TRON Lightcycle Run is a brand new curler coaster below development by Area Mountain in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. This covers every little thing it’s essential know: opening date, Forged Member and AP previews, and solutions to frequent questions. (Up to date January 19, 2023.)
To deliver you on top of things, this curler coaster was introduced 5 years in the past, is a clone of Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Energy Run, and can be positioned between Tomorrowland Speedway and Storybook Circus in Fantasyland. Like Area Mountain, it’ll be past the railway tracks that circle Magic Kingdom. Luckily, the Walt Disney World Railroad has now reopened after being closed for a number of years. return very quickly.
In case you’re solely questioning when the brand new curler coaster will open, we now have a solution: TRON Lightcycle Run will open at April 4, 2023 in Magic Kingdom. If you’d like extra details about its Lightning Lane and digital queue standing, chance of sentimental openings, and extra, proceed studying. In case you’re an Annual Passholder or Disney Trip Membership Member who desires to be notified when signups for these previews go dwell (or some other Walt Disney World information, low cost releases, and so on.), enroll right here for our FREE Disney e-newsletter right here.
By way of fundamental background, the attraction is formally referred to as TRON Lightcycle / Run (or Tron Lightcycle Energy Run) and is a semi-enclosed launched metal bike curler coaster attraction. The seats are much like these on Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom; riders sit on particular person lightcycles, lean ahead, grip a set of handlebars, and a pad behind the seat comes down and snuggly secures the rider in place.
Because the title suggests, the curler coaster relies on the Tron movies. It begins with visitors coming into an enormous gravity/present constructing the place they step onto the Grid and board their very own bike or lightcycle. Like Area Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, a lot of the journey is in a darkened present constructing, however in contrast to these, the climax of the attraction is a loop beneath a big color-changing cover, which can be the long-lasting function of the attraction’s facade.
Above is my photograph of how all of this seems at Shanghai Disneyland. We’ve completed Shanghai Disneyland’s model of the journey a number of instances, so quite a lot of the data that follows can be based mostly on our firsthand experiences driving TRON Lightcycle Run. The most important distinction is that it’s the focus of Tomorrowland in China, with your entire land constructed round TRON Lightcycle Energy Run. There are a number of approaches and viewing areas for the curler coaster, which I believe is savvy.
In contrast, Magic Kingdom’s TRON Lightcycle Run is nestled behind Area Mountain, could have a cramped strategy between that journey’s exit and Tomorrowland Speedway, and the one viewing space for the curler coaster below the cover seems to be alongside the winding entrance and exit paths. (There are just a few recipes for congestion right here.)
Now let’s check out some idea artwork for TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom to see how its aesthetics will differ from the Shanghai Disneyland incarnation of the attraction…
Above is the most recent idea artwork for TRON Lightcycle Run, which has been tweaked from the unique plans. There are some things that bounce out from this new artwork when it comes to modifications from its predecessor.
First, the marquee is now a planter out entrance of the attraction, relatively than hanging from the highest of the cover. Subsequent, the doorway is now a winding and accessible walkway, relatively than stairs. Lastly, there’s what seems to be a (very small) tunnel for the practice.
Above is the idea artwork from two years in the past, which additionally exhibits how TRON Lightcycle Run suits with Area Mountain, the Tomorrowland Speedway, and Walt Disney World Railroad round it.
In that, you possibly can see the steps, path again to Storybook Circus, and unique marquee. You possibly can’t actually see the place the practice would go, and it seems the doorway/exit from the present constructing all comply with one path down the steps.
Forged Member Previews for TRON Lightcycle Run
Walt Disney World despatched a ‘save the date’ to Forged Members concerning their previews of Magic Kingdom’s new attraction. This revealed that Forged Member previews for TRON Lightcycle Run will start February 6, 2023 and finish March 3, 2023.
Registration info can be launched to Forged Members quickly, with reserving beginning on January 30, 2023. Word that with previous Forged Member previews, not all dates had been accessible and previews solely ran a portion of the day. For instance, Cosmic Rewind CM previews occurred April 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30; Might 1 and a couple of between 1 pm and three:30 pm.
