While Florida is known as the Sunshine State, it isn’t always sunny here. In fact, we get 60% of our rain in just a few short months.
Planning for your Disney World Vacation takes forever, but the week before you trip you check the weather.
Rain? For all or part of your trip? It sounds awful, but truly, there is a lot you can do to prepare for a Rainy Walt Disney World Vacation.
For Starters, we’ll talk about what you should bring with you (or purchase while you are there!) for making your trip a success.
The other thing’s you’ll need to know include this list of top things to do at Disney World in the rain, and this super helpful Magic Kingdom Rainy Day Itinerary.
This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure here.
What Should I wear to Disney World when it rains?
Typically, it will rain for a few hours at Disney World.
During this rainy time, if you venture outside, you will absolutely get wet. There are puddles everywhere, it literally rains sideways, and overhead rain ceilings are in short supply!
But other days… it will rain the ENTIRE DAY.
Knowing that you will get wet, we recommend you wear and bring inside the parks:
Some sort of cover. This could be a rain jacket, a poncho, windbreaker etc.
A lightweight cotton or polyester tshirt (and bring a spare!)
Quick drying shorts or pants (examples like light canvas, rayon or polyester).
A Hat, or something to the rain out of your hair and face, like a hoodie or poncho.
Extra Face Masks
Shoes to keep your feet dry OR an extra pair to change into once the first pair are soaked.
What you likely shouldn’t wear when it rains at Disney World:
Jeans- these take forever to dry
Thin leggings- could be a recipe for embarrassment when they get drenched in the downpour
Shoes without straps or with raised heels- like non secure flip flops- as you might slip and fall
Best shoes to wear at Disney World in the rain
If you are already there, wear what you have available! Hopefully you’ve brought a spare.
If you are packing for an extra rainy trip, rain boots or regular boots are a great option to have. I love love my short style rain boots for Florida Rains! Disney World has some crazy deep puddles and flooding, and if you have the option to have rain boots, it will be so helpful with keeping your feet dry.
My prefered option for Disney World is a strappy utility sandal. This allows my feet to get wet, but they also dry off really fast! I don’t like this option if it rains all day (see above for the rain boots when it rains every day that week!)
But Crocs (the regular kind, not the sandal) WITH SOCKS are a great option. I do these for the kids often! The socks keep your feet from chaffing, and you can switch socks once you get somewhere dry.
Sneakers/Tennis shoes can also work well… but will need to dry out the next day. Make sure to bring a spare!
Don’t wear these shoes to the parks: a regular flip flop, or a regular thong flip flop or any leather shoes. These will be very slippery! and won’t hold up to the rainy weather.
Best Ponchos for Disney World
I’ve tried every poncho, from the dollar store one, to the utility ones, to the ones offered at Disney.
They all work! (but some are better than others!) here’s the quick ranking guide:
Best Poncho Option to reuse: This poncho from amazon with buttons (or go to a camping store, or get one from Publix). I’m OBSESSED with these because they don’t get you completely soaked when you go to take them off! Great for the strollers too!
Best Budget Friendly Disney Poncho: We grabbed these for our Fort Wilderness Camping trip! This is a jumbo pack of 20 cheap ponchos. They are flimsy, but they get the job done. I felt guilty for throwing them away after one use though!
Best no fuss Poncho: The ones you buy AT disney! No fuss, get them when you need them. The *only* thing is that they might have sold out due to supply issues.
What to Pack for a Rainy Disney World Vacation?
Since Disney World doesn’t have the best Rainy Day Guarantee, it looks like you’ll need to head to the parks in the wetter weather to get the most of your tickets!
Ponchos: Most people reach for the disposable ponchos, and we’ve got a few spares in our car! What we really enjoy are these thicker ponchos as they tend to last a few more days than average and lead to less waste.
Rain Coat: For the kids, or those who really need to stay dry, a rain coat is highly recommended. While we typically don’t bring these into the parks, if we know it will rain all day, we always grab a rain coat!
Stroller/ECV Cover: For those of you with little children, or for those of you with a mobility device, definitely bring a cover! They have specialty ones that fit like a glove, or you can improvise with a few ponchos strategically tied together. Disney World does sell stroller covers, but they are a bit clunky- better to purchase ahead of time so you have one that fits perfectly!
