Just to close the loop on this, I was able to get the cupholder assembly removed with a few plastic prybars from an electronic repair kit I have. The connector on the right side popped out pretty easy but the one on the left took a bit of effort. A bit of gentle levering got it to pop out without any breakage to the underlying assembly. The replacement fit perfectly and snapped right in.
Thanks to everyone who helped along the way - much appreciated!