When Wreck-It Ralph was first announced, the film all about video games soon became a “Where’s Waldo” roster of characters. More specifically for Nintendo fans, we were playing “Where’s Mario?” with every teaser released. Sadly, the heroic plumber didn’t make it in (excluding his namedrop), but Bowser did. Now with Wreck-It Ralph 2 — titled Ralph Breaks the Internet — on the way, Disney just added more fuel to the speculation thanks to a themed tie-in at the Florida park.
Walt Disney World’s Epcot is home to a plethora of events, but the two big ones are the Flower and Garden Festival in spring and the Food and Wine Festival in fall. With these events come temporary structures and activities. Disney has added an outdoor play area to the park full-time, instead of only popping up during the special events. Located outside of Mouse Gears (near the Test Track attraction), the Family Play Zone playground is currently themed after Ralph Breaks the Internet. Throw in some music from the film and you have a nice little venue to promote the upcoming film.
Those at Attractions Magazine heard a familiar tune while checking out the area. A new version of Mario Circuit from Super Mario Kart can be heard in this playground.
We noticed a new orchestration of the original Super Mario Kart music playing in the Wreck It Ralph 2 playground at Epcot. Could we see this used in the new @wreckitralph movie later this year? pic.twitter.com/Q6H1Ek681u
— Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) September 11, 2018
Does this confirm Mario’s appearance in Ralph Breaks the Internet? It’s too early to tell. Combine that with Nintendo’s agreements with Universal Studios and Illumination, and there are a few hoops to jump through with Disney. At best, we can expect to see a Mario Kart segment or nod in the film, something perhaps even tied to the smartphone game Mario Kart Tour.
Here’s hoping that this November we can get a taste of Mario Kart on the big screen when Ralph and Vanellope explore the world wide web and try not to break it into a million pieces.
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Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
