TRON Lightcycle Run at Disney World
TRON Lightcycle Run is a new roller coaster by Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. This covers everything you need to know: opening date, previews, problems, and answers to common questions. (Updated April 11, 2023.)
To bring you up to speed, TRON Lightcycle Run is now open at Magic Kingdom. The attraction is already proving to be one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World, and is relatively unique in NOT offering a traditional standby line. See our Virtual Queue Strategy Guide for TRON Lightcycle Run or Individual Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World: Pricing & Info for how to experience the attraction. (The virtual queue is free, whereas the Lightning Lane is a paid upcharge.)
With that said, neither option is easy or convenient. There are two times to join the virtual queue–one is early in the morning and the other is in the afternoon–and both fill up within seconds. Buying Lightning Lane access is slightly easier, at least if you’re staying on-site. To that end, read our Ride Review: Is TRON Lightcycle Run Worth Your Time or Money? to determine if the hassle or expensive is justified.
The good news is that the virtual queue won’t last forever, and should be retired once the ‘new ride smell’ wears off and TRON Lightcycle Run’s popularity dies down. Even then, it’ll probably maintain pay-to-play Individual Lightning Lane status for years to come. For more breaking news and other updates about the ride (and more), sign up here for our FREE Disney newsletter here.
This roller coaster was announced 5 years ago, is a clone of Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run, and will be located between Tomorrowland Speedway and Storybook Circus in Fantasyland. Like Space Mountain, it’ll be beyond the railway tracks that circle Magic Kingdom. Fortunately, the Walt Disney World Railroad has now reopened after being closed for several years.
At Magic Kingdom, the attraction is officially known as TRON Lightcycle / Run (or Tron Lightcycle Power Run) and is a semi-enclosed launched steel motorbike roller coaster attraction. The seats are similar to those on Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom; riders sit on individual lightcycles, lean forward, grip a set of handlebars, and a pad behind the seat comes down and snuggly secures the rider in place.
As the name suggests, the roller coaster is based on the Tron films. It starts with guests entering a huge gravity/show building where they step onto the Grid and board their own motorbike or lightcycle. Like Space Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, much of the ride is in a darkened show building, but unlike those, the climax of the attraction is a loop underneath a large color-changing canopy, which is also the iconic feature of the attraction’s facade.
Above is my photo of how all of this looks at Shanghai Disneyland. We’ve done Shanghai Disneyland’s version of the ride several times, so a lot of the info that follows is also based on our firsthand experiences riding TRON Lightcycle Run. The biggest difference is that it’s the focal point of Tomorrowland in China, with the entire land built around TRON Lightcycle Power Run. There are multiple approaches and viewing areas for the roller coaster, which I think is savvy.
By contrast, Magic Kingdom’s TRON Lightcycle Run is nestled behind Space Mountain, and has an approach between that ride’s exit and Tomorrowland Speedway, and the only viewing area for the roller coaster under the canopy appears to be along the winding entrance and exit paths.
Above is the concept art from a few years ago, which also shows how TRON Lightcycle Run fits with Space Mountain, the Tomorrowland Speedway, and Walt Disney World Railroad around it.
This is the closest thing we have to an aerial look at the expansion, so it’ll have to suffice for context about the layout of the area.
Size Problems with TRON Lightcycle Run
Now that TRON Lightcycle Run is in previews, there have been reports of larger guests not fitting into the ride vehicles due to weight, height, and more. Suffice to say, if you’re tall, have muscular legs, or are plus-sized, you might have issues with the normal lightcycles.
We cover everything you need to know in TRON Lightcycle Run Problems for Larger Guests. If you think you could have problems fitting into the lightcycle, we’d strongly recommend reading that. Not only does it cover common issues, but also suggestions for improving your chances of ‘successfully’ riding the attraction in a standard seat.
Unfortunately, all of this was inevitable. TRON Lightcycle Run is unique in a number of ways, and unlike any other Walt Disney World attraction in terms of rules, restrictions, and accessibility. This was destined to be a hot topic of debate and complaints by fans, as the policies and protocol are more stringent than any other ride.
On-Ride Video & Photos
For those who are concerned, this is NOT the full ride. Although this roller coaster is on the shorter side, I’d estimate that it’s total duration is about twice this long (I don’t recall the precise length, but the ride time is under 2 minutes). Rather, it’s a look at the initial launch right after the load area, the outdoor section under the canopy, and then the conclusion of the attraction.
