According to an update to the Walt Disney World website, Humunga Kowabunga will be closed starting January 20th. A very short notice was posted to the Walt Disney World website, but questions about its closure remain. Here’s the latest, and what we assume is happening.
Humunga Kowabunga Closure Ahead of Typhoon Lagoon Refurbishment
We’ll set the stage here a bit before we get the ball rolling. As previously announced, Typhoon Lagoon will be closed starting February 15th for its seasonal refurbishment. The last day to experience Typhoon Lagoon before the Summer is February 14th. When Typhoon Lagoon is closed, Blizzard Beach will open to welcome guests.
Both water parks will be open in time for the busy Summer season.
Beyond that, we published an article just over a week ago that suggested that a new permit indicated that Walt Disney World would be rebuilding the Humunga Kowabunga water slide. The attraction has garnered a lot of attention with the viral lawsuit of a woman who experienced a violent wedgie while partaking in the attraction. That lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed last Summer.
We assumed that the work would take place during the previously announced refurbishment for Typhoon Lagoon as a whole, but it looks like that may not be the case.
In an update to the Walt Disney World website, Disney says that “starting January 20, Humunga Kowabunga will be unavailable”. This means that Humunga Kowabunga will be closed nearly a month earlier than the seasonal refurbishment of the entire park.
It is our assumption that Humunga Kowabunga is closing earlier than the rest of Typhoon Lagoon due to the need for an accelerated construction schedule. It’s possible that the potential rebuild could require more time than the currently scheduled Typhoon Lagoon refurbishment would allow for, necessitating an earlier start to ensure that the attraction can reopen with the rest of the park this Summer.
Interestingly, the Humunga Kowabunga webpage has operating hours listed for January 21st. It is our belief that those operating hours are incorrect and that the attraction will remain closed from January 20th until Typhoon Lagoon reopens from its seasonal refurbishment.
The wording on the notice is also a little thin. It doesn’t say that the closure is for a refurbishment, although that is the assumption.
We’ve reached out to Disney for more information about the closure and clarification about the downtime timeline. If we learn more, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!