Super Nintendo World is now open at Universal Studios Hollywood and fans are packing this park, eager to be among the first in the US to ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, grab something to eat at the Toadstool Café and of course use their power-up bands in various areas around the new land. And while this new area is certainly exciting west coast theme park-goers, Universal Orlando Resort fans may find themselves with a little bit of FOMO after seeing all of the videos and pictures online of the new land.
However, good things come to those who wait, and while we won’t be seeing Super Nintendo World inside Universal’s Epic Universe until at least 2025, when this area does finally welcome its first guests, it will be the biggest, most immersive Super Nintendo World in the US. Here’s a quick rundown of the key differences between the Super Nintendo World that is now open at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the version of the land that will open alongside Universal’s Epic Universe
1.Three rides will be ready for guests to experience when the land opens
In addition to Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which is the only ride inside Super Nintendo World Universal Studios Hollywood, Super Nintendo World at Universal’s Epic Universe will have two additional rides when it opens.
First up will be Yoshi’s Adventure, which is a dark ride suitable for all ages that will feature familiar characters from the Yoshi’s Island series of games in charming scenes. In addition to the story scenes this ride also has several outdoor segments where guests can get a view of the larger land, similar to the Peoplemover at Walt Disney World. There is also a game element to this attraction as guests can press the three colorful egg buttons on the ride vehicle to complete a mission for Captain Toad. This attraction will be a clone of another ride at the original Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.
In addition to the dark ride, this upcoming land will have also a cutting-edge roller coaster. This new thrill ride is themed to Donkey Kong and has a unique ride system that makes it look like riders are jumping off the tracks, just like in the Donkey Kong games. This new ride concept is completely unique and uses a hidden roller coaster track that connects to ride vehicles via a boom arm. Because the actual ride track can’t be seen and the track that guests see under their ride vehicle is just for show, the ride vehicle can be made to look like it is “jumping” from track to track, imitating the mine cart stages of the Donkey Kong Country games. This attraction is also in development at Universal Studios Japan, and is currently slated to open there in 2024, just a year before the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe, which will give Nintendo fans eager for the opening of Epic Universe a potential preview of what is to come at this park.
In addition to the three attractions, there will be multiple character meet and greet areas at opening, where guests will be able to meet famous Nintendo characters from both the Mario and Donkey Kong franchises in their respective areas of the land. And while there are a few characters at Super Nintendo World in Hollywood (currently you can meet Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach), there are expected to be more at Epic Universe, including those from the Donkey Kong franchise.
2. Universal’s Epic Universe will be the biggest Super Nintendo World at a Universal park
Though Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is fairly compact, Japan’s version of this land is pretty big, especially when factoring in the aforementioned Donkey Kong expansion they are getting in 2024. However, Orlando Park Stop overlaid the plans from this land in Japan with those in Orlando and found more than 40,000 square feet of extra space in the Universal’s Epic Universe version of Super Nintendo World.
While its hard to tell for sure just what Universal may plan to do with this extra space, there are plenty of possibilities. This extra area could be used to expand dining, shopping, add character meet and greets or even extend queues. It could also be used to add rest areas, new missions for the power-up bands, or something else completely.
In addition, there is also a rumored expansion pad near the Donkey Kong roller coaster, which could be used to create even more Nintendo attractions at this park in the future.
3. Different entryways and warp pipes can be found in this land
Getting into Super Nintendo World is a thrilling experience all on its own, as both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan feature a fun entry portal that has guests walking through a big green pipe to get to the land while the iconic video game noise from the Mario game series plays overhead.
However, according to Orlando Park Stop, this entry area may look a little different at Universal’s Epic Universe. According to their report, this entry will still use a pipe, but instead of being a flat area that guests can walk through, it will have an escalator that will bring guests up through Peach’s Castle on the upper part of the land.
In addition to the warp pipe that brings guests into the land, there will also be another warp pipe under the Yoshi ride within Super Nintendo World that will bring guests to the Donkey Kong area of the land.
Though this new land at Universal’s Epic Universe will have a lot in common with the land at Universal Studios Japan, we wouldn’t be surprised if there are some new surprises waiting inside this new area for Nintendo super-fans looking to experience the newest version of this area inside Universal’s newest theme park. So even if you feel a little bit jealous, looking at the Super Nintendo World pictures coming out of Universal Studios Hollywood, never fear, as what is sure to be the best version of this land is coming to Orlando in 2025.
