Tips for when it rains at Disneyland???

[Drewski77]

We are making our first Christmas trip to Disneyland next week and the forecast is calling for rain showers much of the time.

We are usually there during hot and sunny times, any tips to help maximize the fun even with some rain?

Hoping it won’t be too wet!

 

[twitch]

Bring ponchos and be flexible. It’s also been on the chilly side lately, so keep your eye out for hot chocolate, chili in a bread bowl, peppermint churros, etc.

One thing to be aware of: many (most? all?) atmosphere entertainment and Christmas shows/mini-concerts will abruptly end if it starts any sort of precip. It doesn’t have to be much more than a mist for them to cut the set short. We had this happen twice yesterday: Dapper Dans and Phat Cat Swingers. Just be prepared in case you schedule anything around those shows.

 

[gelatoni fan]

• If there's certain outdoor rides or shows (parades, fireworks, etc) prioritize them and do them ASAP because if the weather turns bad, the shows could get cancelled and the rides may not be fun.
• Decide if you are poncho people or umbrella people. The advantage of ponchos is that your hands are free but you may be asked to take them off when entering buildings such as rides and sometimes it can get stuffy. Disney does sell those ponchos that go over your head but I recommend bringing your own to save money and because I prefer the ones with buttons in front. Umbrellas are an extra thing to carry but are easier to get ready and collapse as you go in and out of buildings.
• If you care about characters, some may change locations when it rains. Additionally, when it's colder which is common when it rains, some of the characters such as princesses will have different outfits compared to when it's warmer.
• Think about what kind of shoes you will wear. If heavy rain is expected, I may bring an extra pair of shoes so that I can swap them each day and give them extra time to dry out. I may also throw some extra dry socks in my bag to change during the day.
• Consider bringing some ziploc bags of various sizes to keep your stuff dry. Putting your phone in a ziploc bag can help you use it without getting it wet although some things like fingerprint sensors won't work.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

These threads have lots of helpful information about rain (light or heavy) in the parks:
Rain
Can we chat rain?
Rain expected between the 6th and 8th?
Thanksgiving day crowds, despite the rain, pics + park map offer)
Advice for solo trip with rain!

 

[Whistlebee]

Poncho
Extra shoes
Extra socks
Hand towel to dry off seats/tables
Baseball hat! This one is a must, it keeps the rain out of your face. Disney has lots of cute hats if you want to buy one there.
And…a good attitude. We’ve only had one trip in the rain but we ended up having a great time! I loved it!

 

[DizMe]

Don't wear jeans. It's miserable to slog around in wet jeans and they don't dry out. Leggings, jogging pants, and materials that either repel water or dry fast are the way to go.

 

[wowsmom]

Just dealt with this on Tuesday. I bought a GoreTex raincoat from REI that went to the tops of my legs and it kept me nice and dry (and wasn't too warm - my husband, who is always cold, was sweating in his coat, even though it was in the low 50s - probably due to all the walking).

I also bought some waterproof boots at REI since my only shoes are mesh sneakers, Birks or Crocs. My feet stayed nice and dry, as well. (and a lovely REI employee recommended FootGlide since my boots were new)

My Disney cinch sack, on the other hand, got soaked through almost immediately so I don't recommend carrying one of those!! Also, my hands got cold & wet so maybe bring some gloves?

We were only in the parks for a few hours, but it was during the heaviest rain that day. It was interesting trying to drink my free birthday frappuccino in the pouring rain in DTD.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

The best thing about rain is that lots of people will call it quits and go back to their hotels. If you can tough it out, the lines might get a lot shorter. We like to bring several of the cheap ponchos from Target or the Dollar Store. They're thinner than the ones Disney sells, but they still keep you dry. If the rain stops for a while and we want a break from the ponchos, we don't feel badly about tossing them instead of carrying the wet ones around. We just grab a new one if it starts raining again. You just need to have a bag or backpack to carry them.

