A week away and the possibility of rain is scaring my party!

[Joshrzmeup]

We are a week away and so far the weather is saying 80% chance of rain the first 2 days (all day according to the weather apps) and then 60% chance the next day. My mom now wants to cancel and reschedule for much later in the year. She doesn't want to go when it rains. She doesn't want to stand in line in the rain and go on outdoor rides and get wet. Ponchos or not. She says we can't take pictures when it's raining and that we'll be stuck in the hotel room doing nothing and it's a waste of money. There is no changing her mind.

I have tried telling her that yeah, it's an 80% chance that it'll rain for an hour or so, but then you have the rest of the day. Plus the weather can change in an instant, who knows what'll be like when we arrive. It could change the day before. She won't budge.

I am beyond crushed and heartbroken about this. I have been looking forward to this for many months, all the planning I have done to help make this trip a reality. I have been saving money like there is no tomorrow. I have been looking forward to a week off of work for a long time. Working extra hours and getting beyond burned out. I need this for mental health reasons. Just to get away from everything.

To see my nieces and nephew on their first disney trip. She doesn't even care about that now. Plus my other brother and his new wife were going to come and surprise her at Magic Kingdom. I don't want to do that to them, either. But, I also cant tell her that. It's not just about her and us anymore, there are others invested in this.

Help me!!!!! How do I get her to see reason???

 

[Master Yoda]

The probability of rain over any 7 day span in Florida is nearly 100%.

It is also worth noting at a weather forecast for Florida more than 24 hours out is an educated guess at best. Stretch that past 48 hours and you might was well spin the wheel of weather.

The majority of the the queues at WDW are indoors so you will most likely be waiting indoors if it rains. When it does rain, especially in the spring and summer, it is over quickly.

While the rain is less frequent in the winter, it likes to last all day when it comes in the winter.

Bring a poncho and/or an umbrella and you will be fine.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

If she wants to wait on Disney till there is no chance of rain, she might as well forget going to Disney ever. It very rarely rains for more than a couple of hours, but if you are going to Disney world it is going to rain sometime during your trip, as for the forecast I have been there when there was and 80 percent chance of rain and it didn't rain a drop and when there was no rain in the forecast and it rained. I hate to say this but, if she is being that obstinate maybe you should just go with out her.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We've had forecasts that said the same within 24 hours of our departure -- and then we never saw a drop of rain.

Other times, the forecasts said no rain at all, but the wet grounds as we came out of attractions told us there'd been a brief shower here and there.

The chances of days of non-stop rain (or by contrast, of no rain at all) are virtually nill -- the rain comes and goes in Florida, but it tends to be in a series of brief showers with sunshine in between, rather than an all-day downpour. Even if that happens, it's easy to make the most of it: grab an umbrella and poncho and take advantage of markedly shorter waits at all of the indoor attractions. Someone needs to explain to your mother than the vast majority of Disney attractions are INDOORS. Nobody will be "stuck in a hotel room" if it rains. Similarly, there will be plenty of photo opportunities INDOORS -- at most of the M&Gs, on rides, and anywhere else she wants to get a picture.

If you can't talk your mother down from the ledge, perhaps you can enlist a family member she trusts. If she truly says she "won't budge" on urging you to cancel because of a few raindrops, I suspect her motive is something else -- some other anxiety related to the trip, or a simple desire to make it all about her. Either way, if she chooses not to go, that's her business, and it shouldn't keep you from making the journey.

Even if a few drops of rain show up, they won't stop you from enjoying your Disney trip. (Just be sure to wear appropriate footwear -- hiking sandals like Tevas are wonderful in the rain, giving you great traction and drying quickly. Flip-flops and Crocs, which become super-slippery when wet, are not!)

EDIT: After seeing @donsullivan's reply, I wanted to "second" it. A lot of people (and OP, it sounds like your mother is one of them) don't understand how to interpret a weather forecast correctly. Percentages reflecting "chances of precipitation" reflect both an area and a time period, and if not properly understood, can make a reader think that rain is a lot more likely than it actually is. http://feedback.weather.com/knowled...ther-com-what-do-the-different-percentages-of

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Rain is rain don't let it ruin your trip buy a handy dandy poncho, if you buy them there and they rip during your stay they exchange them for free. wear sandles so the rain doesn't bother your good shoes and enjoy it! Good thing is a lot of people clear out when it rains. I was at DAK last year it rained for 5 minutes and half the park was gone!

 

[donsullivan]

As an Orlando local for more than a decade now and a regular visitor for a couple of decades before that, I would caution you from overreacting to those reports. It does indeed rain in Florida, it is a tropical climate after all.

However when you see a 70% chance of rain, all that mean is that there is a 70% chance that some area of central FL will get some rain. It does not mean that it is going to rain everywhere for 70% of the day. Storms in Central Florida are often very localized and they rarely last for very long.

 

[andy773]

Also, if you are only a week away, aren't you going to lose deposits and whatnot? Unless you can get refunds, the money is already spent so you might as well take the trip. We were there in February and it rained all day our first day. We were disappointed but ended up going down to the pool and hot tub and had a great time.

 

[sheriffwoody]

It ALWAYS rains when we go, and we don't mind at all. There's plenty of shelter while you wait out the showers, and there are also plenty of indoor attractions to do. It certainly wouldn't be worth losing deposits, plane fare, etc.. just to avoid a little rain.

