There’s a new coaster hitting the Magic Kingdom scene!

It’ll be FAST. It’ll be HIGH-TECH. And it’ll completely change Magic Kingdom and how you plan for Disney World. We’ve got all the details, tips, and secrets for you!

We’re giving you a FULL look of what YOU can expect when TRON: Lightcycle/Run finally opens in Magic Kingdom.

TRON was originally announced at the D23 Convention back in 2017. At the time, Disney’s goal was to have this coaster up and running for the Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration kickoff in 2021. But because of some major setbacks that happened after the historic 2020 closures, Imagineers had a lot of catching up to do to proceed with the TRON plans.

But after literal YEARS of waiting — TRON is now only a couple of weeks away from gracing the Tomorrowland scene with its neon blue lights and super-high speeds. 

But what, exactly, should you EXPECT from not just TRON, but also Magic Kingdom and Disney World as a WHOLE when this coaster blasts off on April 4th for ALL guests?

TRON May Not Be Everything You Hoped For

TRON may not be open just yet, but Disney has been running previews for certain groups, and we have been able to ride a couple of times. We’ve got the cold, hard facts about those tricky lockers and uncomfortable seats, but don’t worry we still found this ride to be epically fun though there are a few things you need to know about.

While many people are praising this ride for its epic theming and stellar nighttime ridethroughs, many are also not too keen on how short this ride is – it’s just about a minute long  Now, it’s not uncommon for a Disney ride to be short — and it’s especially not uncommon for one of the coasters to be short. After all, Rock N Roller Coaster only clocks in at a little over a minute. But if you were planning on spending possibly $17 per person on those Individual Lightning Lanes for TRON, then the length of this ride may make you think twice. 

Yes, the seats are uncomfortable. The bike style is similar to the ride vehicle on Flight of Passage, but if you’re comfortable on that ride, don’t assume the same for TRON. You have to lean forward quite a bit to reach the handle bars, and those leg restraints lock in place; it can be awkward and leave you feeling stiff after the ride – good thing it’s short!

But We Think You’ll Love It

We’ll get more into the seating and alternative seating later, but let’s talk about the good stuff because our team REALLY enjoyed this ride

Tricky stuff aside, TRON features an incredibly immersive queue that gets you up to speed on the storyline of the ride – so you don’t need to worry about sitting down to watch any of the TRON films before your next trip if it wasn’t already on your to-do list.

The launch of this coaster is the most thrilling part and it is VERY smooth. If you’ve ridden Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it’s that level of smooth though it feels a bit more like Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster due to that launch. 

Is it Disney’s most innovative, high tech, or thrilling coaster? Not quite, but it is definitely the most thrilling ride in Magic Kingdom and while the ride system is nothing groundbreaking, there are some incredible effects within the ride itself that aren’t tied to the time of day you ride 

TRON Will Be The FIRST Shanghai Disney Ride To Enter Disney World

To fully appreciate TRON Lightcycle / Run’s origins, we’re gonna have to fly over to China for this first point. When Shanghai Disneyland opened overseas in 2016, it blew guests away with its state-of-the-art rides and attractions unique to the park. 

Shanghai Disneyland introduced us to attractions like the “Once Upon A Time” Adventure walkthrough inside its Enchanted Storybook Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle of the Sunken Treasure, and Winnie the Pooh’s Hunny Pot Spring. 

But one of the BIG new staples of the park was TRON: Lightcycle Power Run — a cyber-themed roller coaster with a storyline that picks up after the TRON: Legacy film. The plot? Sam Flynn, the main character in TRON: Legacy, has been opening up new gateways into the digital realm all over the world. While his FIRST portal happens to be in Shanghai, his SECOND is gonna be in — you guessed it — Orlando, Florida. 

But there’s MORE to this TRON story than JUST portals alone. You’re gonna have to RACE. 

You’ll Ride Magic Kingdom’s Fastest Coaster YET

Magic Kingdom has always been known to have TONS of fun rides — but, mostly, the coasters here aren’t gonna be breaking any speed records by any means. Until now.

A big part of the Tron: Lightcycle /Run storyline is “racing through a dark, computerized world.” According to the Disney website, your team will compete to be the first to race through eight Energy Gates and claim victory.” Because you’re the GOOD guys here, you’ll be a part of Team Blue, racing against “the Grid’s most menacing Programs [AKA: Team Orange].” And that means you’re gonna have to BOOK it on your lightcycle to come out victorious.

