What to Wear When it Rains at Orlando Theme Parks
I gleaned that I needed something to keep my bottom dry when I sat down so I could keep riding rides while it rained, and that umbrellas in the crowded parks were a no-no. So that left me with two options: ponchos and rain jackets. I read a tip about buying ponchos from the dollar store and then throwing them away so you don't have to carry them around wet. That didn't sound like a very green option, but it was a space-saving one.
In the end, I hedged my bets and decided to take both "disposable" ponchos and a rain jacket. I ordered a bunch of jackets and narrowed it down to one. Here how my raincoat search went (and what I actually did when it rained in Orlando).
The week before my trip, the hunt was on for a lightweight, packable, breathable jacket that blocked the rain and was long enough to protect me from sitting down on wet rides. It also needed a hood.
I also needed room to be able to wear a cross-body bag under it (or so I thought). It proved quite a challenge to find all this in one jacket. To the interwebs!
The more I shopped, the more refined my search terms became. My searches included:
"mid-length rain jacket"
"mid length rain coat"
"rain trenchcoat"
"mid length packable raincoat"
"lightweight raincoat"
"best packable rain jacket (for Disney)
"rain jacket for Disney"
"best rain coat for amusement park"
"best raincoat for theme park"
"amusement park rain jacket"
And when everything I found was too short, I switched to:
"3/4 rain jacket"
"packable trenchcoat waterproof"
"thigh length rain jacket"
Having it be super waterproof became less of an issue because the forecast changed from 3 days of rain to one, which mean my price point went down. I was willing to pay more for a quality jacket that I'd definitely wear, versus a jacket I was carrying around just in case. *I later learned that a Florida "forecast" is completely meaningless.
Best of The Performance Rain Jackets
The jackets in this category are outdoor gear brands: Patagonia, North Face, Columbia, and anything you'd find at REI. These jackets are also the most expensive, presumably because they offer the most waterproofing. My search here was short lived, though, because the "performance" jackets were all too short. I pulled out my tape measure to measured the back length of my London Fog trench coat and found I needed about 36" to completely cover my rear when sitting down. I'll run down the jackets I found in this category to save you the trouble.North Face's City Midi-Trench (30 inches) and Laney Trench II (34 inches. but 1.7 lbs).
Columbia's Shine Struck (32 inches), Pardon my Trench (33 inches), Aracadia, Splash a Little Rain II, and Switchback were all too short.
The Marmot Essential (32.5 inches) didn't make the cut, either.
Eddie Bauer's Girl on the Go Trench was plenty long at 35.5 inches, but it was insulated for warmth, which is the last thing I needed in Florida in May.
The Outdoor Research Helium Rambler was only 31 inches, but the Envy was 34 inches, which is doable. It was hard to find in stock, though.
The Kuhl Jetstream Trench was 35 inches in the back, but cost $199. I'd invest in it for later if I was doing a lot of traveling in the rain or was planning to spend a lot of time outdoors, but not for a *chance* of rain.
The Helly Hansen Belfast (33.5") was too short, but at 36 inches, the Helly Hanson Elements would have been an option if I'd started looking sooner. But by late spring, there was only one size and color on clearance)
Winner: Outdoor Research Envy ($119-$199, Amazon, REI)
Tip: Shop early if you're picky about color. Shop REI Outlet (and check the "Thigh length" option) to find deals.
Best of The Designer Rain Jackets
This category is kind of the worst of all possible worlds for travel purposes. Fashion rain jackets don't really keep you dry. They're heavy (not packable), and they're expensive. I'd buy an everyday trenchcoat from this category (my London Fog), but there isn't much here that's useful to take on a trip.The Cole Haan Packable rain jacket (35 inches) was too small in the shoulders/back according to reviewers on both Amazon and Zappos. It's too pricey to have problems with the fit.
The Badgley Mischka Dakota looked promising for Plus Size ladies.
Winner: None
Tip: Nordstrom Rack has of designer and mid-range rain jackets on discount. I would strongly recommend going in person, or allowing yourself plenty of time for exchanges by mail to get it right.
Best of the Travel Rain Jackets
In my mind, this is the gear of the Viking River Cruise-goers and the Rick Steves followers: Travel jackets with 40 pockets that magically transform into a tent or what have you. Think Magellan's, Travel Smith, and the like.Rick Steves' message board pointed me toward the Packable Reversible Accordion-Hood Coat from Travel Smith.
