In news that is bound to shock absolutely nobody, Florida’s Super Nintendo World has been delayed to 2025.
If you don’t act responsibly in a pandemic, you don’t get a fabulous new theme park any time soon. That’s the lesson that Floridians are learning the hard way, with the opening of Universal Orlando’s upcoming Super Nintendo World being delayed to 2025, two years later than originally planned.
The attraction will be part of the new Epic Universe theme park, which has finally resumed construction after being delayed indefinitely in July last year. It’s set to be a dream come true for Mario fans – if it’s anything like the Japanese park, expect ‘Power-Up’ bands for visitors, a cafeteria run by Toads, an augmented reality Bowser’s Castle experience, and even a replica of Princess Peach’s iconic castle from Super Mario 64.
A statement released by Universal confirmed construction is underway without giving a specific window to expect the park’s opening, warning that it will take months for work to return to full speed as Universal restaffs and reassembles teams. However, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has claimed that Universal told him the park’s grand opening is planned for early 2025.
The park’s construction is set to create hundreds of jobs within Universal and thousands across Central Florida, with Demings believing “the resumption of the Epic Universe project couldn’t come at a better time” as it will provide a valuable economic boost in the area.
This aligns with Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ anti-lockdown agenda, which he credits for the state being in a better financial position than others due to remaining open for business.
BREAKING: Universal's Epic Universe is back! https://t.co/sLQMWL5f1h
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) March 3, 2021
Florida inevitably continues to be a major COVID-19 hotspot, with the state expecting to receive its first doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine soon. DeSantis has said the state could receive 175,000 doses of the single-use vaccine, with it not yet being announced how they will be allocated, but the list of occupations eligible for vaccination isn’t expansive enough to cover those working in construction.
The US version of Super Nintendo World isn’t the first to be delayed by the pandemic – despite being finished, Universal Studios Japan has delayed the world’s grand opening due to a state of emergency in Osaka. The park was supposed to open February 7, and while the state of emergency has recently been lifted, there has been no announcement about a new opening date.
Perhaps Universal Japan has realised that it isn’t quite the right time to be opening up an extremely popular theme park just yet. Take note, Florida – as exciting as Super Nintendo World might be, it can wait.
