Staying Indoors At Disney World – 8 Options for Beating the Rain

September 9, 2017

With Hurricane Irma making its way toward Florida, it’s important to remember when planning your Walt Disney World vacation that sometimes the weather just isn’t so hot. Disney has been known to have its fair share of storms and showers but with a bit of careful planning, you don’t have to let it be a damper on your Disney days. And though many Disney veterans will just say grab a poncho, brave the elements and visit Disney as you normally would, it’s not a method that works for everyone. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 8 places at Disney to hang out when the weather is less than perfect.

1. The Land Pavilion- Epcot. (pictured) If my family is planning a visit to Disney on a rainy day we make Epcot our theme park of choice. With all of the amazing pavilions scattered about the park, there’s plenty to do indoors to keep the entire family occupied. One of our favorite spots is definitely The Land Pavilion. Here’ you’ll find headlining attraction Soarin’ where both the ride and the queue are indoors. There’s also the Living with the Land boat ride that takes visitors through the amazing Epcot greenhouses as well as the educational but fun Circle of Life film. There’s also two of my favorite Epcot dining options. The Garden Grill, a rotating restaurant that serves amazing home cooking family style and features much-loved Disney Characters like Mickey, Chip, and Dale. And let’s not forget Sunshine Seasons, one of the best Quick Service locations on Disney property. Many of the ingredients here are locally sourced from the Living with the Land Greenhouses. All of these combine to make The Land pavilion one of our favorite places to take cover.

2. AMC Dine-In Disney Springs 24 – Sure you can go to the movies anytime, but even a night at the cinema is special when you do it at Disney. The AMC Dine-In is a dinner and a movie all in one. Visitors can choose from a range of dining options including Full-Service Dining, Dine-In Delivery To Seat (where you order in advance and the items are brought to your seat) as well as Express Pick-up for those wanted to grab your food and bring it in with you. There’s also a fantastic range of menu items from flatbreads and burgers to bowls and sweet treats. Going to the movies has never been so fun and so filling. It’s the perfect option for those rainy Disney evenings.

3. Mexico Pavilion – Epcot: There’s so much to love about Epcot’s Mexican Pavilion that you could easily and blissfully spend and hour or two here. There’s the bustling marketplace offering an eclectic array of handcrafted items as well as souvenirs. Diners can also enjoy the amazing views from the indoor eatery San Angel Inn complete with nighttime lights, pyramid, and volcano. There’s the indoor ride Grand Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros and for adults the amazing La Cava del Tequila where visitors can try out an impressive array of tequilas as well as small tasting platters perfect for sharing. And for those with tiny tots, why not pick up the Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s Adventure scavenger hunt for Mexico before heading into the Pavilion and see what other secrets await.

4. Splitsville Luxury Lanes – Disney Springs: If the weather looks like its taking a turn for the worse and those evening fireworks just aren’t happening, why not head over to Disney Springs for a fun evening of bowling. Splitsville Luxury Lanes is definitely the place to be for those looking for a fun night on the town. With 50,000 sq ft. of bowling, pool tables, live entertainment and fantastic eats (including what I think is some of the best pizza at Walt Disney World) it’s fantastic (indoor) fun for the whole family.

5. Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – There are so many wonderful things to see do and explore at this deluxe resort that you can easily spend anywhere from an hour to an afternoon visiting the main building. There are amazing shops like Basin White (pictured), incredible dining options like Citricos, 1900 Park Fare (character dining) or Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room. Guests can opt to have a manicure, pedicure or other spa treatments at Senses Spa while kids enjoy fun activities like the (kids only) Wonderland Tea Party or see Cinderella and Prince Charming during the daily princess promenade. There’s also resort tours and live music throughout the day. The covered monorail stop also makes it easy to stay dry as you’re traveling around Disney.

