photo courtesy of Janey Henning
Central Florida has a interesting weather phenomenon that occurs almost every afternoon in the summer. It pours down rain for about 30 minutes and then as quick as it arrives, it is gone leaving you with a beautiful sunny late afternoon. When I lived there we use to joke that the easiest job in town was that of a weatherman. High of 95, afternoon showers, low of 72, if that was your forecast you were right about 90% of the time.
Avoid paying big bucks for ponchos at the parks and bring your own. They fold up incredibly small and can easily fit inside a bag or purse. If (or should I say when) it rains, pull out your poncho and continue to enjoy the park. The covered rides stay open during storms so there is still plenty to do in the rain. If you have a stroller bring an extra poncho to cover the stroller. While a thunderstorm might be a good time to find something to do inside, your stroller will be parked outside getting soaked. We always brought an extra poncho and some clothespins to cover the stroller during the rain.
Another benefit to the afternoon showers is that many of the tourists do not realize the rain will end quickly and head back to their hotels. If you can brave the weather you might be able to enjoy a less crowded park after the storm.
A word of warning: Central Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. If it is more than a rain shower hang out in one of the many restaurants or gift shops until the storm passes. Just don’t buy anything!
