Mike S
Well-Known Member
Or just a Super Mario Bros. dark ride.
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Nintendo partnering with Universal to make attractions.
- Thread starter Sped2424
- Start date
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
Not going to refute you because you make a lot of great points, but wait times on their own are usually bad indicators, as MK’s capacity is somewhat low and USJ + USH themselves both have really bad capacity issues as parks. USH especially has only gotten Secret Life of Pets and Mario Kart since Forbidden Journey, and we already know that SLOP is not well-loved for whatever reasons.
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
Both Mario Kart and Donkey Kong are absolutely successful. People here like to confuse their personal wishes and opinions of the land with absolute fact and the general opinion of 99% of guests who go and it is absolutely not the case at all. SNW is one of the most successful lands built in Universal history, it's why they are so quick to build 4 of them. SNW and the recent additions of Minion Land and DreamWorks Land in USF also incredibly strengthen Universal's grasp on families with young kids which Disney kind of had a big edge over them for awhile with.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
You are confusing success and the very real criticism that they could have done a much better job on their attractions. One does not negate the other, I don’t think anyone feels the ride system was the best choice for Mario Kart. Nor does that mean we have a Supercharged situation going on here.
Donkey Kong also has horrible capacity. We’ll never truly be able to conclude much out of its wait time. Particularly when something like Flight of the Hippogriff has consistently a 120minute wait in USJ.
The land itself is great, there’s very little to criticize there and that definitely does a lot of leg work. But if all was exceedingly perfect, I doubt we’d be hearing panic that the land needs another attraction.
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
No I'm not. You are allowed to not like the attractions and have personal opinions but there are people here who treat the attractions as failures or missteps that comcast should be ashamed of which simply isn't the case, for example:
In general most people who visit the land probably like both Mario Kart and Donkey Kong and most likely think they are great fits for the land. Also, as I mentioned above some people here still like to conflate their personal opinions with the opinions of the majority. You kinda did it right there when you said "I don't think anyone feels the ride system was the best choice for mario kart", I can tell you that personally that just isn't true. In a perfect world where Universal had unlimited space and money, sure I think Mario Kart could've been cool as a fast test track type ride, but I don't mind what they went with either and I do think its the best choice for what they were going for. It's unique, it's a pretty long attraction for a universal ride, it's super advanced technologically, it's very interactive, and it allows the whole family to ride, even grandma who can't ride a thrill ride like test track or radiator springs racers anymore. Could the AR be a little better? Sure, but it's early technology and I also think it's something that Universal might choose to upgrade in the future when the technology improves (just look into the recent meta AR glasses they are developing if you want a glimpse into the future of this technology). Also, I don't think people wanting another attraction for the land means anything, of course people want more Nintendo, especially with what they've been able to deliver already!
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JackCH
Well-Known Member
I think you kind of proved his point though… even with what you described there were better possibilities than what they went with. If that perfect world for the fast Mario Kart ride didn’t exist, then they probably should have gone with a different concept for this ride (like just a Mario ride).
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
I said it'd be cool, I didn't say it was the best choice of ride system for what they were going for. It'd be very hard to incorporate the interactive elements they wanted too have on a fast paced ride like that, it's why something like Donkey Kong doesn't really have any on ride interactivity.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
For the record, I’m taking the middle of the road. Yea the people you were quoting were being dramatic, but I also feel like you are staunchly defending every decision here as the ideal outcome. They really shouldn’t have plopped a space constrained build in their white paper park. I’m at least grateful Epic does it only 1/5 times because usually the company is worse for that. I guess is at least a good sign in some interpretations that it’s popular, which it absolutely is. Again, internally, there is panic they under-built.
You keep invoking Test Track. Radiator Springs exists. Of course we don’t need a slot car system. There’s many viable options, when Disney is ironically now going to throw another viable system in the Magic Kingdom too. Mario Kart has the same height requirement, how is what they did truly more inclusive for the family? It isn’t, even Yoshi unnecessarily has a height requirement.