6. The Seas Pavilion – Epcot: When you’re planning out your Epcot day, it’s easy to forget just how much time you can spend at this remarkable pavilion if you only set aside the time. You can board a sea shell and journey under water with much-loved characters from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory in The Seas With Nemo and Friends. There’s also the laugh-a-minute Turtle Talk with Crush show also housed in the same building. Once you’ve enjoyed both of these terrific attractions you should also take time to take in the amazing 5.7 million gallon saltwater aquarium featuring an amazing array of sea creatures. The aquarium also offers a nice handful of fun hands-on activities that are popular with youngsters.

7. Indoor Magic Kingdom Attractions – Aside from Epcot, Magic Kingdom does offer a sizeable handful of indoor attractions that give guests an opportunity to get out of the rain. Here’s a wee list of the ones that we recommend:

Main Street U.S.A:

Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater – Both Mickey and Tinkerbell can be found tucked cozily away in the Town Square Theater. The queues (which are usually around 40 minutes long) get you out of the rain and you can easily finish up with one and jump right in line for the next.
Meet Tinkerbell

Adventureland:

Pirates of the Caribbean – The queue for this swashbuckling adventure is all under cover as is the ride itself. Guests also exit into a pretty sizable gift shop with and an eclectic mix of pirate merchandise.
Enchanted Tiki Room – The perfect tropical hideaway when the weather starts to turn. This fun animatronic show featuring singing birds is perfect for resting those weary feet and staying out of nasty weather.

Frontierland:

Country Bear Jamboree – This attraction is usually my family’s go-to option when the heavens decide to open. There’s hardly ever a line, performances happen regularly and the show is as delightful now as it was when you were a kid.

Fantasyland:

Mickey’s Philharmagic – In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated attractions at Disney World. This 3-D romp through key musical scenes from much-loved Disney films is a great way to stay dry.
Peter Pan’s Flight – If you have to wait in line for this attraction, do it when it starts to rain. Lines for this classic Disney ride can be long but it has one of the best interactive queues at Disney making it a great way to wait out a rainstorm.
it’s a small world – This classic Disney boat ride also has a queue that is mostly inside and lines are usually under 20 minutes. The ride is on the longer side making it perfect for that rain shower or thunderstorm and if it’s still chucking it down when your ride is over, it’s easy to nip next door to the dining room at Pinocchio Village Haus for a tasty treat.
Pete’s Silly Side Show – This is another great place to meet some of Mickey’s pal’s under a nice and dry big top tent. Here you’ll find Daisy, Minnie, Donald and Goofy all dressed up in as circus performers. You can queue up to meet all of them without having to leave the tent!

Tomorrowland:

Carousel of Progress- This classic Disney attraction is perfect for bad weather. The lines are short, performances run regularly and the show itself is the perfect length for resting those legs or eyes!
Space Mountain – Bad weather doesn’t have to mean missing out on your favorite thrill rides. This indoor coaster is perfect on a rainy day and with the line to get in mostly indoors you’ll stay perfectly dry!

8. Animal Kingdom Lodge – Bad weather can definitely be a great time to resort hop and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is another fantastic place to visit. Whether you’re there to grab a drink, enjoy an exotic buffet at Boma, a gourmet meal at Jiko or some of the amazing cultural activities from drum circles, to workshops to talks from cultural representatives, you’ll feel like you’ve left Florida behind for the Savannas of Africa. The Lodge also has a Children’s Activity Center, Simba’s Clubhouse, where kids can enjoy dinner and a movie or a fun-filled playtime while adults relax, explore or have a romantic meal. The Zawadi Marketplace is also one of the best resort gift shops you’ll find at Disney and carries a wonderful array of classic Disney souvenirs, authentic African items as well as hotel essentials.

So next time you’re at Disney and the weather starts to turn, seek out some of these fantastic indoor activities.

Guests at Disney World for Hurricane Irma should note that many Disney locations on this list will be closed from Saturday, September 9 – Monday, September 11th. For more information check out this article.

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