How to do Disneyland in the Rain – Helpful Rainy Day Tips

While we often dream of sunny skies and clear days for our Disney theme park adventures, sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. But fear not, because rain or shine, Disneyland is always a good idea. Like I’ve heard many times before, a rainy day at Disneyland is better than a rainy day at work!

My friend Michelle and I visited Disneyland during a historic period of rain in Southern California, and we learned quite a few things during our trip. Rainy days at Disney were not something we were hoping to experience, but we made the most of it. As someone who’s danced through puddles for three days in the parks, I’m here to share all my insider tips and tricks on how to make the most of your rainy day adventure at the Happiest Place on Earth. Grab your umbrellas and let’s dive (or splash?) on in!

How to Do Disneyland in the Rain

Make sure to check out my YouTube video with more in depth thoughts and tips!

What to Bring for Rainy Days in Disneyland

If inclement weather is in your Disneyland forecast, be prepared! You’re still going to have a lot of fun and make lots of amazing memories. So many great moments are to be had, I promise! As you’re packing for your rainy Disneyland trip, here are some things I would suggest bringing along for your park days. Worst case scenario, you can take advantage of their locker rentals to store any extra gear you don’t want to carry around.

Rain Boots or Waterproof Shoes

Not an absolute must, but your feet are probably going to get wet. I found a that fit nicely in my backpack, so I switched back and forth from my sneakers to the rain boots. There’s a lot of walking in Disneyland, so having good shoes are a must. I also saw a lot of people in the parks with these waterproof shoe covers, and they seem like an amazing idea if you want to keep your comfy sneakers on at all times. Bottom line, you’re going to want to have some sort of water-resistant shoes.

Rain Jacket

Layers are essential for rainy Disneyland days, especially if the weather is cooler. We were in temperatures of about 55 degrees, and it can be really chilly if any of your clothes get wet. I layered a crop top sports bra with a sweatshirt over top, then a rain jacket, and then a poncho on top. I felt that the rain jacket was essential to keep my layers underneath the poncho dry, and really helped keep me comfortable. If you are going in warmer summer months, this may be an item you can skip (especially if you are wearing short sleeves). 

Poncho

A poncho is incredibly helpful for keeping you dry, along with your belongings. I kept my backpack on underneath my poncho and kept all of my gear dry that way. You can buy rain ponchos in the parks, but they are cheaper on Amazon. This one worked just fine with zero issues.

Small Umbrella

Big umbrellas can get in the way and can be hard to stow, but a small umbrella is so nice to have on hand. The one I brought fit right in my rain jacket pocket, so I could easily stow it when I was indoors.

Water Resistant Backpack

It’s not a fantastic idea to bring your leather backpack or other fabrics in that could be damaged by the rain. I found this lightweight water resistant backpack on Amazon, and it did an amazing job of keeping everything dry. Like I mentioned, I made sure to keep my backpack on underneath my poncho.

Plastic Bags

It is very helpful to keep wet clothes and accessories contained. I brought a few plastic grocery bags with me (ziploc bags can also work). I kept a plastic bag in my rain jacket pocket to keep my wet umbrella in, and then one in my backpack to carry my rain boots, and wet socks.

Extra Socks

Bring a lot of extra socks – more pairs than you think you’ll need. Despite my best efforts, my socks did manage to always get wet, even with rain boots on. Keeping an extra pair of socks in my park bag was a life saver in those chilly temperatures.

Extra Clothes

I would advise on bringing extra clothes in case you somehow still get soaked despite your best efforts. I didn’t bring extra dry clothes with me in my park backpack, since our hotel was so close to the parks (more on that in a minute). If I were staying further away, I may have considered doing so.

Stroller Rain Cover

If you’re bringing a stroller, you absolutely need a rain cover for it! Although this past trip was adults’ only, I have used the stroller rain cover in Disney World and it has saved us from many a crazy Florida thunderstorm. 

Pros and Cons to Going to Disneyland in the Rain

There definitely are some pros and cons to weigh if you’re attempting to do Disneyland in the rain. Here are the big ones we experienced!

Pros:

• Parks will most likely be very low crowds! This was a major plus. We didn’t find ourselves in any big crowd, ever. This was awesome and made for crowd-free castle photos and a more enjoyable experience.
• Shorter lines! Like 5-10 minute waits max. Rise of the Resistance was practically a walk on for us multiple times!
• No need to purchase Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes. We pre-purchased Genie+ for our trip and barely needed it. The only times we used it was when we wanted to do an indoor ride that had an outdoor queue, and we wanted to be able to get inside as fast as possible. We didn’t really need Genie+ and we did not purchase a single Individual Lightning Lane. This is a big bonus and cost saver, that’s for sure!
• Although rain can be a little stressful, it makes for a super memorable experience. Getting to experience the parks with low wait times and practically zero crowds was just a whole vibe in itself. If you want zero crowds, going in the rain is the best time to go.

