Florida weather can be quite the fickle thing – one minute there could be a cloudless sky, the next minute there’s a torrential downpour! As we all know, weather forecasts don’t stop just for a family vacation, so here are a few essential tips to touring a Disney park when the weatherman is calling for rain!
– A no brainer but sometimes a rather forgettable item when packing is a poncho! Purchase ponchos prior to traveling (or bring rain jackets!) just in case the weather is supposed to be rainy. You never know when you’ll need it and 9 times out of 10, you’ll be glad you have it! Plus, who wants to spend $9 for a poncho in the park? As my dad says – the minute you purchase the $9 poncho, it’ll stop raining! You are able to bring in an umbrella, but I find them be bulky when going in and out of attractions.
– Stay in the park!! I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count – within a few minutes of a light rain shower, you’ll notice a mass exodus out of the park. Take advantage of the lighter crowds, put on your ponchos or rain jackets and keep visiting attractions!
– Explore the resorts on the monorail. This is one of my favorite rainy day activities. If I really, really don’t feel like walking around in the rain, I’ll hop on the monorail and stop at each of the resorts to explore! My favorite to walk around and sit down and people watch is The Grand Floridian – the lobby is beautiful!
– My favorite park to be in when it’s rainy is Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The park is on the smaller side, so the walk from attraction to attraction isn’t long. Not to mention, the majority of the attractions are indoors or have indoor waiting queues! My favorite places to be during a rainstorm at Hollywood Studios are Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream (this is a mini museum dedicated to Walt’s life and work!) and Toy Story Midway Mania. The lines for Toy Story Midway Mania are always crazy long without a FastPass, but during a rain storm, I don’t mind because the wait queue is so fun!
– Go to Downtown Disney. This isn’t always my first choice, but it is a rather solid one! There’s plenty to do that’s indoors such as DisneyQuest, catching a movie at the AMC Theater or playing a few rounds of bowling at Splitsville! If you’re in the mood for shopping, you can always head into World of Disney – the largest Disney Store in the world! I know I can spend countless hours in that store alone!
– Take advantage of Epcot’s many indoor attractions in Future World! If you weren’t able to secure a FastPass for Soarin’, use this time to wait in line for it over at the Land Pavilion! You can also spend a rainy afternoon playing in the Inoventions Pavilions where there is plenty to do for everyone in your group!
– Magic Kingdom is one of the parks where I suggest putting on the poncho and continue visiting attractions! A lot of people will either leave the park or head straight for The Emporium, which is a store near the front of the park that runs the length of Main Street. Avoid doing either of those things and head towards indoor attractions such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic (my favorite!) or Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor!
I hope these tips will help you make the best of your rainy day at Walt Disney World! I have toured the Disney parks in all weather conditions and am ready to supply you with the need to know info for your vacation! My name is Haley and I am a Disney vacation planner with Travel with the Magic and I am excited to help you plan your next vacation!
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