5 Best Tips for Weathering the Weather at Disneyland Resort

Clouds in the sky above Fantasyland and Matterhorn Mountain at Disneyland Park

The weather at the “Happiest Place on Earth” is pretty wonderful most of the time, but even the Imagineers cannot guarantee you a 72-degree day with no precipitation. We like to be prepared. Here are our five tips for weathering the weather whenever you visit Disneyland Resort.

Dress in layers.

We are starting with the common sense advice that applies to most any vacation location. Dressing in layers prepares you for a variety of temperatures. Even a hot summer day in Southern California can turn surprisingly cool at night. You can bring a backpack or rent a locker if you decide you do not want to carry that jacket. Yes, there is winter in California, even if it feels different than the ones back home, so we suggest coming prepared! A seasonally appropriate hat can also go a long way toward keeping you comfortable whatever the weather might be at Disneyland Resort during your visit.

Be prepared with rain gear.

We also recommend bringing lightweight rain gear like a poncho or raincoat. You can use these for a surprise storm OR on Grizzly River Run. We think umbrellas are tricky to handle in crowds, and you cannot use them on those water rides, so we think something wearable is best. For more advice on what to bring to the Disneyland Resort parks, you can check-out our article here.

Alternatively, enjoy some of Disneyland’s water attractions.

On cool days, you may appreciate the protection from that rain gear, but for hot ones, water attractions can be a great way to cool down. You will almost certainly get wet on Grizzly River Run in Disney California Adventure Park. In Disneyland Park, there is the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain) plus opportunities to splash around in Mickey’s Toontown at Donald’s Duck Pond and the CenTOONial Park fountain.

Take indoor meal breaks.

If you need a break from the weather, indoor or covered restaurants can offer a welcome and delicious respite. Not all of the eateries at Disneyland Resort offer protected seating, so use the Disneyland app and website to preview your choices or make dining reservations.

Indoor restaurants that do not require reservations or joining a walk-up list include Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, The Golden Horseshoe, Plaza Inn (lunch and dinner only) and Red Rose Taverne in Disneyland Park. Disney California Adventure Park has Flo’s V8 Cafe, Smokejumpers Grill and Fiddler, Fife and Practical Cafe.

Seating at those quick service restaurants is limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. If you know you want an indoor meal with guaranteed seating, consider making an advance reservation at somewhere like Lamplight Lounge or the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure Park. Disneyland Park also has the popular Blue Bayou Restaurant, Cafe Orleans, and Carnation Cafe. Note that the Plaza Inn takes reservations at breakfast only for their character dining meal; lunch and dinner is quick service.

Enjoy a long indoor attraction.

We love lengthy attractions mostly for the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the world the Imagineers are sharing. As a bonus, long indoor attractions are also a great way to take a break from uncomfortable weather conditions at Disneyland Resort. Some good choices for this are “it’s a small world,” The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Main Street Cinema and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland Park. In Disney California Adventure Park, anything in the Animation Building provides a nice reprieve from tough weather, and there is also Mickey’s PhilharMagic and any shows at the Hyperion Theater.

BONUS TIP: Combine tips number 4 (indoor meal breaks) and 5 (long indoor attractions) by enjoying a DOLE Whip in the Enchanted Tiki Room on a hot day!

We hope you find these tips helpful and that you have a great time at Disneyland Resort, whatever the weather might be.

Thank you for reading. If you want to read more of our advice, do not miss our tips on what to bring to the parks here. For step-by-step planning advice, take a look at our guide here.