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What to do at Disney when it rains . . .

The last thing anyone wants to plan within their itinerary while at Disney is rain … but unfortunately it happens. We had the distinct pleasure (lol) of experiencing Walt Disney World during Hurricane Debby just a few weeks ago. So I would like to share with you some of the tips we found while we were there; and some other tips that can make your vacation enjoyable, even in the rain.

A lot of the top Disney “experts” all claim the best choice for rain days is Downtown Disney. Walking around from shop to shop with a large umbrella or poncho doesn’t at all seem like a bad deal when you think about it. But, if you have kids … then the second best thing to do at Downtown Disney is Disney Quest. For those choosing the premium option with your park tickets … an admission to Disney Quest is included, so be sure and check that out. There is still plenty of interactive fun to keep the kids happy and cut down on the “I’m bored” rant.

Now it pretty much rained the entire time we were there (other than the last three days of our vacation), so going to the parks were a must. It always varies on the severity of the weather which rides and attractions will stay open and which ones will close. So if you have one of those nifty smart phones be sure and download an app that can update you as to which ones are or aren’t available that day. That was a big help.

The one park we decided not to visit this trip was Animal Kingdom. It seems there are more outdoor venues and outdoor eating spaces … which in turn isn’t good if you are looking to duck in to avoid a few raindrops. All the other parks seem to have more inside venues that could better shield you and your family from weather that may turn on a dime.

A definite must in almost every park is … BUY THE RAIN PONCHOS. For one they are durable … and we have used ours the last four years in revisiting Disney. They are worth the money. And can be easily stored in a plastic freezer sized Ziploc bag (I fit 5 adult sized ponchos and 1 kids sized poncho in one bag), and placed it in the bottom of my backpack

Another thing that seems pretty popular is checking out to see if there are any character meal times available last minute should the day turn a little gloomy. We love Cape May Cafe for breakfast and had that planned for months prior coming to Disney. But I guess that day with all the rain everyone else had the same idea and there were a lot of walk ins that day. We waited an hour after our original reservation time to get in, but as always the breakfast was well worth it. And we got some great character interaction in a nice dry, calm environment.

Checking out some of the other resorts is also an idea. That is one thing we don’t normally get to do while we are there … and are always intrigued by what the other resorts have to offer. Not only just for putting them on our bucket list of where we might like to stay someday … but also for their different eating and shopping as well.

The two previous years the days we went to water parks were also days that it rained. Well .. if the weather is just a light rain … why not go to the water park. You’re already gonna get wet … right? LOL !!! A lot of the water parks weren’t very busy this past trip but also a lot of the water rides weren’t up and running because of how quickly severe the weather could turn.

One last thing that we personally had on our side staying off property was the fact that our vacation home was equipped with a game room. There was a pool table, darts, ping pong, bevy of games … and the kids spent at least two rain days just hanging out in there. We never heard them complain once … and even the adults enjoyed a few games of pool taking on the kids.

I was surprised how full the parks were even in the shadows of a hurricane. So pack those rain ponchos and remember two things …. one, you won’t look any stranger than anyone else in that poncho (the ones not wearing them are the outcasts – lol!) … and two …. don’t let the rain dampen your magical Disney vacation … it will just make those pages you scrapbook more interesting.

Travel Tips — Making the most of your visit with simple ideas

If you use Disney Transportation to get back and forth from the parks, then a lot of that worry is conveniently taken care of for you. We drive to Disney and stay off property since we tend to stay together in a larger group. The one thing I suggest if you are not familiar with Disney property and getting around … pre-program the address of the destination you are heading to into your GPS. I keep a log of all the addresses of all the parks and destinations in my travel log notebook … so just in case we are on the road and change destinations we can input the information quick and easy. The first few times we had to do this then quickly were able to find our way around.

The “first” thing I do when I get out of the vehicle is take a photo of the nearest sign for where we parked either on our digital camera or camera phone. After a long day at the park you can fast forward through the pictures you took and remember exactly where you need to be. This has been a big help and a great way to avoid arguments as to others lack of direction … not that anyone of us has ever had a significant other ever screw up directions? Or ever have a significant other own up to being lost.

One thing we do by staying off property is freeze bottles of water back at the vacation home and take those frozen bottles with us when we go. The bottles will thaw out through the day, but you will always have a cold drink of water at your hands. Very important in the hot summer months. Bottles of water at the parks are very expensive in my opinion. So we go to a place like Walmart and buy a case of water when we first arrive.

Note if you are going to do this … you will have to open the bottle and pour a small amount out of it before freezing it. This will allow for expansion in the bottle when the water freezes and the bottle won’t explode. Trust me .. I am speaking from experience here.

Now that our children are older they all are required to carry backpacks or small drawstring bags (like you see above), with all their necessities. They carry their autograph books/pens, a camera if they are carrying one, baby wipes or hand sanitizer, gum (this isn’t sold in any of the Disney parks), travel size Kleenex, a small change carrier for pennies to put in the penny press machines, rain poncho, sunglasses, extra zip-lock bag, an extra shirt in a zip lock bag. You have no idea how much that comes in handy sometimes if spills happen. I also put their bottle of water or drinks in a zip-lock so just in case something explodes or pops … everything in their backpack doesn’t get ruined.

Now that we don’t have little ones … there isn’t that room to stick things in the basket of a stroller. So we don’t take in too many items into the parks. The adults both carry a backpack as well. And are usually the ones with pain medicines, bennadryl (especially for me since I fall allergic to certain things), band-aids, insect repellant, sunscreen, extra zip-locks (these come in handy for food that you might want to stick in there and snack on later while you are in the parks). I also carry snacks for the kids in my bag. If they carried it in theirs they would have it all gone before we got into the parking lot. This helps cut down on the “I’m hungry” whine all the time. We usually will snack while we’re standing in long lines. Instead of stopping everything to snack … we snack while we wait, just helps us make the most of our time at the parks.

I hope a few of these little tips and tricks help you make your trip to Disney a little more enjoyable and a much easier so everyone can enjoy the experience. I have tons more ideas and look for another blog post later in the month from me how I put together my own travel log/Disney diary, that keeps track of where we went when and any special moments we experienced.