This train of two-wheeled Lightcycles will reach speeds up to 59 miles per hour! If you want to put that in perspective, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios tops out at 57 mph. Mix that in with adrenaline-spiking music, 3D graphics, and “digitized darkness,” and you’re gonna be experiencing the most thrilling Magic Kingdom ride yet to date. 

The Time Of Day You Ride WILL Impact Your Experience

Will riding TRON during the day be different than riding TRON at night? Oh yeah. Lighting’s gonna play a huge role on TRON, since the indoor roller coaster will feature shifting light panels on its outdoor canopy. The attraction’s canopy is known as the “Upload Conduit,” which is decked-out with over 1,200 light fixtures. That means the ride experience will change its vibes COMPLETELY, depending on the lighting. 

We think the ride should still be cool either way, but when we’ve seen those light panels tested at NIGHT, they’ve looked SO vibrant. It turns out the TRON coaster canopy doesn’t just light up blue. It can also display a wide range of different hues too (that we’re HYPED to see put into action while riding it ourselves)!

Virtual Queues Will be Introduced to Tomorrowland

Unfortunately, getting ON Tron isn’t gonna be as easy as walking right on up and into a physical queue. In fact, when TRON opens, it won’t be using a standby line, period. (At least, not YET anyways.) Instead, it’ll be using a virtual queue system — something that was implemented via the My Disney Experience App for Disney World when Rise of the Resistance first opened in Hollywood Studios back in 2019.

Virtual queues help manage the lines for these new rides so that they don’t grow to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LONG and end up wasting guests’ entire park days just WAITING around in a 5+ hour physical queue. (Which, yes, has happened on SEVERAL occasions, pre-2019.) In order to have a chance of getting into TRON’s virtual queue, you’ll need to have theme park tickets purchased and park pass reservations secured.

Virtual queues are GREAT… if you can get in ‘em. They allow you to reserve a space in a digital line — that way, you can still go on about your park day per usual until your Boarding Group time arrives. Then, you’ll just show your My Disney Experience Boarding Pass to the Cast Member at the front of the ride and — WHAMMO — you’re in and ready to go!

The downside for boarding groups and virtual queues is that they get snatched up within 10 SECONDS of going live for the day. And I’m NOT exaggerating. We’ve seen it happen time, and time, and TIME again. And we don’t expect TRON to be any different. SO if you’re going to Magic Kingdom SOON — and you wanna raise your chances of getting a Boarding Group number for TRON’s virtual queue on the My Disney Experience App — here’s what’s worked for US in the past:

Strategy One: Check your wifi speed

On free reliable websites — like Google Fiber — you can check and see what your wifi speed is BEFORE you try to join the virtual queue. Timing is of the essence, so if you think that disconnecting from whatever wifi you’re using and relying on your phone’s data plan is gonna be a faster option for you, then it’s best to figure that out before it’s too late.

Strategy Two: Confirm your party BEFORE 7AM

Beginning at 6AM, you can tap into the Virtual Queue and pre-select your party. That way, you have fewer steps to worry about when Boarding Groups are available at 7AM or 1PM. On the app, under “Join Virtual Queue,” you’ll find a button that says “Confirm Your Party.”

Once you hit that button, the app will find the people who are linked to your account. You’ll select each person that you’ll wanna add to the Boarding Group, then choose “Confirm Party.”

Strategy Three: Consider a possible THIRD option…?

Now this isn’t a surefire possibility, or anything, but it IS worth mentioning that the Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT offers a THIRD virtual queue drop at 6PM for guests who are eligible to attend Extended Evening Hours on select EPCOT dates. 

Extended Evening Hours are only available for guests staying at one of Disney’s Deluxe Resorts and will allow you to hang out in the parks up to two hours AFTER they close for everyone else. For Magic Kingdom, extended evening hours often happen either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but are always subject to change. You can figure out when they’ll be available for you by checking out the Disney World calendar online.

Now, we’re not saying that a third virtual queue line for TRON will be GUARANTEED for extended evening hours guests when the ride first opens, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground and let you know if we hear anything, one way or another. 

Strategy Four: Know where to join the virtual queue

You can attempt to join TRON’s Virtual Queue through the My Disney Experience app by selecting the Join Virtual Queue button on the home screen. To help things go a little quicker, tap on this button BEFORE 7AM. Then, refresh the app as you get closer to time. Once 7AM hits exactly, the second join virtual queue button will turn blue, beckoning you to press it and grab a Boarding Group number ASAP!