I wish I had some advice on convincing her, but I know some people are just really obstinate. Hopefully she will concede to still go!

 

[BigRedDad]

First off, explain to the party that no one can control the weather. Second, plan for it and bring rain ponchos or something else. Third, don't worry about getting wet...it is part of the fun.

 

[hanwill]

I have a friend that works for the weather channel. She says you cannot really accurately predict the weather until about 48 hours out... We were just there and the forecast changed three times in 24 hours...

Sounds like something else is going on- not the weather.

 

[DManRightHere]

First, it always rains!

Look on the plus side, it's not nearly as hot when it rains and there is less crowds! I actually like the rain at Disney as long it is not like a monsoon.

The only thing you have to do in the rain is walk and outdor rides.

 

[Joshrzmeup]

She doesn't want to get wet. She'd rather be bored in the hotel room than get wet in the park, poncho or no poncho, and then it's considered a waste of money.

The forecast hasn't changed in 3 days on weatherbug or weather.com. But a weather site my brother sent shows almost the opposite, and I showed her that but she won't budge. She already unpacked and put her suitcases away.

She already e-mailed our travel agent and asked what it would be if just she canceled.

 

[Mr Anderson]

It has rained on literally every trip we've ever taken to Walt Disney World, and it didn't damper our trip or spirits one little bit. At it's WORST, a couple of rides were shut down for an hour, maybe two. At it's best, it took the edge off of a very hot day, and was actually very refreshing (two different experiences on two different trips). Actually, on two out of our three trips thus far, it rained every day, at varying intensities. The parks kept flowing, we barely even noticed it had rained, everything went like clockwork. No big deal... really.

Let your mother know in a kind way just how often it rains in Florida, and it would be impossible to schedule a week-long trip to Disney World where rain isn't a possibility. And her comment about how you'll be stuck at the hotel doing nothing? Please. She's really overreacting. Most rainstorms in Florida just spit on you for a little while and then stop. Here's how I imagine this scenario playing out:

"OH NO, it's raining, we'd better leave!"

*halfway to the park gate, it stops raining*

"Oh. Huh. It's already over. I guess we can stay..."

*1 hour passes*

"DRAT! It's raining again! We'd better leave!"

*Literally 3 minutes later, it stops raining*

"Huh. It stopped again."

Seriously. That's how it goes. ^^^

And honestly, once she gets in the gates, the Disney Magic should take firm hold, and she'll forget all about her grouchy disposition about the rain!

Best of luck with everything. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[BrianV]

Are the tickets transferable? I'll go!

But seriously, we go to orlando all the time. In the past 8 trips, we have had exactly one day that rained all day. We've had several that had drenching downpours for 45 minutes straddled by sun on either side (mostly in summer). We've had some that sprinkled on and off again with sun inbetween.

For what it is worth, disney can be totally fun in the rain, though. The sprinkling days are great days to go to a water park, assuming it is otherwise warm.

 

[Master Yoda]

She doesn't want to get wet. She'd rather be bored in the hotel room than get wet in the park, poncho or no poncho, and then it's considered a waste of money.

The forecast hasn't changed in 3 days on weatherbug or weather.com. But a weather site my brother sent shows almost the opposite, and I showed her that but she won't budge. She already unpacked and put her suitcases away.

She already e-mailed our travel agent and asked what it would be if just she canceled.

I am going to revise my advise and say just leave her at home.

Sounds like she could suck the fun out of winning the lottery.

 

[Mr Anderson]

I am going to revise my advise and say just leave her at home.

Sounds like she could suck the fun out of winning the lottery.

I will second this. @Joshrzmeup you sound like you need the trip desperately, so go! Don't let your mother overreacting to an abundance of moisture stop you. Have a blast!

 

[DManRightHere]

She doesn't want to get wet. She'd rather be bored in the hotel room than get wet in the park, poncho or no poncho, and then it's considered a waste of money.

The forecast hasn't changed in 3 days on weatherbug or weather.com. But a weather site my brother sent shows almost the opposite, and I showed her that but she won't budge. She already unpacked and put her suitcases away.

She already e-mailed our travel agent and asked what it would be if just she canceled.

If she has paid and has the authority to cancel the trip it seems you are done, no trip. Sorry.

Maybe the only other choice is tell her about others family that was coming?

 

[sheriffwoody]

Can you all just go and let her stay home? I don't know anything about your family dynamics, but if this were my family, I would have to just let her withdraw and go myself. Sorry you're having to deal with this

 

[Disney Stine]

I suggest using Accuweather's website for your weather watching. It shows you the amount of hours it should rain for, the rain accumulation, and it's one of the best sources for the weather.
My family likes to head to Downtown Disney and watch a movie (fork and screen is so awesome!) when it rains or window shop. If we're in the parks, we go to an indoor show or rides that have mainly indoor waiting (which is majority of them). Plus if more people leave due to rain, your lines are most likely going to be shorter. I actually looked at the weather starting next Sunday the 19th at Disney and it looks like your nights are fairly rain free. So, in her eyes, she'd be only wasting a half of day.

 

[ZachS]

My wife and I will be there in a week too, and she keeps worrying about the forecast as well.

We've been at Disney in the past when the forecast said 100% chance of rain that day or even that hour and it didn't rain. We've also seen it say it won't rain and then it does. Just remember that the rain rarely last long, it normally leaves as fast as it came.