So, you made plans months in advance, traveled a long distance to arrive at your vacation destination, and…..then it rains. When the prayers and rain dances don’t work to make the rain go away, it’s time to come up with Plan B!
Rain doesn’t have to ruin your vacation and Plan B does not have to be a horrible day (or a few days) of your vacation! There are always alternative ideas! There are good alternatives, to being crabby about rain or whatever else is messing up your plans that are out of your control. You just have to be ready to be flexible and think outside the box!!
Plan B for Rainy Days!
I love to travel and tend to travel any chance I get. With that being said, vacation does not always go as planned especially when it comes to the weather. My adolescent son and I took a trip to Walt Disney World in March of 2019. On our last day of vacation it was sunny when we left our hotel, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, to head to the Magic Kingdom. However, it was pouring by the time we got to the security check-point.
So, Plan B it was!
Luckily, we were prepared! We pulled our ponchos from our backpacks and off we went. I always keep my backpack or “mom bag” complete with many of the items I need when we travel and ponchos are definitely in there! My children also carry the same necessity items in their backpacks as well, including ponchos!
After we grabbed our ponchos, we headed into the Magic Kingdom ready for our day of adventure! We survived the morning of showers and had good weather by lunchtime and for the rest of the day.
Giving up was not an option! There was no heading back to the hotel for the day for us! We did not pout and complain. We donned our ponchos and had a great day!
Weather Changes
Just as it did for us in the Most Magical Place on Earth, weather changes can happen any time and any place. Because surprise weather changes occur all the time, it’s good to be prepared! Being prepared and flexible helps with discovering alternative options for the day!
We’ve had to deal with uncooperative weather on more than one vacation, that’s for sure!
We journeyed to Niagara Falls, Canada shortly after school let out for the summer. Thunderstorms greeted us as we were unloading our car at the hotel when we first arrived. The storms continued through the evening, pouring at times and drizzling at other times. However, we carried on!
My husband and our two youngest boys were on the trip with me. We decided there was no way we were missing the Falls on our first night there! So, we grabbed ponchos and umbrellas, and off we went! We walked the local area! We walked the length of the Falls and enjoyed some astonishing pictures of a very foggy Niagara Falls. Those were pictures and memories we would have never made if we did not just push on and dealt with the weather!
Plan C…Not Going Out in the Rain
Yep! Plan C!
Even with the best intentions and plans, there will still be times when going out in the rain just isn’t worth the hassle. Maybe everyone is exhausted after several busy days on vacation already? Maybe you have small children in a stroller and don’t want to mess with a wet stroller, much less wet kids. Whatever the reason, there are always other good options!
And there are always a wide variety of options! You just have to look for them! Enjoy time in the hotel room! Swim in the hotel pool, you are already wet from the rain anyway, right?!?!. Play cards or board games in the hotel room or in the community room if you are at a resort. Check and see if your hotel or resort has special activities planned for rainy days! You can also come up with your own list of activities to do when the weather is not cooperating with your plays!
Think Outside The Hotel
Where can you go and what can you do outside the hotel room???
See what is available around town! There are usually indoor activities in the local area that you can enjoy with your family, even if those activities were not on the original plan.
What about the local pizza place that has video games and other indoor activities? How about seeing a movie at a local movie theater or playing an indoor mini-golf? Options are endless! You just have to be flexible enough to adjust your plans and move on.
It’s not always easy and it is never the first choice for activities. However, there are always alternatives to deciding you are miserable on vacation. You can even come up with a list of backup plans before you go on vacation if being spontaneous is not your thing!
Rain and weather changes are just a part of life. Now make your plans, enjoy your trip, and be ready to be flexible enough to make necessary changes in your plans as needed!
You’re on vacation to have fun! Don’t let the rain spoil your day or your trip! It’s time to explore more and think outside the box!
Did you enjoy this?? You’re also likely to enjoy these other great posts about traveling!
Thanks for sharing. I am always bored on vacation especially when rain and I have no plan but this article is helpful for me
I’m so glad that you found the information useful! It may take some creativity, but creativity can make even more exciting!
Great post! Rain on vacation is a major bummer for me but finding a way to adapt and find joy anyway is so important.
Adapting is a great skill to have and an amazing coping skill!
These are great tips. I always get disappointed when it rains on my vacation. but these will be great help next time
We have always just pushed through and enjoyed our crazy vacation days in the rain!
Good post! Thank you for sharing your experience.
When it rains on my vacation or some trip, I love to search for alternatives like going to museums and exploring restaurants and cafes. There is really a lot of option, wherever you are!
I agree! So many fun things to do, you just have to think outside the box some days!!
Great ideas for a rainy vacation day. Definitely being flexible makes a huge difference!
Vacation is special…. we live in Seattle, which tends to be pretty damp much of the year. You are right on…. just keep swimming, swimming, swimming (or vacationing, as the case may be). 🙂
Yes! Great attitude!
I love that you all found ways to have fun no matter what. And, who wouldn’t have fun in all these wonderful places. What a great trip!
Bummer that all your vacations rained! But we actually love when it rains at Disney because it tends to keep the crowds down. Disneyland especially. We had it rain on us in San Francisco but we just put ponchos on and toured around, still had fun and made memories!
Ponchos are great for that type of thing! It rained and was cold in Florida during the only vacation my family ever took as a kid. It was such a letdown! As an adult, I’d find a way to have fun anyway. I’ve always loved to run in the rain.
Love all the photos and rain memories you all had. This was a great post to see it all rain (or no shine!). It reminds me of a couple rainy days at Disneyland I have endured plus a category 2 storm in Bermuda I had as a kid with my parents while on a cruise. Oh my! Happy Dry Travels to you all…
We are from the Pacific NW, so rain is kind of expected. We just go with it no matter the location.
These are great ideas as rain is definitely a bummer when it ruins your plans. I actually like Plan C to just stay in and relax. Thank you for sharing!
Rain is never ideal on vacation… always need a good plan B and even C! Thanks for sharing!
Good tips! There is no reason for the rain to ruin a vacation. Usually, we hit up an indoor attraction when possible, but I have definitely pulled out the ponchos on occasion!
In the PNW rain doesn’t stop us from doing most anything. It’s a way of life!