Universal Studios’ new Mario Kart ride has been ripped off over rules restricting oversized visitors

Super Nintendo World made a smashing debut at Universal Studios Hollywood this month with its soft opening, and gamers and tourists alike rushed to see what the park had to offer and queue up to see the much-anticipated Mario Kart – test ride.

The augmented reality experience with slow-moving carts painted in different colors that transports riders into Bowser’s castle should be a hit among Mario lovers everywhere, but one detail about the ride gets under the skin of some people.

“There are nothing but wonderful things to say about Super Nintendo World other than this: The height restrictions on the Mario Kart ride are absolutely ridiculous. I’ve never had a problem fitting in a ride in my entire life and I can HARDLY fit in this one. Completely absurd,” wrote influencer Rocco Botte and blew up the tight seats of the ride on Twitter.

Another critic of the ride, a Twitter user named Anna, wrote: “Can we discuss the fact that I couldn’t have fit in Mario Kart at my tallest size? A 40 inch waist is roughly the equivalent of a size 20. Are you 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 to go on. Stupid,” wrote a third user named Zaha.

Postcast host Matt Mazany also chimed in on the issue on Twitter, writing, “Trust me when I say ‘lose a little weight’ isn’t a new suggestion. Universal now has a history of releasing new rides (Harry Potter, Life of Pets and now Mario Kart, where they don’t take big people, but they will take full admission from us. Seems unethical.”

TikToker David Vaughn informed his followers about the size limit on the video sharing platform and said. “Unfortunately, the new Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge attraction includes a warning that guests with a waist measurement of at least 40 inches or more may not be able to be accommodated on the ride.”

“Even though there is a test seat at the entrance of the attraction, it’s frustrating that theme parks still create family-friendly attractions that are inaccessible to many of their guests.”

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

“This ride uses safety precautions that may prevent certain guests from riding due to body shape and size,” the policy reads. “Guests whose waistline is at least 40 inches or greater are not permitted to be accommodated on the ride and are urged to try the test seat provided at the attraction entrance to ensure their ability to ride.”

However, CDC statistics show that this is a problematic number for riders, suggesting that the average U.S. male just smashes the 40-inch line with a 40.5-inch waist, while the average woman’s waist is 38, 7 inches measures what people are left asking if the requirement is far too restrictive, as some claim.

As mentioned in a few tweets, Universal Studios has come under fire in the past for the same scale issue with other rides, including the popular Harry Potter ride.

However, Super Nintendo World offers more than the Mario Kart ride, including delightful Mario-themed pit stops, a shop stocked with Super Mario merchandise, opportunities to meet and say hello to your favorite Nintendo characters, and the Toadstool Café where visitors Nintendo themed food.

The opening of the park is expected to take place on February 17th.