As frequent visitors to Disneyland Paris, it’s safe to say it has rained many times during our visits! We’ve experienced everything from short summer showers to torrential rain and thunderstorms and all kinds of weather in between! We’ve learned how to make the most of our visits come sunshine or snow and we are experts at navigating Disneyland Paris in the rain! From what you need to pack to the best things to do in the parks, we’ve got you covered for rainy days in Disneyland Paris.
What Happens When It Rains at Disneyland Paris?
Generally speaking, it’s business as usual when it rains in Disneyland Paris! Unless the rain gets very heavy or there is a storm, most rides, shows and Disney Character meet and greets continue:
Disney Character Meet and Greets
Disney Character meet and greets are typically unaffected by rain.
You’ll notice that there are green umbrellas at most outdoor Disney character meet and greets and these help protect the Disney characters from the elements! However, the outdoor meet and greet queues are not covered, so you will be standing in the rain while in line!
Some of the lines for the indoor meet and greets are covered and these are largely unaffected by the weather. Indoor meet and greets include Mickey Mouse at the Meet Mickey Mouse theatre, the Princesses at the Princess Pavilion (except for extremely busy days when the line might spill out into the park) and Darth Vader at the Starport: A Star Wars encounter.
Other indoor meet and greets such as Meet Minnie or her friends across Europe in Discoveryland and Olaf in Walt Disney Studios have a significant wait outdoors.
Parades
Depending on the conditions, the parades at Disneyland Paris can delayed or modified. A modified version of the full parade is performed for the safety of Cast Members – this could mean that the dancing segments are removed or that some characters will not be present. The parade can also be delayed to allow some time for rain to pass so listen for the announcements. You might notice that some of the characters will use umbrellas or wear transparent ponchos in wet conditions
Rides and Attractions
Most rides continue in the rain although some of the outdoor rollercoasters and attractions will close if there is extreme rain or a storm in the area. We have seen Alice’s Curious Labyrinth (a maze) close during rain due to slippy walkways.
The Nighttime Show
The Disney Electrical Sky Parade, Disneyland Paris’ drone show, is likely to be cancelled in the event of adverse weather. This includes heavy rain or even mild winds.
The fireworks will usually continue in bad weather and are only cancelled on rare occasions.
Our Favourite Things to do in Disneyland Paris in the Rain
Don’t let rain get in the way of a fun day at Disneyland Paris! If you want to avoid getting wet there are still plenty of things to do in Disneyland Paris when it rains. We’ve experienced many rainy days and now have our go-to list of things to do when we want to stay out of the rain:
Take in a Show
Our favourite thing to do when it rains is watch one of the incredible stage shows from the current lineup at Disneyland Paris. There are currently stage shows running in both parks: The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands takes place in Disneyland Park and the rest are in Walt Disney Studios where Mickey and the Magician, TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure, Stitch Live! and Frozen: A Musical Invitation are showing.
The shows do take scheduled breaks so make sure to check the calendar for the days of your visit and you can also check out our roundup of the latest ride, shows and swimming pool closures at Disneyland Paris.
Disneyland Paris in the Rain tip: The Alice & the Queen of Hearts: Back to Wonderland show does get modified or cancelled in wet weather due to the nature of the show and the fact that it is an outdoor theater.
Guests generally need to be at the shows around 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, however, in wet weather we’d recommend getting there around 45 minutes prior due to the increased demand. If it is raining very heavily, then you’ll be pleased to know that the lines for Mickey and the Magician and TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure are covered so you can stay dry!
Disneyland Paris in the Rain tip: most of the stroller parking close to the shows is out in the open so make sure to waterproof your stroller if it’s raining or threatening to rain!
Indoor Rides
Indoor rides are an excellent way to avoid the rain at Disneyland Paris. Some good (and dry!) ride choices are Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Star Tours in Disneyland Park and Ratatouille and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force in Walt Disney Studios. These rides and their lines are entirely indoors so you can get out of the rain while you wait.
Phantom Manor, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, “it’s a small world” and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast are also great options although the initial part of their lines are outdoors.
If you have younger kids, Snow White (Blanche Neige Et Les Sept Nains) and Les Voyages de Pinocchio in Fantasyland are good options as the ride and lines are also indoors. Aladdin’s Enchanted Passage in Adventureland and Les Mystères du Nautilus in Discoveryland are nice walkthrough attractions in the rain.
Relax or go for a swim at Your Hotel
One of the benefits of staying on-site at a Disneyland Paris hotel is the proximity to the park. You can easily go back and relax at the hotel during rainy weather and return to the park at short notice once the weather improves. We’ve stayed at all of the on-site hotels in Disneyland Paris and on wet days it is so convenient to relax at the pool or enjoy the hotel amenities and return to the parks after the rain passed. All of the hotels are short walk to the Disney Parks.
The Disneyland Hotel is right at the entrance to Disneyland Park which we found amazing for taking rain breaks during the day in the park. The hotel has a swimming pool and kids club.
The Disney Hotel New York The Art of Marvel, Disney Newport Bay Club and Disney Sequoia Lodge are less than a 10-minute walk from the DIsney Parks and all have swimming pools.