Strategy Five: Try again

If you missed that sliver of opportunity to grab a 7AM boarding group, remember — you’ve got another chance at 1PM! The main difference between the two drop times (aside from one being in the morning and the other being in the afternoon), is WHERE you’re gonna be able to grab those boarding passes. For the 7AM drop, you can be WHEREVER. Your hotel room, a coffee shop, in the car, an airport — ANYWHERE. Just as long as you and your group have valid park tickets for the day, you’ll be able to compete for your spot in line even from the comfort of your bed while you’re still sporting your jammies. 

HOWEVER, for the 1PM drop, you MUST already be inside Magic Kingdom. No if, ands, or buts about it.

 There’s a Good Chance TRON Won’t Just Impact Magic Kingdom

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT still uses a virtual queue system — and has been using one ever since the EPCOT coaster opened back in May 2022. BUT when it comes to virtual queues, Disney has been following a certain… pattern. When one virtual queue opens, another one closes. 

We saw this happen to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure when Cosmic Rewind opened, and we saw this happen to Rise of the Resistance when Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opened. It’s like a virtual queue baton, being passed down from one newbie to the next.

We’ve got a pretty good feeling that Cosmic Rewind won’t be sticking with their virtual queue system for too much longer once TRON opens up, since it seems Disney doesn’t like having multiple virtual queues open at any given time. But, then again, we could be completely wrong. After all, TRON will be opening during a historically high-traffic time for the parks anyway, so being able to manage the crowd levels for both of their newest coasters may be a useful tool for them.

However, if the virtual queue pattern that we’ve been seeing these past few years keeps it up, then TRON’s opening could very well lead to Cosmic Rewind getting the chance to use its physical standby queue for the first time ever. 

Paying For Rides Could Seem More Appealing

We’re not done with Cosmic Rewind YET. Let’s jump back in time and look at what EPCOT was like on Cosmic Rewind’s opening day. In short, it was… packed.

Even if people didn’t get a 7AM Boarding Group, many were still coming to the park in droves, hoping to get that 1PM time slot instead. Not to mention, there was exclusive opening-day merchandise being sold at Creations Shop that guests were trying to get their hands on as quickly as possible

Now, here’s the REAL interesting thing about Cosmic Rewind’s opening day. Though the virtual queue filled up within seconds, there were still Individual Lightning Lanes for sale until 7:20AM. That meant if you were up around 7AM, but missed the Boarding Group window entirely, you still had ANOTHER chance to GUARANTEE a ride on this coaster by PAYING to skip over the virtual queue. 

Disney did mention that Individual Lightning Lanes will be available for TRON: Lightcycle/Run as well. So this could be a solid Plan B on the day of your visit to help you secure your spot in line without having to race against the virtual queue clock. BUT here are two CRUCIAL things you’re gonna have to keep in mind:

1. This isn’t gonna be a pocket-change decision. Individual Lightning Lanes do add up — and will be at their most EXPENSIVE price point on a ride’s opening day. For Cosmic Rewind, ILLs cost $17 per person, per single ride through, when it first opened — meaning a family of four would have to pay $68 extra for that line bypassing privilege. We’re expecting TRON to be around the same price on opening day, if not even higher. 
2. Individual Lightning Lanes will ONLY be available for you to purchase at 7AM IF you’re staying at a Disney-owned resort. If you’re staying off property, ILLs won’t be available for you to purchase until the parks open. Since Magic Kingdom usually opens around 9AM, it’ll more than likely be WAY too late for you to purchase an ILL for TRON by then. So if you’re planning on buying an Individual Lightning Lane for Tron, also plan to book a Disney-owned resort for your stay. 

One last thing you’re gonna want to consider: When you pay for an ILL, you’ll have the chance to CHOOSE your return time. If possible, try to choose an ILL for later in the evening (IF you want the ride to feel faster). Since lighting plays an important role here, we’re expecting this ride to feel WAY more intense when it’s dark out.

However, if you’ve got folks in your group who’d rather not experience a more intense ridethrough — and would rather just enjoy the visuals more than the thrills — stick with a morning return window, instead. 

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Could See a Shift

Cosmic Rewind isn’t the ONLY coaster that could be seeing some major changes after TRON’s big opening. Currently, when you go to Magic Kingdom, the HIT ride with the longest wait times is gonna be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train over in New Fantasyland. 

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a gentle, swaying coaster that takes you through the Dwarfs’ diamond mine and around some twisty-turny tracks.

Ever since the family coaster opened back in 2014, it’s been THE most popular ride of the park — with wait times often pushing the 75+ minute threshold daily.  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is so popular, in fact, that it’s the park’s ONE and ONLY ride that you’ll have to pay an Individual Lightning Lane for IF you wanna skip over that main queue. 

