Hiya Pals!
It’s inevitable when you travel to central Florida that you’ll have rain. How much or how often is often your biggest concern and there are times when it can rain a lot. Such was the case on our May Disney trip, and it inspired me to help you make the best of your Rainy Disney Days, so follow along to hear some ideas on how to combat the rain, no matter if it’s just a quick shower, or an all-day downpour.
Tip 1
BRING MULTIPLE PAIRS OF SHOES! I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again for those in the back. Unless you don’t care about blisters and soaking wet shoes bring more than one pair of tennis shoes and some comfortable sandals in case all your shoes are wet. This helps let your shoes have ample time to dry between soakings should they become wet. If you have a decent pair of walking sandals it may be easier to wear those most of your trip. Some people pack sandals in their park bags and change shoes once it starts raining or if they ride an attraction where they will get wet. This is dedication that I personally don’t do, but if you’re really opposed to wet shoes, it’s an option for you.
Tip 2
SEE A SHOW! If you know the rain will only last a little bit, duck inside a theater. See a show like Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, It’s a Bugs Life, The Festival of The Lion King, or see a show in one of the countries in EPCOT. You can find show times in your MDE account! Tap the pin icon at the bottom of the app, filter to your park then select the drop-down arrow and select entertainment. This will show you all the options for your park as well as show times.
Tip 3
HEAD TO AN INSIDE LINE OR ATTRACTION! Lots of rides and attractions are inside buildings, and this includes lines. We often will pick an attraction to be in line for about 30 minutes and if it’s still raining, we just head to another indoor ride line. You can avoid the heaviest rain but note, you will most likely still get a little wet. This is the option we use the most and it can be combined with the next tip.
Tip 4
BRING PONCHOS OR UMBRELLAS! As I said before, chances of no rain at Disney are slim to none. So be prepared by bringing your own ponchos and or umbrellas. A lot of people don’t like the way ponchos stick to your skin, but it’s truly the best way to keep your whole body as dry as possible. Don’t forget you can use a poncho to cover your stroller, or you can use a rain cover for your stroller. You can opt for an umbrella, but they are most successful when the rain isn’t blowing. Also, keep in mind that there are a lot of bodies to get around with your umbrella. All of this said, we usually use neither of these and opt to just get wet. It really is up to your preference.
Tip 5
GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM! If you’re ready for a break from the parks you can head back to your room. We usually take a break shortly after lunch and head back to the parks around dinner time. Coincidentally, this is most often the time when it rains. We have missed many rain showers because we were already planning a break. Sometimes we even get a chance to swim if the rain is light and there’s no lightening in the area. It makes for some wonderful memories.
Tip 6
GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT! There are always great treats at Disney! A little rain might be just the break you need to grab a bite to eat! In Magic Kingdom we love to grab something at Big Top Souvenirs and eat inside. You’ll see lots of people sitting around the perimeter of the store doing just that! We also love to duck into Columbia Harbor House and head upstairs with a snack to people watch. While at EPCOT we like to grab something at Sunshine Seasons. This is a bonus because you can also ride two rides while staying inside! We have ducked into The Odessey because they also have plenty of seating, likewise at ABC Commissary in Hollywood Studios. Lastly, at Animal Kingdom, Creature Comforts and Nomad Lounge make great spots to take refuge from the rain.
Tip 7
SHOP! This one might be my favorite, just ask my husband! I love to shop so this tip hits all the spots! Throughout Disney property many of the shops connect with one another. This means you can shop longer and stay drier between shops. You’ll find lots of people inside the shops while it’s raining, so you can also just people watch or make a new friend while you wait out the rain. But I find this is a great time to grab souvenirs. The best part is there are shops literally everywhere in Disney World, so you’re sure to find somewhere close where you can stay dry.
Tip 8
SEE SOME CHARACTERS! While it’s raining you can always try to find some indoor character meet and greets. Some of our favorites are Meeting Mickey in Town Square Theater or the Princesses at Fairytale Hall or Mickey’s Pals at Pete’s Silly Side Show when in Magic Kingdom. While at EPCOT our favorites are Mickey Mouse in the Pixar Short Film Festival, or Anna and Elsa inside their Royal Sommerhus, or Princess Jasmine inside Morocco. At Hollywood Studios you could try Mickey and Minnie inside Red Carpet Dreams, or Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight or the newly returning Pixar characters at Pixar Place. Over at Animal Kingdom you can catch Mickey and Minnie in Adventurers Outpost! You can find all the Characters in any theme park by tapping the pin icon at the bottom of your MDE app and selecting the drop-down button titled Characters. If you need more help navigating MDE check out our post!
Tip 9
CHECK RADAR! This one kinda goes without saying, but checking the weather and specifically radar will help you to know when to head to indoor activities. This tip can help you avoid rain all together. We also use a lightning strike indicator on our phones, so we know how close the storm is getting. This is super helpful when deciding if the rain is light enough to swim. We always appoint one person in our group (usually my husband) to be in charge of radar watching. This can help you feel like you’re not always on your phone while on vacation.
Tip 10
JUST GO ABOUT YOUR DAY! When all else fails, just stay in the rain! Some of my most favorite memories are of times when we just got soaked! Still to this day we talk about times when we would just tip our feet and water would run out of our shoes, or when we were literally the only ones still out in the rain while everyone else was huddled under a roof. Throw caution to the wind and just do your thing in the rain. Rainy Disney Days can keep people away, especially locals, so enjoy the lower crowds and laugh at how wet you are. Kids really love to enjoy being in the rain and splashing in the puddles, so let them be kids and have a blast.
Bonus Tip
WEAR A HAT WITH A BRIM! This last trip we were on had lots of rain, and not just the normal daily shower and done! We had rain for the majority of the day, even the locals were commenting on how much rain we were getting. So, we implemented a lot of these strategies as well as buying ourselves some hats! Now, I already packed hats for the boys, but it was a different story for my mom and me. We used our shopping time and got some Disney hats to keep the rain out of our faces. It was amazing how much just keeping the rain out of our eyes improved the quality of our time. From now on I’ll always have a hat in my suitcase just in case.
If you’re looking to book a Disney trip rain or shine, then contact our travel agent Erica. She always books our trips, and she can help you too! Did you know she can give you a quote for free? If you’re looking for a Disney hat to pack along contact The Parks Shoppe they have some cute options and if you are looking for something specific, they can usually do custom designs. Looking for more Disney tips check this out! Meanwhile check us out on all our social media platforms.
