--- title: "The Average American Man Is Too Fat for Universal’s New Mario Kart Ride" description: "The new Mario Kart ride at Universal's Super Nintendo World has a 40 inch waist restriction, which isn't wide enough for most American men." date: "2023-02-18" modified: "2023-02-18" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-average-american-man-is-too-fat-for-universals-new-mario-kart-ride" categories: - "News" --- # The Average American Man Is Too Fat for Universal’s New Mario Kart Ride ![]() Universal Studios Hollywood opened its Super [Nintendo ]()World on February 17 but members of the media and social media influencers were able to explore it ahead of time. While it's been getting mostly stellar reviews, the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride has come under fire for its unusual size restrictions that would limit most men in America from being allowed on. *The Drive has reached out to Universal and will update this story if we receive a statement.* The Mario Kart ride restricts anyone with a 40 inch waist or larger from riding. According to the [CDC](), the average American man's waist is 40.5 inches, which means most American men would be excluded from the ride. The average American woman's waist is 38.7 inches. One of the first media members to point this out was [Rocco Botte,]() who tweeted about the ride's unusual size limitations. Apparently, Botte had trouble fitting in the ride's seats, despite never having struggled with ride seats before. https://twitter.com/rocco_botte/status/1620269878816161792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1620269878816161792%7Ctwgr%5E5c4d6328d297bb4f194dc025e299a04018549773%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamespot.com%2Farticles%2Fsuper-nintendo-worlds-mario-kart-attraction-criticized-for-waist-size-restrictions%2F1100-6511228%2F What's also quite peculiar is the fact that Mario Kart is a virtual reality ride and isn't particularly fast. Commenters to Botte's tweet even pointed out that other rides in the park are faster and lack Mario Kart's odd waist size requirement. Twitter is also filling up with people arguing over whether the ride is fatphobic. Many are saying it is, while others are mocking people that can't fit. *[Gizmodo ]()*also received a statement from Universal, saying “This guideline is not a specific restriction, but is instead meant to encourage guests to try a test seat or to speak with one of our Team Members before riding so they may comfortably and safely board the ride.” According to the *[Ocean County Register]()*, a 52-inch waisted man was able to fit on the ride using four tips provided by Universal, for anyone who is worried they won't fit. As the Universal statement said, there is indeed a test seat near the entrance to the ride, which features a light on the pull down bar that tells potential riders if they'll fit. It's also suggested that taller guests sit in the back row, as the seats there have more legroom. If you can, Universal also suggest stretching out your legs, to flatten your thighs, so the pull down lap bar fits better. Lastly, guests are told to try using their momentum and pull the lap bar down as they sit, so their weight can help force it down into position, allowing them to fit. Or, I don't know, maybe Universal could fit slightly larger seat so most guests won't have to jump through four different hoops to fit on a slow VR ride? *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()