Cons:

• Parks could potentially close earlier. They closed a few hours early each of our three park days. That is a bummer to lose out on some park time, especially if you enjoy going in the evenings.
• No parades or outdoor shows. If you love parades, cavalcades and outdoor shows, this is a big let down.
• Night time shows and fireworks could potentially be canceled. We didn’t get to see a firework show at all in Disneyland Park, but we were able to see World of Color one of our evenings while we were there. 
• You wont see your favorite characters walking around the parks. If character meet and greets are a big deal to you, this could be disappointing. I did learn after the fact that a lot of characters will be in the “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” Building on Main Street USA. Make sure to check there if you’re looking to meet some of your favorite characters!
• It’s hard to enjoy festival food booths in the rain. We were there during Lunar New Year, and those food booths are such a treat! It was kind of a whole ordeal to try and get food in the rain while holding an umbrella and trying to stay dry while eating it. We waited for a break in the rain to experience this better, and that was a good call.
• A lot of the quick service restaurants have a lot outdoor seating and minimal indoor seating. There are some indoor restaurants, but those tend to get pretty packed. This isn’t a huge deal breaker for us. We just made sure to time our meals and snacks in a way where we could find a place to sit and enjoy them indoors.
• Some rides will stay closed during the rain. For exmpale, Mad Tea Party was closed the entire time we were there, along with the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Somehow, Dumbo the Flying Elephant was always open during the rain… haha! We missed out on a few attractions and they never opened up. Here is a list of all the attractions that will close in the rain.

Best Tips for Navigating the Rain in Disneyland

Here are some of the things we learned along the way of being in the parks for three days in the rain!

Stay CLOSE to the parks

This is a big one, and a non-negotiable for me from here on out. We stayed at the , which is an 8-minute walk from the parks (we timed it, and it is indeed 8 minutes away). While you may think walking back to your hotel in the rain is worse than rideshare or a bus, it’s actually the better option. We walked back and forth when we saw lighter periods of rain, and we loved being so close to take breaks, rest, and wait out any heavy rain. 

The was amazing! Rain or shine, we absolutely enjoyed the property and think it’s worth booking. The grounds are well-manicured, there’s a heated water playground (it was open during the chilly rain!), staff is super friendly, and the retro vibes are immaculate. We stayed in building 1, which is one of the renovated parts of the property (highly recommend). The beds are super comfortable, the room is fresh and clean with adorable Disney touches, and we love that they had a mini fridge and Keurig.

The also has a bunch of room configurations that will work with all sorts of families. Next time when I bring my kiddos, I want to book the Kids Suite!

If you’re looking for a hotel super close to the parks, I highly recommend the . Make sure to use my personal link and enter code 1000022077 for a special discount! 

Make sure to check out my YouTube video at the top of this post to see a room and property tour!

Wear Layers & Light Clothing

I mentioned this briefly above, but always having a dry layer on is key to staying comfortable, especially in chilly temperatures. I wore a crop top sports bra, then a sweatshirt, then a rain jacket, and then a poncho. I stuck to athletic leggings for my pants, because if they were to get wet, they could easily dry. 

Be Prepared

It’s better to over prepare and bring all the rain gear than not be prepared at all. If you bring all of my packing suggestions I outlined above, you’re going to have a magical day. I promise!

Enjoy all of the Indoor Attractions

The great news is there is so much to do indoors! Lots of rides and attractions are inside with indoor queues, which makes it easy to escape the rain. Some of our favorite indoor rides and attractions (in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park) are:

Favorite Indoor Rides & Attractions with Indoor Queues

• Space Mountain
• Indiana Jones
• Animation Academy
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Mickey’s House & Meet Mickey Mouse
• Rise of the Resistance (mostly indoor queue)
• Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough

The Disney Animation Building in California Adventure was one of our favorite spots to escape the rain. You can do the Animation Academy, Turtle Talk with Crush, and meet Anna and Elsa all in the same building. It’s an awesome spot to do all those indoor activities. Give it a visit – it’s a must-do rain or shine, in my opinion.

If you have Genie+, or you are okay with waiting in an outdoor queue, here are some of our favorite indoor attractions with outdoor queues:

Favorite Indoor Rides & Attractions with Outdoor Queues

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• it’s a small world
• Haunted Mansion
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• The Little Mermaid
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Web Slingers

Do Outdoor Rides at the End of the Day

While some rides and attractions do close if it’s raining, a LOT stay open, even some outdoor ones! They definitely are worth still doing, but be strategic about when you ride them. We rode Incredicoaster at the end of the night because you WILL be pelted by rain and it’s hard to come back from that. We were absolute goners, lol! 

Here are a few rides that are worth doing in the rain, but at the end of your day (or when you’re going to take a break and change clothes):

• Incredicoaster
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Radiator Springs Racers 
• Big Thunder Mountain

Bottom Line… is it Worth Doing Disneyland in the Rain?

YES! However, only YOU can be the judge of that. You know your family best! It takes more effort to be prepared and stay dry, but if you’re up for the challenge, I say do it! I do think we deserve a beautiful sunny trip next time, though. LOL 🙂

Also, I highly recommend using a Disney planner to help you plan your vacation, especially if it’s your first time. Contact my friend Michelle and she can help you!