TRON Lightcycle Run at Disney World: Opening, Construction Photos & Info
TRON Lightcycle Run is a roller coaster under construction behind Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. This covers everything you need to know: likely opening date, new photos of canopy progress, ride envelope testing, concept art, and answers to common questions. (Updated January 18, 2022.)
To bring you up to speed, this roller coaster was announced three 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’s outside railway tracks that circle Magic Kingdom and, consequently, Walt Disney World Railroad is closed until TRON Lightcycle Run is finished.
At the last two D23 Expos, Walt Disney Imagineering has shared new information and concept art about the TRON Lightcycle Run attraction. Walt Disney World has teased additional details since, and other info–including an opening timeframe–has been rumored. 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…
In terms of basic background, the attraction is officially known as TRON Lightcycle / Run (or Tron Lightcycle Power Run at SDL) 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 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 how all of this looks at Shanghai Disneyland. The biggest difference there is that it’s the focal point of Tomorrowland, 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, will have a cramped 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. (There are a few recipes for congestion here.)
Now let’s take a look at some concept art 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 newest concept art for TRON Lightcycle Run, which has been tweaked from the original plans. There are a few things that jump out from this new art in terms of changes from its predecessor.
First, the marquee is now a planter out front of the attraction, rather than hanging from the top of the canopy. Next, the entrance is now a winding and accessible walkway, rather than stairs. Finally, there’s what appears to be a (very small) tunnel for the train.
Above is the concept art from two years ago, which also shows how TRON Lightcycle Run fits with Space Mountain, the Tomorrowland Speedway, and Walt Disney World Railroad around it.
In that, you can see the stairs, path back to Storybook Circus, and original marquee. You can’t really see where the train would go, and it appears the entrance/exit from the show building all follow one path down the stairs.
January 2022 TRON Lightcycle Run Construction Update
There’s been a lot of progress on TRON Lightcycle Run’s construction in the last few months. Whereas other Walt Disney World projects have kicked into high gear with the start of the new fiscal year, work resumed in earnest on TRON Lightcycle Run back over the summer.
The difference in the number of workers around the construction site between last year through earlier this spring and this summer through the present is pronounced. You can spot dozens of workers at any given moment now, versus a skeleton crew early last year. Some days, nothing was happening at all.
As of mid-January 2022, the most visible progress is occurring via the installation of skeletal pieces along the length of the canopy’s edge, which is visible pretty much anywhere from Storybook Circus to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.
This is essentially the edge finishing and support for the panels that will swoop above guests as they walk under the canopy. You can actually see the same thing in our photos of Shanghai Disneyland’s version of the roller coaster throughout this post.
Other than that, not much in the way of updates to report for January 2022. In part this is because our photos from the PeopleMover didn’t turn out (and the line was too long to ride it again) and in part this is because most of the progress is of the incremental variety.
With that said, progress must definitely is being made and the construction site is bustling with activity. As discussed in the section below on when TRON Lightcycle Run will open, it could conceivably be finished by this fall.
Work continues on the multi-story structure over by Storybook Circus and the Barnstormer queue continues, with the building now partially enclosed.
The purpose of this building remains an official mystery, but the winding walkway that leads guests to the entrance passes directly by it. Given that, possibilities include a gift shop, photo review area, or lockers. 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.
From the TTA Peoplemover, the results of all this activity are apparent. Crews have been installing framework and tubing along the edges of the canopy, which will eventually (soon?) be covered with the cell-like panels found in the Shanghai Disneyland finished product.
Another area of emphasis is the walkway (far left) that will weave guests underneath the canopy, over the railroad tunnel (also being actively worked on), and into the guest entrance (far right and below) of the show building.
There’s now framework around the building entrance (right) and scaffolding all the way up to where the roller coaster track exits the gravity building (left).
While the pace of the project as a whole over the last several years has been lethargic, work has definitely accelerated in the last 6 months. With the Walt Disney World Railroad now testing sporadically, it’ll be interesting to see when it resumes operations relative to the opening of TRON Lightcycle Run.
Prior to the latest developments, the last “big” thing to occur was the envelope testing for Tron Lightcycle Run.
This process that occurs with all new attractions, using a test vehicle or push cart along the track that’s equipped with an semi-circle overhead to simulate the maximum guest wingspan. This is a safety measure to ensure that the ride’s elements will have clearance so guests cannot touch–and thus injure–themselves on the attraction.
If you’re unfamiliar with envelope testing and want to see it in action (my explanation probably leaves something to be desired), above is a video of the process back before Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened.
Typically, envelope testing occurs towards the end of construction once all show elements and everything near the track has been installed. However, TRON Lightcycle Run won’t have trees or anything else near the track, so it was presumably okay to do the testing earlier in the project timeline.
For those wanting an idea of how TRON Lightcycle Run will fit into the Magic Kingdom “skyline,” above is an aerial view.
You can also vaguely make out some of the blue netting being added to the canopy on the side nearer Space Mountain. Here you can also see just how deep the gravity building is, extending all the way back to World Dr. on the far side of Magic Kingdom.
While the gravity building is prominent in these photos, it should be noted that this is an extreme angle.
