Credit: DisneyThe entirety of Blizzard Beach water park is set to close yet again this weekend at Walt Disney World Resort.
Disney World is renowned for being open 365 days a year. However, sometimes it has no choice but to close its parks due to circumstances beyond its control – the most common being the weather.
Unlike Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, Disney’s water parks aren’t designed to entertain guests no matter the temperature. Both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon require warm, if not comfortable, weather to make the most of their many attractions.
With that in mind, Disney is set to close Blizzard Beach on Sunday (January 7) due to an incoming cold-front in Orlando.
Typically open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Disney’s newest water park currently has no operational hours listed for Sunday on the Walt Disney World website.
This is far from the first time this has happened. Blizzard Beach officially reopened from its extensive refurbishment on November 6, 2023, when its sister park – Typhoon Lagoon – closed for the winter. In the 60 days since, it has closed completely for 14 days (including January 7), and closed early for two. In other words, it’s spent 25% of its time closed since reopening.
Temperatures are expected to peak at 65 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. While the weather is set to improve on Monday (January 8) and Tuesday (January 9) – when Orlando’s theme parks may also be at risk of severe weather – they’re set to dip yet again on Wednesday (January 10) and Thursday (January 11).
Despite there not being much time to enjoy the park this season, there are already rumors of Blizzard Beach experiencing another upcoming closure. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, just one Disney water park has remained open at a time, cycling between Blizzard Beach in the autumn and winter and Typhoon Lagoon in the spring and summer. If 2024 follows a similar pattern to 2023, then parkgoers can expect Blizzard Beach to close for refurbishment once again around March before reopening towards the end of the year.
Ironically, Blizzard Beach is totally winter-themed, complete with fake snow and a play area themed to Frozen (2013) named Tike’s Peak. Its most famous attractions include Downhill Double Dipper, Summit Plummet, Runoff Rapids, and Teamboat Springs.
Do you visit Florida’s water parks in the winter? Let us know in the comments!