Ride review | Mine-Cart Madness at Epic Universe: This roller coaster is bananas
Is Mine-Cart Madness — the Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster at Epic Universe — as fun as it looks? Or is it just some monkey business you should avoid on your next trip?
Don’t underestimate this family coaster, it’s as fun as a barrel of monkeys!
The story behind the attraction
Donkey Kong Country is a mini-land part of Super Nintendo World, itself one of the five themed worlds at Universal Orlando’s third theme park, Epic Universe.
Artwork courtesy of Universal
Deep in the Kongo Jungle sits the Golden Temple, home to the Golden Banana. Onboard the Mine-Cart Madness roller coaster, guests board a mine cart and set off on an adventure with Donkey Kong and his pals to rescue the Golden Banana before the evil Tiki Tong gets to it.
Artwork courtesy of Universal
How does the ride work?
Fans of the “Donkey Kong Country” video games will feel like they’ve stepped right into the games they love. While riding Mine-Cart Madness, guests appear to jump over gaps in the track and switch between tracks when faced with obstacles. The effect is achieved by gliding over a false track themed to the ones you can find in the games, while the cart itself is attached to the actual coaster track beneath it.
Photo courtesy of @bioreconstruct
While riding, it does feel like you are jumping over the gaps and switching tracks, a feeling that admittedly does not translate well over video. We also suggest sitting in the front row if you can for a better view of jumping the track. Smaller riders in the back may not be able to see the track.
Is it any fun?
An unfortunate downside to watching a ride-through POV of any attraction is not getting the full experience. After watching videos of the Universal Studios Japan counterpart of this attraction prior to riding the Epic Universe version, we were a little disappointed at the possible lack of thrill Mine-Cart Madness seemed to have.
We are happy to report that once you’re riding the attraction, it is a very thrilling (albeit rough) family coaster. This attraction serves as a perfect introduction to thrill rides for younger riders, if they can handle the bumps. In terms of thrill, it feels like a few steps below Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure over at Universal Islands of Adventure. We found it to be very thrilling for a ride that posts a 40-inch height requirement. The roughness we experienced seemed to be because of the ride vehicle being on an arm above the actual track. The jolts in your seat don’t necessarily match what’s happening on the ride. If you like your coasters very smooth, this one isn’t for you.
Photo courtesy of Universal
The queue for Mine-Cart Madness
One of the downsides of Mine-Cart Madness at Epic Universe is its relatively boring queue. While waiting in line, you’re inside the Golden Temple, however, if you aren’t aware of the backstory, you’d probably think you were just in a vaguely themed yellow box with windows and ceiling fans desperately trying to circulate air flow.
In a park with some of the most breathtaking indoor queues we’ve ever seen, we can only assume Mine-Cart Madness did not receive the same treatment due to it being copied from Universal Studios Japan, as well as the small footprint it takes up in Epic Universe.
But along your way throughout the Mine-Cart Madness queue, you’ll encounter an animatronic of Cranky Kong and his pet bird, Squawks. Both of these figures are incredibly fluid and very well done. Aboard Mine-Cart Madness, you’ll encounter more limited-range animatronics, as well as some static figures. These also look great, except for one that is already looking quite rough and sun-bleached (and it isn’t the only figure we noticed with this issue during our time in Super Nintendo World, but it the park isn’t officially open yet).
Photo courtesy of Universal
Photo by Attractions Magazine
An unfortunate downside to the Mine-Cart Madness coaster
In the past, Universal rides have infamously received complaints about their ride vehicles not being very size inclusive for guest with different body dimensions. These complaints are also valid here, as the seating on Mine-Cart Madness is quite tight.
Mine-Cart Madness has quite a tight lap bar, which is nice if you like feeling snug and secure on a roller coaster, but is not inclusive to all guests hoping to see their favorite gorilla.
Most rides at the park do offer a test seat outside the attraction’s entrance to try out the comfortability of the restraints, which is worth trying out if you have concerns about riding.
Photo by bioreconstruct
Final thoughts
Mine-Cart Madness is a barrel blast and a half! The thrills are at the perfect level for the entire family to enjoy. While the ride is quite short, it just makes you want to re-ride again and again. Just keep in mind the roughness of the ride. This is by far the most thrilling attraction currently in Super Nintendo World, and we think guest will go bananas for it.
Disclaimer: Our Epic Universe reviews are based on a preview of the park, so some of what we have talked about may change by the time the park officially opens.
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