What happens when it rains are most activities cancelled?

[summer0407]

We decided to make a holiday trip out to Disneyland in December. I was just curious how are the parks in the rain. I sure hope it does not rain but what is affected if it does rain?Are most nightly shows cancelled? Parades? Any ride's close down? Any info would be great so we can prepare just in case.
thanks!!

 

[skiingfast]

Yes those things can happen.

But I'll tell you Californians don't know what to do when it rains. They can't drive in it so traffic gets bad and very few go to the parks. So it is really a nice time to see the parks as most people won't be there making them the quietest days of the year.

 

[sportbettor]

Yes those things can happen.

But I'll tell you Californians don't know what to do when it rains. They can't drive in it so traffic gets bad and very few go to the parks. So it is really a nice time to see the parks as most people won't be there making them the quietest days of the year.

Lol so true. Whenever Im in LA and it starts raining I immediately think what a good day it is to go to Disneyland.

 

[cmwade77]

Yes those things can happen.

But I'll tell you Californians don't know what to do when it rains. They can't drive in it so traffic gets bad and very few go to the parks. So it is really a nice time to see the parks as most people won't be there making them the quietest days of the year.

This used to be the case, but since our last El Nino, it no longer holds true. Now if it is windy and raining it will be pretty empty.

But really, it doesn't rain often, but when it does, the following happen:

• Outdoor shows move inside where possible or are canceled if it is not.
• Sailng Ship Columbia and Mark Twain stop running until 1 hour after the rain stops.
• The teacups stop running until 30 minutes after the rain stops.
• Alice in Wonderland stops running until 2 hours after the rain stops
• If it is more than a very light mist during parade time, they will first delay the parade, up to about 30 minutes, then change it to a "Calvacade", which means characters on covered Main Street Trabsportation going down the parade route, if possible.
• A light to heavy mist and the fireworks will still run, as will a modified version of Fantasmic! In a heavier rain, both will be cancelled.
• If there is lightning, then Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Big Thunder, Small World, Grizzly River Run, California Screamin' and other outdoor attractions will all close down. (This is EXTREMELY rare)

Please note though that Disney will do what they can to make up for closed locations and such. Sometimes they will open up the old Millionaire building with various activities, there will be character meet and greets in the animation building, etc.

 

[goldies 5]

I have been there a couple of times in the rain. People clear out quick. It can rain very heavily and DL will stay open most of the time. Ponchos make a huge difference. They really try to keep most of the rides open. The Teacups usually close and sometimes Dumbo. I am sure there are others but I can't recall right now. I am not going to say it is great when it rains, but it is definetely not terrible. It is still Disneyland.

 

[Eeee-va]

The weirdest thing is if it rains, some people actually go into Innoventions! When we went in December and it rained, they had Pooh characters doing meet and greets in the top floor of Innoventions.

It also gets VERY slippery in certain areas. I've heard bad things about the areas around It's a Small World and in front of the planter on Main Street and I actually saw someone fall in the queue for Space Mountain!

It's fairly unusual for it to rain all day and night, but it rained enough when we went that I believe they canceled the later Fantasmic! show one night, and just plain didn't run it the next night.

So there are some disappointments as far as entertainment goes, but as others have said, Disney tries to make up for it. And if you're going for more than 2 days, it's extremely unlikely that you won't have any sunny days, so you can catch the outdoor entertainment when it's not raining. The lowered crowds make for a really memorable experience!

 

[summer0407]

Thanks for the replies! If it were just my hubby and I I would love it but with my small kids 2 1/2 and 6 I know they would be complaining a lot so that is who I worry about. They both love all the shows so I know it would be a big disappointment but I am going to stay positive and hope for the best. Sounds like we can do other cool stuff if all else fails!

I live in northern Cali and it's the same traffic wise here. People can be morons sometimes we won't be driving at all we are staying across from the parks and will be walking.

Thanks again!

 

[sportbettor]

Thanks for the replies! If it were just my hubby and I I would love it but with my small kids 2 1/2 and 6 I know they would be complaining a lot so that is who I worry about. They both love all the shows so I know it would be a big disappointment but I am going to stay positive and hope for the best. Sounds like we can do other cool stuff if all else fails!

I live in northern Cali and it's the same traffic wise here. People can be morons sometimes we won't be driving at all we are staying across from the parks and will be walking.

Thanks again!

My son is 8 and he kinda likes the rain at Disneyland. It's rarely super heavy and the increase in our rides/hour make up for it. But we are used to running for cover from the WDW thunderstorms where we think the lightning is going to kill us so its all relative.

I can see how it would be pretty bad for a 2 1/2 year old though.

 

[AussieCaribou]

We had rain during one of our Disneyland trips when my daughter was 2. She's not a big fan of rain, but the Disney kid's poncho kept her dry and the changes to the park (less people, shiny look to everything) distracted her to the point that we didn't hear a single whing. It was great.

As a teen/young adult, I used to live for rain days at the park.

~Aussie Caribou

 

[HydroGuy]

I personally have never been to DLR in the rain and hope to never do so. That is just me. I associate DLR with bright sunshine, although I do remember a few overcast days in my younger days.

The thing about SoCal rain is that - usually - a rainy day in SoCal means the whole day is rainy/cloudy/misty. This is in stark contrast to WDW and Orlando where the day can start sunny and warm, a thunderstorm can come in and dump rain for an hour or two, and then the weather often clears all the way out or at least gets mostly sunny again.

The other thing is that WDW/Orlando is sub-tropical and that rainy days are often warm. In SoCal rainy days are more often cold.

I am not trying to change anyone's mind here about rainy days at DLR being good or bad. I just wanted people who know how to do WDW in the rain to understand DLR is different.