But that could change SOON. VERY SOON. When Individual Lightning Lanes started up in Disney World in 2021, each park had TWO of these a la carte LL options. So, for Magic Kingdom, that happened to be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train AND Space Mountain. But at the beginning of last year, Disney made what was supposed to be a “temporary” change and added Space Mountain to the regular Disney Genie + line-up of Lightning Lanes. (Meaning you could grab a Lightning Lane for it, but you could ALSO grab Lightning Lanes for OTHER rides throughout the day too for a single price per person, per day.)

Ever since, there’s only been one Individual Lightning Lane for each of the four parks — with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train being the sole ILL for Magic Kingdom. 

So — big question: WILL Seven Dwarfs Mine Train still use Individual Lightning Lanes when TRON opens… or will Disney switch it over to be part of the standard Genie+ line-up? Our gut says Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will more than likely be kicked off the ILL train. Disney likes to keep things pretty even, after all. So they may not really WANT only one park having two ILLs while each of the others only has one. 

HOWEVER, we could ALSO see Seven Dwarfs Mine Train staying put and remaining as an al a carte purchase. After all, the crowds Magic Kingdom attracts for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are gonna be different than the crowds it’s attracting for TRON. Not ALL kids are gonna be able to ride their own Lightcycles yet — and Seven Dwarfs has been a steadily-popular ride since its opening because of how GOOD it is for families. There’s a little thrill here, a little dark ride there, and a lot of fun all around.

So, Disney may keep Seven Dwarfs’ ILL in check, just because it’ll still end up making them money. But, again, we’ll let you know when we hear about a decision one way or another. If you wanna make sure you get all those Disney updates just as soon as they are confirmed, make sure to sign up for the DFB newsletter so we can send all the latest new straight to your inbox. 

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Your Magic Kingdom Itinerary Will Look The Same…Until It Doesn’t

When TRON first opens, we’re predicting that the way guests navigate the park is still gonna be very similar to what we’re used to. And that’s all thanks to the virtual queue system. Before virtual queues, new Disney rides used to mean that EVERYONE and their mother would RUSH toward the queues for the latest-and-greatest attractions, leaving the other rides and shows behind in the dust. Which was GREAT, if you weren’t prioritizing riding the new ride in the first place. You were able to get SO much done everywhere else. 

But now, since guests don’t HAVE to stand in a physical line for TRON, the rides guests will be prioritizing getting in line for are still gonna look like they HAVE been. You’re still gonna see guests trying to get to Seven Dwarfs, or Peter Pan’s Flight, or Space Mountain first thing in the morning — and then pacing out the rest of their day from there. 

But when the physical queue DOES eventually open up for TRON (because it WILL later on down the line), I think we’re gonna start seeing the masses show up EARLY to get in line for it. (Which could ACTUALLY be super beneficial for those who wanna prioritize rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train instead!)

Whatever ride you’re gonna want to get in line for first, I’d recommend using that Early Theme Park Entry available for guests staying at any one of the Disney-owned resorts. Early Theme Park Entry allows you to enter any of the parks on any days 30 minutes before they open for everyone else. And THAT means you can have some epic leverage on your Magic Kingdom day. 

April In Magic Kingdom is Gonna Be WILD

We’ve got a perfect storm brewing in Magic Kingdom for the beginning of April. Not only is TRON: Lightcycle / Run opening on April 4th, but the return of Magic Kingdom’s hit nighttime spectacular, Happily Ever After, will be coming back to Cinderella Castle starting April 3rd. 

AND, on top of all THAT, early April is still the peak of Spring Break season for MANY schools across the country. So even if there WEREN’T new rides and shows coming to the Magic Kingdom, it’d STILL be packed out. So here’s our super-speedy Disney crowd advice:

1. If you are bound and determined to fight your way against the crowds to see these new Magic Kingdom developments, get your park tickets and park pass reservations ASAP. Do NOT wait until the last minute. Get them, and get them NOW. Because park capacity is more than likely gonna book up SOLID for those days in April. 
2. We’d also recommend you take a look at our 50 Ways to Avoid the Crowds video on our DFB channel for a TON of good tips to help you not just survive the masses, but learn how to escape them when need be.

3. If you’re teetering, trying to decide IF you should go to Magic Kingdom in April or later on in the year… wait it out. If you really do have the option to WAIT and go to Disney at a time where you’re not gonna have to experience shoulder to shoulder crowds, then by golly DO that.

