Following a closure of over two weeks, Stardust Racers at Epic Universe has officially reopened to guests.
Stardust Racers Closure
Stardust Racers is a steel launched dueling coaster manufactured by Mack Rides. The two sides tracks are called Pulsar and Photon. Both are 5,000 feet long, hit a height of 133 feet, and reach a speed of 62 miles per hour. The inverted crisscross section of the coaster is called the “Celestial Spin.” The height restriction is 48 inches.
The attraction has been closed since the night of September 17, following the death of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who passed away from “multiple blunt impact injuries” after riding Stardust Racers that same day.
Universal sent a message to Team Members on September 21, saying their internal investigation found that Stardust Racers “functioned as intended” and “equipment was intact at the ride’s start, throughout the duration of the ride and upon the ride vehicle’s return to the station, and our Team Members followed procedures.” Despite this, Orange County officials revealed the investigation into the incident was being carried out under Florida’s manslaughter statute.
The family of Zavala retained famous civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them. Crump held a press conference on September 30, during which he claimed multiple riders have come forward with their own stories of injuries on the ride. Crump’s team is also communicating with state and local officials about creating greater government oversight for companies like Universal who self-report injuries.
On October 3, Universal confirmed in another message to Team Members that plans were underway to reopen Stardust Racers the following day, October 4.
Our extensive review was conducted working closely with local officials, and the State of Florida observed the testing and reviewed the results. In addition, the ride system manufacturer of record and an independent, third-party roller coaster engineering expert conducted their own on-site testing and validated our findings. I am thankful for their participation throughout this important process.
Karen Irwin
Crump and Zavala’s family responded with comments that the reopening plans were “a grave risk to public safety” and a “unadulterated spoliation of evidence.”
Stardust Racers Reopens
Universal initially claimed that Stardust Racers would be reopening sometime in the afternoon, though a specific time was not stated. Team Members were seen riding the attraction as normal in the morning, though guests were not allowed in the queue.
Most of October 4 was rainy, leading to what could have been some additional delays in reopening Stardust Racers. Guests were first allowed in the queue a little after 6 p.m., though guests were still kept out of the actual loading building until nearly 6:45 p.m.
By the attraction’s entrance, we could see the warning sign for Stardust Racers has been updated. Earlier today, Universal released a new Guide for Safety and Accessibility, detailing the potential risks of each attraction in Epic Universe. Specifically, the language describing the procedures for Dragon Racer’s Rally, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and Stardust Racers.
For these three attractions, “Guests using mobility devices must be able to walk independently,” as opposed to other attractions using the language “have been designed to accommodate those transferring from their wheelchair to the ride vehicle.” The signs for all three aforementioned attractions, as seen above, also have new conditions listed that include: Weakened Bones or Muscles, Inability to Independently Maintain an Upright Position, and Other Conditions that may be aggravated by this ride.
All of the signage in the Stardust Racers queue, not just the one by the entrance, has the updated language.
Once inside the queue for Stardust Racers, there have been no major visible changes since prior to the closure. The vehicles have not been obviously altered, and the attraction feels to have the same speed. A Team Member later confirmed with us that apart from the higher safety requirements, no aspects of the attraction have been modified.
Despite Team Member reports that Stardust Racers would be adding modified seats to accommodate larger guests, these have still not been added.
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