The portion that’s omitted is the middle section inside the gravity building, which is largely in the darkness of the Grid. Presumably, this was removed because there’s not much to see and doesn’t translate well to video. (Imagine Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but with the Grid instead of neon Los Angeles cartoonified landmarks.)
In addition to this, Walt Disney World has released new photos of the canopy fully illuminated with its show light. This canopy will be known as the Upload Conduit, and it was officially powered on for the first time this week.
The Upload Conduit serves as the digital bridge into The Grid for your Lightcycle at Magic Kingdom. The massive structure was constructed of nearly 40 pieces, strategically assembled and aligned, to create the perfect system for moving Lightcycles to The Games.
These glowing hexagon visuals are enhanced by familiar music from the “TRON: Legacy” soundtrack. In my opinion, standing underneath the Upload Conduit is the highlight of TRON Lightcycle Run. Even if you’re not into thrill rides, you should enjoy standing here, simply savoring the kinetic energy of the lighting and Lightcycles whizzing by overhead.
I speak from experience. During our time at Shanghai Disneyland, we spent hours under this canopy at night, mesmerized by the colorful stripes of blue and orange. The one-two punch of riding the roller coaster for thrills and standing under here for serenity makes TRON Lightcycle Run quite the attraction!
TRON Lightcycle Power Run Lightning Lane Status
TRON Lightcycle Run will offer guests the option to buy à la carte or Individual Lightning Lane access in the My Disney Experience app. On the day of their visit, Team Blue recruits with a valid admission and a Disney Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom may use the app to choose an arrival window and make their purchase before joining the high-speed race against Team Orange.
Pricing and availability will vary by day–we’re expecting this to line-skipping option to be a hot ticket when TRON Lightcycle Run first opens, possibly selling out during the on-site early access window. Our expectation is that it ends up being priced on par with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. However, debuting this during spring break season might mean premium pricing.
TRON Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue
TRON Lightcycle Run will also use a virtual queue. Guests will need to use the My Disney Experience app to enter the attraction. A standby queue will not be available. Each Guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours.
The reason TRON Lightcycle Run will use a virtual queue is not due to reliability or downtime woes, but is actually in the approach–same as the EPCOT E-Tickets that use(d) virtual queues. The path between Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway that leads back to TRON Lightcycle Run is really narrow. For whatever reason, Walt Disney World didn’t shorten the Speedway track, and the result is very little space leading back to TRON Lightcycle Run.
Expect Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to end its virtual queue shortly before TRON Lightcycle Run officially opens. Previously, Walt Disney World has ended virtual queues ahead of the next big ride opening, in an attempt to avoid having multiple virtual queues.
These systems favor more knowledgeable and experienced visitors like Annual Passholders and locals, as there can be a bit of a learning curve (certainly more so than just entering a physical line) and you also have to know the virtual queue exists–and when to join it–in the first place.
We have gotten good at gaming the boarding group process (and have “speed strategy” advice so you can achieve similar success), and do Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind more than any other attraction at EPCOT as a result right now. Nevertheless, we’re disappointed by the ongoing use of virtual queues at Walt Disney World. Having a standby line is the more guest-friendly approach that levels the playing field, is less stressful, and results in fewer complaints.
TRON Lightcycle Run Construction Updates
Now that previews have started, it should follow that construction is finished on TRON Lightcycle Run. Nevertheless, if you want to see past construction updates, they’re preserved here for the sake of posterity.
The above video is a look at both construction progress and testing, which is now pretty common to see while visiting Magic Kingdom. On this particular day, I was in Magic Kingdom test Genie+ v. standby. This involved criss-crossing the park a lot, and virtually the entire day–up until around 11 pm (that’s when I last checked)–there was roller coaster train dispatching and at least some light effects testing in tandem.
Part of me wondered whether this is actual and necessary testing…or if Walt Disney World realizes there’s no better ‘free’ advertising than running the roller coaster during popular tourist seasons. Many casual guests were taking photos and videos, and I overheard many talking about TRON Lightcycle Run. Lots of excitement about it.
Walt Disney World has been dispatching trains at or near peak efficiency, with under 30 seconds between them. The attraction also has been operating with human riders, and company executives and others have already experienced it. This means that the inside of the attraction is finished and has been turned over to operations, and the only construction to be completed is outside on the approach and various walkways.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at construction progress. This is also nearly done, and has been for the last few months…
There’s been a lot of progress on TRON Lightcycle Run’s construction in the last several months. Like other projects that kicked into high gear with the start of the new fiscal year, work on TRON Lightcycle Run has accelerated since around the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.
Let’s start by approaching from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover with a fresh look at the construction site.
