What to Do When It Rains at Walt Disney World

We’ve been going to Walt Disney World for the last couple of years now and we have yet to enjoy a totally rain free vacation.  Rain showers are pretty much a daily occurrence in Orlando it seems; depending on the time of year you go.  The amazing thing about Walt Disney World is that the show most definitely goes on.  Rain doesn’t have to stop your fun in the least if you know what to do!  So, keep reading to find out what to do when it rains at Walt Disney World. 

Buy Rain Gear Ahead of Time

It’s a safe bet that at some point during your Walt Disney World vacation it will likely rain.  The great thing about Florida rainstorms is they usually pass fairly quickly.  It can come down pretty hard and heavy, but it moves in and out in a matter of minutes.  You can almost always see them rolling in.  On cue, all the shops will start rolling out their ridiculously overpriced ponchos. 

Unless you are just dying to have an authentic Walt Disney World poncho, do yourself a favor and find one on Amazon or at Academy Sports before you come.  We found some at Academy for less money and that are much better quality than the ones offered at the parks.  Just keep them packed up and ready to go with your other Disney gear and you’ll be ready to go trip after trip. 

Another tip:  If we know we are gonna get caught in a deluge at some point throughout our day, we also bring water shoes/sandals.  We need the support of tennis shoes and socks while we log our miles at the parks.  But one thing I hate is wet, soggy tennis shoes.  I’d rather walk bare foot than in sloshy shoes!  And you know they take forever to dry!  So, if we know it’s going to be a particularly wet one, we throw our sandals in our park bag and head out.  Again, make sure to buy these before you head to your Disney vacation.

Download a Local Weather App

I love Accuweather and Weather.com as much as the next girl, but you just can’t beat local weather channels.  Before we arrive, I always download an Orlando local weather app for up to the minute local weather reports.  Give WESH-2 or WFTV-9 a try or be ubber prepared and download them both!  We always check the extended forecast in the days coming up to our trip and also check everyday, multiple times a day when we arrive.  You can also set up alerts to notify you when storms and showers are approaching.  Doing this alone has helped us avoid getting rained on more than anything else. 

Visit Indoor Attractions

Unlike many other theme parks out there, Walt Disney World has a plethora of inside attractions.  If you ever been caught in the rain at another theme park, you may remember the vast majority of rides shut down when it rains for safety reasons.  While this is the case for a few rides at Walt Disney World, there are so many indoor options to take advantage of while the rain moves through.  Magic Kingdom and Epcot Future World are probably your best options since so many of these indoor attractions are in close proximity to one another.  So, when you’re newly downloaded local weather app alerts you to rain moving into your vicinity, head to one of the rides below to wait it out:

Magic Kingdom

– Pirates of the Caribbean

– Mickey’s Philharmagic

-Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

-Carousel of Progress

-Country Bear Jamboree

-Buzzlightyear Spaceranger Spin

-Haunted Mansion

-Space Mountain

-Peter Pan’s Flight

-It’s a Small World Tommorowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

-Indoor Meet-N-Greets (The Princesses in Princess Fairytale Hall, Town Square Theater on Main Street, U.S.A. with Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell, Ariel in her Grotto in Fantasyland, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald at Pete’s Silly Sideshow also in Fantasyland.)

Epcot

-Spaceship Earth

-Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

-Mission: Space

-Journey into Imagination with Figment

-The American Adventure in the Hall of Presidents

-The Seas with Nemo and Friends

-Gran Fiesta Tour Featuring the Three Caballeros

-The Land Pavilion (Soaring, Circle of Life and, my favorite, Living with the Land)

-Movies in the Chinese, Canadian and French Pavilions

Hollywood Studios

-Art of Disney Animation

-Star Tours

-Voyage of the Little Mermaid

-Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

-Muppet 3D Vision

-Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

-Walt Disney Presents

-Aerosmith’s Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

 -The Tower of Terror

Animal Kingdom

-Flight of the Avatar

-Navi River Journey

-The Festival of the Lion King

-Finding Nemo

-It’s Tough to Be a Bug (Can definitely scare little ones)

-Dinosaur (Absolutely on the scary side)

*Bonus tip:  As soon as you know the rain is coming your way, whip out your phone and use your My Disney Experience app to try and book some indoor attractions and hightail your way to your newly booked indoor, out of rain fun!

Dine Indoors

If you’re a fan of staying dry and eating like I am, then this next tip will be your favorite!  While the rain, rain, rain comes down, down, down, why not grab a bite to eat at a quick service or table service restaurant.  You’ll have to be quick about it because everyone thinks it’s equally as good of an idea as you do to go ahead and eat while you wait out the rain. 

Here again, you can pull up your app and make a quick reservation instead of taking your chances and just walking up if you’re heading to a table service location.  Both quick service and table service will fill up quickly when it rains so be quick about making your way to a table.  The cast members are always super understanding too and know that you may try and wait out the rain.  We’ve had servers tell us not to rush and let the storm pass through!

(All this talk about food got you hungry? Check out our Top Five Disney Dining tips here!!!)

Plan Your Break During the Rain

We’ve been going to Walt Disney World for the last couple of years now and have noticed somewhat of a pattern to Florida rainstorms.  Afternoon showers are pretty much a guarantee (depending on the time of year).  Not that the weather can’t be unpredictable because it definitely can, but we’ve found great success with missing storms because we always take a midday/afternoon break back in our resort hotel room.  Is there anything more restful that chilling out in your hotel room while it’s raining outside?  Check the weather ahead of time and if possible plan a nice nap/rest break during the bad weather part of day. 

Resort Hop

Did you know that you don’t have to be staying at a resort to take a look around? Resort hopping is a super fun activity for rainy days (and not so rainy days).  You can do like we do and jump on the monorail and dream about staying in one of the big three hotels along the monorail one day; The Polynesian, the Contemporary, and the Grand Floridian.  You can do some shopping or grab a snack or even a full meal.  As a bonus, many of the resorts have rainy day activities for the kiddos! 

If you have a car or don’t mind paying for an Uber, head over to Animal Kingdom Lodge.  There’s always tons to do and see there; like the 4pm food tour (that usually comes with a tasty sample), animal shaped cookie decorating, or why not try a drum lesson. Best of all, it’s all totally free!!!

Keep Pushing

Rule number one for what to do when it rains at Walt Disney World is KEEP ON PUSHING.  Like we mentioned earlier, most of the rides don’t shut down.  While you may get a little wet, there’s no need to let that put a damper on your day.  You’ve spent way too much money and way too much time planning to call it quits and pack it in!  Check the weather, pack your rain gear, make a touring plan of attack for indoor rides and places to eat and head onward to your already paid for fun!!!!

So there you have it folks, our guide to what to do when it rains at Walt Disney World.  Got any more tips for what to do when it rains on your parade at Disney?  We’d love to hear, so put it in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!