After originally announcing a reopening date of November 20, Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is now slated to reopen right before Christmas.
Jurassic Park River Adventure Refurbishment Extended
Jurassic Park River Adventure closed on January 5, 2026, for a nearly year-long refurbishment at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. While it is normal for a water ride to close seasonally in the winter, River Adventure, which opened in 1999, reportedly had several broken effects, as well as aging infrastructure that warranted the extended downtime.
Originally, Universal announced that the ride would reopen on November 20, just in time for the start of the holiday guest rush. However, that date has now been pushed back almost a month. The Universal Orlando website recently updated the reopening date on the page for the dinosaur-themed water ride:
Jurassic Park River Adventure is temporarily closed due to scheduled maintenance and will now reopen on December 17, 2026.
No reason was provided for extending the refurbishment by almost a month.
Aerial photos have revealed some of the extensive refurbishment work happening on the ride, including a track replacement and new roofing.
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Jurassic Park River Adventure is part of the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure. The “island” also includes Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Pteranodon Flyers, the Camp Jurassic playground, Jurassic Park Discovery Center, and Raptor Encounter.
This version of Jurassic Park River Adventure is the second, opening three years after the original 1996 ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Hollywood version was revamped in 2018 to become Jurassic World: The Ride. A third version opened in Universal Studios Japan in 2001.
Are you disappointed that Jurassic Park River Adventure won’t be open in November? Let us know on social media.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.
The post Jurassic Park River Adventure Refurbishment Extended at Universal Orlando appeared first on WDW News Today.
