Greetings, Programs. Are you ready to enter the Grid?
TRON Lightcycle / Run is one of the newest thrills joining the attraction lineup at Magic Kingdom.
We’ve been on it ourselves and enjoyed every minute of the roller coaster. While it is on the shorter side (just under 2 minutes), it’s intense, fast, and all-around fun.
But, to get the best experience, there are several things you need to know before riding the indoor (and partially outdoor) coaster.
Here are 14 tips for riding TRON at Magic Kingdom.
Make sure you join the virtual queue or pay to ride
While there is no Standby Line currently offered for TRON, guests can ride by either joining the virtual queue or purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane.
Joining TRON’s virtual queue
Disney opens up the virtual queue at set times throughout the day. Those are commonly referred to as “drop times.”
Remember: guests must have valid theme park admission and a theme park reservation for Magic Kingdom to join the virtual queue.
There are 2 (and sometimes 3) drop times for the virtual queue at TRON:
- 7 a.m.: Can join from anywhere (onsite or offsite)
- 1 p.m.: Must be in Magic Kingdom to join
- 6 p.m.: Only available to Deluxe Resort Guests, and only on nights when Magic Kingdom is hosting Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. More on how the 6 p.m. drop works.
Booking a TRON Individual Lightning Lane
There is also the option of paying to ride TRON by buying an Individual Lightning Lane. This is a separate purchase.
If you are unable to score a boarding group via the virtual queue, you can always try to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane.
Or, if you want to ride during a specific time, like at night, then using the pay-per-option might be your best bet.
While the virtual queue opens up to all guests with a Magic Kingdom theme park reservation and valid theme park admission starting at 7 a.m. (no matter if a guest is staying onsite or offsite), Individual Lightning Lane purchases begin for onsite guests starting at 7 a.m.
Offsite guests can’t book an Individual Lightning Lane until park opening, which is usually one hour after onsite guests have already snagged all, if not most, pay-to-ride availability.
If you’re staying offsite, you should at least try for the virtual queue, since Individual Lightning Lane Selections don’t open up until official park opening.
And if you don’t get a boarding group, once Magic Kingdom opens, you can try for a TRON Individual Lightning Lane, depending on availability.
Whether you’re staying onsite or offsite, you don’t have to be inside the park to purchase any Individual Lightning Lane attraction.
Keep in mind that the virtual queue system is completely separate from Individual Lightning Lanes, meaning if you can book both, you could end up riding TRON twice.
And — if you’re an eligible Deluxe Resort guest with access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, you can try to join the virtual queue at 6 p.m., meaning you could possibly ride TRON 3 times.
We don’t know the cost to pay-to-ride TRON just yet, but we will let you know as soon as pricing drops. But, we assume that pricing will be higher during busier times of the year.
Try the test ride vehicles
The most talked about element of TRON are the ride vehicles.
Kind of like what’s used for Flight of Passage, guests ride a cycle instead of sitting in a seat like on a traditional coaster.
The motorcycle-style ride vehicle, aka “Lightcycles,” can be uncomfortable for some, thanks to the restraints that lock into place over your calves. Plus, the back of the seat come downs and secures you in as well.
When you board, you’ll lean forward, grab the handle bars, and pull them towards you, which secures the back and calf restrains.
There are test ride vehicles outside the queue, which we recommend trying before getting in line.
If the restraints don’t secure you in as they should, there is an alternative. Keep reading…
A transferable ride vehicle is offered
There is a transferable ride vehicle offered. It’s a bench seat with a more traditional lap bar restraint.
This is great, but there is also a con. At this time, only two of the TRON trains are outfitted with the benches. This means there could be an increased wait time for those wanting to use the bench versus the cycles.
It’s also important to note that guests using an ECV will have to transfer to a wheelchair before getting in line. Then, when it comes to boarding the ride, they will have to transfer from the wheelchair to the ride vehicle.
Video captioning and handheld captioning are available.
Disney also states that guests should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure.
They also recommend that expectant mothers do not ride.
Ride with caution if you’re prone to motion sickness
TRON is a roller coaster without inversions or loops, but it does have some drops and sharp turns.
It’s also fast — very fast. The coaster gets up to speeds of 60 mph and is one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world!
Trust us when we say it feels that fast. The ride vehicle also adds to the intensity and speed of the ride.
We think it’s comparable to the thrill-level of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
TRON’s intensity is different from these two coasters, but still intense and fast.
Overall, it’s pretty smooth, but for those who are prone to motion sickness, you may easily feel the aftermath of the ride.
Try riding during the day and at night
There’s no denying that TRON hits differently as soon as the sun sets. It glows in all the right ways.
While you will still mostly likely have fun riding the coaster no matter what time of day it is, you should try it during the day and at night.
Spoiler: the track outside is pretty short (what you see is what you get), but to be able to ride that cycle during the nighttime versus the daytime hits on a different level.
Keep your MagicBand, park ticket, or card with you to open lockers
TRON’s queue has complimentary lockers. These are double-sided and digitized.
The lockers are paired directly with your MagicBand, MagicBand+, or ticket media, so you can easily lock and reopen your locker with a quick tap.
