Universal’s next big park will include werewolves, dragons, and Super Mario

As in California, so must be in Florida. We knew Super Mario was coming to Florida, and now we know when, but we also got a lot more details on the park overall. Super Nintendo World will be a part of Universal Orlando Resort’s brand-new theme park, dubbed Universal Epic Universe.

Five different worlds will make up the park. There’s Super Mario World, a new Harry Potter world, a How to Train Your Dragon world, and a Dark Universe world that just might explain where all that Dark Universe movie footage ended up. All four worlds are tied together by the fifth world, called Celestial Park, which, according to Universal’s blog, acts like a Main Street, USA-style hub world.

The first Super Nintendo World opened in 2021 in Japan, followed by a version in Los Angeles last year. Both are immersive spaces designed to make you feel like you’re inside the Mushroom Kingdom: you enter via a warp pipe through Peach’s castle, eat at the Toadstool Cafe, and compete in an AR version of Mario Kart, complete with a dizzying Rainbow Road. They’re also part of Nintendo’s more recent ambitions to build an entertainment empire beyond gaming, with Super Nintendo World Orlando rumored to be the biggest so far of the two parks in California and Japan.

With Hogwarts Legacy selling 25 million copies, becoming the bestselling game in the US last year, and with the Harry Potter television reboot going full steam ahead, Universal’s creating a new Harry Potter experience to go with Universal Epic Universe because, duh. According to Universal, the Ministry of Magic seems to be a park that blends the world of the Fantastic Beasts movies with the Ministry of Magic from the original series. Because nothing screams magic! than hanging out at what is essentially the magical DMV.

Universal was light on specifics regarding the four themed worlds, but it did share details about Celestial Park, which will be the rare Universal world not designed around a preexisting entertainment property and include three new rides and the new 500-room Universal Helios Grand Hotel. Universal Epic Universe is expected to open in Orlando, Florida, in 2025. If you can’t wait that long for your Mario fix, you’ll need to grab a green tube to LA or Japan.