Universal visitors are officially one step closer to seeing Nintendo come to life. Universal filed permits for the land that will become Super Nintendo World, and they highlight some of the features that are coming to the resort.
According to a report by local Orlando news station WFTV, Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone will be demolished in early 2018, and the new land will open just shortly after the already-in-construction Universal Japan version, which is slated to open around 2020. The report also contains several new details that are very intriguing. Super Nintendo World will be around 8.8 acres in size and contain sections themed to Mario and Donkey Kong in addition to attractions themed to both of them. The most eye-opening bit of information is that Nintendo is being planned for not just Universal Studios Florida, but also for Islands of Adventure and the long-rumored third park on the recently purchased property located south of the current resort.
Several months ago, early plans for Nintendo leaked online showing a top-down view of what the land would look like. While we cannot share the image due to it being pulled from multiple sites, we can give a description of what has changed. Super Nintendo World was to take up most of the KidZone, excluding the E.T. Adventure, and was planned to extend into the backstage area in the upper corner of the park. The Mario/Donkey Kong sections are still present as reported by WFTV, but there are some notable differences. The Legend of Zelda was to have its own mini-land inside of Super Nintendo World, but it seems that it has been cut from the final project. Also, the permits show no mention of any Yoshi attraction, like the one coming to Japan; no word has come out on whether it will make it to the Orlando version. The new version seems smaller than originally planned, but it makes sense given some of the plans have shifted.
As for what is coming to the other parks, there are two main options for lands. As mentioned earlier, The Legend of Zelda seems to have been cut from the project; it will likely become a land of its own in another park. The other major IP from Nintendo missing from the plans is Pokemon. The new park being developed could start from scratch with either, but, since we don’t know the overall plan/theme of the new park, we can only guess what will go there. As for Islands of Adventure, there is no room left to expand, so the only choice is to remove The Lost Continent or Toon Lagoon. Ever since the news broke, many insiders have begun to point to Toon Lagoon as a likely candidate to be replaced by Pokemon, but those are rumors for now.
These lands are all part of an exciting future for Universal Studios’ parks around the world. Stay tuned to Attraction Insight for the latest details on Super Nintendo World.
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