One year ago today, Universal Studios Hollywood officially opened its Super Nintendo World to the public.
In the 12 months since, Super Nintendo World has helped drive attendance, filling Universal Studios Hollywood with Nintendo fans, much like the boost The Wizarding World of Harry Potter provided when it opened in 2016.
Only following the recent holidays has the line for the Mario Kart ride consistently fallen below the eye-watering triple-digit wait times that it posted for almost all of 2023. However, that posted wait time is right back up at 100 minutes today, thanks to the anniversary drawing so many Nintendo fans to the park.
Super Nintendo World won our Theme Park Insider Award as the world's best new attraction in 2023. Headlined by Mario Kart - Bowser's Challenge, an augmented reality dark ride, the land also includes five multiple Power-Up Band key challenges. These are real-life, mostly practical games that you can play in designated areas around the land. You must by one of Universal's Power-Up Bands to play, as they track and keep your scores throughout Super Nintendo World. Win three "keys" and you will be eligible to face Bowser Jr. in a boss battle for control of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Here is our Super Nintendo World playlist, including the official opening ceremony for Super Nintendo World, as well as its public opening moment, our walk-through videos, and on-ride POV for the Mario Kart ride.
The land's one restaurant is Toadstool Cafe, which opened to rave reviews but since then has drawn complaints for how popular it is. (Hello, irony.) That said, the hassle of getting a reservation and the sometimes long waits for food have led to inconsistent quality. Perhaps, as demand for the land levels off, seating will be easier to come by, and the kitchen can catch up again, delivering the consistent quality that it did in the restaurant's first days.
You don't need to visit Toadstool Cafe for a taste of Nintendo at the park anymore. Universal this week officially opened its Power Up Cafe on the Upper Lot, serving Mushroom-shaped hand pies and Nintendo-themed Sprite drinks. [Veggies are the star at Universal's new Nintendo cafe]
Hollywood's opening was just one step in Universal's on-going relationship with Nintendo, which started publicly with the debut of the original Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in 2021. The Osaka park's land is getting a Donkey Kong-themed expansion later this spring, with the opening of its Mine-Cart Madness roller coaster. And east coast fans will get their first local look at Super Nintendo World when it opens in Universal Orlando's Epic Universe theme park in 2025.
You can get discounted tickets to all our Universal's theme parks via our travel partners. Follow the links to see the latest available deals and help support the site at the same time:
To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
@thecolonel the same can be said about galaxy's edge.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
It's a sorry little land with one middling ride that absolutely isn't worth the wait. Sure, they did a good job of making the land look like the game, but once you've seen it, you don't need to see it again.