Epcot at Walt Disney World in the Rain

Because of Florida’s humid subtropical climate, the state receives rather frequent rain. Rain showers very often seem to happen when we are at Walt Disney World, but that doesn’t usually stop us from having a good time. Last summer, during our June visit to Florida, we got some rain showers on the day that we went to Epcot. While we also had a little bit of sun, here are a few photos from the rainy portion of the day.

One thing I love more and more about rainy times these days is the interesting cloud cover that rain so often brings. You can see some of that here in the sky above Epcot, with Spaceship Earth off in the distance. The planter in the foreground is on the path that leads from Future World to World Showcase, by the way. I liked how the colorful flowers contrasted with the dark clouds in the sky here. As you can see, it was not raining at this moment, but you can also guess by the wet pavement that some rain had already fallen.

I do always like how the silver-gray tiles of Spaceship Earth almost blend in with the clouds on a cloudy day. Interesting how Spaceship Earth seems to take on the characteristics of the weather around it. Except of course at night when the exterior is bathed in colorful lights.

Mission: Space has a bit of an outer space design to it, with all of the planets and a rocket circling earth, and you don’t usually see clouds in outer space. But here they provide a rather neat backdrop for the already cool (and wet) pavilion exterior. I think the colors of the planets really stand out well here, too. And those arching spires add just a bit of drama as well.

Interestingly, the area around Mission: Space looked rather empty. It seems like just a few years ago that this area was always full of people. I guess the new has worn off with the passing of time.

One of the neat things to find at Epcot is the old EPCOT Center logo in the pavement in between Future World and World Showcase. This logo still is used from time to time, but it is not seen as often as it used to be. Many people probably walk right over it without even noticing it, because they don’t realize that it is the logo for the park. Anyway, it looks pretty interesting here partly wet and partly dry, as the rain water changes the colors of the pavement in and around the logo.

If you ever wonder if the earth is really round instead of flat, this photo should prove it. Actually, the curving here comes more from the way the fisheye lens bends things around than from the actual curvature of the earth.

The glass pyramids of Journey Into Imagination reflect the clouds, while the pavement shows that more rain has fallen since the time of the other photos. We managed to tough it out without resorting to rain coats, and believe it or not, it wasn’t too long after this that you could see some blue sky in between the clouds. Nothing like that ever-changing Florida weather!

This Journey Into Imagination photo is probably my favorite of this bunch. It turned out just right, with the orange and yellow walls of the pavilion standing out nicely against the gray sky and pyramids and the wet pavement. Also, here is another entry in the “Where’s Laura and Jaylin” game around here, as this one features Laura in the foreground. Jaylin was apparently still back behind me. Maybe he doesn’t enjoy the game or something. Teenagers these days.

So don’t let rain keep you from getting out and having some fun. Enjoy it as best you can!

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; play the lyre to our God, who covers the sky with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, and causes grass to grow on the hills. - Psalm 147:7-8

About the photo:

Thanks to the processing that I used, these photos probably make the weather look worse than it actually was. From the photos, it probably looks like we were about to get the storm of the century, but it really was not all that bad, although the threat of rain may have kept the crowd size down just a little, and that is never a bad thing.

I also purposefully left these photos looking a bit grainy, as I felt that it fit the rainy day look. Sometimes I go in and smooth out the grain just a bit with noise removal, but I liked how it worked here.

Take a look at this before-and-after comparison of the last photo above to see just how much changed in processing:

Photos: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: June 9, 2016
Location: Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida