Credit: PixarIt’s officially runDisney Springtime Surprise weekend – and, like always, Disney World pulled out all the stops.
Every year, Walt Disney World plays host to a whole weekend of magical races. Those who sign up choose between a 5K, 10K, or 10-mile run through Disney property, where they’re cheered on by an array of iconic faces.
The 10K run – this year known as the Disney Pixar Monsters 10K – took place in the early hours of April 15 at EPCOT.
From 5 a.m., participants ran through the streets of World Showcase and beyond, with a mix of Pixar and classic Disney favorites such as Merida, Woody, Buzz, Mike, Sulley, Frozone, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse dressed as a Dapper Dan waving from the sidelines.
This time, however, they were joined by a surprising new addition at the Canada pavilion: 4*Town.
Just saw 4*town from @PixarTurningRed in the @runDisney SpringTime Surprise 10K #WaltDisneyWorld #pixar pic.twitter.com/oO1y31gkbP
— Brady Cox (@DisneyDude_71) April 15, 2023
First seen in Pixar’s Turning Red (2022), 4*Town is the boyband the film’s main character Meilin “Mei” Lee and her friends are desperate to see in concert in Toronto. Despite its name, the band consists of five members – Robaire, Aaron T, Aaron Z, Tae Young, and Jesse – and all were on hand for a mid-race performance.
Runners shared their glimpses of the band on Twitter, with user @mirandaiiisms lighting up the feed with a video of the group performing “U Know What’s Up.”
4 TOWN???? pic.twitter.com/pO9QLlaE4a
— lil miss epcot (@mirandaiiisms) April 15, 2023
This marks the band’s Disney Park debut and the second outing for any character from Turning Red. Mei Lee’s red panda form, AKA Red Panda Mei, debuted for meet-and-greets at Shanghai Disneyland in March.
For now, it seems like 4*Town’s appearance is a one-off limited to the Disney Pixar Monsters 10K. However, considering the massive success of the fictional band post-Turning Red (their track “Nobody Like U” made the Billboard Hot 100, and for a time, they were bonafide TikTok musical royalty), this seems like an obvious addition to EPCOT’s Canada pavilion one day. We’ll see you in the fight for front-row seats.