Zooming into Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is TRON Lightcycle / Run! Get ready to ENTER THE GRID when TRON opens on APRIL 4th, 2023!!

TRON Lightcycle Run

The ride, based on the TRON films, will be very similar to its counterpart in Shanghai Disneyland. In Magic Kingdom, the story of the attraction picks up after the TRON: Legacy film. (Friendly Reminder: Subscribers can currently stream TRON and TRON: Legacy on Disney+! And a NEW movie, Tron: Ares, is in the works.)

We’ve got TIPS for getting on TRON — CLICK HERE!

TRON Lightcycle / Run — The Story and the Race!

Sam Flynn, the main character in TRON: Legacy, has been opening up new gateways into the digital realm all over the world. The first, as mentioned above, was at Shanghai Disneyland (where the original TRON Lightcycle Power Run attraction is located).

Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland

Now, Sam is opening a gateway to the digital world in Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom! (Sam’s first portal is in Shanghai Disneyland.)

Disney shares that this attraction will allow riders to “experience the energy, lights and excitement of TRON’s high-tech universe” in this “thrilling race through the digital frontier.”  

TRON Lightcycle Run ©Disney

Get ready to board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles and “launch into the Grid for a race through a dark, computerized world” reaching speeds up to 59 miles per hour! (To give you an idea of the speed, although this is faster than Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, it doesn’t quite out-speed Test Track’s 65-mile per hour limit.)

TRON in Shanghai Disneyland

Oh, and did you catch that bit above about a “thrilling race”? Disney shares that “You’ll climb aboard your very own Lightcycle and race through a dark, computerized world alongside your family and friends. As you swoop and swerve throughout the course, your team will compete to be the first to race through eight Energy Gates and claim victory.” The Disney website further explains that riders will be joining Team Blue to race against “the Grid’s most menacing Programs [Team Orange]. Surge past your fierce opponents as you attempt to cross through 8 Energy Gates“ towards victory!

Lighting will play a huge role, as the indoor roller coaster will feature shifting light panels, so the ride experience will change from day to night depending on the light!

TRON: Lightcycle Power Run is Coming to Disney World

In TRON language, the attraction’s canopy is known as the “Upload Conduit” and guests will be known as “Users.” The “Users” will race Lightcycles underneath over 1,200 light fixtures across the canopy.

© @waltdisneyimagineering on Instagram

Disney has also revealed some details about the ride’s queue, which will make guests feel as if they’re being digitized and entering the Grid for a Lightcycle race. All guests will join Team Blue to race against Team Orange. “As you swoop and swerve your way around the course, your goal is to be the first to race through eight Energy Gates and secure your victory. Will your team have what it takes?”

TRON Lightcycle Run Rider Access

Disney has not yet revealed details regarding how riders can access the brand new attraction when it opens on April 4th, 2023. However, Disney has used a Virtual Queue/Boarding Pass system for recent ride openings such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. We will keep you posted immediately here on the DFB if and when a Virtual Queue is announced for TRON. 

Click HERE to learn how to enter a Virtual Queue in Disney World!

For now, we can confirm that Disney has announced that there will be previews of TRON Lightcycle / Run for the following groups: Cast Members, Disney World Annual Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club members.

Cast Member previews for TRON Lightcycle / Run will take place between February 6th and March 3rd. Eligible Cast Members can register for previews starting on January 30th.

Preview dates and registration information have not yet been revealed for Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members.

TRON Lightcycle Run Construction Milestones and Ride Testing

TRON Lightcycle Run is opening on April 4, 2023, and we have been keeping a close eye on the construction all along the way.

TRON construction at night — Early January 2023

Let’s walk through some recent milestones!

TRON Construction Canopy Work

In March 2022, Disney shared a video discussing a unique phase of ride testing. Known as the “push/pull” process, sections of the train were slowly moved through the entire ride track.

©Disney

Now that the track is ready, trains have started launch tests, which began at incremental speeds working to full-speed launches. This ride testing is visible to guests visiting Magic Kingdom, and we’ve been able to see it for ourselves to share with you!

TRON Coaster Testing

In May 2022, Walt Disney Imagineering shared a video on Instagram showcasing the first full-speed test run of the rollercoaster!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Walt Disney Imagineering (@waltdisneyimagineering)

Click HERE to see VIDEO footage of the full vehicle testing phase!

Disney had previously shared that during the next phase, test weights will be used on the ride vehicles.

©Disney

And we were able to spot these test weights IN USE in late December!

TRON vehicle testing in December 2022

In fact, the BEST view available to guests right now (as of December 23, 2022) is from ONBOARD a Walt Disney World Railroad steam train!

The View of TRON from the Walt Disney World Railroad Train!!

You see, Magic Kingdom’s steam trains shut down in 2018 to accommodate construction for TRON. But now, ahead of TRON’s April 4th opening, guests can ride the rails once again, and can even see a portion of TRON from the train!

Tron Coaster team members will be able to participate in tests once the coaster is “approved for ridership” in the next phase of testing.

Another BIG moment was the installation of the TRON Lightcycle / Run sign in January 2023!

TRON sign is up!

We’ll continue to keep you posted on all the latest as April 4th approaches!

Behind-the-Scenes Peeks

In June 2022, Walt Disney Imagineering posted some looks at TRON Lightcycle Run with the nighttime lighting!

© @waltdisneyimagineering on Instagram

This means they’ve hit a “project milestone” as the Show Lighting team has begun testing lighting on the canopy of the ride. According to Walt Disney Imagineering, both the canopy and the exterior plaza will continue to progress throughout the next few months as Imagineers upload and integrate “additional show elements.”

© @waltdisneyimagineering on Instagram

In fact, we were able to see the colorful nighttime lighting being tested in June 2022!

Click HERE to see VIDEOS of the nighttime canopy lightning!

In December 2022, Disney fans got to enjoy the biggest behind-the-scenes look yet, thanks to footage aired on Good Morning American on Christmas Day.

©Good Morning America

You can check out MORE footage — including a video glimpse — HERE!

TRON Lightcycle Run Photo Op

Can’t wait to board a Lightcycle? Well, you can right now… kind of!

Tron Lightcycle Vehicle Photo Op

Though we’ll still have to wait until April of 2023 to ride, guests visiting Tomorrowland can hop on a Lightcycle for a unique photo op!

TRON Lightcycle Run Opening

TRON Lightcyle Run was originally slated to open in time for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort: October 1, 2021. However, because Walt Disney World was closed for several months in 2020 due to the global health crisis, the project met with delays. However, a NEW opening timeline has been announced, complete with an official OPENING DATE: TRON Lightcycle Run will open on April 4th, 2023!

We’ve got TIPS for getting on TRON — CLICK HERE!

Disney Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selection access: Not yet known

TRON Concept Art ©Disney

Ages: Kids, Teens, and Adults

Features: Indoor roller coaster thrill ride, 59 miles per hour speeds, big drops, bike vehicles, shifting light panels, changing experiences from day to night

Disney Food Blog Posts Mentioning TRON Lightcycle Run

You Might also Like: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space 220

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