After an over two-week closure, Stardust Racers is slated to reopen at Epic Universe this weekend. The journey’s go back comes amidst ongoing litigation following the loss of life of a visitor, however after Common Orlando’s interior investigation published the curler coaster functioned as designed right through that fatality. Right here’s the newest at the Stardust Racers saga.
The visitor who kicked the bucket was once 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. At the night of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Zavala changed into unresponsive after using Stardust Racers. He was once transported to a neighborhood health center, the place he was once temporarily pronounced lifeless.
Leader Scientific Examiner Joshua Stephany, M.D. with Orange and Osceola counties mentioned that an post-mortem was once carried out on Thursday morning and that Zavala’s reason for loss of life was once “more than one blunt have an effect on accidents.” The reason for loss of life was once made up our minds to be unintended.
Stardust Racers has been closed each unmarried day for the reason that loss of life on September seventeenth. It’s as soon as once more indexed as “Closed As of late” within the Common Orlando app on Friday, Oct. third.
The most recent building is that Common Orlando has introduced that Stardust Racers will reopen on October 4, 2025. The enchantment is slated to have a not on time opening, with a scheduled get started on Saturday afternoon.
Karen Irwin, Common Orlando Lodge President & COO, stated the next in an e-mail to Staff Individuals at Epic Universe:
As one Common Orlando circle of relatives, we proceed to increase our inner most sympathy and condolences to Mr. Rodriguez Zavala’s circle of relatives and family members for his or her loss. I’m very thankful for the professionalism, compassion, and care our workforce has proven right through and because this tragic tournament happened.
As I up to now indicated, our complete technical and operational overview showed the journey methods functioned correctly during the boarding procedure, the period of the journey, and upon the journey automobile’s go back to the station, and our Staff Individuals adopted procedures during.
Our intensive overview was once performed operating intently with native officers, and the State of Florida seen the trying out and reviewed the consequences. As well as, the journey machine producer of document and an impartial, third-party curler coaster engineering skilled performed their very own on-site trying out and validated our findings. I’m grateful for his or her participation during this vital procedure.
Protection, as all the time, is our most sensible precedence. To additional help visitors in figuring out whether or not they are able to or can not journey an enchantment, we’re updating operational procedures and enchantment signage to fortify current journey warnings and bodily eligibility necessities at Stardust Racers and different rides.
Our Statement
Common would now not be reopening Stardust Racers until they have been assured in each the protection of the enchantment and their publicity to prison legal responsibility. I would like to begin with this level as it’s a vital one.
“Protection is our most sensible precedence” may appear to be an necessary platitude, nevertheless it’s additionally correct. Common and dad or mum corporate Comcast would now not be permitting this journey to reopen until they have been sure that doing so would now not go away them uncovered within the tournament of long term incidents to a success litigation. Which means that their very own interior investigation will have to be conclusive; they will have to likewise really feel their assured of their prison place.
Nonetheless, I’m surprised on the velocity with which Stardust Racers is returning. Given the selection of incidents and the continued lawsuit, I figured this was once going to be an extended highway to reopening–and one who entailed substantive adjustments (now not simply signage) to the curler coaster. In truth, my intestine was once that early 2026 was once totally believable for the journey’s go back.
I’m glad to be fallacious about this. It approach Stardust Racers is seen as secure by means of Common; its warnings, insurance policies & protocol, and rider necessities are all enough in offering affordable realize to visitors about who’s eligible and the chance being assumed. This doesn’t imply there gained’t be long term incidents or additional litigation. However fairly, that it’s a suitable degree of chance and Comcast feels slightly assured that they are able to be triumphant at the deserves. We will see about all of that.
Stardust Racers being down has been a large blow to the working means of Epic Universe. Its go back will likewise supply much-needed means and reliability to the journey roster, simply ahead of fall wreck begins kicking into excessive equipment.
