My oh my, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine, just as the song says, is streaming through our living room window and the warmth it brings is a marvelous thing. We couldn’t say so a week ago. For about a week and a half we were all but drowning here in the south Atlanta burbs. And the wind! And the cold! Awful. It definitely didn’t feel like your typical Georgia May weather.

I’m really glad we are on an upswing, but all that dreary rain did was keep us longing for our trips to Disney. One morning, Tim and I even discussed our favorite things to do in WDW on a rainy day. “That,” I thought, “is a good thing to post about.” Especially for people that would not call themselves Disney goers, and would think it’s a waste of a day to have rain in Disney World.

So here are the Elrods’ top five things to do if it rains in WDW:

5. Stay in the parks! If you’ve got the proper gear {i.e.. warm jacket if it’s chilly, a raincoat/poncho, and shoes that can withstand the wetness}, and the gung-ho to stick it out, I say do it! The rain clouds will send the crowds a-runnin’ for gift shops and the transporation center, leaving lines short for the taking. And since many attractions are indoors {as are many of the queues}, the fun doesn’t shut down just because of a little precipitation. The show must go on! 

4. Try out Disney Quest. Personally, we have never gone to Disney Quest, but one of my besties just got back from a WDW vacation this March and she and her husband had great things to say about. Lots to do, tons of entertainment, and every single bit of it indoors!

3. Catch a movie. I know it may not be something special that you can only do in Disney, but when you’re stuck indoors, why not catch a flick? I saw a movie there when I was a teen with my other best friend, Stacey. It was a great theater. It has since been updated and even offers some Fork & Screen showings, as well. Check it out.

2. Go bowling! Aw man, we haven’t bowled a game there yet, but the new Splitsville is amazing. Tim and I gave it a walk-through when we were there in December and really wished that the wait time for a lane wasn’t so long. Which brings me to a heads up! You may want to call ahead to see if you can reserve a lane or get on a waiting list, because when it rains, this may be a popular destination. But once you’re there, you’re sure to have a fun distraction from the lousy weather. 

1. Enjoy. Your. Resort. I don’t think I can reiterate this enough. Enjoy. Your. Resort! Even if you are staying at an All-Star. Look, Tim and I know as well as anybody that staying on property at a WDW resort is expensive. That’s why we made the jump to Disney’s DVC. But we truly believe it is worth the price, because the resorts are nice and there are plenty of activities right there to keep you busy and making memories.

At the All-Stars, we have had many a fun night in, ordering pizza, sitting in the food court playing board games and dominos, while my dad and sister got filthy rich in yellow, paper tickets from the arcade. Some of those memories have bonded us the most. I’ll never forget playing dominos with my folks in the food court of Pop Century, when up walked Tim to surprise me. I had tagged along spontaneously with my parents on their quick-trip February getaway. Tim surprised me by taking a couple days off work and drove down to be with us. These were our kid-free days. Wow, to only imagine being so spontaneous these days. Ha!

During these past few days of pouring down rain, Tim and I would daydream about being back at our beloved Wilderness Lodge, sitting in rocking chairs in front of the gigantic fireplace, watching the rain come down outside. All of the deluxe resorts have children and recreation rooms. Tim borrowed a board game from the Cubs Den at the Wilderness Lodge that we enjoyed, my sister and I colored and made refrigerator magnets at Bay Lake Tower, and the boys colored pictures while my sister made a drawstring backpack at Old Key West!  No, these aren’t considered five star entertainment ideas, but they are fun and relaxing, and a great alternative to sitting in your room, imitating Grumpy while you wish the rain away. However, if you do choose to sit cooped up in your room, at least turn on Stacey! There isn’t a trip where we don’t have on our list of things to do – Watch Stacey’s Top 7 Must See’s and her WDW “Must Do’s” from top to bottom at least one time through! {Elrod WDW Tip: This is the perfect thing to have on the TV while you’re unpacking to get you super excited that you’ve finally arrived!}

Well, there you go! Don’t be a downer if the rain sets in, try one of our five ideas to weather the storms in WDW. And hey, fellow Disney goers, what are some of your favorite ways to beat the rain?

With love, Malorie