Disney World on a rainy day vs. Disneyland on a rainy day- which do you prefer?

[CamiCan]

We all hope for fair weather on our vacations but it's something we can't control.

If you had ONLY ONE DAY at either Park (let's say you're visiting Anaheim or Orlando on business and extend the trip by one day to spend at Disney and then fly home the next day) and it turned out to be an all day rain out, which would you prefer?

A) Disneyland- a rainy day could only happen in winter and it would be cloudy all day with light to medium rain on and off all day and no sun. It would be cold too, like in the 50s or low 60s at best and you'd need a waterproof jacket over sweats to keep warm and either rain boots or waterproof hiking boots to keep your feet warm and dry. Plus side: empty parks and you could walk on to Toy Story Mania as long its a weekday that's not during Christmas Break. Rain is rarely heavy (it can be heavy for us but it's nothing compared to the intensity of Florida's rain) and thunderstorms almost never happen but it's gloomy and a damp cold. Minus: cold and uncomfortable: some of the outside rides close; no parades or fireworks and park could possibly close early.
I've gone a couple of times on rainy days just for the walk on experience but normally do not do so. Just kept walking on Toy Story Mania and did a few other popular rides but left by 4PM.


B) Disney World: I know it's normal to get a short lived downpour in summer every day but for this scenario, it would sunny in the early morning but then at noon, dark clouds build up to be a continuous heavy torrential downpour with thunder and lightning that starts at 1PM and doesn't stop until 9PM. It would be very hot and humid so you can wear summer clothes but the lightning causes all the outdoor rides to close and you get drenched just from stepping outside for a few minutes. It would be in the 80s or 90s out so you wouldn't be cold outside but you'd freeze once you go in the air conditioned rides. Ponchos would not keep you dry because the rain is so much heavier than it would be at DL. But since it's so warm, you could wear water shoes.

We got a couple of short lived torrential downpours and one day of steady light rain at WDW but fortunately didn't run into the above scenario (some of the locals told us that it happened the week before it came and would be worst scenario short of a hurricane or tropical storm).
WDW crowds seem a lot less fazed by rain due to them being more used to it and people who travel far and wide to get there so it has far less effect in emptying crowds and stopping things as it does at DLR (which is mostly rain-phobic Southern Californians).

Personally I'd choose DLR for longer rain for two reasons 1) almost empty parks and you can keep dry by wearing warm clothes and waterproof gear on top of it. 2) the intensity of the Florida rain was the likes I've never seen before and while it was amusing to watch for half an hour or so, eight hours would be downright annoying and walking around in wet clothes all day isn't fun since they over air condition everything indoors and all the outdoor stuff would close from the lightning anyway.

If it was short-lived rain, I'd take WDW because it would only last an hour at the most so we could stay undercover and watch the storm and the sun would come out and it would be warm out so we could still enjoy the outdoor attractions for the rest of the day.

So which is the lesser of two evils for you?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Disneyland you are right would have a much more empty park. The locals don't need rain. However, in WDW people are visiting there more than at Disneyland. You aren't going to lose as many people.

I don't know, Disneyland would be better. There are a lot of dark rides, lots of cover, and it helps to be in a park where there is closer quarters.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Can I cheat and say either?!

If I have to choose I would rather have rain at WDW. I have been there so many times, it is easier/cheaper to go to for me, and have so many pictures that I would rather have better weather for my infrequent visits to Disneyland.

 

[JillC LI]

Either one over being home on a rainy day!

 

[thomas998]

We all hope for fair weather on our vacations but it's something we can't control.

If you had ONLY ONE DAY at either Park (let's say you're visiting Anaheim or Orlando on business and extend the trip by one day to spend at Disney and then fly home the next day) and it turned out to be an all day rain out, which would you prefer?

A) Disneyland- a rainy day could only happen in winter and it would be cloudy all day with light to medium rain on and off all day and no sun. It would be cold too, like in the 50s or low 60s at best and you'd need a waterproof jacket over sweats to keep warm and either rain boots or waterproof hiking boots to keep your feet warm and dry. Plus side: empty parks and you could walk on to Toy Story Mania as long its a weekday that's not during Christmas Break. Rain is rarely heavy (it can be heavy for us but it's nothing compared to the intensity of Florida's rain) and thunderstorms almost never happen but it's gloomy and a damp cold. Minus: cold and uncomfortable: some of the outside rides close; no parades or fireworks and park could possibly close early.
I've gone a couple of times on rainy days just for the walk on experience but normally do not do so. Just kept walking on Toy Story Mania and did a few other popular rides but left by 4PM.