Stardust Racers could also be one of the most extra dependable and high-capacity points of interest in Epic Universe, owing largely to it necessarily being two curler coasters on one load platform. The theoretical hourly means of Stardust Racers is estimated to be over 2,750 visitors, which is a huge explanation why it incessantly has the shortest waits within the park. Like Monsters Unchained, the curler coaster is/was once a other folks eater.
It is a sharp distinction to Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Insanity, for instance, which has an estimated hourly means of 700-800 visitors. This is, in fact, assuming it’s operational within the first position. Some other curler coaster, Curse of the Werewolf, is in a similar way low; within the 1,000 riders ballpark, which additionally explains its excessive wait occasions in spite of the consensus view that Stardust Racers is the number one curler coaster at Epic Universe.
Stardust Racers having the means of ~3 different rides mixed and being extra dependable made it an asset to Epic Universe, which continues to be discovering its operational footing. Additionally, Stardust Racers being an excellent curler coaster this is seen as “value it” on the subject of praise relative to the wait could also be massive. (I might danger a wager that Stardust Racers has probably the most absolute best GSATs in Epic Universe; I wouldn’t be stunned if the ones different two coasters have probably the most lowest.)
All of that is to mention that Stardust Racers being closed for more than one months–particularly into the Christmas season–would’ve been a large blow to park operations. Its go back is a large win for Epic Universe; optimistically it’s quickly accompanied by means of higher climate (that means much less downtime) and potency beneficial properties on visitor throughput. It’s been a coarse journey for Epic Universe up to now, however the park has nice bones and we in reality hope early 2026 marks a turning level!
Stardust Racers Incident Recap
In line with an incident document from the Orange County Sheriff’s Place of work, Zavala’s longtime female friend was once with him when using Stardust Racers and knowledgeable deputies that he had a pre-existing spinal situation and was once taking drugs. Zavala’s circle of relatives has showed that he had a spinal incapacity from start and used a wheelchair, however claimed that didn’t purpose his loss of life.
Like different intense thrill rides, Stardust Racers has a laundry record of protection laws and tips. Amongst different warnings, the enchantment lists the next necessities for using: “You must be capable of independently: (1) care for an upright place, (2) fortify your torso, neck, and head whilst soaking up surprising and dramatic actions, and (3) brace your frame with no less than one herbal higher extremity. You will have to be capable of take a small step into the journey automobile compartment, both independently or with the aid of your significant other.”
The Zavala circle of relatives has since retained famend civil rights legal professional Ben Crump. The circle of relatives is looking for complete transparency from Common Orlando, together with the discharge of repairs logs, inspection information, journey knowledge, and video photos, to know the instances surrounding Kevin’s loss of life.
Crump’s prison workforce has heard from further witnesses and different riders who reported struggling accidents on Stardust Racers. The circle of relatives believes those accounts display that caution indicators have been neglected and that Kevin’s loss of life was once totally preventable. At a contemporary information convention, Crump and the circle of relatives detailed the accounts of alternative injured riders who’ve reached out to them.
Individuals who’ve contacted the circle of relatives and regulation administrative center come with a lady who says she misplaced awareness and suffered neck and backbone accidents quickly after the journey opened, Crump stated right through the scoop convention. He indicated that a number of of the visitors who’ve reported accidents weren’t disabled, but they have got nonetheless had issues of the journey. The tales shared with the legal professional counsel a trend of issues of the journey’s restraints, inflicting riders to be thrown ahead and hit the the bar in entrance of them.
Along with this ongoing lawsuit over the Stardust Racers fatality, Common Orlando settled a lawsuit filed by means of a lady who asserted that she was once injured on Stardust Racers right through previews of the park 3 weeks ahead of its reliable opening. She alleged that the curler coaster brought about her head to shake violently and slam in opposition to her seat’s headrest. She claimed that she suffered everlasting accidents as a result of Stardust Racers lacked correct head restraints. Common settled that swimsuit inside a couple of days of submitting.