Speaking of fresh, one of the “biggest” changes you might notice since our last construction update is all the landscaping that has been installed between the expanses of concrete. Much of the dirt has been replaced with trees, making the whole area look a lot closer to its final form.
Another thing that’s been installed is light fixtures. You can see those in the photo above, obscuring some views into the construction site. These curved lamp posts give a futuristic sensibility to the area and are somewhat similar to the ones at Shanghai Disneyland, and also in new areas EPCOT.
Continuing to the heart of the site, here’s a wider view of the main elevated walkway and first section of the swooping canopy. It’s harder to see now thanks to the landscaping, but there’s also the Storybook Circus path underneath the flyover ramp that leads up to the attraction entrance.
The main work we observed was on the lead-up to the flyover walkway. Lots of finishing touches happening here; the ‘big thing’ that has yet to be done is install the attraction marquee in that middle concrete area. That probably will be one of the very last things to occur before the ride opens.
Speaking of the attraction entrance, you can see the series of arches in front of the guest entrance for TRON Lightcycle Run. Thematic flourishes have been installed here and the final elements of the canopy have also been installed.
You can’t see them anymore due to the added trees, but there are multiple entrances here, and clearly two separate sides–one for standby/virtual queue and another for the Lightning Lane.
TRON Lightcycle Run is technically beyond the berm in Magic Kingdom, shoehorned into a tight plot of land between the boundaries of Tomorrowland, Storybook Circus, and World Drive. Consequently, the area around the attraction will have a lot of strategically-located walls and walkways to direct traffic and conceal views into backstage and locations outside the park.
Above and below are very similar wider views that shows pretty much the entire TRON Lightcycle Run worksite that’s visible from the TTA PeopleMover.
The ETFE cushion canopy is complete, with crews now doing the final finishing work on the ground and elevated pathway. Due to the aforementioned placement of the attraction, there’s a lot going on to integrate the attraction into a small parcel of land–let’s break it down.
The flyover walkway (far left) will weave guests underneath the canopy, over the Walt Disney World Railroad tunnel (middle-left), and into the guest entrance (far right and below) of the show building. You can actually see a similar path in our photos of Shanghai Disneyland’s version of the roller coaster throughout this post (minus the train stuff).
Speaking of the train tunnel, this is now fully enclosed, mirroring the concept art–a necessity so the train doesn’t discolor the crisp canopy of TRON Lightcycle Run.
A ventilation system, lighting, and track for the train has all been installed. There are also windows cut into the tunnel that’ll offer a view from the train of TRON Lightcycle Run.
A few months ago, Walt Disney Imagineering released new publicity images showing that TRON Lightcycle Run has reached another project milestone at Magic Kingdom, with the start of show lighting testing at the attraction canopy.
This curved-wave structure serves as the Upload Conduit to the Grid, where guests (or “Users” in TRON parlance) will race beneath on Lightcycles as they begin their competition.
In preparation for the race, the Walt Disney Imagineering Show Lighting team is hard at work testing the system and programming more than 1,200 fixtures across the surface.
The canopy and exterior plaza will be brought to life in the coming months as the project team continues uploading and integrating additional show elements.
In other words, pretty much everything is done at this point aside from the flyover ramps, ground-level walkways, various planters, and a bit of clean-up and landscaping work. While it still very much looks like an active construction site, a lot of that can be finished quite quickly.
Obviously, it’s still an active construction site with a lot of work occurring, but the ride is now in the home stretch. Seriously. After 4+ years, the roller coaster is nearly ready. In fact, TRON Lightcycle Run could open within a few weeks given the work that remains.
The roller coaster itself is ready to roll–quite literally. Below the ETFE cushion roofing, you can commonly see roller coaster trains launching. We’ve seen these for a few months now, and they are now moving at full-speed and at regular intervals.
At this point, Walt Disney World is holding back on opening TRON Lightcycle Run until it’s most advantageous from a marketing perspective to drive new vacation bookings. We suspect fans will have sky-high expectations after waiting ~5 years for this ride to come to fruition.
While I really enjoy TRON Lightcycle Run, it “only” scored a 9/10 in our Shanghai Disneyland Ride Reviews. The big thing that prevented it from receiving a perfect 10/10 is duration. The coaster itself, from launch to return, lasts almost 60 seconds exactly. (Other internet resources suggest it’s 2 minutes long–that’s only accurate from load to unload, but a full minute of that isn’t part of the ride experience at all.)
