For anyone who has never been, Walt Disney World is made up of four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Add in two water parks, a downtown shopping area, and many hotels, and the options for entertainment seem endless. Some of the best times to be had in Disney World happen when the rain is coming down. The crowds seem to disappear, and lines are practically non-existent.
Magic Kingdom
This park is set up in a hub-and-spoke format, with the iconic Cinderella's Castle at the center of the
hub and 6 lands
, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Mickey's
Toontown Fair, and Tomorrowland, forming the spokes. There are many covered venues with attractions,
movies, and shows where you can get out of the rain for a while. Pirates of the Carribean in Adventurland and
The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square are two of the more popular indoor attractions. Meanwhile, in Frontierland, The Country Bear Jamboree
is a fun but corny show featuring animatronic singing bears. For the young at heart, Fantasyland
offers many indoor attractions, such as it's a small world
, Peter Pan's Flight, and
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Also in Fantasyland is Mickey's PhilharMagic, a 3-D
movie starring not Mickey Mouse, but Donald Duck. In Mickey's Toontown Fair, visitors
can meet with Mickey and other Disney characters inside the Judge's Tent. Over in
Tomorrowland, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a fun way to battle the evil Zorg in a fun,
bright environment. Also in Tomorrowland is Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor; its interactive nature
between character and the audience ensures that you will never have the same experience
twice in the attraction. If thrill rides are more your speed, then
a trip down Space Mountain, in Tomorrowland, or Splash Mountain, in Frontierland, should be just the ticket.
Space Mountain is entirely enclosed, but Splash Mountain does have parts that are out in the open.
Also, keep in mind that when thunder and lightening occur, both Space Mountain
and Splash Mountain may stop running. for safety reasons.
There are also a few restaurants and shops to spend both time and money in. The entranceway
to the park, called Main Street U.S.A., is made up of interconnected stores with merchandise ranging
from cheap to extremely expensive. There are also a few quick service food shops selling bakery goods, ice cream,
and hot dogs. If you prefer a more leisurely meal, The Magic Kingdom has four sit-down establishments. Tony's
Town Square offers Italian food in a setting inspired by the restaurant featured in the movie Lady and
the Tramp.
The Crystal Palace is a buffet, with characters from Winnie the Pooh paying a visit
to guests tables. Liberty Tree Tavern serves customers food inspired by colonial-era America.
The restaurant that is perhaps one of the most sought-after, and most expensive, is Cinderella's
Royal Table, inside the Castle. This is also a character meal, featuring Cinderella, the Fairy
Godmother, and princesses from other Disney movies.
Toward the end of the night a daily fireworks show called Wishes appears above Cinderella's Castle. Also, occuring a few times a week is SpectroMagic Parade, with floats covered in clear and colored lights. They will be cancelled in very bad weather, so you may want to check with a park castmember to confirm that the performances is on.
EPCOT
The name of this park orignally stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, unless you belive the tram and bus drivers who tell you it means Every Person Comes out Tired. No matter what you call it, EPCOT is a great place to spend a rainy day. For anyone who has never been to EPCOT, it is divided into two areas--Future World, and World Showcase.
Starting with Future World, the pavillions include Journey Into Imagination, The Land, The Living Seas, Mission Space, Test Track, and the park's icon, Space Ship Earth. Mission Space and Test Track are both considered thrill rides. Guests preferring calmer rides can bypass the thrill portions, and just visit the interactive areas of the pavillions. Soarin', located in The Land pavillion, is a popular ride, and a bit tamer than Mission Space or Test Track. In addition to the six pavillions, there are two areas called Innoventions East and Innoventions West which offer guests hands-on science and technology experiences. Because each of the pavillions, along with Innoventions, tend to have multiple attractions, be it rides, interactive displays, or movies, it can be quite easy to spend a couple of hours in each spot.
World Showcase is made up of countries from Europe, Asia, and North America, with each country's
pavillion staffed by workers from that country. With
the exeption of the United Kingdom pavillion, all the countries have either a movie, show,
or ride. Also, each country
has at least one food establishment which offers
menus in the style of that country. Le Cellier, in Canada, is an extremely popular
steakhouse, with hard-to-get reservations. When it rains, however, you may be able
to get a cancellation. Another fun restaurant to visit is Restaurant Marrakesh,
which has Moroccan-style dishes and, for entertainment while eating,
a belly dancer performs throughout the day. In addition to dining, each country in
EPCOT sells goods from the host countries.