In a amenities document of the state’s theme parks for the second one quarter (April thru June), the Florida Division of Agriculture published that Common Orlando had a complete of 7 reported incident, with two of them being on Stardust Racers. According to the document:
- 6/22/25 Stardust Racers, 63 yom, dizziness/altered state of awareness (pre-existing situation)
- 6/24/25 Stardust Racers, 47 yof, visible disturbance/numbness (pre-existing situation)
Crump has mentioned that there have been a large number of “caution indicators that there was once one thing fallacious with the design” of Stardust Racers, and that as an alternative of remedying the issues, Common has attempted to “blame the sufferers.”
Stardust Racers is a dual-launch racing coaster that sends visitors rocketing during the skies aboard comets in a race to look who’s the quickest of all of them. Attaining speeds as much as 62 mph and heights as much as 133 ft alongside 5,000 ft of observe, Stardust Racers is Epic Universe’s maximum exciting coaster enjoy with distinctive maneuvers such because the “Celestial Spin,” during which the 2 coaster cars carry out an inverted crisscross whilst dashing during the air, growing an otherworldly adrenaline rush.
In our Epic Universe Journey Evaluations & Scores, we gave Stardust Racers a really perfect 10/10, with the next reward: “Those playful coasters are filled with surprises, with high-speed thrills offset by means of moments of levity and wonderful interaction between the 2 tracks. There’s a daft quantity of airtime, and although it’s intense, it’s by no means punishing.”
Want commute making plans guidelines and complete recommendation to your consult with to Central Florida? Make sure you learn our Common Orlando Making plans Information for the whole thing about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney International Holiday Making plans Information for the whole thing about the ones parks, motels, eating places, and so a lot more. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and a lot more, join our FREE e-mail e-newsletter.
Your Ideas
Have you ever skilled Stardust Racers at Epic Universe? Shocked that Common Orlando is reopening the journey so temporarily, or did you are expecting it to go back as soon as the interior investigation indicated that it functioned as supposed? Ideas on what the journey provides to the journey roster and park means at Epic Universe? Any questions we will be able to assist you to resolution? Please stay the dialog civil and be respectful of the deceased and his circle of relatives, buddies and family members. Any feedback that pass the road will probably be deleted.
After an over two-week closure, Stardust Racers is slated to reopen at Epic Universe this weekend. The journey’s go back comes amidst ongoing litigation following the loss of life of a visitor, however after Common Orlando’s interior investigation published the curler coaster functioned as designed right through that fatality. Right here’s the newest at the Stardust Racers saga.
The visitor who kicked the bucket was once 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. At the night of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Zavala changed into unresponsive after using Stardust Racers. He was once transported to a neighborhood health center, the place he was once temporarily pronounced lifeless.
Leader Scientific Examiner Joshua Stephany, M.D. with Orange and Osceola counties mentioned that an post-mortem was once carried out on Thursday morning and that Zavala’s reason for loss of life was once “more than one blunt have an effect on accidents.” The reason for loss of life was once made up our minds to be unintended.
Stardust Racers has been closed each unmarried day for the reason that loss of life on September seventeenth. It’s as soon as once more indexed as “Closed As of late” within the Common Orlando app on Friday, Oct. third.
The most recent building is that Common Orlando has introduced that Stardust Racers will reopen on October 4, 2025. The enchantment is slated to have a not on time opening, with a scheduled get started on Saturday afternoon.
Karen Irwin, Common Orlando Lodge President & COO, stated the next in an e-mail to Staff Individuals at Epic Universe:
As one Common Orlando circle of relatives, we proceed to increase our inner most sympathy and condolences to Mr. Rodriguez Zavala’s circle of relatives and family members for his or her loss. I’m very thankful for the professionalism, compassion, and care our workforce has proven right through and because this tragic tournament happened.
As I up to now indicated, our complete technical and operational overview showed the journey methods functioned correctly during the boarding procedure, the period of the journey, and upon the journey automobile’s go back to the station, and our Staff Individuals adopted procedures during.
Our intensive overview was once performed operating intently with native officers, and the State of Florida seen the trying out and reviewed the consequences. As well as, the journey machine producer of document and an impartial, third-party curler coaster engineering skilled performed their very own on-site trying out and validated our findings. I’m grateful for his or her participation during this vital procedure.
