It’s that time of year. Central Florida in summer. Not only is it very, very hot – but it’s also very, very rainy. So if you’re here on your once in a lifetime (or once in a month?!) vacation and it’s raining cats and dogs – what do you do??? Don’t fret. I’ve got you covered, boo. Ten fabulous ways to occupy yourself during the Florida monsoon season. 😉
- Watch for Rainbows.
A wise man once said that if you don’t like the weather in Florida, wait 5 minutes. Case in point: There’s usually sunshine not far behind those storms. One of the many up sides to this is that there are a lot of incredible rainbows around here. Watch for them. They’re beautiful.
- Relax in line.
Walt Disney World doesn’t just have great attractions – they have great queues. Because one of the things that Disney does well is keep us from ever, ever getting bored. And while you might not usually want to sacrifice an hour or more for a single ride – when the queue doubles as shelter from the storm it’s not such a bad thing anyway. So pick a ride with a fabulous indoor queue like Flight of Passage or Peter Pan’s Flight and relax under cover.
- Go bowling.
I’ve raved about Splitsville in Disney Springs here before. It’s a great bowling alley in Disney Springs with shockingly good food. (Try the sushi!! Seriously.) This place is so, so much fun and the perfect off-the-beaten-path place to spend a rainy afternoon.
- Watch a movie.
And after you finish at Splitsville? Wander next door to the AMC theater in Disney Springs. I’ve never seen crowd enthusiasm for movies like I’ve seen in this place. The Dolby cinema is pretty fabulous and there’s a dine in option as well!!
- Go on a safari.
Some of the very best animal experiences we’ve had on Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom have been during or just after storms. The rain cools off this hotter-than-anywhere-else-in-Disney park for guests and animals alike and the animals show their gratitude by being out in abundance. And the safari vehicles are covered. So you’ll be out of storm’s way and able to enjoy even more wildlife than usual.
- Watch the Rainy Day Cavalcade.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the Festival of Fantasy and probably have more pictures of it than anything else at Disney. But if you’ve seen it 100 times it might be nice to take in a new Magic Kingdom afternoon experience. Enter the Magic Kingdom Rainy Day Cavalcade – full of rain slicker covered cast members and characters taking cover in vehicles just like you’d be wont to do in the same circumstances. If you’re enjoying the Magic Kingdom and there’s a downpour when Festival of Fantasy would otherwise be happening, be sure to see the Cavalcade.Â
- Enjoy your resort.
If there’s anything that I hope you’ve learned from reading here, it’s that there’s SO much more to Disney than the parks. Case in point? WHEREVER you’re staying on property, there’s a ton to do there. Take a ukulele lesson, make a craft in a Community Hall, tie dye shirts, take a drawing class…there’s no end to the entertainment that you’ll find indoors at any Walt Disney World resort on a rainy day. Have fun exploring it!!
- See a show.
Festival of the Lion King – Photo Credit to Walt Disney World.
There are SO many amazing shows at Walt Disney World and so many of them are indoors!! I would be heartbroken if you left Disney’s Animal Kingdom without seeing Festival of the Lion King or Finding Nemo the Musical. The Frozen Singalong at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a blast. And the various movies around World Showcase in Epcot are wonderful. These are all great respites from the heat of summer – but they’re also great ways to go take shelter from the rain. Go enjoy them!!
- Have a good meal.
Fried Chicken and Doughnuts at Art Smith’s Homecomin’.
I trust I don’t need to say much here. Go. Eat. And watch a storm from under cover while you do it.
- Do exactly what you’d planned.
And first and foremost on this list? Do WHATEVER you’d planned to do before the rain started. Rain cuts both heat AND crowds – making for a pretty awesome park day. There are a small handful of rides, like Test Track, that will close down if it’s raining hard enough – but if you happen to have a FastPass for one you’ll get an alert that the ride is closed and that you can use your FastPass for a different experience. The parks in the rain are so very much fun. Splash in the puddles and don’t let a little downpour ruin your vacation day.
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And there you have it!! What are YOUR favorite things to do in Disney in the rain?