B) Disney World: I know it's normal to get a short lived downpour in summer every day but for this scenario, it would sunny in the early morning but then at noon, dark clouds build up to be a continuous heavy torrential downpour with thunder and lightning that starts at 1PM and doesn't stop until 9PM. It would be very hot and humid so you can wear summer clothes but the lightning causes all the outdoor rides to close and you get drenched just from stepping outside for a few minutes. It would be in the 80s or 90s out so you wouldn't be cold outside but you'd freeze once you go in the air conditioned rides. Ponchos would not keep you dry because the rain is so much heavier than it would be at DL. But since it's so warm, you could wear water shoes.

We got a couple of short lived torrential downpours and one day of steady light rain at WDW but fortunately didn't run into the above scenario (some of the locals told us that it happened the week before it came and would be worst scenario short of a hurricane or tropical storm).
WDW crowds seem a lot less fazed by rain due to them being more used to it and people who travel far and wide to get there so it has far less effect in emptying crowds and stopping things as it does at DLR (which is mostly rain-phobic Southern Californians).

Personally I'd choose DLR for longer rain for two reasons 1) almost empty parks and you can keep dry by wearing warm clothes and waterproof gear on top of it. 2) the intensity of the Florida rain was the likes I've never seen before and while it was amusing to watch for half an hour or so, eight hours would be downright annoying and walking around in wet clothes all day isn't fun since they over air condition everything indoors and all the outdoor stuff would close from the lightning anyway.

If it was short-lived rain, I'd take WDW because it would only last an hour at the most so we could stay undercover and watch the storm and the sun would come out and it would be warm out so we could still enjoy the outdoor attractions for the rest of the day.

So which is the lesser of two evils for you?

I've experienced both... and I prefer WDW if it is going to be raining. I might not be doing as much in MK, but I can still find more than enough in the the other parks and if it gets too bad I have DisneyQuest... My last rainy DL was cold and nasty and I would rather not catch pneumonia on my vacation.

 

[CamiCan]

I've experienced both... and I prefer WDW if it is going to be raining. I might not be doing as much in MK, but I can still find more than enough in the the other parks and if it gets too bad I have DisneyQuest... My last rainy DL was cold and nasty and I would rather not catch pneumonia on my vacation.

At least if you dress warm with layers and wear waterproof outerwear (I have a knee length raincoat and waterproof hiking boots I've been used when camping, whitewater rafting, and crossing creeks when hiking), you can stay dry and warm even in the chill. In Florida, there were a couple of times when it was so hot and humid with blazing sun that I HAD to go inside because I was getting a headache.

On the other hand, in Florida, the rain cools things down from super hot to just warm and muggy for the time being and when there's no thunder and the rain lightens, it up can be kinda fun to go on the some the medium outdoor fast rides and get a little wet in the warm rain when it's light.

BTW- Both my gaming geek bf and I disliked Disney Quest; no good games and it was a dark enclosed building. We went there one evening and only lasted an hour and opted to walking around Downtown Disney rather than play those lame games. It was the only park at WDW that I wouldn't visit again even if I was visiting for a month. We'd both rather stay in the hotel room and play online games on our laptops if we got a really bad weather day when we go on our next trip.

Pros and cons of both just like there are pros and cons to both parks.

 

[FettFan]

Well...though I've never been there, I would assume that Cali would have the better rainy day weather.

I've done rain at WDW a handful of times....and it's bloody unbearable. There is nothing like stepping out of the hotel room, taking a deep breath....and then collapsing with a hacking cough and trying not to drown from the moisture in the air.

 

[thomas998]

At least if you dress warm with layers and wear waterproof outerwear (I have a knee length raincoat and waterproof hiking boots I've been used when camping, whitewater rafting, and crossing creeks when hiking), you can stay dry and warm even in the chill. In Florida, there were a couple of times when it was so hot and humid with blazing sun that I HAD to go inside because I was getting a headache.

On the other hand, in Florida, the rain cools things down from super hot to just warm and muggy for the time being and when there's no thunder and the rain lightens, it up can be kinda fun to go on the some the medium outdoor fast rides and get a little wet in the warm rain when it's light.

BTW- Both my gaming geek bf and I disliked Disney Quest; no good games and it was a dark enclosed building. We went there one evening and only lasted an hour and opted to walking around Downtown Disney rather than play those lame games. It was the only park at WDW that I wouldn't visit again even if I was visiting for a month. We'd both rather stay in the hotel room and play online games on our laptops if we got a really bad weather day when we go on our next trip.

Pros and cons of both just like there are pros and cons to both parks.

Yes the games at DisneyQuest are mostly lame... but there are still a couple of things that I can't do on my home PC... like the cyberspace mountain... I'm not saying I would make a point to go there, in fact in the past half dozen trips to Orlando we only went there twice... but it isn't quite as bad as you seem to think... Makes me wonder if you went to all the various floors or not, because there are a couple of floors that are very lame.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I'd go with Disneyland.. Everything seems closer together instead of spread out more, which requires more walking in the rain... Especially at the three parks other than Magic Kingdom.. and DEFINITELY at Epcot.

