Rain at Disneyland doesn’t mean your Disney day is ruined. Here are my top Tips For A Rainy Day At Disneyland.
Rainy days at Disneyland don’t mean you’re going to have a bad time. Sometimes it means lower crowds and shorter wait times.
Before you leave for your trip to Disneyland, make sure and check the weather forecast. If there is a chance of rain, you will want to make sure you are prepared. Here is everything you need to know to help you have the best rainy day at Disneyland.
Some of our favorite trips have included rainy days at the park. We came prepared with our rainy day must haves and planned our day to include a lot of indoor rides, shows and attractions.
Rainy Day at Disneyland
Rainy days at Disneyland tend to happen more often in the winter and spring months. January, February and March tend to have a higher number of rainy days.
When it rains at Disneyland, parades and other outdoor entertainment will be canceled. Character meet and greets will be moved or not be happening. Some rides will also close when it is raining.
Rainy Day Tips at Disneyland
Here are some ways to enjoy Disneyland on a rainy day.
- Ride a longer attraction. Like the Disneyland Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s A Small World, Ariel’s Under Sea Adventure, Rise of the Resistance and Soarin.
- Hop into the Main Street Cinema and watch some Mickey shorts cartoons.
- Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has a show and a lot of interesting facts and artifacts on display.
- Watch a show at the Royal Theatre by the castle.
- Grab a dole whip and head into the Tiki Room to sing with the birds.
- Visit the Animation Academy in Hollywood Land. Learn to draw your favorite Disney characters. Visit the Sorcerer’s Workshop and Beast’s Library and see which Disney character you are. Or sit and enjoy the jumbo screens playing some classic Disney clips.
- Turtle Talk with Crush. It is also in the Animation Academy.
- Watch Mickey’s Philharmagic in California Adventure.
- Go shopping! All the shops will be open and will have plenty of cover from the rain.
- Meet some characters.
Find out where the character meet and greets are happening. When it’s raining, you can still meet characters, but they may be limited. And they will always be indoors.
In Disneyland you will still find the princesses at the Royal Hall by the castle. Find Star Wars characters in the Launch Bay in Tomorrowland. And sometimes find Mickey and friends in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Over in California Adventure you can find characters inside the Animation Academy. This is usually where you can meet Anna and Elsa. Or over in the Disney Junior Theater.
What Rides Close at Disneyland When It Rains
Some of the rides in both Disneyland and California Adventure will shut down when it rains. Make sure you are aware of what rides will close down when it starts to rain to help you plan your rainy day.
Many rides may have an outdoor queue, but the ride itself is indoors. So those rides will remain open.
Rides at Disneyland that close when it rains
If in Disneyland, make sure to avoid these rides during the rain. They will close down when the rain starts for safety.
- Alice in Wonderland
- Mad Tea Party
- Tom Sawyer‘s Island
- Autopia
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Storybook Canal Boats
Rides at California Adventure that close when it rains
There are a few rides in California Adventure that will also close when it starts to rain. Make sure to avoid these during rainy times at the park.
- Golden Zephyr
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Radiator Racers will close for safety reasons due to weather, but I’ve been on it when it’s sprinkling.
The app will help keep you updated about which rides are open and closed during the rain. Make sure and check the rides in the app to save you the trouble of walking all the way over to a ride, just to find out it is closed.
Disneyland Rainy Day Must Haves
Before you go make sure to have some of these items with you, just in case it rains during your trip. It’s better to have these must haves, then not. Even if you just put them in a locker during the day until you need them.
However, all of the items listed below can easily fit into your backpack. They all fold up nicely and then you can put all your wet items, once the rain is over, in a wet bag to store until you get back home or hotel.
Extra socks and shoes are also a good idea. It’s no fun to walk around the park with wet feet. So if you can have a dry pair to change into, that’ll make your rainy day much better.
Disneyland Food Favorites For Rainy Days
When it comes to meal times, it’s a good idea to find places that have indoor seating to stay out of the rain and keep dry. Not all restaurants at Disneyland and California Adventure have indoor seating. So even if you want to eat from somewhere that doesn’t have indoor seating, you can always take your food to go, and find some covered seating.
The quick service restaurants that have indoor seating at Disneyland are:
- Plaza Inn
- Alien Pizza Planet
- Docking Bay 7
- Red Rose Tavern
- Bengal BBQ
- Golden Horseshoe
The quick service restaurants with indoor seating at California Adventure are:
- Smokejumpers
- Flo’s V8 Cafe
- Fiddler, Fifer and Practical
- Craftsman Grill inside The Grand Californian
Rainy days at Disneyland could also be chilly days in the parks. I like to eat warm food when it’s chilly and sometimes grab a hot chocolate.
My favorite foods to eat on a cold, rainy day at Disneyland are:
- The Jolly Holiday Combo – grilled cheese and tomato soup
- Corn chowder from the French Market
- The fried chicken from Plaza Inn
- Baked Potato from Troubadour Tavern
- Soup in a bread bowl or mac & cheese in a bread bowl from Pacific Wharf Cafe
- 5 cheese ravioli from Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
- Flo’s famous fried chicken from Flo’s V8
All of the places and food mentioned above are the quick service locations that anyone can eat at. There are other indoor restaurants at the park, but they require reservations. So make sure and check to see if there is any availability at those locations on a rainy day. Make sure to mobile order at those locations too, to save time.
If you are looking for more tips on planning your Disneyland vacation, I’ve got lots of Disney Travel tips. Below is just a few of my most recent articles you can read to help plan your trip. And you can follow along on my Disney Instagram DisneyFoodNFun to see what’s happening at Disneyland right now.
As you can see, there is so much to still do at Disneyland, even in the rain. Your day may look a little different then it would without the rain. But you can still have a really fun time.
Happy Planning!
Liz
Liz Call
Owner at Liz on Call
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