Universal Studios Hollywood’s announcement that it will open a Nintendo-themed land next year sets up 2023 as a big year for California theme park fans.

Super Nintendo World, which has been under construction next to the Transformers ride on the park’s Lower Lot, will feature what Universal has called a real-life Mario Kart ride. Now open at Universal Studios Japan, the Mario Kart attraction is an augmented reality dark ride on which teams of visitors compete for high scores while racing against others.

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Mario Kart might be the big ride within the land, but it will not be the only thing to do there. Interactive elements fill Super Nintendo World, inviting visitors to play the land like a tactile, three-dimensional video game. An upcharge “Power Band” wristband will track your scores on the ride and throughout the land.

Meanwhile, Disneyland is revamping Mickey’s Toontown for the 2023 debut of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. That trackless dark ride debuted at Walt Disney World in March 2020 and is Disney’s first ride attraction featuring its leading couple. Disneyland also will be adding what it calls “CenTOONial Park,” a “natural” space anchored by two interactive play experiences.

When it originally opened in 1993, Mickey’s Toontown was the Super Nintendo World of its day. Filled with visual gags and interactive elements, the land invited guests to imagine themselves walking around and playing in the animated world of Roger Rabbit, much like Super Nintendo World is designed to make visitors feel like they have stepped into a video game.

Concept art of the new Centoonial Park fountain and the Dreaming Tree coming to the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland in 2023. (Courtesy of Disney)

Will a reimagined Toontown be enough for Disney to keep fans from heading north to Universal for Super Nintendo World? Like many local fans, I plan to visit both attractions when they open, so perhaps the more appropriate question is, will other local theme parks and attractions be able to compete with Disney and Universal as they offer ever more immersive, world-class attractions?

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A variety of decorations and architectural styles used to distinguish lands in theme parks from the midways of amusement parks. These days, with projects such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Universal and Disney have created experiences that deliver far greater immersion than the theme park lands of a generation ago. This new level of design excellence makes it all the easier for those parks to justify ever-higher prices — giving them billions more of income to outspend the competition.

Fortunately, budget-conscious fans have options. Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town, especially with summer’s Ghost Town Alive activities, offers immersive interaction at a fraction of Disney’s prices. Universal continues to offer California Neighbor season passes for less than the price of some one-day tickets at Disney. And even Disney offers discount deals to locals from time to time.

So we are not yet at the point where theme park excellence is completely priced out of reach of most families. That’s good news for theme park fans who don’t want to miss out on what promises to be an amazing year.