Credit: UniversalUniversal has announced a limited-time Yoshi meet and greet debuting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD in Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal EPIC Universe. This event coincides with MAR10 Day and will continue daily until April 13, 2026, in celebration of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which premieres on April 1, 2026. Guests will have the chance to meet Yoshi and enjoy exclusive offerings throughout the resort, including specialty desserts, movie-inspired food, and limited-time merchandise.
The meet and greet adds to Universal EPIC Universe’s SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, which already includes Yoshi’s Adventure, where guests ride in Yoshi vehicles. This interactive experience enhances the overall visit, especially for young fans and those who love Yoshi as a companion to Mario.
The Movie Tie-In Experience at EPIC Universe
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a follow-up to the successful Super Mario Bros. Movie, inspired by the popular Super Mario Galaxy video games that brought Mario into space with innovative gameplay and characters like Rosalina and the Lumas. To celebrate the film’s release, Universal is offering limited-time experiences at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, encouraging moviegoers to visit the parks and vice versa, starting April 1 at Universal Cinema locations. The experience launches on MAR10 Day, March 10, aligning with the annual celebration of Mario. Guests can participate in the Yoshi meet-and-greet and other offerings until April 13.
Food and Beverage Offerings
A specialty dessert crafted to reflect the cosmic adventure theme of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be available for purchase at select dining locations within SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal EPIC Universe. Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal EPIC Universe will offer movie-inspired food, including the Rosalina Cupcake, a blue velvet cupcake filled with blueberry cheesecake and topped with lemon buttercream, a chocolate crown, and a star decoration that references Rosalina’s character design from the Super Mario Galaxy games, where she appears as a princess figure associated with space and the cosmos.
Galaxy Popcorn will also be available later in the experience, featuring multicolored berry-flavored popcorn with edible glitter, creating a visual spectacle that appeals to both children and adults seeking Instagram-worthy snacks that tie into the cosmic space theme of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The popcorn’s multicolored appearance and edible glitter create the impression of galaxies and stars, making it not just a snack but a themed experience that enhances immersion in the Super Mario Galaxy celebration.
Limited-Time Merchandise at EPIC Universe
Fans at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal EPIC Universe can take home pieces of the galaxy experience with limited-time merchandise inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie available for purchase exclusively during the promotional period. The exclusive first-of-its-kind interactive shoulder pals themed to the Lumas from the film represent particularly innovative merchandise offerings, available in both blue and yellow color variants that feature light and sound effects and can communicate with each other when positioned close together, creating interactive play experiences that extend beyond passive collectibles into active toys that children can engage with during and after their park visits.
The interactive nature of the Luma shoulder pals reflects Nintendo’s emphasis on interactivity and play, translating video game mechanics and movie characters into physical merchandise that maintains the spirit of engagement that defines Nintendo properties. The fact that multiple Luma shoulder pals can communicate with each other when close together encourages guests to purchase more than one, either collecting both color variants themselves or coordinating purchases with family members or friends to enable the interactive features.
CityWalk Photo Opportunities
The celebration extends beyond SUPER NINTENDO WORLD into Universal CityWalk Orlando and Hollywood, where guests can capture memories with themed photo opportunities inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, even without purchasing theme park admission. The vibrant settings invite fans to pose in galactic tunnel-like experiences straight from Mario’s newest on-screen journey, creating free photo opportunities accessible to anyone visiting CityWalk for dining, shopping, or entertainment.
These CityWalk photo opportunities serve multiple purposes, including providing marketing for the film by creating shareable social media content when guests photograph themselves in the themed settings and post images to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms. The photos also create desire among CityWalk visitors to experience the full SUPER NINTENDO WORLD lands at the adjacent theme parks, where more comprehensive Super Mario Galaxy Movie celebrations occur, including the Yoshi meet and greet, specialty food items, and exclusive merchandise.
The Strategic Timing for EPIC Universe
The March 10 through April 13 timeline strategically spans the period leading up to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s April 1 premiere and extends nearly two weeks beyond the theatrical release, allowing guests who see the movie opening weekend to visit the parks immediately afterward while the film remains fresh in their minds and children express desire to meet Yoshi and experience SUPER NINTENDO WORLD after watching Mario’s space adventure on the big screen.
The limited-time nature creates urgency, encouraging guests to visit during the specific window rather than postponing trips indefinitely, while the month-long duration provides sufficient time for families to plan visits, purchase tickets, make travel arrangements, and schedule their Universal experiences around the Super Mario Galaxy Movie celebration without feeling rushed by an extremely brief promotional period lasting only days or a single week.
EPIC Universe’s First Major Character Addition
For Universal EPIC Universe specifically, which opened relatively recently as Universal’s newest theme park featuring multiple themed lands including SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park, the limited-time Yoshi meet and greet represents one of the first major character additions since the park’s opening. While SUPER NINTENDO WORLD already features Mario and other characters in various capacities, adding Yoshi as a dedicated meet and greet character enhances the land’s character lineup and provides additional entertainment options for guests beyond just riding attractions and purchasing merchandise.
The success of this limited-time activation could influence Universal’s future approach to character experiences at EPIC Universe, potentially leading to additional limited-time character appearances tied to movie releases, seasonal celebrations, or other promotional opportunities that keep the park’s offerings fresh and encourage repeat visits from guests wanting to experience new characters and entertainment during different seasons or promotional periods.