Five Things to Know About TRON Lightcycle / Run

Since opening on April 4, 2023, TRON Lightcycle / Run has been one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World. Are you heading for the Magic Kingdom? Here are 5 things that top our list about the Lightcycle lifestyle. Want to skip the deep dive? Head straight for the Nuts and Bolts section.

1. The queue looks better from the outside than the inside

During the day, TRON beckons you with its huge white curvy canopy. Sunlight flickers through, helping create an atmosphere all its own that feels distinctly separate from its surroundings in the park. It’s an impressive feat of design and engineering, unlike anything else in the park. Which is a big plus, because to find space for TRON, the Imagineers had to sort of shoehorn it into the spot next to Space Mountain.

 

At night, the canopy comes alive with the electric, dynamic feel of the Grid, shifting in color from blue to orange and back again. It lights up so beautifully that it’s worth the trip to see even if you don’t intend to ride.

Entering TRON, you’ll see that the physical queue itself is pretty much a long series of lines in darkened areas peppered with colorful elements. Unlike a lot of the other big attractions at WDW, there aren’t interactive elements and not much to look at to enhance the story or your experience. There’s one big “aha” reveal moment, but mostly it’s just a line and not a major themed element of the attraction.

One thing that is pretty unique about TRON’s queue is that you’ll make a stop at the lockers. While the ride vehicles have a small compartment that can fit a cell phone and a pair of sunglasses, you can’t bring anything larger onto TRON. So, in the queue, you’ll find lockers for storing your loose items. Lockers can be opened using either a MagicBand, a ticket card, or a Key to the World card (MagicMobile will not work). The lockers are about a cubic foot in volume, big enough for a school backpack and maybe a few other items.

The lockers are pretty cool, to be honest. They’re double-sided — think elevators with doors that open at the front or the back. You’ll load from one side and when you exit the ride, you’ll access your locker from the other side to retrieve your stuff. Forgot your number in the excitement? No problem: tap your MagicBand or ticket card to a terminal at the end of the locker row and it will display on the screen.

2. TRON Lightcycle / Run is a fast, fun flight

Here’s Disney’s official description: “Climb aboard your very own Lightcycle and take off on a high-speed adventure, racing against the Grid’s most menacing Programs. Surge past your fierce opponents as you attempt to cross through 8 Energy Gates and secure your team’s victory.”

When they say, “high speed”, what they mean is that TRON is a launch coaster, propelling you from a dead start to 59 mph in seconds. The track takes you soaring over the waiting crowds outside, before entering the “dark” portion of the ride that’s inside the building. Even though there are no loops or inversions, the ride is the most intense coaster in the Magic Kingdom, lasting about 60 seconds. And TRON is unique because while it has trains like all roller coasters, most of the vehicles in these trains are bikes, which changes the sensation of motion as you ride.

There’s not much of a narrative for this attraction. Our own Len Testa in his spoiler review says: “The ride is supposed to follow a plot of some kind … a contest, I think? That part wasn’t explained in the preshow, it definitely didn’t come through on the ride.” But realistically, there’s no storyline for Space Mountain either, and nobody misses it – it’s just that unlike TRON, it doesn’t even claim to have one.

What about motion sickness?

Here’s what we think: if you have issues riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Big Thunder Mountain, you may want to think twice about riding TRON. Personally, I’m prone to motion sickness. I’ve ridden both Seven Dwarfs and Big Thunder Mountain without too much in the way of ill effects, but I skipped TRON on our recent visit. Instead, I sat outside waiting for my twelve-year-old grandson to emerge and give his account which was two words long: “It’s amazing!” Others exiting didn’t appear bothered by the ride’s intensity. For a more detailed take that touches on specific motion-sickness triggers, see A Ride Chicken Review of TRON Lightcycle / Run.

3. TRON Lightcycle / Run is based on the ride in Shanghai.

Disney’s first TRON attraction was named TRON Lightcycle Power Run. It opened along with the rest of Shanghai Disneyland on June 16, 2016. Just a year or so later, at the 2017 D23 Expo, Bob Chapek (then Chair of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts) announced that TRON would be coming to Disney World.

The new ride would be built next to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland on a plot of land that Imagineers had originally set aside for a never-built Disney World version of Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds. Groundbreaking took place in February 2018, with the intent to have TRON open for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2021.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting delays in every ongoing Disney World construction project, so that didn’t happen. But finally TRON began seating guests during a preview period for cast members and the press that ran from February 2023 to March 2023. That was followed by a soft opening for Disney World guests from March 20 through April 2, and TRON finally, officially opened on April 3, 2023.

