Give us your tips for parks in the rain.

[eeyoresmom]

Going to be doing the parks open to close this weekend and its suppossed to be unusually wet . Do you have any tips for touring in the rain? We have the ponchos but im thinking of buying a rain jacket.

 

[Meglen]

Rain jackets are not always a great idea depending on how long they are. Me and my husband used them and they would go to our pockets on our shorts.. this resulted in our shorts getting soaked from the water dripping down the jacket just something to think about.

 

[mousehockey37]

Poncho and go.

 

[adamreisinger]

Having just experienced my rainiest weekend ever at WDW, I can say a poncho is a must. Also, study in advance the rides/attractions/restaurants/etc. that are indoors and be ready to take advantage of those. You can do a ton at a place like MK on a rainy day if you're just willing to get a little wet walking between indoor rides. Plus, when rides go down, if you had a FastPass for them they get converted to any anytime, (almost) any ride FP, and those can very much be your friend on a rainy day.

 

[DizneyMommy]

We are an all poncho family! And like above -poncho and go. It’s all you really can do!

 

[disneybirds]

We just spent our rainiest weekend at WDW as well. All 4 of us had waterproof raincoats. The raincoats were longer than the girls shorts, so that was a great look. We took 3+ pairs of shoes and switched them out when we came back to the room during the afternoon. The water shoes tend to give me blisters, so I would rather wear tennis shoes. I did wear jean capris at night and they were soaked! We also carried umbrellas and they helped alot during the downpours. Having a waterproof bag would help as well. We have never ridden EE during the pouring down rain, but it was still fun! Just try to keep a good attitude and you will still have a great time!

 

[cassie58]

Not just for parks, but tip for rain drenched sneaks, bring along or pick up a few newspapers to use to stuff pieces inside - soaks up moisture to help dry out quicker. A fellow soccer parent shared it with me, and has helped immensely with cleats, sneaks, boots, etc.

 

[Alesia]

My best tip is to get used to the idea of being wet. If you wear a poncho, you'll be marinating in your own sweat. If you don't, you'll be soaked with rain. I have a strong personal preference for the latter, but some people seem to prefer the "thanksgiving turkey in an oven bag" method. You'll have to figure out what works best for you.

Another thing to consider is footwear. I prefer flip flops or Crocs. If I wear socks in the rain, I will have a dozen blisters by the end of the day. For other people, it's the opposite.

 

[disneybirds]

Another thought or two ... The disposable ponchos are good for a quick Florida afternoon rain shower. With the rain we experienced over the weekend, you would need a more substantial poncho. We were never asked to take our rain jackets off, but they did ask the folks with ponchos on to take them off before the riding.

 

[loves to dive]

I actually take a couple of disposable ponchos, a good Disney poncho, a full length clear rain coat with a hood and an umbrella. I sort of look at the weather forecast before I leave the room and decide which one I'm going to take. If I go during raining season, there is always a disposable poncho in my pocket for those quick unexpected showers but if the forecast says it's going to be a light rain all day, I'll usually take an umbrella. If it says thunder storms throughout the day, I'll take my Disney poncho. If it says it's going to rain all day, I'll take the rain coat. I'm very cold natured so if I get wet I get cold even in the hottest months. I always wear some sort of sandal, even in the winter because I have ingrown toe nails and close toed shoes hurt. I have 3 pairs I take that I rotate out, all with good support and can get wet. I take the rain as a opportunity to ride Splash Mountain since I don't normally ride it.

 

[SteveH]

I've lived through the monsoon seasons in Korea and Japan first of all just come to the facts and admit you're going to get wet;
rain or sweat - dress accordingly (i.e. avoid white)
Bring a change of things, underwear or socks, etc, you can put in a locker.
Avoid bringing a bag that needs to be carried around, it will get wet, and most stuff inside. Put stuff in ziplocks if you it can't get wet.
Don't bring a hat that can't handle getting soaked
I'd skip shoes & socks, Teva sandals or something that wraps around your ankle is my preference.

Be extra nice to the CMs, they are stuck out in the rain.

 

[SarahMynah]

My best tip is to get used to the idea of being wet. If you wear a poncho, you'll be marinating in your own sweat. If you don't, you'll be soaked with rain. I have a strong personal preference for the latter, but some people seem to prefer the "thanksgiving turkey in an oven bag" method. You'll have to figure out what works best for you.

Another thing to consider is footwear. I prefer flip flops or Crocs. If I wear socks in the rain, I will have a dozen blisters by the end of the day. For other people, it's the opposite.

I agree with this. Aside from the inconvenience of packing around ponchos (especially once they're wet) they don't keep you all that dry anyway and add to an already significant humidity factor.

If it's a day that has some rain showers here and there we might go inside to eat during the rain or go back to the hotel for a nap. Other times we'll just decide to get wet. It seems like if you're dry and trying to stay that way, the rain is bothersome. Once you're wet the rain doesn't matter at all . My all time favorite day at Disney was in the rain. It started pouring (hardest rain I have ever seen, even in FL) during Illuminations. After the show we were soaked and decided we had nothing to lose so took the monorail over to MK for late Extra magic Hours and had the park to ourselves. Literally walked straight on to every ride we wanted to ride for 3 or 4 hours. We even rode splash mountain a few times in a row without having to get out of our seats between rides. True Disney Magic. Definitely a memorable evening and we all dried out just fine afterwards .

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Bring an extra pair of socks to change into after the first pair gets wet.

 

[ErinTwinmom]

If you are using a stroller get a cover for it. I would generally not bring an umbrella. It keeps one of your hands busy and if an actual Florida storm hits it will fold in the wind anyway. If you are using an electric wheelchair with a joystick control you are going to need shower caps to cover the controls. If you are using an electric scooter you are going to need the plastic drawstring bags from the laundry mat, clear is best so you can still see the controls, slide it over the entire central column including the basket. If you are not a flip flop or water shoe person scotch gard your shoes. And remember any kind of rain gear will be warm so drink plenty of water.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We love when it rains - the parks thin out and we just keep going. One time we did about 10 rides in tomorrowland within an hour. Many space mountains, buzz lightyear, and laugh floor. It was great. We bring two sets of ponchos - when one set is wet we take the dry set. Also make sure to have extra good walking shoes. One year we only packed one pair of sneakers for my son and he had to wear them wet some days because he didn't want to wear his sandals in the rain.

 

[Victoria3]

I pack an umbrella and keep on trekking.

 

[KenHutch]

I can't stand wearing the poncho's but remember good shoes and try to keep them dry and while I hate ponchos my lightsaber umbrella has always worked well. I might get a little wet but I can't stand the sweating I do in one of those poncho's.

 

[dclpluto]

Don’t be afraid of the rain. I was at wdw last week it was a wet week. The rain was my friend the parks get less crowded. Bring a extra pair of footwear and rotate it every other day. So at least your starting your day with a dry pair of footwear. Just wear ponchos when the rain gets heavy no need to wear a poncho with just a little rain.

 

[ZoZo]

One thing I found is that even with ponchos, you're likely to still get a little bit wet. And when you take off your poncho when you're indoors in the air conditioning, you tend to get cold! That was a surprise to me. I was glad I had a sweatshirt in my backpack because the AC can really make you cold if you're wet.