Our expectation can be that it’s the same story right here, with the chance that previews will not be held in any respect throughout what we’ve already recognized because the Worst Week of Winter at Walt Disney World. Aside from that, the primary half of February and early March are each comparatively gradual at Walt Disney World.
Annual Passholder Previews for TRON Lightcycle Run
It’s the same story for Annual Passholder previews, that are rumored to start instantly after Forged Member previews conclude–on or round March 4, 2023. It’s probably that Disney Trip Membership previews will start across the similar time, and happen for just a few days.
For reference, final yr’s AP preview dates for Cosmic Rewind had been Might 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21 with a number of time slots from midday till 3:30 pm. Our expectation is that Walt Disney World will comply with swimsuit and provide roughly 9 days of AP previews for TRON Lightcycle Run.
We additionally anticipate that the previews will not coincide with Orange County’s Spring Break, that means a niche of a few week in the midst of the previews. Word that that is not a part of the rumor–merely our expectation based mostly on crowd projections.
If I needed to make a guess, my expectation can be that AP and DVC previews for TRON Lightcycle are held March 4-10 and March 20-24–give or take just a few days, and with a portion of these dates doubtlessly eliminated for native media previews, promo filming, and so on. It additionally wouldn’t shock me if the rumor is fallacious and AP previews don’t truly begin till March 6, 2023 and happen solely on weekdays.
TRON Lightcycle Energy Run Lightning Lane Standing
The query of whether or not TRON Lightcycle Run can be a part of Genie+ or one other Particular person Lightning Lane at Magic Kingdom is mostly a “query” in title solely, since Walt Disney World hasn’t formally revealed its line-skipping standing.
With that stated, there’s a better than 99.999% probability that TRON Lightcycle Run can be an Particular person Lightning Lane attraction. It’s actually a query of how a lot it’ll value and the way rapidly it’ll promote out every day. Our expectation is that it finally ends up being priced on par with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Nevertheless, debuting this throughout spring break season may imply premium pricing.
The opposite large query is whether or not Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare will transfer to Genie+ or if Magic Kingdom would be the solely park with two Particular person Lightning Lane sights. Our expectation is that Magic Kingdom will develop into the lone park at Walt Disney World to have two Particular person Lightning Lanes. Nevertheless, we aren’t even remotely assured on this prediction, placing it at about 60/40 in favor of occurring.
Though they’re each curler coasters, they’ve very totally different demographics. Past that, Magic Kingdom can be the lone park to have a wholesome quantity of Genie+ capability, even after dropping Splash Mountain. It makes extra sense for Magic Kingdom to maintain two ILL rides than it did EPCOT, each financially and when it comes to provide v. demand for the Genie+ service.
Standby v. Digital Queue
One other large query is whether or not TRON Lightcycle Run will use a digital queue. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind nonetheless makes use of a digital queue, so the reply to this most likely appears apparent. In all chance, TRON Lightcycle Run will get a digital queue–and Cosmic Rewind will lose its VQ within the course of.
Nevertheless, even that isn’t totally settled. Not each latest attraction has debuted with a digital queue (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway by no means used one) and Disney has tried to eliminate them wherever potential. TRON Lightcycle Run hopefully doesn’t undergo from downtime points and it most likely doesn’t lack queue area. There needs to be lots contained in the constructing, and there’s positively ample overflow area exterior. So TRON Lightcycle Run ought to use standby…proper?!?
In all probability not. The problem with TRON Lightcycle Run is definitely the strategy–similar because the EPCOT E-Tickets. The trail between Area Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway that leads again to TRON Lightcycle Run is actually slim. For no matter motive, Walt Disney World didn’t shorten the Speedway monitor, and the consequence may be very little area main again to TRON Lightcycle Run. That is a recipe for potential issues, and will get downright harmful at rope drop as visitors stampede to be among the many first to journey.
Although Walt Disney World probably desires to keep away from bringing again the digital queue because of the drop in visitor satisfaction it causes, I don’t suppose they’ll have some other selection right here. As such, I’m anticipating a digital queue for TRON Lightcycle Run. (The truth that Disney did the very same factor for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for the very same motive makes me much more assured on this guess.)