It’s not the perfect ride system because it poorly recreates the Mario Kart experience. Even the pitched proposed a completely different experience, more becoming of the games. That doesn’t make it a bad ride, just a mismatch. Which doesn’t mean rip it out either, just why did you need to use Mario Kart and not another Mario universe choice? I hear this too from the non theme park video game critics, who are particularly not super high on what they built for the ride. I actually think DK and Yoshi are fine systems, just shorter and half baked.
DonniePeverley
Well-Known Member
Personally they need to halt the work on Nintendo Land at Epic Universe, and redo the attractions - otherwise in my opinion it's another Fast N Furious supercharged disgrace.
Good thing literally no one takes your opinions seriously. What an absurd notion.
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
I'm not gonna argue the other points because we've all been going back and forth on this thread on this for like 50+ pages and let's be real we aren't changing anybody's personal opinions at this point here but SNW is definitely not space constrained at Epic Universe. They left room to expand the land on both sides of it. Generally Universal is pretty good with leaving expansion space but it's also not their fault they didn't think to buy up as much room as Disney did in the 60's so overall they just have less space in general. The land they bought over at Epic is definitely changing that though.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It is absolutely space constrained and neither of those plots was placed with the intent of being used by Super Nintendo World because neither plot exists in Japan. They may end up using the spaces for expansion, but it’ll be with difficulty and significant reworking of facilities. The back of house roads between the lands are full of utilities. The land itself is surrounded by program and structure to support the tall scenic walls.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
The space constraints are at USJ. What I'm saying is they built the land at Epic as if they had space constraints, which they don't. That's not how you handle a true white paper park build. They even had to throw in a large retail location in front of the land, because they know they screwed up.
A lot of what I'm saying isn't really opinion by the way. My opinion, as I've said multiple times, sides on being forgiving. 20% cloning without consideration is way better than Beijing, so I'm generally not displeased. I do generally like SNW quite a bit and write off a lot of the silliness as more likely than not Nintendo being super quirky.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens May 22 2025
bioreconstruct @bioreconstruct Dec 2 Aerial look at Epic Universe 1 Dual-racing coaster track 2,3 Far end of dual-racing coaster 4,5 Footers and recent excavation of roller coaster in How To Train Your Dragon land 6 Super Nintendo World 7 Water-centered spinning ride 8 Building near a Harry...
This post has a decent picture showing all of the diagonal bracing within the perimeter walls of Super Nintendo World that block easy access to the expansion pads.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Not only did they build it as if the constraints existed, they then went ahead added them in for good measure.
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
There's a path leading to a potential expansion both inside Donkey Kong and before you enter the portal into Donkey Kong in the main SNW area. Looks like they left themselves 2 potential paths to lead to an expansion and there might even be one on the other side too (though i think they may end up using that expansion plot for an outdoor theater type thing)
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Look at the construction photos. The steel framing for the Mario area is full of diagonal bracing. There are no paths that were left to either plot. They didn’t remove something that’s present in Japan to provide a clear space. Going to the east plot would mean something like reducing the size of Toadstool Cafe. At a minimum some functions would have to be removed and structure modified. There are no paths and that isn’t planning for expansion.
Back of house access is not always intended as expansion access. The western plot was created with the intent of being a separate land. All of the lands are bounded on three sides by service roads. The plot between Super Nintendo World and Dark Universe is no different complete with a clear connection to Celestial Park. Any of the lands could cross their service roads but that’s not how they were laid out. Those roads are full of utilities and provide back of house access to different parts of Celestial Park. Donkey Kong Country also looks easier because the physical scenic wall was cut in lieu of a cheaper landscaped berm.
sonoma15
Well-Known Member
Guess we'll just have to wait and see then
Mike S
Well-Known Member
So if the talk of Luigi’s Mansion is true it’ll have its own separate entrance?
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Guess we'll just have to wait and see then
Choosing to do something now doesn’t mean it is what was considered over half a decade ago. Parks are constantly being changed in ways not originally envisioned.