Ultimate Guide for Donkey Kong Country Japan at Super Nintendo World (2026)!

Donkey Kong Country is an extension of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.

It’s a jungle-themed area where you can ride Mine Cart Madness, shop at Funky’s Fly ’n’ Buy, and munch on tasty DK Wild Hot Dogs. 

You can try tasty banana sundaes served in ionic DK Barrels and summon Rambi the Rhinoceros.

There’s even a chance to meet Donkey Kong throughout the day and get some souvenir photos taken. 

Playing the Donkey Kong video games was a core memory from my childhood. So, visiting this place was a dream come true. 

It’s a tropical paradise for any Nintendo fan, and you have to add it to your Japan bucket list.

Here is a complete guide for Donkey Kong Country Japan, including how to visit, things to do and important tips. 

How to visit Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country is part of Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan, and so you’ll need to buy tickets to go inside the park.

Unfortunately, getting into the Nintendo area is not as easy as simply buying a park ticket. 

Due to crowd levels, they often restrict visitors, and so you’ll need a timed-entry ticket to enter Super Nintendo World Japan as well.

Thankfully, Donkey Kong Country is included in that ticket; you won’t need a separate one.

In short, you need two things to visit:

1. Buy a Universal Studios Japan ticket 
2. Book a Timed Entry Ticket, or buy a USJ Express Pass

Step 1: Buy your Universal Studios Ticket

Tickets for Universal Studios Japan go on sale exactly 60 days in advance, Japan Time. 

So, I would have a reminder set so that you can buy your tickets for the date you plan to go.

Tickets can and do sell out at busy periods, so I recommend purchasing one as soon as they are released. 

I booked my tickets through the official website, and it was very easy to do. Prices depend on the season and the day of the week.

I also recommend browsing official partners like Klook that often have special discount deals, including meal vouchers and power-up bands. 

Step 2: Buy an Express Pass or book a timed entry ticket 

If you want to guarantee entry to Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country, then I highly recommend purchasing a USJ Express Pass.

They aren’t cheap, but it does mean for certain that you’re going inside the area and you get to skip the really long ride queues. 

For example, Mine Cart Madness can see queues of over 3 hours each day.

If you don’t want to spend extra money, then once you enter the park, you can book a timed entry ticket via the Universal Studios Japan app. 

These sell out very quickly once the park opens, so I recommend heading inside as early as possible to secure one. 

An alternative is to queue very early and to be one of the first people inside the park. Then, head straight to Donkey Kong Country. 

They often let early visitors walk in until capacity limits are reached. On my visit, they didn’t even check my Express Pass for entry. 

Is a Fast Pass at Universal Studios Japan worth it? 

Yes. I cannot express how important it is to buy an Express Pass for Universal Studios Japan.

It means that you’re guaranteed to enter Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country and skip some of the really long queues.

I usually hate paying for extra stuff on top of an expensive ticket, but in USJ, it’s crucial.

On my visit, I bought a Universal Express Pass 8, which included fast track entry for Koopa’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mine Cart Madness. 

This also included Harry Potter: The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Jurassic Park. 

It wasn’t cheap, but it saved SO much time on my visit, and I don’t regret a thing. I only had one day there, so it meant I made the most of it.

Express Passes are sold exactly 60 days in advance along with tickets. They do sell out quickly, so make sure to have a reminder set. 

Things to do in Donkey Kong Country 

Once you’re inside Donkey Kong Country, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a level of the classic video games on SNES.

The entire area has been designed like the Kong jungle, and you’ll find treehouses, abandoned planes and a gleaming golden monkey temple.

Here are all the amazing things to do in Donkey Kong Country during your visit. 

1. Ride Mine Cart Madness

Mine Cart Madness is the main ride in Donkey Kong Country and is honestly one of the best roller coasters I’ve ever ridden. 

I’m a 90s kid, so playing Donkey Kong on SNES and trying to defeat the mine cart levels is a core memory (aka trauma, haha).