Another concern is the seating, which I’ve previously said (wrongly, I guess) would be what precluded this roller coaster from ever being cloned at Walt Disney World. As noted above, TRON Lightcycle Run has bike seating, with guests straddling the lightcycle, leaning forward and placing their chest and stomach flush with the front pad while handlebars come forward and a back restraint lowers.
It’s a snug fit, like a tighter and more secure version of Flight of Passage in Pandora – World of Avatar. Shanghai Disneyland’s version has accessible cars at the back of the trains. More accessible seating will be necessary in the Magic Kingdom version, as the normal bike seats aren’t going to work for a lot of Walt Disney World guests.
Ultimately, TRON Lightcycle Run is a lot like Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster. Both are fast launch roller coasters that largely take place in dark show buildings with a scattering of props and lean heavily on thrills. TRON Lightcycle Run will be about 20 seconds shorter, but it’ll have an outdoor section, and superior visuals inside.
With all of that said, what cannot be overstated about TRON Lightcycle Run is the coolness factor thanks to the unique seating, flashy visuals, and that outdoor loop. This is a definite advantage it has over other roller coasters at Walt Disney World. While I wish it were about another 20-30 seconds longer, I think most fans will end up loving TRON Lightcycle Run.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of TRON Lightcycle Run? Are you excited for this new Magic Kingdom roller coaster, or does it not interest you? Thoughts on how the aesthetic will fit into Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Have you heard any rumors or do you have any guesses on if WDWRR will reopen at some point this year? Do you think they are going to wait to open it with Tron? My little is more excited about WDWRR than any other ride for our trip in December so we’re crossing our fingers!!
My guess is debut of Tron will not be in 2022 at all – May 2023 early case and by 10/1/23 latest case. Agree with Tom that there is the component of Disney not wanting to open as early as possible to space from the end of this month opening of Guardians. There is a lot of construction left, but they’re also fairly predictable in wanting to squeeze more money out of new attractions and rarely put forth 2 highly anticipated attractions in the same year. While late this year would be possible, the holiday season is already peak bookings. History shows that May is a popular debut for them, and 10/1/23 coincides with EP’s 40th. Tron isn’t in EP, but still, a debut in late 2nd qtr or 3rd qtr would help draw in more interest to the World.
Feel that 5+ years of anticipation and hype will lead to disappointment. But we shall see. That’s a separate matter. Tron is being coined as the fastest Disney coaster, with trill seekers rejoicing a unique separation from the Disney, family coasters such as Mine Train. I’ve ridden it 16x in Shanghai, and while I could take a nap on Tower of Terror, Tron is a slow moving, albeit cool, themed ride. As some of us would expect, a ride that families can enjoy, not one of the Busch Garden’s or Cedar Pt. big coasters.
Correction, EP’s 40th is this year. But still, no way they will have Tron opening this Fall.
As the parent of 3 littles who won’t be able to ride Tron anytime soon, I’m still more curious about the WDWRR. What a travesty to not have it open during the 50th! Cautiously hopeful for our June trip.
Any word when railroad will be running?
I think they will wait for Spring to open Tron so they can market something new and shiny for 2023…Guardians will be the pull for 2022….because after this what do they have in the queue???? A whole lot of NOTHING (unless you want to count Epcots center spine remodel)
Weird question, but is the Shanghai tron rides canopy covering made of the same material?
Making our final full family trip 9/22!!
That’s 14 of us!! I would be done with WDWand all their BS, but I’m excited for the grandkids to take it in as older school aged kids. My wife & I and our extended families, have been visiting WDW since it’s inception. Their marketing schemes and staggered attraction openings disgust us after billions in profits and unwavering customer loyalty!
Just open the damn Train, at the very least!!
Open TLCPR in 2030!!! A-holes!!!
No train during 50th celebration = PATHETIC
THANKS FOR GAUGING, TRICKING,and B.S.-ing us when it comes to new e-attractions!
PS. Your Genie crap is a huge failure! Sad state
@James_Ng I can’t compare the two since I haven’t been fortunate enough to visit Shanghai yet, but they appear quite different simply on the seating geometry, launch and inversions alone. There’s been a lot of chatter in various places about contract ending for the rights to use at least some of Aerosmith’s music in the ride for much longer, and debates about re-theming (ruining) the ride with someone else or even converting to a Disney-IP theme (horrible idea). I don’t care if some people don’t know or care for Aerosmith (poorly-educated folks), but there is no more iconic band around. One of the biggest bands ever through the 70s that fell apart in the stereotypical sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll cycle, then made a huge comeback, essentially having two successful careers together with the same members. That’s pretty incredible. Disney needs to play hardball with Universal in negotiations on a contract renewal. There’s so much overlap and odd dichotomies between character use in the parks, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
But I am looking forward to Tron. Talk about something most people don’t know anything about! A somewhat obscure movie from the early 80s most of us saw once or twice back then, and a sequel that few people saw seems like an odd choice for a high dollar new attraction.
