You and your family are finally on your long awaited Disney World vacation, getting all hyped up and ready for a fun-filled day at the parks and then… RAIN.
It’s Florida people. Florida’s gonna Florida.
So what do you do?
You make the best of it of course!!!
Some of our favorite memories at Disney World are from rain days. Many other guests DO let the rain scare them away, so use this to your benefit and enjoy a less crowded park day. Here are our best mom tips for dealing with a rainy day at Disney World:
Ponchos!! You can of course buy these at most merchandise locations at Disney World, but we always purchase ours on Amazon in advance for much cheaper. Here is a family pack of durable rain ponchos that are affordable, but made with thicker material that is harder to rip. You can also easily cut the bottom if the child size is too long for your toddler.
Mom tip- it does not have to be raining to use a poncho! These are also great for rides like Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids if you (or your child) hates to be wet or you simply want to protect your outfit.
Find a table service restaurant and escape the rain for a bit. Rain storms can be short lived in Florida, and what better way to escape the worst of a downpour than by enjoying a yummy meal! We had a terrible rain storm during our first day at Disney World this last trip, but snagged a last minute dining reservation at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom park. We had the best time at this character dining spot with lively entertainment and delicious food. Not to mention bottomless jungle juice, so yum! Annnnd by the time we finished our meal, the rain had stopped!
Table service walk ups and last minute reservations are not always possible, but check your My Disney Experience app to see your options. You can also join a waitlist for many restaurants through the app. Epcot is the easiest park to find a spur of the moment reservations, and may have more options than the places listed below. The park restaurants you are most likely to have good luck scoring on short notice are:
Magic Kingdom | Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace, and The Diamond Horseshoe. If you are not having luck then mobile order for quick service at Columbia Harbor House or Cosmic Ray’s and find a table in their indoor seating area. |
Epcot | Garden Grill, Biergarten in Germany, and Marrakesh in Morocco. A hidden gem is quick service restaurant la Cantina de San Angel in Mexico. To the right of the order pick-up location and before you get to the patio seating in front of the water is a door that leads to TONS of indoor seating. This is actually the dining room for a dinner only restaurant (la Hacienda de San Angel), but you can utilize the seating inside during the day when eating at la Cantina de San Angel. |
Hollywood Studios | Hollywood and Vine , Mama Melrose, and Hollywood Brown Derby. You might get lucky like us and see 50’s Prime Time Diner. A good quick service option with lots of indoor seating is Backlot Express. |
Animal Kingdom | Rainforest Cafe and sometimes Tusker House. Quick service options that have covered seating are Satu’li Canteen and Flame Tree Barbecue. Pizzafari is entirely inside, but not our favorite for food. |
Go watch a show! Our rainy day show suggestions at each park are:
Magic Kingdom | Mickey's Philharmagic, Under the sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress |
Epcot | Tons to do! Reflections on China, Canada Far and Wide, Beauty and the Beast singalong, anything in World Discovery, and World Nature |
Hollywood Studios | Frozen Singalong, Disney Jr. Live on Stage, Muppet 3D |
Animal Kingdom | Festival of the Lion King, It's Tough to be a Bug, and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond |
Find a ride with an all indoor queue. Note that some rides have lines that are mostly indoor, but can spill outside when long. Here are our favorite rides to stand and wait in when the rain is coming down:
Magic Kingdom | Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Space Ranger Spin |
Epcot | Soarin' Around the World, Living with the Land, Frozen Ever After, Finding Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Mission Space |
Hollywood Studios | Toy Story Mania and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway (Tower of Terror and Rockin Rollercoaster for brave big kids) |
Animal Kingdom | Navi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage (when line isn't stretching outside) Dinosaur! if you have older kids or thrill seeking youngsters |
Shopping! Use this time to check out the merchandise shops and buy your souvenirs.
Extra Mom pro tips:
Make sure to have a rain cover for your stroller. If you rent a stroller from a third party vendor like we always do (recommend Kingdom Strollers!) they typically include a rain cover, but be sure to ask when you reserve it. If renting a stroller from Disney, they do not come with a cover.
Pack extra socks. No one likes walking around in soggy socks, especially kids. And with all the walking you’ll be doing at Disney World it’s important to protect your feet from blisters. Pack an extra pair of socks for everyone in your diaper bag or backpack.
Embrace the rain! A rainy day at Disney World is still a day at Disney World! Make the day into an adventure with your family. If your kids see you making the best of the bad weather then they will likely follow suit.
Have you had weather impact your vacation? What did you do? Comment below we'd love to hear from you!
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