If the new Super Nintendo World theme park at Universal Studios Japan is on your "post-pandemic travel" list , you now have a new reason to move it up the list, as Nintendo has announced an expansion that will significantly increase the park's size. The new area has been rumored for quite some time, and now we can finally confirm that Donkey Kong will be coming to the world of Mario.
Donkey Kong's jungle is coming to the Nintendo park
Nintendo has announced that it has begun expanding its theme park in Japan, and will be opening a new Donkey Kong-themed area. The new area will feature a roller coaster as its main attraction , and will also include interactive experiences, as well as the classic merchandise and food available at the many shops in the area.
The arrival of Donkey Kong was something that had been rumored for a long time, since a door with the logo of the gorilla saga had appeared in the current park. This finding raised the suspicions of the most curious visitors, and some pointed out that it could be a new thematic area in which to see another of Nintendo's great characters, which had been absent since the park's inauguration.
Improving the size of the park
If there was one thing many visitors felt the park lacked, it was size. Super Nintendo World doesn't seem to be a particularly large park, which means visitors are quite crowded. This problem has become more noticeable during the pandemic, so an expansion could help alleviate overcrowding. To be precise, the new area will increase the park's size by 70% , as confirmed by Nintendo itself, making the addition quite significant.
The problem is that Nintendo will not be able to enlarge its world much more. The land available in the Universal Studios area is more than used, and there is no free land other than the water areas in which Osaka Bay advances. For this reason, it will be very difficult to see any further expansion in the future, unless they take over the rights to other adjoining land or move the car parks to another remote location.
When can you visit the park?
Super Nintendo World is currently open to the public , so you can visit Mario's world without any problems. The only thing we'll have to wait for is Donkey Kong's world, which won't be ready until 2024 , when the mysterious door will open to expand the Mushroom Kingdom's domain.
That being said, if you want to enjoy the full park experience, you'd better plan your trip for 2024, as that's when you'll be able to fully enjoy all the surprises Nintendo has in store for us by then.