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Complete Guide to TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom

Complete Guide to TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom’s newest thrill ride is finally open to the public!

After more than four years of construction — and anticipation from excited Disney parks fans — the time is here to ride the coaster based on the movie TRON: Legacy.

On your TRON Lightcycle / Run adventure, you will join Team Blue in racing against Team Orange through the Grid, the computerized universe from the movie. You’ll be speeding through eight Energy Gates along the way in an environment that’s built to feel limitless.

Modeled after the ride that originally debuted in Shanghai Disneyland, the attraction will be one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world.

Ready to learn everything you need to know about what may end up being your new favorite thrill ride? Keep reading our guide to TRON Lightcycle / Run.

Before we get too far into it, make sure you check out our guide on the Best Rides at Magic Kingdom for information on every attraction and show at Magic Kingdom.

TRON Lightcycle / Run Quick Facts

  • Location: Magic Kingdom, inside Tomorrowland
  • Height requirement: 48 inches
  • Suitable for: Those who love fast, intense thrill rides
  • Attraction length: 2 minutes
  • Do we recommend? This is likely to be one of the most popular, in-demand rides at Magic Kingdom.
  • When to visit: When your virtual queue boarding group is called or at your Individual Lightning Lane time slot
  • Lightning Lane available: Yes, Individual Lightning Lane
  • Eligible for Early Entry: No
  • Eligible for Extended Evening Hours: TBD
  • Scheduled Refurbishments
  • Tip(s): If this ride is an absolute priority for you, especially while the virtual queue is still in use, you may want to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane through the My Disney Experience app to guarantee that you will get to ride.

Description: TRON Lightcycle / Run is a fast coaster based on the sci-fi movie, TRON: Legacy. This thrill ride was first announced in 2017, so the opening of the ride has been a long time coming for fans who have followed along with its construction, with many visitors catching a glimpse of the progress while riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.

On the ride, guests will board their Lightcycle (a motorbike-type vehicle) as they race off into the Grid, which comes with plenty of drops and darkness that makes the coaster even more intense.

Location

You can find TRON next to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. Below is the location on the map.

tron location on magic kingdom map

Download the PDF

Magic Kingdom Map
Magic Kingdom Map

How to Ride TRON Lightcycle / Run

When TRON Lightcycle / Run opens in April, it will operate with a virtual queue and Individual Lightning Lane only, similar to the way that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind operates at Epcot.

There will be no Standby Line available for TRON, and though the Shanghai Disneyland version of the ride does offer a Single Rider Line, so far, it doesn’t seem like it will be an option at Magic Kingdom.

tron virtual queue notification that it's time to ride

To secure a spot in the virtual queue, you will need to use the My Disney Experience app the morning of your park visit — and you’ll want to make sure that you’re logged in ahead of time and ready to use your fastest fingers, because these boarding groups will go fast.

The virtual queue for TRON will function exactly as it does for Cosmic Rewind.

Remember: guests must have valid theme park admission and a theme park reservation for Magic Kingdom to join the virtual queue for TRON.

1 pm virtual queue drop time for tron

The virtual queue will have two distribution times each day: One that opens at 7 a.m. that you can join from anywhere, including your hotel room, and another that opens at 1 p.m., though that will require you to be in the Magic Kingdom to book. (While Disney officially states guests must be inside the park for the 1 p.m. drop, we’ve learned that as long as you’ve tapped into the park, you can try to join the virtual queue at 1 p.m. from anywhere.)

Here’s what the boarding group process looks like for TRON:

tron virtual queue boarding group tracker

There will also be a third drop time at 6 p.m., which is available for resort guests eligible for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

If you’re successful, you’ll be assigned a boarding group, and when it’s called, you’ll be able to get in line for the ride with a much shorter wait than a Standby Line would require.

Do I need to use Genie+ at at TRON Lightcycle / Run?

TRON won’t be offered as a Genie+ selection — instead, it will only be available as an Individual Lightning Lane, which is a separate purchase.

If riding TRON is a priority for you during your visit, it could be wise to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for this ride, which would give you a time slot to ride without having to use the virtual queue.

lightning lane and virtual queue sign for tron

Given the hype around this ride that’s been building for years, there’s no doubt that the Individual Lightning Lane times will go quickly. So, if you decide to take this route, you will definitely want to try to grab one as soon as the selections open.

