TRON Lightcycle Run will be opening on April 4th, 2023, and you need to get READY!

We’ve already gotten a peek inside the ride, shared up-close looks at its construction, and heard some of the music that could be used in the area. But are you fully prepared for the ride’s opening day? How can you make sure you get on the attraction when it opens? We’ve got our complete list of tips here.

Keep in mind, many details about the TRON’s ride’s opening are still pending. Disney has not yet revealed whether the ride will utilize a virtual queue and/or the standard Genie+ or an Individual Lightning Lane. And you’ll also want to remember that unexpected things can happen with Disney rides. The ride could experience technical issues and suddenly shut down or otherwise have complications on its opening day, so you’ll want to build a bit of flexibility into your plans. We’ll chat more about that a little later in this article.

For now, let’s go through our top tips to get a ride on TRON on its opening day!

What Is TRON Lightcycle Run?

First, you’ll want to know exactly what kind of ride you’ll be getting into. The ride is based on the TRON films and follows Sam Flynn as he opens a gateway to the digital world in Tomorrowland. Guests board a train of two-wheeled lightcycles and launch into the Grid for a high-speed race through a computerized world. The ride is set to reach speeds of up to 59 miles per hour, so get ready to hold on tight!

You’ll go through 8 Energy Gates, race against the Grid’s most menacing programs, and pass through a number of uniquely lit areas. In other words, it’s a thrill ride so don’t go in expecting something like “it’s a small world!”

Click here to get a behind-the-scenes look at TRON!

Ticket

Alright, now that you know about the ride, let’s talk about guaranteeing a seat. First, you’ll need a valid park ticket for Magic Kingdom that’ll allow you to enter the park on April 4th, 2023 — the ride’s opening date. That ticket could be an Annual Pass, a 1-day park ticket, or a multi-day ticket. The key here is to make sure you’ve got a valid ticket for April 4th.

If you’re planning to use your Annual Pass to enter the park on this day, check those blockout dates carefully. Both Pirate Pass and Pixie Dust Pass holders are blocked out on April 4th (as well as several surrounding dates).

If you fall into that group, you won’t be able to use your Annual Pass to go into Magic Kingdom on the ride’s opening date and instead would have to buy a separate ticket if going on the opening date is a must-do.

Park Pass Reservation

Okay, so you’ve got your ticket and a blockout date won’t stop you from getting into Magic Kingdom on the 4th. Next, it’s time to make your Park Pass! Remember that a valid ticket is NOT enough to get you into the parks anymore. If you want to visit Magic Kingdom on April 4th, you’ll need a valid ticket AND a valid Park Pass.

Right now, Park Pass availability is wide open for April 4th for those with theme park tickets, those staying at select resort hotels, and Annual Passholders who are not blocked out. But that could change very soon! We’ve seen popular days fill up in the past, so heed this advice — get your Park Pass for TRON’s opening date NOW…as in TODAY (or VERY SOON).

This week in April could prove to be particularly popular since Disney Enchantment will be ending on April 2nd and Happily Ever After will return on April 3rd — just days before TRON’s opening. Plus, Harmonious will be ending on April 2nd, and EPCOT Forever will return for a limited time on April 3rd. If folks decide to come into town for those nighttime spectacular changes they could stick around for TRON’s opening too, making this a busy week. Don’t take a chance — get the Park Pass for Magic Kingdom ASAP.

Remember that 1-day, 1-park tickets now have park-specific pricing and automatically come with a Park Pass!

Click here for full details about the Park Pass system

My Disney Experience App

The next thing you want to do (if you haven’t already done so) is make sure you have downloaded the My Disney Experience app, updated the app to its latest version, logged into your My Disney Experience account, and input all of your information.

Hit the 3 horizontal lines all the way to the bottom right-hand side of the app and go to Tickets and Passes. Make sure all of your tickets (and those of the family members or friends traveling with you) are linked correctly to the appropriate accounts. Under “My Profile,” hit “Family & Friends List” and double-check that EVERYONE in your traveling party is there and linked appropriately. Now is the time to get all of this done, well ahead of the opening date.

Planning on using that new MagicBand+ you bought or an older band? Make sure that is linked to your account — hit “My Profile” and then “MagicBands & Cards.”

Become very familiar with the My Disney Experience app and where everything is. Take a few minutes (or longer) to explore it so when the time comes for you to check a wait time, enter a potential virtual queue, etc. you’re ready to go!

Click here to learn more about My Disney Experience

If there is a Virtual Queue

We want to be extra clear here — Disney has NOT confirmed whether there will be a virtual queue in place for the opening of TRON Lightcycle Run (or potentially beyond the opening date). But, given what we’ve seen with the opening of newer rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, there is a chance (perhaps a BIG chance) that a virtual queue could be used. Here’s how to be prepared for one.

First, you’ll need to know at what times the Virtual Queue will open. For other rides, it has typically been 7AM and 1PM (that’s the case currently with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) — with the 7AM sign-up available for guests to join from the comfort of their hotels/other spots, and the 1PM sign-up only available for those who have already scanned into the park for the day (but note that guests do not have to be in the park when they join). It could be similar for the TRON Coaster, so you’ll want to be prepared for that.