The story is that you need to help Donkey Kong protect the golden banana. You’ll meet him in the Golden Temple with Diddy and Dixie on the way. 

The ride is fast and built just like the mine cart levels in the game, where you “jump” over broken tracks and encounter other eye-popping moments. 

My brain still can’t fathom how this ride works. It’s a wild ride that keeps you on your toes, but it is SO much fun. 

Mine Cart Madness can have over 3-hour queues throughout the day. I recommend purchasing a USJ Express Pass or rope-dropping this ride. 

2. Shop at Funky’s Fly ’n’ Buy

I squealed when I first saw Funky’s Fly ’n’ Buy; it looks exactly like the abandoned plane shop from the Nintendo game!

Just like Funky Kong’s open-air jungle market, you can find lots of Donkey Kong souvenirs to buy.

There are plenty of plush toys, keychains, mugs and t-shirts. I wanted to buy everything.

I bought a DK barrel headband, Diddy and Donkey Kong plush toys and a Rambi the Rhinoceros keychain in his special box. 

3. Try a DK Wild Hot Dog

One of the snacks I was most looking forward to trying in Donkey Kong Country was the DK Wild Hot Dog.

These are sold right beside Donkey Kong’s Treehouse, and the cart has “Kong” above it. 

The hot dog bun has a pattern burned into the side, and the juicy pork sausage has some nachos stacked on top.

There is also a generous helping of cheese, avocado sauce and paprika slathered on.

It comes served in a beautiful Donkey Kong Country box, and there’s a stick featuring Diddy and Donkey Kong artwork with each purchase. 

It was a good-sized portion, but there’s always a queue for these. I had to wait around 20 minutes to purchase mine.

4. Jungle Beat Shakes

Another place to buy snacks in Donkey Kong Country is Jungle Beat Shakes. 

This shack serves up DK Crush banana sundaes in an iconic DK barrel mug. 

I’m not the biggest fan of banana-flavoured things, but this sundae was absolutely delicious.

It came served in a waffle cone shell filled with coconut and pineapple gelato, and there was toffee popcorn and sweets sprinkled on top. So, the banana flavour wasn’t too overpowering.

You can eat it with the Donkey Kong spoon they give you. I definitely washed this off and took it home with me. 

Also, the sundae comes served in a plastic cup that they tuck inside the DK barrel mug. So, the barrel won’t be dirty after you finish. 

These are very popular drinks, even when it is cold. It took me almost 30 minutes to queue for mine at midday. 

5. Meet Donkey Kong 

One of the best things I did in Donkey Kong Country was queue to meet Donkey Kong.

He’s one of my game heroes, so meeting him outside his jungle treehouse was a dream come true. 

You can say hello, hug him and then get some professional photos taken together. I was nearly tearing up; I was so ecstatic. 

There’s a photo stand right beside the treehouse. I bought mine, and it came with a souvenir Donkey Kong Country frame. 

You’ll find him here throughout the day (note the greeting is weather-dependent), and my wait time was approximately 45 minutes. 

6. Rambi’s Bongo Breakout

If you’ve ever played the Donkey Kong games, you’ll be familiar with Rambi. A recurring Animal Buddy and ally of the Kong family. 

Well, you can find Rambi the Rhinoceros in Donkey Kong Country, too!

He’s hiding in a box waiting for you to summon him in a game called Rambi’s Bongo Breakout. 

The game involves a light-up sequence on the drums. Make sure to play the bongos in the right order for him to appear!

It’s free to play, and it’s also fun to watch other guests trying to summon the rhino.

There’s also a K-O-N-G Letter Hunt game to play, balloons to pop, and several barrels that you can punch to gain coins with your Power-Up Band.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to participate in some of these games due to the long queues for Mine Cart Madness, which fill the area.

7. Spot Donkey Kong characters

Another thing I loved about Donkey Kong Country was being able to find some of the Donkey Kong characters from the game.

In the Mine Cart Madness queue, you’ll be able to meet Cranky Kong, who is sitting in his rocking chair.

