ORLANDO, Fla. — Spectrum News got a first look at Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, which is set to open on May 22.
The highly anticipated park will include five themed worlds: Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.
Here is a closer look at Super Nintendo World, including photos, attraction highlights, food options and more.
💫 MORE EPIC UNIVERSE COVERAGE:
This world brings video games to life with its attractions, dining, shopping and interactive experiences inspired by the Super Mario franchise, and for the first time in the United States, Donkey Kong Country.
Guests will first enter Super Mario Land through the iconic green pipe, and then be greeted by familiar landmarks and characters including Mount Beanpole, Princess Peach’s Castle, Bowser’s Castle, Koopas, Goombas, Piranha Plants, spinning coins, "?" Blocks and more. And from there, they can venture through Donkey Kong Country.
Here are more details of what to expect at Super Nintendo World, according to Universal Orlando:
Super Mario Land
The colorful landscapes of the Mushroom Kingdom come to life in Super Mario Land, where guests can experience:
Main Attractions 🎢🎭
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge: Guests can join Team Mario and battle Team Bowser for the Golden Cup in this attraction, which fuses augmented reality, projection mapping technology and elaborate environments to bring the fun of the Mario Kart video game series to life in a ride-through experience.
Guests up for the challenge will enter through Bowser’s Castle — where they’ll wind its corridors and get a glimpse of Bowser’s deceptive plans to stack the odds in his favor before boarding their kart and heading to the starting line. Then, guests steer through a variety of Mario Kart courses — collecting coins, tossing shells at Team Bowser and dodging obstacles — as they join their favorite characters and compete to help Team Mario win the race.
- Yoshi’s Adventure: The attraction will make its U.S. debut. On this family-friendly ride, guests of all ages will enjoy views of Super Mario Land as they join Yoshis and travel through Mushroom Kingdom landscapes in search of glowing eggs, encountering many familiar characters along the way.
- Meet and Greets: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad characters will meet, greet and interact with visitors throughout various areas in Super Mario Land.
Food Options 🍔🥤
- Toadstool Cafe: At Toadstool Cafe, guests can enjoy a variety of dishes inspired by the world of Super Mario and its characters, including Mario and Luigi-themed burgers, Super Mushroom Soup, Piranha Plant Caprese and Fire Flower Spaghetti and Meatballs. Guests will also get glimpses of several Toads cooking up culinary creations through virtual windows as they dine inside the restaurant.
- Yoshi’s Snack Island and Turbo Boost Treats: Guests can pick up treats, snacks and beverages at the walk-up dining locations.
- 1-UP Factory and Mario Motors: These retail locations feature souvenirs, apparel and toys inspired by their favorite Super Mario characters and adventures.
Donkey Kong Country
At the edge of Super Mario Land, guests will discover an entrance that leads them to Donkey Kong Country, where they can explore the tropical landscape from the video game series, complete with tall trees, waterfalls and landmarks such as The Golden Temple. Here, guests can enjoy:
Main Attractions 🎢🎭
- Mine-Cart Madness: Ride a mine cart as it careens through the jungle to help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the coveted golden banana on this first-of-its-kind family coaster. Mine-Cart Madness will send riders on an adventure, and they will experience the maneuvers that they’ve seen Donkey Kong and the mine carts perform in the video games — including getting blasted out of a barrel and seemingly jumping over gaps as they speed along a rickety track.
- The Bubbly Barrel: A selection of tropical menu offerings in the middle of the jungle, all inspired by the Donkey Kong Country video game franchise and its characters.
- Funky's Fly 'n' Buy: Donkey Kong’s friend, Funky Kong, transformed his airplane into an open air jungle market. Find a variety of Donkey Kong-themed clothing, souvenirs and more.
Power-Up Bands
Guests can play interactive games throughout Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Countr in the form of Power-Up bands, which can be purchased at various retail spots in Universal Studios Hollywood as well as inside Super Nintendo World at the 1-UP Factory store. With the Power-Up Band, guests can collect digital coins by punching "?" Blocks and playing interactive activities, collect digital stamps on attractions, earn digital keys to unlock an exclusive showdown against Bowser Jr., and discover other hidden surprises.