This Universal park has confirmed it will shut down 4 rides over the next few months. Guests should prepare in advance to ensure their itineraries are organized around these upcoming closures.Credit: UniversalThis Universal Studios Park Is Closing Down 4 Rides: Here’s What We KnowOne day can change which rides you miss at Universal Studios Japan. On January 22, 2027, Jurassic Park – The Ride reaches the final day of its scheduled closure just as Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Backdrop begins its own. Three days later, the forward-facing Hollywood Dream coaster is scheduled to join Backdrop on the closure list.As of November 3, Universal Studios Japan’s official attraction closure calendar lists four rides with temporary closures beginning in January 2027 at the Osaka park. A fifth, Space Fantasy – The Ride, carries an existing closure into the new year. For travelers fitting Universal into a single day in Osaka, the stretch from January 22 through 28 deserves a closer look. The rides affected change several times within that week.Credit: Dean Lin, FlickrUniversal Studios Japan’s 2027 Ride Closure DatesThe park lists these ranges as closure periods. Treat the final date in each range as part of the closure when choosing your park day.Jurassic Park – The Ride closes January 9–22.Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Backdrop closes January 22–March 19.Hollywood Dream – The Ride closes January 25–February 6.The Flying Snoopy closes January 26–28.Space Fantasy – The Ride is listed as closed through January 24, continuing a closure that began June 2, 2025.January 22 is the date to watch if Jurassic Park and Backdrop are both on your list. Their closure periods overlap that day, and Space Fantasy is also still listed as closed. January 25 brings a different trade-off. Space Fantasy’s posted closure period has ended by then, while the forward-facing Hollywood Dream ride begins its own shutdown. From January 26 through 28, The Flying Snoopy joins both Hollywood Dream versions on the closure list, a combination that can affect families with very different ride priorities.Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson, FlickrBoth Hollywood Dream Rides Go Dark TogetherThe two Hollywood Dream entries are easy to skim past because they share a name. Universal describes Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Backdrop as the backward-facing experience, and its attraction page points riders to the forward-facing version as a separate option. That distinction matters if you’re traveling for the backward drop or hoping to compare the two rides in one day.January 25 through February 6 is the stretch when both are scheduled to be unavailable. After February 6, the forward coaster’s listed closure ends, while Backdrop remains on the calendar through March 19. Moving a visit from late January to mid-February would therefore put it outside the forward coaster’s closure period. A trip built around Backdrop would still run into the longer shutdown.There’s another date worth comparing if you’re visiting for the anniversary soundtrack. The park’s 25th-anniversary attraction guide lists the Hollywood Dream and Backdrop anniversary versions through March 30, 2027, and directs guests to the separate closure calendar. For Backdrop fans, March 20–30 is the slice of the published anniversary schedule that falls after its listed closure. Check both pages before building a trip around that version of the ride.Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson, FlickrWhat the Closures Mean for Express Pass BuyersThe park says it will sell Universal Express Pass at its regular price during the listed maintenance periods. Its closure notice directs guests toward other eligible attractions when a selection is out of operation and excludes time-designated attractions from that instruction. That makes the rides included in the pass especially important for anyone buying it around one or two must-dos.Universal’s Express Pass guide says a pass is valid for its designated attractions and on the date printed on an advance purchase. Start with the exact package for the day you plan to visit. If Backdrop was the reason you wanted the add-on, look at what else that package includes and decide whether you’d still buy it for those experiences. If your group wants different rides, have each person name their first choice before you compare packages. That gives you a better measure of what the pass would actually do for your day.Credit: Universal Studios JapanHow to Choose Your Osaka Park DayStart with the experience you’d most regret missing. If it’s Jurassic Park, look for a day outside January 9–22. If it’s a family ride on The Flying Snoopy, focus on the shorter January 26–28 window. And if you want to ride both versions of Hollywood Dream, use Backdrop’s longer closure as the deciding factor when comparing dates. That one choice can save you from having to move your visit by a week, only to land in the same shutdown.If flights and hotels have already fixed your Osaka dates, use the calendar to make a short list of rides to prioritize on the day you have. Groups with some flexibility can compare two park dates within the same stay before paying for a dated pass. Universal says its schedule can change without notice, so pull up the closure calendar again before buying and once more close to your visit. For a trip that hinges on Backdrop, March 19 is the date to keep checking.The post Theme Park Shutdowns: Universal Discloses 4 Major Closures Set for Early 2027 appeared first on Inside the Magic.