A Ceiling Fan Fell Into the Stardust Racers Queue at Epic Universe on Sunday, and Witnesses Disagree on Whether It Hit Anyone

A ceiling fan fell inside the queue for Stardust Racers at Universal Epic Universe on Sunday, October 18, while guests were in line for the coaster.

Accounts differ on whether it hit anyone. The guest who filmed it says the fan narrowly missed guests. A commenter who says they were about four feet away says it hit someone. Universal has not commented publicly on the incident in any report we have seen, and none of the witness accounts below has been independently confirmed.

The fallen fan on the queue floor, in a frame from the TikTok video. Image: Shane Mercier (Station Tested) on TikTok, via WDW News Today

What the video shows

Shane Mercier, who posts as Station Tested, posted a TikTok video showing the fan on the ground, WDW News Today reported. It ended up in a gap between a wall and the queue railing, with one blade wedged beneath a corner of the wall. WDW News Today says the falling fan also damaged a railing on a work ramp above. Mercier guessed the fan weighed 20 to 30 pounds.

His caption: "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!"

The work ramp above the queue, in another frame from the same video. Image: Shane Mercier (Station Tested) on TikTok, via WDW News Today

The conflicting account

A TikTok commenter, @ballistickid16, said they were about four feet away when the fan fell and that it did hit a guest. The commenter said paramedics treated that guest before the queue was evacuated, according to WDW News Today. Inside the Magic notes that those details "have not been independently verified," and adds: "For now, reports that a guest was struck should be treated as unconfirmed."

Commenters also said ceiling fans elsewhere in the park were switched off as a precaution. That has not been confirmed either.

The ride closed, and is back

The fan fell within a few hours of the ride opening, WDW News Today reported. Commenters said Stardust Racers stayed closed for the rest of the day, and WDW News Today noted that Thrill Data shows no wait times for the ride after 12:28 p.m. Mercier's own caption adds that the coaster "was also experiencing downtime today, but we don't know whether this incident was connected."

On Monday morning, during Early Park Admission for hotel guests, the Universal Orlando Resort app listed the ride as "delayed." Stardust Racers is not part of early entry, and it was scheduled to open with the park at 10 a.m. By Monday evening it was running: live wait time data showed Stardust Racers operating with a 35-minute standby wait at 7:09 p.m.

Stardust Racers at night. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

Why it fell is not known

No cause has been given. WDW News Today pointed out that Sunday was relatively cool and windy for Orlando, and suggested the wind "may have contributed." Inside the Magic noted there is "no evidence establishing that wind caused the equipment to detach."

The coaster has faced more serious scrutiny. Earlier this month we covered a mother suing Universal and Mack Rides, saying her son lost consciousness on the ride. Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died in September 2025 from "multiple blunt impact injuries" after riding Stardust Racers; WDW News Today notes the final report on his death found no criminal acts.

We will update this story if Universal comments or if more details about Sunday's incident come out.

Sources

• WDW News Today, "Ceiling Fan Falls in Stardust Racers Queue at Epic Universe, Possibly Hitting a Guest" (October 19, 2026)
• Inside the Magic, Stardust Racers queue incident report (October 19, 2026)
• Shane Mercier (Station Tested), TikTok video (October 18, 2026)
• ThemeParks.wiki live data, Universal Epic Universe (checked 7:09 p.m. ET, October 19, 2026)
• Parks Magic, A Mother Is Suing Universal and Mack Rides, Saying Her Son Lost Consciousness on Epic Universe's Stardust Racers

Image credits: Universal Orlando Resort (Stardust Racers by day and night); Shane Mercier (Station Tested) on TikTok, via WDW News Today (queue frames).