Nothing builds the dread in a Disney planner’s heart more than seeing a week’s worth of rain in the forecast for a much-anticipated vacation.
Sure, we all say, “It’s better when it rains! It clears out the parks!” But nobody really wants it to rain/thunderstorm/hurricane/you name it during your delightfully, thoughtfully planned Disney adventure.
But you see, friends, it’s exactly these unexpected events that make the absolute best memories.
Ask the family who has an album full of poncho-clad photos with wet hair and dripping, smiling faces. Was their trip memorable? Likely the most memorable they’ve ever had, simply because they persevered and chose to make the most of what they were given.
Recently I had the delightful experience of standing in the queue for Tower of Terror as fallout from a nearby hurricane rolled through the sky overhead. Usually, this is not a desirable situation, but as the water flowed in rivers over my flip-flop clad feet and the rain violently drummed out a staccato beat on my dollar-store poncho, I just laughed out loud.
I laughed because it was utterly ridiculous, to stand in a queue out in a thunderstorm simply to ride an (undeniably great) attraction, but that is what Disney people do. We change the tragedy into comedy. We make Instagram stories out of pouring water out of our shoes. We decide that being soaked at Disney is worth it, simply because there is still magic and wonder all around us, even if we have to peer through sheets of falling water to see it.
Sure, there were those who hunkered down under shelters and waited out the storm. If you’re one of those, no judgment here… it’s likely the wisest course of action! But I did wonder what all those guests were missing in the time they spent waiting for the storm to pass. What adventure went unexplored because of their timidity? What experiences awaited them beyond the sheltered cove of their safe harbor?
What life do we miss out on living because we are so focused on the storm instead of the magic that remains all around us?
I say we can learn something from the Rainy Day Disney Attitude. There hasn’t been much to recommend 2020 on the positive side of things (#understatement), but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of this unbelievably rainy year.
Let’s choose to see it as making memories, like that hurricane you hunkered down for in the Boardwalk Inn, or that week of the cold snap in Florida that you shivered you’re way through. It makes it tolerable enough to get you to the other side of it, and when you do, you’ll have some pretty amazing mental souvenirs of circumstances you will likely never see again.
So put a smile on under your Mickey face mask and recognize that these are memories in the making, you just haven’t made it to the “laugh about it” side quite yet.
But you will.
Just wait.
And while you wait, find others who are standing in the rain feeling every drop and give their hand a virtual squeeze, letting them know that you’re in the rain with them, and together you will survive this.
Because if you can survive the Tower of Terror, you can handle whatever this world throws at you.
Do you have a Disney trip that went horribly awry? I’d love to hear about it (and how you can laugh about it now) in the comments!
