Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood opened almost exactly a year ago (February 17th 2023) and the fun wonderland straight out of our pixelated dreams has remained one of the most popular attractions.
But navigating those warp pipes, collecting virtual coins, and facing off against Bowser Jr. can be a little tricky.
That is why in this post, we bring you the best tips and tricks to level up your Super Nintendo World experience. We recently made a visit and not only had a blast but hacked our way through the experience so we could share with you for your next visit. Enjoy everyone!
1 – Early Entry Pass
Description:
Make sure you have a plant to beat the Koopa Troopas aka the crowds! If you want to access Nintendo Land without spending your whole day standing in endless lines, be sure to get an early entry pass.
Explore Peach’s Castle, ride Bowser’s Challenge coaster, and collect Power Stars with minimal wait times by accessing the park one hour before it officially opens to everyone else. It’s like having the Mushroom Kingdom practically to yourself.
With shorter lines you can get on your favorite rides multiple times, and collect more coins with the mini games, all before the big crowd rushes in and the lines get crazy.
Early access tickets to the park also gives you a better chance to get reservations to the Toadstool Cafe (more on that below), and to enjoy shorter lines when meeting the characters. I hope you are an early bird like me, because this hack is the best one for enjoying as much as possible.
We were able to access more attractions during the first hour then we were for the rest of the time we were there.
Location: Universal Studios hollywood
Pic Credit: @nintendo
2 – Power Up Bands
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Nintendo World is an interactive experience, so ditch the spectator role and become an active participant! Collect digital coins throughout the land, tap your band on Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge to track your score, and complete Key Challenges to earn virtual keys.
It’s like stepping straight into your favorite Mario game. Did I forget to mention the bands are super cool looking? Your young gamer will love to choose a Power Band with their favorite character Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, or Yoshi.
Also the character band you choose is actually your team! When you get into Bowser’s castle your team character is the one in your Power Band. You will want to keep your band because you can bring it with you the next time your at the park and will not have to buy another one.
Location: Universal Studios hollywood
PIC Credit: @KTLA
3 – Reservations at Toadstool Cafe
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Entrance to Toadstool Cafe can be tricky, so we highly recommend an early entrance pass to the park for your best chance at eating here. In our experience, arriving at Super Nintendo World before the park opens is the best way to snag a high demand spot at Toadstool cafe.
The trick is to scan the QR code posted at the entrance of the cafe as soon as you step into the land, that’s right before you even rush to ride Nintendo Kart. This is because of limited capacity to the Cafe and all the other Koopa troopas who, like you, are hoping for a spot.
There’s no way to completely guarantee access or a reservation to Toadstool Cafe, and the time slots available are only for the same day. So trust us when we say, get there early. But for everyone else who absolutely can’t be at the park at 8:00 am, try making a reservation through the app while you are in the park.
Other options include purchasing VIP or express passes. Is it worth all this trouble? Well it kind of does match the theme of Nintendo Land, after all you have to conquer something to move on to the next level.
Once you make your way into the cafe, enjoy the vibrant recreation of the iconic Mushroom Kingdom. You’ll be delighted with all the details, colorful murals, and interactive pipes and clouds.
Expect Mario theme dishes, with playful presentations. You and your kids will love this one of a kind experience.
Location: Universal Studios hollywood
PIC Credit: @wdwnewstoday
4 – Pro Gamer Pointers
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Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood is the ultimate playground for kids and grown ups who are Mario fans. The amazing recreation of the Mushroom Kingdom will make for awesome family pictures, and the land comes with a Mario Kart ride, a Bowser challenge experience, a beautiful castle with all the princess Peach decor, gift shop, and of course the ultimate dining experience at Toadstool Cafe.
Strategy is key to optimize your time and explore the entire land, so here are our pro gamer pointers that will help you dominate the game and unlock the land’s hidden secrets.
Early Bird Gets the Warp Pipe. This is our first pointer, aim to arrive early, especially on weekends and holidays. This gives you a precious head start on exploring the land before the crowds descend. Also scan the QR code for Toadstool cafe posted at the entrance, do this right when you arrive if you wish to dine at the cafe. If you skip this step you may miss the chance to visit the cafe.
Get a map. Also trust me on this, there are a number of interactive activities in this fantastic land and you don’t want to miss any of them. Get familiar with the locations of the mini games, so you and your little gamers can conquer the challenges and collect the coins. You and your team will need to do this to enter Bowser’s castle.
Experience Mario Kart. Mario Kart is the only actual ride in Nintendo World Universal Studios Hollywood, so of course it is as popular as you can imagine. Get there as soon as possible. Otherwise you’ll be waiting in endless lines.
Meet Mario and Friends. Our last pointer, keep an eye for characters meet and greet, follow your map and find the meet up points. Also remember by getting there early you can be first in line to meet princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, or Toad. You can also follow showtimes using the Universal Studios App.
Location: Universal Studios hollywood
PIC Credit: @Theunuofficalguides
5 – Virtual Line Experience
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All visitors have the option to use Virtual Line, so if you and your team are not early birds, you can use this virtual line option instead, to reduce wait times. It will save you wait time for sure while you explore the rest of the park.
Virtual line experience is for land entrance only and it doesn’t hold you a spot at Mario Kart, or Bowser’s challenge. It doesn’t guarantee a reservation to Toadstool cafe either.
To use virtual line experience you need to download the Universal Studios app first. Once you are inside the park, open the app and check virtual line reservations for that day. If you have Universal Express privileges, then you will enjoy reservation free entry to Super Nintendo World.
Hope you enjoyed this post, and use all these great pointers. It will surely help you to maximize your Nintendo World experience. Have fun visiting the vibrant Mushroom Kingdom!
Location: Universal Studios hollywood
PIC Credit: @Undercovertourist
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