Disney Hotel Cheyenne and Disney Santa Fe are around a 15-minute walk. Check our guide to the Disneyland Paris hotels if you want more info when deciding where to stay.
Book your stay at Disneyland Paris now
All of the onsite hotels host daily meet and greets. Woodie or Jessie hang out at Disney Hotel Cheyenne in the morning and Santa Fe, Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay Club vary between morning and evening (you can check the times at Front Desk or with the Concierge).
Disneyland Paris in the rain tip: Meet and greets are exclusive to hotel guests at the Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel and Disneyland Hotel.
Shopping
One of the best ways to get out of the rain is to indulge in some retail therapy! All of the shops along Main Street in Disneyland Park are accessible through the back of each store via the Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade so you can visit them without going outside. You can also get food and snacks at the likes of Market House Deli and Cable Car Bake Shop in the Arcades while staying dry!
Take advantage of Shorter Wait times
Rainy days can bring benefits! We find that there tend to be reduced crowds and generally shorter wait times during adverse weather.
Generally speaking the crowds will be lower on wet days, so if you are prepared for the weather you can usually enjoy shorter wait times at most attractions.
Grab Food or a Snack Indoors
One of the best ways to avoid the rain is by dining at one of the Disneyland Paris quick-service or table-down restaurants.
Some of our favourite places for a quick service meal on a rainy day are Bella Notte, Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost, Restaurant Hakuna Matata and Café Hyperion. You don’t need reservations for these restaurants and you can combine dining with avoiding the rain!
If you prefer a table service meal then you might be able to grab a last-minute reservation via the Disneyland Paris App. We reserved a last-minute cancellation for Princess Dining at Auberge de Cendrillion during torrential rain on our most recent visit!
Indoor Character Meet and Greets
We have some indoor meet and greets that are perfect for rainy days: you can meet the Princesses at the Princess Pavilion, Mickey Mouse at the Meet Mickey Mouse theatre in Fantasyland and Darth Vader at the Starport: A Star Wars encounter in Discoveryland.
The line for Darth Vader is covered and the line for Mickey Mouse and the Princess Pavilion are indoors so you’ll be out of the rain while you queue.
Animation Academy
The Animation Academy is a hands-on masterclass that teaches guests step-by-step how to illustrate a series of popular Disney characters. And when you’re done you get to keep your drawing as a souvenir. Each class lasts around 30 minutes and it’s all indoors so you can have fun while escaping the rain!
Tips for When it Rains at Disneyland Paris
It rains on average 7-8 days every month in the Disneyland Paris area, even during the summer months. As a result, there is a good chance that you will encounter rain or poor weather during your trip! Although it is more likely during the winter months, we had some rainy days during our most recent visits to Disneyland Paris in July and August so you can never rule it out!
We’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks to make the most of your Disneyland Paris trip during wet weather.
Check the weather forecast
Make sure to check the weather forecast in advance so you can prepare and pack appropriately for your trip. It is worth checking the forecast around a week before visiting and keeping an eye on how the forecast changes in the run-up to your visit. We’ve found the best forecast to be MetoFrance.com.
Make the Most of Dry Days
We’ve visited Disneyland Paris countless times (we have Annual Passes) and, the good news is, it’s never rained all day every day of any of our stays! We’ve always had plenty of dry periods in between the rain and we know to make the absolute most of these times.
If the weather forecast shows rain during your stay then do as much as possible outdoors whenever you get the chance. Watch the parade, catch the nighttime show, ride the outdoor rides and meet your favourite characters!
Disneyland Paris in the rain tip: our park photos almost always look better without the rain (and everyone is much happier to dress up and spend time taking photos when it’s not raining!) so try and take your must have photos when it is dry!
Pack Your Rain Gear
Our biggest tip for Disneyland Paris in the rain is to pack your rain gear. The weather in northern France is notoriously unpredictable, so regardless of the forecast, if there is even a slim chance of rain in the forecast during your trip, we’d advise packing your rain gear!
We find that rain ponchos work the best as they are quick to put on and take off, don’t take up a lot of room in our case and our easy to dry out. Umbrellas also work great, however, try to avoid large umbrellas as it can be tricky to navigate the crowds with them.
If you want to save money, purchase rain gear in advance as ponchos are more than 10 Euro each on site.
If you have a stroller, make sure to pack the rain cover and take it with you to the park!
Disneyland Paris tip: When leaving strollers parked around the park on wet days make sure to fully cover them with rain covers. There is nothing worse than returning to a soaked stroller after a rain shower!
If you are visiting with young kids we’d advise taking spear socks and shoes into the park if rain is forecast as wet feet can make anyone cranky. If there is a lot of rain forecast we recommend taking rainboots for kids as it’s the best chance of keeping their feet dry on wet days and they can have some fun!
Take a Towel and an Extra Ponchos
This is a tip for parents with younger kids. Make sure that outdoor ride seats are dry before the little ones sit in. Rides like Dumbo are exposed when it rains, so it’s always worth having small microfibre towel just in case!
We usually take one or two microfibre towels in our day bag during wet weather at Disneyland Paris. They are super useful for drying down seats and benches and we always use them when we take them.
