Announced during a special press conference in Osaka, Japan, the Donkey Kong Country theme park expansion to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan will be coming in Spring 2024. The land will expand the existing Super Nintendo World section of the park, which is based on the Super Mario Bros. games.

First announced in 2021, the Donkey Kong Country expansion at Universal Studios Japan will be the second Nintendo property to receive a dedicated land at a theme park. The expansion will be based on the popular Donkey Kong games and will feature familiar characters and unique attractions. While the land is expected to eventually make its way to the United States, it is currently slated to open first in Japan this coming spring.

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During a dedicated press conference at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, the upcoming Donkey Kong Country expansion was confirmed to have an opening date of Spring 2024. Construction on the land has been steadily progressing since 2021, with recent updates from local fans showing a sneak peek at the Donkey Kong theme park land's progress. In the official announcement trailer shared by Japanese news outlet Famitsu, fans can spot a number of classic landmarks and items from the games. Meet-and-greets with some of the characters from the Donkey Kong games will be a key feature of the land. For fans unable to travel to Japan, a secondary version of the Donkey Kong Country theme park will be coming to the United States.

When and where will the Donkey Kong Country theme park open?

• Spring 2024 - Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan
• Summer 2025 - Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida

While the Donkey Kong Country theme park expansion will be opening first at Universal Studios Japan in 2024, the land is also currently under construction in Orlando, Florida. The DK area will be included in the opening themed zones of the upcoming Epic Universe, as part of a new addition to the Universal Orlando Resort. Both the Japanese and US versions of the land will be identical and will offer a state-of-the-art roller coaster, food and drink offerings, exclusive merchandise, and meet-and-greets with iconic Donkey Kong characters.

What can fans experience at the Donkey Kong theme park?

• Exclusive merchandise
• New power-up band designs
• An immersive land based on the Donkey Kong Country video game franchise
• Minecart Madness roller coaster

Fans will have plenty of exciting activities and collectibles to look forward to when the Donkey Kong Country expansion opens at Universal Studios Japan in Spring 2024. Merchandise will include the popular Japanese omiyage souvenir snack boxes, as well as wearable items such as headbands. The power-ups bands first introduced with Super Nintendo World will return and will allow guests to collect the KONG letters around the park, just like in the Donkey Kong video games. The land's main attraction will be the Minecart Madness roller coaster, which features a unique ride system that will have guests "jumping" over broken minecart tracks. More details are likely to come as the opening dates get closer, so interested fans will want to stay tuned.

Classic Nintendo video games remain incredibly popular, and the Universal theme parks are taking notice. Super Nintendo World has already been a major hit with guests, and the upcoming Donkey Kong Country expansion is likely to draw even more attention.

Donkey Kong Country

Released over just a two-year period between 1994 and 1996, many consider the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy to be among the finest side-scrolling platformers ever made. After a long hiatus, the series returned in 2010, with another game then being released for the Wii U some four years later.