Unfortunately, he is in the regular Mine Cart Madness queue, so I didn’t get to see him on my visit as the Express Pass queue skips it :(

You can also spot my girl Dixie Kong on the ride as soon as you exit the station by the tracks. 

Diddy Kong’s girlfriend (and any female Kong, for that matter) never gets credit, so I was super happy to see this diva here in her iconic pink outfit.

Is Donkey Kong Country worth visiting?

Yes, definitely. Donkey Kong Country was my favourite area of Super Nintendo World, and I’d go back in a heartbeat.

It’s a jungle filled with nostalgia. I fondly remember playing the classic Nintendo games as a 90s kid and the sheer frustration that came with it.

Donkey and Diddy Kong are my game heroes. So, visiting this real-life Donkey Kong Country was like all my childhood dreams coming true. 

Yes, it’s annoying that you have to secure a timed entry ticket to visit; yes, Mine Cart Madness queues are ridiculous; and yes, it’s obscenely busy.

But don’t let this put you off. It’s still an incredible area of Universal Studios Japan that has so much to offer.

My top tips for visiting 

• Queues for Mine Cart Madness can be over 3 hours long. I highly recommend purchasing a USJ Express Pass.

• Alternatively, head straight to Super Nintendo World after entering the park. Go to Donkey Kong Country to ‘rope drop’ the ride. 

• There’s limited seating in the area, which makes eating snacks like the DK Wild Hot Dog a little awkward. 

• It’s also incredibly crowded in this small space during the day due to the Mine Cart queue. I found the late evening lovely and quiet.  

Other things to do in Super Nintendo World

If you’re a fan of Nintendo, you are going to LOVE Super Nintendo World.

This entire area of the park has been designed like Super Mario Land and feels like you’re walking through a level of the Nintendo game. 

Here, you can ride a real-life Mario Kart, collect coins in Power Up Boxes, ride Yoshi, shop for merch and meet your game heroes. 

If you’re hungry, they have Kinopio’s Café that serves up Mario-inspired dishes. Make sure to read my guide with tips on how to reserve a table. 

I also wrote an entire guide with everything you can do here, including how to secure tickets and important tips. Make sure to read this next.

What else is there at Universal Studios Japan?

Although Donkey Kong Country is spectacular and the reason for my visit to USJ, there is a lot more to do here other than Super Nintendo World. 

Another incredible area is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where you can visit Hogwarts Castle, stroll down Hogsmeade and sip Butterbeer. 

You can also find Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks for a feast worthy of the Great Hall. 

Again, you do often need a timed entry ticket for the Harry Potter world. Another reason to purchase a USJ Express Pass. 

You can also find Jurassic Park, Universal Wonderland, Minion Park, Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Waterworld and Amity Village. 

It makes a fun-filled day out from Osaka with rides, shows, parades and themed food. I would go back in a heartbeat. 

How to get to Universal Studios Japan from Osaka

Universal Studios Japan is located approximately 12 kilometres from Central Osaka.

You can take the metro from Osaka Station to Universal Studios Japan using the Osaka Loop Line (Red) in around 15 minutes.

From Shinsaibashi, it will take around 30 minutes on both the Midosuji Line and the Osaka Loop Line. 

If you’re lucky, you may get to board one of the special Super Mario World trains! 

I didn’t get to ride one, but I saw one pull up on the opposite side of the station on my train journey. So cool.

You’ll alight at Universal-City Station, and it’s just a five-minute walk through Universal CityWalk to the park gates. 

Alternatively, you can take a taxi to USJ (note that this will be expensive). Uber works well in Japan. 

Where to stay at Universal Studios Japan

If you want to skip a long journey to Universal Studios Japan from Osaka, I recommend spending the night in the City Walk.

You can stay at The Park Front Hotel, which is right opposite the entry gates and the iconic Universal Studios Globe. 

It’s not a cheap property, but staying here does mean that you can get an early start to beat the queue.

It also means that you don’t have to make a long journey back to Osaka city centre after an exhausting park day.

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Save Donkey Kong Country for later