Stardust Racers at Universal Epic Universe has shut down indefinitely after both racing tracks simultaneously malfunctioned on January 18. The closure affects the same roller coaster where a guest died last September, renewing concerns about the attraction’s safety and reliability.
Double Valley Malfunction
Multiple Universal Orlando Resort guests posted footage on Sunday showing both Stardust Racers ride vehicles stuck after failing to complete a section of track. Amid high winds in Central Florida, the racing coasters got stranded in a valley after a drop, unable to ascend the next lift hill.
X (formerly known as Twitter) user @Eltororyan shared a video showing the cars rocking back and forth:
Both sides of Stardust Racers just valleyed.
Both sides of Stardust Racers just valleyed. pic.twitter.com/oxs7r7Gxc4
— ElToroRyan (@ElToroRyan) January 18, 2026
Aerial footage from @AmusementInside captured the motionless trains after the malfunction:
Double valley at Stardust Racers Epic Universe. 💔
Double valley at Stardust Racers Epic Universe. 💔 pic.twitter.com/r7Vd6mLDuW
— Amusement Insider (@AmusementInside) January 19, 2026
No riders were aboard when the incident occurred, so evacuation was avoided. However, the stuck vehicles couldn’t be easily reset, keeping the attraction closed through Sunday afternoon into Monday. Redditor u/Bearmay33 posted:
Stardust double valleyed. Closed for the day.
stardust double valleyed. Closed for the day
byu/Bearmay33 inUniversalOrlando
Complex Repair Process
X user @coastersnbrews suggested Universal Orlando Resort’s engineering team may need to disassemble the trains in the valley and reassemble them in the loading area, potentially causing extended closure.
A different view of the double valley on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe. We see a lot of peeps asking how they plan on getting the train back to the station? So they actually have to obv get everyone off safely, then they take the train apart and rebuild it. Quite the task for the maintenance staff.
A different view of the double valley on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe. We see a lot of peeps asking how they plan on getting the train back to the station? So they actually have to obv get everyone off safely, then they take the train apart and rebuild it. Quite the task for…
— Coasters and Brews 🍻 (@coastersnbrews) January 19, 2026
This isn’t Stardust Racers’ first valley incident. Before Universal Epic Universe opened, engineers used a crane to lift a stuck train during testing. @Bioreconstruct posted an aerial photo from March 8, 2025, showing the crane operation.
An aerial look back to March 8, 2025 when a crane was used to lift a Stardust Racers train out of a valley.
Arrows at a yellow device that attached to the train for lifting up the track.
This was before Epic Universe opened to guests.
An aerial look back to March 8, 2025 when a crane was used to lift a Stardust Racers train out of a valley.
Arrows at a yellow device that attached to the train for lifting up the track.
This was before Epic Universe opened to guests. pic.twitter.com/gEDee0lQMa— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) January 19, 2026
@ThemeParkJJ spotted a crane near Epic Universe on January 19, suggesting Universal plans to repeat the lifting process.
She’s back!
She’s back! pic.twitter.com/PXN8boLW34
— JJ (@ThemeParkJJ) January 19, 2026
Universal Orlando Resort hasn’t announced how long Stardust Racers will remain closed.
September 2025 Death
The malfunction is just the latest issue with Stardust Racers. On September 17, 2025, the attraction abruptly closed after a theme park guest died on board. Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died from “multiple blunt impact injuries” during the ride. His death was ruled accidental.
Witnesses reported Zavala lost consciousness during the roller coaster. His family stated that while he was born with spinal atrophy and used a wheelchair, his disabilities were unrelated to his death. Zavala was a theme park enthusiast who had ridden multiple roller coasters without incident.
Stardust Racers reopened on October 4, 2025, after an investigation. Attorney Ben Crump, representing Zavala’s family, opposed the reopening.
“Stardust Racers is evidence in an active death investigation,” Crump said. “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.”
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