Hey Thrill Seekers,
We’ve just heard from Universal Parks & Destinations that Hogwarts Express will be closed from today, 9th February 2026, until Monday, 23rd February 2026, for maintenance. This kind of upkeep is scheduled annually, though the exact timing can sometimes be decided later based on various factors including park operations hence the late notice.
Hogwarts Express is roughly, a 4-minute scenic, themed train ride that connects the two areas of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Diagon Alley (at Universal Studios) and Hogsmeade (at Islands of Adventure). It acts as a transportation attraction, allowing guests with a Park-to-Park ticket to travel between the parks while experiencing a unique, immersive storyline inside the train cabin, with different scenes in each direction. While the Hogwarts Express is closed for maintenance you can still walk between the two parks via the main entrances which only takes a couple of minutes! (unless you stop for a shake at Toothsome 👀)
Hogwarts Express is due to re-open on the 24th February 2026.
Smiles Included,
Jess
Not sure what you mean by “last minute notice” but the closure information has been known/published for months – and broadcast in the travel agent emails. Do you not keep current with news from their website(s)?
Great question and yes we do.
We work very closely with Universal.. and this means we only generally only post when they come through officially to us. We had official confirmation that we could share this information Friday night, hence late notice.
Thanks for commenting.