First time going as a family. We just got the General Admission ticket for 2 days. I should have paid for Express and stayed only 1 day.
TAKEAWAY: Would I go again? No, I'm good. I'm glad I experienced it, but I wish I would have done an express pass and only one day.
Overall experience (early April 2023):
- So very crowded it's hard to move.
- Rides were okay to good (not great), but many times not worth the wait for us. I should have gotten the express pass! Pay the premium fee and enjoy your life. Just know that they have limited tickets for this, so buy them ahead of time.
- Food is okay
- Merch: Mario/Nintendo merch was pretty good. I didn't want one, but the headband with the mini Yoshi plushie on it was pretty clever and fairly popular. If you're into Harry Potter (we aren't that much) some of the merch could be fun, like the wands and such.
Rides:
- Most rides were an hour or longer wait
- IMO, an excessive amount of sound during the lines. Bring earplugs or noise-canceling headphones/earphones for better results
- Most rides are simulations. You see a screen while your seat either slightly tilts and shakes or possibly a more intense moving. They really lean into the "you're watching a movie" theme.
- At the end of the ride, I usually felt like it wasn't worth the wait, as compared to Disney where you walk off happy you did it (usually).
- Some rides require you to put your bags/backpacks in a locker (for free, for 90 or 120 minutes, depending on the locker area). These were The Mummy and the Harry Potter indoor ride. Some people didn't know how to do it and were putting their things in lockers, but not using the kiosk to actually secure them. It was a bit chaotic, but we figured it out. Requires a finger print biometric to secure. That part was pretty cool and reliable for me.
Food:
- We had some of the food in the park.
- The Lard Lad pink donut was good. It's huge! One fed our family of 4
- The other food we had was typical amusement park fare, not great, but not terrible: mid. As expected.
- Every time we thought to get some food or treat or something, there was a line. And not a short one.
Super Mario World:
- I don't think our family with older teens / young adults were the target market
- I thought it would be so cool!
- It was much smaller than I pictured
- It costs $40 + tax per watch band, which I think is required to play the "games" (more below) and complete the objective. It adds up quick. Pretty much required to enjoy Super Mario World, so it's somewhat of a hidden cost if you're not aware.
- Because there were so many people, it was hard to even walk around
- The basic gist is this: play/accomplish dead brain activities (spin a crank, you cannot fail) and you can get a key. Get at least 3 of 4 keys to get into Bowser Jr.'s castle and get the golden mushroom back. Every one of these requires you standing in a line. I thought we would be exploring more. Nope -- you stand in line in crowded spaces.
- I wondered what the end would look like to achieve the objective, but we didn't want to spend hours waiting in line to play 3 year old games to find out.
- We were excited to go on Bowser's Challenge, but it was a 2-3 hour wait (varied based on time). We were so disappointed with the land that we didn't stick around, and did not try on day 2. BTW, you cannot use the express ticket for this ride!
Réponse de l'hôte
Apr 2023
Hi there! Thank you for your detailed and thorough review. Although the spring season is a busy time, we fully recognize the impact that long wait times can have on your day. We have forwarded your feedback to our Senior Leadership Teams for future consideration, as we value and welcome any feedback that our guests are willing to share with us.