Raining ALL WEEK!?!?!?

HoundDog83

HoundDog83

New Member
Well the time has finally come and my family and I are leaving for our first ever WDW vacation on Saturday morning (05/12) and will be there until 05/18. Needless to say I have been watching the forecast and as of right now (05/10) this is what I'm getting:
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All of the ADRs & FP+ are booked and now I am terrified that the weather will wreck it all! I have read and been told that the storms generally "pop up" and then are gone 45 minutes later but I am beginning to second guess my choices of parks and wondering if I need to change some of my FP+ to snag indoor activities that might get filled quickly with the rain.
Here is our park schedule - We did not get Park Hopper since we have small kids and plan to be heading back to Wilderness Lodge either early in the day or in the middle for a nap/break:

05/12 - Hollywood Studios (arrival day-kids don't care much for star wars so we planned to spend the least amount of time here)
05/13 - Magic Kingdom (complete with BBB in the afternoon and CRT for a late dinner)
05/14 - Epcot (Akershus Lunch)
05/15 - Animal Kingdom (had originally chosen this day to avoid EMH crowds and the Disney changed all of that - lol)
05/16 - Magic Kingdom ('Ohana for Breakfast and Dinner back at Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL)
05/17 - Magic Kingdom (My son's 7th Birthday - Pirate's League RSVP at Open, Lunch in Disney Springs, Fireworks Dessert Party )
05/18 - Leaving via MDE first thing so No Park

So if you have gotten this far:
1.) Does it make any sense to try and change any/all/some of my FP+ to indoor rides to give us something to do while it rains?
2.) Any ideas on how to handle strollers on days like this? I'll have a rain cover but is it better to just leave it at the resort and use a carrier all day for a baby?
3.) Is there anything I can do to improve my odds that Rain doesn't ruin the most expensive and anticipated family vacation I have ever planned?

THANK YOU ALL FOR ANY HELP, ADVISE, OR PEACE OF MIND THAT YOU CAN GIVE!!!!
 
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MotherofaPrincessLover

MotherofaPrincessLover

Well-Known Member
Do not change your FP just because it might rain. You can always just duck into a store and shop for a little bit to wait out a storm. As for the stroller/baby carrier, that is really your call. I personally got really hot when I baby carried so there's no way I would be able to do that in the Florida heat all day. You should be fine with a rain cover for the stroller. Word of warning, keep an eye on the weather if you're parking the stroller to go to an attraction. If it looks like it might rain, cover the stroller just in case. Don't let the rain ruin your vacation. Brings ponchos and a change of shoes and just embrace it. It sounds like you have a really fun vacation planned so just go with it.
 
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Coaster Lover

Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Embrace the rain... in all likelihood, these will not be all day showers. In my experience, Florida thunderstorms tend to come and go pretty quickly. If you have a FP for an outdoor attraction and it closes due to the rain, they will either extend your FP so you can use it later or give you an "Anywhere/Anytime FP". WDW has lots and lots AND LOTS of indoor attractions to fill your time while it rains. Hit the outdoor attractions (especially those that you don't have FP for) while it's not raining and when the rain does start, find a nearby show to enjoy. You'll still have a great time!
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
That'll be the forecast in Orlando every day from now until Halloween. It rarely rains all day for entire days, but you're likely to get thunderstorms in the early evenings, usually around 5:00 to 6:00. Tough it out for the hour or two it rains each day... it's unlikely that you'll have any days that are complete wash-outs.

That said, storms are a great time to do loads of stuff when crowds lighten up and the heat breaks for a bit. Pack at least two pairs of shoes for everyone so that you can let them dry every-other day, and you might even consider some flip-flops or (horror) Crocs.

What type of baby carrier do you have?

How old are your kids? You have a lot of sit-down dining for little ones and I don't see any breaks in your days. You also have, in my opinion, a LOT of Magic Kingdom and not nearly enough Epcot or Animal Kingdom.
 
