On our recent trip to Universal Studios Hollywood in Hollywood California, we had the opportunity to purchase the early entry pass to get into Super Nintendo World an hour before the park opened.
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Earlier this year, Universal Studios Hollywood opened the first US based Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Universal Studios Japan was the first to open a Super Nintendo World)
With the opening came overwhelming excitement from Super Mario fans all over the country to get to play a real life game of Super Mario Bros! In order to manage some of the excitement, Universal Studios sells an early entry ticket that can be used in conjunction with your regular park ticket. The cost is either $20, $25, or $30 per person based on the expected crowd levels for the day.
When we went in early August, the cost was $30 and the early entry time was 7am. Fortunately we had a hotel nearby to quickly get to the park. Also, it was our first day in California coming from the Midwest, so we were still used to central time, felt like 8 when we got up and 9 when we got to the park.
- The above 360° image is from 7:15 am, just after arriving for early entry
We were inside the park by 6:45 am and by the time we arrived at Super Nintendo World, we were able to head straight in. It’s a bit overwhelming at first to see the incredibly immersive land. There are so many details and chances to play.
Speaking of playing, in order to collect coins and badges and keep track of your score, you will need an additional Mario wrist band, which can be purchased for $40 from the Nintendo stores or vending machines in the land.
I recommend purchasing the band from the 1up store in the Universal City Walk area the night before as you don’t need a ticket to access the City Walk area and having it ahead of time allows you to set it up in your hotel room when you’re not in a hurry. Then as soon as you’re in the land the next morning, you’re ready to play.
So, why should you do early entry? It’s less crowded! You can quickly go from coin box to coin box collecting coins, to the meet and greets to quickly meet your favorite characters, to the key challenge games, and to the Mario Kart Bowser Challenge ride. During early entry the ride wait time was about 30-40 minutes. After the rest of the day guests come in, the wait time quickly balloons to 2-3 hours. Also during early entry, you have a better shot to grab a Toadstool Cafe reservation to eat a meal at the only food spot in the kingdom.
Another aspect of Super Nintendo World is the Key Challenge games, where you play a game to collect a key. After you collect three keys, you can play a game against Bowser Jr! During early entry, the lines are pretty short compared to after when lines get to 30-45 minutes depending on the game. Once the keys are collected, the wait for Bowser Jr is typically pretty short regardless of when you go. Check out the Key Challenge video below.
So, is the land really that fun? When all was said and done, my daughter and I spent a total of 5 hours in Super Nintendo World that morning. We collected over 2,000 coins each, rode Mario Kart with the rest of the family, and played 3 of the 4 Key Challenge games as well as the Bowser Jr showdown. We also met Toad and Princess Peach and waved to Mario and Luigi when they walked past us. you can see them in the 360° image below.
- The above 360° image from nearly the same spot as the early entry 360° image above shows a much more crowded land at 9:15 am
So, should I do early entry? If you only have one shot to check out the new Super Nintendo World, you too should definitely take advantage of early entry. Experiencing the land in a less crowded environment helps with overcoming the initial WOW factor, understanding what is where and also just to have fun. Also, this is the only way to sort of skip the line for the Mario Kart ride, other than the single rider line.
So, what strategy should I use during early entry? After having been in the land and realizing there might be a better strategy than just running around, I would likely hit the key challenge games first as well as the character meet and greets if they’re available (they’re usually out for 15 minutes every 30-60 minutes – the meet areas have a return time posted if not currently there). Once you have the three keys and have met the characters available, go collect some coins and explore as much of the land as possible, then just before the early entry period ends, hit the Mario Kart ride. It might be a bit longer than earlier in the early entry period, but should still be under 45 minutes at this point.
So, will early entry be available for my trip? The app shows early entry availability through September 2024, so it looks like they’re planning on keeping it awhile. You used to have to purchase several weeks in advance, and that may be the case for the upcoming holiday weeks again, but otherwise right now you can typically buy it day of or day before.
Have you made it to Super Nintendo World yet? What was your favorite part? Do you have any other questions about Super Nintendo World or Early Entry? Comment below to let us know!
If you’re ready to start exploring a Walt Disney World or Disneyland family vacation, I recommend checking out Undercover Tourist for your ticket options. I’ve already used them twice, once at Disneyland and once at Disney World and will plan to continue comparing their prices with other sites, however I usually come back to UT because they have the best deals and their instructions make it easy to add your tickets to the Disney apps.
The 360 of Disney 