Rain

[TomServo27]

get some waterproof shoes

Wish I would some for splash mountain

 

[Malcon10t]

Throw on a poncho. Its what we do.

 

[Aurora0427]

As my eight year old says “Put on a poncho and let’s go!!!!!”

Ha. Seriously though, wear rain boots. Wet feet are the worst and if you wear rain boots it doesn’t matter how much water you step in. I actually prefer a nice rain coat instead of a poncho, with a lined hood. It will keep you drier and warmer. Not sure about OC, but down here in San Diego they are forecasting 3.5” down here by the coast and highs in the low 50s and it’ll feel colder. I would dress in layers.

We just moved here from Houston over the summer, so we are used to rain, but it feels really chilly and damp here when it rains.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Does anything change with rain at DL? Like do parades or anything get cancelled, any rides not able to run, food carts close? Are there lots of puddles? I wasn't even sure if umbrellas were allowed! For some reason I've never caught rain at DL, although experienced lots of rain at Legoland and my family loved it.

I was there in the rain last Wednesday. Alice, Teacups, and Storybook Canal boats were closed. There may have been other rides that were closed, but that's what we noticed since that's where we were at the time. Every time we walked past the Teacups they were squigy-ing. We ate lunch at Carnation Café, outside seating. They avoided seating people in the middle section of tables. The afternoon parade was cancelled. Lots of people had umbrellas. There weren't as many puddles as I was expecting. My 3 year old loves puddles and I had to go looking for some for her to jump in (without other people around, of course).

 

[NAP14]

If you have a stroller, bring an extra poncho for the stroller. We did not want to invest in a rain cover and found a cheap plastic poncho worked great!
Wishing everyone a great holiday trip!

 

[bcinohio]

We are heading there in two weeks and have started looking at the weather. We have disposable ponchos but may get the shoe covers others have mentioned if the forcast still says rain.

We will have a scooter for my mom (first time at DL but have rented ones at WDW many time) we carry a clear cheap shower curtain to cover it with. For those who have strollers it works well for those too. That is what we took when our kids were in a stroller.

 

[ZCarroll]

Are special shoes or shoe covers really necessary? We are out in the rain a lot in general and it's only when we are headed into reality muddy unlevel not well drained areas that we get our muck boots out...? The times we were at Legoland even in pretty heavy dumping situations we just had our regular walking shoes and it wasn't a problem?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Are special shoes or shoe covers really necessary? We are out in the rain a lot in general and it's only when we are headed into reality muddy unlevel not well drained areas that we get our muck boots out...? The times we were at Legoland even in pretty heavy dumping situations we just had our regular walking shoes and it wasn't a problem?

I mean, “necessary” is subjective. If your family has done amusement parks with heavy, dumping rain and is fine with soaked shoes, then it seems like you know it’s not a necessity for your family?

I don’t mind wet shoes if we’re just going for a few hours, but longer than that and I get sick of having wet feet, plus my kiddo has gotten blisters from wet shoes/socks.

I also find being wet WAY more uncomfortable when it’s cold... which it will be this week.

The whole “low crowds due to rain” theory has gotten uneven results the past few years, as there are a lot of factors that go into that... while it likely will thin crowds (especially if it’s a lot of rain, and cold), it may not empty the parks, and the people who are left have less rides to go on. So I just wouldn’t expect that it will clear out and then be disappointed.

GothicRosie on IG has a good rain post on what closes (note that this is rain without lightning - lightning closes everything outside for awhile).

 

[ZCarroll]

We definitely are not okay or comfortable with soaking wet shoes.... that is what I was wondering if shoes really get that soaked there in the rain? When we were getting dumped on at Legoland our feet still stayed dry... usually it takes tromping in not well drained soils or puddles for our shoes to get soaked and our feet actually wet. We don't even like getting our feet wet on rides and avoid that. Even with lots of getting out in the rain our feet stay dry just in our regular walking shoes when out and about in most situations so I just wasn't sure if there was more to it with regards to DL that shoes are more likely to get soaked through there somehow?

 

[ImDMous]

Disneyland is not well drained, plenty of areas will have puddles, some will have lakes depending on how much rain there is. If it's just showers, you should be fine.

We were there in a pretty rainy storm one time and went on Small World to get dry and warm. That was great until the end of the ride where it heads outside. It was pouring and all we could do was sit in the boat and watch it fill up with water until we got to the boarding area. We were warm and dry for a little while...

