One of my kids will ride anything. Me, I’m a bit more of a ride chicken, or a ride wimp as some like to call it. Some thrill rides are OK, some are not, and I like to at least have an idea what I’m getting into. If that sounds like you, then settle in and let me tell you about my experience with TRON / Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom. This review will be generally spoiler-free, but if you’re game for some more detail you can find it in Len’s review.

In addition to questions about motion sensitivity, some might be nervous about finding that they don’t fit on TRON’s motorbike-style ride vehicles, which are less forgiving of certain body types than most Disney World rides. Well, I didn’t fit, so I’ll let you know about my experience with that as well. Spoiler alert: there’s nothing to be fearful of.

If You Definitely Won’t Ride

Like all Disney World’s new blockbuster rides, it’s no piece of cake to get onto a Lightcycle. If you definitely won’t ride, it’s still worth walking up to the ride’s entrance area to appreciate the canopy and the architecture up close. It’s fun to watch the trains zipping past overhead. You don’t need to enter the queue to see this.

For the queue itself, there’s a single big reveal moment that gives you a little “ooh”. Other than that there is absolutely nothing worth standing in the line for. If you’re doing it to be companionable with some non-chickens in your party, then go for it. There is a chicken exit, and you can go through the queue without getting on the ride. But if you’re doing it for yourself then your time might be better spent on the PeopleMover, which has much more varied scenery. If you’d like a more stationary experience, the Carousel of Progress is a great option that also offers more varied scenery.

If You Aren’t Sure About Riding

There’s a lot of personal variation in motion-sickness triggers. I’m going to call out the most common triggers below. And I’m going to start with the ride vehicles, because there are two types to talk about.

Ride Vehicle

Most vehicles on TRON are motorbike-like Lightcycles. There is also an accessible car, called the Lightrover, at the end of some trains. The Lightrover is like a regular coaster car; it holds two riders and has individual lap bars. First, let’s talk about the will-you-fit experience for the Lightcycle. Then I’ll get into how the different vehicles might affect motion-sickness.

There is a test seat in the queue for TRON. It is out in the open, but it is in a busy location where people are walking by. They are focused on getting into line, not on people trying the seat. I didn’t feel uncomfortable doing it “in public”, but you may feel differently.

A Cast Member isn’t always at the test seat, but the one who was when I tried it was sensitive to how people might feel about not fitting. He was both encouraging and matter-of-fact, and let me know how to ask for the accessible car. (Ask a Cast Member on the loading platform.)

Above, you can see the leg restraint that rests against the back of your calf. If you have a wide calf, it may not close. If you’re tall, you’re less likely to have space to move your foot forward or back so that the restraint falls against a narrower part of your calf. You can also see the backpiece that holds you “bent” over the bike. Tall people may end up sitting more upright under this backrest, and find it uncomfortable even if their calves fit. Feeling uncomfortable may make you more likely to get motion sickness.

So which is better for motion sickness, the Lightrover or the Lightcycle? It turns out there’s no one answer. I talked to several people who had ridden both. Some felt that having the air blowing directly over your face on the Lightcycle was helpful. Everyone agreed that they felt the motion “more” on the bike, but disagreed on whether that helped or hurt. Some felt that the position made them feel more in control and that helped with nausea. Some didn’t like the feeling of going downhill with their heads down. Conclusion: your mileage may vary.

Both times that I rode (months apart), I did not have a significant wait for the Lightrover to be available. People in my group who rode the Lightcycles got off the coaster at about the same time I did. If you’re uncomfortable trying the test seat, or you’ve ridden the Lightcycles and feel like the Rover might work better for you, it’s not likely to leave the rest of your party with a big wait for you after they’re done.

Smoothness

Overall, the vehicles run on the track pretty smoothly. There’s a tiny bit of vibration – not enough to really notice, but enough to keep me from calling this coaster super-smooth. But. There is a BIG, BIG but here. There is a very noticeable jerk when your train first moves away from the platform towards the launch position. And the deceleration at the end of the ride is another big, jerky motion, like slamming on the brakes in a car. Neither of these sudden movements lasted long, but they were the ones that made me the most nauseous.

Drops

TRON does move up and down a fair bit, but there’s very little of that “stomach-drop” feeling with your feet leaving the floor. That’s for two reasons. The first is that on a Lightcycle your head points down, not your feet. But the bigger reason is that almost all of TRON’s rise-and-drop motion includes a turn. (I’m actually pretty sure it’s all of them, but I’m going to cover my rear here and hedge with “almost all”.)

That puts physics on your side. In the same way that the banked road on a highway turn keeps you from sliding across the seats of your car, going sideways and down at the same time redirects the g-force on TRON. The force that would normally be “straight up” and “lift you off your seat” is at an angle instead and the effect is muted. You’ll still feel the downward motion, but not so much like you’ve left your stomach behind.

Heights

For the outside portion of the ride, you’re traveling on a raised track that’s suspended many feet above the ground. Indoors, many of the spaces are wide, open areas, and again the track is supported on poles without any surround to give the illusion of being grounded. The track doesn’t feel higher than necessary for the effect it’s trying to give. But if moderate heights are a problem for you, you’re likely to be uncomfortable.

Speed

TRON is pretty fast, and it feels fast. For motion sensitivity, this can be good or bad. If changes of orientation are a problem, then they’ll be happening often because the coaster is moving through the track at a good clip. They’re going to bother you. But if it’s g-forces and non-upright orientations that are an issue, it’s a benefit. You’ll feel the g’s less than on many kiddie coasters because you move through them so rapidly. And you won’t sustain any single position that causes you discomfort for long either.

Spinning / Direction

There’s no spinning on TRON. and no inversions either. But the track does have a fair number of curves, and you’ll often find that you’re rounding them at a 30-degree (or so) angle to the vertical. So you’ll be tilted, with some g-forces applied. But, as noted above, each turn is over pretty fast. Also as mentioned above, many of the turns are combined with drops, which some (many?) chickenish riders will prefer.

Length

TRON is short, at only about 60 seconds. For those who don’t tend to get motion sick on shorter coasters, that’s a plus. And if you do feel nauseous, you’ll be off quickly and it won’t have a chance to build to the point where it affects you for a long time afterward. I was a bit motion-sick at points in both my rides on TRON, but not for the whole ride and not after I got off.

If You Decide to Ride

If you decide to ride, you don’t need to do any more to minimize motion sickness than you would on the average roller coaster. Don’t go in on an empty stomach, nor too full either. Make sure you’re properly hydrated. And if it’s allergy season, make sure that full sinuses aren’t messing with your inner ear. Most riders who get motion sick on TRON report feeling brief moments of nausea or a bit of dizziness. Neither should last long once you’re off the ride.

Have you ridden TRON / Lightcycle Run? Are you prone to motion sickness? Let us know what you thought in the comments.