Rain at Disney World? Take Cover with These 7 Things to Do
You’re in the parks having a great time. Riding all your favorite rides. Standing in long lines. Then, you hear it.
A loud roar of thunder. You notice it is starting to get really dark overhead.
And it starts to pour. What’s there to do if you encounter rain at Disney World?
First, it depends if lightning is in the area. If it is only slightly showering, most attractions will still be open. However, lightning is a different issue. Outdoor attractions will close until it is safe to reopen.
If you happen to have a FastPass for an attraction closed due to storms, you should be able to re-use that FastPass for another attraction of your choice, it doesn’t have to be scheduled.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom is one of them
In fact, here is the email I received when Splash Mountain was closed due to a thunder and lightning storm the last time I was there:
What did we do?
Read this list of 7 things to do in the rain at Disney World – Magic Kingdom.
1. Put on those ponchos!
Did you pack ponchos in your Disney day bag? This is a must-have item, especially in the summer months when it rains almost daily.
Of course, the parks sell Disney logo ponchos, but they are $10 for children and $12 for adults. That’s quite a bit of money for something that may not be used again.
Purchase a cheaper set of ponchos from Amazon before you leave. We bought a pack just like these. They were in my day bag for 2 days before we used them, but they definitely came in handy!
That’s an adult size my daughter has on, so I didn’t worry about getting a specific size for her. Make sure you get ones with a hood and drawstring. Multi-colored ponchos are great, too!
- FAMILY RAIN PONCHOS PACK: 6 pack for adults and 6 pack for kids. Men , Women, Teens and children individually packaged.
- THICK AND DURABLE: Designed for durability our ponchos are thicker than most other disposable rain ponchos on the market. We use eco-friendly non-toxic materials.
- LIGHTWEIGHT & PORTABLE: Compact and lightweight, always keep one in your pocket, hand bag, backpack, in the car or leave one in your desk at work – never get caught out by that unexpected shower!
- RAIN PONCHOS WITH DRAWSTRING HOOD: Each rain coat came with drawstring to stop water and reinforce protection around head and face zone.
- PERFECT FOR: amusement park, camping, hiking, corporate events, live sports, concerts, cycling, outdoor festivals, etc.
2. Indoor Rides
While Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain were both closed in Frontierland, we headed back to Adventureland for Pirates of the Carribean. I was surprised the line was only a 10-minute wait during this torrential downpour. It seemed more people were standing at the entrance waiting for the rain to end than actually were on the ride.
Try to get to a ride that has the majority of its queue indoors.
Here’s a list of indoor Magic Kingdom rides:
- Pirates of the Carribean
- It’s a Small World
- Peter Pan
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Cups
- Under the Sea
- Buzz Lightyear
- Space Mountain
- Monster’s Inc, Laugh Floor
3. Seek out indoor attractions
These can be a great respite from the weather and, often, are longer than a typical ride. You can usually find some sort of indoor entertainment in each land at the Magic Kingdom.
- Carousel of Progress (Tomorrowland)
- Mickey’s Philharmagic (Fantasyland)
- Country Bear Jamboree (Frontierland)
- Enchanted Tiki Room (Adventureland)
- The Hall of Presidents (Liberty Square)
4. Grab a bite to eat
Nothing passes the time such as eating! Stop at one of the enclosed, quick-service restaurants.
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (Tomorrowland)
- Pinocchio’s Village Haus (Fantasyland)
- Columbia Harbor House (Liberty Square)
- Pecos Bill and Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland)
- Casey’s Corner (Main Street USA)
5. Savor some ice cream
Yep, we did this along with a crowd of other people! The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street has wonderful Minnie or Mickey ‘kitchen sink’ sundaes – definitely enough to share.
For dairy-free alternatives, they also carry raspberry sorbet which was delicious.
6. Go shopping!
The shops along Main Street are all connected indoors. Therefore, you can start at one end (by Casey’s Corner) and go up Main Street all the way to the front of the park.
If you are staying at a Disney resort, have your package shipped directly to your hotel’s gift shop – for free. This eliminates carrying any extra packages that could get wet. You can only do this if you are not checking out the next day.
7. Resort hop via the monorail
If you can avoid getting too soaked, make a dash for the Magic Kingdom’s monorail station and hop on the resort one.
The resort monorail stops at The Contemporary, The Polynesian and The Grand Floridian. Each stop is under cover, so you won’t get wet once you are onboard.
Visit the gift shops, any restaurants, or grab a drink (or a Dole Whip at the Polynesian) and hang out in the lobby. These resorts are gorgeous and make me daydream of one day staying here (they are out of my price range, however).
Easy ways to deal with rain at Disney
There you have it. Seven things to do in the rain at Disney World, specifically the Magic Kingdom. Your day doesn’t have to be all washed out (pun intended!). Most summer storms blow over quickly and you will be back in action before you know it.
A word of caution so you are not too surprised… the Fastpass lines can get extremely long after a storm. All of the people that missed their Fastpass time during the inclement weather now can use it anytime.
When we were there last week, the Fastpass line for Big Thunder Mountain was 1.5 hours. You read that correctly. The standby line was 3 hours!! Splash Mountain was having technical difficulties, therefore it was closed half the day. All those people holding a Fastpass for that ride could use it anywhere, anytime.
Don’t fret about rain at Disney. There’s not much you can do to avoid it. Enjoy the morning hours (see tip #4 in 15 Disney World Mistakes Not to Make) and hope the afternoon storm blows over quickly.
Enjoy some of these seven things to do while it’s raining at Disney and still remember that you are at The Happiest Place on Earth.
Any other Magic Kingdom tips while it’s raining? Please let me know in the comments!
Other Disney tips you may enjoy:
- Best Seats on the Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Disney on a Budget
- Best Budget Hotels near Disney World
- ‘Ohana Character Breakfast Review
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Need help planning your Disney World experience? Read the Disney Planning Guide and then download my free Disney organizer and planner here! It outlines the best time to make reservations whether that be for character meals or FastPasses and also includes a printable where you can keep track of all your reservations.
