Universal: Donkey Kong, Mario will populate Epic’s Super Nintendo World
Universal Orlando has powered up additional details about Super Nintendo World, one of the lands that will be in Epic Universe theme park when it opens in 2025.
The area will include Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country, Universal confirmed in a news release Thursday morning.
Super Mario Land will feature Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, an attraction with augmented reality and projection mapping to create a video game in ride-through form.
“Guests steer through a variety of Mario Kart courses – collecting coins, tossing shells at Team Bowser, dodging obstacles, and more – as they join their favorite characters and compete to help Team Mario win the race,” the news release said.
Yoshi’s Adventure also will be an attraction in Super Mario Land. Riders will search for glowing eggs while traveling through Mushroom Kingdom landscapes.
On the food front, Toadstool Cafe will sell Mario and Luigi-inspired hamburgers, Piranha Plant Caprese, Fire Flower Spaghetti and other menu items.
In Donkey Kong Country, visitors will experience Mine-Cart Madness, a family-friendly roller coaster with maneuvers inspired by video games, including being blasted from a barrel, dramatic leaps over gaps and more, Universal said.
The landscape of the Donkey Kong franchise will be represented by waterfalls, tall trees, the Golden Temple and more.
For Super Nintendo World, Universal will sell Power-Up Bands, wearable technology that enables visitors to collect digital coins, stamps and keys and compete with other visitors.
Some of these park elements have been introduced in other Universal parks worldwide. A Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in March 2021. It has the Mario Kart dark ride, but an expansion that introduces Donkey Kong Country has been pushed to the second half of this year.
Universal Studios Hollywood in California opened Super Nintendo World in February 2023. It has the Mario ride but not Yoshi’s Adventure.
A Super Nintendo World is also planned for Universal Studios Singapore.
Epic Universe is currently under construction about 3 miles southeast of the bulk of the current Universal Orlando attractions. Rides and hotels can been seen as works in progress at the site, near the Orange County Convention Center.
The park, Orlando’s first new full-blown theme park since Islands of Adventure opened in 1999, also includes Celestial Park; How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk; Dark Universe, themed with classic monsters; and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. A precise opening date has not been announced.
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