Credit: UniversalPlanning a Universal Orlando vacation takes more than choosing a hotel, buying tickets, and deciding which park to visit first. Ride refurbishments can make a big difference, especially when one of your must-do attractions happens to be unavailable during your trip.
That is something guests planning a 2027 vacation will want to keep on their radar.
Universal Orlando has added two more attractions to its 2027 closure calendar, and both are located at Islands of Adventure. The good news is that neither closure is permanent. However, one attraction will remain unavailable for nearly a month, while another popular ride will temporarily shut down for almost two weeks.
With both closures happening early in the year, anyone considering a January or February trip should take a closer look at the dates before locking in their plans.
Two Islands of Adventure Rides Are Closing in 2027
The first attraction affected is Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.
Universal currently plans to close the Toon Lagoon water ride beginning January 4, 2027. It will remain unavailable through February 2, 2027.
That means guests visiting Islands of Adventure during most of January will need to go without one of the park’s major water attractions.
Of course, the timing makes sense.
January is typically one of the cooler periods of the year in Central Florida. While Orlando can still experience plenty of warm days during the winter, temperatures can also drop considerably. That makes the beginning of the year a practical time for Universal to perform routine work on an attraction where getting soaked is part of the experience.
The source notes that Universal typically closes water attractions for maintenance during colder periods when fewer guests are riding them.
For guests, that at least means the closure isn’t arriving during the middle of the hottest part of the year, when a water ride can become especially appealing.
Still, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges isn’t exactly an attraction where guests walk away with a few drops of water on their shirts. Getting drenched is part of the experience, and it remains a memorable part of a day at Islands of Adventure for guests who enjoy water rides.
If it sits near the top of your Universal Orlando priority list, those January dates are worth remembering.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Will Also Close
The second newly announced closure could affect even more vacation plans.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is scheduled to close on February 8, 2027, and remain unavailable through February 19, 2027.
Compared with the Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges refurbishment, this shutdown is considerably shorter. Even so, the attraction’s popularity makes the closure important.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the major experiences inside Islands of Adventure. Guests visiting during that February window will need to plan their day knowing the attraction won’t be available.
The closure lasts less than two weeks, so it only affects a relatively small portion of the 2027 calendar. However, that doesn’t help much if your vacation happens to fall directly inside that window.
That’s why refurbishment calendars can become so important when planning a theme park trip.
A closure that seems short on paper can still cover an entire vacation.
Check Your February Vacation Dates
The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey closure is particularly worth noting for anyone who already has a February 2027 Universal Orlando trip in the works.
The attraction will be unavailable from February 8 through February 19.
If you’re visiting immediately before or after those dates, you may avoid the closure altogether. Guests traveling during the refurbishment window, however, should prepare for the attraction to remain unavailable.
That doesn’t mean you need to cancel an entire Universal Orlando vacation because one ride is undergoing work. Islands of Adventure offers plenty of other experiences to fill a day.
However, knowing about the closure ahead of time gives you options.
If your vacation dates are flexible and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the main reasons you’re visiting, you could potentially shift your trip. The original report also points out that advance knowledge of attraction closures may allow guests to consider different travel dates.
For families locked into specific travel dates because of work, school, flights, or hotel reservations, simply knowing what to expect can still make the trip easier to plan.
Finding out months ahead of time is much better than walking into Islands of Adventure, heading toward your favorite attraction, and discovering that it isn’t operating.
January Visitors Will Have a Different Closure to Consider
Guests visiting in January face a similar situation with Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.
Its January 4 through February 2 closure stretches across a much larger window.
Anyone taking an Islands of Adventure trip during that period should plan around the water ride being unavailable.
The timing also means the two newly announced closures don’t overlap.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges is scheduled to return after February 2, while Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey doesn’t begin its closure until February 8.
Assuming the scheduled dates hold, there is a small gap between the two refurbishment periods.
That could matter for guests visiting around the beginning of February. Someone traveling after the first closure ends but before the second begins could potentially experience both attractions during the same trip.
As always with theme park operations, refurbishment schedules can be important to check as your vacation approaches. But these announced windows at least give 2027 visitors an early idea of what to expect.
Why Ride Closure Calendars Matter
Nobody wants to build an entire theme park vacation around one attraction.
At the same time, most Universal Orlando visitors probably have at least a few rides they consider essential.
Maybe you’re visiting Islands of Adventure primarily because you want to experience its biggest attractions. Maybe someone in your family loves water rides. Or perhaps Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of those experiences you make time for every time you visit.
That’s where checking closures before a trip becomes valuable.
The original report stresses that knowing which rides will be unavailable is an important part of planning because guests may have the opportunity to adjust their dates.
Even when changing dates isn’t realistic, advance notice helps set expectations.
Instead of arriving at the park and discovering a closure unexpectedly, you can build your Islands of Adventure day around attractions that are scheduled to operate.
That could mean rearranging priorities or simply accepting that one favorite will have to wait until another trip.
Universal Orlando’s 2027 Calendar Is Taking Shape
These two closures also serve as an early reminder that 2027 vacation planning is already becoming more detailed.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges will be unavailable from January 4 through February 2, while Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will close from February 8 through February 19. Both attractions are located at Islands of Adventure.
Neither closure signals the end of the attractions. These are temporary shutdowns, so guests shouldn’t confuse them with permanent ride removals.
Still, temporary closures matter when you’re spending significant money and vacation time on a Universal Orlando trip.
For January visitors, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges is the date range to watch. For February visitors, both attractions deserve attention depending on exactly when the trip falls.
And for anyone whose 2027 vacation is still flexible, knowing these dates now could make choosing the right week a little easier.
Universal Orlando vacations can involve plenty of moving pieces, but this is one detail guests don’t have to be surprised by.
Two more Islands of Adventure rides are officially joining the 2027 refurbishment calendar. If either one sits near the top of your must-do list, checking those dates before booking could save you from a disappointing surprise once you reach the park.
