Universal Studios Orlando has been going through some pretty big and definitely noticeable changes. As Revenge of The Mummy is getting a potentially huge refurbishment and Shrek 4-D has taken its final bow, the off-peak season is being used to make improvements for later down the road. But supposedly out of nowhere, the park has shut down another major attraction, though for a surprisingly short period.
Inside The Magic has noted that the Jurassic Park: River Adventure is not running at this moment. Fans have apparently been caught by surprise when it comes to this latest development; however, this was apparently a scheduled maintenance window that had been planned. So don’t go thinking that the Sunshine State is trying to bring the Jurassic World revamp that Universal Studios Hollywood landed any time soon. That would take much longer than the three-week window of work that’s currently slated for the attraction.
Opening three years after Jurassic Park: The Ride took the stage at its Hollywood counterpart, Jurassic Park: River Adventure isn’t a carbon copy of its predecessor. At the same time, the differences don’t significantly change the Orlando variant’s storyline from that original blueprint. Possessing the quirks and animatronics issues most major theme park attractions run into, it’s probably more than time to spruce up the 23 year old flume ride. You know, before it eats the tourists.
Valid reasons for refurbishment aside, you would think that Universal Orlando would be a bit more prolific with the announcement that this Jurassic Park throwback was going to be shutting down. Earlier this week, Shrek 4-D closed down to make way for a brand-new experience, and that’s still very fresh in the minds of the loyal parkgoers that frequented it. Imagine what would have happened if rumors started to spread that in a year when Jurassic World Dominion is going to be released, Jurassic Park: River Adventure was going to become extinct!
For now, the fate of this attraction from Islands of Adventure’s first age is secure. That doesn’t mean there won’t come a day when something new stands where that classic adventure from Isla Nublar currently resides. Whenever that day comes, let’s hope that another adventure 65 million years in the making takes its place.
The Jurassic Park: River Adventure is slated to be closed until January 29th at Universal Studios Orlando. However, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster is still very much operational and ready to service dinosaur fan’s need for dangerous prehistoric encounters. Meanwhile, at the time of this writing, the original Jurassic Park trilogy can be streamed on HBO Max, should you want to get started on your rewatch before Jurassic World Dominion’s June 10th debut.