ORLANDO, Fla. — If you’re planning to visit Central Florida theme parks in the next several weeks, you should know that some popular attractions won’t be available.
What You Need To Know
- Several attractions will be down for refurbishment over the next few months
- Universal's Revenge of the Mummy will be closed through "late summer"
- Disney's Expedition Everest is also closed for a few months and is expected to reopen in mid-April
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At both Universal Orlando and Disney World, some attractions are temporarily closed for refurbishment—with the closures ranging from a few weeks to several months.
One of Universal Studios Florida’s most popular attractions is down for a lengthy refurbishment.
Revenge of the Mummy, the indoor roller coaster, closed last week and is expected to reopen in “late summer.” The attraction is now surrounded by construction walls.
Based on the 1999 film “The Mummy,” the attraction has been around since 2004. Although Universal hasn’t shared further details about the renovations, permits filed with the city of Orlando provide some clues about the work that will be done.
The permits, first spotted by theme park blogger Alicia Stella, call for upgrades to the ride’s control and electrical systems as well as the improvements to the exterior courtyard.
Revenge of the Mummy isn’t the only popular coaster undergoing a months-long refurbishment.
Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also temporarily closed and expected to reopen mid-April, according to the Disney World refurbishment calendar. The gift shop is also closed.
Disney hasn’t said what, if any, changes will be made to the attraction during its downtime, but the work will not include repairing the Yeti animatronic figure.
Elsewhere at Disney World, Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, has also closed for refurbishment.
The water flume attraction is now surrounded by construction walls and signs that say, “Splash Mountain is closed for a spell.” It is expected to reopen Feb. 11.
Although Disney previously announced that Splash Mountain would be “reimagined” into an attraction based on “The Princess and the Frog,” this refurbishment is not for that project. Disney has not shared when the work for that transformation will begin.
Other temporary closures visitors should be aware of include several water attractions.
For Universal, the list includes:
- Jurassic Park River Adventure (through Jan. 28)
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (Jan. 31 through Feb. 25)
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges (Feb. 25 through March 18)
At Disney, Blizzard Beach water park is closed for refurbishment, but Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon recently reopened to the public.
The refurbishments come during what is typically the slower season at the parks — when crowds are usually lighter than they are during the summer months.