I’m a Wheelchair User and Here’s What You Need To Know About Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe

Epic Universe is Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, and I would be lying if I said it isn’t slowly creeping up on my “favorite theme parks ever” list.

As someone who is theme park obsessed, I’m pretty picky when it comes to theme parks. I’m even more picky when it comes to accessibility at a theme park. One of Epic Universe’s themed lands is Super Nintendo World, and it is the one that I was most concerned about after learning that to enter the land, there’s a giant escalator. Let’s roll into a green pipe and see how accessible the video game world is.

Two of the Three Attractions Have Wheelchair Access Vehicles

Wheelchair Access Vehicles (WAV) let you stay in your wheelchair during the ride, and these are perfect for those who don’t want to or can’t transfer to the ride vehicle. Yoshi’s Adventure and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge both have them!

For Yoshi’s Adventure, there’s a small seat set aside for a friend to join, and both guests will be able to hit the egg buttons throughout the ride.

While you can transfer to Mario Kart, and there’s a practice ride vehicle when you enter to see if it works for you, the WAV will load in a separate area before it moves you to the ride. You’ll still get your Mario visor and a steering wheel to use, too! You can bring up to two family members with you for this one. Everyone else will need to ride in a separate car.

Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness Has a Separate Loading Area

To enter your mine cart the traditional way, you’ll need to be able to step onto a conveyor belt. However, if that doesn’t work for you, there’s a whole separate loading station. They’ll pull a whole cart off the track, and you can take as much time as you need to transfer. They even had a transfer bench, so I could slide right on over.

The Ground? A DREAM!

This might be a “if you know, you know” sorta thing for wheelchair users, but I loved rolling on the ground in Super Nintendo World. It was smooth, mostly flat (except for the entrance to Donkey Kong Country), and had just enough texture that it didn’t feel like I would roll all over the place. You’ll especially notice how amazing the ground is here when you head over to Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the Ministry of Magic.

Yes, the Entrance Has Escalators, But There Are Elevators

As soon as you see the escalators, turn to the right, and you’ll go down a long green hallway (which is where you enter the pipe). Two elevators will take you up to the next level, where you’ll enter the castle. On this level, you’ll find Mario Kart and a few mini-game sections, and if you want to get to the rest of the land, you’ll go in another set of elevators.

These elevators are not necessarily small, but I wouldn’t call them big. Because you’ll also be in line with strollers, you may have to wait a little while before boarding.

If you’re heading straight to Donkey Kong, Yoshi’s, or anything on the bottom floor, you can usually enter through the portal exit. Then you won’t have to go on any elevators! Keep in mind that it’s unlikely they’ll let you through the exit in the morning, but once people are starting to move around the park more freely, you’re usually able to go through the exit to avoid an extra set of elevators.

You Can Use the Power Up Bands, But You Might Not Get the Iconic Photo

One part I was looking forward to in Super Nintendo World was using a Power-Up Band to collect coins and play mini-games throughout the land. While I haven’t tried the mini games yet, I did want the iconic picture of hitting the yellow block.

Some blocks are kid-sized, which is perfect for wheelchair users, but all the blocks I saw had a step underneath them so little ones can reach. I could reach over the step, but the photo isn’t quite the same as everyone else’s, since I couldn’t get underneath the block like Mario.

Overall, I’m very impressed with Epic Universe, but hey, that’s what a new theme park should be! Keep following AllEars for everything you need to know about your trip to Universal.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD IN A WHEELCHAIR

What do you wish you knew before going to Super Nintendo World? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

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