“It Was Herky Jerky!” We Rode the NEW Mine Cart Madness Coaster at Epic Universe. Here Is What You NEED To Know!

We finally went inside Epic Universe!

We have tried tons of the food, saw the characters, and, of course, hopped on the rides! We’ve been breaking down every aspect of the new park here on the blog, our YouTube channel, and social media, and now it’s time to break down one ride in particular. Let’s head into the world of Nintendo and check it out.

In case you haven’t heard yet, there’s an entire Super Nintendo World inside Epic Universe! You get to enter the iconic video game world where you’ll spot Mario and Luigi, eat at Toad Stool Cafe, and even experience Mario Kart in real life.

We have been breaking down every aspect of the land, and next on our list is the Mine Cart Madness coaster! The first thought we had after hopping off this ride was “this is absolutely crazy“!

This family coaster takes you on a journey to “help Donkey Kong protect the Golden Banana.” While it is a family coaster, don’t underestimate the thrill! A huge draw of this attraction is it looks like there is no track underneath your mine cart.

The illusion of having “no track” makes this ride even more thrilling. The illusion holds up throughout the attraction, even when you’re on it. You can see a video of the track jumping here!

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♬ original sound – AllEarsNet

While the visual aid is pretty great at adding thrill, there are moments on the coaster where you are supposed to “jump the track,” but it doesn’t always feel like you are. Truthfully, this ride is (and I quote) “herky jerky”! 

This ride is super shaky, especially during the jumping sections where there is no secondary track below your ride vehicle. It’s not that we disliked it, but we were very surprised by how we felt a bit like a martini after the coaster. (Shaken, not stirred.)

Despite the shakes, this ride was super fun! It was much more thrilling than your traditional family coasters, but we also think this is a better introductory coaster for kiddos than the Curse of the Werewolf coaster in Dark Universe.

A small spoiler ahead, but at the end of the attraction, you do get to see a giant Donkey Kong animatronic, and you succeed in getting the golden banana! Overall, we would consider this to be a true coaster with some surprising hills and drops. The ride goes indoors and outdoors while maintaining the over-the-top themeing throughout. 

The height requirement for this coaster is 40”, and it isn’t included in the Express Pass. It does, however, have a single rider line. We really enjoyed this coaster and can’t wait to hop on over and over again when Epic Universe finally opens on May 22nd, 2025. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Epic Universe updates and news.

See INSIDE Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country at Epic Universe

Will you try out this ride? Tell us in the comments!