Where to find "decent" rain ponchos???

[4under4]

I seem to recall reading somewhere on DIS that if you buy a WDW poncho and it rips, they will replace it for you. True?

 

[WDWNext]

Non PVC Ponchos from Walmart, pink for the ladies and blue for the gents.
Sturdy material.

 

[cymbaldiva]

I know they're overpriced but I bought my Mickey poncho at Walt Disney World in 1998 and still have it and use it every time I go! That's been about 8 trips since it was bought. Its been very sturdy and durable and I definitely got my money out of it!

They're not made as well now as they were back then

 

[bentopher]

For my Canadian friends, I was just at sears and bought my kids Nevada brand rain coats for $10. They were thin, light weight and I can fold then super small. Not like regular plastic rain coats and not sticky poncho material. I figure they'll get more use and rain coats for then next spring too.


Was bummed the largest size didn't fit me. Lol

 

[bocaj1431]

TJMAXX and MARSHALS.. They have the better quality ones at half the price. You can find them in the travel section with the suitcases or with the umbrellas.

 

[bleeps]

Why does everyone seem to go with a rain poncho at Disney as opposed to a rain jacket? Is it because they fold up more compactly or something else?

A few reasons, I think:
Ponchos *can* be more comfortable in high heat than jackets (it depends on the material the ponchos are made of).
Ponchos *can* do a better job of keeping your shorts/pants dry than a rain jacket (again, depends on the poncho, what you are wearing, how tall you are) -- a poncho will cover about as well as a long rain coat, and is much easier to transport.
Ponchos are easier to bunch up and put back in a bag than a jacket, and/or you can dispose of them at the end of your trip (not take up space in your luggage) if you want to.
Ponchos will cover over a backpack or other bag(s) you may be carrying.
Ponchos, with the hood up, will do a better job of keeping you from getting completely soaked on rides because of the way you can wrap/tuck them around you (although your mileage may vary).

 

[Mousemommy1]

The ponchos that DH and I purchased at WDW in 2000 have worked for us through close to 8 trips over the past 13 years and many, many Red Sox games. . Those things are amazing!!

Now, our kids have these ponchos from Wal-Mart that are thin like ponchos but have a hood, zipper and pockets like a rain jacket. They are durable and have lasted the kids 3 trips so far and were only $5!!! We got them in the camping section.

 

[anorman]

The dollar store ponchos lasted (for us) exactly one ride....don't waste your money even if it is only a dollar or two.....it's not worth it. Buy the ones at Disney/SeaWorld/Universal/Planet Hollywood! They are all of the same quality and we are on our 5th trip with the same ponchos. We have two from SeaWorld and two from Planet Hollywood as this is where we got caught when the rain started. The upside of having "non-Disney" ponchos is that our family is easier to pick out at Disney in the sea of Disney ponchos that appears when it rains.

My advice, wait till you get there and buy them when you get to the parks if and when you need them. Also, it couldn't hurt to carry flipflops (and a couple plastic bags) in your backpack for the Florida downpours......there's nothing worse having wet sneakers when you only have one pair with you!

 

[Bob NC]

I like the cheap dollar store ponchos the best.

The Disney ponchos are too thick and they make you sweat when you wear them.

The dollar ponchos keep you dry but don't make you feel like you're in a terrarium.

 

[lucyem]

The issue with the dollar store ponchos for us was that:
1. had to be tied up for the short kids
2. ripped super fast, especially on said short kid in his disney excitement
3. the hoods do not stay up so one hand is holding up hood either awkwardly from inside poncho or outside getting whole arm wet.
4. In any wind you are really in trouble as they have absolutely no weight to them

But as a plastic liner to sit on they can be great

We are the weirdos who just bring raincoats and baseball caps. Yes they can get hot but we only travel in April & October so generally the extreme heat/humidity is not an issue. Yes our bottoms sometimes get wet, mostly due to all the ponchos sitting on seats. If we travelled in the summer we would be investing in decent ponchos or just buying the Disney ones. My mom bought a disney poncho and used it forever. She was a teacher so left it at school for those sort of rainy recesses.

 

[BeerMe]

About 5 years ago we bought a couple for $50 each that are quite nice and which work very well. We use them frequently. Last trip in March we were mistaken for CMs because of the rain jackets!

 

[luvmy2babies]

We had Wal-Mart rain gear last summer. I had a poncho. My daughter hates ponchos so I got her the youth rain jacket. Same material as my poncho, but an actual jacket with full sleeves that zips down the front. It’s probably the same one Mousemommy1 mentioned. The gear got us through Tropical Storm Debby last June. I did rip mine, but I got it caught on something taking it off. So, I’ll need another this trip. Not sure yet if I’ll wait until we get there and get a Disney one or what.

Dd actually wears her jacket any day it rains. To the poster who asked why a poncho instead of a jacket, I wished I’d had a jacket like my daughter’s for the simple fact I got tired of that part of my arms the poncho doesn’t cover getting wet. But I needed to protect my backpack, especially the day dd had BBB and her clothes and stuff were inside it. I think in a normal Florida daily hour or 2 of rain, ponchos are great. I did tire of it during that multi-day tropical storm.

I just noticed a couple of holes in my dd’s jacket, so I’ll replace it before this year’s trip. She loves it. My son is too little for the youth poncho so instead of getting a child one and cutting it or trying to tie it up, I got him a Buzz Lightyear rain jacket off amazon before the trip. He loves it and wears it any time it rains. He thankfully has not outgrown it, so it will go on this year’s trip.

 

[coolbrook]

We have used $ store ponchos, disney ponchos and coleman ponchos. All are helpful. $ store ones stick to us the most but are very small in fanny pack. Disney ones last the whole vacation usually and are cute, don't stick as much. We liked the Coleman ones the best, because They stuck to our skin the least, have lasted through three Disney trips, and they have a drawstring on the hood which helps keep the hood from falling off. We just fold them as small as we can and put them in a ziplock bag in our fanny packs. Good luck finding one that works for you and have fun!

 

[coolbrook]

We have used $ store ponchos, disney ponchos and coleman ponchos. All are helpful. $ store ones stick to us the most but are very small in fanny pack. Disney ones last the whole vacation usually and are cute, don't stick as much. We liked the Coleman ones the best, because They stuck to our skin the least, have lasted through three Disney trips, and they have a drawstring on the hood which helps keep the hood from falling off. We just fold them as small as we can and put them in a ziplock bag in our fanny packs. Good luck finding one that works for you and have fun!

 

[FortForever]

they have a drawstring on the hood which helps keep the hood from falling off.

Oooh, I like that. :thumbsup

The hoods on the Totes ones stay up fine, but would be nice to tighten around face for better visibility.