You may hear “the Sunshine State” and think Florida is always sunny. You may have even heard a rumor that Disney is inside a bubble and they control the weather. All of these things are DEAD WRONG, and it does, in fact, rain in Florida. And during the summer months, it rains almost every single day, even if just for 5 minutes. So what do you do on rainy days at Disney World??
Rainy Days at Disney World – Tips
Just know that it’s probably going to rain at least one time on your Disney vacation. If you go in the summer, it will rain every single day. Florida has storms roll through when it gets really hot, and almost every single summer afternoon sees a storm. So pack accordingly and be prepared!
ponchos and raincoats and umbrellas, oh my!
Let’s start at the beginning, with what’s going to keep you dry when it starts raining. Ponchos. While you can buy these at Walt Disney World, it is much cheaper to order some off of Amazon. For starters, the ponchos at Disney run about $20. For $20 I got a package of 30 ponchos (I actually bought 2, because we were there for 10 days) and we carried them with us, put them on when it rained, and tossed them when it stopped. Then no one had to carry around wet plastic. If I spend $20 on ONE poncho, not only am I not going to want to chuck it in the trash, but I’m also carrying around a $20 wet plastic sheet. Hard pass.
Depending on the time of year, or even just your personal preference, you may want to opt for a nice, sturdy raincoat instead. I know that I actually HATE ponchos, but they’re convenient in the heat. In cooler months, I bring a raincoat and an umbrella. Umbrellas are GREAT but bear in mind, some family members may try to cram under there with you, making it pretty pointless. Also, Florida rains bring Florida winds so prepare!
“keep your feet dry” – Lt. Dan
Nothing is going to ruin your vacation faster than blisters all over your feet. Make sure you pack more than one pair of shoes per person! Rotating shoes will keep wet ones relatively dry, and your feet happy! I always pack dry socks for everyone in my park bag, too. If your feet get wet, you can always change your socks once the rain has ended, and the rest of your day will be much more pleasant! Or you may even opt for packing flip flops in case it rains! Quick change before it starts raining, then change back to your shoes when it stops! Keeps everything dry that way and makes it that much easier to enjoy rainy days at Disney World!
Don’t forget the other things you need to keep dry!
So you’ve kept your body (mostly) dry and managed your feet so they keep (mostly) dry, you’re good, right? Not necessarily! For those of you using strollers, don’t forget to pack a stroller cover! These will keep the kids (mostly) dry and give you somewhere relatively dry to stash things. Not to mention, who wants to have a wet stroller sitting in their hotel room? And pack ziploc bags. These beauties have so many uses, but they definitely come in handy keeping wallets and cell phones dry!
Rainy Days at Disney World – Strategy
Number one, you’re going to want to get a weather app that has a radar feature. This is VERY helpful in plotting out your day at Disney. You can find plenty of indoor, dry things to do at, say, the Magic Kingdom, but you could be up a creek without a paddle if you are at Animal Kingdom in the rain! For strategy sake, I advise Animal Kingdom for the mornings, then go somewhere else when there is supposed to be rain!!
rain strategy
- Shopping. Every park has a ton of shops, and many of them are all connected to each other.
- Get in line to see characters
- Take in a show and/or film
- Plan afternoon breaks around rain
- Get something to eat. You might even be able to grab a surprise reservation when everyone leaves the parks and cancels!
- Get in a long line with an indoor, or mostly indoor, line queue
- Hop on the monorail and explore the monorail resorts
The Best Attractions for Rainy Days
Magic kingdom
- Buzz Lightyear
- Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
- Space Mountain
- Carousel of Progress
- Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- it’s a small world
- Haunted Mansion
- The Hall of Presidents
- Country Bear Jamboree
- The Enchanted Tiki Room
- Pirates of the Caribbean
epcot
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- American Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Soarin
- Spaceship Earth
hollywood studios
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon – Smuggler’s Run
- MuppetVision3D
- Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Star Tours
Rainy days at Disney World are the BEST! Remember, a Rainy Day at Disney World is better than a sunny day at home!! Ready to book your trip?! Contact me today!!