highway as we were driving in. That was technically the beginning of the trip. But I'll always consider Illuminations to be the first moment when I really fell in love with Disney World.

All of that to say - don't let the rain get you down. There are still good times to be had.

We did our last trip in May 2009 and it did rain quite a bit! I recall threads on DIS, many people rescheduled their trips, due to the rain. We on the other hand went and had a blast. Bought ponchos and rode rides. We only had one evening where now looking back we were pretty stupid (along with hundreds of others) and Disney lol it was our night for Fantasmic, we had did the dining deal so we have fp for seats. It was already raining and lightning out in the distance, but we continued to the show. Sitting on metal bleachers, ponchos on but soaked to the bone, thunder and lightening and raining like crazy. We sat there for a good hour, the show eventually happened but not the full show, then had to make our way out with the masses in the rain, trying to get to the buses. OY. That was NOT smart at all. I am really surprised Disney did not clear off the bleachers that night! n

OP: I hope you have a great time! We went to Universal a couple years ago and it rained off and on, only 1 night of the week we were there was torrential and we left. It never let up that particular night, so I think most likely you'll be fine. Go prepared and have a great time!