ORLANDO, Fla. _ Universal Orlando will close down its Volcano Bay water park for the winter, the company has announced.
The "seasonal closure" will begin Nov. 2 and end on or before March 1.
The attraction _ with its water slides, swimsuit-clad visitors and spewing mountain visible from Interstate 4 _ shut down with the rest of the resort in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened to the public in mid-June.
Last month, the water park switched to a five-day schedule that kept the doors shut on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The attraction, wedged between the interstate and the resort's Cabana Bay Beach Resort hotels, opened in the spring of 2017. Last year, the water park made headlines after lifeguards and visitors reported being mysteriously shocked by an electric current there and, later, by a lawsuit tied to injuries after riding the Punga Racers ride.
Universal says it will use the downtime to do annual maintenance on attractions within the park.
The company will work with people who have purchased tickets for the closed period as well as Universal's annual passholders. Affected parkgoers can visit guest services at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure or call 877-801-8720.
Volcano Bay's temporary closure represents the latest economic setback for Universal Orlando, which also closed down its Sapphire Falls and Aventura hotels after their midsummer returns.
Universal also canceled its Halloween Horror Nights event, a popular after-hours, revenue-generating event at Universal Studios theme park. Two of the HHN haunted houses have been made available to park guests, and trick-or-treating has been added on select days at Universal's Islands of Adventure.
The resort recently confirmed that it's building a major roller coaster dubbed Jurassic World VelociCoaster at IOA. Its construction, visible for months from multiple locations in the theme park, is expected to be complete next summer.
Last week, Universal announced discounts on annual passes for Florida residents and other ticket deals.
Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks have been closed since March. The company has said it expects one of them to reopen in March 2021. Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park, closed in March and reopened in June. It is currently on a seven-day schedule, but it is scheduled to be closed on Mondays and Wednesdays between Oct. 28 and Dec. 16.
