Sorry for your misfortune, but, Splash Mtn. needs to be shut down yearly to keep it from becoming the mess that it was before the last shutdown. For major attractions it used to always be a yearly event. Cost cutting or whatever, had them going two or more years between shutdowns and cleanup. A decision that turned out to be very costly, in my opinion. January is probably the coldest month of the year in Florida, so a water ride is more likely to be targeted during that time. Timing is everything.
The last time I got to ride splash was the first day it opened after they added the lap bars. We like to go in January, and just know that we won't get to do everything. It's our choice.
I have an idea. They can close it in the heat of July during the busy summer season so you can ride in the cold of January (relatively speaking for Central Florida) during the slow winter season.