No matter how much you plan for your Disney World vacation, it’s always possible for a wrench to get thrown into the works and mess everything up. However, that wrench will NOT be the rain.

Many people believe that all the outdoor rides in Disney World close when it’s raining. However, that’s not true — the problem isn’t the rain. The problem is what usually comes with the rain.

You probably guessed what we’re about to say next — RAIN doesn’t cause rides to shut down. LIGHTNING does. A little bit of water doesn’t have an effect on Disney World’s coasters and attractions, but when lightning is spotted in the area, you’ll see rides shutting down left and right for safety reasons.

“Rain, lightning, same difference,” you might think, but actually this is a pretty important distinction that might save your next trip.

If you’re going to Disney World this summer, we can almost guarantee that you’ll experience some rain and possibly even a thunderstorm while you’re there. That’s just the way it goes in Orlando. But if it’s just showering (and NOT lightning), you can actually use that time to get a LOT done in the parks!

Since so many people think the rides close for the rain, the wait times might drop on the most popular rides. Plus, some people take shelter in the nearest restaurant or gift shop to wait out the rain, so the crowds drop dramatically as well.

When this happens, we recommend whipping out your poncho or rain jacket and going about your day like normal! You’ll likely find that you can get on more rides than you’d be able to in the sunshine.

However, you should keep an eye on the My Disney Experience app to see if rides start to close. It is Central Florida, after all, and a shower can turn into a thunderstorm in the blink of an eye. If you see rides start to shut down, call an audible and head for indoor rides or shows instead.

Here are a few popular attractions that DON’T typically close for lightning:

Magic Kingdom:

• “it’s a small world”
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Haunted Mansion
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Space Mountain
• Pirates of the Caribbean

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Na’vi River Journey
• DINOSAUR

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

• Tower of Terror
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

EPCOT:

• Soarin’
• Living With the Land
• Frozen Ever After
• Spaceship Earth
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Another option if the outdoor rides are unavailable is to place an order at a nearby Quick Service restaurant (using Mobile Order, of course) and use the time to grab a snack or meal instead.

So the next time you’re in Disney World and see dark clouds gathering overhead, don’t lose all hope! Keep an eye on the weather and the Disney app and continue about your day — you might even get more done than you would without the rain! And sometimes you’ll find special surprises that only come out in the rain, like the Rainy Day Parade in Magic Kingdom or exclusive merchandise discounts in EPCOT.

Stay tuned to DFB for more tips and updates on all the latest Disney news.

Click here for a complete list of the Disney World rides that shut down for bad weather.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Disney World when it rains? Let us know in the comments!