A frightening situation unfolded at Universal Orlando Resort over the weekend when a ceiling fan suddenly fell inside the queue of one of Epic Universe’s biggest attractions.
The incident happened on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Stardust Racers, the popular racing roller coaster that has become a major draw for visitors since the park opened in May 2025.
What should have been a normal afternoon of thrills quickly turned into a concerning situation after the overhead equipment came crashing down near guests waiting to ride.
Now, eyewitness reports suggest someone may have been struck by the falling fan, while the attraction reportedly remained closed for the rest of the day.
Ceiling Fan Falls Near Guests Waiting for Stardust Racers
According to WDW News Today (WDWNT), the incident occurred inside the Stardust Racers queue, where guests were waiting to experience the high-speed attraction.
TikTok creator Shane Mercier, who posts under the name Station Tested, shared video footage showing the aftermath.
@stationtested 🚨 “A CEILING FAN JUST CAME CRASHING DOWN AT UNIVERSAL EPIC UNIVERSE!” Today, October 18th, 2026, we were standing in line for Stardust Racers when, out of nowhere, a ceiling fan broke loose and came crashing down, narrowly missing guests standing underneath it! And the craziest part? My Meta glasses captured the entire thing! Stardust Racers was also experiencing downtime today, but we don’t know whether this incident was connected. Watch this footage and tell me, how close was THAT?!”#UniversalEpicUniverse #EpicUniverse #UniversalOrlando #StardustRacers #UniversalStudios ♬ original sound – Station Tested | Shane Mercier
The video captured the ceiling fan lying on the ground between a wall and a railing, with one of its blades caught beneath the corner of the wall.
Mercier estimated that the equipment weighed approximately 20 to 30 pounds, although its actual weight has not been confirmed.
The fall also reportedly damaged a railing along an elevated work ramp.
While the footage showed where the fan landed, it did not capture the moment it fell or establish what caused it to come loose.
Mercier initially suggested that the equipment missed everyone nearby.
However, another person who claimed to witness the incident shared a different account.
A TikTok commenter identified as @ballistickid16 said they were standing roughly four feet away when the fan fell.
The commenter claimed the equipment struck another guest and that paramedics provided treatment before Universal evacuated the queue.
Those claims have not been independently verified, and no confirmed details about the guest’s condition have been released.
Universal Reportedly Closes Popular Roller Coaster
The incident appears to have caused a significant disruption to Stardust Racers operations.
Guests reportedly evacuated the queue following the accident, and social media commenters indicated that the attraction remained closed for the rest of Sunday.
Wait-time tracking website Thrill Data showed no additional wait-time information after approximately 12:28 p.m., which is consistent with reports of an extended closure.
There were also claims that Universal temporarily turned off other ceiling fans throughout Epic Universe as a precaution.
However, the extent of those reported measures has not been independently confirmed.
The exact cause of the falling fan remains unknown.
Sunday reportedly brought windy conditions to the Orlando area, although there is no confirmed evidence connecting the weather to the incident.
By Monday morning, October 19, Stardust Racers was still experiencing operational uncertainty.
The Universal Orlando Resort app listed the attraction as delayed during the park’s Early Park Admission period.
Although Stardust Racers does not participate in Early Park Admission, it was scheduled to open alongside the rest of the park at 10 a.m.
It remains unclear whether Monday’s delayed status was directly connected to Sunday’s incident.
Another Concerning Situation for Stardust Racers
The latest incident comes during a difficult period for the popular Epic Universe roller coaster.
Stardust Racers has faced several injury-related allegations since opening, including lawsuits involving guests who claim they suffered injuries while riding.
Earlier this month, reports emerged about a mother suing Universal after alleging that her child lost consciousness and sustained injuries on the attraction.
The coaster also received significant attention following the September 2025 death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, whose death was attributed to multiple blunt impact injuries.
The final report concerning that incident found no criminal acts.
While those earlier situations involved the ride itself, Sunday’s incident happened inside the queue and has no established connection to the previous cases.
For now, Universal has not been confirmed to have provided a detailed public explanation about what caused the fan to fall.
Questions also remain about whether anyone was injured and when the attraction would resume normal operations.
For guests visiting Epic Universe, the incident is another reminder that unexpected disruptions can happen even before boarding an attraction.
And until more information becomes available, the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s accident remain under scrutiny.
