Rain!!! Rain!!! Rain!!!

[LadyKay]

I just checked the 10 day forecast and I read that there will be thunder storms ALL 7 DAYS that we are on vacation. Not just rain......thunder storms.
All my planning! How accurate are the forcasters?(feel free to lie) Do you think we will see some Florida sun? The little sun icon doesn't even show up a little bit behind the rain cloud. :( Regardless, I still can't wait to go.Just hope there are sunny breaks. Reassurance please!

[Keith]

I don't find the forecasts particularly accurate at all..... or perhaps to be more specific, I find that when you look in that much detail they're not great. So "there'll be thunderstorms this week" will probably be accurate but that can mean a 1hr storm which has cleared up almost immediately followed by really hot, nice rest of the day until the night when it'll thunderstorm again... if that makes sense.

If I'd have taken any notice of the March weather predictions it'd have been pretty worrying but whilst we were out there, we found that even though people in other parts of orlando were saying it'd been pouring with rain for days, in Disney we were having the odd shower and nothing that stopped us enjoying ourselves :)

The only thing I'd say is.... if there IS a possibility of thunderstorms, make sure you do shows like indiana jones, fantasmic etc. whilst you can (ie. dont leave them till last or anything). If there's tstorm brewing, although most things are fine, shows like that can be limited or even suspended so it makes sense to get them out of the way in fine weather if you can. I did hear tales of woe in March at the airport on the way back from people who had planned fantasmic for close to the end of the holiday and then weren't able to see it because at that time every night there had been a tstorm for the last few days :/

[LadyKay]

Thanks for your wise words especially because the are optimistic. We are doing Fantasmic the second day we are there. I hope the weather is permitting as we have Fantasmic dinner pckg. ressies @ H&V.

[Keith]

Thanks for your wise words especially because the are optimistic. We are doing Fantasmic the second day we are there. I hope the weather is permitting as we have Fantasmic dinner pckg. ressies @ H&V.

You'll have a brill time whatever happens! It's Disney :)

... just be careful of that fantasmic reservation. They tend to say that you're paying for the meal and the fantasmic entry is just a little extra benefit. In other words, if it's rained off that night, tough you just lose the benefit.

Now I did have a moan last year sometime when they did that to us and they gave me a ticket for the next night but not really willingly. So advice would have to be, if it looks like it's almost certain there'll be a tstorm or bad rain for fantasmic, you MAY want to consider moving it to another day (or not.. after all, you have to eat anyway!)... Just worth bearing in mind though.

[Wendy]

We were at WDW in early June last year and yes there were thunderstorms just about every day....it is the norm for the time of year because humidity is very high. The good news is the storms very rarely last longer than half an hour, things dry up very quickly AND the park crowds clear, so leaving us to get round the attractions very nicely thankyou! :D Only one day did the storms last longer ( aprox 2 hrs ) which washed out our night at Epcot so we consoled ourselves by popping to Beaches n cream :D :D
I really felt if we hadn't had the storms, the humidity would have really got to us and spoiled our days, they were quite a relief. :ears:

[tajainaz]

It rains nearly every day in Orlando beginning about this time of year. Usually for 20 minutes to an hour around 3:00 p.m. :shrug: Just plan on it and don't fuss with hair and make-up! :D As long as it isn't lightening, just go about your business an enjoy yourself as most of the guests take cover or leave the parks! :D

We were caught in a nasty downpour in our rental car from MCO to WDW in August, 2003. Couldn't see 10 feet in front of the vehicle, :eek: so I attempted to pull off the freeway for three exits before a kind soul finally let us over. I didn't care if we sat in the car until visibility cleared a bit, but we were lucky and there was a Denny's right there! :thumbs: Since we fly Southwest (bare bones--no entertainment or meals), we were hungry and it worked well. Mother Nature was furious for about an hour, but settled down to drizzle after that for about two more hours. Sun came out and it was a gorgeous evening! :)

As Keith noted, live outdoor shows can be affected by thunderstorms and heavy rain as it is a safety hazard for the performers. So plan a Disney-MGM day early in your trip so you can hop over to catch Fantasmic later in case of bad weather. IllumiNations usually operates (it's computerized) regardless of the weather; Wishes can be a bit more iffy depending on visibilty and wind conditions. Don't want to endanger guests or the park with errant fireworks!

Seriously, it tends to rain most days during hurricane season--from 20 minutes to an hour or so. You may have the occasional day with gray skies and intermittent drizzle. Just be sure to wear sunscreen even when it's overcast--the sun still can do a lot of damage!

[Mickeymac]

LadyKay,

Look at it as a 'park clearing' opportunity! When it says 'thunderstorms' that doesn't necessarily mean 'all day rain.' I think when you're from the UK, when you think of rain, it ends up lasting months. In Florida, the storms come and go so often that although a lot of folks head back to the rooms when the showers first hit, stay in the parks and you can take advantage of it!

