Rain...Parks operations?

[Amos1784]

We have a trip planned for Friday-Thursday coming up here and well as everyone knows the forecast is not great. If this was a trip we had been planning forever there would be no question we would be going, however we tend to go around 3 times a year so do have the ability to move it (losing our deposit). The only question I have is for people that have been there recently through most of the rain have they kept everything running when there is absence of lightning? Main questions are MK rides (Thunder/Splash), Epcot kiosks (flower and garden), AK (Safaris). We are debating what to do and if majority is open we will fight through the rain but if we are going to be missing many things we probably will just reschedule. We haven't been in the summer months in years so I can't remember exactly how they operate in these conditions. Thanks!

 

[DarthVader]

I've not seen any rides close because of rain, and it does rain a lot in FLA, so that would cause some major headaches if that did occur.

I know thunder/lightening does change that equation but I think you should be all set.

 

[Tuvalu]

Test Track never operates in the rain. 7DMT and BTMRR often close when it’s raining. Splash Mountain and Kilimanjaro Safaris usually remain open unless it is long-term torrential downpour or there is lightning.

Epcot kiosks will be open unless weather turns extreme.

@Amos1784 there’s no way to 100% accurately predict the weather on any day. We’ve been drenched at MK on a day when there was ZERO chance of precipitation. Unless a hurricane is forecasted for next week, go....and remember tropical depressions often change direction or peter out, meaning there may be sun after all!

 

[JoMarch]

Last August it poured for a bunch of days. We rode a few things in the rain! I remember specifically riding "7 Dwarves Mine Train," "Big Thunder" and "Splash Mountain" in the rain. The parades were mostly replaced with the "Rainy Day Cavalcade." I remember the fireworks went on during the rain one night!

 

[Amos1784]

Test Track never operates in the rain. 7DMT and BTMRR often close when it’s raining. Splash Mountain and Kilimanjaro Safaris usually remain open unless it is long-term torrential downpour or there is lightning.

Epcot kiosks will be open unless weather turns extreme.

@Amos1784 there’s no way to 100% accurately predict the weather on any day. We’ve been drenched at MK on a day when there was ZERO chance of precipitation. Unless a hurricane is forecasted for next week, go....and remember tropical depressions often change direction or peter out, meaning there may be sun after all!

Thank you! It has been so long since we have gone in the summer, it really has not rained at all on any previous trips. I think the only reason we even are thinking of cancelling is we have complete flexibility. We have no kids and like I said go multiple times a year. I think we will "rough it" and poncho up.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thank you! It has been so long since we have gone in the summer, it really has not rained at all on any previous trips. I think the only reason we even are thinking of cancelling is we have complete flexibility. We have no kids and like I said go multiple times a year. I think we will "rough it" and poncho up.

IMO you don't want to be wearing a plastic poncho anywhere from May to October. In that heat and humidity, you're like the human version of those steam-in-bag microwave vegetables. Better to just get wet.

 

[Gillyanne]

IMO you don't want to be wearing a plastic poncho anywhere from May to October. In that heat and humidity, you're like the human version of those steam-in-bag microwave vegetables. Better to just get wet.

But maybe a good way to lose water weight like those "sweat suits" they make?

 

[donsullivan]

IMO you don't want to be wearing a plastic poncho anywhere from May to October. In that heat and humidity, you're like the human version of those steam-in-bag microwave vegetables. Better to just get wet.

Which is exactly why I have far too large a collection of the black Mickey pop-up umbrellas. I'd much rather use one of those than the ponchos in a summer rain storm.

 

[Tori]

Take an umbrella and keep on trekking!

 

[Herdman]

We were there just last week with some rain every day. Fantasmic was cancelled the night we were at HS because of lightning. Splash was down for 2 hours while there was lightning in the area. One of the cast members said they shut it down if lightning is in a 10 mile radius. Pretty much every outside ride at the MK was down during this 2 hour period. We were the next to get on Splash when it went down so we just waited it out there. It was our second day at the MK so everything we were doing at the time we had already done at least once. We just put on the ponchos if it was really hard rain or used our umbrellas if it was a lighter shower. We were able to do pretty much everything we wanted to do during our week stay with the exception of Fantasmic. To steal a phrase I saw used elsewhere - "poncho up and crack on".

 

[JohnD]

We have a trip planned for Friday-Thursday coming up here and well as everyone knows the forecast is not great. If this was a trip we had been planning forever there would be no question we would be going, however we tend to go around 3 times a year so do have the ability to move it (losing our deposit). The only question I have is for people that have been there recently through most of the rain have they kept everything running when there is absence of lightning? Main questions are MK rides (Thunder/Splash), Epcot kiosks (flower and garden), AK (Safaris). We are debating what to do and if majority is open we will fight through the rain but if we are going to be missing many things we probably will just reschedule. We haven't been in the summer months in years so I can't remember exactly how they operate in these conditions. Thanks!

I'm there about the same time. There will be more rain earlier in the week because of the tropical depression (storm?) moving north through the Gulf. By Wed. it should taper off. Just take a poncho and enjoy. Once the system has moved through, for rides like Test Track, your best best is earlier in the day. We're entering the time of year where afternoon thunderstorms come and go so. Good luck!

 

[DisneyFreak]

@Amos1784 there’s no way to 100% accurately predict the weather on any day. We’ve been drenched at MK on a day when there was ZERO chance of precipitation. Unless a hurricane is forecasted for next week, go....and remember tropical depressions often change direction or peter out, meaning there may be sun after all!

Also, it could be raining at one park and not raining at the other parks.

 

[JohnD]

Also, it could be raining at one park and not raining at the other parks.

Don't count on that Sunday and Monday while the tropical disturbance moves through the Gulf. But that is true of afternoon thunderstorms.

 

[Dreaming of Disney World]

We were just there 2 weeks ago, and it rained a lot every single day. The only thing that I was aware of that closed due to rain was Test Track. Kali River Rapids closed due to lightning but reopened after the thunder/lightning passed even though it was still raining.

 

[Disney4family]

IMO you don't want to be wearing a plastic poncho anywhere from May to October. In that heat and humidity, you're like the human version of those steam-in-bag microwave vegetables. Better to just get wet.

We go in the summer and hate that feeling, too. We purchased the WDW men's windbreaker jackets and use them as raincoats. They're lightweight. They breathe and they dry in a heartbeat. The kids and I aren't giants, but a men's small is fine.

 

[GVentola]

Pros: You may run into shorter lines if you don't let the rain stop you from walking through the parks. Perhaps you'll get on many more attractions!

Cons: It's miserable walking in the pouring rain.