ETA: Here is a link to weather info - "Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098

 

[Dreaming of Main St]

We were at Disneyland last January for 4 nights and it rained the entire time. There were a few dry moments, but they were rare. We have a 5 and 7 year old and we had an wonderful time! We loved the lack of crowds. We walked on to everything. We stayed at the Grand Californian and they were excellent about having extra activities in the hotel - characters in the lobby and a room where kids could go play games and watch movies. We each wore raincoats and just didn't care if we got wet - had fun splashing in the puddles. We even rode Grizzly River Rapids in the rain.

The only downside was that they closed the parks earlier than scheduled. We usually go to rope drop, take an afternoon break at the hotel, and return at night. We followed our normal schedule and returned to the gates of CA after our rest and they were closed! We were really disappointed that they hadn't told people as were were leaving the park earlier or at least sent a message to Disney hotel guests.

We did find the park itself to feel a little less magical than usual because all of the stands were closed and you couldn't hear the music so the atmosphere wasn't the same, but like I said, we had a wonderful time!

 

[liesel]

We were at DLR on a rainy day last December. It rained pretty steadily all day, with the exception of about 30 minutes in the afternoon. Hydroguy is right, it is a cold rain. Teacups, Alice, and Matterhorn were closed. There was a power outage to the east side of the park and all of fantasyland and tomorrowland (except for ISAW) were closed the first hour and a half the park was open, which caused us to greatly alter our touring plan. Jedi Training Academy was also cancelled, but the characters did come out for autographs, which was pretty fun. There were no street performers, Mark Twain riverboat, Tiana's Showboat Jubilee (that was going on at the time), parades, or fireworks. Dining options that are indoor or have covered seating are more limited. Luckily we had a PS for Blue Bayou that day. They were turning everyone away who didn't have one. Rides like splash and astro orbiter were open, but very few rode them. Space had a 15 minute wait in the peak of afternoon. Peter Pan was about 10-15 minutes. There were less people in the park, but also less ride options, and it seemed to almost balance out. In the end, we didn't really feel that the slightly shorter lines were really worth it. We rode about 21 rides, which is about how much we can accomplish on a busier day with FPs, etc. The only line that was fantastically short was TSM, which was about 5 minutes all day and 10 in the evening. We rode 3 times in a row. We had a fun day and made the best of the situation, but I don't know if I would have deliberately chosen to go on that day. If it does rain, there is still plenty of fun to be had!

 

[CaseyK]

I was worried about the rain too but as we ended up choosing to go in late September and from checking everything online, I think we may be safe. But weather has been so wacky this year, you never know. At least we're used to the rain- Vancouver gets a lot of rain and we rarely use umbrellas! DD and DS splash like maniacs all year through the puddles! Still, when I picture Disneyland, I picture sunny, happy days...

 

[Funball]

i have been to disneyland when it rains, it was overcast when i got there and then rained.. the bad thing is the winery closes down if it gets toooo rainy , but the good thing is that park guests freak out and leave, and the ride lines are shorter!

but i would do disneyland in the rain, i mean its just rain your aren't going to melt!!

 

[jtown]

Pffft! It doesn't rain here. Okay, that's not really true. We get 2 or 3 decent rains a season and 1 real storm every 3-5 years. "We're expecting a big storm to move in early next week dumping torrents of rain through Thursday" usually translates to half a day of intermittent showers. And the few times a year it does rain for real, every local TV station runs a 24 hour Storm Watch 2010(tm)(r)(c) with dramatic music and a scary logo. And the freeways are piled high with wrecked cars because people seem to forget that wet roads are slippery. Your chances of getting rained on are very slim but at least it'll be exciting if it happens.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yes those things can happen.

But I'll tell you Californians don't know what to do when it rains. They can't drive in it so traffic gets bad and very few go to the parks. So it is really a nice time to see the parks as most people won't be there making them the quietest days of the year.

Oh way to lump us all together there Matt.....ALL Californians aren't like that trust me.....I know how to drive in the rain, I know what to do when it rains.

We like it when it rains in DL, crowds are low, some rides close but not all of them. And I can say it's a TON of fun to ride Splash Mtn when it's raining outside....LOL You're already wet, why not get more wet?

 

[blackjackdelta]

I love Disneyland in the rain, not deluge. So many things are easier to get done. But on the flip side I did enjoy the 90 degree weather two weeks ago.

Jack

 

[Funball]

Oh way to lump us all together there Matt.....ALL Californians aren't like that trust me.....I know how to drive in the rain, I know what to do when it rains.

We like it when it rains in DL, crowds are low, some rides close but not all of them. And I can say it's a TON of fun to ride Splash Mtn when it's raining outside....LOL You're already wet, why not get more wet?

i liek it when it rains too..oh wait i said that..

and umm thanks p-wings for pointing that out. i didnt even see he said that.. nice..very nice there skiingfast! not all californians are like THAT!

 

[Funball]

I love Disneyland in the rain, not deluge. So many things are easier to get done. But on the flip side I did enjoy the 90 degree weather two weeks ago.

Jack

yes me too! its much easier to down a beer in 90 weather then in rainy weather! rFLOLRFLOL

 

[skiingfast]

i liek it when it rains too..oh wait i said that..

and umm thanks p-wings for pointing that out. i didnt even see he said that.. nice..very nice there skiingfast! not all californians are like THAT!

Are you sure because when I last drove in rain there, everyone from California was driving slowly together?

Not that I blame them or you, but it really torques me when it snows here where I live and I can achieve the speed limit in my front wheel drive sedan and a four wheel drive suburban is going 30mph down the highway.