Whereas we’ve gotten good at gaming digital queues (and have “pace technique” recommendation so you possibly can obtain comparable success), my private hope is for a standby queue. It’s the extra guest-friendly strategy that ranges the taking part in subject, is much less traumatic, and leads to fewer complaints.
Plus, if there’s a digital queue, TRON Lightcycle Run gained’t open for Early Entry–and we actually hope it’s, as that’ll relieve stress from the SDMT Shuffle, making that simpler for households.
TRON Lightcycle Run Development Updates
The above video is a take a look at each development progress and testing, which is now fairly frequent to see whereas visiting Magic Kingdom. On this specific day, I used to be in Magic Kingdom check Genie+ v. standby. This concerned criss-crossing the park lots, and nearly your entire day–up till round 11 pm (that’s once I final checked)–there was curler coaster practice dispatching and a minimum of some mild results testing in tandem.
A part of me puzzled whether or not that is precise and essential testing…or if Walt Disney World realizes there’s no higher ‘free’ promoting than operating the curler coaster throughout widespread vacationer seasons. Many informal visitors had been taking photographs and movies, and I overheard many speaking about TRON Lightcycle Run. Numerous pleasure about it.
Walt Disney World has been dispatching trains at or close to peak effectivity, with below 30 seconds between them. The attraction additionally has been working with human riders, and firm executives and others have already skilled it. Which means that the within of the attraction is completed and has been turned over to operations, and the one development to be accomplished is exterior on the strategy and varied walkways.
With that in thoughts, let’s check out development progress. That is additionally almost completed, and has been for the previous few months…
There’s been quite a lot of progress on TRON Lightcycle Run’s development within the final a number of months. Like different initiatives that kicked into excessive gear with the beginning of the brand new fiscal yr, work on TRON Lightcycle Run has accelerated since across the begin of Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary.
Let’s begin by approaching from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover with a contemporary take a look at the development website.
Talking of contemporary, one of many “greatest” modifications you may discover since our final development replace is all of the landscaping that has been put in between the expanses of concrete. A lot of the dust has been changed with bushes, making the entire space look lots nearer to its remaining kind.
One other factor that’s been put in is lighting fixtures. You possibly can see these within the photograph above, obscuring some views into the development website. These curved lamp posts give a futuristic sensibility to the world and are considerably much like those at Shanghai Disneyland, and in addition in new areas EPCOT.
Persevering with to the guts of the location, right here’s a wider view of the primary elevated walkway and first part of the swooping cover. It’s more durable to see now due to the landscaping, however there’s additionally the Storybook Circus path beneath the flyover ramp that leads as much as the attraction entrance.
The primary work we noticed was on the lead-up to the flyover walkway. Numerous ending touches occurring right here; the ‘large factor’ that has but to be completed is set up the attraction marquee in that center concrete space. That most likely can be one of many final issues to happen earlier than the journey opens.
Talking of the attraction entrance, you possibly can see the collection of arches in entrance of the visitor entrance for TRON Lightcycle Run. Thematic thrives have been put in right here and the ultimate parts of the cover have additionally been put in.
You possibly can’t see them anymore because of the added bushes, however there are a number of entrances right here, and clearly two separate sides–one for standby/digital queue and one other for the Lightning Lane.
TRON Lightcycle Run is technically past the berm in Magic Kingdom, shoehorned into a decent plot of land between the boundaries of Tomorrowland, Storybook Circus, and World Drive. Consequently, the world across the attraction could have quite a lot of strategically-located partitions and walkways to direct visitors and conceal views into backstage and places exterior the park.
Above and beneath are very comparable wider views that exhibits just about your entire TRON Lightcycle Run worksite that’s seen from the TTA PeopleMover.
The ETFE cushion cover is full, with crews now doing the ultimate ending work on the bottom and elevated pathway. As a result of aforementioned placement of the attraction, there’s lots happening to combine the attraction right into a small parcel of land–let’s break it down.
The flyover walkway (far left) will weave visitors beneath the cover, over the Walt Disney World Railroad tunnel (middle-left), and into the visitor entrance (far proper and beneath) of the present constructing. You possibly can truly see the same path in our photographs of Shanghai Disneyland’s model of the curler coaster all through this publish (minus the practice stuff).
