Visitors from the epic universe loomed at the theme park on Saturday afternoon, anticipating the reopening of Stardust Racer’s roller coaster.
It was the first day the thrill ride was made public since the man passed away on September 17th after the man rode.
Universal Orlando Resort announced the move Friday afternoon, saying it had collaborated with local and state officials to observe the charm test. The manufacturer of ride systems and coaster engineering experts have conducted their own tests to verify Universal’s findings, the company said.
On Saturday morning, both sides of the duel coaster passed the pace. The grand workers told passersby they hope that rides will be available by the late afternoon or evening.
Guests were eventually allowed to line up at 6pm, but fire alarms at the park once again delayed the lawsuit. At 6:45pm, the first full train of the day was on sale. The park was scheduled to close at 10pm.
Jared Ream, a coaster enthusiast with a tattoo to prove it, waited for a coaster on the patio of a nearby meteor astronaut restaurant within the epic. Ream, who lives in Dayton, Ohio, said Saturday was the last day of his holiday and he was about to wear it.
“I think this is the safest time to ride this ride. “So everyone was getting it inspected and told me it was OK to open.”
Universal didn’t allow people to line up for a ride on Saturday until they sent notifications via the app. Regular storms – the kind that stops the ride under normal circumstances – has added a question mark to the wait.
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, passed away after being found unconscious in Stardust Racer. This is a thrill ride that moves at 62 mph and involves inversion through multiple launches. An Orange County Medical Examiner accidentally ruled his death, resulting from “multiple blunt shock injuries.”
Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Zavala’s family, said Friday it was too early to resume operations on the roller coaster.
“Stardust Racer is evidence in an investigation into aggressive death,” Crump said in a news release. “To resume riding before experts look into all components is pure spanning of evidence, a serious risk to public safety and benefits people’s lives.”
Ream opposed, saying he lost 140 pounds to ride a coaster.
“I think the only reason they kept it closed for so long was not respecting their family or their investigation,” he said. “They could have opened it earlier, but they didn’t.”
The ride debuted on May 22nd along with Epic Universe, the first theme park to open in Orlando for over 25 years. Universal officials said detailed information on ridership and safety guidelines are available at the frontlines of each attraction, queues and its apps.
“Safety, as always, is our number one priority,” said Karen Irwin, president of Universal Orlando Resort, in a note to employees.
Lisa Roumüller, who lives in Pittsburgh and was visiting the epic universe for the first time with her husband Josh, said she was surprised that the ride had resumed.
“I think that’s a testament to the amount of information around everything they can make that call,” she said.
Rohmuirah, who said he was heartbroken for the Zavala family, noted that the strength of the ride and the possibility of long waits were more uncomfortable than safety.
“It looks like a nice looking ride,” she said. “And honestly, if you were to be like one of the rides was fatally related, I wouldn’t have guessed this.”
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Original issue: October 4, 2025, 2:06pm EDT
