So how bad are the daily thunderstorms ?

[Maleficent53]

We have been to WDW many many times in August and will be there again 20-27. This time as I am watching the weather forecast it is saying 40-60 percent chance of thunderstorms every day. I hate ponchos and wonder if those of you who are there now can reassure me these are no different than the normal Florida afternoon rains.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Last year the last week in August was very rainy. We were there. It was a steady rain even during our mnsshp night. We are going again in a few weeks hoping for different.

 

[CAS239]

Normal Florida rain. Brief afternoon shower that usually lasts 30 min or less. Although some can linger for a lot longer. Usually the clouds come, dump quite a bit of rain in about 15-30 min, then it's done and far more humid out than before it rained.

40-60% chance means there's that chance anywhere in the area you're searching for. Just because you're at MK doesn't mean there's a 50% chance it'll rain. It can be a storming at AK and not a rain cloud in the sky at MK.

 

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

My DD and I were in Orlando July 22-Aug 3. There was a 90%+ chance of rain every day. And it did rain pretty much every day, but we didn’t have ponchos and we never got soaked to the skin, it’s pretty easy to duck in somewhere and wait it out most of the time. One day it rained for over 2 hours, but we were at the resort, so that day we got lucky. There were times we didn’t even see the rain, just the aftermath. We were in Gringotts at Universal for about 20 minutes once time and it was sunny when we went in and sunny when we came out, but there were puddles everywhere. At Epcot one day we spent 10 minutes in the Japan shop and missed another storm. I was prepared for the afternoon rains, and they were predictable, but of our 10 various activity days, only one had enough rain to be a bummer.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

Gotta love Florida rain! I grew up in Titusville and outran in on my bike many times. Never had a total washout ad WDW except when Irma came. We have never put on a poncho but we do own 2 sets of Disney ones we bought at the park. The only rain that ever bothered me was when just me and my older daughter went to WDW in 1998 and I will never forget we got lunch in Mexico at Epcot and it started raining so we grabbed a table with an umbrella. It started raining harder so we stood on the table with our heads right against the umbrella and ate our lunch. Our feet were soaked but our heads were dry. It was horrible at the time but now it's just a great memory.

 

[Staren]

For anyone reading this who has not been in Florida rain before, it can be serious rain. Normal Florida rain is not normal rain other places. In the summer it comes through hard and fast. It will pass, but while it's raining, it's raining. I grew up in Florida, and did not appreciate what Florida rain was until I moved to Boston. What we call a sprinkle in Florida is what some New Englanders call a hard rain. Summer storms especially can range in intensity from buckets to Niagara Falls. Just be prepared for umbrellas to be necessary.

 

[Barbydoll8]

"Bad" is relative. LOL Like Staren said, I live here (75 miles west of WDW) and have for 22 years and you haven't seen rain until you've seen FL rain. It will rain but maybe not the whole world. It will be hard. Like usually harder than any rain you've ever seen but it normally isn't much longer than an hour. I've heard thunder rumble for 30 minute & not a drop was had at my house. So it's a hit or miss thing. All you can do is be as prepared for it as you can be. Expect roller coasters and water rides & taxis to close temporarily (I believe Disney has a no lighting within 5 miles rule). I've been trapped in Disney Springs for 2 hours and I've heard the thunder there but never had a drop. I know these are kind of wishy-washy answers but that's really how FL t-storms work.

 

[writerguyfl]

40-60% chance means there's that chance anywhere in the area you're searching for.

This can be a confusing subject. You are correct. But for further clarification, here's a good summary of what the chance of rain percentage is and is not:

"Let's say tomorrow's forecast says your city has a 30% chance of precipitation. This does not mean...

• There's a 30% chance it will rain and a 70% chance it won't
• Three out of 10 times when the weather is similar, it will rain
• Precipitation will fall 30% of the day (or night)
• Thirty percent of the forecast area will experience rain, snow, or storms

Rather, the correct interpretation would be: there is a 30 percent chance that 0.01 inch (or more) of rain will fall somewhere (at any one or multiple locations) within the forecast area."​

Quoted from: https://www.thoughtco.com/chance-of-rain-3444366

 

[OKW Lover]

We live just 2 miles from the castle. Daily afternoon thunderstorms in August are a fact of life here. They are almost always brief, lasting ~15 minutes.

 

[amilli12]

We have been to WDW many many times in August and will be there again 20-27. This time as I am watching the weather forecast it is saying 40-60 percent chance of thunderstorms every day. I hate ponchos and wonder if those of you who are there now can reassure me these are no different than the normal Florida afternoon rains.

We check in on August 28th! I expect the "normal" Florida rain/t-storms to happen almost daily during our trip. We had it on our last trip late August as well. Hopefully it won't be more than average, but we are coming armed with our ponchos from last trip just in case! I hope you have less rain than expected!

 

[Karen46]

We came in January and April this year. The weather was wonderful. We are coming back in September and have purchased our Teva Sandals for the rain. We hate the wet sneakers and blow drying them to dry. But many times in the past everyone is right, you can usually wait it out shopping or on a ride and it really does not affect your day.