After all the waiting, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is finally open to the public. Now anyone and everyone can enter the vibrantly colored Mushroom Kingdom, collect coins with their Power-Up Band, return the Golden Mushroom that Bowser Jr. stole from Princess Peach, meet Mario and Luigi, take a spin on Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and eat a funfetti Princess Peach cupcake at the Toadstool Café.

Having gotten an early preview before everything was fully functional, and then making a return trip during technical rehearsals to try out the ride and some of the food offerings, I was excited to go back again for the media day just before the grand opening, to be able to fully report for Collider on all the inner-workings of the land. It’s an absolute blast and a joyful delight that never gets old, getting to walk through the giant green Warp Pipe into the 360-degree gaming world where, if you’re not a kid, you’ll definitely feel like one while you’re there. For anyone thinking about heading to Super Nintendo World, I've compiled some pro-tips and included a gallery of some of Collider's exclusive images that should help with planning your visit.

Pro-Tip: Have Realistic Expectations

The first Super Nintendo World opened in 2021 at Universal Studios Japan, and the next one, which will be opening at Universal Orlando Resort’s upcoming Epic Universe theme park in 2025, is set to be the biggest one yet. While the land at Universal Studios Hollywood is small in size, it does feel a lot bigger once you’re inside, and the constant movement, music and sounds help in making it feel alive. But because this is a new land that has high interest, demand to get inside could outweigh capacity and that means there’s a chance you won’t be able to check it out during your visit. Even if you do get in on a busy day, you could be waiting in line for the ride and the challenges for quite a while, and you might need to get a walk-up reservation to order food that could have you waiting around for a few hours. There is a virtual queue option, and you can purchase an early access ticket for $20, one hour before the theme park opens, but both are limited availability and not guaranteed. However, it’s likely that demand will vary as park capacity varies, depending on the season and the day of the week, so just be prepared.

Super Nintendo World grand opening at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17, 2023
Image via Universal Studios Hollywood

Pro-Tip: You Don't Need a Power-Up Band (But it Enhances the Experience)

While you do not have to purchase a Power-Up Band for $40 to enter the land, and you can still punch question mark blocks and learn your score on the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride, without one, you won’t have that extra layer of interactivity. If you decide you want to keep a record of your score from the challenges and the ride, know how many coins you’ve collected, and check your score against the highest score of the day and the highest score of all-time, then you can purchase the band either in the land itself or at any of the retail stores, link that to Universal Studios app, and be fully immersed in the game.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the additional cost necessary to enhance the experience inside the land, but the Power-Up Band adds a really fun extra layer that makes it feel like it’s worth the cost. Whether you’re recording your score from the ride, punching blocks that are located outdoors in the Mushroom Kingdom as well as inside some of the buildings, collecting prizes from inside the Toadstool Café or by locating 8-bit characters that magically appear, or you want to complete four key challenges to win get the Golden Mushroom back for Princess Peach, your personal gaming experience will weave into your time in the land in a way that definitely gets a bit addictive.

Super Nintendo World Power-Up Band being used at Universal Studios Hollywood
Image via Universal Studios Hollywood

Pro-Tip: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge Is a New Ride System

The centerpiece of Super Nintendo World is the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride that’s located in Bowser’s Castle, which is an immersive and interactive dark ride attraction. If you’ve never experienced the ride, I would highly recommend going through the queue and watching all of the instructional videos the first time you go on it, in order to fully understand how the Augmented Reality technology works. If you think you may only be able to go on the ride once during your time in Super Nintendo World, I would advise watching a YouTube video of the instructions before you go. If you can’t do that, the best advice I can give is, once you have the visor on, adjust it to fit, snap on the AR shield, and you’re ready to race, be sure to watch for the arrows and steer the wheel (if you hold it in the direction that you’re meant to turn, you get extra coins for drifting) to collect coins, throw shells at the enemy, and turn your head and focus your eye line in the direction of where you want those shells to go. While it sounds easy enough, it still takes a minute to get used to how it all works, as you move along the track, and there's no guarantee that you'll pull out a win for Team Mario, as things can also go Team Bowser's way, if your score isn't high enough.

Once you’ve experienced the full queue (which you absolutely want to do at least once because it’s totally worth it) and gotten the hang of things, there is a single rider option that will likely help speed up the line wait time quite a bit, if you’re looking to ride again (and again!). I love that the ride blends physical sets with technology, so that there’s plenty to look at, and the coolest part of the approximately five-minute ride is definitely the rainbow road. It’s not a fast thrill ride, but is instead a family-friendly attraction, as long as you meet the height requirements (guests must be 48" or taller to ride alone, and 40" or taller to ride with a supervising adult). And while there is no weight restriction, the ride does use a lap bar, has individual seats with four to a car, and comfortability can vary, so if you have any question about how well you might fit, there is a test seat that you can try out before spending time waiting in line.

Super Nintendo World guests in the ride vehicles for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge at Universal Studios Hollywood
Image via Universal Studios Hollywood

Pro-Tip: Mario & Luigi and Princess Peach Can Communicate with Guests

If you want to take a break from all gameplay, you can take time out by getting your photo with Mario and Luigi, right in the center of Mushroom Kingdom, or Princess Peach in her gazebo. It’s a more interactive experience than the typical character meet-and-greet because these characters blink, move their moves and speak to you, making for a super fun, really memorable moment. And the employees standing with the characters reportedly have access to the score you've collected through your Power-Up Band, which can be used to personalize the experience even further.

Pro-Tip: The Food is Delicious (But the Servings are Large)

When you make your way into the land’s signature restaurant, Toadstool Café, you have your pick of food that has been impeccably themed for the Mushroom Kingdom. With everything from cheesy garlic knots shaped like mushrooms, mushroom soup in the cutest of mushroom bowls, a Mario cheeseburger and Luigi chicken burger, the fire flower spaghetti and meatballs (beware, it is a bit spicy), a Piranha plant caprese salad, a vegan tomato soup, and seasonal offerings (which currently includes a short rib special), there’s a wide variety to choose from. Of course, the absolute stand-outs on the menu are the desserts, where you have the option of the Block tiramisu, Mount Beanpole cake, and the Princess Peach cupcake, all of which can definitely be shared. And stay tuned for the Bowser’s Fireball Challenge menu item, which will be coming soon.

Super Nintendo World food selection from Toadstool Cafe at Universal Studios Hollywood
Image via Universal Studios Hollywood

Pro-Tip: Just Have an Absolute Blast!

You can commemorate your visit to the Mushroom Kingdom with a trip to the 1-Up Factory retail shop, which has a selection of merchandise, such as Mario and Luigi-themed apparel, an array of plush characters (including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser), special popcorn buckets, character mugs and pins, and the wildly popular character headbands.

Gallery images by Christina Radish and Therese Lacson.