by Soarin’ Diva
Florida has beautiful weather, you can’t deny it. Sunshine and warmth abound. Many people, however, are under a misconception that it never rains, or rains rarely, in Florida and specifically at Walt Disney World. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The rainy season in Orlando begins late May to early June and lasts until late September. Average rainfall for spring months can be 2 to 3 inches per month. Summer has an average rainfall of up to 7 inches per month, and fall averages up to 3.7 inches a month. Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t an invisible dome that hovers over Walt Disney World, protecting its visitors from bad weather. So how do you handle the parks when it’s pouring rain?
Generally, the showers don’t last very long. You do have those days when it seems as though the rain won’t stop, but they are rare. Florida Diva has shared her views on rain at Walt Disney World here. Tangled Diva has also given you her tips for handling the rain here. I love their tips and would like to add a few of my tips of how our family handles those famous Florida showers.
TIP #1 is that every packing suggestion list I have EVER seen for Walt Disney World suggests the most obvious, a poncho. We NEVER go to WDW without one. If you do find yourself standing in the middle of a downpour without a poncho though, never fear, all the shops at every park carry them for around $10.00. That’s a pretty fair price if you’ve ever been drenched from the torrential downpours in Orlando that can occur.
TIP #2 Is that I suggest you always pack an extra pair of socks in the bag you plan to carry around the parks, and put them into a Ziploc bag. If your feet and shoes get wet, when your shoes dry enough, a nice dry pair of socks will definitely benefit you. As a matter of fact, put everything you want to keep dry into a Ziploc bag. I also suggest packing extra Ziploc bags in your park bag in case you purchase something that will need to be protected from the elements. The good thing about Ziplocs is that they take up little space and are extremely light in your park bag when not in use.
Very lightweight shoes that dry quickly
TIP #3 is to wear light weight shoes. I’m not the type to walk around the park all day wearing flip flops or sandals, that’s too hard on your feet when you are at the park from open to close. I do, however, wear some very light weight walking shoes that can dry quickly if they become saturated. Last year I grabbed a pair of Sketchers GoWalk 2’s and they were awesome. Not only were they comfortable to walk around in all day, but when they got wet, they dried very quickly.
TIP #4 is to take advantage of the indoor attractions and shows. If you truly don’t have a hankerin’ for getting wet or braving the elements, there’s always plenty of indoor attractions to enjoy. I would love to make suggestions now for all the great indoor attractions, but there are so many, that I’ll have to save that for another day. I will say, though, that it doesn’t matter which park you are in for the day, trust me, there is an indoor attraction for you to enjoy.
The rain isn’t going to stop us from enjoying the parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
TIP #5 is to take advantage of the rain. I know what you are saying, you are saying..”What? What does that even mean?” It means that when most people are running for the indoor attractions, then you can head for somewhere like Splash Mountain, where the lines are usually long. Last time there was a downpour when we were at Magic Kingdom, everyone abandoned Splash Mountain. Not us, we just kept our poncho’s on and rode several times in a row. By saying several times in a row, I mean that the cast members actually told us we didn’t even need to get out of the logs, we could just keep going straight through, and we had a blast.
As you can see, there are plenty of options for handling the parks at Walt Disney World. There are always indoor attractions you can take advantage of, or you can brave the elements and hop on those abandoned rides while there is no line to wait in. The fact of the matter is, it can and will rain on you at some point at Walt Disney World, you just need to make sure you are prepared and take advantage of your options. Above all, HAVE FUN no matter what!
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