Effective beginning on October 4, Universal has added a new Guide for Safety and Accessibility for Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, and Islands of Adventure, which includes some updated requirements for attractions such as Stardust Racers.
Guide for Safety and Accessibility
The Epic Universe website has recently added links to a new Guide for Safety and Accessibility, which can be found linked under the Accessibility sections of select attractions such as Stardust Racers. A similar link can be found for select attractions at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, which share a different, combined guide for both parks.
The guides, which are 34 pages long for Epic Universe and 62 pages long for the other two parks, have information regarding safety advisories, guests using wheelchairs or ECVs, and a breakdown of the specific requirements for every attraction. Both have an effective date of October 4, 2025.
One of the first sections in both guides is a list of “Rider Requirements” which mentions,
For most rides and attractions, you must be able to independently maintain an upright position, and brace and support your torso, neck, and head while absorbing sudden and dramatic movements throughout the experience. For additional requirements, please consult the ride and attraction listing in this guide.
Following an introduction to attraction symbol descriptions, there is a list of safety advisories for lost items, restraint systems, magnetic fields, free-slowing articles, and much more.
In one seemingly new policy update, there are now three groups of attractions with various wheelchair requirements. Select attractions “are capable of allowing Guests to
remain in their standard wheelchair,” while others “have been designed to accommodate
those transferring from their wheelchair to the ride vehicle.” Some attractions in the first category include Yoshi’s Adventure and Fyre Drill at Epic Universe, while the second category includes Constellation Carousel, Curse of the Werewolf, Harry Potter and the Battle at the ministry, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and Mine-Cart Madness.
However, there is now a third category with the requirement “Guests using mobility devices must be able to walk independently” that includes Dragon Racer’s Rally, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and Stardust Racers.
This same category now exists in the guide for Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Attractions requiring guests to “walk independently” include Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (Motorbike Only), Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Jurassic World VelociCoaster.
In a later section for “Guests with Prostheses,” it is also mentioned that Dragon Racer’s Rally and Stardust Racers require guests “to remove all prosthetic limbs before riding.” Dragon Racer’s Rally, Monsters Unchanged, and Stardust Racers are also listed in a section for guests with casts saying, “For the following Attractions, Guests cannot ride if the cast covers an area that is required for the Guest to meet the ride requirements of the attraction.”
Additional sections in the guide have rules for guests using medical devices, evacuation procedures, and an explanation of the terms used for each attraction. The rest of both guides is filled with a breakdown of the information for each individual attraction, including the symbols from the first section, rider requirements, and relevant information.
The section for Stardust Racers reads, “This attraction has a device to assist you with your
transfer to the ride vehicle. Please see an Attractions Attendant for further information. Guests using mobility devices must be able to walk independently.” You must also be able to “(1) maintain an upright position, (2) support your torso, neck, and head while absorbing sudden and dramatic movements, and (3) brace your body with at least one natural upper extremity.”
Signage Updates
Matching some of these changes, select attraction signage inside Epic Universe has been updated. Both Dragon Racer’s Rally and Monsters Unchained now have additional circles in the “Do Not Ride if You Have the Following Conditions” sections for Weakened Bones or Muscles, Inability to Independently Maintain an Upright Position, and Other Conditions that May Be Aggravated By This Ride. These new warnings join the existing categories for heart conditions, unhealed surgery, motion sickness, and other similar conditions.
We expect the signage for Stardust Racers will have similar updated wording when it reopens.
Stardust Racers
While it is possible the two events are not related, the date of October 4 on both of these guides happens to be the same date Universal has announced the planned reopening of Stardust Racers at Epic Universe. The attraction has been closed since September 17, when 32-year-old Kevin Rodríguez Zavala passed away shortly after riding. Universal has stated that, as per their own internal investigation, the ride systems “functioned as intended.” A message to Team Members from Universal Orlando Resort President & COO Karen Irwin confirmed plans to reopen Stardust Racers sometime in the afternoon of October 4.
In a report from earlier this morning, Zavala’s family released a statement saying, “We are horrified that Universal would put the ride back into operation so quickly.” Attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by the family, added, “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.”
As of the morning of October 4, Stardust Racers is still expected to be reopening sometime this afternoon.
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