Many families never have to worry about how to spend a rainy day at Disneyland, because the weather is usually sunny and dry in Southern California. Nonetheless, even in our prolonged drought, there are the occasional rainy days. There’s no reason to let the rain bring down our moods, though; a Disney trip is special and with ideas regarding how to spend a rainy day at Disneyland, we’ll be sure to have fun…even if Disneyland has temporarily become the Rainiest Place on Earth.
Will it rain on your (Disney) parade?
Disclaimer: I was invited to bring a few guests with me to experience a rainy day at Disneyland, but despite El Nino warnings all winter, the inclement weather did not precipitate (see what I did there?) so we had to make do with sunny, warm, perfect weather. Poor us!
Odds are, if it’s raining in Anaheim, it’s not a giant multi-hour downpour. Ducking into a souvenir shop briefly during scattered showers or waiting under a building’s overhang is obvious, but how to spend a rainy day at Disneyland that involves more monsoon-like weather involves a bit more forethought.
Fortunately, Disneyland has a useful website for our travel-planning needs. During particularly heavy or prolonged rain, most indoor shows and attractions stay open while some outdoor rides may be forced to close. Keep in mind, of course, that the queues are almost always outdoors, even for indoor rides and attractions. Disneyland’s main site has an interactive map for updated closure information, and the app Mousewait gives us live status updates regarding the length of expected wait times on every ride’s and attraction’s line. Combining knowing the length of the outdoor line with a focus on indoor rides and attractions is the best way to enjoy a rainy day at Disneyland.
A Disneyland rain poncho can be a cute accessory for your teenager’s next selfie
How to Spend a Rainy Day at Disneyland — Indoor California Adventure Attractions
Hollywood Land:
Animation Academy
Character Close Up
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
Sorcerer’s Workshop
Turtle Talk with Crush
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Pacific Pier:
The Little Mermaid
Toy Story Mania
A Bug’s Land:
It’s Tough to Be a Bug 3-D Film and Live Show
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘em Buggies
Grizzly Peak:
Soarin’ Over California
Don’t forget your paperwork! Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
How to Spend a Rainy Day at Disneyland — Indoor Disneyland Attractions
Fantasyland:
Alice in Wonderland
It’s a Small World
Matterhorn Bobsleds (partial)
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Peter Pan
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Tomorrowland:
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Monorail
Space Mountain
Star Tours
Star Wars Launch Bay and Super Hero Headquarters (closing to have major expansion with Star Wars character meet and greet experiences)
Main Street:
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Main Street Cinema
Shopping on Main Street
Toontown:
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Toontown Houses
New Orleans Square:
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribbean
Adventureland:
Enchanted Tiki Room
Indiana Jones Adventure
Critter Country:
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
How to Spend a Rainy Day at Disneyland — Indoor Shows
Parades, fireworks, and World of Color will not be open during “real” rainfall. Most indoor shows will stay open, though, so we can certainly take advantage of those. Again, usually lines form outside even for indoor shows and attractions. There are many shows throughout the day at Disneyland; here is a list of shows and character experiences.
Indoor and even covered shows like these sneak a little cultural experience into a rainy day at Disney
The good news? Rain keeps lots of people away. If we’re made of sterner stuff, we can brave the bad weather and be rewarded with shorter lines and a less crowded theme park. Let’s put on ponchos, find waterproof cases for our cellphones/cameras, and get out there; we won’t melt. And who knows — the best time to meet Goofy and Pluto may well be when it’s raining cats and dogs.
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