4. We also know that many of you DO wanna go to Magic Kingdom at the beginning of April simply BECAUSE it’s gonna be a madhouse. There is something about being in a crowd of people who are all just as hyped up as you are about the same thing, getting to experience it before so many others. But if you’re SO not a crowd person, waiting until later — maybe even August or September — could provide you with less crowds, and an easier time to actually get on TRON and see Happily Ever After. 

Getting Into Other Parks Might Become Easier

Now because park pass reservations are gonna be hot-hot-HOT over at the MK, we COULD start to see other parks mellow out a bit 

Disney’s Hollywood Studios tends to be another park that sells out quickly, but since the newest thing opening up over THERE this year is gonna be the Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant (set to open on March 23rd), many Disney guests are probably gonna be gravitating toward more of the shiny, new attractions rather than another barbecue joint. (Though I’m sure it’s gonna be a COOL barbecue joint.)

I’m not saying you have permission to book your Hollywood Studios park passes until the last second (because the park’s still liable to fill up), BUT you might not have to stress over booking ‘em MONTHS in advance like you had to do before. 

EVERYTHING We Know About Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Disney World

Seating Will Be Adaptive 

When we say you’re gonna be riding your own Lightcycle on this coaster, we mean it. You know how Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure over in Universal’s Islands of Adventure has those motorbikes you can rev up during their ride? Same seating concept applies here. You WILL be straddling the seat of this coaster like you would ride a bike. (Just with… more safety restraints, of course)

But this type of seating arrangement might not be comfortable for everyone. Fortunately, Disney’s planned ahead for that. TRON will have adaptive seating for guests who may not be able to fit into the standard ride seats or have a disability that prevents them from comfortably doing so.

The “typical” TRON vehicle has a locking feature that comes in on part of your legs, as well as a backplate that comes down to secure you in place – this backplate is movable though so you can sit up though you won’t have anything to hold onto if you sit up all the way, You will have to lean down to get into the right position to take hold of those handlebars, and you’ll need to fold your legs into the proper position for the locking mechanisms to come down and secure you even further.

For some, getting onto this vehicle may not be a problem. But for others, it can be. Those who can’t fit onto the bike-style vehicle can still ride TRON, but they’ll need to request an adaptive seat. These adaptive seats look more like Disney coaster vehicle we’re used to with individual lap bars.

Will I Fit on TRON Lightcycle / Run in Disney World?

For those with disabilities or mobility concerns – seen or unseen – these seats will help you have a more comfortable ride, but there are a few things you should know 

1. There are only two adaptive seats per train, and not every train has them, so you may have to wait a bit to be seated in one,
2. Your whole group should be able to wait with you so you can all ride together, though groups that need more than two adaptive seats will need to split up 
3. There is also a 48” height requirement, and we haven’t heard many concerns from smaller riders at this time. The restraints are adjustable, so even those on the shorter side should be secure in the standard bike seats. 
4. There are test seats near the entrance of the ride so you can check out the ride vehicle before you get in line. 
5. If you do need that adaptive seat, speak with a Cast Member ASAP and they’ll get you to the right spot, but be prepared to wait a bit longer. 

 

Two Words: Complimentary Lockers 

NEW complimentary lockers will be available for you to store your belongings in before you get on the ride. You can unlock your locker with your MagicBand or ticket for easier access. But, if you DON’T wanna use one of these lockers, there will be a small compartment on the ride vehicle that can store items like phones, glasses, and wallets. Anything larger, however, has GOTTA be stored in those lockers. (Or left behind with a non-rider.)

Now with any technology, especially new stuff we’re not used to using at Disney World, there can be a learning curve and straight up malfunctions.

• You will need a ticket card or MagicBand to unlock the lockers. Tou can’t use MagicMobile on your phone. If you don’t have either you’ll be provided with a locker card
• There are plenty of Cast Members around to help, and if you forget your locker number when you exit the ride, there’s a screen off to the side to scan your band or card to let you know where your stuff is.

It’s safe to say that TRON is a fun ride! But maybe since we’ve been waiting SO long for it, or because EPCOT just opened Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, reviews seem to be a little mixed. There are definitely some accessibility concerns with both the standard seat and the fact that there are so few of the adaptive seats. But for most people those won’t be a major hindrance to your enjoyment of the ride. Brush up on the Virtual Queue process, and consider ahead of time if you want to spring for Individual Lightning Lane, and you should be set to experience Disney World’s newest coaster. 

It won’t be long now until TRON Lightcycle/Run is open and ready to shake things up in Disney World — so make sure you keep following the DFB team on our YouTube channel, on our socials, and on our website as we continue to cover the grand opening for one of the most anticipated Disney coasters of all time! 

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