Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood – Frequently Asked Questions

We recently had the pleasure of visiting the new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood and wanted to create a space to answer some of the most common questions that we had before visiting the land to try and help future visitors.

If you have a specific question you’d like answered, feel free to leave a comment below for it to be answered within this post.

How Long Do You Need Inside Super Nintendo World?

Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is surprisingly small – smaller than The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Inside the land you’ll find;

• 1 Ride
• 2 Meet & Greet Locations
• 1 Store
• 1 Restaurant
• 5 Mini-Games (PowerUp band required)

As such, if everything was ‘walk on’ and there were no queues we estimate that including lunch or dinner at Toadstool Cafe, you could complete everything comfortably in roughly two hours.

However, it’s likely to be a number of years before we experience these types of moments and instead, you’ll need to take into consideration wait times.

Based on our experience it will take anything from 4 to 7 hours to complete everything inside of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. With an estimated 50% to 70% of your time being spent waiting in line.

Based on our experience the breakdown is likely to be;

Does Super Nintendo World Have Zelda Rides, Characters & Merch?

Zelda is one of the most popular games available primarily on Nintendo consoles.

Therefore many (myself included) were left asking the question as to whether or not the new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood would feature Zelda in any way.

While the name ‘Super Nintendo World’ implies that they’ll be a range of Nintendo characters and merch. The reality is that this land is centred around the Mario franchise – as such Super Nintendo World has no rides, characters or merchandise dedicated to the Zelda franchise.

Given the size of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, it’s unlikely that you’ll see Zelda featured in the land in the future unless the land undergoes a major expansion – which at this time is highly unlikely.

Thankfully, there is one place at Universal Studios Hollywood where you should be able to find Zelda merchandise – and that is the Hot Topic store in CityWalk.

Hot Topic features a range of merchandise (t-shirts, figures, pins etc.) from a variety of different bands, tv-shows and video games – including, Zelda.

Of course, all product availability is based on what Hot Topic is stocking at that time. So while Zelda products are likely, they are not always guaranteed.

Is Super Nintendo World Just Mario Rides, Characters & Merch?

While the name ‘Super Nintendo World’ implies that they’ll be a range of Nintendo characters and merch, sadly this is not the case.

The reality is that Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is centred around the Mario franchise and only has characters, rides, food and merchandise that feature Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and Toad.

Given the size of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood it’s unlikely that we’re going to see any new rides or attractions from any other franchises in the near future given that this would require an expansion.

Instead, we may see new merchandise or characters during special events in order for the company to test the popularity and interest – however, as of right now, nothing has been confirmed.

What Characters Can You Meet At Super Nintendo World?

One of the best parts of any theme park experience is the ability to interact with different characters, and the new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is no different.

Currently, you can meet Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach at Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.

This is done across two different meet-and-greet locations within the land.

These meet-and-greet areas have digital signs and have a relatively muted Super Nintendo World background, as such we expect that other characters could be brought into the land either as a standard feature or for special events throughout the year.

Sadly, during our most recent visit to Super Nintendo World, the characters had concluded meeting guests for the day (this was at 5pm, when the park was set to close at 7pm).

Therefore, in this case, the digital sign showed that the characters will be ‘back tomorrow’.

Given our experience, there’s, therefore, no guarantee that once inside Super Nintendo World you’ll be able to meet any of the characters.

How Many Rides Are Inside Super Nintendo World?

There is just one ride inside Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, that ride is Mario Kart: Bowsers Challenge.

This ride took six years to develop and was originally featured in the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan.

The ride uses AR technology used which sees real-world set pieces blend with a world of digital fantasy and is unlike any other ride we’ve previously been on.

The average wait times for this ride are expected to be between 60 and 180 minutes.

However, I was able to use the single rider line (to the right as you enter the castle, just past the test seats) and wait just 20 minutes instead of the reported 90 at the time.

I was a single rider (my wife was outside with our little boy who was too small to ride) and actually ended up with nobody seated next to me.

For those with children, it’s worth noting that child swap is operating on this ride. Just be sure to speak to staff members throughout the queuing process who will be able to direct you.

The height restrictions for this ride are; 48″ to ride alone and 40″ to ride accompanied.

Much like all rides at Universal Studios Hollywood, there are height measurement bars outside which we recommend using if you’re unsure.

However, this isn’t the only thing you may want to consider before getting in line for this ride, since the lap bar also restricts plus-sized guests.

Based on reports, those with a waist of 40″ or more will be unable to ride due to the lap bar required to secure guests in position on the ride.

For those unsure, there is a test seat just inside the castle and to the right – before you enter the queue.

The light needs to flash green in order for you to be able to ride. If you’re unsure, speak to one of the staff members at the ride entrance who will be happy to assist you.