For a lot of people, Florida in January still feels like a safe bet. You might leave home wearing a coat, but you expect to arrive to sunshine, warm afternoons, and at least one perfect day to float down a lazy river. That’s the dream, anyway.
This weekend, that dream is running straight into reality.
Universal’s Volcano Bay and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon are both being hit with weather-related closures as unusually cool winter air settles over Central Florida. And for guests who planned their trips around water park days, it’s turning into a quiet but frustrating vacation curveball.
At Universal Orlando, Volcano Bay has no operating hours listed today due to inclement weather. The park was already scheduled to be closed on Tuesday and Thursday, with a planned reopening on Friday. With Orlando’s high temperature only expected to reach the mid-60s, Universal clearly decided it wasn’t worth opening the gates for a park built around soaking wet rides and open-air pools.
It’s a tough break for travelers who picked Volcano Bay as their “rest day” in between long theme park marathons. That’s usually the day families slow down, re-ride favorites, and let sore feet recover in a wave pool. When that day disappears, the entire rhythm of a trip changes.
Over at Walt Disney World, Typhoon Lagoon is dealing with an even more awkward situation.
The water park has already been closed since January 12. While Disney is currently listing it as reopening tomorrow, that window is brief. Typhoon Lagoon is scheduled to close again on Thursday as cold temperatures return. In other words, guests may see it listed as open for a single day, only to watch it shut back down almost immediately.
For families who plan their vacations months in advance, that kind of on-again, off-again schedule is brutal. You build your itinerary around park days and rest days. You pack swimsuits and sandals for a reason. When the water park keeps flipping between open and closed, it turns careful planning into a guessing game.
None of this is unusual for Florida winters, even if it feels unfair.
Both Volcano Bay and Typhoon Lagoon regularly close when temperatures dip too low. Even with heated pools, riding slides and standing around in wet clothes becomes uncomfortable fast once the air cools off and the wind picks up. Volcano Bay closed on New Year’s Eve because of cold weather, and both parks shut down in mid-December as well.
What stings more now is how busy January travel has become.
This used to be considered “off-season.” Now it’s one of the most popular months for families trying to avoid peak crowds. When both major water parks go down at the same time, it leaves a noticeable hole in people’s vacation plans. And there’s no easy fix.
Tickets are still paid for. Vacation days are still scheduled. You can pivot to another theme park or head to Disney Springs or CityWalk, but that’s not what people were expecting when they circled “water park day” on their itinerary.
For now, guests can only hope warmer temperatures arrive sooner rather than later. Until then, Volcano Bay and Typhoon Lagoon are just more reminders that Florida isn’t immune to winter—and neither are its most tropical theme parks.
