Be prepared for the daily rainstorm you are likely to encounter on your next Disney World vacation with these fantastic Disney World Tips!
Florida is a rainy place. In fact, during certain
parts of the year, it rains every single day in this wet, humid state. This can
be quite disappointing to those who are vacationing in Disney World, especially
if they didn't go in prepared for the wet weather. Fortunately, it is still
plenty possible to have fun in Disney world even when the weather is on the
stormy side.
Wondering what you should do af and when the
rains starts coming down during your trip? These are our top 8 tips for doing
Disney in the rain.
Don't miss our other tips and tricks as you are Disney World Planning
Walt Disney World in the Rain
#1: Stick
Around
When the rain starts pouring and the thunder gets
rumbling, you will likely notice a large number of people vacating the parks.
We do not recommend joining them. Generally speaking, the rain will pass
quickly, and those who stick around will be left with a relatively empty park
to enjoy.
Instead of leaving at the first sign of water,
pack a poncho and some water shoes, put your valuables in zipper baggies, and
get ready to have some fun in the rain.
#2: Find a
Playground
Even when we aren’t at Disney, one of our
favorite things to do when it rains is find an indoor playground and let the
five-year-old run around a bit. Why not use this same idea while in Disney
World? There are a few different options for covered playgrounds. These
include:
●
Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom) — There is a small, toddler-sized play area located
under the railroad bridge near Splash Mountain.
●
Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Magic Kingdom) — The Dumbo queue includes a large, circus- themed
indoor play area for kids of all ages. Many times, cast members will allow kids
to play without riding, making this a great rainy weather spot. Unfortunately,
the ride will close if there is lightning involved, and in this case, the queue
may close also.
●
Mission: Space (Epcot) — If you go in the exit of the Mission: Space ride, you will
find a small, carpeted play area for kids. This area includes a space-themed
climbing structure that little ones go crazy for.
●
The Seas with Nemo and Friends (Epcot) — Another Epcot play area is located in The Seas with Nemo and
Friends building. This area is shark-themed and includes plenty of fun games.
#3: Grab a
Coffee
There is nothing quite like a warm latte and some
good, old-fashioned people-watching on a rainy day. If your Disney afternoon is
filled with water, why not use the storm to catch a bit of relaxation? Grab a
coffee from Starbucks, find a covered place to sit, and enjoy some quality
people-watching while listening to the rain.
#4: Hop in
Line
Many Disney World rides see some very long lines.
Generally speaking, it can feel like a waste of time to wait in one of these
insanely long queues. However, if you are simply looking for a way to get out
of the rain, it is actually pretty smart to hop in an indoor queue and wait out
the storm while also getting a bit closer to riding one of your must-see
attractions.
Some of our favorite indoor queues include Space
Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Philharmagic, and Buzz Lightyear Space
Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom, as well as Toy Story Midway Mania and Star Tours
in Hollywood Studios, Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, and Soarin’ Around the World
and Frozen Ever After in Epcot.
#5: Head
for Shows
A great way to wait out a shorter rainstorm is to
head to an indoor show. There are a number of wonderful and entertaining indoor
performances scattered around all four parks. Of course, seeking out the
longest shows gives you the best chance of missing the rain. The longest stage
shows in Disney World are as follows:
●
Disney Junior - Live Onstage! (Hollywood Studios) — 24 Minutes
●
For the First Time in Forever:
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (Hollywood Studios)
— 25 Minutes
●
Hall of Presidents (Magic Kingdom) — 23 Minutes
●
Carousel of Progress (Magic Kingdom) — 20 Minutes
●
Festival of the Lion King (Animal Kingdom) — 30 Minutes
●
Finding Nemo the Musical (Animal Kingdom) — 40 Minutes
●
The American Adventure (Epcot) — 29 Minutes
●
Circle of Life (Epcot) — 20 Minutes
#6: Meet
Some Characters
Looking for more indoor fun? Consider finding
some character meet-and-greets. There are several places where you can meet
favorite Disney friends inside, meaning rain is not a hindrance at all.
When it is raining, we much prefer the locations
that allow visitors to meet 2 or more characters in a visit. This means we get
twice as much fun before stepping out into the rain again. Our favorite indoor
character meet-and-greets that include 2 or more characters are:
1.
Epcot Character Spot (Epcot) — Meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, then head across the covered
breezeway to meet another set of characters from recent films.
2.
Lamps of Wonder (Epcot) — Found tucked away in the Morocco Pavilion, Lamps of Wonder
is the place to go to meet Aladdin and Jasmine inside and out of the rain.
3.
Royal Sommerhaus (Epcot) — Anna and Elsa stay nice and dry in their sommerhaus. Why not
join them for a quick chat and a snapshot?
