Dollar store poncho?

NeedMoreMickey

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
I see on here that a lot of people buy ponchos at the Dollar Store. My question is do they really work in the summer storms? I usually travel to WDW in March or October so I take my rain jacket because it can get chilly in the evening and I have it in case it rains. Taking a trip in July and I don’t think I’ll need my jacket but a little nervous about the reliability of the dollar store poncho.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Never had a problem with our $1 ponchos. Just use it to stay dry on a ride or to run from attraction to attraction in the rain. I'm not standing outside in a downpour at WDW. I save money wherever I can so I can splurge elsewhere.
 
Upvote 0
ninjaprincesst

ninjaprincesst

Well-Known Member
anchorman314 said:
Luckily, we haven't needed the ponchos over the past few trips, but here's what I do. We have two of the bright yellow Disney ponchos that are at least 16 years old (there was a 10-year gap in WDW visits...). I put the two ponchos in a doubled plastic grocery bag, and put that in my backpack. Once we're done using them, we fold them up while they're still wet and place them back in the double-bags. (Or if we only use one poncho, put it in a single bag.) When we get back to the room, open it up and let it dry somewhere. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Click to expand...
Same here we have been using the same Disney ponchos for years, the last really well and I have seen people with the dollar store things rip them just trying to put them on they are so thin, and I feel like the 5 bucks a piece a paid for our disney ones 10 years ago was well worth it.
 
Upvote 0
correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
ninjaprincesst said:
Don't do the dollar store panchos, its like using thin saran wrap and will last about 5 minutes.
Click to expand...
We don't like them either. We got a set of very breathable ponchos that were much better. Not as small but definitely more comfortable to wear. Every time I consider the dollar store ones as like a one time use thing, I remember how awful they are to wear and don't bother.
 
Upvote 0
Jahona

Jahona

Well-Known Member
I've used Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 several times at the parks as well as a much more expensive North Face Jacket. The Frogg Toggs was surprisingly breathable, albeit a bit large on me. The North Face is a bit more stylish but only covers the torso, everything below that gets soaked. The Frogg Toggs ended up being a bit more of a favorite over the rain jacket.

As for Dollar Tree vs Disney.

Disney ponchos seem to be made of a bit thicker vinyl and are less prone to punctures. They also hold up with repeated use. I'm a bit eco conscious at times and throwing away that much plastic feels like a waste to me. I try to get multiple uses out of my ponchos.
 
Upvote 0
disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
I would suggest getting rain ponchos at Walmart. You can get them i think for less than $10 each. They are excellent quality and you can air dry in the bathroom. Summer rain here is no joke and you will be thankful to have a durable poncho because while others flee you can still enjoy the park. Attractions will substantially decrease in wait time,some will temporarily close.
 
Upvote 0
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Jahona said:
As for Dollar Tree vs Disney.
Disney ponchos seem to be made of a bit thicker vinyl and are less prone to punctures. They also hold up with repeated use. I'm a bit eco conscious at times and throwing away that much plastic feels like a waste to me. I try to get multiple uses out of my ponchos.
Click to expand...

I have to say that I have gotten multiple uses out of my dollar store ponchos as well. Sure they are not made of as quality material, but they've served my needs without a problem. It's personal preference, of course.
 
Upvote 0
ninjaprincesst

ninjaprincesst

Well-Known Member
JillC LI said:
I have to say that I have gotten multiple uses out of my dollar store ponchos as well. Sure they are not made of as quality material, but they've served my needs without a problem. It's personal preference, of course.
Click to expand...
JillC LI said:
I have to say that I have gotten multiple uses out of my dollar store ponchos as well. Sure they are not made of as quality material, but they've served my needs without a problem. It's personal preference, of course.
Click to expand...
You are very lucky because I have seen countless people tear the dollar store ones just trying to put them on, last trip I saw a poor Dad trying to get them on his kids and by the time he got them on all 3 kiddos they looked like they had been attacked by wolverine., then he had to venture out in hes equally shredded and useless pancho to find some Disney ones. Another plus is I have used my Disney panchos over and over for years and the one time one tore a cast member at a nearby stand handed me a new one free of charge and this pancho was old (yellow with Pocahontas on it) not the current version they were selling
 
Upvote 0
sporadic

sporadic

Well-Known Member
We always take both and decide which to pack for the day depending on how the weather is. We'll take the heavier quality ones if we know its going to be a raining all day or already raining. If not, we just take the cheap ones as they pack so much better. The cheap ones are really one time / emergency use and meant to be tossed after you use them for the day. Can get them by the case off Amazon for ~$1 each.
 
