What to do when it rains

[angiedora]

I was looking at the weather for the next week and it looks like rain almost every day. What to do in a downpour?

 

[Mr. Stitch]

First, pack a poncho, second, see an indoor show (like Philharmagic, It's tough to be a bug, etc.), take in some shopping for awhile. Luckily the rain in Florida is usually short a downpour can happen but don't let it ruin your day.

 

[Robo]

I was looking at the weather for the next week and it looks like rain almost every day. What to do in a downpour?

That's a very typical forecast. But it likely will NOT rain for very long any particular day.

Rainy days are the best time to be at WDW as far as keeping the crowds down.

Many rides and ride queues are inside.

Downpours are not ususally very long-lived, anyway.

We sat out a big one inside the Beauty and the Beast theater at MGM one year.

 

[TLinden16]

We were there a couple of weeks ago, and it rained pretty much every day. Usually the storms last less than a half hour, but several days, they lasted for two or more hours.

I'd pack a poncho or an umbrella and make the most of it. Of if you see a storm coming, try to plan on something that lasts a little longer (we missed a huge storm one afternoon by going into the Universe of Energy at the right time).

 

[bookgirl2632]

We packed cheap, throwaway ponchos from the dollar store. We got caught in some rain in World Showcase, so we took in O, Canada! Another day, during a short shower, we shopped.

Fortunately, there is much to do in WDW when it rains.

 

[pixiemel]

Have fun, enjoy less crowds, cooler temps, and putting on a "Mickey" poncho and playing in the rain!

 

[angiedora]

Thank you all for responding. There really are alot of things to do indoors. I'll just hope and pray the Fantasmic show doesn't get rained out on our MGM day. We've never seen it!

 

[MrsJ Henry]

A couple of years ago we were stuck in the rain in the evening at MK. We had so much fun. DH and I could not stop laughing as we ran from one ride to the next and hopped right on most of the time.
It is one of our best memories. Not only were we getting on rides very quickly since others had taken cover etc... but it was just so funny!!!
Have a great time and make some fun memories!!!!

 

[KirklandTutu]

Have fun, enjoy less crowds, cooler temps, and putting on a "Mickey" poncho and playing in the rain!

Just what I was thinking. I always hope for rain at Disney. Most people get frightened of the moisture and head back to the hotels, leaving much fun to be had for those of us who stay.

Honestly, the best place in the rain is Animal Kingdom. The animals love it and are out more.

 

[lori123]

So - oh wise Disney Vets - do the cheap dollar store ponchos do the trick - or should I invest in better ones??
Lori

 

[Mickeys_n_me]

So - oh wise Disney Vets - do the cheap dollar store ponchos do the trick - or should I invest in better ones??
Lori

It really depends. The cheap dollar store ponchos are disposable (they sell cheaper ones at Walmart as well .89 cents). So I tend to buy 4-5 of them and keep them in the packages. Once I wear one, rather then drying it out and folding it back up and stuffing the wet poncho in my backpack and getting everything in there wet, I throw out the used one and have more back ups.

 

[missypie]

I am not a pessimist but rather, a realist. When we were at WDW, of the 10 days we were there, it rained 7. Four of those were not little showers but all day cold rain. Here is my adice, in case that happens to you:

1. The Dollar Store ponchos do not do the trick in an all day downpour. I don't really like ponchos at all....kids turn them inside out when they take them off, then the next time the inside is wet, etc. I also hate to walk around with a hood on. I prefer a light rain jacket and a baseball cap. Think about what YOU would personally prefer if it rained all day.

2. Bring some kind of plastic sack to hold the rain gear when you are on rides, etc.

3. Bring at least two pair of shoes!!! One night (sorry, but it was when Fantasmic got rained out), we were caught in a HUGE downpour with nowhere to go. Our shoes got totally soaked. Even with using the blow dryer, stuffing them with paper, etc. it took days for them to dry.

4. The best park in the rain is the MK....there are so many indoor attractions and everything is so close together. The worst is AK...there is so little to do indoors. Epcot and MGM are tied.

Good luck!!!

 

[kbmoo]

It really depends. The cheap dollar store ponchos are disposable (they sell cheaper ones at Walmart as well .89 cents). So I tend to buy 4-5 of them and keep them in the packages. Once I wear one, rather then drying it out and folding it back up and stuffing the wet poncho in my backpack and getting everything in there wet, I throw out the used one and have more back ups.

