Be prepared for the daily rainstorm you are likely to encounter on your next Disney World vacation with these fantastic Tips for Doing Disney World in the Rain!
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.
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
Tips for Doing 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 indoormeet-and-greet.
Mickey and Minnie are all decked out in their safari gear at this fun indoormeet-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.
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.
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.
stride.
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