4.
Princess Fairytale Hall (Magic Kingdom) — Chat with two of your favorite princesses. If you
still aren’t ready to spend time in the rain after doing that, you can turn
around and meet two different princess as long as you’re willing to wait in
line.
5.
Town Square Theater (Magic Kingdom) — Mickey Mouse himself can be found at the Town Square
Theater. You can also wait in a second line to meet Tinkerbell without ever
even leaving the building.
6.
Pete’s Silly Sideshow (Magic Kingdom) — Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy can all be found
under the Big Top in Storybook Circus in New Fantasyland.
7.
Woody’s Picture Shootin’
Corral (Hollywood Studios) — Head into Andy’s
room, get nice and dry, and meet everyone’s favorite toys, Buzz and Woody.
8.
Star Wars Launch Bay (Hollywood Studios) — Star Wars fans will love the Star Wars Launch
bay where they can meet a few of their favorite Star Wars characters.
9.
Mickey and Minnie Starring in
Red Carpet Dreams (Hollywood Studios) — Hang out
with your favorite mouse couple and have your picture taken on the red carpet
at this indoor character meeting location.
10. Celebrity Spotlight (Hollywood Studios) —
Olaf is currently taking guests at this Hollywood Studios meet-and-greet spot.
11. Adventurers Outpost (Animal Kingdom) —
Mickey and Minnie are all decked out in their safari gear at this fun indoor
meet-and-greet.
#7: Eat a
Meal
I love food, and in my opinion, eating some good
food in a well-themed restaurant is a wonderful way to pass the time during a
rainstorm. Fortunately, Disney World has plenty of great eateries to choose
from. I especially enjoy spending some time listening to the out-of-this-world
music played by a friendly alien at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe or enjoying a
warm bowl of soup upstairs at Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom.
#8: Check
Out Museums, Exhibits, Interactive Areas, and Buildings Housing Multiple
Attractions
Indoor museums and interactive exhibits are the
perfect way to have a blast despite some rainy weather. Additionally, buildings
that house multiple attractions can be the perfect solution for those who wish
to stay dry. There are a good number of buildings dedicated to just these kinds
of things all over Epcot, and one in Hollywood Studios.
Some of the best are:
●
One Man’s Dream (Hollywood Studios) — This a small museum dedicated to educating park
visitors on the life of Walt Disney himself. It also tends to include a video
or movie preview of some sort, as well as a character meet-and-greet.
●
Mission: Space Exit (Epcot) — If you have small kids, Mission: Space may not be a ride
option for your family. However, the area located at the exit of the ride is
both indoors and incredibly entertaining. As mentioned before, it includes a
playground, but there are also a number of other space-themed activities
available.
●
Spaceship Earth Exit (Epcot) — This ride exit also has a large indoor space filled with
activities. All kinds of video games are sure to keep the attention of your group
for a while.
●
The Seas with Nemo and Friends (Epcot) — The Seas with Nemo and Friends is an enormous ocean learning
center. There is a huge aquarium as well as several smaller ones. Cast members
are standing by to answer questions, and there are presentations throughout the
day. This building is also home to Turtle Talk with Crush, The Seas with Nemo
and Friends ride, and the shark play area mentioned before, making it a great
place to spend a couple of hours during a storm.
●
The Land (Epcot) — While there are no activities, exhibits, or games in this
building, there are three different attractions as well as two restaurants.
Circle of Life, Soarin’ Around the World, and Living With the Land all call
this pavilion home. Additionally, Sunshine Seasons and Garden Grill are both
serving up delicious food under the same roof. This is not a bad place to be
trapped while the rain comes down.
●
Innoventions (Epcot) — A tiny science museum inside of Epcot, Innoventions is a
great place to pass some time. The exhibits change from time to time, meaning
it is worth visiting on more than one trip.
As you can see, there is absolutely no reason to
let a bit of moisture ruin your Disney trip. Pack wisely, go in with this
information close at hand, and take the Florida afternoon rain storms in
stride.
Disney World Tips and Tricks
- Everything you Need to Know about Disney Magic Bands
- How to Get MORE Fastpass+ (like 15+)
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- Disney Vacation Packing List
- 5 Things You'll Want to Bring on a Disney Vacation
- 15 Ways to RUIN a trip to Disney World
- 7 BEST Shows at Disney World
- 28 Great Places to Eat on the Disney Dining Plan
Chelsea enjoys full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe.She homeschools her son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. Besides traveling and learning with her little one, Chelsea enjoys Irish dance, singing, riding bikes, finding new coffee shops, and sitting around the campfire. You can follow her adventures at Wonder Wherever We Wander.