What does all of that mean? It means that if you don’t get a virtual queue spot at 7AM, you’ll need to have scanned into the park before 1PM to try for the second sign-up. Since Park Hopping doesn’t start until 2PM, that means you should NOT count on Park Hopping to Magic Kingdom to sign up for the afternoon virtual queue time. Instead, secure that Park Pass for Magic Kingdom as your main park for the day and plan to have scanned into the park well before 1PM if the 7AM virtual queue sign-up doesn’t work out.

Get a good night’s rest the night before April 4th so you can wake up bright and early before 7AM to join the virtual queue (if there is one). Have your app open and ready well before any potential Virtual Queue sign-up time, triple-check that all of your passes/friends are linked appropriately, and refresh that virtual queue sign-up page as the sign-up time gets closer so you can RUSH right in.

You may also want to check your phone’s speed on wifi vs. not wifi in the place where you’ll be signing up for the virtual queue (to see what will work better), and you may want to have a second person on your team trying to get a virtual queue at the same time (in case your phone has any issues).

Also, we’ve seen an additional virtual queue sign-up time become available for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for those who qualify for Extended Evening Hours (a perk that lets those staying at Deluxe Disney World Hotels and Deluxe Villas stay in select parks on certain times past the closing time for regular guests). If the same thing is offered for TRON, it’ll be something worth looking into and could convince you to spend the extra cash to stay at a qualifying hotel to get that extra chance at a ride.

If there is an Individual Lightning Lane

This is another big “if” here. Disney has NOT confirmed whether TRON will be available with the standard Genie+ service or through the Individual Lightning Lane service. But, again, history could give us some clues. Rise of the Resistance and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are still (to this day) offered via Individual Lightning Lane (and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure once was). The TRON coaster could follow a similar pattern.

If TRON Lightcycle Run is made available through Individual Lightning Lane, know that you’ll have to PAY separately to skip the virtual queue (in other words — Individual Lightning Lane rides are NOT included in the standard Genie+ service). Be sure to set aside some room in your budget for this.

Typically, Individual Lightning Lanes can be purchased at 7AM for guests staying at Disney-owned and operated hotels, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, the Swan Reserve Hotel, and Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort, and at park open for all other guests. Those times are critical. If you want to make sure you get an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON, you will likely want to stay at a qualifying hotel so that you get that earlier sign-up time.

Many of the same tips from above will apply here — make sure your My Disney Experience app is fully updated, make sure your tickets/friends are linked properly, and start to refresh just before that 7AM time so you can catch it as soon as it becomes available.

You’ll also want to make sure you have your payment information ready to go so you can pay FAST. If you’ll be trying for the virtual queue AND Lightning Lane at the same time, ask a friend to try for one while you focus on the other.

Click here to learn all about Genie+

If the ride uses the Standard Genie+ Service

Though perhaps a bit more unlikely given the recent ride trends, there is a possibility TRON will be placed on the Standard Genie+ service — if not now, at some point in the future. If that is the case, many of the same rules above apply, but you’ll also want to consider (1) buying Genie+ WELL before the time at which Genie+ selections can be made (you can buy the general service starting at midnight on the day of your visit), (2) getting up early so you can be ready when Genie+ selections become available for ALL guests at 7AM, (3) continuously checking the app for updated availability, and (4) prioritizing getting a Genie+ selection for this ride above ALL others in Magic Kingdom.

Early Morning and Late Night

If TRON utilizes a standby queue, you may want to arrive early or stay in the parks a little later into the night. That could help you avoid some of the bigger crowds. Getting there early on opening day in general (and staying late) could also be beneficial from a more general standpoint (even if there isn’t a standby queue).

The park will likely be VERY busy on that date with many folks trying to get on the ride. If you arrive early and/or stay late, you may be able to improve your chances of getting a good parking spot (in the morning), getting a peek at the TRON coaster set-up, and getting on other rides in the park with slightly fewer crowds.

Be Flexible

As we noted above, anything is possible on TRON’s opening day. The ride could experience technical issues and have to shut down for a little bit, or other circumstances may arise that complicate your visit. The key here is to be FLEXIBLE!

You don’t know when that Virtual Queue, Individual Lightning Lane, or ride might take place, so don’t plan to eat at 3 table service meals that day with fixed reservation times. Instead, plan for a more flexible meal schedule (perhaps focusing on snacks and quick service restaurants).

If anything impacts the ride, be sure to check with Cast Members for updates and watch the My Disney Experience app for updates as well.

Can You Get a Preview?

While this isn’t necessarily a tip for riding on TRON’s opening date, it is something we wanted to mention. Thus far, Disney has confirmed that there will be previews of the TRON ride for Cast Members, Annual Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club Members. If you fall into any of those groups, you may be able to qualify for a preview of the ride that could get you on it before anyone else.

That could save you the stress of trying to visit on its opening day or just give you the chance to ride it multiple times. Be on the lookout for more information about those previews and see if they can fit into your schedule.

And those are our top TRON tips! What other questions do you have about the ride? Tell us in the comments! And stay tuned for more updates.

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Are you planning to ride TRON on its opening day? Tell us in the comments!

The post The Best Way to Get a Guaranteed Ride on TRON Lightcycle Run on Opening Day in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.