On January 5, Universal Hollywood Annual Pass Members logged onto the website to book themselves a spot at the Super Nintendo World Pass Member Previews. They sat online for hours, repeatedly refreshing the page, hoping that the chance to book would pop up as Universal promised it would. That never happened, and after a while, Universal Hollywood finally updated its page. Unfortunately, Universal told Guests there had been a system outage, and reservation spots would not be opening up that day.
Guests were quick to compare Universal’s outage to the ones that Disney frequently experiences when there is a big event that people want to buy tickets to. Just one day after disappointing thousands of Pass Members, Universal issued a statement apologizing for the problem and announcing a new date to sign up for the Super Nintendo World Pass Member Preview.
We apologize for the inconvenience from yesterday’s network outage affecting Pass Member reservations for SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™. See below for more information.
We apologize for the inconvenience from yesterday’s network outage affecting Pass Member reservations for SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™. See below for more information. pic.twitter.com/4tT67cxDM0
— Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) January 6, 2023
Universal Studios Hollywood’s statement read:
We apologize for the inconvenience from yesterday’s network outage affecting Pass Member reservations for SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™.
Beginning Monday, January 9 at 11 am PSTthe reservation system will be operational and you will be able to schedule your visit.
Please note, no Pass Member reservations have been made and all reservations will begin January 9 at 11 am. All previously announced dates will remain the same. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience and we look forward to your visit.
There are several Pass Member preview dates that will be available when registration begins. Super Nintendo World will officially open to the public on February 17, 2023. Reservations will not be required to visit the new area, but should the area reach capacity, the theme park will institute a reservation/virtual queue system.
Super Nintendo World will feature a brand-new attraction, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which will bring Guests inside Bowser’s Castle. Universal has not said if the new ride will require Guests to use a virtual queue, but its Secret Life of Pets attraction utilized one when it opened in 2021. The ride still uses one when the theme park is exceptionally crowded.
In addition to Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Super Nintendo World will also feature Toadstool Café in Mushroom Kingdom and a 1-UP Factory. Guests will even be able to purchase Power Up Bands, where they can win challenges, collect coins, and transfer their coins to select Nintendo games in their homes!