FROM: It Came from Disney! Published Tuesdays
Disney Park Rain Ponchos
Jessica talks about one of the most useful and underappreciated items for sale at Walt Disney World - the plastic rain poncho!
When it rains in the Disney parks, especially in the summer, people tend to take shelter or make for the nearest exit, thinking their afternoon is ruined. This is not the case as long as you have the right gear. As soon as the rain starts in the parks, two things immediately come out in every single Disney store, umbrellas and ponchos. While some will not spend the $8.50 for the poncho and would rather wait inside for the rain to end, Chris and I thought the money would be well spent; either we will be dry and can roam the park for the rest of the afternoon or as soon as we bought them the rain would disappear and we would not need them again. Either scenario, we win!
There are two types of ponchos, kids and adults. The adult version is one size fits all and is made, on the average person, to come down to about your knee. They are 100% Polyvinyl Chloride and are made to be draped over a person with a hole for the head with a hood and two long open areas down the sides. These open areas have two buttons that can be hooked to make an arm hole and to keep the poncho more closed around the body.
As far as keeping you dry, yes they do work. Chris and I walked from Misson:Space to The
Seas with Nemo and Friends in them and everything from our knees up was
completely dry. The hood would
occasionally slip off because of the wind, but that happens with every
hood. There was even enough room under
my poncho that allowed me to keep my bookbag on underneath it so it also stayed
dry.
It does get a bit warm under the poncho since you are in the Florida heat in pure PVC and this can cause the poncho to stick to your bare skin at times, especially near the bottom where the poncho connects with your moving and somewhat wet legs. This is a minor flaw for being able to still have fun in the rain at the parks.
One other reason I like these ponchos; they are compact, can fold small and fit in the bottom of your bag for the next time it rains on your vacation. Now that I have a poncho, I plan on taking it on every Disney parks trip I go on so that I have some shelter with me!
So, overall, is this poncho with your $8.50? I believe that it is, but it all comes down to your preference and what you enjoy doing in the parks.
One last suggestion for using these ponchos: when you purchase them, make sure you get a plastic bag with them, that way you have somewhere to put the wet poncho when the rain is over and then you can slip them into your bookbag without getting everything else wet.
The front of the Poncho
The snaps on the sides of the poncho to make the sleeves
The new, non-park-specific design on all of the ponchos
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