At the end of each evening, EPCOT presents Illuminations, a mix of lasers, lights, and fireworks. Similar to Wishes at the Magic Kingdom, if the weather is very bad it may be cancelled so check with a castmember.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Formerly known as Disney MGM Studios, Disney's Hollywood Studios aims to bring visitors into the world of movies. The smallest of the four theme parks, there is still plenty to do. For thrill seekers, Star Tours, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith are not to be missed. Both have queues that are covered, so waiting in the rain is not much of an issue. For visitors looking for something a bit more sedate, The Great Movie Ride may be just your speed.
In addition to rides, there are movies and shows available to guests, all of which are inside. Muppet Vision 3-D features Jim Henson's Muppets in a silly movie. Make sure you arrive early enough to enjoy the pre-show, and make sure to look under the mat for the key. Voyage of the Little Mermaid tells the condensed Disney version of this popular fairy tale. Toy Story Mania!, the newest ride at the park, is an interactive ride where passengers play virtual carnival style games in 3-D.
In the Holywood studios, a few of the restaurants are just as much an attraction as
an eating establishment. The 50's Prime Time Cafe is themed to resemble Mom's
kitchen in the 1950's, complete with a dessert menu that is shown via a viewfinder.
Here, you are treated like family and are expected to set your
own places. If you do not finish your meal, one of the wait staff may just try feeding
it to you. In the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, instead of tables, diners eat while seated in a car--as if they
were visiting a drive-in theater. There is a continuos loop of clips from old science fiction movies
played on a screen, to enjoy while eating. If you prefer someplace a bit more upscale, the
The Hollywood Brown Derby might be what you are looking for. Fasioned after the famous restaurant of
the same name in Hollywood, the atmosphere is less theme park
than others at the
Hollywood Studios.
Starting January 2009, the nighttime show Fantasmic, featuring characters and pyrotechnics, will be performed twice a week. Like the nighttime events in the other parks, the show will be cancelled in very bad weather.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
This park is primarily outdoors, so guests visiting the Animal Kingdom should definitely remember to bring a rain poncho. Kilimanjaro Safari, one of the more popular attractions in this park, takes guests on a safari ride through an African savannah. While the car is covered, the savannah is not. Thus, some of the animals normally seen during good weather may not be visible in the rain. A few of the park's shows occur under cover, such as Finding Nemo -- The Musical, and the Festival of the Lion King. It's Tough to be a Bug is a 3-D movie shown in a theater in this park's icon, The Tree of Life. Parents should be aware, however, that parts of the movie may be scary for children. In terms of thrill rides, DINOSAUR is completely inside, while Expedition Everest is partially outside. On Kali River Rapids, an outside ride, there is a potential to get very wet, so if you are of the "I'm already wet, so what's a bit more" philosophy, this ride could be right up your alley.
Because this park is centered around animals, there is no nightly fireworks show.
Around the Grounds
For those over 21 years old, one way to spend a rainy day is going on a monorail pub crawl. Start at the lounge in the Contemporary Resort, and have a drink. From there, hop the monorail to the Polynesian Resort, for one of their specialties. Once done, take the monorail to the Grand Floridian Resort for a final drink. If eating is more your interest, the same trip can be made starting with appetizers at one hotel, main course at a second, and dessert at a third.
Even if you don't drink, paying a visit to the different on-site hotels is a great way to spend a rainy day at The World. Each one has different theming, and it's fun to see where to stay at the next visit. Two of the on-site hotels are particularly great for visiting. The Wilderness Lodge, themed to resemble a lodge that would be at Yosemite Park, offers free tours of the hotel on certain days of the week; just call ahead or ask at the hotel's guest serivce desk. Meanwhile, The Animal Lodge, themed towards an African hotel you might stay at on a safari, has areas where you can sit and watch the animals that are also in the Animal Kingdom.
If the rain is on the lighter side, and the temperature is comfortable, it may be a good time to visit one of the two water parks--Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. The crowd level may smaller, allowing visitors to enjoy rides with shorter waits.
If shopping is more toward your interest, try going to Downtown Disney. There, you can browse through shops with all kinds of merchandise, from candy to household items to jewelry. Also in the Downtown area is DisneyQuest, where you can play interactive virtual reality games, or build your own roller coaster. If it is shows your are interested in, Cirque du Soleil performs their show, La Nouba nightly.
When planning your trip to Orlando, keep in mind that the month with the highest average precipitation is June with 7.35 inches, followed by July with 7.1 inches.
