More Than Just a Fashion Statement; The Rain Poncho

By Lisa Green 

 

Nothing says Walt Disney World vacation like a rain poncho with Mickey Mouse on it.  The fact that we’re willing to pay $8 (technically $7.51) for a big piece of plastic and some snaps says a lot about how important it is for us to sport such stylish rainwear.  We all know it would save a big bunch of cash for a family of four to buy generic ponchos at the local dollar store.  Okay, okay – maybe we sometimes buy those pricey Disney ponchos out of necessity…I mean those unexpected afternoon “showers” can be extreme torrential downpours and maybe we left our cheapo ponchos back at the resort.  However I come by it, I wear my Disney poncho with pride – it adds a certain panache to my vacation wardrobe that cannot be underappreciated.  It also has other practical uses.  You didn’t know?  Well….I’ll be glad to enlighten you!  We need to get our $8-worth out of those puppies!!!



The Many Uses of a Disney Rain Poncho:
Protection from the elements – Using the poncho for its intended purpose.  When last we were at WDW, it didn’t just rain, it didn’t just pour – it HAILED!  We were huddled inside our ponchos in a tiny alcove outside the entrance to Tower of Terror waiting for our FastPasses to “mature” with about five minutes to go when a storm of biblical proportions struck.  Catch the video here.  Check out the poor guy who let his little one use his poncho (by the strollers) – he was soaked!

As a means to stay dry on water rides – No way would I ride Kali River Rapids without a poncho.  Getting soaked from head to toe would completely ruin my day.  I’m not a fan of shoes that squish when I walk.  But I want to ride Kali, so I don my trusty poncho and let the river take me where it will.

As a seat cushion – a. k. a. Posterior Preserver – Have you ever decided to sit on the curb, in a sunny spot, in Magic Kingdom to stake out a favored parade viewing area?  That concrete can be scorching hot!  Like sitting-on-the-surface-of-the-sun hot.  Just slide that folded-up poncho under your buns and you are golden!  See?  Rain or shine, the poncho ROCKS!

Protect your gear – Say you want to go on Splash Mountain or even Pirates of the Caribbean and there’s a chance your camera, cell phone, or bag will get wet.  Wrap your poncho around your gear to make sure everything comes out safe and sound…oh, and dry, too.

Salon smock – You think I’m kidding?  Oh, I assure you I am not.  Tuck in the hood, add a towel around the neckline, secure the poncho tight with a clothes pin – and snip away.  Home or away, you can keep hair trimmings well away from a body with a Walt Disney World poncho!

Do you buy Disney rain ponchos?  Are there any uses that I’ve missed?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!  

When it rains, it pours!

by Gaylin

Walt Disney World is in Florida and according to Google, it is 'humid subtropical', a fancy way of saying, hot, humid and rainy. I have had vacations at WDW with nary a drop of rain and then there have been vacations where there was a rainy period every day.

In May of 2014, it was hot and humid the whole time I was there. On my last day at the Magic Kingdom there was a little bit of relief, it rained!

I was near Space Mountain when it started and I decided I wasn't going to get my rain poncho out, I went in the store at the end of Space Mountain and found not only a place to sit but I had free entertainment when a group of teenagers decided to wait out the rain by charging their phones.

When the rain stopped I got right back outside to enjoy those few minutes when it feels cooler before the sun comes out again and steams up the rain water and raises the humidity again!

Afternoon rain showers are common at WDW, you can be prepared with a plastic rain poncho and just keep going, often the ride line-ups thin out when it rains. Or you can duck into a store and do some shopping. I have heard a lot of people complain that rain just ruins their vacation . . . it doesn't have to, have a rain strategy and the magic never has to stop!

If you want a great idea of what to do with your Disney Poncho when you get home, check out this article, also by Gaylin.-Nick

Disney Do It Yourself: Walt Disney World Rain Poncho Project

by Gaylin

I always bring an inexpensive rain poncho when I go to Walt Disney World and on my trip in 2007, I brought a cheap poncho that got all torn up just using it once. The weather meant buying a Disney rain poncho and when I went to put it on, the head hole was very small. I ended up having to tear it a bit to get it on. I must have been in a hurry because it didn't occur to me that I could have exchanged it for a new one.

Even though it was torn I brought it home with me because I had a DIY idea.

When I got home, I hit the local art store and bought canvas frame stretcher bars, 2 at 18" and 2 at 24". Brought them home, fitted them together and squared them up. I cut out as much of the back of the poncho as I could, I knew I needed extra plastic on the outside edges to fold them up for stapling because I wanted to frame it!

As a DIY project this was pretty easy. The frame bars are inexpensive, I used scissors, I own a staple gun and I had some picture wire to attach to it for hanging. The finished project was pretty nice!

Here is the back, since no one sees the back (except all of you) I wasn't worried about keeping my stapling tidy, I wanted the Mickey to be in the centre – that was the important part! I did roll and fold the plastic a couple times to make sure that when I stapled it, the plastic wouldn't tear. This hangs in my bathroom and I admit, I love it.