Numerous Incidents Reported Inside Universal Orlando, Epic Universe

A recent incident report has revealed some shocking information regarding Universal Orlando and Epic Universe.

A Quiet Line in a State Report Hints at a Tragedy Inside Universal Orlando, Epic Universe

It started with a document most people will never read—an unassuming quarterly report routinely released by Florida’s agriculture department. It’s usually a predictable collection of medical summaries and age ranges, the kind of material analysts skim while the public scrolls past. But this season’s report hides something heavier, something that stops even seasoned theme park fans: a single, stark entry noting a guest who never walked away from a ride. What happened within the gates of Florida’s newest multi-billion-dollar resort?

As Florida’s theme parks continue expanding, towering over the tourism landscape with bigger rides and faster coasters, a more complex question has surfaced beneath the excitement: What happens when innovation meets real-world limits?

Reading Between the Lines of Florida’s Injury Logs

Under a long-standing agreement, major Florida theme parks self-report ride-related injuries that lead to at least 24 hours of hospitalization. The state publishes these summaries for transparency, but they intentionally offer only the basics—no personal details, no ongoing medical updates, and no deeper narrative behind each number.

In the latest July–September report, Universal Orlando listed seven injuries across three parks. Most appear typical of high-intensity attractions: dizziness, chest discomfort, neck pain, or brief confusion. These aren’t unusual findings for parks that welcome millions of visitors.

But buried inside those standard entries lies one that cannot be dismissed as routine.

The Fatal Entry and the Guest Behind It

Among the seven incidents reported was the death of a 32-year-old guest at Universal’s Epic Universe. Autopsy records later identified him as Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who died from “multiple blunt impact injuries” after being discovered unresponsive following a ride on Stardust Racers, one of the park’s showcase roller coasters.

The state report lists the fatality in the same restrained tone as any other medical case, offering no details beyond what is required. Yet its meaning resonates far beyond that single line: Zavala’s death marks the first publicly documented fatality tied to Epic Universe since its grand opening in late May.

The ride’s reopening and the investigation that followed now represent a crucial moment for Universal—and for theme park engineering at large.

Inside Universal’s Post-Incident Review

Following the incident, Universal began a full internal evaluation of Stardust Racers. The company’s findings, shared through a corporate memo, state that the ride was functioning as designed and that team members followed proper protocols at the time of the event.

Importantly, this review was not conducted in isolation. State officials oversaw testing, the manufacturer of the coaster participated, and a third-party roller coaster engineering specialist validated the results. With all parties aligned, Stardust Racers officially reopened to guests on October 4.

Notably, the July–September report lists no additional injuries connected to the coaster aside from the fatality—though two nonfatal ride incidents were recorded in June, shortly after Epic Universe debuted to the public.

Other Ride-Related Incidents Across Universal Orlando

Beyond Epic Universe, the quarterly report outlines several medical events linked to attractions at Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and Volcano Bay:

• Incredible Hulk Coaster

  • July 22: A 66-year-old man experienced chest pain after the ride.

  • August 20: A 56-year-old man reported a headache post-ride.

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

  • July 5: A 40-year-old woman showed an “altered level of consciousness.”

• Revenge of the Mummy

  • August 24: A 32-year-old woman reported neck pain and motion sickness.

• Hogwarts Express

  • September 29: A 78-year-old woman experienced dizziness while aboard the attraction.

• Krakatau Aqua Coaster (Volcano Bay)

  • August 4: A 38-year-old woman reported neck pain.

These types of reported medical events are not unusual. High-speed rides naturally produce rapid acceleration, sharp turns, and sudden drops, all of which can affect guests differently depending on age, health conditions, and motion sensitivity.

Still, the broader pattern is one the industry watches closely—especially as ride systems become larger, faster, and increasingly complex.

What This Means for the Future of Epic Universe and Theme Park Safety

Theme parks have always walked the line between entertainment and physics. The death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala—while determined not to be the result of malfunction—has renewed attention on what safety looks like in an era of rapid attraction innovation.

Epic Universe, designed to usher in a new generation of immersive coaster technology, now faces the same scrutiny every groundbreaking park encounters: how to evolve while ensuring guest safety remains uncompromised.

For guests, the lesson is not one of fear but awareness. For engineers and park operators, it is a reminder that safety oversight is never complete—it must evolve alongside new attractions and new expectations. And for the industry as a whole, this quarterly report underscores a larger truth: data may look clinical on paper, but behind every line is a real person and a real story.