Universal Orlando Reveals Jurassic Park Ride Closing for Almost All of 2026
Universal Orlando has announced an approximately 11-month refurbishment of Jurassic Park River Adventure in Islands of Adventure that’ll close the attraction for most of 2026. This covers dates and details, plus rumors & speculation about why the popular water ride will have such a lengthy closure next year.
This is yet another project Universal Orlando has announced for 2026, reinforcing its aggressive plans for its theme parks. We already know that Rip Ride Rockit is being replaced, and Universal has wasted no time getting started on demolition of that. There are rumors that Springfield is next on the chopping block, to be replaced by a Pokémon-themed area. There’s probably more to come at Universal Studios Florida in 2026.
More appears poised to happen at Islands of Adventure, as well. Just last week, Universal Orlando filed construction permits to demolish a 5-acre portion of the Lost Continent island in that park, confirming that the area is slated for replacement as rumors swirl about Zelda, Wicked, and other future prospects for that land. This now adds another project in that general area of the park.
For reference, here’s a current look at the full refurbishment calendar for 2025-2026 at Universal Orlando:
Universal Islands of Adventure
- Dudley Do-Right’s RipSaw Falls: October 6 – 31, 2025
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: November 10 – 20, 2025
- Hogwarts Express: September 15 – 19, 2025
- Jurassic Park River Adventure: January 5, 2026 – November 19, 2026
Universal Studios Florida
- Hogwarts Express: September 15 – 19, 2025
Our Commentary
In all likelihood, there’s going to be a lot more added to these Universal Orlando closure calendars for 2026 in the next month or two. I say this with zero inside information, but it’s nevertheless a safe prediction for a couple of reasons.
First, this is the time of year when scheduling usually happens for the following year’s major closures. It stands to reason that at least a few ride refurbishments of varying scopes, scales and durations will soon hit the calendar.
Second, Universal Orlando almost certainly has some deferred maintenance issues.
I’ve already reported on My Excellent Experience at Epic Universe, notching 20+ attractions in one day, last month. In the two full days before that, I field tested strategy and rode more attractions than I had in a while at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Several were in rough shape.
It would not be the least bit surprising if Universal Orlando chose to defer maintenance in the lead-up to Epic Universe, given the pre-launch costs that were being incurred there. We saw Walt Disney World do the exact same thing post-COVID, and they’re still playing catch-up.
Obviously, the circumstances between launching a brand-new theme park and reopening to lower attendance are very different, but the underlying motivations are similar.
Reducing costs so the quarterly financials don’t look even more brutal. And we know this type of thing was occurring to some degree, as Comcast’s quarterly earnings calls repeatedly mentioned the negative impact of one-time costs associated with Epic Universe pre-opening and mitigation measures.
Point being, it’s probably safe to say that Universal Orlando is going to make up for lost time with a disproportionate number of ride refurbishments in 2026 and 2027 now that Epic Universe is open and generating revenue, and resources can be diverted back to the original parks.
As for the Jurassic Park River Adventure refurbishment, it is very obviously in need of major TLC.
Among the attractions I experienced late last month, this is probably the best ride that’s in the worst shape. (Meaning there are far worse rides, but there’s no fixing some of them–their roughness is baked in.) Some of the dinosaurs looked like they might be showing signs of going extinct soon; the whole ride just looked rough.
The big question is whether Jurassic Park River Adventure will be reimagined into Jurassic World River Adventure. It’s worth noting that out at Universal Studios Hollywood, this conversion occurred in roughly the same timeframe. So it is at least plausible.
It’s reasonable to expect Universal Orlando to add some exciting “new magic” (to borrow Disney’s phrase for the year-long Big Thunder refurbishment) just to give the Jurassic Park River Adventure refurbishment some marketable pizzazz.
That probably will happen; it just seems less likely to me that they’ll go the Jurassic World route in 2026 than they would’ve a couple years ago. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part as a fan of old school Jurassic Park, but it just seems kind of silly to fully reimagine Jurassic Park River Adventure to Jurassic World.
The older franchise from the 1990s clearly has more staying power, box office receipts for Jurassic World are already falling off, and making the change in 2026 just feels like it’d be chasing a fade that’s already fading.
