Grizzly River Run set to reopen March 27 at Disney California Adventure

Published on 3/23/26 by Craig Smith

Grizzly River Run is set to reopen Friday, March 27, 2026 at Disney California Adventure, bringing one of the park’s most recognizable water attractions back online just as Southern California heads deeper into spring. The reopening date is now reflected on Disneyland’s official attraction page, where Disney lists operating hours for Grizzly River Run on March 27.

That official posting is the clearest sign yet that the refurbishment is wrapping up. Grizzly River Run has been unavailable since early January, a fairly typical timeframe for the park’s seasonal maintenance on a ride built around getting guests thoroughly soaked. While Disney has not publicly detailed any major changes tied to this closure, the attraction’s return is still meaningful for Disney California Adventure, particularly as attendance builds around spring break travel and the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.

Unlike headline-grabbing ride overhauls that come with new scenes or updated story elements, this reopening appears to be more about restoring a popular park offering than unveiling a reimagined experience. WDWNT reported that recent signs of progress included construction materials being removed, the flume being refilled, and ride testing underway in the days leading up to the announced reopening. Disney itself has not promoted any new features on the attraction page, which suggests guests should expect the same core experience that has made Grizzly River Run a fixture of Disney California Adventure for years.

That experience remains one of the park’s most distinct. Located in Grizzly Peak, Grizzly River Run sends riders aboard circular rafts through rapids, geysers, a mountain cavern, and multiple splash-heavy drops. Disney describes it as a whitewater adventure deep in the California mountains, and the attraction has long stood out as one of the park’s most weather-dependent draws. On cooler days, it can feel like a tougher sell. But once temperatures rise, it quickly becomes one of the most appealing rides in the park for guests willing to trade dry clothes for a memorable ride.

Its reopening also helps round out Disney California Adventure’s attraction mix at an important time of year. The park’s spring lineup already includes seasonal food festival programming and the ongoing 70th anniversary-era resort momentum, so bringing Grizzly River Run back into service gives Disney another high-capacity, high-visibility attraction as guest demand increases. For families and groups, it also restores one of the park’s more communal ride experiences, where the fun comes as much from laughing at who gets drenched as it does from the river-rafting theme itself.

There is one important caveat for guests planning around the reopening: Disney schedules can always shift, and attraction availability remains subject to change. But as of now, Disneyland’s official page shows Grizzly River Run operating on March 27, which is the strongest confirmation guests can get short of physically seeing rafts back on the water.

For Disney California Adventure, the return of Grizzly River Run may not come with fireworks or a major media push, but it is still a notable reopening. The attraction is a signature part of Grizzly Peak and one of the clearest expressions of the park’s California-outdoors identity. With the ride set to resume operations this week, guests visiting the resort at the end of March will once again have the option to take on the rapids — and almost certainly leave wetter than they started.