Credit: Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort operations have been heavily affected this year, with the theme park announcing yet another closure coming up.
As Orlando continues to face less-than-ideal weather, with the area recently going under a tornado watch, Universal Orlando Resort has opted to shut down its water theme park, Universal’s Volcano Bay, temporarily tomorrow, January 11, due to inclement weather to ensure the health and safety of all guests and employees.
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Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) shared the upcoming closure through X (formerly known as Twitter), continuing with the theme park’s unfortunate streak of closures due to hazardous weather so far this year.
Weather Update
Universal Volcano Bay will be closed on Thursday, January 11, due to inclement weather. For park updates, please call 407-817-8317 or stay tuned to Universal Orlando’s social channels.
🌧️ ❄️ Weather Update ❄️ 🌧️
Universal Volcano Bay will be closed on Thursday, January 11, due to inclement weather. For park updates, please call 407-817-8317 or stay tuned to Universal Orlando’s social channels.— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) January 10, 2024
Operations at Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park have been affected by inclement weather since December 2023, with the water park shutting down the last days of last year and closing intermittently throughout this month.
So far, Universal’s Volcano Bay has been operational on January 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8, with the water theme park remaining closed on January 2, 4, and 7 due to bad weather and January 9 and 10 for undisclosed reasons, according to Universal’s daily park hours updates through X.
With tomorrow’s closure, Universal’s Volcano Bay will have been shut down for over half of the year so far, with additional closures coming up on January 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, and 31, according to the Orlando-based resort’s official website. Universal officials have not stated the reason for these closures, but refurbishment and maintenance are likely scheduled to be carried out on these dates.
Hopefully, operations at Universal’s popular water park will return to normal once the weather improves.
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Similarly, Walt Disney World Resort’s water theme park, Disney’s Blizzard Beach, has announced multiple closures due to bad weather throughout December 2023 and this month, with the theme park remaining shut down for 25% of the time since it reopened on November 6, 2023.
Universal’s Volcano Bay is the perfect way to cool down during your visit to Universal Orlando Resort — clearly not tomorrow though. The water park is packed with attractions for the entire family, including slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and a multi-directional wave pool called Waturi Beach.
Guests can use their TapuTapu — a waterproof wearable specifically designed for the park — to hold their place in the Virtual Line for one attraction at a time. TapuTapu bands are provided when guests enter the water park and must be returned before exiting.
The park’s centerpiece is the Krakatau Volcano, which houses the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. This thrilling water slide takes guests through the mists and into the dark twists and turns within the park’s volcano before emerging with a plunge through a shimmering waterfall.
While Universal’s water park will remain shut down tomorrow, guests can still visit Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure — though fans of the Jurassic Park franchise will be disappointed to learn that Jurassic Park River Adventure is now closed through February 1, 2024.
Spanning over two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure) a water park (Universal’s Volcano Bay), and an upcoming theme park deemed by many as the “Disney killer” (Universal’s Epic Universe), Universal Orlando Resort is packed with rides and entire immersive lands inspired by popular franchises like Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, The Simpsons, Transformers, Despicable Me, Minions, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — despite the historical backlash against a particular movie franchise at the parks.
Will this temporary closure affect your visit to Universal Orlando Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!