Disney World Resort hotel guests will be able to make their purchase at 7 a.m. the day of their visit, while everyone else will need to wait until park open to grab a time slot, as long as they are still available.

Be sure to check out our touring strategies for Magic Kingdom for more advice on planning your day in the park.

Rider Switch/Child Swap

TRON Lightcycle / Run does offer Rider Switch, just like many of the other thrill rides do across Disney World.

rider switch for tron

Rider Switch allows guests with children who are too small to ride to take turns on the thrill rides with height requirements while another adult or adults in the group wait with the kiddo.

If using Rider Switch, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

  • To use Rider Switch, you will still need to secure a boarding group or an Individual Lightning Lane ahead of time. If you happen to be the adult who’s hanging back with the little one, there are plenty of ways to fill your time in Tomorrowland, including checking out rides like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or the PeopleMover.

What to expect when you ride

Queue

The TRON queue starts outside of the ride, so depending on how long the line happens to be, you may end up standing outside in the Florida sun for awhile.

tron queue at magic kingdom

Once you’re inside, you will be led down a dark hallway with blue lights that match the theming of the ride, so the immersion into the world of TRON starts right away.

tron queue at magic kingdom

Further into the queue, you will get to witness some cool effects using screens on the walls before you continue ahead to board.

There is also a brief pre-show that is very, very cool. You’ll enter a small room with a screen. Once you get to this part of the queue, we recommend trying to stand in the front row so you have a good view.

Lockers

TRON Lightcycle / Run is different from any other ride at Disney World in that guests are required to stow their belongings in double-sided lockers before boarding.

tron lockers at magic kingdom

These lockers are offered for large items for free, and can be accessed by scanning your MagicBand or MagicBand+ or your park ticket. If you don’t have those, a Cast Member will provide you with an access card to open the locker.

Important: Disney MagicMobile service will not open a locker. 

tron lockers

You will pass through the locker area in the queue, and if a locker’s number is lit up, that means it’s available for use. Just scan your ticket, band, or access card, and it will open. Remember your locker number before you walk away!

We suggest taking a picture of your locker number, so you don’t forget where you stored your belongings.

tron locker section numbers

There are also section numbers to help you navigate the lockers and remember where you put your stuff.

tron locker finder

Better yet: There are even screens that you can tap on with your MagicBand or card and it will tell you which locker you used!

You are able to keep small items like your phone or sunglasses with you and store them in the compartment that is located in your ride vehicle, but keep in mind anything larger than that likely won’t fit.

Ride Vehicles

The TRON ride vehicles — or Lightcycles — are similar to a motorcycle.

Like the vehicles on Avatar Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom, you will lean forward when you board, with leg restraints that come down around the back of your calves. The back of the seat will come down to secure you in as well.

tron ride vehicles

When you board, you will lean forward to grab the handle bars, and as you pull them towards you, the restraints are supposed to close, clicking into place to keep you safe on the ride.

But so far, some guests have been running into trouble when it comes to manipulating their bodies in a way that allows those restraints to properly come down — including those who have never had a similar issue on any Disney attraction before.

tron ride vehicles

Whether or not the restraints are able to lock into place seems to come down to the size of the rider’s calves and the length of their legs.

If you check out this video, you can see the way the ride vehicles work to judge ahead of time if it will work for you. There is also a test ride vehicle outside of the ride that you can check out before hopping in line.

ride vehicles outside of tron

All hope of riding isn’t lost if you aren’t able to get those restraints to click, though.

There is also a bench seat available with a more traditional roller coaster lap restraint that will accommodate more guests.

accessible ride vehicle for tron

But since only two of the TRON trains are outfitted with these benches so far, it may require an increased wait time.

Accessibility Information

Before getting in the queue of TRON Lightcycle / Run, guests using an ECV will have to transfer to a wheelchair.

tron accessibility information

When boarding the ride, they will then need to transfer from the wheelchair into the ride vehicle, and those who may have trouble transferring to the ride vehicle may find it’s easier to use the bench seat instead.

For guests who need it, video captioning and handheld captioning are both available.