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HoundDog83

HoundDog83

New Member
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
That'll be the forecast in Orlando every day from now until Halloween. It rarely rains all day for entire days, but you're likely to get thunderstorms in the early evenings, usually around 5:00 to 6:00. Tough it out for the hour or two it rains each day... it's unlikely that you'll have any days that are complete wash-outs.

That said, storms are a great time to do loads of stuff when crowds lighten up and the heat breaks for a bit. Pack at least two pairs of shoes for everyone so that you can let them dry every-other day, and you might even consider some flip-flops or (horror) Crocs.

What type of baby carrier do you have?

How old are your kids? You have a lot of sit-down dining for little ones and I don't see any breaks in your days. You also have, in my opinion, a LOT of Magic Kingdom and not nearly enough Epcot or Animal Kingdom.
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Thank you for the reassurance! I can live with delays but complete closures, etc... would make it a disaster.

The Baby Carrier is an Ergo 360 that my youngest does well in.

The Kids are/will be 9 months, 3 (4th birthday in 2 weeks), and 6 (7th birthday while at WDW). I planned our days so that we typically have an early start to the day with a several hour break in the middle, or if we have a late night the night before we have a later start and still try to be out of the parks just before or just after dinner time (depending on if we plan to eat at the park). The kids do pretty well with sit down meals (although looking at 'Ohana and Whispering Canyon in the same day might be pushing my luck).
With regards to all of the MK, I anticipate that with Pirates League and the lunch at Disney Springs on our last park day, we wont be doing much by ways of rides. Also, because of BBB on Sunday and then a nice long late nap before a late dinner at CRT I was unsure how much we would get to see (I know we wont catch the parade since it is at the same time as BBB). With the kids being so young I wasn't sure that they would really be into all of the different cultures at Epcot and neither them or myself have seen Avatar (although we do have N'avi River Journey FP+) so we are not too hooked on seeing that part of AK. It was certainly something we went back and forth over and something we could potentially change if we get a ton more done on Sunday at MK than I had anticipated.
All in all, we will have to see what the kids are enjoying and adjust accordingly. Despite having made plans, I've had to learn that it isn't worth a fight or everyone being miserable over.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
HoundDog83 said:
Thank you for the reassurance! I can live with delays but complete closures, etc... would make it a disaster.

The Baby Carrier is an Ergo 360 that my youngest does well in.

The Kids are/will be 9 months, 3 (4th birthday in 2 weeks), and 6 (7th birthday while at WDW). I planned our days so that we typically have an early start to the day with a several hour break in the middle, or if we have a late night the night before we have a later start and still try to be out of the parks just before or just after dinner time (depending on if we plan to eat at the park). The kids do pretty well with sit down meals (although looking at 'Ohana and Whispering Canyon in the same day might be pushing my luck).
With regards to all of the MK, I anticipate that with Pirates League and the lunch at Disney Springs on our last park day, we wont be doing much by ways of rides. Also, because of BBB on Sunday and then a nice long late nap before a late dinner at CRT I was unsure how much we would get to see (I know we wont catch the parade since it is at the same time as BBB). With the kids being so young I wasn't sure that they would really be into all of the different cultures at Epcot and neither them or myself have seen Avatar (although we do have N'avi River Journey FP+) so we are not too hooked on seeing that part of AK. It was certainly something we went back and forth over and something we could potentially change if we get a ton more done on Sunday at MK than I had anticipated.
All in all, we will have to see what the kids are enjoying and adjust accordingly. Despite having made plans, I've had to learn that it isn't worth a fight or everyone being miserable over.
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You seem to be thinking about things from the right perspective, not planning on doing too much, etc. I think you'll have a very successful trip and learn a lot of things for next time. My older daughter (3-and-a-half) has been down six times (which is a bit embarrassing to admit) and we learn new tricks and strategies every time. She's extremely well behaved when we go out to eat at home but there's so much fun and excitement in the theme parks that it's more hassle than it's worth trying to get her to sit still for more than a few sit down meals. We really like eight night trips, and we've reduced it to about three sit-down dinners in that time frame. We have a number of quick-service meals that we all really enjoy. Happy to offer any other kiddo-specific advice if you're curious. Our second daughter (6 months) has been down for a quick three night off-site trip once before and we're preparing for a big 8-nighter with Grandma and Grandpa starting in June.

