Rainy days happen. Even at the most magical place on Earth. Here’s the best ideas for what to do on a rainy day at Walt Disney World!
Florida is known for it’s pop up rain showers. You can leave your hotel room in the morning with clear skies and just a few hours later, get caught in the rain.
The good news about rain at Disney World is that it rarely lasts all day. Many times there’s a brief rain shower and then you can go on with your day!
What to Bring
Whether it’s already raining or it’s just a normal day at Disney, here’s some of the rain gear you’ll want to have with you to protect yourself against the rain (or water rides!)
- Poncho – Topping the list is a cheap poncho. We always have a set of ponchos ready in case or rain – or a for ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Disney sells ponchos at their gift shops, but we prefer to save the cash and buy cheap ones on Amazon. Alternately, you could bring a rain jacket. We prefer cheap rain ponchos that can be thrown away so that we don’t have to worry about carrying around wet ponchos all day.
- Ziploc Bags – I always carry a gallon size Ziploc bag in my purse to slip my phone and charger into to protect against rain or water rides.
- Quick Dry Clothing – it’s always a good idea to be wearing quick dry clothing in the theme parks. That way, you’re never wet too long.
- Umbrella – packing a small umbrella is a good choice when the weather forecast is predicting rain. You’ll be glad to have it if there’s a downpour.
- Quick Dry Shoes or Waterproof shoes – If you have the option – bring it! I like to wear Birkenstock sandals on rainy days because there’s nothing more uncomfortable than wet socks or wet shoes. And on that note, make sure you pack 2 pairs of shoes so that if one gets wet, you can use the second pair.
- Rain Cover – if you have a stroller, be sure to bring a rain cover so that the seat doesn’t get saturated.
Disney World Rainy Day Tips
If it is raining, that does not mean that the park is closing. It just means that you will need to seek indoor attractions.
You will see lots of people heading for the exit. This is to your advantage as many Florida rain showers move through quick and will be over very soon. That will drive down wait times for the rides later on in your day!
Be sure to check in on the My Disney Experience app. You can see what is open now, rides that are temporarily closed for rain, and then later you can see what is reopened after the storm.
And remember, you best bets for having fun on a rainy day are hitting the indoor attractions, character meet and greets, gift shops, and enjoying some great food!
What to do at Magic Kingdom in the Rain
When it rains at Magic Kingdom, you can expect that all of the outdoor rides will close, but the indoor attractions will stay open. That means that roller coasters, trains, water rides and aerial lift rides like Dumbo will close during rain or if lightning is detected nearby.
However, indoor rides and attractions will continue to operate.
That means you can still ride:
- Space Mountain
- TRON Lightcycle Run
- Carousel of Progress
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- It’s a Small World
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Enchanted Tiki Room
Don’t forget – when there’s a big downpour rainstorm it’s an great time to do meet characters, check out the gift shops, or have a nice meal!
Plus, if you’re lucky, you might catch the Rainy Day Cavalcade which is a fun rainy day parade that takes place instead of the regularly scheduled parade.
Epcot Fun in the Rain
Epcot just might be the best park to visit in the rain. Most of its attractions are indoors and not affected by the weather.
Test Track and any outdoor attractions will close during rainy weather, but otherwise, you will find that most things remain open including:
- Spaceship Earth
- Living With The Land
- Soarin’ Around the World
- The Seas With Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Mission: SPACE
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
The Land Pavilion and The Seas Pavilion are both a great option on rainy days as there is a lot of attractions, shows, a cool aquarium, and food all within a short distance of each other.
If you find yourself in the World Showcase section of the park during a downpour, don’t forget that most of the countries have a fun exhibit indoors showcasing the culture of that country.
Many of the countries also have a film to watch or you could take a break from the rain and enjoy a nice meal!
And don’t forget watch for character meet and greet opportunities!
Rainy Day at Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is another great pick for a rainy day as most of the attractions are indoors. You can expect that the following rides will operate during rain storms.
- Star Tours
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Toy Story Mania
- Frozen Sing-Along show
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure show
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – operates in rain, but will close if there’s lightning.
- Alien Swirling Saucers operates in light rain, but it is not fully enclosed so it will shut down if there is heavy rain.
There’s also plenty of characters at Hollywood Studios for you to meet and greet! Plus, as we’ve mentioned, rain is a great time to visit a gift shop or grab a bite to eat (especially at a table service restaurant).
Animal Kingdom in the Rain
I’m going to be completely honest. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is probably the hardest park to visit in the rain. There’s options, but there’s not much.
You will find the following rides and shows stay open in the rain:
- Festival of the Lion King show
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! show
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Na’vi River Journey
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether! show
The animal trails and other outdoor attractions close during rain and storms to protect visitors.
You can expect to find character meet and greets open, gift shops, as well as restaurants.
I hope this has been helpful in planning your Rainy Day at Disney World! Have any rainy day tips to share with others? Drop them in the comments section below!
More Disney Planning Tips
Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation? We’ve got lots of great tips for the Disney Parks so you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest!
Learn all about What to do at Disney Springs with Kids here. A rainy day can be the perfect time to visit this fun place!
Looking for the best Disney Resorts for Families? Check out our review of Art of Animation Resort here and learn about Pop Century Resort here.
Want to learn when Disney is the least busy so you can experience fewer crowds? Here’s the Best Time to Visit Disney.
Bringing a stroller with you? Here’s some of the best ways to Mark Your Stroller at Disney.
And of course, don’t miss this list of 5 Must-Have Items for Disney World. These are things you need!
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