Feature: Donkey Kong Country ‘Mine Cart Madness’ Helped Me Face My Fear Of Roller Coasters

I’m utterly petrified of roller coasters. The absence of control, the velocity, towering heights, twists and turns – all of this creates an experience I’ve never been able to rationalize as worth the excitement.

Overcoming my fear of air travel was straightforward since there’s always something thrilling and incredibly worthwhile awaiting me on the other side of the journey. There are certain experiences in life that I could only pursue by flying far away in a plane. However, I couldn’t say the same about roller coasters until recently.

‘Mine Cart Madness’ debuted to the public at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka at the end of 2024, and is also now present in the U.S. at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida. I’ve been to the smaller iteration of Super Nintendo World at Universal in Hollywood, CA, several times, and enjoyed their Mario Kart attraction, Bowser’s Challenge, as well.

The MK attraction is essentially a light-gun experience integrated with significant Augmented Reality features that require you to wear ‘goggles,’ making it challenging to appreciate the tangible environment you’re traversing. You can remove the ‘goggles,’ but by doing so, you lose the essence of the ride, and the animatronic displays and environmental features aren’t particularly captivating without them. The game can be perplexing initially, and for a ride themed around a video game known for speed, it feels rather sluggish, too.

However, nearly none of this applies to the new Donkey Kong Country attraction. I’m a far greater DK enthusiast than I am for Mario, and although this latest Mine Cart experience is portrayed as a more conventional roller coaster that occasionally claims to derail, my curiosity and affinity for the series had me eager to discover what it offered. I’m pleased to mention it did not disappoint, even if it turned out to be quite a jarring experience at times.

The queue for Mine Cart Madness transports you through a temple reminiscent of Millstone Mayhem and Temple Tempest from the original Super Nintendo video game. Most of the line is indoors or at least sheltered and was kept quite pleasant due to air conditioning, also featuring themed water fountains for hydration. Here you’ll also find some interaction points for the Power Band that will grant you digital collectibles if you’re using the Universal mobile application.

The queue itself is rather straightforward with little to observe, aside from a surprising cameo by Cranky Kong and Squawks the parrot. Both are completely animatronic and fully voiced, engaging in a humorous back-and-forth. Not only do they help pass the time while in line, but they also lay out the narrative and what you can anticipate during the ride. Even though I had no one ahead of me, I lingered for quite a while, simply listening to their banter, like a couple of old friends reconnecting after being apart for a long time.

When it was finally time for me to take my seat in the mine cart, I felt my heart drop as I recalled seeing the ride from the ground level of the park, moving much faster than all the other Nintendo-themed attractions created up to this moment. I was honestly quite apprehensive, but my affection for the Kongs clearly knows no limits, and it helped that I had a few companions with me (shoutout to Brian from IGN and Marcus from Game Informer for keeping me composed!).

The ride itself lasts only a few minutes, so I’ll refrain from revealing too much as I genuinely believe if you’re going to try this, you should enter with minimal prior knowledge. Things indeed go off the rails in some unexpected and startling manners. At one particular point during the ride, I genuinely believed it was the end for us.

If you’ve seen the blueprints or caught the video of Miyamoto touring the park in Japan, you’ve probably heard about the ride’s main highlight. If you’ve experienced a mine cart level in DKC, you’ll understand that platforming plays a significant role even in the mine cart, and that’s replicated here. Mine Cart Madness does not go upside down (thankfully), but it does take you up and down some steep inclines and navigates twists and turns occasionally, simulating the sensation of flying off the tracks and landing securely back on them. The jumps themselves didn’t feel as pronounced as I anticipated, as it seems more of an optical illusion rather than your cart being tossed into the air. Honestly, that’s probably a positive aspect. Additionally, if you desire a more authentic and exhilarating experience, try to sit in one of the front seats if possible.

You’ll also encounter several of your favorite DKC companions, which alone encouraged me to return to Mine Cart Madness for multiple rides. These animatronic displays make this attraction considerably more enjoyable than the Mario Kart ride to revisit, as it’s thrilling to see these monkeys in action. There are more than just monkeys to observe, so if you’re only familiar with the more recent Country titles, there will be additional surprises awaiting you.

For me, the experience was even more enchanting at night as yellow and blue neon lights add a delightful glow to the surroundings. You’ll dash through a few indoor segments that occasionally feel like a dark ride, too. There’s a wealth of visual stimuli, and I didn’t once feel like I had seen it all; if you turn your head at different intervals, you might catch a nice view of the park, a gentle splash from a rushing waterfall, or even a few adventurous Pikmin that have wandered away from the group.

This might just be a quirk that needs adjustment, but occasionally I felt the ride could be quite jolting. After disembarking my mine cart, I heard other riders discussing how unexpectedly bumpy it was for them as well. I can’t envision racing down a mine shaft in a rickety wagon would be the most comfortable experience in real life, so perhaps it’s all part of the adventure. Definitely something to take note of.

What could be seen as a drawback for some is the complete lack of game elements in this attraction. For me, however, this is a significant advantage. Experiencing the detail and quality of the animatronics, even for a brief span, is something I will cherish for an extended time.

It may sound trivial, but this made me feel more connected to the world of Donkey Kong Country than ever before – the Mario Kart attraction didn’t leave this profound of an impression. It’s a monumental enhancement in overall production, and it’s an experience I wish for every devoted DKC enthusiast to experience in their lifetime. As a member of the media, I felt somewhat obligated to try it, but I think I finally grasp the exhilaration people seek when they willingly decide to ride a roller coaster. If Nintendo and Universal opt to create their next ride even more intense, I hope I’m prepared for it. Even if it bore a title like ‘Funky’s Crash Course.’

Travel expenses for this journey and early access to the park were sponsored by Universal.