 

[CamiCan]

Yes the games at DisneyQuest are mostly lame... but there are still a couple of things that I can't do on my home PC... like the cyberspace mountain... I'm not saying I would make a point to go there, in fact in the past half dozen trips to Orlando we only went there twice... but it isn't quite as bad as you seem to think... Makes me wonder if you went to all the various floors or not, because there are a couple of floors that are very lame.

We did the cyberspace mountain but much prefer the sum of all thrills at Epcot (same concept) and also Jungle Cruise ride but honestly, none of it appealed to us. My bf's gaming consules have better games than the arcade games we saw there. It also did not help that the building was entire windowless and dark (which I don't mind on a dark ride but don't enjoy spending hours in enclosed dark spaces).

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The Land, by far. Torrential downpours are the norm at the World and it can just be sickening. You rarely get it as bad in California. Hmm, let's see...

A virtually empty Disneyland (because Californians are generally afraid of the rain) with tons of indoor attractions within easy walking distance and little to no wait times Vs. getting trapped in World parks huddling under cover amid huge open areas of concrete in a flooding Magic Kingdom.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

which is mostly rain-phobic Southern Californians

Funny, completely off topic story: when I was at Aulani in 2013, I was sitting by the pool next to this pregnant woman and her husband. It started drizzling. They looked up at the sky and then the husband said, "You wanna go inside and watch a movie?" It wasn't raining THAT hard, and it's Hawaii; it'll be gone in 20 minutes. But they picked up their stuff and left. I was thinking, "Clearly from SoCal..."

 

[CamiCan]

A virtually empty Disneyland (because Californians are generally afraid of the rain) with tons of indoor attractions within easy walking distance and little to no wait times Vs. getting trapped in World parks huddling under cover amid huge open areas of concrete in a flooding Magic Kingdom.

.

If

Funny, completely off topic story: when I was at Aulani in 2013, I was sitting by the pool next to this pregnant woman and her husband. It started drizzling. They looked up at the sky and then the husband said, "You wanna go inside and watch a movie?" It wasn't raining THAT hard, and it's Hawaii; it'll be gone in 20 minutes. But they picked up their stuff and left. I was thinking, "Clearly from SoCal..."

We've done that too when we went to Hawaii (I was a kid and went with my family and my parents took us from Waikiki Beach back to the hotel when it started raining. Growing up in Southern California, you learn that rain means= stay inside for the day. However, we did come back later that evening for more beach play once the sun came out.

However, I knew that going to WDW in September meant, rain= DEAL WITH IT. One of the reasons I made my bf and myself run through the torrential downpour at WDW to make our FP on time is to over come our California-bred aversion to rain and also to make my bf take a vid (he was undercover) of me running through the torrential downpour so I could freak some of my girlfriends out. I was wearing shorts, a tee shirt, and a light poncho and it was coming down harder (but much, much warmer) than I've ever seen in California except for maybe once or twice. One of them said to me, "I don't understand HOW it can be hot and rainy at the SAME time." I had to explain to her that it was like standing in the shower with all your clothes on and then she sort of got it. She still vowed never to visit Florida in summer (She used to skip class on rainy days at UCLA to avoid getting wet when walking to class).

I can personally deal with some rain here and there but would never want to experience one of your hurricanes- those things look freaky and nasty. I'm sure WDW would have taken care of us and kept us safe but the amount of damage they do is immense. At least an earthquake is over in a few seconds and 99 percent don't do damage.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I know it's normal to get a short lived downpour in summer every day but for this scenario, it would sunny in the early morning but then at noon, dark clouds build up to be a continuous heavy torrential downpour with thunder and lightning that starts at 1PM and doesn't stop until 9PM.

That sounds an awful lot like what happened with Hurricane Charlie. It's not really the norm at all. Beyond that, if it's raining that hard and there's lightning everywhere, it's not safe to be outside. Other than Hurricane Charlie, I've never been there when it's been a downpour from 1-9. Most I've ever had is three hours of that.

Now I have had rainy weeks at WDW. One August a few years ago, it was just cloudy and grey every single day and rained pretty much all day. Not the usual torrential downpours, but just generally rainy every day. Although it wasn't ideal, we dealt with it. I've also been there in January when it's been more like the weather situation for DL you described above. The only reason for either of these two scenarios that I described that I would rather be in WDW is because the queues are generally indoors. Yes, Southern Californians have this idea that if they step out into the rain, they will melt, but one thing I noticed in DL, and that the rest of my group commented on as well, is that we would not want to be in DL in the rain. WDW, we can deal. The only park I would not go to on a rainy day is AK. There are two indoor attractions. DHS has a tendency to be a good park for a rainy day. People generally avoid that park if they know it's going to rain all day, and it clears out a lot of the attractions. I also agree with what someone else said earlier that since I live on the East Coast, I don't get to go to DL as much, so when I go, I want good weather.

