Disney World in the rain — which rides close and what happens to the lines, from our own record

What happens to Disney World rides when it rains?

Outdoor rides stop more and indoor ones carry on, and our own record now shows by how much. We log every ride's status and posted wait every five minutes, and the weather at the resort every fifteen. Between 6 and 13 September 2026 it rained on 37 of those quarter-hours, about nine hours in all.

Comparing afternoons from noon to 8pm, wet against dry:

"Down" is the share of five-minute readings in which Disney reported the ride as down. The weather is measured at one point in the middle of the property, so a shower over EPCOT may not reach Magic Kingdom, and no thunderstorm was coded in the window. Treat this as a first week of evidence, not a law.

Which rides close in the rain at Disney World?

Disney does not publish a list, so the published ones are observers' and ours is measured. Disney Food Blog's list, updated in July 2026, names Astro Orbiter, Big Thunder Mountain, Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Tomorrowland Speedway and the railroad at Magic Kingdom.

It adds Alien Swirling Saucers and Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Wildlife Express at Animal Kingdom, and Test Track at EPCOT.

Our record agrees on most of them: Test Track, Slinky Dog Dash, Big Thunder, Seven Dwarfs, Astro Orbiter and Tomorrowland Speedway all went down far more often in the rain. It differs on a few.

The railroad and Expedition Everest went down no more in our rain than out of it, and The Barnstormer and EPCOT's Journey of Water walk-through, which are not on the list, did. Disney Food Blog's list covers closures for rain or lightning; our record cannot separate the two, because no thunderstorm was coded in the week.

Are the lines shorter when it rains?

Some are, and they are not the ones the usual advice points to.

The common advice is that crowds thin out in the rain and waits fall.³ Our first week shows it happening on the outdoor and water rides: Kali River Rapids fell from 32 minutes to 16, Expedition Everest from 25 to 12, Jungle Cruise from 33 to 22, and Rise of the Resistance from 55 to 39.

The big indoor rides did not get shorter. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure went from 55 minutes to 63, Buzz Lightyear from 32 to 36 and Seven Dwarfs, when it ran, from 45 to 48. Everyone sheltering from the rain heads indoors, so the covered queues fill as the open ones empty.

If you have a poncho, the rain is the moment for the outdoor rides that are still running, not for the indoor headliners.

How long does rain last at Disney World?

Usually not long. Our twelve-year weather record for the resort shows rain on 94% of August days, but only 47% get a quarter of an inch or more, and a typical September rain is a shower rather than a washout. That is why every packing list we compared includes a poncho rather than a plan to leave.

The best time to visit guide has every month's figures.

What else stops in the rain?

The Disney Skyliner pauses for lightning and high wind, and buses replace it, which our Skyliner guide covers. The Skyliner and boats run in light rain and stop in severe weather, and sit-down restaurants' walk-up waitlists are worth checking when a storm empties the walkways. Pack a poncho and a dry pair of socks; our packing guide has the rest.

Who should not wait out the rain in the park?

Anyone whose day depends on the outdoor coasters: in our record Slinky Dog Dash was down a quarter of the rainy time and Test Track two-fifths. And a family with a toddler who will not tolerate being wet, since the covered queues are the busy ones in a shower.