Help! It's Forecast to Rain on My (Disney) Parade!
It's summer at Walt Disney World, and that means... every single week of the forecast looks like this:
copyright The Weather Channel
Wow! Look at all that rain! Does it make you nervous?
Well, it shouldn't. and that's because a lot of this rain and thunderstorms being referred to are single isolated incidents in the middleof the day. In fact, when I'm in a similarly tropical environment during the summer, I joke about the 3 o'clock thunderstorm. I have seen, on many occasions, a crack of thunder, a 5 minute downpour, and then return to normal right about at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
So it's usually a non-issue. Sometimes you walk into a ride or show and come out and the ground is wet.
But sometimes, if you're lucky, it rains nearly all day.
Yes. I said "if you're lucky" and I mean it. Because rain is not a problem if you are prepared, which is why I offer these tips so you, too, can see rain as luck.
The grounds of the Grand Floridian on a rainy day
Tip 1: Carry an extra pair of socks in your park bag.
Sloshy socks are nobody's friend and after a few hours, your feet may stink so bad you also don't have any friends. Dry socks will make you so much happier.
Tip 2: Bring ponchos.
Disney is going to make you pay through the nose for a poncho, so just bring one. If it looks rainy or if the radar indicates it's a big stretch of showers (or if you are going to be riding Kali River Rapids that day), it pays to stick a poncho in your park bag that you bought ahead of time. They pack small and are cheap on Amazon.
Another suggestion to keep the rain off yourself is a travel umbrella. Don't be carrying a big umbrella, but look for small-packing travel umbrellas. They can be a little more expensive than your regular umbrella, but once you have one, you will want to take it everywhere you go.
The reason I go with poncho at Disney over umbrella is wind. Florida rainstorms can bring a lot of gusts with them and an umbrella just won't hold up.
Tip 3: Go to the park anyway.
This is where I think rain is a lucky thing, because it is the single best thing that can happen to drive down crowds. I enjoy when I'm in the park and the skies open up and I watch as droves of people run for the exit (so they can stand outside waiting for the bus now?) while I calmly get out my poncho.
The parks clear out. So stay in them. The show goes on. Well, mostly. We'll talk about some things that might be impacted by the rain in a moment, but most rides still run, all shops stay open, etc etc.
I once served a shift at Disney's Animal Kingdom as a Cast Member during a tropical storm. Mostly, the storm brought rain, but for a few hours, it also brought some wind and we had to remove umbrellas from all tables and carts. Still, it wasn't a big deal. Guess how many guests I saw that day. Go on. Guess.
Two. Two people walking together. All day.
And they were having a great time! The whole park was theirs to enjoy. Sure, they got a little wet. But they were safe and they had fun.
Tip 4: Rain is fine but lightning is no joke.
That said, if you see lightning, you need to get yourself inside a ride or shop pronto. I've never seen a lightning storm last long at Walt Disney World, but lightning is no joke. Stay in the park, but don't take unnecessary risks.
Tip 5: If it's really bad, go inside a ride.
If it's a downpour, then get thee inside a ride. And I don't mean an outdoor rollercoaster. That won't be pleasant. But any indoor ride or even an outdoor water ride should be fine.
Magic Kingdom, 5 minutes before fireworks on a rainy day
The Show Goes On
Mostly. Here's what to expect from the impact of rain at Walt Disney World.
Nighttime Shows
Happily Ever After - will go on in the rain, but if lightning is in the vicinity, it will be delayed or cancelled. If the lightning will move on, then expect only a delay. Tinkerbell, however, cannot fly in the rain.
Illuminations - will go on in the rain, but will be delayed up to two hours to wait for any lightning to pass. The only other thing that might cancel Illuminations is hurricane force winds.
Rivers of Light - will go on in the rain, but will be delayed or cancelled if lightning is nearby.
Fantasmic - will be delayed or cancelled in torrential rain or if lightning is nearby.
The Magic Kingdom Afternoon Parade
The full feature afternoon parade will be cancelled in the rain. But if there is not lightning present, you will get to see something special that only happens in the rain: The Rainy Day Character Cavalcade. It's sort of a stripped-down parade but has as many characters as can be rounded up and even has its own special music, so if you like unique Disney experiences, it might be all the more reason to stay.
Rides that won't likely run in the rain:
Test Track - it doesn't even take a lot of rain to close this one
Expedition Everest
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Dumbo
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Astro Orbiter
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
As you can see, that's only a small fraction of the rides you can ride at Walt Disney World.
I've been at Walt Disney World in some truly miserable rain, the kind where you have to keep wiping your eyes just to see, but that was also the same night I got to see my favorite showing of Happily Ever After in a blessedly uncrowded Main Street. But the best thing about rain? It cools you down!
So don't be afraid of the rain! Go out and have fun, and if you do, tell us about it on our Facebook page. And as always, if you like this blog, share our page with your friends. See you next week when we will explore the FastPass+ system!