The Walt Disney World version is similar to the original in premise and design if not name: the rides take guests inside and outside the building at speeds of up to 60 mph.

4. But before that it was based on a movie.

The first TRON movie was released by Disney in 1982. TRON starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer engineer and video game developer. He finds himself digitized into a virtual reality called “The Grid”, where he interacts with evil programs as he tries to return to the real world. He carries an Identity Disc, which contains “all that a program is, in the form of a detachable glowing disc normally worn on the upper back.”

Quick refresher: in 1982, the Apple III, Commodore 64, and TI 99/4A were popular home computers. The Atari 2600 was the home game system of choice and Pac-Man was the game to play on it. Using computer-generated graphics or animation in movies was in its infancy, and TRON was the first film to use a scene created entirely with computer animation – CGI. Lauded for its state-of-the-art special effects, one notable action sequence features Kevin and the blue team racing on light cycles against the evil orange team in the light cycle arena. In all, these CGI sequences ran an unprecedented 15 minutes.

Groundbreaking as it was, TRON received a mixed reception from critics, with some praising the special effects and many citing the weak (or undecipherable) plot. Although it received Academy Award nominations for Sound and Costume Design, TRON was considered ineligible in the Special Effects category because the Academy felt at the time that using computer-generated effects was “cheating.” (That’s pretty funny now, isn’t it?)

Flash forward 28 years. TRON has a cult following, and Disney decides to get the band back together to make TRON: Legacy. Computers have come a long way in those 28 years, so in addition to state-of-the-art computer-generated imagery, this film utilizes 3-D effects. But as with the first movie, this one received kudos for its stunning visuals but a lukewarm reception from critics. Their complaint? Drum roll please … “a weak plot”.

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

Tron is located in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. The walk up to the TRON ride building is through the central part of Tomorrowland, as if you’re headed for Space Mountain. Just before you reach the Space Mountain line, you’ll turn left and follow a pathway up the ramp to TRON. Because the canopy covers the outside portion of the track, TRON is considered a “covered ride” that can operate during rain, and much of the queue is indoors, although it may spill out to an uncovered area if waits are very long.

If you’re looking for stroller or ECV parking, they are often nearby to each other – but not at TRON. Stroller parking is on the ramp leading up to the attraction. ECV parking is at the top of the ramp (so you don’t have to climb it after you get out of your ECV!) to the right of the restrooms.

TRON’s vehicles are different from many coasters you may have ridden, with TRON riders sitting on what resembles a motorcycle. The vehicles are set up as trains of 14 semi-detached cycles, with 7 rows of 2 cycles each. Riders sit leaning forward, resting their shins into a leg brace, then holding the handlebars of the lightcycle. The back of the lightcycle “seat” folds down to hold the rider’s back securely in place (and yes, that’s an Identity Disc you see on the “seat” back!)

The Lightcycle bikes require you to sit in a specific position and may not fit all guests. Test seats are available at the entrance to the attraction and can be used to check your fit before getting to the loading platform. In the above picture, Len is trying out the test seat and you can see where the leg restraint lands. If you’re taller or have thicker calves, make sure to try the available test seat. If you don’t fit, ask Cast Members in the loading area for the Light Rover, which is the regular-style coaster car.

ECV/wheelchair users must transfer to a wheelchair, then to the ride vehicle. A transferable vehicle is available which provides a bench seat with a lap bar. There’s a minimum height requirement of 48 inches to ride TRON, and Rider switch is available for TRON. There are also some significant health advisories: riders on TRON should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back, or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.  And to make TRON accessible to as many as possible, these aids are available from Guest Services with a refundable deposit: Video Captioning, and Audio Description Devices.

TRON is open for Extended Theme Park Evening Hours, but not for Early Entry. However, Tomorrowland – where TRON is located – is open for Early Entry Theme Park hours. This means that those eligible for Early Entry can begin to queue before the Early Entry period is over, so if you don’t qualify for Early Entry then heading to TRON first thing is not a smart strategy the way it might be for other rides that aren’t open during EETP. A shorter wait for TRON can be secured by purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass, or standard advice about riding at the very end of the day also applies.

The Bottom Line.

We think TRON is a must-ride attraction (unless, like me, you consider most coasters “must-not-ride” attractions). Fast, fun, and perhaps over too soon, it remains one of the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom. For an added dimension of awesomeness, ride TRON at night when the canopy is lit.

Have you ridden TRON? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

(Originally published April 17, 2023. Last updated / republished September 19, 2024.)