I'm with you. the disposible ones take up alot less room and are cheap enough that you can just throw them away. I always stock up alot, then return the ones I don't use. It saves alot of money and wetness in the long run. I think alittle rain never hurts anyone!

 

[Locomigo]

I mean, its nearly a tradition for us to get caught in a driving rainstorm at least once a year...

* We were down for our anniversary one year, and the walk from the B&B to the restaurant, skies opened up and unleashed a rain like none other. We only had 12 or so blocks to walk, it came out of nowhere, and soaked us to the core! It was all good, until sitting in COLD A/C soaked, and laughs have been had for years

* Went to go do school shopping and skies looked ominous in Chicagoland (lived there briefly), but I decided in my infinite wisdom, to leave the sunroof and rear windows at home, and drop the top in the Amigo. Went inside and then heard the rumbles... FF an hour later and oh yeah, it was COMIN DOWN! Had a 2" puddle in my cupholders. Poor boy, we decided to drive home as quick as possible, and he was in the back seat (no top, no jacket. DW took off her shirt to shield him some. Again laughs forever, fond memories of my lack of judgement.

* While four wheelin, got to the top of a trail ~ 13000 feet, storm rolled in, with lightening, hail, and lots of rain. We hightailed it back to tree line, and kept going to not be a lightening rod. Again, in the Amigo, doors left at home this time, and windows gone, but the top was on this time. DW, and DS learned and bought rainsuits. Im stubborn and got soaked. It was COLD, with a 40-50MPH wind and that icy rain @ >10000'. We finally made it down the mountain and into sub 6000' elevations and it subsided. That was a long 90 minutes, and I was VERY chilled.


So I am thinking that with the sea level, warm rain that we will see, no worries. I can survive it.

 

[Jennifer823]

When we were at WDW, of the 10 days we were there, it rained 7. Four of those were not little showers but all day cold rain.

What time of year were you at Disney? We rarely get all day rain down here, except in the winter we might get a cold front that hangs around. This time of the year we usually get strong t-storms in the afternoon due to the heat of the day building up. If we do get an all day rain it is usually because of a tropical storm or tropical wave - but that's another story!

 

[loriandmatt]

depends.....

is this your first WDW trip? or the first one in a long time and likely the last one for quite a few years? if so then i say, strap on a poncho and some crocks (or any other shoe that can get wet and not trashed) and keep going.

if you can't answer yes to any of the questions above, do some souvienier shoping that day or do some last minute resort hopping to check out lobbies and what not. (hidden mickey scavenger hunt sheets are available at WL and AKL front desks for free - a great way to kill some time out of the rain. not sure if any other resorts have them.)

 

[mickeyluv'r]

One other thing to consider is a cover for the stroller, if you have one. Once we were at MGM during a rains storm and eventhoughthe rain didn't last long, if we hadn't coevered our stroller it would have been soaked! Jsut because you leave it ina covered spot doesn't mean it will be there when you get out of the attraction.CM's often move them around, so it's very helpful to be able to keep tham covered.

I don't like to watch much tv on a vacation, but I always check the weather report each day. I never trust a report more than 24hrs old!

Ziploc bags can be handy for many things while on a vacation. Wet weather is just one thing.

 

[my3disneygirls]

We wear Teva's in the rain and ponchos. I also have an extra poncho just for the stroller. We just keep on going in the rain, after all the money that the trip costs rain isn't going to stop me. One day spent the whole day at Epcot in the rain. It was great because it was dead. Well, early evening it cleared up and it turned out to be a nice night.

One day last year at MK, I saw a storm appoaching and we got a bench under the overhang in front of POTC. I grabbed some drinks and snacks and we watched the sky open up. It made for some good people watching. Some people walk lesuirely getting soaked and others run and scream as if they are being hit with acid.

 

[RoyalRoseBlue]

Most of the shops on Main Street are connected. When it rains, I usually like to head there and just take my time browsing. I also like to do all the indo shows and rides. You might have to stand in the rain for some of the lines, but just bring a poncho and a dry pair of socks. Hope you have fun and enjoy!