Protection, as all the time, is our most sensible precedence. To additional help visitors in figuring out whether or not they are able to or can not journey an enchantment, we’re updating operational procedures and enchantment signage to fortify current journey warnings and bodily eligibility necessities at Stardust Racers and different rides.
Our Statement
Common would now not be reopening Stardust Racers until they have been assured in each the protection of the enchantment and their publicity to prison legal responsibility. I would like to begin with this level as it’s a vital one.
“Protection is our most sensible precedence” may appear to be an necessary platitude, nevertheless it’s additionally correct. Common and dad or mum corporate Comcast would now not be permitting this journey to reopen until they have been sure that doing so would now not go away them uncovered within the tournament of long term incidents to a success litigation. Which means that their very own interior investigation will have to be conclusive; they will have to likewise really feel their assured of their prison place.
Nonetheless, I’m surprised on the velocity with which Stardust Racers is returning. Given the selection of incidents and the continued lawsuit, I figured this was once going to be an extended highway to reopening–and one who entailed substantive adjustments (now not simply signage) to the curler coaster. In truth, my intestine was once that early 2026 was once totally believable for the journey’s go back.
I’m glad to be fallacious about this. It approach Stardust Racers is seen as secure by means of Common; its warnings, insurance policies & protocol, and rider necessities are all enough in offering affordable realize to visitors about who’s eligible and the chance being assumed. This doesn’t imply there gained’t be long term incidents or additional litigation. However fairly, that it’s a suitable degree of chance and Comcast feels slightly assured that they are able to be triumphant at the deserves. We will see about all of that.
Stardust Racers being down has been a large blow to the working means of Epic Universe. Its go back will likewise supply much-needed means and reliability to the journey roster, simply ahead of fall wreck begins kicking into excessive equipment.
Stardust Racers could also be one of the most extra dependable and high-capacity points of interest in Epic Universe, owing largely to it necessarily being two curler coasters on one load platform. The theoretical hourly means of Stardust Racers is estimated to be over 2,750 visitors, which is a huge explanation why it incessantly has the shortest waits within the park. Like Monsters Unchained, the curler coaster is/was once a other folks eater.
It is a sharp distinction to Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Insanity, for instance, which has an estimated hourly means of 700-800 visitors. This is, in fact, assuming it’s operational within the first position. Some other curler coaster, Curse of the Werewolf, is in a similar way low; within the 1,000 riders ballpark, which additionally explains its excessive wait occasions in spite of the consensus view that Stardust Racers is the number one curler coaster at Epic Universe.
Stardust Racers having the means of ~3 different rides mixed and being extra dependable made it an asset to Epic Universe, which continues to be discovering its operational footing. Additionally, Stardust Racers being an excellent curler coaster this is seen as “value it” on the subject of praise relative to the wait could also be massive. (I might danger a wager that Stardust Racers has probably the most absolute best GSATs in Epic Universe; I wouldn’t be stunned if the ones different two coasters have probably the most lowest.)
All of that is to mention that Stardust Racers being closed for more than one months–particularly into the Christmas season–would’ve been a large blow to park operations. Its go back is a large win for Epic Universe; optimistically it’s quickly accompanied by means of higher climate (that means much less downtime) and potency beneficial properties on visitor throughput. It’s been a coarse journey for Epic Universe up to now, however the park has nice bones and we in reality hope early 2026 marks a turning level!
Stardust Racers Incident Recap
In line with an incident document from the Orange County Sheriff’s Place of work, Zavala’s longtime female friend was once with him when using Stardust Racers and knowledgeable deputies that he had a pre-existing spinal situation and was once taking drugs. Zavala’s circle of relatives has showed that he had a spinal incapacity from start and used a wheelchair, however claimed that didn’t purpose his loss of life.
