UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca. – Universal Studios Hollywood is preparing to open the Mushroom Kingdom’s warp pipe to excited guests on Feb. 17.
The new land invites guests into the 360-degree world of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach, where they will become an integral part of their exhilarating universe. The land is home to the groundbreaking virtual reality experience called “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge”, the Toadstool Café, 1-UP Factory souvenir store and a number of games for the entire family to enjoy.
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The idea of Super Nintendo World all started with the first land opening at Universal Studio’s Japan in 2021.
It didn’t take long before the company saw the growing success and decided to bring it to the intellectual property here to the U.S., first at its Hollywood Park. Universal Creative said it worked hand-in-hand with Nintendo to bring the land to life in creative and innovative ways.
Just as Universal Studios Hollywood rolls out the red carpet, Universal Orlando Resort is already preparing for its own land -- in what some are calling a much bigger scale.
“So we’re building this giant new park in Orlando called Epic Universe,” Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal explained during an earnings call last year. “It’s going to be anchored by Nintendo. So, Super Nintendo World will have a full land there like it does in Japan, which I think, based on the success of Japan, I’m very excited about.”
Knowing that Super Nintendo World was coming to Epic is no kept secret. Comcast, Universal’s parent company, first broke the news that Super Nintendo World would be coming to the east coast new theme park back in 2020.
The news excited the community and Nintendo fans alike.
Comcast said at the time that it hopes the new Nintendo World will bring in more park guests, comparing its popularity to Harry Potter.
“Nintendo, based on our research, is one of the biggest potential drivers of attendance that you could have of any kind of IP,” a Comcast official said. “It’s up there with Harry Potter, which in some of our parks Harry Potter drove incremental attendance of about 2 million people.”
Besides Super Nintendo World, Universal executives have kept Epic Universe’s other themed lands a tight secret. Construction on the project is in full swing right now, with many structures already beginning to take shape.
See video over the construction site below.
The new park is located a few miles from Universal Orlando’s current theme parks in southwest Orange County, south of Sand Lake Road and east of Universal Boulevard, right around the corner from the Orange County Convention Center. Universal said work on Epic Universe is resulting in hundreds of jobs within the resort and thousands of jobs across Central Florida.
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