Okay, so this is NOT what anyone wants to hear when they’re counting down the days until their Disney World vacation. If you’ve got a trip planned for next week and you were looking forward to hitting up Typhoon Lagoon, we’ve got some disappointing news. Disney just announced that the water park is closing for THREE WHOLE DAYS because of cold weather coming to Orlando. Yes, you read that right. Cold weather. In Florida. Because apparently Mother Nature didn’t get the memo that people are trying to enjoy their winter vacations!
Here’s the deal: Typhoon Lagoon will be completely shut down Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week (January 12-14, 2026). The culprit? A cold front moving through Central Florida that’s going to make it way too uncomfortable to be walking around in a bathing suit getting soaked on water slides. And honestly, we get it. Nobody wants to be shivering in their swimsuit when they paid good money to have fun at a water park!
Disney says the plan is to reopen on Thursday, January 15, but you know how they are about reserving the right to change things without notice. So if that cold snap decides to stick around longer than expected, we could be looking at an even longer closure. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen, but Florida winter weather is notoriously unpredictable, so who knows?
This is after the January 1st closure, marking it the 4th closure at Typhoon Lagoon this year.
Why Is Disney Doing This?
Look, we know what you’re thinking: “It’s FLORIDA! How cold can it actually get?” And fair point! But here’s the thing about water parks. When you’re at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, you can throw on a jacket and keep going. At a water park? You’re literally in a bathing suit. Getting wet. Over and over again. When the temperature drops into the 40s overnight and barely makes it to 70 during the day, that’s absolutely miserable.
Plus, let’s be real. Disney knows that if they keep Typhoon Lagoon open during a cold snap, basically nobody is going to show up. Why would they staff an entire water park and run all that expensive equipment for like 12 people who are too stubborn to admit they’re freezing? It makes way more sense to just shut it down temporarily and reopen when the weather cooperates.
And there are apparently some safety and equipment issues too. Water park systems need certain temperatures to work properly, and when things get too cold, you risk damaging pumps and filtration systems. So it’s not JUST about guest comfort (though that’s obviously a big part of it). There are legitimate operational reasons why you can’t run a water park in cold weather.
Wait, Isn’t Blizzard Beach Supposed to Be Open?
Here’s where this situation gets even MORE frustrating. Normally, Disney has two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), and they run them on alternating schedules. One is open while the other one is closed for refurbishment and maintenance. That way, guests always have at least ONE water park option, right?
Well, guess what? Blizzard Beach is CURRENTLY CLOSED for its refurbishment period. Which means that when Typhoon Lagoon shuts down January 12-14, there will be ZERO water parks open at Disney World. Not one. Zilch. Nada.
For anyone who specifically planned their vacation around water park days or bought tickets expecting to have that option, this is a pretty major bummer. Like, imagine booking your whole trip, getting excited about relaxing at a water park, and then finding out NEITHER of them will be open during your visit. Yikes!
And There’s More Bad News About Water Park Perks
Okay, so remember how in 2025, if you stayed at a Disney Resort hotel, you got FREE water park admission on your check-in day? That was honestly such a great perk! Families could arrive, check into their hotel, and immediately head to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach to start their vacation off right. It was a nice way to ease into the Disney experience without jumping straight into the craziness of the theme parks.
Well, Disney has changed that perk for 2026. And not in a good way!
Instead of offering free water park admission year-round like they did in 2025, they’ve LIMITED it to just the summer months of 2026. So if you’re visiting in January (like, say, NEXT WEEK when Typhoon Lagoon is closed anyway), you don’t get that benefit anymore. You’d have to pay full price for water park tickets if you wanted to visit.
The timing is honestly pretty terrible. Not only are guests dealing with an unexpected closure, but they also lost the complimentary admission perk that might have made it easier to reschedule their water park plans for later in their trip. It’s like a double whammy of disappointment!
So What Are You Supposed to Do?
If you’re heading to Disney World next week and you’re bummed about the Typhoon Lagoon closure, don’t panic! You’ve still got FOUR amazing theme parks to explore (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), plus Disney Springs for shopping and dining. That’s more than enough to keep you busy for three days!
And honestly? The cold weather that’s forcing Typhoon Lagoon to close might actually make the theme parks MORE enjoyable. Think about it: no sweltering Florida heat, shorter wait times because some people might reschedule their trips, and way more comfortable conditions for walking around all day. That’s not such a bad trade-off!
Here are some ideas for how to use those three days:
- Hit up the theme parks you were planning to rush through
- Spend more time exploring your resort’s amenities
- Book some table-service restaurants you couldn’t fit into your original schedule
- Check out Disney Springs (it’s free to visit and there’s SO much to do there)
- Take advantage of the cooler weather to do outdoor activities you’d normally skip
Plus, if you’ve been wanting to do some of the indoor attractions like Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, the air conditioning is going to feel EXTRA nice when it’s chilly outside.
The Silver Lining
Look, we’re not going to pretend this isn’t annoying. If you had your heart set on Typhoon Lagoon next week, this news stinks. But here’s the thing about Disney trips: sometimes the best memories come from the plans you DIDN’T make. When you’re forced to adjust your itinerary, you might discover experiences you would have completely missed otherwise.
Maybe you’ll find an amazing restaurant you wouldn’t have tried. Maybe you’ll spend extra time at a park you were planning to skip. Maybe you’ll actually get to enjoy your resort pool without feeling like you’re wasting precious park time. Sometimes these little disruptions lead to the most magical moments!
And hey, at least Disney gave you a heads up NOW instead of having you show up at the gates on Monday morning only to find them closed. That would be way worse!
What We Want to Know
Are YOU affected by the Typhoon Lagoon closure next week? How are you adjusting your plans? Are you annoyed about losing the water park option, or are you totally fine just focusing on the theme parks? Drop a comment and let us know! And if you’ve dealt with water park closures during past Disney trips, share your tips for making the most of it. We’re all in this together, Disney fam!
And seriously, if anyone has insider info on when Blizzard Beach is scheduled to reopen, PLEASE share because we’re all dying to know when we’ll have both water parks back up and running!