Tresspass Compac Mac Packaway Coat folds away into a pouch. It looked really promising, but it ships from the UK and wouldn't have arrived in time for my trip. I'm not familiar with this brand, but if someone is, please leave a comment and enlighten the rest of us. I'd definitely consider this for future trips.
The Orvis Pack-and-Go Travel Jacket was light and packable, but not long enough (32 inches).
Winner: Tresspass Compac Mac Packaway Coat, ($21.97 plus shipping, Amazon.com)
Best of the Atlhleisure Rain Jackets
I didn't shop around a lot in this category, but I wanted to include it as an additional source for those on the hunt.The Athleta Rain Drop Jacket brags that it "covers your assets" -- 39 inches worth of assets -- but they were sold out in my size.
Best of the Cheap Rain Jackets on Amazon
In the end, I turned to Amazon for cheap jackets that I didn't plan on using that much. Here's what I tried.This Doreyi jacket was my first attempt (before it dawned on me to measure my trenchcoat). It was a little heavy and way too short at 30 inches.
The reviews misled me on the Elesol rain jacket. It was by far the longest jacket I tried (40.7"), and it was pretty lightweight. I worried a little about the cotton sleeves getting wet and becoming uncomfortable, but I never got to find out because the size I ordered was too snug. All the reviewers said to size down, but going from an XL to an L was a mistake, so it didn't make the cut.
Romanstii rain jacket ws just a little bit too short for me (33.1"), but would do nicely for a shorter person. It's longer in the back than in the front, and it comes in lots of fashionable colors.
The short version of BBX Lephsnt jacket is a whopping 38.6", but it also comes in a long version at 41.3". It didn't look packable to me, though, so I didn't order it.
I don't know why I even wasted my time with the Beyove. I think I was sucked in by the length (34.7"). It looks and feels like a lightweight cotton jacket -- not at all suited for the elements.
I couldn't find the length of this jacket by Rokka & Rolla online, but took a risk and ordered it anyway in the olive green. I forgot to measure it before I sent it back, but I can tell you that it was my runner up. The winning jacket was 36.2", so I'd say it was about 34.5" inches. It was super lightweight and really flattering.
The LOMON rain jacket had 135 reviews and a 4-star rating, and was almost as long as my London Fog trench (35.8" for an XL), so it seemed like a safe choice.
This Aborillia jacket looked nice and long on the model, but the size chart said it's only 30.4", so she must be awfully short. They almost fooled me.
Winner: The LOMON rain jacket in Army Green, $29.99
Tip: Read the size charts. Sometimes the chart is farther down on the page. Sometimes it's one of the product images, and even then, sometimes it's only visible for certain colors.
Post-Trip Report, a.k.a. What I Actually Wore
We had passing showers on 2 days, all-afternoon rain on one day, and a full-on thunderstorm on our departure day.I carried the LOMON rain jacket and a poncho every day. We got rained on at the end of the Jurassic Park ride, and I didn't have my jacket or poncho because I'd stored them in a locker. Luckily, we were already wet from doing the log flume and white water raft rides just before, but lesson learned about keeping your rain gear on your person on open-air rides.
I also carried a cardigan the first day, and had to do a little juggling between that and my rain jacket. The cardigan *really* came in handy in the air conditioning in restaurants, but carrying two cover-ups was too much.
The passing showers went by so quickly that I never had enough time to get my jacket out. I wore the jacket once in the park for a 15-minute stretch, and that was it. Also, a lot of the rides are indoors. I never really sat in a wet seat except for on the water rides.
I should have brought an umbrella for the day we didn't go to the park. We spent the rainiest day of our trip hanging out at Citywalk and touring the various Universal hotels. I ended up wearing the rain jacket that day -- but only because I didn't have an umbrella on me.
The ponchos I bought never got used at all. I saw one family wearing the Universal ponchos they selll at the park. They were cute and looked as though they provided lots of coverage.
If I had to to do it over again, here's what I'd do for the parks: Carry a light cardigan and either buy the Universal poncho on-site if needed, or buy a quality poncho ahead of time.
Here are my lessons learned:
- Going cheap on a rain jacket was the right call. Don't spend a lot on something you're not sure you'll wear
- Take your rain gear on open-air rides (where allowed)
- Bring a jacket or sweater for the A/C. If your rain jacket can double as a cover-up for the air conditioning, all the better
- Bring an umbrella for non-park outings
- Either buy a quality poncho ahead of time, or buy one on-site if needed
And I would absolutely NOT wear a poncho on a water ride. As the guy in front of me in our log flume said when we spotted people doing this, "That's not livin'."
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