Universal Studios’ new Mario Kart ride ripped for rules restricting plus-sized visitors

Super Nintendo World made a splashy debut at Universal Studios Hollywood this month with its soft opening, and gamers and tourists alike raced to see what the park had to offer and to get in line to test out its highly-anticipated Mario Kart ride.

Featuring slow-moving carts painted in different colors, the augmented reality experience that places riders inside Bowser’s castle was destined to be a hit among Mario-lovers everywhere, but one detail about the ride is getting under some people’s skin.

“Nothing but wonderful things to say about Super Nintendo World except this: the body size limitations on the Mario Kart ride are absolutely ridiculous. I’ve never had any issue fitting into any ride in my entire life, and I can BARELY fit into this one. Completely absurd,” influencer Rocco Botte wrote, blasting the ride’s narrow seats on Twitter.

Another one of the ride’s critics, a Twitter user named Anna, wrote, “Can we discuss how at my biggest I would not have been able to fit on Mario Kart? A 40-inch waist line is about a size 20. Are you freaking kidding me @UniStudios? It’s a DARK RIDE.”

“You can’t have a mario kart ride that Bowser and DK wouldn’t even be allowed on. Dumb,” a third user named Zaha wrote.

Postcast host Matt Mazany chimed in on the topic on Twitter as well, writing, “Trust me when I say ‘lose a little weight’ is not a novel suggestion. Universal has a history now of releasing new rides (Harry Potter, Life of Pets, and now Mario Kart where they don’t accommodate big people yet they WILL take full admission price from us. Seems unethical.”

TikToker David Vaughn gave his followers a heads up about the size restriction on the video-sharing platform, saying. “Unfortunately, the new Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge attraction comes with a warning that guests whose waistline is at least 40 inches or greater may not be accommodated on the ride.”

“Though there is a test seat at the attraction entrance, it’s frustrating that theme parks are still creating family-friendly attractions that aren’t accessible to many of their guests.”

As Vaughn’s video mentioned, Universal Studios’ website says a “test seat” is available at the entrance so visitors can test whether their size will be accommodated on the actual ride.

“This ride employs safety restraints which may restrict certain guests from riding due to body shape and size,” the guidelines read. “Guests whose waist line is at least 40 inches or greater may not be accommodated on the ride and are strongly encouraged to try the test seat provided at the entrance of the attraction to ensure their ability to ride.”

CDC statistics show that to be a problematic number for ride goers, however, indicating that the average U.S. male scantily exceeds the 40-inch limit with a waist circumference of 40.5-inch while the average woman’s waist circumference measures 38.7-inch, leaving people to ask if the requirement is far too restrictive as some claim.

As some tweets mentioned, Universal Studios has come under fire for the same circumference issue with other rides in the past, including the popular “Harry Potter” ride.

Super Nintendo World offers more than the Mario Kart ride, however, including adorable Mario-themed pit stops, a shop chock-full of Super Mario goods, chances to meet and greet your favorite Nintendo characters and the Toadstool Café where visitors can enjoy Nintendo-themed foods. 

The park’s grand opening is expected to take place on February 17.