Talking of the practice tunnel, that is now totally enclosed, mirroring the idea artwork–a necessity so the practice doesn’t discolor the crisp cover of TRON Lightcycle Run.
A air flow system, lighting, and monitor for the practice has all been put in. There are additionally home windows minimize into the tunnel that’ll provide a view from the practice of TRON Lightcycle Run.
A number of months in the past, Walt Disney Imagineering launched new publicity pictures displaying that TRON Lightcycle Run has reached one other undertaking milestone at Magic Kingdom, with the beginning of present lighting testing on the attraction cover.
This curved-wave construction serves because the Add Conduit to the Grid, the place visitors (or “Customers” in TRON parlance) will race beneath on Lightcycles as they start their competitors.
In preparation for the race, the Walt Disney Imagineering Present Lighting group is tough at work testing the system and programming greater than 1,200 fixtures throughout the floor.
The cover and exterior plaza can be dropped at life within the coming months because the undertaking group continues importing and integrating extra present parts.
In different phrases, just about every little thing is completed at this level apart from the flyover ramps, ground-level walkways, varied planters, and a little bit of clean-up and landscaping work. Whereas it nonetheless very a lot seems like an energetic development website, quite a lot of that may be completed fairly rapidly.
Clearly, it’s nonetheless an energetic development website with quite a lot of work occurring, however the journey is now within the house stretch. Severely. After 4+ years, the curler coaster is sort of prepared. In truth, TRON Lightcycle Run might open inside just a few weeks given the work that is still.
The curler coaster itself is able to roll–fairly actually. Beneath the ETFE cushion roofing, you possibly can generally see curler coaster trains launching. We’ve seen these for just a few months now, and they’re now shifting at full-speed and at common intervals.
At this level, Walt Disney World is holding again on opening TRON Lightcycle Run till it’s most advantageous from a advertising and marketing perspective to drive new trip bookings. Accordingly, the corporate has decided that the “greatest” date to debut the journey is April 4, 2023. We suspect followers could have sky-high expectations after ready ~5 years for this journey to return to fruition.
Whereas I actually get pleasure from TRON Lightcycle Run, it “solely” scored a 9/10 in our Shanghai Disneyland Trip Opinions. The large factor that prevented it from receiving an ideal 10/10 is length. The coaster itself, from launch to return, lasts nearly 60 seconds precisely. (Different web sources counsel it’s 2 minutes lengthy–that’s solely correct from load to unload, however a full minute of that isn’t a part of the journey expertise in any respect.)
One other concern is the seating, which I’ve beforehand stated (wrongly, I suppose) can be what precluded this curler coaster from ever being cloned at Walt Disney World. As famous above, TRON Lightcycle Run has bike seating, with visitors straddling the lightcycle, leaning ahead and putting their chest and abdomen flush with the entrance pad whereas handlebars come ahead and a again restraint lowers.
It’s a cosy match, like a tighter and safer model of Flight of Passage in Pandora – World of Avatar. Shanghai Disneyland’s model has accessible automobiles behind the trains. Extra accessible seating can be essential within the Magic Kingdom model, as the conventional bike seats aren’t going to work for lots of Walt Disney World visitors.
Finally, TRON Lightcycle Run is lots like Rock ‘N’ Curler Coaster. Each are quick launch curler coasters that largely happen in darkish present buildings with a scattering of props and lean closely on thrills. TRON Lightcycle Run can be about 20 seconds shorter, however it’ll have an out of doors part, and superior visuals inside.
With all of that stated, what can’t be overstated about TRON Lightcycle Run is the coolness issue due to the distinctive seating, flashy visuals, and that out of doors loop. It is a particular benefit it has over different curler coasters at Walt Disney World. Whereas I want it had been about one other 20-30 seconds longer, I believe most followers will find yourself loving TRON Lightcycle Run.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider TRON Lightcycle Run? Are you excited for this new Magic Kingdom curler coaster, or does it not curiosity you? Ideas on how the aesthetic will match into Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions beneath within the feedback!