From within Tomorrowland and when approaching TRON Lightcycle Run, guests likely won’t be able to see the ‘big box.’ It’s not visible from most of Magic Kingdom; just as is the case at Shanghai Disneyland.
Here’s the view from in front of Space Mountain. From this angle, you can see a small portion of the building, but the focal point is the canopy.
When it’s finished, it’ll look beautiful and be what draws the eye of most guests.
TRON Lightcycle Run Opening Date
Now let’s turn to the opening date of Magic Kingdom’s upcoming thrill ride. Walt Disney World has dropped the line that TRON Lightcycle Run “is set to open at Magic Kingdom Park in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021.”
This is not surprising, as that was the plan prior to the multi-month closure of Walt Disney World, during which all construction stopped. Even after the parks reopened, work was slow to resume inside Magic Kingdom on TRON Lightcycle Run.
Late last year, there was a credible rumor that TRON Lightcycle Run construction would pause until at least the next fiscal year. While it did slow down considerably, work never stopped entirely–and has since gained momentum.
In our view, the best case scenario is that TRON Lightcycle Run debuts for a “second push” of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. It’s still too early for Walt Disney World to announce an official opening date.
We’ve speculated repeatedly that Walt Disney World would deliberately stagger its new attraction debuts over the course of 2022 and 2023 as a way to incentivize new and repeat trips. Our thinking was that the debuts of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom would be sufficiently spaced to give new bookings a shot in the arm.
Walt Disney World recently announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens in Summer 2022. So where does that leave TRON Lightcycle Run’s opening date?
Honestly, we don’t know. Since the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, the company has held a couple of preview events, and been mostly silent about TRON Lightcycle Run, beyond acknowledging its existence and that it’s coming soon. (That’s actually better than the treatment some projects have received.)
From that, we can glean that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is Walt Disney World’s next big thing. It’s a certain and safe bet that TRON Lightcycle Run will not open first–meaning it’s debuting sometime after Summer 2022.
The question is how long after Summer 2022 will TRON Lightcycle Run open?
One possibility is that it’ll be another year–that TRON Lightcycle Run will debut in Spring or Summer 2023. That’s possible, and would explain why Disney has been relatively quiet about the ride. This spacing would be strategic since the attraction could be entirely finished well before then.
The delay would be more about when it’s most financially advantageous to open another headliner ride after Cosmic Rewind. Spacing them out by a year would prompt some fans to take two trips instead of one, allowing Walt Disney World to benefit from two distinct marketing pushes.
Most recently, this perspective was reinforced by Disney itself, with D23’s list of “Every Disney Moment We’re Looking Forward to in 2022 excluding the TRON Lightcycle Run roller coaster.
Another possibility is that Walt Disney World is being quiet about TRON Lightcycle Run right now because Cosmic Rewind is the focus, and what will be the PR push for Summer 2022 bookings. However, that alone doesn’t preclude a Fall 2022 or Christmas 2022 debut of TRON Lightcycle Run.
It’s possible that Walt Disney World will wait until Summer 2022 vacation bookings are strong on the basis of Cosmic Rewind, and then announce a late 2022 opening date for TRON Lightcycle Run. (Perhaps that announcement will occur during the D23 Expo in September 2022.)
This isn’t far fetched or unprecedented. To the contrary, it’s a common practice by Disney Vacation Club to deny the existence of new properties even after they’re an open secret due to permits and their construction is vertical. This is done to prevent softening sales on existing properties, as DVC fears that prospective buyers will be more inclined to wait for the shiny new resort instead.
Same idea here. Waiting to announce a date until after Summer 2022 would minimize the number of guests who wait until both new rides are open before booking trips. Disney not wanting to cannibalize the marketing impact of each would also explain why the company isn’t saying much about TRON Lightcycle Run right now, despite a lot of activity on the construction site.
While it’s entirely possible that TRON Lightcycle Run won’t open until 2023, it’s personally hard for me to reconcile the current pace of construction–and number of workers on site–with a more prolonged timeline.
It’s true that Walt Disney World has sat on totally finished projects post-closure, waiting to debut them when most financially advantageous–but that has been with things that were substantially finished pre-closure. With TRON Lightcycle Run, the company slowed work…then resumed and accelerated it. Watching what has been happening in the last few months, it really doesn’t appear that Disney is deliberately delaying TRON at this point.
With all of that said, if forced to choose possible opening dates for TRON Lightcycle Run, I’d go with October 1, 2022 at the very earliest. That’s still a full year after it was supposed to debut. As for the latest potential opening, I’ll go with Summer 2023.
For my more moderate and “most likely” scenario, I’ll predict that TRON Lightcycle Run opens on December 1, 2022. I’ll go a step further and say that’ll be accompanied by a full month of previews beforehand for Cast Members, Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club members, etc. In terms of past precedent, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and New Fantasyland both opened on the first Thursday in December–that just so happens to be the first day in the month in 2022.
To be crystal clear, that is not a rumored opening date or timeframe for TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom. It’s simply my speculative prediction based on what’s likely and feasible given the current pace of work.
The good news is that Walt Disney World has been able to ramp up 50th Anniversary plans and demand is proving strong. This has emboldened Disney to get more aggressive with its projects.
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!
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