Sugar Rush Sweet Rescue Opening Date Revealed for Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland just handed Wreck-It Ralph fans a very specific date to circle: April 15, 2027.

Oriental Land Co. has announced that Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue, a new Tomorrowland attraction themed to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wreck-It Ralph, will grand open that day. That’s the 44th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland, which opened on April 15, 1983. The company is billing this as the world’s first attraction themed to the film, so Tokyo gets to do something no other Disney park has done yet. Not bad for a land that’s been evolving for more than four decades.

Here’s the story. King Candy is plotting to take over the world of video games, and he’s set his sights on Sugar Rush, the candy-themed racing game. He’s turned the sweets around the kingdom, including gumdrops and ice cream, into Sugar Bugs programmed to consume everything. Guests step into the game, team up with Ralph, Vanellope, and their friends, and travel through a variety of scenes working to restore the Sugar Bugs to their original “kawaii” forms before they destroy the candy-filled world. New music composed and recorded by Henry Jackman, the composer of Wreck-It Ralph, will play throughout the adventure.

The interesting part is how it works. This is an interactive, ride-through gaming experience, and scanners installed in the ride vehicles let guests defend Sugar Rush from King Candy. Points are earned based on factors like the types and number of Sugar Bugs you restore. You can see your results on a display in your vehicle, and for a limited time after the ride, on the Tokyo Disney Resort App. Photos taken during the experience are automatically added to My Photos in the app, where they’re available for purchase for 30 days from the date they’re taken. To see your results and photos, you’ll need to launch the app and turn on Bluetooth on your own phone before you ride. The announcement describes it as an experience for children and adults alike, which is exactly the kind of ride I love for a family: everybody has a job, and everybody gets to brag.

You may also need a free Standby Pass or a paid Disney Premier Access to ride, so that’s worth knowing before an April trip.

The rest of the area is getting a refresh too. Next door, a shop called Pixel Prism will open April 15 with attraction-related items and other merchandise, inside a digital-marketplace setting inspired by fiber optics, with pixel-patterned flooring and a large glowing pixel structure at the entrance. A popcorn stand called Popping Station opens earlier, on March 17, near the attraction and overlooking Tomorrowland Plaza. It’s designed as a popular popcorn stand in space, with a luminous blue-white look that should stand out at night. Popping Station and popcorn wagons around the park will serve Sugar-Lime Popcorn, a new flavor inspired by the Sugar Bugs, with a juicy, sweet-and-tart taste. Special menu items will also pop up at restaurants across the park.

Merchandise will include postcards of Ralph and Vanellope playing games in Sugar Rush, postcards with Sugar Bug designs, plush toys of characters from the attraction, other toys, candies, and more.

And Tokyo isn’t waiting until April to build the hype. Here’s the countdown:

January 12: A smartphone mini-game lets you train to help save the world of Sugar Rush, at home or in a special version in select areas of the park. It’s reachable through the Tokyo Disney Resort website and official social accounts, or by scanning a code on the back of a special sticker handed out ahead of the opening.
February 18: Sugar Rush decorations appear in Tomorrowland for photo ops.
March 18: A projection-mapping show lights up Cinderella Castle with imagery inspired by the attraction.

For now, all the images from Tokyo Disney Resort are concept images, so we’ll wait to see the finished ride. Space Mountain Earthrise is slated to follow later, along with Tomorrowland Plaza and new shops and restaurants as they become ready.