ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It appears the Nintendo ride could be expanding to other parks within Universal Orlando, sources told Channel 9's Jamie Holmes.
Sources told Channel 9 that Universal Studios plans to eventually add more Nintendo rides and attractions to Islands of Adventure and the recently purchased 500 acres of land on the other side of Interstate 4 near Universal Boulevard.
Originally, the Nintendo project was only expected at Universal Studios Florida, slated to take a portion out of the KidZone section where the Woody Woodpecker and Barney rides are located.
Building permits released Tuesday include an 8.8-acre Super Mario Land in that spot, with Donkey Kong and Mario Kart sections.
Sources have said the idea is to expand on a possible film project with Illumination Entertainment, the studio behind "Despicable Me," to eventually make a Super Mario Brothers CG movie.
"Nintendo has so much to offer for them to just confine it to a small kiddie land inside an existing park to me, personally, doesn't make a lot of sense,” Thom Pratt, with The Kingdom Insider told Eyewitness News.
Universal Orlando said it would not comment on speculation.
Japan is scheduled to open its Nintendo land in 2020.
Universal Orlando is scheduled for shortly after that.
Cox Media Group