Not sure the material of your baby carrier, but you might want to look into a mesh one. My wife is obsessed with her various Tula carriers, and there's a special warm weather one that's supposed to keep everyone a little cooler.
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
I'm sorry the forecast looks like such a bummer! We were there last week and on our final Saturday and Sunday it rained cats and dogs almost constantly.

The bad news: heavy rain is an inconvenience, and walking around in a poncho in the heat makes you feel like a turkey inside an oven bag.

The good news: only few things will close down if there's a thunderstorm and even fewer than that will close just for rain, the MK fireworks won't get canceled (maybe just delayed if there's lightning), crowds and wait times will be lighter, and the people in the parks are still going to have a great time. We certainly did! We did stick mostly to the Magic Kingdom as that's one of the best "rainy day" parks, but there will be plenty to do no matter where you go. And as others said, you're not as likely to see the weather we had (almost constant rain) as you are the more typical light, intermittent Florida showers (with plenty of clear weather in between).

I do suggest you pack an umbrella, ponchos and footwear that's good in the rain (with good traction and quick-dry properties, like Tevas or Keens hiking sandals), for the worst-case scenario, but understand that you're not likely to see that worst-case. It can't rain all the time!
 
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Herdman

Herdman

Well-Known Member
We also arrive Saturday, and we will be armed with umbrellas and ponchos. By my estimation the majority of the attractions and shows themselves at all the parks are inside or under cover. You may have to at least queue up outside for part of the wait. There are a handful of others that are part inside and part outside. There are only a few that are completely exposed to the weather. It will be an inconvenience, but don't let it spoil your fun!!

DisneyFreak said:
There is a huge amount of tropical moisture moving into South Florida beginning on Saturday and is going to cause more rain here than usual for May over the next week.

http://www.winknews.com/2018/05/04/...cal-weather-outlook-2018-system-near-bahamas/
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That forecast was for the weekend of May 4-6, hence @Weather_Lady talking about her wet Saturday and Sunday.
 
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LauraRose

LauraRose

Well-Known Member
I’m here now arrived the 8th and here till 22nd. From England so hate rain as I see It all day every day. We always come these dates and never had a forecast like the next week! Hoping it’s only a few little showers!
 
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Ricky Spanish said:
Either last June or the year before(I really don't remember), it rained 9 out of the 10 days we were at WDW.
It didn't ruin any of our plans.
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Same happened to me in 2015. Rain every single day.. until departure day.. then Orlando was all sunshine. We were driving to Key West, apparently took the storm with us. :(

Still had a wonderful time!

Enjoy it OP. Put on some ponchos and laugh. :)
 
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O

oufpat

Member
We'll be there with you from May 14 to 19. As others have said, don't change your plans and be prepared with umbrellas, ponchos and bring extra shoes and socks. Have fun and make magical memories!!
 
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EmmieSue

EmmieSue

Well-Known Member
We will be there May 13-18. We've been when it has rained before and we just keep on pushing through. The only thing I am doing differently is re-thinking my dress that is mostly white. It will still be fun!
 
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PeakSeason

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Not sure the material of your baby carrier, but you might want to look into a mesh one. My wife is obsessed with her various Tula carriers, and there's a special warm weather one that's supposed to keep everyone a little cooler.
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@CaptainAmerica , could you please ask your wife for the name of the mesh Tula she prefers? I'm looking at purchasing one called "Baby Tula Free-to-Grow Coast Mesh, Adjustable Newborn to Toddler, Multiple Positions for 7-45 pounds". I think the important part here is "Coast". That's the name of the model if I'm understanding it correctly. The baby is 4 months old and 20 pounds. Our trip is in 3 weeks and I know it's going to be hot. Thank you. Feel free to PM me if this is too off topic for the thread.

OP- wishing you a fabulous trip!
 
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