5. Retail therapy at Downtown Disney

If you’re like us and have a home full of Disney memorabilia, a rainy day is the perfect excuse to head over to Downtown Disney to shop away the day. The shopping mecca of Orlando exists for many purposes. The primary one is that Disney can’t legally turn you upside and shake all the money out of your pockets. So, they came up with a solution that’s the next best thing. Downtown Disney offers everything from state-of-the-art, exclusive Disney merchandise to Harley-Davidsons, and every aspect of it feels engaging and kinetic. Personally, I could spend hours in the LEGO Store, while my wife would live at World of Disney® if the law allowed. If neither of those is your thing (and you’re not a biker), there are myriad options including The Art of Disney, D Street, and Once Upon a Toy. 

6. Ride the Monorails

Before you dismiss this idea, think about your normal trips on the monorail. You’re probably spending all your time thinking about what’s next, planning your meals and rides at the next park. Alternately, you’re returning to your resort after a hectic period of trekking across the park to enjoy various attractions. How much time do you actually spend enjoying the beauty of Walt Disney World?

Even on a rainy day, a trip on the monorail reveals all the glory of Walt Disney’s majestic ambitions for Orlando. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of Epcot’s marvels. Then, after a switch at the Transportation and Ticket Center, you’ll have the opportunity to study the architecture of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. And, oh yes, you get an epic view of the most popular theme park in the world in the process.

There’s also another way you can enjoy the monorails on a rainy day. If you’re not traveling with children or have someone to look after them, a monorail pub crawl will warm you up quickly. Disney has some world-class bars, especially at the resorts and the World Showcase at Epcot. I especially recommend The Wave at the Contemporary and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian. The former has the tastiest concoctions while the latter’s glow-in-the-dark offerings add dazzling ambience.

7. The Boardwalk

Some would say that Disney designed this entertainment complex specifically for rainy days. The throwback design makes visitors feel like they’ve traveled back in time to an idyllic version of Coney Island, New York, complete with fine dining and plenty of shopping. For my money, the true appeal of hanging out at the Boardwalk during bad weather is that you have an excuse to spend a lot of time at ESPN Zone, eating greasy food and watching live sporting events. The best part about this area is that it’s only a short walk away from the rear exit of the World Showcase at Epcot. If the weather takes a bad turn, you can quickly alter your plans to hang out at the Boardwalk instead.

8. Visit all the resorts

Expanding on the monorail suggestion above, you can use Disney’s transportation system to visit all the magnificent resorts at Walt Disney World. A rainy day presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy all the architectural feats and special Disney touches that integrate the vision of Walt Disney into the most hospitable set of resorts in the United States.

If you follow this suggestion, the most underrated locations are the All-Star resorts, particularly Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The two Port Orleans locations also get plenty of style points. For my money, the best properties in terms of rainy day excitement are at Animal Kingdom’s Jambo House and Kidani Village. Here, you can enjoy breathtaking yet oddly serene lobbies then walk outside to see how the animals interact in inclement weather. Like humans, their behavior changes depending on weather conditions, so you’ll come full circle watching them on a rainy day.