Tips about Rain

The small Disney shopping bag is perfect for holding a raincoat. It packs easily into backpacks and can also even be threaded through a belt. Like others, I always save every shopping bag until we go home just in case we need it for something, but when we have to purchase a new raincoat, I'm always glad there is a little one stored in our room. - Lori Wedeking

The small Disney shopping bag is perfect for holding a raincoat. It packs easily into backpacks and can also even be threaded through a belt. Like others, I always save every shopping bag until we go home just in case we need it for something, but when we have to purchase a new raincoat, I'm always glad there is a little one stored in our room. - Lori Wedeking

Scotchgard those canvas sneakers before you leave home for WDW! Apply several coats, and allow plenty of drying time between applications. Dry feet make those sudden Florida downpours a whole lot more bearable! - Mary Mitchell

We ran to a local Wal-Mart, and rather than buying those simple "$1" ponchos which never get back the same way, we bought the heavier, more expensive ponchos. However, as we got home, we realized that yellow ponchos in a rainy day at WDW won't really stand out - especially if we're looking for one another in our family so I printed off a "script" letter on my computer large enough to fill a single piece of paper. Then I carefully traced it onto each poncho, and using a black permanent marker, colored in the letter. Now, when it rains (and did it ever last August) all we have to do is look for our letter on the back of a poncho is a sea of ponchos! It worked great! - Bill Eisenstot

EDITOR'S NOTE: Disney has discontinued sales of the yellow ponchos (the new ones are clear) but there are still many people wearing them when it rains.

During the summer months you know how it rains everyday in FL. Wearing sneakers or sandals can get ruined or really mushy if you get caught in one of Florida's afternoon thunderstorms. Well if you carry with you to the parks your water shoes (like the ones from Wal-Mart) and put them on during a torrential thunderstorm you won't be so opposed to getting your feet wet or going out in the storm. After the storm, you can don your regular shoes that are nice and dry and continue on with your day or evening feeling comfortable. The water shoes are lightweight, easy to carry around even after they get wet, plus they dry a whole lot faster than your sneakers or sandals. - Kim Evans of Maryland

During our trip, we got caught in one of those rain storms. What saved the day and our souvenirs, brochures, guidebooks and everything else in our backpack was a good 3 coats of ScotchGuard that I had applied to our backpack when we had purchased it for the trip.

After having waited in the rain 1/2 hour and watching Illuminations without an umbrella or poncho, and walking to the parking lot, the inside of our basic $15 backpack was as dry as could be! Not only were our paper goods dry, so was my wallet and our camera and extra film which I had forgotten to put in a ziplock bag.

ScotchGuard (or any other spray on fabric protector/waterproofer) is available in office supply stores, craft stores and places like PepBoys. One thing that also saved our stuff was the fact that the zippers on our backpack were covered by a hem or flap that also helped keep out the water, but with all the water I had to wring out of my clothes, I know that can of ScotchGuard saved our day! - Regina Aaron

Don't let the rain keep you from the water parks! On the day we were to go to Typhoon Lagoon we awoke to cloudy skies and rain. We checked with the front desk and they said that the park was still scheduled to be open. When we arrived at about 10:15 a.m. the Cast Member at the turnstiles said that we were numbers 9 and 10 in the park for the day. We had a blast! It was like having the park to ourselves and saved us from being turned into lobsters. Next time we go, we will schedule our water park day on the rainy day. - Melissa Gvist

My 8-year-old daughter loves her pressed penny collection, and this year we discovered that you can get a complete listing of all pressed penny machine locations in WDW from Guest Services. This gave us a great "excuse" to go resort-hopping! For those folks with a little time on their hands and their own transportation (WDW bus transportation is not a viable option for this activity), pressed penny "scavenger hunts" can be an excellent activity to save a rainy day, and a wonderful way to decide which resort you'd like to stay in on your next visit to WDW! - Susan Hughes

A tip for those times during the year when it rains every day: Each morning we packed our "rain backpack" with a poncho for everyone (four of us), as well as a couple of old ripped ponchos. But most importantly, we included a pair of water shoes or water sandals (Teva-like) for everyone. On the way to the park there was one backpack per person. However, our first stop in the parks was to rent a locker and put the "rain backpack" into a locker. Then when rain threatened or we got caught in the rain (since we had umbrellas with us) we would head to the locker to trade our sneakers for the sandals and ponchos. Then after the rain, we would switch back to our sneakers if we wanted. We also found we stayed the driest if we wore our backpacks on our chests, allowing the poncho to cover us and the backpack, and also used the umbrellas. At least for us, the umbrellas did not seem awkward or cumbersome -- it was actually easier to be careful to avoid fellow guests than having our heads heating up inside the poncho hoods that very much limited our vision. Inside the attractions we had the extra ponchos to place on the wet seats and wrap up the wet umbrellas for stuffing into the "rain backpack." Pam Knoop

I have an important tip for all of you taking a trip during the fall rainy season. My husband and I went last fall and found that one pair of tennis shoes is not enough. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might be fine in wet shoes the rest of the day, but when you put them back on later that night, it makes for uncomfortable dancing! Buy and break in that second pair of shoes so you have something to wear around while your wet shoes dry.Christie

In the summer, have ponchos with you at all times. We learned that on the first day of our trip. - Jennifer Smith

I wanted to thank you for a tip I read about on your website. We chose to go to Disney during the hurricane season and although the hurricane never came on land, we did feel its effects. It rained every day at 4 p.m. (more than the usual daily Orlando shower). We have a 4 year old who required a stroller and was extremely afraid of getting his clothes wet. Luckily I had read about the stroller cover you can purchase at Babies R' Us which protects the stroller from rain. It was a lifesaver. Alex and our items that were stored under the stroller, remained dry everyday. It folds away like those playhut tents into a small, flat circle. It was the best ten dollars we spent! Alex was happy and so were we. - Angie and Bill

Here is one of the best tips I can offer. We have just returned from a week in Disney where it rained for three days... and over 10"!! I had forgotten to pack our umbrellas, so we had to pick up WDW rain ponchos. They were $5.66 each. I originally cringed at spending our souvenir money on them (we needed five of them). My son accidentally ripped his while trying to pull up his hood. I had commented to a Cast Member later in the day and she smiled and said "No problem!" They exchanged his poncho quickly and stated that any time your poncho rips, you can trade it in for a new one from any store that sells them. My husband's ripped on our last day and his was just as easily exchanged. Most people I told this to had no idea Disney would give you a new one. My tip: those ponchos are worth their weight in gold! - Colleen Anastasi

I just want to second this. I wore my Nike Prestos to Disney last year, and it was amazing how well my feet held up in these shoes. Not only did I save my feet from blisters, but, because the shoes are cloth, they are extremely light, so your legs are less tired. The cloth also dries much more quickly than traditional sneaker material, which is great for rainy days and water rides. They are around $80, but on a quick trip to the Nike Outlet on 192, I found them for $30-$40. I now have four pairs of them -- they are all I ever wear! - Vanessa Gold

I just want to second this. I wore my Nike Prestos to Disney last year, and it was amazing how well my feet held up in these shoes. Not only did I save my feet from blisters, but, because the shoes are cloth, they are extremely light, so your legs are less tired. The cloth also dries much more quickly than traditional sneaker material, which is great for rainy days and water rides. They are around $80, but on a quick trip to the Nike Outlet on 192, I found them for $30-$40. I now have four pairs of them -- they are all I ever wear! - Vanessa Gold