If you don’t have a MagicBand or other ticket media (such as a card), you will be provided with a card to assign your locker. Disney MagicMobile service will not open a locker.
Be sure you don’t store your MagicBand, MagicBand+, park ticket, or card inside your locker, or you won’t be able to unlock it after you’re done riding TRON.
You’ll know a locker is available to use if the number is lit. All you have to do is scan your ticket, band, or access card, and it will open.
Anyone riding TRON must use the lockers, except:
- If there is someone in your party who is not riding, you can leave your items with them instead of using a locker.
- If you only have small items on you, like cellphones, glasses, or wallets, you can place those in the small compartments built into the ride vehicles.
Take a picture of your locker number
After you get off the ride, you exit into a different area of lockers that don’t look the same. This may be confusing at first, but don’t panic because the lockers are double-sided.
We suggest taking a picture of your locker number, so you don’t forget where you stored your belongings.
There are also section numbers to help you navigate the lockers and remember where you put your stuff.
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!
Carry your phone with you until you board
You are not required to store your phone inside the lockers with your other belongings.
Each ride vehicle has a small compartment for you to place your phone. Plus, you may want to take more photos and videos of the remaining queue that is pretty darn cool.
Also, if you aren’t wearing a MagicBand, you’ll want to have your phone with you so the on-ride PhotoPass shows up in your account.
As always, it’s important to make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and that you’re signed in to your Disney account via the My Disney Experience app for automatic attraction photo linking.
Don’t forget your belongings
After you get off the ride, be sure to grab your belongings you may have stored inside the small on-ride compartment and in the locker.
This may seem like common sense, but forgetting items on a ride happens more often than you think, and even more so when you have to put them inside an actual locker.
Stand in the front during the pre-show
Prior to boarding, you’ll watch a brief pre-show of sorts. It happens once you enter the small room, as seen here:
Make sure you’re in the front! We won’t give away any spoilers, but you’ll want the best view possible without anyone blocking you.
You can enter the TRON area two different ways
You can access the TRON areas via two ways:
- Through Tomorrowland (walk to the left past the main gift shop to enter the area)
- In Storybook Circus (there’s a path between Barnstormer and the Walt Disney World Railroad Fantasyland Station)
The walkways are easy to see and access, so you shouldn’t have any problem navigating.
You can refill your water bottle by the restrooms
Water refill stations aren’t easy to find at Disney World, but there is one near the TRON restrooms!
You can also find a water refill station inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, the Quick Service restaurant that is also located inside Tomorrowland.
Learn the TRON attraction story before riding
Unlike Cosmic Rewind, Expedition Everest, and many other attractions at Disney World, the story of TRON is hard to grasp in the queue.
Even the pre-show doesn’t tell you much.
If you’ve never seen the movies (you can watch the original 1982 movie and the 2010 film on Disney+), it’s probably good to have an understanding of what exactly is happening on this attraction.
We don’t think you necessarily have to watch the movies, but simply have some knowledge before riding.
The 1982 movie stars Jeff Bridges in the leading role of computer engineer Kevin Flynn. After Flynn discovers an executive at his company, Ed Dillinger (played by David Warner), has been stealing his work, Flynn tries to hack into the computer system.
But, Flynn is then transported into the digital world by the Master Control Program (MCP), an artificial intelligent computer created by Dillinger. Flynn faces off against computer programs that are alter-egos of the programmers who created them.
“TRON” is a security Program, who helps Flynn on his quest to defeat the MCP.
TRON: Legacy was released in 2010 and features Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn, Kevin Flynn’s son. Bridges reprises his role for this movie. Olivia Wilde also stars as Quorra, the last Isomorphic Algorithm (ISO).
You see Sam Flynn on the hunt for his father after discovering a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade, but he ends up inside the digital world known as the Grid, where his dad has been trapped for 20 years.
The story for TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom picks up after TRON: Legacy, where Sam has opened a second gateway into the Grid. The first gateway is found at Shanghai Disneyland with the original TRON Lightcycle Power Run.
In the queue, you’ll also see a giant replica of the “Shiva laser” that Kevin used to digitize himself into the Grid in TRON: Legacy. This is the conduit by which human Users pass from the real world into the digital world of the Grid.
Even the ride vehicles have meaning behind them. Lightcycle is a game played on the Game Grid. They are powered by a program’s energy and are incredibly fast, two-wheeled vehicles which generate light ribbons.
As for the ride, here’s a brief breakdown of what exactly is happening:
Plan your outfit accordingly
Let’s face it, these ride vehicles aren’t great if you’re wearing a skirt or a dress. There isn’t any graceful way to board.
So, you might want to plan your outfit if you’re going to ride TRON. The roller coaster goes very fast and there won’t be a safe or good way for you to hold down your dress or skirt, if needed.
Plus, guests on the cycles behind can see you.
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Let us know in the comments if you have any questions about riding TRON! We’ll be sure to update this post if we come up with more tips.
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Terri A
Monday 13th of March 2023
After you pull the handle bars towards you and the restraints kick into place Over your calves and the back of the seat comes down and secures you in. Are you pretty secured in the ride regardless if you get scared while riding? Just thinking of riding with our younger kiddo especially since it’s not a traditional type of seating.