I'm confused about why we're saying Nintendo isn't a draw/success. It absolutely is; they sell boatloads of merchandise and are probably close to breaking even on their Nintendo investments through those sales alone, if the figures I've heard thrown around are even close to accurate.
As
@Mad Dog suggested, I could see that the word of mouth is perhaps suppressing enthusiasm/repeat visits, however. Reactions to Mario Kart are decidedly mixed, Yoshi doesn't quite satisfy, and Donkey Kong is burdened with punishing waits and downtime for a relatively brief (if novel) coaster. The games are fun, but the crowds are not. The visuals are gorgeous, if the animation works, but the land is still kind of a pain to navigate.