Also, right after it rains, is a very lovely time to take pictures - the pavement is all glossy and shiny and the lighting is just perfect on the kids - no squint shots!

Plus, if it's cloudy a bit, just think - fewer sunburns! (but still wear your cream - Florida sun is very powerful.)

Also, I've found that the forecasts are about as accurate as a good morning stretch and last as long. It might be right for five seconds a day, and you never know when it's going to pop up.

[OKWTink]

Canadians tend to think of rain as an all day event too. :D

Be sure you have dry footwear with you. Not in the parks necessarily, but at the resort, so that you can change out the ones that will get wet. Because they are going to get wet!

You could experiment with the crocs/airwalks that seem to be very popular right now. As footwear, they'll get your feet wet, but given their manmade material, will not stay wet. They are very comfortable too. :D

Be sure to carry the rain gear even if it looks lovely in the morning (the storms come in fast and leave fast). If it's lightning, seek indoor cover. If it's not, slog on through. :D

[Mickeymac]

What an idiot. I knew you are from Canada, and typed 'UK.' I think it's the aftereffects of thinking of mixing vodka with the maple syrup... :hehe:

[Whitequeen]

What an idiot. I knew you are from Canada, and typed 'UK.' I think it's the aftereffects of thinking of mixing vodka with the maple syrup... :hehe:

Who's mixing Vodka with Maple Syrup? :unsure: Where? What have I missed. :whistle:

[Mickeymac]

LOL Queenie, LadyKay was asking about bringing little gift bottles of maple syrup for CM's who go above and beyond the call of duty. I was fondly remembering when I brought maple syrup down a couple of years ago - remember that? - and someone from the UK was very puzzled with the gift. I got a lovely thank-you note weeks later, and had to laugh. They didn't know what to do with it, and discovered it was very lovely, served with vodka and a splash of hot water. We still laugh about it.

[Whitequeen]

I do remember that Mac. James was your best friend for weeks. :D Had I known you can mix it with Vodka and hot water, I'd have been your best friend first. :whistle:

[LadyKay]

Who needs Mad TV when I have you guys! The rain doesn't really put me off (just my tan). I really just want to be prepared when everyone looks to me (and they will) asking "okay what now, our mother/wife/daughter who thinks she can plan it all." I will blow them away when I do have a plan; to just continue as planned.

[Whitequeen]

Throw a Mickey poncho at them and tell them not to be such wimps, LK. :lol:

[tajainaz]

Maple syrup and vodka? I was about to do the :eek: :gairy: thing when I flipped to Page 2. Now its: :hehe:

Never really thought about how others would view our fondness for maple syrup! :lol:

[OKWTink]

Maple syrup infused with herbs is a wonderful way to accent chicken and pork (veal too). :yes: You can do it yourself (rosemary and lavender are wonderful, so is some heat like red pepper) or purchase infused syrups already made.

Seriously good stuff! :yes: I wouldn't put it on my waffles though. :eek:

Vodka, maple syrup and hot water? Well, ya' know, if you haven't tried it ya' shouldn't knock it eh? :unsure:

[Mickeymac]

Tink, I'll knock it! I was shocked when I first heard it and it STILL gives me the willies!

MadTV!! LadyKay! You're comparing this lot to Mad??!!! :hehe:

Queenie, I was supposed to bring more with me in December, but I forgot to mail it down. :( Kept asking Concierge if there was a package for me and was upset when it never arrived. When I got home and found it next to the couch, I thought DH was going to split from laughing so hard at me. Nice guy.

[Alannakait]

:rotfl:You all are just too funny!

LadyKay,
Don't worry about the weather. You'll have a great time no matter what the weather brings.

[LadyKay]

Doesn't it ever happen to you when the ball on the boards really gets rolling and quirky that you feel like your on a Mad TV spoof. I am a real visual person and sometimes I can't help but fall off my chair in hysteria over what I read. Maybe I just need more of a life! I'm not really sure if this is appropriate but.............Mickeymac, when you mentioned that you have brought maple syrup away with you (very ironic by the way; Mac lovers, maple syrup toters) if I may be so bold as to ask; what state are you from? Could we possibly be neighbors?

[Mickeymac]

I'm in NH, just about 4 hours south of you, oui, nous sommes des voisins. Jer parlay fransay, too-ay. Perhaps we were cybertwins split at birth! I died laughing when I read your maple syrup idea.

Oh, and if you do decide to shop and bring stuff home (foodstuffs, I mean) *don't* - I repeat DON'T pack the soda cans into your checked luggage. Just don't do it, leave them down there. :D

[LadyKay]

We will not be doing any shopping other than souvenirs, but why the big warning?