Expectant mothers are encouraged not to ride, and guests with high blood pressure or heart, back or neck problems are cautioned that the ride may aggravate these conditions.

PhotoPass/On-Ride Photos

TRON does offer on-ride PhotoPass photos and video to help you remember your trip through the Grid. Photos are also taken from both sides, meaning you get two!

Thanks to your MagicBand or MagicBand+ (or if you have bluetooth turned on your phone and have it with you while riding), your photos should appear in your My Disney Experience app automatically.

tron ride photopass
ride photopass for tron

You will have 45 days to download your photo and/or video. They will be included in the purchase of Memory Maker, or you can buy them individually on the app.

Guests purchasing Genie+ will receive digital downloads of their on-ride photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase, at no additional charge.

If your photos don’t appear in your app after you ride, you can check in with the Photopass office, who might be able to help. In Magic Kingdom, this is inside the Town Square Theater on Main Street, U.S.A.

Motion Sickness

Though TRON doesn’t include any loops or inversions, it is a fast moving rollercoaster ride with sharp turns and sudden drops, often in a dark environment.

tron in action at magic kingdom

If you experience motion sickness on similar thrill rides, the same may happen here, and Disney does include a motion sickness warning for TRON both online and on a board right outside the queue.

Check out our guide on motion sickness for more information and tips to help decide whether or not you should sit this one out or give it a try.

On the Ride

Warning: those who don’t want to be spoiled when they ride TRON for the first time shouldn’t read any further!

Imagine it: After watching construction progress in Tomorrowland for more than four years, it is finally your turn to ride TRON: Lightcycle / Run.

tron ride vehicles magic kingdom

You got up early, you snagged the boarding group (or invested in the purchase of an Individual Lightning Lane), and now, it is time to board your ride. You. Are. Ready.

The Cast Members remind you to grip those handlebars as the ride moves forward into a tunnel of white and blue lights, and you hear a voice say, “Prepare Team Blue Lightcycle Run upload sequence.”

tron lit up as team orange

Suddenly, you’re soaring through the ride’s iconic canopy over Tomorrowland (wave to the guests watching below!) before you’re plunged into the darkness and find yourself in the computerized world of the Grid.

Less than two minutes of thrills and drops later, victory is yours — you’ve beaten Team Orange!

You’re gliding back into the real world, and don’t forget to grab your stuff out of the storage compartment (and the lockers) so you can check out how silly your PhotoPass photo looks ASAP.

Is TRON Lightcycle / Run Kid-Friendly?

Considering the fact that TRON has a higher height requirement than many other rides at Disney World, very young children won’t be able to ride this one.

But kids who are over 48 inches tall may end up loving this ride if they are into other bigger thrill rides in the parks, like Cosmic Rewind at Epcot or Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith at Hollywood Studios.

Some kids who aren’t fans of coasters, fast rides, or the dark may not like TRON, but it depends on each individual child. To help gauge what rides kids may be scared of at Disney World, check out our guide to things that might scare little ones at WDW.

Strollers

If you’re using a stroller, you won’t be able to take it into the line for TRON. Instead, you can stow it at the designated stroller parking area, which is located right outside of the ride in front of the queue.

tron stroller parking at magic kingdom

Remember to take your valuables with you, including phones and wallets, before you leave your stroller behind, and covering it up with a rain cover or poncho might be a good idea, too, given the unpredictability of Florida rainstorms.

History

The addition of TRON to Magic Kingdom was first announced in July 2017 during the D23 Expo presentation.

Tron

Initially, the attraction was slated to open in time for Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021, but due to the unexpected closure of the resort and the pandemic, the opening was been delayed.

Tron Magic Kingdom rendering

On January 10, 2023, Disney finally revealed that TRON is opening on April 4, 2023 at Magic Kingdom.

The ride is modeled after TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland, which opened with the rest of the park on June 16, 2016.

Other Fun Details

  • TRON the attraction is based on both the 1982 and 2010 films, TRON and TRON: Legacy, respectively. Both movies featured Jeff Bridges.
  • TRON is the first and only Walt Disney World ride to offer free lockers for guests to use while riding.
  • The ride reaches a peak near 60 mph, officially making it one of the fastest rides in Disney history.