Day 8 – Super Mario World
April 22, Osaka
Super Mario world! We went to get breakfast downstairs at the konbini and eat like savages in the street, before heading off to our train to go to Super Mario. It was pretty early and already there were a lot of people there. Thankfully, it was such a popular destination that several people were going the same way. So even though the temptation was to get on a different train, we were directed the right way. After a short ride we got to the park! I knew from research that rope drop actually happened an hour before the park actually opens so we were there only a few minutes later than when I wanted to be, but still enough time to hear the welcome as we all enter the park. However, it seems that my careful planning was for naught…
I booked tickets for the wrong day
That’s right. It was the incorrect day so we were ushered to an information counter who ushered us to guest services. After a huge communication barrier, some pocket translators, and a long wait, we sat, nervous as the guest services went to adjust our tickets.
I wasn't sure if we would be able to get into Mario world
because I know they start time entry at a certain time right after opening. Because Mario world was such a popular place. You can’t get into it unless you get either a Time entry or you go as soon as it opens. Well, guest services took us about half an hour to give through and get our tickets to really so I knew that there was no way we would make it in time. Still. We’ve been lined it through the park towards the direction I knew we needed to go. All the while. I checked my phone seeing and refreshing and praying the whole way that maybe I can just get the timed entry tickets in case they would start closing the park down. And I did. Right outside the park, I managed to snag four-timed entry tickets. Just in time! We rounded the corner and every other staff member started checking to see if we had the tickets or not. We went through the park with ease and I left the others to get us power-up bands while I went down to get us reservations for Kinopio (Toad)’s Cafe.
We then went and explored and played the games. And oh boy were their games. We played the treasure game, music blocks, turtle shells and towels, it was like all of our Mario games in real life. We gathered coins, looked at the decor and listened to the music and went through the shops. Julie was patient with us because we were absolutely nerding out and she just enjoyed the time. In order to play Bowser Jr’s castle, you had to play and win at least three mini games (no participation prizes here) in order to get a key. Once you had three keys, you could enter. They wouldn’t let you in otherwise, which is smart – keeps the line down.
After that, it as time for lunch in
Kinopio's Cafe!
It was SO CUTE! It was set up to be like you’re in Toad’s house that was huge. They had screens where the windows were so you could look outside and see all the little Toads running around. There were also screens near the kitchen so you could see other Toads hard at work cooking your meal. A Bowser ship came by at one point and started causing havoc and making the day into night, but of course Mario came soon after and whipped him into shape.
We each got something different so we could try all the things. I had teriyaki chicken with super rice, Nate that the Bowser burger, Elijah got the mushroom soup served out of a toad bowl and Juli got spaghetti. For dessert, we had chocolate cakes, goal post cakes and a hidden block tiramisu. So themed. So cute, so delicious.
After lunch it was time to go play more games and win more keys and badges. We finally had enough keys so we you could go play Bowser’s mini game challenge. That game was super fun. It was amazing to walk through the castle with toys and figurines of our favorite Mario baddies all around. it was like we entered the game. Around the corner, you were ushered into a room where you could use your shadow to play. Shells, bombs, Bullet-bills and all kinds of stuff would shoot at you and you would use your shadow to either dodge it or fling it back. Great fun and you can compete with others in your group, and also everyone within the park! To play, you use your shadow to bat away bomb-ombs, dodge Bullet Bills and shoot fireballs at Bowser Jr. I didn’t take too many pictures because…… I’m kicking some booty at this game!
New Donkey Kong Addition
It was time to get some shakes and banana sundaes and look for the KONG letters. DK also came out, so of course we had to get our picture. Julie then had about enough of Super Mario World, so she headed out to check out the rest of the park, while our son dragged us on the remainder of the games multiple times. He had discovered that our watches connected to the phone and he could see his stats and stickers. So we were in for a long day. Badge here, sticker there…back to that game, have to get all the songs for this badge. The place gamified the game which was super cool if I wasn’t also super tired!
Finally, we convinced him to save the rest of our keys for tomorrow. We have fastpasses to go check out the rest of the park and ride the rides so we wouldn’t have to wait 120 minutes for them. It was late by this time so we met up with Juli and went over to the Minions world to ride Gru’s ride. We were training to be minions and accept all the shenanigans that comes with that title. The ride was similar to soarin’ where you fly up into the screen. It was a little different in the fact that it shook and dived and dipped too, but basically great fun.
We were SPENT. Time for home for sure. Still, the boy was disappointed we didn’t spend even MORE time in the park, so on our way out, we passed a ride with only a 10 minute wait. So we jumped in line…(and out because we had to put all our stuff in a locker?) and back in line for Space Fantasy. We get through the line pretty quickly and it’s set up like it’s one of those screen rides like the one we just rode for minions. Until they push down the lap bar… awfully tight in fact. But it was on a circle car where we sat back to back, facing opposite ways and had a conveyor belt entry. Seemed pretty chill. And it was. We went through the stars in the sky and the planets, viewing the galaxy. Something happened in the story, a meteor or something hit, which launched our car to the left. Yeah they were free spinning. Spinning. Then we spun out of control into a black hole and DROPPED.
None of us were expecting that and our screams of playful fun turned into screams terror. This was an actual roller coaster. Think space mountain except with spinning cars. Absolutely wild ride. We got off of feeling grateful and shaky and happy that we have one more thrill ride in the night.
Time for home
After our quick subway ride back home, we dropped off Juli to take a nice bath (our apartment has a sitting tub) and we went back out for dinner. Wandered off of the main strip as we wanted something not deep fried or greasy, and found this little hole in the wall place. Went up the stairs where we had a table with a grill on it (people next to us were grilling away their meat and having a beer) and we sat quietly looking through the menu. It felt very TV show-y Japan. Like scene straight from an anime. We each got a bowl of udon which was absolutely the best I’ve ever had in my life. After eating and thanking them for our food, we stopped back onto the backstreet in the rain and dark of an Osaka alley. Absolutely magical, but we all forgot our umbrellas so we had to walk the two blocks home in the pouring rain. Still. Wouldn’t take it back for anything.