Jurassic Park River Adventure already has been sufficiently tied to the new films, they’re represented in the land by Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and there are a lot of other changes that would need to occur to make this island Jurassic World.
I’m skeptical it’ll happen, especially at a time when Universal is finally recognizing the value of its legacy franchises. At the same time they’re revisiting the longevity and value of Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Jaws, ET, and other franchises, they’re going to ignore the newer, 1990s classic?
But to be completely transparent, I haven’t heard anything whatsoever–this is just my gut instinct here. Given that they’ve already converted one version of Jurassic Park River Adventure to Jurassic World in about the same timeframe and that the newest and most popular attraction in the land is also based on Jurassic World, perhaps this is a bad bet on my part. I guess we shall see!
Ultimately, don’t be surprised if 2026 is a pretty quiet year for the Central Florida theme parks, between Universal Orlando making up for lost time on ride refurbishments, and Walt Disney World doing something similar with reimaginings, deferred maintenance, and ongoing demolition & construction. There’s still a lot that’ll be happening, but 2027 should be the year when things start to get really exciting.
If all goes according to plan and expectations, the next decade-plus should see a revival of the theme park wars in Orlando, with both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando guests being the biggest winners of all! We can’t wait to watch this unfold, and look forward to enjoying the ride as both compete for guest dollars and attendance. In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on the Jurassic Park River Adventure project, including what, if anything, is planned beyond a routine refurbishment.
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.
Your Thoughts
Which other Universal Orlando attractions do you think are overdue for TLC? Agree or disagree with my speculation that Jurassic Park River Adventure will not be reimagined to Jurassic World? What do you think of the ambitious plans for additions at Universal Orlando? Expect it’ll be full steam ahead on expansion and redevelopment at Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Any insight into whether Springfield in USH is also destined for the chopping block? Would love to read more USH content, I know it’s probably a limited segment of your audience though.
(Translation: I was gifted an annual pass and now I’m all about that park after not going for about 10 years. Lots to like!)
It’s one of the best rides at the park and I love the original theme! Long live JP!
Orlando is going to be even more dino-deficient in 2026 with Dinosaur at AK going extinct and Jurassic River Adventure under major reno. Conspiracy?!?
“Conspiracy?!?”
Well, it has definitely caught my attention. Perhaps we need to get Florida Scuba Man on the case!
Jurassic Park vs World feels a bit like a potato/potahtoe situation. I’m not familiar with what was changed out in Hollywood, but the current Orlando ride involves no human characters so I’m not sure what the difference would be other than some on-ride logos and maybe the patterns on the dinos. So I could see it going either way, maybe leaning towards going the World route just because that is more current (and frankly makes more sense from a storytelling standpoint, as the original Park never actually opened to paying guests).
Chris Pratt is in the pre-show in Hollywood. They also added dinosaurs that appear in Jurassic World but not the earlier films (via screens). It’s very clearly Jurassic World now. At least to me, the difference is quite noticeable.
I stopped watching after the original Jurassic Park. I went through the obligatory dinosaur-loving phase as a little kid, but as a young adult, did not enjoy seeing dinosaurs rip so many people to shreds. I’m too sensitive to enjoy such horror movies, unless they’re riffed by the likes of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, & Bill Corbett. And my parents thought I would enjoy the film! What were they thinking? I know the typical movie viewer loves Jurassic Park/World, but I’m atypical in many ways. Besides, I know a lot of the “science” in those films is utter nonsense. Still, I guess I’m glad I saw the original movie if only so I could enjoy Weird Al’s parody to the tune of “MacArthur Park” all the more. “Jurassic Park is frightening in the dark, all the dinosaurs are running wild…”
I think Jurassic Park River Adventure is quite under rated. High level of theming, pacing, and thrills. Glad its getting some TLC.
But I’ll disagree with Tom, I say it does get converted to Jurassic World River Adventure. Universal had been touting new rides every year pre-Covid to drive attendance. This is a chance to do that again. Universal has to notice how much attention Disney received for retheming splash mountain and want to capture that too.
I agree that Jurassic Park River Adventure is underrated–but I also feel like there’s a decent bit of squandered potential. Kind of like Universal’s version of DINOSAUR–great concept and flashes of brilliance, but fall a bit short of being a 10/10 all-timer.