Walt Disney Imagineering has been programming Tomorrowland’s newest ride since 2017, but Disney World guests will still need to wait a bit longer until they can launch into the Grid. At D23 Expo, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that Tron Lightcycle Run will be opening in Spring 2023 at Magic Kingdom.
Recently, Disney has been fully testing the Tron-themed roller coaster with Cast Members riding. Josh D’Amaro shared one of his test rides on board the lightcycle:
https://youtube.com/shorts/U15EtWVg26o?feature=share
Despite being ready for human riders, D’Amaro said that Imagineering needs some time to put the finishing touches on the ride. This includes finishing the entrance plaza, as well as getting the Walt Disney World Railroad back up and running. Magic Kingdom’s train ride has been closed and rerouted due to the Tron construction.
Previously, Disney had announced that Tron Lightcycle Run would be opening at Magic Kingdom as part of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Disney World has said that this commemoration would run for 18 months, from October 2021 through March 2023. So, if Tron is opening next spring, it could conceivably just make it in time for the 50th. The spring timeframe gives Disney a lot of flexibility, meaning they could open the Tron coaster as soon as February and as late as early May.
Personally, I would bet on March 2023 as the Tron opening date, since it could act as something of a grand finale for the 50th Anniversary. But I also thought they were going to announce an October opening at D23 for this ride. So we know how good my track record is on predicting this.
What is Tron Lightcycle Run?
Tron Lightcycle Run is a brand new indoor/outdoor roller coaster coming to Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland in Spring 2023. The ride originally opened as Tron Lightcycle Power Run to rave reviews at Shanghai Disneyland in 2016. The ride in Magic Kingdom should be essentially an identical clone of the Shanghai version.
Tron Lightcycle Run features a launch, as well as top speeds of 60 mph — making it the fastest Disney coaster anywhere in the world. The ride features a distinctive Lightcycle ride vehicle, which has guests sitting in a motorbike position. If you’ve been on Avatar: Flight of Passage, you will be familiar with how this type of vehicle feels.
We want to hear from you!
Are you excited for Tron Lightcycle Run? Do you think it will be one of the best roller coasters at Disney World? Let me know in the comments below!
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