When most people picture Disney World, they probably see images of blue skies and mouse ears dancing in their heads. That's what the brochures and promo footage show, at the very least. Nevertheless, it is indeed a sweet picture to have of the beloved theme park, But as a viral video of heavy rain and flooding recently showed, even Disney World isn’t immune to the wrath of Mother Nature -- and wow.
Since Disney World is situated in central Florida, it’s often considered to be an ideal vacation destination for families in search of a little fun in the sun. But that doesn’t mean it always delivers on idyllic weather. Just recently, the X account for AllEars.Net shared a video of a veritable downpour happening right in front of Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World. In the clip, patrons in rain ponchos can be seen wandering Main Street USA – at least, the parts of the street that aren’t noticeably flooded. Take a look at the truly wild weather in the video below:
It’s a rainy afternoon in Magic Kingdom! 🌧️☔️ pic.twitter.com/nda0KHUdTcAugust 18, 2023
Another video from X user @SirBrayden showed the flooding in more detail. Taken from within one of Disney World’s many covered dining areas, the clip shows soaked guests looking like they've already taken on a ride on the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction. See some attendees wade through the flooded streets in water that comes up to their ankles:
It's a little wet at Magic Kingdom today! pic.twitter.com/WFXJKkbvVzAugust 18, 2023
You can't help but pause for a second when looking at the copious amounts of precipitation. That kind of rain would arguably be notable for any location let alone "The Most Magical Place On Earth."
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While it may be shocking to see Disney World being battered by rain, it’s probably not too much of a surprise for people who are familiar with Florida’s summer weather. According to the National Weather Service, Orlando’s wet season tends to begin in May and run through October. ClickOnOrlando also reported that a recent tropical wave could bring especially wet weather to the region, too. In other words, while people outside of the Orlando area may be surprised to see such heavy rain at the park, it’s actually not all that uncommon – which could explain why some of the guests seemed to be more amused than they were concerned about the flooding.
The Florid-based location isn’t the only Disney park that got hit with inclement weather this weekend, either. According to CBS News, as Hurricane Hillary threatens to descend on Southern California, the House of Mouse announced that it would be closing both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure early on Sunday, August 20.
It’s pretty rare for Disney parks to shutter their gates, but it’s good to see them taking any necessary precautions to keep guests and employees safe. In some ways, it hasn’t been the best year for the Disney theme park division, as Disney World has been dealing with low attendance this summer.
But the parks are also doing what they can to attract new visitors and devoted fans alike. At both Disney World and Disneyland, changes are being made to dining reservation services that will hopefully ease some of the biggest pain points for guests. And in Florida, the company is already rolling out its popular Halloween festivities – you can even see some of the jack-o-lantern-themed decorations in the rainy videos from Main Street USA. Hopefully, guests who hit the parks in the next few weeks will be able to enjoy the wide variety of Disney attractions with better weather – but even if they can’t dodge the rain, they’re sure to make some unforgettable memories.