 

[DizMe]

We encountered torrential rain on Tuesday (Dec 14). We thought we were prepared (waterproof jackets, rain boots, umbrella), but the sheer force of rain combined with wind and cold made it miserable. There were rivers of water, and the stores were overwhelmed by it. Water was running out of several of the ceiling lights! The floors were slippery, too, so maybe footwear that grips. Many of the rides were down and I wouldn't have wanted to go on most of them anyway. We did make it onto Indy but after that, we were so wet we just went back to the hotel until it eased up. I had made the poor decision to wear jeans, thinking my raincoat and boots would protect me from the rain, but I hadn't counted on the wind and force of the downpour. I get cold easily so it was an easy choice for me to take a break and change my clothes. Luckily, we were staying at GCH so it was nice to get into other clothes and go sit by the fire for a while and have a drink.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If your backpack or purse (or other bag) isn't rain proof you might want to carry a plastic bag for it. When I have my purse (a Vera Bradley hipster style) I carry a plastic Wal-mart/Target bag and if it rains I put my purse in there. The bag doesn't take up a lot of space in my purse either. If I have my backpack I have a plastic garbage bag in one of the small pockets in case it rains, but often I just wear my poncho over it. But I have carried my backpack in a garbage bag around the parks in Florida a few times, luckily I haven't needed to do that in California.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If your backpack or purse (or other bag) isn't rain proof you might want to carry a plastic bag for it. When I have my purse (a Vera Bradley hipster style) I carry a plastic Wal-mart/Target bag and if it rains I put my purse in there. The bag doesn't take up a lot of space in my purse either. If I have my backpack I have a plastic garbage bag in one of the small pockets in case it rains, but often I just wear my poncho over it. But I have carried my backpack in a garbage bag around the parks in Florida a few times, luckily I haven't needed to do that in California.

 

[bwvBound]

Oooooh! Y'all who slugged through the parks last Tuesday have earned some big respect! That was one wet, cold day!

 

[bk7700]

Thanks for asking this. I have to say, I am feeling sad that all three of our full days have rain in the forecast. This is our first trip and possibly last since our daughter is a senior. We have ponchos and umbrellas, staying at GC so we can change our shoes. But I was hoping for dry conditions. Sorry for my pity party!

 

[disney-inspired]

Thanks for asking this. I have to say, I am feeling sad that all three of our full days have rain in the forecast. This is our first trip and possibly last since our daughter is a senior. We have ponchos and umbrellas, staying at GC so we can change our shoes. But I was hoping for dry conditions. Sorry for my pity party!

It's much easier to deal with rain at Disneyland as adults then with children so you've got something going for you.
I would recommend a rain jacket or poncho, comfy shoes, maybe a beanie if it's windy and maybe a travel umbrella. If you can't a dining reservation for somewhere indoor, I would recommend checking out the lounge at GCH.

 

[Drewski77]

Thanks for asking this. I have to say, I am feeling sad that all three of our full days have rain in the forecast. This is our first trip and possibly last since our daughter is a senior. We have ponchos and umbrellas, staying at GC so we can change our shoes. But I was hoping for dry conditions. Sorry for my pity party!

We are in the same boat, and staying at the GC which will help.

I’m also thinking we’ll do some bowling at Splitsville during some of the rain…expensive bowling trip

 

[Malcon10t]

This is our first trip and possibly last since our daughter is a senior.

I'm curious how you get them to be the last trip? <joking>. My kids are now 32-36 and join me on all our trips, and now the grandkids are along too! I had figured when they got older they wouldn't want to go with mom, but they do!!

 

[bk7700]

I'm curious how you get them to be the last trip? <joking>. My kids are now 32-36 and join me on all our trips, and now the grandkids are along too! I had figured when they got older they wouldn't want to go with mom, but they do!!

Of course, I'm sure you are right. I was just being sad and dramatic. LOL. My daughter's schedule is already pretty challenging, but I'm sure I can entice her with cool vacations.

 

[daneenm]

We were there last Tuesday (12/14) and stuck it out from 7am to about 3 pm before heading to the hotel to dry out. Came back out for dinner at 6 and back to the parks and by then the rain had stopped.

We recommend ponchos AND small travel umbrellas. We did not use the umbrellas the whole time, but for long waiks, or in our case long waits for rope drop, the umbrella is nice. None of us had waterproof shoes so our feet were wet most of the time. We all had extra shoes and socks so we were good overall.

I also recommend having dining reservations on the days they predict rain. We happened to have Oga’s , Cafe Orleans and Naples booked that day, our heaviest reservation day. It was nice to have a spot to sit and warm up during the day.

We did not notice fewer people as we had hoped. Having said that, on Thursday night when it rained, it did clear the park somewhat. We guess that because it was 8 pm when it rained, people just decided to leave and start again the next day. Good luck to you!