Mine-Cart Madness has been one of Epic Universe’s most in-demand attractions since the park opened in May of 2025, with wait times rarely under an hour. Given its popularity, there are some things about the ride that riders need to know before they ride for the first time.
Located in the Super Nintendo World Portal, the coaster-style attraction is a clone imported from Universal Studios Japan. Given that the ride is themed to Nintendo’s legendary Donkey Kong franchise and unique (in the U.S.) or Orlando, it’s unsurprising that guests are flocking to it. During my visit to Epic Universe in the summer of 2025, I saw this firsthand.
The Ride is Short
Mine-Cart Madness lasts just about a minute. While the experience is great — truly, it’s one of the most fun rides at the park, and the sequences where the car “jumps” the track are fantastic — this runtime is pretty short, especially when the ride’s wait times are usually well over an hour. Is that long wait “worth it”? Well, that depends on the eye of the rider, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind when hypothetically scheduling out your day.
The Ride is More Thrilling — and Slightly Rougher — Than it Looks.
From the outside, Mine-Cart Madness may appear to be a small-scale coaster. However, appearances can be deceiving. This ride is much more thrilling than one might expect, and to be blunt, a bit rougher on the body than most would anticipate.
Loading Accommodation
While the coaster typically loads using a moving walkway system, there’s actually a whole separate loading station for those who need more time, including those in wheelchairs and others who struggle with moving boarding platforms.
Soundtrack Warning
Finally, if you do choose to wait for Mine-Cart Madness — even in the single rider line — you’ll be waiting in the queue and hearing the SAME soundtrack over, and over, and over again. That can become especially grating if the ride happens to break down during your time in line, and the soundtrack will get jammed in your head for months afterwards… not that I would know or anything.
The wait times for Mine-Cart Madness don’t seem to be going down any time soon, so any potential first-time riders need to keep these things in mind before their visit. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Epic Universe.
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Have you ridden Mine Kart Madness yet? Let us know in the comments below.
The Donkey Kong Country music is an absolute jam.
All this and nothing about the zero tolerance for weather that the ride has?
It’s a kiddie coaster masquerading as an equal to Hagrid’s