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Wreck It Ralph is replacing Buzz Lightyear at this famous Disney attraction

Tokyo Disneyland has announced its version of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blast will become a Wreck-It Ralph ride! Can the U.S. Disney parks follow suit?

By Michael Weyer

PAYING THEIR DUES – In “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz venture into the expansive and thrilling world of the internet. In an effort to find a replacement part for Vanellope’s arcade game, Sugar Rush, Ralph and Vanellope successfully bid at eBay, only to learn they’ll actually have to pay for their purchase. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, and Rebecca Wisocky as eBay Elayne, the cashier,
PAYING THEIR DUES – In “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz venture into the expansive and thrilling world of the internet. In an effort to find a replacement part for Vanellope’s arcade game, Sugar Rush, Ralph and Vanellope successfully bid at eBay, only to learn they’ll actually have to pay for their purchase. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, and Rebecca Wisocky as eBay Elayne, the cashier, /
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Tokyo Disneyland is bidding bye-bye to Buzz Lightyear with a new Disney hero taking over for the Astro Blaster ride! Can that change occur in the U.S. as well?

In 1999, Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland made a big move by taking out the tired Dreamflight dark ride for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. The unique mix of a dark ride and shooting gallery, with guests firing blasters at targets and gaining points while spinning their car around, was an instant hit and remained one of the top rides at the park.

It was replicated for the Magic Kingdom parks in California, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, each with a slightly different name but the same basic layout. That made Buzz, along with Dumbo, the only ride to be replicated at all six Disney Magic Kingdom parks. With Toy Story remaining one of Disney’s most popular franchises, it’s little surprise that guests still flock to the ride, even if it seems a bit quieter today.

Hong Kong Disneyland dropped its version in 2017 as part of its renovation of Tomorrowland into Stark Expo. The ride was changed to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle, and the ride was upgraded with screens and appearances by Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. Now, it looks like Tokyo Disneyland is changing things too.

In a statement, the Oriental Land Company confirmed their version of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters would close in October. The new version, set to open in 2026, is based on Wreck-It Ralph. The 2012 animated hit focuses on the titular character, the “bad guy” in a 1980s arcade game, forging a friendship with quirky Vanellope von Schweetz. It inspired a successful 2018 sequel.

Per the press release, the new ride will allow guests to “enter the candy-themed racing game Sugar Rush, which is being attacked by Sugar Bugs – glitches created by King Candy. Guests team up with the beloved film characters Ralph and Vanellope to transform the Sugar Bugs back to their original “kawaii” confectionery such as cookies and cakes.”

The artwork looks to have Ralph and Vanellope as part of the ride and still stick to the classic track layout and the blasters adjusted for the new storyline. This so far is only for Tokyo Disneyland, which is known for having much different rides than the other Disney parks.

It's an interesting choice of character as one might think something like, say, Big Hero 6 would fit the Tokyo Tomorrowland better. It does seem Ralph is rather popular in Japan with the anime and racing influences, which likely played a part in the remake.

The question is whether this change can come to the U.S. parks, yet that remains iffy. Toy Story is still very popular (with plans for a fifth movie coming) and the long wait times for the WDW and Disneyland versions show guests still enjoy it. Still, the ride is hitting 25 years old, an eternity for a Disney attraction with no changes to it. If the Ralph makeover is successful enough in Tokyo, Disney may consider taking it to the U.S. versions, too. 

So anyone visiting Tokyo Disneyland has until October to get on Toy Story before it closes as the Ralph makeover could hint at a change coming to the U.S. parks too.

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