Proper Shoes: As a floridian, I’m either wearing sandals with straps OR rain boots. The reason? I can wipe my sandals off after the rain (or take them off if it gets really deep!) and then they dry much quicker than a paid of sneakers! Rain boots are obviously a no brainer, and the kids either wear rain boots or croc like shoes when it rains.
In Room Entertainment: Since your planning on a rainy trip, make sure you have some options for entertainment in your room where it is nice and dry! Disney does have a TV but it is severely lacking in great things to watch ( I wish they would hook Disney + up to the rooms!) and especially lacking in things to do for the under 13 crowd! Items like cards, ipads, and coloring books will go a long way in the rain!
Waterproof Baggies: A no brainer, but one we forget all the time! We typically leave these water resistant bags in our car, and they have been so handy! But if you know it’s going to be a real rainy time, grab some waterproof baggies to store your dry clothes OR your wet clothes so they don’t soak everything else.
Towels or Paper Towels: Again, seems like common sense, but these are so hard to come by when you are in the parks! Towels are great for drying things off, and while Disney does have towels for sale, they are not absorbent since they haven’t been washed first. Grab some towels from your room, or pack some paper towels so you can dry off once you’ve found dry land!
All of the normal stuff! You can browse this guide for packing tips for Disney World, but in a nutshell, you should bring stuff for a regular vacation too! Disney weather is unpredictable, and you’re bad weather report might actually get better once you get here!
What to Pack for a Rainy Disney World Vacation?
Since Disney World doesn’t have the best Rainy Day Guarantee, it looks like you’ll need to head to the parks in the wetter weather to get the most of your tickets!
Ponchos: Most people reach for the disposable ponchos, and we’ve got a few spares in our car! What we really enjoy are these thicker ponchos as they tend to last a few more days than average and lead to less waste.
Rain Coat: For the kids, or those who really need to stay dry, a rain coat is highly recommended. While we typically don’t bring these into the parks, if we know it will rain all day, we always grab a rain coat!
Stroller/ECV Cover: For those of you with little children, or for those of you with a mobility device, definitely bring a cover! They have specialty ones that fit like a glove, or you can improvise with a few ponchos strategically tied together. Disney World does sell stroller covers, but they are a bit clunky- better to purchase ahead of time so you have one that fits perfectly!
Proper Shoes: As a floridian, I’m either wearing sandals with straps OR rain boots. The reason? I can wipe my sandals off after the rain (or take them off if it gets really deep!) and then they dry much quicker than a paid of sneakers! Rain boots are obviously a no brainer, and the kids either wear rain boots or croc like shoes when it rains.
In Room Entertainment: Since your planning on a rainy trip, make sure you have some options for entertainment in your room where it is nice and dry! Disney does have a TV but it is severely lacking in great things to watch ( I wish they would hook Disney + up to the rooms!) and especially lacking in things to do for the under 13 crowd! Items like cards, ipads, and coloring books will go a long way in the rain!
Waterproof Baggies: A no brainer, but one we forget all the time! We typically leave these water resistant bags in our car, and they have been so handy! But if you know it’s going to be a real rainy time, grab some waterproof baggies to store your dry clothes OR your wet clothes so they don’t soak everything else.
Towels or Paper Towels: Again, seems like common sense, but these are so hard to come by when you are in the parks! Towels are great for drying things off, and while Disney does have towels for sale, they are not absorbent since they haven’t been washed first. Grab some towels from your room, or pack some paper towels so you can dry off once you’ve found dry land!
All of the normal stuff! You can browse this guide for packing tips for Disney World, but in a nutshell, you should bring stuff for a regular vacation too! Disney weather is unpredictable, and you’re bad weather report might actually get better once you get here!
What to Bring and Pack for a Rainy Day Disney World Overview
Bring lightweight clothing that dries easily, plus rain covers like ponchos, coats and covers for strollers and ECVs.
Plan for it to rain for all or part of your vacation, and remember towels, baggies and being flexible so you can stay dry!