Jurassic Park River Adventure closing for most of 2026 at Universal Islands of Adventure
Jurassic Park River Adventure is closing for an extended refurbishment throughout most of 2026 at Universal Islands of Adventure.
The Jurassic Park River Adventure boat ride will be closed Jan. 5 – Nov. 19, 2026, at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla. The final day to ride before the refurbishment is Jan. 4, 2026. The ride will reopen on Nov. 20, 2026.
The downtime is noted in Universal’s refurbishment calendar on the resort’s park hours landing page.
Universal has not specified what will change about Jurassic Park River Adventure during the nearly-nine-month closure.
In the attraction, what begins as a calm boat tour soon turns into a thrilling chase away from a giant t-rex animatronic, complete with a classic splashdown finale.
Recent extended closures of the ride’s sister attraction on the west coast, Jurassic World: The Ride (formerly Jurassic World: The Ride), at Universal Studios Hollywood added elements from the “Jurassic World” movies, a high-tech aquarium sequence, and an advanced dinosaur animatronic.
The east coast’s Jurassic World River Adventure opened with Islands of Adventure in 1999 and currently maintains its placement within the traditional “Jurassic Park” side of the franchise rather than the more recent “Jurassic World” movies, taking a different approach than the adjacent Jurassic World VelociCoaster.
Elsewhere in Islands of Adventure, construction will begin soon in The Lost Continent to prepare the area for unspecified future plans.
Earlier this year, Universal released “Jurassic World Rebirth” in movie theaters starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Gareth Edwards. The film earned nearly $864 million worldwide at the box office. Our movie reviewer called the film “gorgeous and incredibly fun.”
Jurassic Park River Adventure isn’t the only water-based attraction closing for a long refurb in the future. The entire Universal Volcano Bay water park will be closed for several months in 2026 and 2027.
If you won’t have a chance to visit Islands of Adventure before Jurassic Park River Adventure closes for its refurbishment, or if you just want to relax and enjoy a virtual ride, check out our POV video:
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