Upvote 0
yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
NeedMoreMickey said:
I see on here that a lot of people buy ponchos at the Dollar Store. My question is do they really work in the summer storms? I usually travel to WDW in March or October so I take my rain jacket because it can get chilly in the evening and I have it in case it rains. Taking a trip in July and I don’t think I’ll need my jacket but a little nervous about the reliability of the dollar store poncho.
Click to expand...

...We bought ponchos from our local grocery store for $4.99. They were a little more expensive, but much thicker more durable! I bought a red poncho and went to craft store and bought embroidered stickers and decorated them to our favorite character. It made them one of a kind and something that no one had when we put them on!
 
Upvote 0
RustySpork

RustySpork

Oscar Mayer Memer
The Disney and Universal ponchos are great quality and can actually last a couple of years if they're taken care of. There's a tradeoff made for the higher quality though in that they're a lot heavier than dollar store ponchos. I try to avoid the dollar store ponchos myself, they tear way too easily.
 
Upvote 0
Michaelson

Michaelson

Well-Known Member
Our standard trip down is February, so we get maybe one or two rains during the 10 days we're there. We've been able to get at least 2 years use out of a dollar poncho, and considering you're having to pack a stored unused poncho around during the times it ISN'T raining, I like the compactness of the dollar rain gear. Now, if it's going to rain a LOT, I'm sure I'll have to make a change to something a bit more durable......but for the past 4 years, the dollar ponchos have worked perfectly, and we've been in a few frog stranglers in February and came out dry with our inexpensive ponchos. Heck, they're so compact, we've even carried spares at the same time in case the first poncho rips on us. They just don't take up any room in the backpack!
 
Upvote 0
Smiley/OCD

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
NeedMoreMickey said:
I see on here that a lot of people buy ponchos at the Dollar Store. My question is do they really work in the summer storms? I usually travel to WDW in March or October so I take my rain jacket because it can get chilly in the evening and I have it in case it rains. Taking a trip in July and I don’t think I’ll need my jacket but a little nervous about the reliability of the dollar store poncho.
Click to expand...
I tried to find the thread that this was mentioned, but you can find these ponchos at Amazon...They are 19.99 for two, a little longer than the regular ones, have long sleeves, and a drawstring on the hood...we're going in November, so we haven't bought them yet, but on that thread, the writer said they were excellent...we are going to try them out.
 
Upvote 0
Roknrollrghostr

Roknrollrghostr

Well-Known Member
Upvote 0
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Roknrollrghostr said:
Those look really nice. I like the longer sleeves and length. We've been using the same Disney ponchos for years, but I feel like I am swimming in them because they are so wide and I dislike having my whole arm being wet. I was thinking of looking into something more like a raincoat for my upcoming trip and this might be a good option.
Click to expand...

I had the same thought about the Disney ponchos. While the material is better than the dollar store variety, the shape still allows rain to pour down my arm, since there really aren't sleeves. These have sleeves with elastic cuffs and a drawstring hood. Haven't used them yet, but most comments were positive.
 
Upvote 0
Minnie1986

Minnie1986

Well-Known Member
NeedMoreMickey said:
I see on here that a lot of people buy ponchos at the Dollar Store. My question is do they really work in the summer storms? I usually travel to WDW in March or October so I take my rain jacket because it can get chilly in the evening and I have it in case it rains. Taking a trip in July and I don’t think I’ll need my jacket but a little nervous about the reliability of the dollar store poncho.
Click to expand...
I do it every year. Granted, I do not go in the summer, I've had no problems using dollar store ponchos in the fall.
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom