Theme Park Rainy Day Tips: Xtreme Edition

Sue Winter — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 16:14:26 +0000

How to Deal with Extreme Rain on Your Theme Park Vacation

On our recent trip to Disneyland we got caught in an epic day-long rainstorm that was so bad the park closed early. Here on goinformed.net I’ve already shared a couple of posts with tips for dealing with challenging weather at Disney World and Universal Orlando, and now I have a few more tips for what to do when the rain goes beyond just a typical afternoon shower. These rainy day tips will help make your day at Disney or Universal a whole lot easier.

The good news is you have the park all to yourself. The bad news: it’s raining so hard you may never be dry again.Click To Tweet

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Wet Shoes

Whether it’s a day-long storm or just a sudden torrential downpour, it’s easy to end up with soaking wet shoes. Here are some of my tips for how to deal with wet shoes at Disney.

Taking refuge from the storm inside Sleeping Beauty castle.

My shoes are soaked but I don’t want to leave the park

Go to the nearest shop and buy some new socks. Get two small plastic bags from the cashier. (Disney cast members will always give you bags even if you don’t buy anything).

Pick up some napkins at a counter-service restaurant or get some paper towels from the restroom.

Find a dry place where you can discreetly strip down to bare feet. (I recommend the back corner of a quick-serve restaurant; or you can use a restroom – bonus if it has a hand-dryer that can double as a foot-dryer).

Get your feet as dry as possible, then switch into your new, warm, dry socks. Then put your feet into the plastic bags.

Plastic bags can keep your feet dry even if your shoes are soaking wet.

Slip your plastic-encased feet into your shoes and carry on. This really does work and even though you’ll probably still feel the water in your shoes it won’t actually be touching your skin.

(Carefully) Use a Hair Dryer to Dry Out Wet Shoes

Soaking-wet shoes can take a long time to dry out, and if you don’t have another pair of shoes you may need to speed up the process. You can use a hair dryer to blow warm air into and around your shoes to help them dry more quickly.

First take the insoles out of the shoes, set them aside. Put the hair dryer on the highest fan setting possible, but watch the heat. If the air is too hot it might warp or melt your shoe, so don’t put a hot hair dryer right up against the shoe. Instead, blow warm air or hold the heat away from the shoe surface, and check the progress frequently to be sure you aren’t causing hot spots.

Blow the air both into the shoe and around the outside. A more powerful hair dryer will be more effective than a tiny wall-mounted hotel-room dryer. If there’s only one of these puny dryers in your room, check with the front desk to see if they have anything more powerful. They may have a standard hair dryer you can borrow.

I found the hair dryer to be less effective on the insole, at least on our shoes, but the insoles dried on their own overnight. I hung them in the shower from the clips on a slacks hanger.

You probably won’t be able to fully dry your shoes with a hair dryer, but even if you just get them less soggy this will greatly speed up the time it takes them to air dry.

A wet day at Disney is still better than a dry day at the office.

Preparing for Wet Shoes

In the morning if your shoes are still wet, or if you know you will be facing another very rainy day, start your day with plastic bags on your feet (first socks on your feet, then plastic bags, like above).

Bring an extra pair of dry socks with you so you can change if you need to.

Line your shoes with plastic bags to keep your feet dry.

More rainy day tips for extreme weather

Pack an extra pair of shoes and lots of socks

One of the best ways to keep your feet dry is to have two pairs of shoes on your trip. This way you can rotate, allowing one pair to dry while you get the other one wet.

And don’t forget to bring lots of extra socks so you can at least switch to dry socks frequently.

Ponchos are the best protection against rain at the park.

Wipe ponchos down with a towel

When you get back to your hotel room, use a towel to dry your ponchos. You’ll find that you can get them almost completely dry this way, but if you don’t wipe them off they really stay wet. Towel them down, then find a place to hang them until you need them again.

Carrying a towel in your backpack can really help too, so you can wipe down when you go inside a ride or into a restaurant.

Rainy days usually mean light crowds at Disney.

Live to see another day

If the deluge hits on your last day at Disney, by all means, keep going and make the best of it. But if you still have days left in your trip, consider heading back to your room a little (or a lot) early. Touring in extreme weather is physically and mentally exhausting.

Take advantage of the light crowds on a rainy day and hit the rides you most want to see. Then call it a day before everyone in your group melts down.

Our go-to rescue plan on a stormy day is room service. It’s sensational to get back to the room, enjoy a long hot shower, and not go back out. If room service isn’t your style, pick up a bite on your way to your room or order pizza. Put on your pajamas and rest so you can be fresh the next morning.

Ready for rope drop on a rainy day at California Adventure.

Order supplies

If you suddenly realize you did not pack properly for the weather conditions, check with your hotel to find out if you can receive an Amazon delivery. You can order almost anything you need, even that extra pair of shoes you forgot, or a shoe/boot dryer, without spending precious vacation time at the mall. Spring for next-day shipping (this is an excellent time to try out a Prime membership) and get on with your magical day.

More weather tips from goinformed.net

Be sure to also check out my other posts and podcast episodes about dealing with weather in Orlando. These tips work great for Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood too!

Disney World Weather Tips and Why August is a Great Time to Visit Orlando

Weather at Universal Orlando: 5 Cool Tips for the Heat and Rain

Orlando Summer Gear Guide on the Go Informed Podcast

Top 5 Orlando Summer Weather Tips – Go Informed Podcast Episode 028