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Credit: DisneyCentral Florida experienced a historic deep freeze this weekend that shattered temperature records across the region and forced Walt Disney World to take unprecedented operational measures at its water park and water-based attractions.
The arctic blast that swept through the area Saturday night into Sunday morning brought temperatures that Orlando hasn’t seen in nearly a century, with wind chills plunging into single digits and brief snow flurries reported in multiple locations across the metro area.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed that several Central Florida cities broke their all-time record lows for February on Sunday morning. Sanford hit 23 degrees, breaking its 1958 record of 25 degrees. Daytona Beach also reached 23 degrees, surpassing its previous February record of 24 set in 1958.
Melbourne dropped to 25 degrees, breaking the 27-degree record from 1967. Orlando recorded 24 degrees, shattering the previous February 1 record of 28 degrees set all the way back in 1936.
While Orlando didn’t approach its all-time February record low of 19 degrees set on February 7, 1895, the current cold snap still represents an extraordinary weather event for a region known for its subtropical climate. The combination of record-breaking temperatures and sustained high winds created dangerous conditions that forced Disney to make significant operational adjustments to protect guest safety and comfort.
Typhoon Lagoon shut down entirely for multiple days, while popular water rides at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom implemented reduced operating hours to minimize guest exposure to freezing conditions.
The extreme weather has created surreal scenes across Central Florida, with the University of Central Florida’s iconic reflecting pond freezing solid, irrigation systems coating vehicles and structures in ice, and residents reporting snow flurries in areas that rarely see frozen precipitation.
For Disney World, which welcomes tens of thousands of guests daily from around the world, the freeze has required careful balancing of operational safety with guest experience expectations during what is typically one of the busier winter periods.
Dangerous Wind Chills Across the Region
Beyond the record-breaking low temperatures themselves, sustained high winds created wind chill values that made conditions feel dramatically colder and potentially dangerous for anyone spending extended time outdoors. The National Weather Service reported wind chills dropping into single digits and low teens across Central Florida throughout the weekend.
Longwood recorded the coldest wind chill in the region at just 7 degrees. Sanford International Airport hit 10 degrees with wind chill, followed by Geneva at 11 degrees and Winter Springs at 12 degrees. In Orange County, Reedy Lake and Lake Buena Vista, both in close proximity to Walt Disney World, experienced 11-degree wind chills. Apopka and Winter Garden reached 12 degrees, while Orlando and Windermere recorded 13-degree wind chills.
The wind itself proved relentless and powerful throughout the event. Coastal locations recorded gusts exceeding 50 mph at Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Oak Hill, and Playalinda Beach. Orlando International Airport measured a 49 mph gust at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, while Sanford-Orlando International Airport recorded 48 mph and Maitland saw 41 mph gusts.
The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Cold Warning for all of Central Florida through 10 a.m. Sunday morning, then extended a new warning from 7 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Monday as temperatures were forecast to drop below freezing again, ranging from 22 to 30 degrees with wind chills making it feel like 9 to 21 degrees.
Typhoon Lagoon Closure and Reopening Schedule
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park has experienced multiple closures throughout January due to unseasonably cold temperatures, with the current freeze forcing another extended shutdown. The water park reopened briefly from a previous multi-day closure on January 26, only to close again on January 27 as forecasts indicated another arctic blast approaching Central Florida.
The park remained closed through January 29 before reopening for a single day on Friday, January 30, operating its regular 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. However, Disney announced that Typhoon Lagoon would close again on Saturday, January 31 and remain shuttered through Monday, February 2 as the historic freeze gripped the region.
The park is currently scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, February 3, though that timeline could change if freezing temperatures persist longer than forecasted. Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park remains unaffected by the weather conditions as it is currently closed for its annual refurbishment period.
Looking ahead, Typhoon Lagoon is scheduled to close for its own annual refurbishment beginning February 15, 2026, at which point Blizzard Beach will reopen. The final operating day for Typhoon Lagoon before refurbishment is Saturday, February 14. During the closure, contractors will rebuild the Humunga Kowabunga waterslide as part of the maintenance work.
Both water parks will operate simultaneously from May 26 through September 8, 2026, marking the second consecutive summer that Disney has run both facilities at the same time. This dual operation includes complimentary water park admission for Disney Resort hotel guests on their check-in day as part of the “Cool Kid Summer” promotion.
Reduced Hours for Water Attractions
Beyond the complete closure of Typhoon Lagoon, Disney implemented reduced operating hours for two major water-based attractions at its theme parks to limit guest exposure to the dangerous cold and wind conditions. Both Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom are running significantly shortened schedules through the worst of the freeze.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the recently reimagined attraction in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, is operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 1 and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, February 2. These hours represent both later openings and earlier closings than the attraction’s standard schedule, reducing the total operating window and avoiding the coldest morning and evening hours when wind chills are most severe.
Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom faces even more restricted hours, operating just six hours daily during the freeze. The attraction runs from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both Sunday and Monday, opening significantly later than normal and closing well before the park’s standard operating hours end.
The reduced schedules acknowledge the reality that getting soaked on a water ride becomes genuinely uncomfortable and potentially unsafe when temperatures are in the 20s with wind chills in the single digits and teens.
While Florida visitors often joke about the state’s occasional cold snaps, conditions this severe present legitimate safety concerns for guests who might emerge from these attractions thoroughly wet and face extended exposure to arctic temperatures while walking through the parks.
Unusual Weather Creates Unique Scenes
The historic cold created memorable scenes across Central Florida that residents and visitors alike documented on social media. Brief snow flurries were reported in multiple locations including Oviedo, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach, and Ormond Beach as frigid temperatures combined with trace moisture in the atmosphere.
At the University of Central Florida, students gathered Sunday morning to photograph the school’s iconic reflecting pond, which had frozen solid overnight. The campus humorously embraced the moment, with observers noting that UCF suddenly stood for “U Can Freeze” rather than University of Central Florida.
Irrigation systems left running overnight coated vehicles, buildings, and landscaping in ice, creating winter wonderland scenes rarely witnessed in the Sunshine State.
The extreme weather affected not just Disney operations but agriculture throughout the region, with farmworkers at facilities like Southern Hill Farms in Clermont working through the night to irrigate fields of strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. The irrigation creates a protective ice shield around fruit that prevents the freezing temperatures from destroying crops.
If you’re at Disney World this weekend, layer up and maybe skip the water rides unless you really enjoy the authentic arctic experience. Have you ever been to the parks during a Florida freeze? Drop a comment about how you handled it because honestly, nobody packs winter coats for a Disney vacation.