 

[midnight star]

I am also not a fan of cold and wet feet. This past winter when it seemed to rain every other day, I regularly wore rain boots to the park to prevent my feet from getting wet. Also it was nice to not have to worry about puddles, you could just walk right through no issue. I would say though to bring an extra pair of socks, and try not to wear jeans.

 

[Lumpy1106]

So Cal rain is usually intermittent, with one large dump that floods everything for a short while. Yes, you will need rain-proof footwear. As I said before, this is supposed to be a cold storm with snow levels down to 2000 ft. The storm will get colder right after the main rain event is over. If you are already wet you WILL be miserable. The point earlier about EVERYONE needing to be dry is a good one. Just one person with wet feet in your party will spoil the day for everyone. Bring full rain gear and a change of clothes for everyone. the locker fee to hold the extra clothes s cheap insurance. I DEFINITELY wouldn't cancel though - should be a great, uncrowded day.

 

[bcinohio]

How far in advance do you usually trust the forcast in Anaheim? Being from Ohio our moto is wait 5 minutes and the weather will change so you just never know ahead. We will be there Dec 8-13. Thanks.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

My waterproof pants finally arrived! Phew. Cutting it close since we are leaving tomorrow night. Yes, I said waterproof pants. I read on another forum that someone insisted wearing skiing pants was the best way to avoid cold, wet legs. Hoping that's right. I'll be testing it out Wednesday morning.

 

[Fishmango]

im nervous looks like its going to dump

 

[Kittyskyfish]

How far in advance do you usually trust the forcast in Anaheim? Being from Ohio our moto is wait 5 minutes and the weather will change so you just never know ahead. We will be there Dec 8-13. Thanks.

*waves hi*

I keep an eye on the rain system and weather channels like the Weather Underground. It helps to know the rain probability and forecasted rainfall amounts, because that better illustrates how wet the day will be. You can see in the link provided above that rainfall is predicted over the next 10 days in Anaheim, but the nature of that rainfall varies by day and hour. Predictions of 100% probability means rain is a certainty. We're headed there on the 4th, and the early forecast suggests a slight chance of rain. I'll watch the forecast to see how the predictions shape up.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I should mention, So Cal is sold as this always clear, sunny clear place. It is not. It is usually sunny, but hazy, and yes, smoggy...until it rains. The day after a rain it is GORGEOUS, especially after a cold rainy storm when the mountains get snow (yes, So Cal has mountains and snow). I wouldn't say it's a good week to be here, I would say it's the BEST week to be here. ENJOY!

P.S. - DO believe everything you hear about So Cal drivers when it rains. On sunny, dry roads they are some of the best drivers. The second it rains they are the WORST! Do your best to be off the road when it rains - especially during rush hour.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Here's a pretty chart of the expected rain totals for the storm;
T-day week storm totals

 

[MonocularVision]

P.S. - DO believe everything you hear about So Cal drivers when it rains. On sunny, dry roads they are some of the best drivers. The second it rains they are the WORST!

Same problem here in Phoenix: the rain comes and no one knows what to do.

 

[SeaDis]

OK you are back at the hotel after a great day in the rain. What's the FIRST thing you need to do?
*Get some air going through all those shoes! They need to be ready for the next morning. Just like putting them under the refrigerator back home.

There are usually two types of A/C units in hotel:
1) Internal with large grate/air return - Find a sturdy "riser" to build a shoe pyramid on in front of the grate. A case of water, hard suitcase, or cooler works great. Start with largest shoes, lay them sideways about 5 inches away from grate, on their outside edge with heels together and opening facing the grate. Lay the next-size-down shoes on top, and so on. The entire stack/pyramid will naturally lean toward the grate and support itself. My personal best is six pairs high. Another, more sturdy, option is take hangars out of the closet and see if they will fit in the grates to hang. Then use shoe laces to attach to the hangars. Depending on size of the grate, you can do two or three rows of shoes.

2) Exterior/window unit:
Depending on the unit, you can usually pull the desk chairs over and they should be the perfect height. Lay the shoes upside down with toes on the chairs and openings directly over the fan vent.

Notes:
*If you don't want heat or AC in the room, switch the unit to "Fan Only" to keep the air moving.
*If kids' shoes are not brand new, wash them BEFORE your trip. If you know what I mean...
*A friend of mine brings a mesh over-the-door shoe holder to hang on the hotel door to keep all shoes organized and out of the way. That also works perfectly to hang in front of the grate, from a chair. Stuffs easily into luggage.