[Mickeymac]

*sigh*

Well. I try to save money whenever we go, buy buying sodas and waters and foodstuffs for the room. We usually have pb&j's or mac and cheese in the room a couple of times, bring food into the parks, etc. I can't help myself, this is an obsession, I'm a depression era child.

To go along with this obsession, I try bringing the leftovers home. I could leave them, or toss them, but in my mind, that negates the savings I had made. It also totally goes against my 'don't throw anything away' mentality (you know, bread wrappers could be useful at some point in my life)

Well, on one trip home, I packed a six pack of sodas into my suitcase. I thought I was being smart by putting them in checked luggage so that I would NOT have to carry them through the airport and onto the plane. Pretty proud of myself, I was.

We get into MHT, and it's about midnight. The luggage starts coming around on the carrousel and we notice that everything is wet. The belt, some of the bags, etc. We picked up one of our bags and it was sticky. I was so disgusted that the airline had let something leak all over our luggage. We were all ticked off. I hoped nothing of ours was damaged, forgetting all about the canned pepsis...

Finally, the bag with the soda in it came around, last one on the belt. It was IN another bag, dripping. DH picked it up, handed it to a very shocked me, and I hightailed it out of there, bag dripping as I ran.

Next time, I promised him I would leave any bottled sodas behind.

[Johnie]

I can't help myself, this is an obsession, I'm a depression era child.




ok you are definately not that old. I'll buy that your parents were Depression era children......

Don't leave pop in the back of a station wagon during the summer either.......unless you really like the car to be sticky :rolleyes:

[LadyKay]

You're so cut Mickeymac. Do you think aerosol cans will survive our flight. I happen to find aerosol spring water and bought it so we can spray ourselves with a cold refreshing mist if it gets really hot. But since it'll rain ALL week I'm sure we will be walking around sopping wet.

[tajainaz]

Love the maple syrup (not mailed) and packed Pepsi stories! I haven't managed either of those feats--yet! :rolleyes:

Also, don't leave carbonated beverages in the garage during the summer in the desert! :oops:

LadyKay--in case I miss you tomorrow--Have an absolutely magical holiday--even if it rains! :)

[Mickeymac]

Johnie, my Dad is in his 80's and Mom a bit younger. I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother growing up, and unfortunately, according to my therapist, have picked up a lot of the same traits as her children. 'excuse me, I must go rotate the cans in my bomb shelter...

LadyKay - Aerosol water? How cool is that??!! FWIW, I usually pack my liquids into resealable plastic bags after that soda can incident. I'm sure the cans popped because the bag was too heavy and not packed well. Now, if I'd cushioned each one of the cans in layers of laundry, they might ahve survived!

[tajainaz]

And remember, the baggage compartment on a jet isn't pressurized. So the pressure inside the can combined with the pressure outside the can......

I've never had any problems with basic toiletries (hair spray, etc.), but I take the precaution of placing them in a zip top or clear plastic accessory bag before packing them. The way my luck runs, the one time I don't do that will be the one time something leaks! :eek: :rolleyes:

[Mickeymac]

The way my luck runs, the one time I don't do that will be the one time something leaks!

Tip if it does: make sure you blame everything on your traveling companion so no one will know it's you! :hehe:

[tajainaz]

Tip if it does: make sure you blame everything on your traveling companion so no one will know it's you! :hehe:


Ummmm.....Shadow? You do realize you didn't pack that securely, don't you? :unsure:

**As in "Me & My Shadow"** :lol:

[Mickeymac]

LOl Taja!! :D

[Josette]

Weather is a tough thing to predict, it must be nice to be a meterologist and just guess and get paid :D

[PrincessTink]

I was just coming on to ask the same question. I'll buy the explanation that it does indeed rain everyday this time of year, but not for very long. However, if it wasn't expected to last very long, wouldn't they just say sunny or sunny with a chance of showers? Why would they put "scattered t-storms" every day for the next week and a half? :confused: I'm really hoping you're right, though...we're leaving the 2nd and right now the forcast for the next 10 days (until the 7th) is calling for scattered t-storms. I've been looking forward to this trip for so long that I want some nice weather. :(

[minnie17_6]

i go soon and i am hoping there is no rain but i wont mind really if there is any

[OKWTink]

They say scattered because that is what it is. I'm not kidding when I say it can be a huge storm with thunder and lightning in the MK while the AK isn't getting a drop.

I've seen it rain on one side of the street but not the other.

Orlando has odd weather in comparison to most of coastal Florida in that it gets the seabreezes from both coasts. That is what causes much of the rain.

[~Minnie~Mouse~]

Dont worry that always happens to us but Disney showers last no longer than an hour if that dont worry everything will be fine!

[TimonAndPumba]

When we've been at July-August time, we've usually faced short heavy showers in the afternoon, after that the weather goes back to being hot and sunny!

