VIDEOS & PHOTOS: What It's Like to Ride Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge in Universal's Super Nintendo World

Something really exciting has happened over at Universal Studios Hollywood!

Super Nintendo World has officially opened! This is a new addition to the theme park that takes guests on a journey into the land of Nintendo video games. The land features a brand new ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. We had a chance to ride this “real-life” version of Mario Kart, so let’s see what it’s like!

Super Nintendo World pts YOU, the guest, inside the classic world of Mario. Throughout your visit, you’ll be earning points. That’s also the case with Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.

What sets this ride apart, though, is that it uses a ton of different technologies, like augmented reality (AR), actual set pieces, and a moving ride track. You move through courses in a four-seat vehicle while wearing AR goggles, earning points for Team Mario, collecting coins, and trying to beat Team Bowser. Can you get the coveted Golden Cup?

To get on the ride, search for the “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” sign with the Boswer flag nearby. Note that wait times can be high — we experienced about a 100-minute wait on opening day when we visited.

There’s a LOT to explore in this queue. There are staircases in some areas though, so you may see signs in certain spots pointing you to wheelchair-accessible parts of the line. Be on the lookout for those depending on your needs.

For us, the next step was to go up the staircase in a colorful room.

This particular room has some bright floral designs and a hand-drawn/colored feel.

In another portion of the queue, you’ll see all kinds of glowing mushrooms and rocks.

Check out the queue for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge! It’s got all the neon magical glow-in-the-dark vibes 🍄💎🌟 pic.twitter.com/XbTV53QYKP

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) February 17, 2023

Then it’s time to head up some more stairs.

Look closely at the walls because you might just spy a Yoshi running around!

Everyone say hi to Yoshi! 👋 pic.twitter.com/oUmWvR2h0t

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) February 17, 2023

And be sure to look ALL around you as you might get some spectacular views of the land from above.

You’ll eventually make your way inside Bowser’s Castle to really get things started.

Bowser wastes NO time in making it clear that this is HIS domain — you’re just the visitor!

In this portion of the queue, there is a LOT to look for! You might spot some items that look a lot like the trophies you might ordinarily see in Mario Kart games.

There’s even a special Universal-themed trophy!

And you’ll find one that says “Professional Kart Racing Distinguished Driver.” We bet you know a few friends who think they’ve totally earned this trophy after their hundreds of races in the games.

Look to the walls too, where you’ll find symbols representative of the various cups in the Mario Kart games.

Then it’s off to enjoy more of Bowser’s domain.

Looks like he’s made things comfy for himself!

You’ll really want to take your time in the queue to admire all of the little details scattered throughout.

There’s just one problem…it seems you’re entering a few spaces Bowser would rather you stay out of!

There’s even a whole container of Bob-ombs in one room…

…and an assembly line creating Mechakoopas!

Looks like there’s still a lot of production work to go!

Thankfully we didn’t need to scan someone else’s pawprint to get into the next room…we might be in trouble if we needed to do that.

Then it’s time to hop into a room where you can admire some of the lovely racing outfits that belong to Peach…

…Luigi…

…and the other characters.

And don’t forget to watch that Mario Kart TV coverage!

Many fans will recognize this as the news station that shows highlights from the race or a replay from different angles. Here, the MKTV channel is more informative as it shows how to use certain things on the ride.

You’ll also get a view of your opponents who are racing on Team Bowser — they’re going DOWN!

Then you’ll grab your headgear which is key to this attraction.

These hats attach to goggles located in each ride vehicle that unlock the AR effects in the ride so you can really get immersed in the story and the game. While you pick up the hats separately, the goggles are attached to the ride vehicles through a cord so those will remain within the vehicles themselves.

Once you’ve grabbed your hat, you’ll head downstairs…

…and into the loading area.

Then you’ll hop into your vehicle…

…and get going!

Throughout the ride, you’ll work to collect coins and throw items. There are buttons on your steering wheel to press to do this. You can tap your Power-Up Band on the steering wheel to connect your band to the ride. We did this but it didn’t quite seem to work for us. When it does work, it should show that you’ve earned points on the ride.

Here’s a closer look at the Power-Up Bands in action! pic.twitter.com/Nye2sP4q5Z

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) February 17, 2023

What’s nice is how the ride incorporates those physical elements and props with the AR effects.

Take a peek at the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride! Watch out for that Thwomp! pic.twitter.com/JcWRWyLpZh

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) February 17, 2023

Our reporter who experienced the ride said it was very cool. They compared it to something like Toy Story Midway Mania, but with a Mario theme (obviously) and AR effects instead of 3-D ones on the screens.