Comparison to Rock N Roller Coaster is pretty easy to make since they’re very similar coasters. Rock N Roller is slightly more intense (faster launch I felt? and inversions), but the theming is definitely better and cooler than Aerosmith (which most people don’t care for probably).
I’m excited to be able to ride it again here in North America. Though I’m more excited for Cosmic Rewind since that’ll be completely new for me and I’m also expecting even better theming on that ride given it’s being called a story coaster, as well as the much longer track length.
Hmmm Maybe October 1st 2022!? that would be a good 50th (on the 51st) anniversary gift for the magic Kingdom to open a new attraction. Although October-December usually don’t need guest incentives to visit during that time. I think it will be May-July 2023.
Typo? “The last mind sound odd but is a distinct possibility—guests are not allowed to have anything in their hands or pockets (let alone bags or purses) on the Shanghai Disneyland version.”
Mind = might?
I just want the railroad to be open!
Was excited 3 years ago. Now with the feet dragging I don’t even care anymore. Looking forward to the newest non delayed coasters at Universal.
The whole construction industry is in deep doo-doo right now. Has been for 5 years or more, with shortages in all skilled labor areas. With the virus ‘stuff’ it’s worse. The unnecessary shutdowns paused too many projects at WDW and all over, and sudden post-reopening demand across the nation plus lack of materials availability have incredibly exacerbated the labor shortages and costs. In the bids we’ve seen come through on projects, many are 25-150% above pre-virus levels (and cost estimates). On our current designs, we are adding around 40% markup factor as an unknown. This includes the now-officially-in-question absurd mandates which will, if imposed, make things even worse as many (most) contractors will simply not bother to bid federal work when they can go across the street and make the same money without bothering to worry about the unlawful OSHA order. Right now, govt agencies are putting the enforcement in limbo until many, many court cases are decided.
After going a couple weeks too early and missing out on Toy Story Land then Galaxies Edge openings, I’d rather just waiting for both to be open. Epcot being under heavy construction doesn’t help, I’ve never been without walls up.
If the construction delay has been motivated in part by wanting to stage the opening for resort pkg bookings, don’t think the biggest bang for buck is Dec. Would think Oct 1 with cast previews and vlogger invites in Sept would be ideal to get a double punch at the anniversary angle. Would explain the construction push. Have never been to Shanghei. For those who have ridden, would you describe the ride experience as more like Slinky Dog Dash in intensity or much more like Everest? Guessing there is more of a thrill factor in feeling more exposed/vulnerable on a cycle than seated traditionally in a ride vehicle.
October 1 would also make sense, especially if bookings are forecast to be as soft then as they were this October. (I suspect that was a one-off, though.)
As for intensity, it’s definitely higher than Slinky Dog Dash. As for Expedition Everest, that’s a matter of perspective. I actually think there are portions of Everest that are physically uncomfortable without being particularly thrilling. TRON is a smoother ride and doesn’t punish you in the same way, but it’s more thrilling–if that makes sense.
The acceleration could be caused by a couple of factors. Whiting-Turner could be running lower on GCs than they want and pushing the schedule. They could also need the staff for another project and pushing because of that. Another thing could be the subs need to get off of this and on to something else. Not nearly enough manpower to go around right. now.
Those are some excellent points that I didn’t even consider. There’s a ton of construction activity in Central Florida, and that coupled with the same hiring woes as everywhere else could be resulting in a push here that’s totally disconnected from Disney’s expectations about opening.
This is just my speculation, but if i were Disney I would bank on strong bookings early next year from international travel,
Strong bookings in the spring from all parades and entertainment finally returning,
Stronger bookings in the summer from new Epcot ride
And finally boost fall bookings by unveiling tron ride
Hmmm…. It will be a cool ride I’m guessing but will guests want to do it more than once? 4 hour wait for a 40 second ride. Or, even better, an 18 dollar genie+ cost. Disney will make a killing. I wish it wasn’t always about the money.
Sixty seconds is not worth the back ache. Bad backs and necks are an epidemic in the US. Lots of folks will feel pain when forced flat onto their chest by the back support pinning them down. Then you have to strain to lift your head so you can see the show elements inside the building. A one and done for me in Shanghai … a pity. This is a ride made for 20-year-olds.