Like different intense thrill rides, Stardust Racers has a laundry record of protection laws and tips. Amongst different warnings, the enchantment lists the next necessities for using: “You must be capable of independently: (1) care for an upright place, (2) fortify your torso, neck, and head whilst soaking up surprising and dramatic actions, and (3) brace your frame with no less than one herbal higher extremity. You will have to be capable of take a small step into the journey automobile compartment, both independently or with the aid of your significant other.”
The Zavala circle of relatives has since retained famend civil rights legal professional Ben Crump. The circle of relatives is looking for complete transparency from Common Orlando, together with the discharge of repairs logs, inspection information, journey knowledge, and video photos, to know the instances surrounding Kevin’s loss of life.
Crump’s prison workforce has heard from further witnesses and different riders who reported struggling accidents on Stardust Racers. The circle of relatives believes those accounts display that caution indicators have been neglected and that Kevin’s loss of life was once totally preventable. At a contemporary information convention, Crump and the circle of relatives detailed the accounts of alternative injured riders who’ve reached out to them.
Individuals who’ve contacted the circle of relatives and regulation administrative center come with a lady who says she misplaced awareness and suffered neck and backbone accidents quickly after the journey opened, Crump stated right through the scoop convention. He indicated that a number of of the visitors who’ve reported accidents weren’t disabled, but they have got nonetheless had issues of the journey. The tales shared with the legal professional counsel a trend of issues of the journey’s restraints, inflicting riders to be thrown ahead and hit the the bar in entrance of them.
Along with this ongoing lawsuit over the Stardust Racers fatality, Common Orlando settled a lawsuit filed by means of a lady who asserted that she was once injured on Stardust Racers right through previews of the park 3 weeks ahead of its reliable opening. She alleged that the curler coaster brought about her head to shake violently and slam in opposition to her seat’s headrest. She claimed that she suffered everlasting accidents as a result of Stardust Racers lacked correct head restraints. Common settled that swimsuit inside a couple of days of submitting.
In a amenities document of the state’s theme parks for the second one quarter (April thru June), the Florida Division of Agriculture published that Common Orlando had a complete of 7 reported incident, with two of them being on Stardust Racers. According to the document:
- 6/22/25 Stardust Racers, 63 yom, dizziness/altered state of awareness (pre-existing situation)
- 6/24/25 Stardust Racers, 47 yof, visible disturbance/numbness (pre-existing situation)
Crump has mentioned that there have been a large number of “caution indicators that there was once one thing fallacious with the design” of Stardust Racers, and that as an alternative of remedying the issues, Common has attempted to “blame the sufferers.”
Stardust Racers is a dual-launch racing coaster that sends visitors rocketing during the skies aboard comets in a race to look who’s the quickest of all of them. Attaining speeds as much as 62 mph and heights as much as 133 ft alongside 5,000 ft of observe, Stardust Racers is Epic Universe’s maximum exciting coaster enjoy with distinctive maneuvers such because the “Celestial Spin,” during which the 2 coaster cars carry out an inverted crisscross whilst dashing during the air, growing an otherworldly adrenaline rush.
In our Epic Universe Journey Evaluations & Scores, we gave Stardust Racers a really perfect 10/10, with the next reward: “Those playful coasters are filled with surprises, with high-speed thrills offset by means of moments of levity and wonderful interaction between the 2 tracks. There’s a daft quantity of airtime, and although it’s intense, it’s by no means punishing.”
Want commute making plans guidelines and complete recommendation to your consult with to Central Florida? Make sure you learn our Common Orlando Making plans Information for the whole thing about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney International Holiday Making plans Information for the whole thing about the ones parks, motels, eating places, and so a lot more. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and a lot more, join our FREE e-mail e-newsletter.
Your Ideas
Have you ever skilled Stardust Racers at Epic Universe? Shocked that Common Orlando is reopening the journey so temporarily, or did you are expecting it to go back as soon as the interior investigation indicated that it functioned as supposed? Ideas on what the journey provides to the journey roster and park means at Epic Universe? Any questions we will be able to assist you to resolution? Please stay the dialog civil and be respectful of the deceased and his circle of relatives, buddies and family members. Any feedback that pass the road will probably be deleted.
