The recent tragic death of a guest of Epic Universe who had ridden the Stardust Racers roller coaster has shocked the theme park community, and it has a lot of people asking a lot of questions. While some details have been released that clarify some elements of what happened, there is still a lot we don’t know. It’s honestly a bit unclear what we will ever know.
While the investigation into the death of Kevin Zavala is still ongoing, it’s actually something of a question as far as who is actually conducting such an investigation. While jurisdiction over amusement park rides is managed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, it turns out that doesn’t apply to Epic Universe.
Florida Law Doesn’t Require The State To Investigate Universal Orlando Resort
Florida, generally, and the Orlando area specifically, are full of amusement park attractions. From the two big players in Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, to second-tier parks like SeaWorld and LegoLand, to smaller parks like Fun Spot and Icon Park, which saw its own tragic death a few years ago, there are parks of all types and sizes.
However, due to a Florida law passed in 1992, only the smaller parks are required to have their attractions inspected by FDACS. Larger parks, which have more than 1,000 employees and have their own inspection staff, are not required to undergo state inspections.
This is why, according to Orlando’s News 6, there is apparently no independent investigation of the Epic Universe incident currently undertaken by FDACS. This is not to say that the state isn’t being kept apprised of the situation, though.
Universal Invited Investigators To Check Out Stardust Racers Anyway
The large theme parks are required to notify the state in cases where guests receive serious injuries or fatalities. According to all reports, Epic Universe did exactly this when Kevin Zavala was found unresponsive following a ride on Epic Universe’s flagship roller coaster. An investigator was also invited to come look at the Star Dust Racers coaster within hours of the incident, an act which “exceeded state requirements,” according to a spokesperson.
A letter sent by Universal Orlando President Karen Irwin claimed that the coaster was operating properly at the time of the incident. A statement released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services agrees with that assessment.
Some Florida lawmakers have argued for changes to the law so that large parks are required to undergo the same inspections as the smaller ones. In 2023, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis battled Disney over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governor suggested he wanted to see the law changed so that Disney specifically would no longer be able to conduct its own inspections. A law was passed which singled out the Walt Disney World Monorail for state inspections it hadn’t previously been required to undergo.
Stardust Racers remains closed following the incident. Without any state investigation, it seems likely that Epic Universe could reopen the ride at any point. The fact that it hasn’t done so yet would seemingly indicate a desire to find as many answers as possible before doing so. At this point, there are no known plans to reopen the ride.
