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Universal Orlando Resort has reopened the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe following the tragic death of a guest on September 17th. According to local media reports, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala passed away after being found unresponsive in his restraint after riding Stardust Racers. Universal Orlando Resort has kept Stardust Racers closed since the incident to perform an investigation. Now, they’re ready to reopen the roller coaster with some changes.
In an internal memo, Universal Orlando Resort President & Chief Operating Officer said that Stardust Racers will reopen in the afternoon on Saturday, October 4th. Irwin opened the memo by saying that the Universal Orlando family continues to extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to Mr. Rodriguez Zavala’s family and loved ones for their loss.
Irwin said that Universal completed a comprehensive technical and operational review of the roller coaster and found that the ride systems functioned properly throughout the boarding process, the duration of the ride, and upon the vehicle’s return to the station. Irwin also said that Team Members followed procedures throughout.
In the same memo, Irwin said that Universal’s review included working closely with local officials and the State of Florida. The ride system manufacturer, Mack Rides, and an independent third-party roller coaster engineering expert conducted their own on-site testing and validated Universal’s own findings.
Irwin went on to note that safety is Universal’s top priority, and that they would be making some changes to “further assist guests in determining whether they can or cannot ride an attraction”.
Universal will be updating operational procedures and attraction signage to “reinforce existing ride warnings and physical eligibility requirements at Stardust Racers and other rides”.
With the changes in place, Irwin said that Universal is ready to reopen Stardust Racers in the afternoon of October 4th.
As part of the updates following the tragic incident, Universal Orlando Resort has made some updates to its safety signage. The most notable change includes being able to walk independently.
No Assistance When Entering Vehicle
Updated safety signage verbiage reflects an operational change. In the old version of the safety signage (below, left), the policy required guests to be able to “take a small step into the ride vehicle compartment, either independently or with assistance from your companion”.
Updated signage removes that requirement completely. Instead, an updated informational area for “guests using mobility devices” adds a new line of text that says that “guests using mobility devices must be able to walk independently”.
This is a notable change because attorney Ben Crump said that Universal Team Members and Mr. Rodriguez Zavala’s girlfriend assisted him with entering the ride vehicle. Now, it looks like not only will Team Members be 100% hand off during the boarding process, but a companion will also not be allowed to assist with the boarding process. This will have the effect of further restricting who can ride some of Universal’s most intense thrill attractions.
Other attractions that have this updated requirement include Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (motorbike seat), Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and Stardust Racers.
Must Be Able to Maintain Control of Body
Another notable word change includes that guests must be able to independently support their body during the ride. Previously, the word “should” was used.
Again, this wording creates a far stricter set of guidelines to help guests determine if they should ride an intense attraction or not.
The vast majority of attractions across Universal Orlando Resort theme parks have updated the wording from “should” to “must” in updated safety guidelines, as seen above.
Following news that Stardust Racers would reopen, the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and their attorney issued the following statements condemning Universal Orlando.
By rushing to reopen this ride as if nothing happened, Universal is showing great disrespect for Kevin’s life, our family’s pain, and the safety of every rider who steps onto that coaster. We are horrified that Universal would put the ride back into operation so quickly.
Stardust Racers is evidence in an active death investigation. Reopening the ride before our experts can examine every component is unadulterated spoliation of evidence, a grave risk to public safety, and puts profit over people’s lives. Universal reportedly told employees the ride functioned as intended. If that is accurate, then the design itself is deadly. We are demanding that Universal pause the reopening, preserve all evidence, and allow our experts to inspect it. If they refuse, we will address Universal’s callous actions in court.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com for not only the latest Disney Parks news, but also news, photos, and info from great offerings Outside the Bubble!
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