By: Tangled Diva
On our last trip to Walt Disney World, it rained our entire trip. I don’t mean your typical Florida rain where it rains for 15 minutes and then is done. I am talking monsoon downpours, multiple times, every day. When we checked the weather forecast before we left and realized that it was most likely going to rain every single day, we were really bummed–and a little nervous because we had tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. But, while the rain did make some things inconvenient and a little yucky at times, it in no way hindered our fun. And, there are even some perks to a rainy day at WDW. Below are my list of tips and perks for rainy days at Disney.
TIPS AND PERKS FOR RAINY DAYS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
- SPECIAL EVENTS AT DISNEY – I mentioned earlier that we were a little nervous because we had tickets to MNSSHP, and like all Disney events, it is a rain or shine event with no refunds or exchanges. Well, as luck would have it, it rained most of the Halloween party and a lot of the events, including the parade were cancelled, which was a huge bummer for us. Luckily, my sister went to guest services and politely asked if there was any way that we could come another night just for the parade. They didn’t just allow us to do that, they gave us all tickets to the entire party on another night (TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask for something like this if you have a similar experience). If you are going to a special event at Disney (Halloween Party, Christmas Party, etc.) and you are not going at a busy time (i.e., they aren’t going to sell out of tickets), I highly recommend waiting and buying your tickets when you get there so that you have a better idea of what the weather will be like, and you don’t risk a rain out.
- RAINY DAY CAVALCADE – One of the biggest bummers that comes with the rain is the cancellation of parades. However, there is one parade that only happens when it rains–The Rainy Day Cavalcade in Magic Kingdom. This a mini parade where some of the main characters are in Main Street vehicles and others are walking and decked out in their rain coats, hats and galoshes. It is an adorably cute parade with an equally adorable and catchy song to go along with it. It definitely makes the rain worth it. And, because it really doesn’t rain that often in Florida, many don’t even know this parade exists.
- PACK RAIN GEAR – Don’t forget to pack your rain gear. Be sure to bring a poncho or good rain coat (although it may be better to just buy one when you get there – See #4 below); umbrella; waterproof shoes; and a stroller cover.
- FORGOT YOUR PONCHO? – A good poncho is a must for the rain. I always bought cheap ponchos and disposed of them every day, but the cheap ones tend to be very clingy and uncomfortable. So, while in Disney, we ended up buying Disney ponchos. They are not the best quality and often some of the buttons might tear or break completely, BUT your poncho is guaranteed for your entire vacation stay. So, be sure and save your receipt. If something happens to your poncho on that trip, simply take your receipt to the nearest place selling ponchos (which is pretty much everywhere when it rains), and they will gladly replace it with a new one.
- GET THE WATER RIDES OUT OF THE WAY – Since it is already raining and you are likely already wet, I highly recommend going ahead and doing the water rides while you are already soaking wet. There reaches a point where you aren’t getting any wetter–that point came for us at Universal Studios this trip where I truly would not have been any wetter had I jumped in a swimming pool.
- CROWD LEVELS ARE LOW – To me, this is the biggest perk of the rain by far. A lot of people just aren’t willing to tough out the rain, so the crowd levels tend to be really low when it rains, which was a huge plus for us. There were times where we felt like we were the only people in the parks.
- LOTS OF INDOOR RIDES AND ACTIVITIES – Disney has a lot of rides that are completely covered including the line que as well as indoor or
covered shows. Use the rain as a chance to take advantage of some of these indoor attractions (Some of our favorites are Festival of the Lion King (AK), Haunted Mansion (MK), and Star Tours (HS)–Sadly, although the Enchanted Tiki Room is indoors, my husband would rather stand in the pouring rain before enduring it again, but it is a classic WDW staple). In this picture from MNSSHP, you will notice I am covered in rain, BUT, our party was the only ones on the Haunted Mansion which gave me a great opportunity to take a selfie with the cast member!!! - IT’S HOT IN FLORIDA – If you’ve ever been to Disney in the summer, you know that Florida can get pretty toasty. Sometimes it is nice to have the rain just to cool everything off.
- DISNEY HAS MORE THAN JUST THE THEME PARKS – There is more to Disney World that just the parks. A day with a lot of rain in the forecast would be the perfect opportunity to look around Downtown Disney, head to Splitsville for some bowling, check out Disney Quest, or go to a La Nouba by Cirque de Soleil.
- WHAT PARK I WOULD AVOID ON A RAIN FILLED DAY – If I had to pick a park not to go to on a rainy day it would definitely be Animal Kingdom. While the tree-covered walkways offer a lot of shade on a hot day, they offer a lot of dripping water on a rainy one. Also, the animals are one of the best parts of Animal Kingdom, and a lot of them are not going to come out or be active in the rain.
- WHAT PARK I WOULD CHOOSE ON A RAINY DAY – My park of choice for a rainy day would be Hollywood Studios. It is the smallest of the parks and has a lot of indoor shows, rides and attractions, which make avoiding the rain pretty easy. And, because it is so small even walking to the different places, you aren’t going to be in the rain very much.
- STAY POSITIVE – This is especially true if you are traveling with kids. Kids are going to follow your lead, so if you get bummed about the rain and starting talking about how it is going to ruin the trip, they are going to follow your lead and be miserable. We use the rain as one of the many opportunities at Disney World to be a kid again. We stomp through the puddles, making the biggest splashes we can because hey, we’re not gettin’ any wetter!
BOTTOM LINE: The rain can make things tougher and a little messy at times, but don’t let it ruin your vacation. There are a lot of perks that go along with it. Just remember…
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
And what better place to dance in the rain than the most magical place on earth!
