Super Nintendo World Mario Kart Ride Has Strict Waistline Limits
Height limits have always been a challenge for some amusement park visitors, as thrill ride safety features are not designed to accommodate all riders. But Mario fans who flock to Universal Studios Hollywood this month for the opening of Super Nintendo World may not be able to enjoy the park’s most thrilling attraction, this time because of their waistlines.
According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Universal Studios Hollywood warned that some guests may not be allowed to drive Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which allows guests to board a go-kart and experience the game of Nintendo’s popular race in real time. life through augmented reality effects and animatronic characters, “if their waistline measures 40 inches or more”. With the average male waistline in America now exceeding 40 inches, this limitation will potentially leave many guests very disappointed after enduring what will likely be very long lines at the new attraction.
In recent years, theme parks across the country have become more stringent in the safety and restraints used on ride-on vehicles, and it’s not just for high-speed attractions like roller coasters that can take riders through reverse loops and steep curves. As indoor rides have become more complex and now offer riders highly immersive experiences, the technology they use has also become more complex…and more dangerous.
Trackless vehicles now deftly weave through attractions like Galaxy’s Edge’s Rise of the Resistance with more speed and agility than the driving vehicles used on classic attractions like The Pirates of the Caribbean. Therefore, while Pirates does not restrict racers, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge will, as there is a serious risk of injury if a racer exits a vehicle before the ride is complete. On top of that, there is now even more emphasis on safely securing smaller children in the same seats used by adult drivers, contributing to more limitations for taller guests.
Jeff Polk, senior vice president of resort operations at Universal Orlando Resort, told the Wall Street Journal that many of its parks’ attractions offer test seats located outside the rides, allowing guests to test rides. constraints and capacity in advance to avoid getting turned away after hours of waiting in line. But at the same time, some park visitors have also told the Wall Street Journal that testing the seats beforehand can be inconvenient, embarrassing, and not always indicative of the ride’s actual construction and design.
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Some attractions, like The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Florida, now offer some specially designed seats for taller guests. But as the pandemic-weary population once again embraces travel and vacations, theme parks are teeming with hour-long lines, and parks simply have less incentive to offer rides with seats they may not be able to fill every time. the route is operated.