Super Nintendo World is now open at Universal Studios Hollywood
Let’s-a Go! Super Nintendo World, the highly-anticipated (and first U.S.) Nintendo-themed land, opens today at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is colorful, kinetic, immersive, and interactive – but the best part is you don’t have to be a die-hard Nintendo fan to have fun.
We spent the last few days exploring the Mushroom Kingdom. Let’s head through the warp pipe and take a look!
Power-Up Bands
There are interactive gameplay activities and experiences throughout Super Nintendo World, including opportunities to collect digital coins and stamps by completing milestones within the land.
While not required, Power-Up bands will level up the experience, including four Key Challenges: Goomba Crazy Crank, Koopa Troopa POWer Punch, Piranha Plant Nap Mishap, and Thwomp Panel Panic (collecting at least three will allow access to the final boss battle with Bowser Jr.)
Power-Up Bands cost $40 each, and there are six character designs to choose from – Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, and Yoshi.
Power-Up Bands also enable enhanced experiences during meet-and-greets with Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Super Nintendo World only has one attraction, but it’s a great one. Part racing ride, part scoring ride, and part video game, this innovative attraction uses augmented reality (AR) to place riders into a Mario Kart video game, but first, they have to make their way through the queue experience inside Bowser’s Castle.
The technologically-advanced attraction combines projection mapping, massive physical set pieces along the ride track, and AR technology integrated through head-mounted AR goggles – a unique cutting-edge feature not found in other theme park attractions. Along the way, racers collect coins to score points (just like in the Mario Kart video games), but to win the race against Bowser, everyone in the four-person ride vehicle must collect at least 100 coins.
Guests with Power-Up Bands can tap the ride vehicle’s steering wheel to track how many digital coins they collected.
Toadstool Café
The land’s only restaurant – Toadstool Café – offers a highly-themed menu in a hybrid quick-service/table-service style.
After placing their order at the counter, diners are given an electronic locator and seated in the dining room. When the order is ready, servers bring it to the table.
The food at Toadstood Café is not only super cute but also super delicious. According to Universal Studios Hollywood VP & Executive Chef Julia Thrash, everything on the menu has been created by Chef Toad, along with Nintendo and (of course) the Universal chefs.
“It’s a collaboration to make sure everything Chef Toad is creating truly fits with what we’re trying to do theme-wise,” the Chef said. “We want people to look at it and be able to see that [the caprese salad] is Piranha Plant, but it also has to taste good.”
Photo courtesy of Universal Studios Hollywood
Virtual Line
A Virtual Line reservation through the official Universal Studios Hollywood app may be required to enter the land (guests must be on-property to select a time). However, Virtual Line Pass times are only to enter the land; Virtual Line is not available for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
Single-day or Annual Passholders with Universal Express (and guests on VIP tours) can use their skip-the-line access once per day if the land requires reservations at the time of their visit. There is also a second paid option to enter the land one hour before it opens through the Super Nintendo World Early Access Ticket to their regular admission. The prices for this early access will vary, but it’s expected to cost $20 to $25 per person.
This may be the first Super Nintendo World in the U.S., Chairman & CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts Mark Woodbury (finally) officially confirmed it won’t be the last.
“It’s been a terrific journey with Nintendo over the past seven years that culminated in the first Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in 2021, and now we’re opening Super Nintendo World here at Universal Studios Hollywood, but there’s more to come,” Woodbury said during the land’s grand opening event. “Soon, we’re going to add another Super Nintendo World to Universal Orlando Resort – the worst kept secret in history.”
The not-so-secret Florida location for Super Nintendo World is at Universal Orlando Resort’s third theme park – Epic Universe – which is scheduled to open in Summer 2025.
Click here for more information about visiting Super Nintendo World, and check out all our videos from Super Nintendo World’s grand opening below.
