As an international traveler, you can be sure that nothing is off the table when I visit Disney Parks. I am making the most of every moment, with no time to waste, and I can’t be held back by the weather, crowds, or even my preferences. With the way the school year falls in Australia, I usually find myself visiting the US Disney Parks between September and April, taking advantage of our Autumn (USA Spring), Summer (USA Winter), and Spring (USA Fall) holiday breaks where possible, which means that sometimes, mother nature isn’t exactly on my side. Rain, hail, or shine, I’ll walk up to my intended destination and work through my to-do list without reservation for the elements. However, it’s cemented for me recently that not everyone takes the same approach.
For years, I have had one friend who never rides any water rides, no matter how often they visit the parks, with the excuse that she doesn’t want to get wet. Of course, ‘it’s a small world’ is excluded, as there is no chance of getting splashed on that one, no matter how hot the day and hopeful you are. Some of the other rides she has never experienced, like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (as well as its prior attraction Splash Mountain), Grizzly River Run, and Kali River Rapids. Before now, it never really phased me. If you go at certain times of the year, getting soaked isn’t optimal, even though it’s never stopped me personally. However, recently, it came to light that on a trip over the USA in winter, the family also avoided Pirates of the Caribbean for the same reason, just in case they were splashed, and that took things a step too far.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
Knowing what I do, I am sure she knew as soon as she admitted this to me that it would ultimately become a topic of discussion here on The DIS. As someone I know has experienced this attraction before, there was no misconception that there was any possibility of an epic drenching while on board. Even in peak times when cast members need to pack the boats as tightly as possible, there might only be a minor splash here or there at the front corners. They just didn’t want to take the risk. I started thinking about my own choices to ride these rides in perhaps less than ideal times of the year, and I realized that this must be a common concern as I’ve never once enjoyed the rapid rides in Disneyland or Walt Disney World with more than a few minutes wait time, even in April / May. Could it just be the lucky timing of Australian school holidays matching up with less crowded times of the year, or do more people that I think avoid wet rides in fear of getting wet?
For me, it could be snowing, and I would still be flying down the front of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with my sneakers wedged up in the corners of the log and my poncho wrapped tightly around my body and belongings. I might look like an idiot, but I don’t care; I’m doing it.
Let me know your take. Do you skip Disney’s wet rides to stay dry?
