Super Nintendo World had its long awaited opening at Universal Studios Hollywood earlier this year and we finally got to experience it ourselves! My kids have been dreaming about this day since it’s concept announcement and their excitement was only fueled by the Nintendo Switch they received this past Christmas. It’s been all things Mario for months over here! I have been reading blogs and reviews about how to best navigate it for the past few months because it seems like the rest of the country was just as excited as we were so they have had all sort of queues and reservations in order to access the area. The thing is, there have been a few changes since the opening, so I’m here to give you a super up to date list of tips and tricks for making the most of your trip!
1. Pay for early entry
Starting a $20 a ticket you can access Super Nintendo World 1 hour before the theme park opens. You’ll add this on when you purchase your tickets on the website. If you want to get in there before the crowds this is really the only way. We arrived right after park opening and the only ride in the area was already a 3.5 hour wait. We were able to enter the park a few other times because of our Express Pass and our dining reservation (more on that later) and it stayed between 2-4 hours all day. The area also gets pretty packed, so you’ll want to take advantage of that time to use your Power Up band and hit all the challenges.
2. If you can’t get early entry, get the Express Pass
This is one of my biggest tips for a trip to Universal Studios in general because it essentially ensures that you’re able to get onto every ride in the park no matter how busy it is. The one ride you do not get expedited entrance to is Mario Kart Bowsers Challenge. This will, however, get you into Super Nintendo World without a reservation one per day when reservations are needed.
Let me break down the different entry options that we experienced while we were there on a busy summer day.
+ No reservation needed but those without ticket upgrades, like the express, had to wait in a physical line to enter
+ Virtual Queue reservation needed for anyone with a standard ticket and immediate access for those with specific upgraded tickets, like express
+ No reservation needed and immediate access for anyone (it was in the late afternoon when we saw this)
The entry requirements are subject to change, and so you really need to be flexible and take advantage of the best case scenario when it come up for you. Also, plan to stay in the area as long as you can because it may be tricky to be able to enter another time. I should also mention, no strollers are allowed and there is very limited food items sold, so bring snacks!
3. Get a reservation for Toadstool Cafe
This is the only restaurant in Super Mario World, and it is incredible! The ambiance and detail of the restaurant are 10/10! The problem is that you have to have a reservation and you can only make it by scanning a QR code you find in front of the restaurant. When we got there 30 minutes after the park opened, reservations were gone for the day, or so we thought. The nice man at the front of the restaurant explained that we should keep refreshing the landing page on the reservation website and there would be random times that opened up, and he was right! I’m not sure the rhyme or reason to it, but we just kept trying and got lucky. He also mentioned sometimes toward the end of the day they allow walk ins. The food portions were huge and delicious! Everything we tried was delicious!
4. Prepare to wait for Mario Kart Bowsers Challenge
Like I mentioned, there is unfortunately no way to speed up the line process for this ride, but it truly is one of the most epic rides I’ve ever experienced. It has all of the whimsy of a dark ride with the storytelling aspects around you, mixed with a VR interactive Mario Kart game. It was amazing! So, your options are to get early access to Super Mario World, wait whatever the posted wait time is during the day, or head to that area of the park an hour before it closes, as that seems to be the slowest time. Let me just say one more time though, this ride is worth it, so just be prepared to stay flexible in order to accommodate the line for this ride.
5. Buy a Power-Up Band
These, in my opinion, are a necessity to really enjoy the area to it fullest potential. They can be purchased inside the park at various different areas, but we got ours within Super Nintendo World. They are $40 a piece and come in a 6 different character styles. There are several interactive areas you can only participate in with a Power-Up Band, but luckily if your family has at least one, you’ll be good to go. We personally didn’t have the budget to buy 5 bands, or even 3 for the kids, so we got a family band and the kids took turns doing different challenges. The most exciting part is if you collect enough keys you get to use your band to unlock access to Bowser Jr’s Shadow Showdown. This was a close second to the ride, it was a super fun interactive game that we all could play, even though we only had one band. We had no idea what to expect going into it and it was a blast!
My last little tidbit is to try and squeeze in a meet and greet with some characters. I’m a sucker for characters at theme parks and Mario & Luigi did not disappoint. They looked just like their characters in the game and they spoke what I figure was just a few common catchphrases and their eyes open and shut. Mario & Luigi come out together and Princess Peach has her own spot at well. She was super cute but we weren’t able to wait in line to meet her this time.
If you have any specific questions about out trip, feel free to send me a message!