 

[CamiCan]

That sounds an awful lot like what happened with Hurricane Charlie. It's not really the norm at all. Beyond that, if it's raining that hard and there's lightning everywhere, it's not safe to be outside.

We heard thunder but didn't see any lightning in that downpour (did a couple of other times later on the trip). My bf told me if we can hear thunder, there's lightning around even if we can't see it but we both figured since the thunder wasn't that loud, it couldn't be close by.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We've done that too when we went to Hawaii (I was a kid and went with my family and my parents took us from Waikiki Beach back to the hotel when it started raining). Growing up in Southern California, you learn that rain means= stay inside for the day.

However, I knew that going to WDW in September meant, rain= DEAL WITH IT. One of the reasons I made my bf run through the torrential downpour at WDW to make our FP on time is to over come our California-bred aversion to rain and also to make my bf take a vid (he was undercover) of me running through the torrential downpour so I could freak some of my girlfriends out. One of them said to me, "I don't understand HOW it can be hot and rainy at the SAME time." I had to explain to her that it was like standing in the shower with all your clothes on and then she sort of got it. She still vowed never to visit Florida in summer (She used to skip class on rainy days at U.C.L.A to avoid getting wet when walking to class).

Yeah, rain doesn't really bother those of us on the East coast too much. Especially since when you get to a certain point up north, rain is not the worst thing weather-wise that you'll get. No offense, but I find the SoCal aversion to rain a little funny. Do y'all think you're going to melt? In Hawaii when it started raining, sometimes we just walked like nothing was happening, if we were in the water, we just kept going, or when I was on the chair, I pulled a blanket over my head and kept reading my book. But in WDW, if it's pouring down rain, just hang out where you are for a few. Those of us who are used to it don't even try to run through that.

 

[Nicole]

Last time I was at DLR I was surprised that they shut down the teacups and Alice because of rain. Not sure what other attractions might be closed due to rain (not thunder) but they seem to have more attractions that aren't under cover. But you're right about the lack of crowds, we were there between Christmas and New Year's, and the difference in crowd levels on the rainy day compared to the day prior was shocking.

 

[CamiCan]

Yeah, rain doesn't really bother those of us on the East coast too much. Especially since when you get to a certain point up north, rain is not the worst thing weather-wise that you'll get. No offense, but I find the SoCal aversion to rain a little funny. Do y'all think you're going to melt? In Hawaii when it started raining, sometimes we just walked like nothing was happening, if we were in the water, we just kept going, or when I was on the chair, I pulled a blanket over my head and kept reading my book. But in WDW, if it's pouring down rain, just hang out where you are for a few. Those of us who are used to it don't even try to run through that.

Our rain comes on days that are cold as it gets in L.A. (normally winter days are around 70 when it rains it's only the 50s) and many of us don't have waterproof wear or warm clothes so we don't go out because we don't want to get sick. It also rains only like 20 days a year so we can easily enjoy the outdoors on the other 345 days it doesn't rain. Staying inside and doing indoorsy stuff like watching movies and playing video games a few days a year is no big deal when you get nice weather 90 percent of the time.

 

[CamiCan]

Last time I was at DLR I was surprised that they shut down the teacups and Alice because of rain. Not sure what other attractions might be closed due to rain (not thunder) but they seem to have more attractions that aren't under cover. But you're right about the lack of crowds, we were there between Christmas and New Year's, and the difference in crowd levels on the rainy day compared to the day prior was shocking.

But thankfully Toy Story Mania is indoors and it's so nice being able to walk on to that when you normally have to wait more than an hour on weekends and about 30 minutes during non-holiday weekdays. I never go near any theme park between Christmas and New Years; the crowds are always horrific. On the rainy day, I bet there were enough out-of-towners that you still had to wait in line for most rides.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Our rain comes on days that are cold as it gets in L.A. (normally winter days are around 70 when it rains it's only the 50s) and many of us don't have waterproof wear or warm clothes so we don't go out because we don't want to get sick. It also rains only like 20 days a year so we can easily enjoy the outdoors on the other 345 days it doesn't rain. Staying inside and doing indoorsy stuff like watching movies and playing video games a few days a year is no big deal when you get nice weather 90 percent of the time.

If it's 50 and raining, I usually just wear a jacket and carry an umbrella (honestly, me wearing a rain coat is rare). I understand not wanting to spend time outdoors because honestly WDW is the only reason why I would be outdoors on a rainy day, but I find it a little silly that rain interferes with your daily business, like your friend not going to class on rainy days (though I have seen kids here do it, but it has to be really bad for them to do it). And sweetie, going out in the rain without a jacket on will at most weaken your immune system a little. It won't make you sick.