Oh no, the sky looks grim! The clouds are gathering, and a thunderstorm is going to shower down and ruin everyone’s magical day. As the rain pounds the ground, everyone scatters and looks for cover to wait out those evening Florida showers that occur so frequently on a particularly hot day.
When it rains in the World, you have several options. Any kiosk or store will definitely have ponchos. You may not see them at first, but they will appear. They always do. If you are the adventurous sort, you can just don your poncho and keep going. This is not for everyone though. Instead of braving the storm, you could enter an attraction that is based inside some sort of building. If you are in the Magic Kingdom, this is not too difficult. You could make a trip to the Hall of the Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmagic, any of the dark rides in Fantasyland, or you could even get a little shopping done while you wait for the storm. Be aware though, that the shops will be very crowded as well as the queues for these inside rides. If you have time, you could go and hang out in one of the counter service locations in the Magic Kingdom. We have spent many happy hours at Columbia Harbour House while the rain was pounding down on us. You can stop in for a snack and just enjoy resting for a little while. Hey, you could probably use a break anyway, right? My favorite Magic Kingdom for a rainy day is the Pirates of the Caribbean. The attraction is always fun, so you can re-ride it many times. Also, the area is covered, and there is also a store in which you can browse. Not only can you be entertained while you escape the deluge, you can also find a conveniently located bathroom in the Pirates complex. It is the perfect place to wait out a rainstorm!
Now, if you are in Epcot, you could spend time in Innoventions, walk through and examine all that the countries in the World Showcase have to offer. Many times, people just breeze through these countries in order to make it to the next attraction. If it starts raining, take some time and just explore. If you happen to be stuck in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the rain, you can go and see one of the many shows that are presented daily throughout the park. Be aware that many outside rides will close, however, if there is lightning in the area. If the rain is just light, most of the rides will just stay open. The Animal Kingdom is the most difficult park to be stranded in when the skies open up because the majority of this park is outside. You will have to make a run for it, or try and see some of the attractions that make their homes inside and away from those Florida showers. You could view Finding Nemo: The Musical or watch the It’s Tough to be a Bug show in the Tree of Life. Again, you could always do some shopping in order to wait out the rain.
For my husband and I, we tend to ignore our own advice. We usually just take out our rain jackets keep moving forward. This is advantageous because most people do run and hide from the rain. With this in mind, we take this as an opportunity to walk through the thoroughfares of whichever park we are in without any obstructions in our path. We attempt to ride as many outdoor rides as possible. Let me tell you, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in a rainstorm is an experience. Each droplet feels like a tiny bullet on your face as you round the turns and dips. I don’t know why, but I absolutely love Disney in the rain. Maybe it’s just the heavy sprinkling of Pixie Dust that you receive when you check into a Disney resort, but I can’t help but hope for a rainstorm when I start to feel those first tell tale drops of an imminent rain shower. The rain seems to make the day go by slower, and that means it feels like I have more time in my favorite place. So, the next time it rains, perhaps you could just throw on your rain gear and keep going! Hey, you’re in Disney World; even the rain is magical! Until next time, have a magical day and keep moving forward!
