“The rain, rain, rain
Came down, down, down
In rushing, rising riv’lets
‘Til the river crept out of its bed
And crept right into Piglet’s”
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day

In January I took my girls to Disneyland for the weekend to meet family. I’d checked the weather ahead of time, and knew it would rain. When you’ve got several life-long Oregonians in your group saying the rain is too much, it really is. There was a flood warning in place while we were there, and the parks closed early one night, which is pretty rare for Disneyland.

When you’re expecting rain at Disneyland, you need to plan ahead. Pack good rain gear, lots of extra clothes, and make dining reservations.

• Make dining reservations if you plan to eat in the park. Nearly every indoor restaurant was only accepting people with reservations. I was glad I’d made a few last minute ones just in case.
• Be prepared to eat in your room. I usually have groceries delivered, and we were able to go back, change, dry out, and have lunch or dinner at the hotel.
• Take rain boots, or shoes. Yes, they take up a lot of room in your suitcase. How much do you enjoy wet socks? I hate them.
• Pack extra clothes, more than you might otherwise.
• Don’t rely on the type of inexpensive ponchos you might use to stay dry on a ride and then toss. Get large, heavy-duty full-body ponchos.
• Have plastic zip bags to protect your electronics.
• Make a list, at least a mental one, of the good indoor activities.
• Skip the rides with long outdoor ques, even if the rides themselves are long.
• Take a stroller cover. A water-soaked stroller is pretty useless.
• Some rides and shows will shut down. Characters may not be out. If there are breaks in the rain, get to your must-do rides.

Most of the time when you experience rain at the parks, it won’t feel like you need to build an Ark. Enjoying Disneyland in the rain requires a combination of good attitude and preparation. When we started to get

down, I refocused us on the fact that we were there to spend time with our family. The rain couldn’t stop us from doing that. When we turned our attention to that goal, the rain stopped bothering us. We did have a great time with our family. My nieces had never been, and they were happy playing in Minnie Mouse’s house for an hour. They were delighted to stay at the character breakfast until it closed, and we got a lot of extra attention because we were there so long. My youngest daughter really enjoyed stomping in the puddles, although I’m not sure those around her enjoyed getting splashed.

Sometimes, we don’t have the Disneyland trip of our dreams. It can be frustrating, because it’s an investment of time and money. Getting out of the rain can also force you to try new things. We’d never seen Frozen at the Hyperion and loved it! When you go with people you love, and put your focus on them, that’s where the real Disney magic happens.

#Rain #Disneyland #Family