Only a couple of days has it rainned for longer than an hour - and even then it was only for about 3-4 hours!

:ears:

[Keith]

They say scattered because that is what it is. I'm not kidding when I say it can be a huge storm with thunder and lightning in the MK while the AK isn't getting a drop.

I've seen it rain on one side of the street but not the other.

Orlando has odd weather in comparison to most of coastal Florida in that it gets the seabreezes from both coasts. That is what causes much of the rain.

absolutely!

Although I'm far from a florida weather expert, the above post sums up my experience of it. The first ever time we went, the forecast said tstorms for 2 weeks, I can remember feeling almost sick when I saw the tv forecast show lightning symbols for every day of the holiday. Of course the reality was very different indeed. I'm sure that every day there WAS tstorms somewhere but the majority of our holiday was fine and wonderful with only reasonably short (relative to what we get in the uk ;-) rain showers.

[OKWTink]

This is getting a bit ridiculous though. We are on our sixth straight day of rain. There are tiny bits of sunshine, but heavy black clouds in the offing. Supposed to continue through the weekend. :sigh:

I really, really don't do well in the gloom of completely grey skies day after day. :(

The sun can come along now any time! :Please:

[JuniorMickey]

I saw the sun for about 3 minutes at 9:30 a.m. :sigh: I'm with you kn the bring back the sun thing Tink

[Mickeymac]

You guys are kidding me - it's really been gloomy down there? Can you imagine LadyKay's trip report?? :hehe:

[OKWTink]

I only wish I were kidding. :sigh: Shopping (groceries) in the rain is absolutely NO fun.

It did stop long enough for me to get a quick walk in at DTD today. Skies were overcast, and threatened to open up at any time, but it didn't start up again until I was walking through the parking lot to the car.

It's supposed to rain again tomorrow and Monday too. :(

[tajainaz]

:sigh: I'm with 'Tink and JM: need that sunshine! That's why I suffer 3 months of very hot weather every year--most of the rest of the year is gorgeous! :)

As much as I love visiting other places--cooler places--consistent gray skies would send me into a blue funk! :shrug:

Come on sunshine! :sun: It's time to share your wonderful glow with our Orlando residents and guests! :Please:

[Mickeymac]

We had 4 days of sunshine in May. Rather unusual for us, and extremely cold most of the month. My lilacs just popped out and it's June. Sheesh. Tink, I can totally commiserate - may it be over soon!

Taja, my MIL is looking to head to your neck of the woods - says it's 'God's country.' I wish she would just stay put somewhere in a warm locale long enough for me to convince DH to move there! LOL!

[tajainaz]

Well, this locale can be a bit too warm in the summer! I was worried when we hit 111 degrees in May, but we've cooled off into the high 90s--a bit below out "normal average" temperaturue. :lol:

There are many beautiful areas in the state that aren't desert and enjoy a taste of the seasons. A little less convenient to a commercial airport, and some are downright inconvenient to excellent medical care, so that's always something to consider when researching a new location.

Overall, no real complaints about living here--except in July and August when it's very hot and rather humid! :lol:

[chips]

I only wish I were kidding. :sigh: Shopping (groceries) in the rain is absolutely NO fun.

It did stop long enough for me to get a quick walk in at DTD today. Skies were overcast, and threatened to open up at any time, but it didn't start up again until I was walking through the parking lot to the car.

It's supposed to rain again tomorrow and Monday too. :(
:( I was so looking forward to some sun............with our awful weather:eek:....only got two days left and feeling very gloomy:sigh:

[Whitequeen]

It could be raining buckets or freezing for all I care. I just want to be in Disneyworld. :tears:

[chips]

It could be raining buckets or freezing for all I care. I just want to be in Disneyworld. :tears:
Yeah I suppose your right nothing changes WDW:thumbs:

[OKWTink]

Still raining... :sigh:

[Mermaid]

Yeap the weather was not that good last week when we where there,,,,luckily it was only for the last 2 days of our trip.

[OKWTink]

And it is still raining... :blink: I think I'm going to head to Ireland for some sunshine. :sigh:

[JuniorMickey]

Forecast this morning is for more rain.... all week....

[polkaroo]

Just got back after a 2 week vacation (trip report currently being composed and will be posted soon), it rained for the last 5 days (anything from downpours to drizzle with very little sunshine in between) and the forecast didn't look any better for the next week. Normally 5 days of rain would ruin my holiday but someone quipped 'it's liquid sunshine', so look on the bright side. Indeed the bright side was that the parks were much quieter, the water rides were great (you're wet anyway), you don't need much sun cream, and you don't get all hot & bothered. OK it was merely warm instead of hot, but when you're doing the parks that, IMO, is better.

[Sweet_girl99]

well think of it this was. Take a ponsho with you. So no crows in the park. People are afriaid to get wet. Hey more fun 4 you.

lol!