Universal Orlando has again extended the temporary closure of Stardust Racers.
The popular Epic Universe ride, which has been closed since mid-February, won’t reopen this month as previously planned.
The ride was set to reopen on Saturday, but this week Universal extended the closure through April 5.
Stardust Racers was originally scheduled for refurbishment from Feb. 19-22. But Universal quietly extended the closure to Feb. 28, only to extend it a second time to March 14.
On Thursday, Universal said the extended downtime was because of additional work that’s being done during the ride’s annual inspection.
“Stardust Racers is undergoing its first annual planned inspection and maintenance process,” Universal said in a statement. “We are efficiently completing the work all at once and are also making additional capacity and throughput enhancements, which is extending the temporary closure period.”
This latest extension means the coaster will miss most of what’s expected to be a busy spring break season. It’s also a blow to park, which needs the capacity.
Stardust Racers, a dual-launch coaster that reaches speeds of 62 mph, opened less than a year ago, but in that time the ride has closed on and off for different reasons.
In September, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriquez Zavala died after he was found unresponsive on the ride. Zavala, who had a spinal disability, suffered multiple blunt impact injuries. His death was ruled accidental.
Universal closed the coaster after the incident to conduct a review. The ride reopened two weeks later.
The coaster temporarily closed in January after the trains stalled on the track and got stuck in a valley. Cold weather and high winds likely contributed to the coaster stalling.
Stardust Racers reopened a few days later.
