To say I’m obsessed with Epic Universe is an understatement.
The rides! The food! The characters! The VIBES! Epic Universe is full of thrilling sights, sounds, and experiences no matter where you look — but sometimes those experiences can be a little too thrilling, especially when it means your prescription glasses go flying off your head.
I’m certainly no stranger to rollercoasters — riding them is kind of my job. I’ve been on Hulk, I’ve been on Velocicoaster, Hagrid’s, you name it. All that to say, I thought I knew what I was doing — but my hubris caught up with me. I lost my prescription glasses on Stardust Racers, and it was STRESSFUL.
I’ve been on this ride several times before — with my glasses — but have never felt too nervous that my glasses were going to fall off until this time. The back row of this ride is known for being pretty intense and whips you all around, and it’s typically pretty fun — but not this time.
Almost immediately, my glasses flipped up off my nose and onto my forehead, so I slammed my hand onto my face to try and hold them in place. So essentially, for the whole ride, I held my glasses on my face, and then right at the very end — when I thought I was in the clear — I put my hands down.
But, surprise! As soon as I did that, my glasses flipped right up and over the top of my head and POOF! They were gone.
When I got off the ride, I spoke to the attractions Team Member, who advised that if they did find them, they’d likely be completely shattered into a million pieces. She explained that since they’re likely on the ride track and it’s a big coaster, the only people who can look for them are the techs who do track walks.
Still, she made a note of when they were lost, and I went ahead and went through the lost and found process — Universal uses a system called Boomering — and if they do end up found, I’ll get notified and can go pick them up.
But, even after about a week, I still hadn’t heard back about my glasses, so in the meantime, I had to go to the eye doctor and order a new pair.
Luckily, I was not alone and had someone with me who was able to drive me home, since I can’t do that without my glasses. Otherwise, I likely would have had to leave my car and speak with Universal concierge to make sure that was even an option, and then get an Uber or Lyft home.
So, the moral of the story is — don’t be cocky like me! If you wear prescription glasses, consider putting them in your bag or in a locker before intense rides like this one, unless you want to run the risk of potentially losing them!
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
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Have you ever lost your glasses on a theme park ride before? Let us know in the comments.
Usually I’m wearing prescription sunglasses and have my normal glasses in my pocket to switch for indoor rides. I don’t think I’d want to be without glasses for a ride as … then I’m just being shaken and thrown around while seeing a blur and I have Mission Space for that :-p. This might also be a good case for the “cheap online purchased backup pair”. Sorry for your glasses though; that has to be tough.
This past May I also lost my glasses on the same ride and I filed a lost and found claim. They told me that they would look for them when they “walked the tracks” at the end of the night. They did find them and returned them to me in perfect condition.
Second to the person that said get a glasses strap and wear a spare pair.
Go to Sunglass Hut (or other sunglasses place) and ask them for an athletic strap. It’s a rubber cord that attaches the the ends of your glasses and it usually meant to hold sunglasses to your face while you jog, play sports, etc. It absolutely works at keeping your prescription glasses to your face on roller coasters. I’ve been wearing them for decades. Fully tested on Velocicoaster in 2023. (Haven’t rode Stardust Racers yet)
But wear a spare pair…just in case.
Croakies were my best friend on almost all coasters! They need to fit snug on both ends and tight against the back of your head, but they worked.
As a roller coaster enthusiast that wears glasses I feel your pain. I typically ride alone and would be unable to find my glasses after the ride if I wasn’t wearing them (sounds funny but true). I wear the strap that I can tighten to my head. The straps that are designed for athletes are great.
I rode the yellow side with my glasses. They starting shaking badly and I held them to my nose. Since that first ride always put them in a locker, even when I did green side right after.
Just get silicon chums. My daughter wore hers for our whole trip (pre epic) and rode everything with no issues at all…
She typically wore her hair in a ponytail and they didn’t even fall off in the waterpark
Always have a spare pair of glasses, especially if you need them to get home/back to your hotel. I don’t strictly need them for that, but I always at least keep a spare pair in the hotel room if traveling.
Glasses straps are also amazing to have for this purpose. They let you keep your glasses on for rides where they normally tell you to take them off.
I rode Stardust Racers two weeks ago and was planning on wearing my glasses. Just before the launch, I chickened out and stuffed them down the front of my t-shirt. I’m glad I did, not only because I could have lost them, but also because it allowed me to fully enjoy the ride without worrying about them. Spoiler: I’m not a coaster enthusiast but THIS ride is SO MUCH FUN!
Wear a glasses strap! Some parks won’t ever let you wear glasses on rides without one! Universal sells them at the parks.
This is good to know. First time on VelociCoaster my glasses flew off, but I was able to catch them! After that, I put them in a locker, even though I can’t see great without them!
1st always have a spare pair.
2nd use a glasses strap and dont wear them on rides that go upside down.
3rd order glasses online like on zenni as they are 80% cheaper.
So sorry that happened to you. 2 weeks ago it also happened to me. I also rode the back row and despite having a blast on the ride, my glasses flew off my face. No other coaster at any Universal or otherwise ever “are” my glasses before. “Still looking” is the only update I’ll ever receive on my list and found claim. Thankfully I picked up my new pair last night. I agree, leave all items you don’t want to lose on this ride, in a locker.
My daughter insists on taking them off on every ride and we give her a hard time. Now I feel badly for doing that. I have never encountered that! That’s so awful.
You might consider carrying a spare set of glasses in your bag. Anything can happen at any time, and if you are unable to navigate without glasses having a backup pair is a necessity.