Experiencing TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom (Ride Review) (2024)

TRON Lightcycle / Run is a high-speed thrill ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This roller-coaster features rapid acceleration that sends you wheeling on a cycle underneath an outdoor canopy. You’ll then dart through an opening to the interior portion of the ride as you race with the rest of the team to complete the energy gates on the grid.

Below, we’ll discuss our entire experience riding Tron at Magic Kingdom. We’ll review the virtual queue, height requirement, Lightning Lane, and other aspects you’ll want to know in advance. We first experienced this attraction during previews for annual passholders and have ridden it many times.

Here is our quick reference chart for experiencing TRON Lightcycle / Run at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Additional Info:

Guests in wheelchairs or ECVS must transfer to the ride vehicles. Details for those with mobility issues (i.e., wheelchair, ECVs) can be found on Disney’s site. Audio description and video captioning are available for this attraction.

TRON Lightcycle / Run Review

TRON Lightcycle Run is in Tomorrowland to the immediate left of Space Mountain. The attraction has a white canopy that glows in varying sequences of blue, white, and orange after nightfall. Tron sits on an elevated platform, almost like a second story to Tomorrowland. However, given the gradual incline of the queue, you might not necessarily notice the elevation.

Securing a Boarding Group for Tron

Guests must obtain a virtual queue or purchase an individual Lightning Lane to experience Tron. Unfortunately, both of these options are limited. The most up-to-date instructions forobtaining a virtual queueare available on Disney’s site.

Virtual queues are released at 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guests must be in the park to obtain a 1:00 p.m. boarding group. Availability is limited. You’ll receive a notification from the My Disney Experience app when your boarding group has been called.

At the time of this update, you’ll need park reservations for Magic Kingdom to secure the initial virtual queue. But beginning January 9, 2024, most guests will only need a valid park ticket. However, you must be inside Magic Kingdom to secure a virtual queue for the 1:00 p.m. release.

Additionally, select Walt Disney World Resort guests staying in deluxe or deluxe villa resorts have the opportunity to select an additional virtual queue for Tron Lightcycle Run at 6:00 p.m. on the evenings that Magic Kingdom is open for Extended Evening Hours.

We usually set an alarm on our phones a few minutes before each drop. You must secure a group the second they are released. Spots are often gone almost immediately.

Purchasing a Lightning Lane for Tron

Guests also have the option to purchase an individual Lightning Lane to experience Tron Lightcycle Run. However, resort guests have an edge over off-site guests.

Guests of Disney World Resort Hotels, Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green have the option to purchase Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes starting at 7:00 a.m. If you want to experience Tron twice, you’ll want to have one member of your group working to secure the virtual queue at 7:00 a.m. and another member working to purchase individual Lightning Lanes. If only one member of your party is available, we recommend securing the virtual queue first and then Lightning Lanes.

If you want to experience Tron at night, you’ll want to secure a Lightning Lane for the desired time based on availability. Evening times will go quicker due to the uniqueness of the attraction at night.

Off-site guests can secure a virtual queue at 7:00 a.m. However, they cannot purchase a Lightning Lane until the park opens.

Riding Tron at Magic Kingdom

Once your boarding group is called, guests riding via the virtual queue (standby) will join the line to the right side of the attraction. A separate queue is available further ahead for guests with accessibility needs.

On your way toward the queue, you’ll see guests racing overhead.

Usually, the standby queue extends well outside the formal queue’s entrance. Those with a Lightning Lane can stay to the left. You’ll scan your ticket or MagicBand on the left side of the queue.

A few warnings are posted near the entrance. Tron has a 48″ height requirement. Per Disney, guests under the age of seven must be accompanied by someone 14 years or older.

Here are a few more things per Disney:

• All loose items must be stored in a locker or with a non-rider.
• A transferable vehicle is available, which provides a bench seat with a lap bar.
• The seating and restraints on this attraction may prohibit guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding.

After making it through the outdoor portion of the queue, you’ll enter this hallway. It’s pretty narrow, but you’ll only be in the area momentarily.

Sliding doors open ahead, revealing the ride’s pre-show room. You and the other guests waiting in the hall will enter the room and find a space to stand. This area is considered the “reveal.”

While you’re waiting, the screen transitions to reveal the attraction. When everything is working correctly, it’s a surprising and impressive feature. Thankfully, you’re not terribly spoiled by the photo below. You have to be there to get the full effect, which happens quickly.

Here is a photo of the reveal room when it’s empty.

After exiting the pre-show room, you’ll see guests below waiting for the initial launch. After a countdown, they’ll take off on their Lightcycle Run.

Of course, these photos don’t do it justice. But it feels like you’ve stepped into a digital realm or a computerized world, as Disney calls it.

Unless you’re in a hurry, I recommend taking your time as you walk through this space. You’ll join another queue area ahead. However, you’re not far from the loading area at this point.

This next room, the Hall of Opponents, contains several discs with users who have beat the grid. Below are a few previous champions.

Team Yellow’s motto is “Live to Race.”

Team Red puts “Speed First.”

Team Orange will “Battle to the End.”

From time to time, a representative of Team Blue comes on the screens overhead, alerting guests to store loose belongings when they reach the free lockers.

Thankfully, we are all on Team Blue, where “Winning is our destiny.” For reference, all guests (users) who race on the grid are part of Team Blue. Users riding on the same cycle are your teammates.

You’ll soon reach the locker area. Disney has installed double-sided lockers before you reach the attraction’s boarding area. A little further down, we have a video that shows clips from the queue and the locker area. Several series of lockers are available. We were assigned the 600 section on our initial ride. So when it was our turn, we walked to the 600s and selected a locker with a glowing number.

Then, we scanned our MagicBand to open the locker and store our items. We had a standard-size backpack and a regular camera with a medium size lens. Both fit comfortably inside the locker. You must store any loose items that are larger than a cell phone. Each lightcycle has a small compartment large enough to hold wallets, phones, or glasses.

If you don’t have a MagicBand, you can scan a park ticket or ask a cast member in the area to assist. A cast member will provide a card to access a locker.

When you exit the ride, you’ll enter an unloading area on the opposite side of the lockers. Since they are double-sided lockers, this area doesn’t look the same. But the locker numbers in use are lit up on this side. You’ll locate your number and scan your card, ticket, or band to retrieve your items.

If you forget your number, it’s not a big deal. A reader is available that you can scan, and it will provide your locker number.

After storing our items in lockers, we entered the loading area.

This is where the lightcycles pull up to the gate for riders to board.

We were assigned position two.

Each position has an A or a B option. The letters indicate which side of the bike you’ll board.

There is a sign that shows the loading procedure. Guests in row B will walk behind the cycles and board on the opposite side.

Here is a photo of the walkway across for guests in row B. It’s pretty self-explanatory once you’re there.

Once you board the ride, you’ll push the handlebars on the cycle forward, and a restraint will come down over your back. An additional leg restraint will secure your calves. Some guests have had difficulty with the restraints fitting properly. If you have an issue, you can try one of the test cycles near the attraction entrance.

Thankfully, I didn’t have any concerns about being able to ride TRON. But there was a time when I might not have fit. As someone with a reasonable bust, one thing did surprise me. Between leaning forward and the back piece securing you, I felt like it almost created a corset-like situation.

Don’t get me wrong. It was not anywhere near that tight. But everything does get pushed up. So, you might consider adjusting your shirt if you hope for a decent on-ride photo.

TRON Lightcycle / Run Video

Here are a few clips of the queue, lockers, and canopy. Unfortunately, you must wear a harness to film on TRON since no loose items are allowed. So, we don’t have any on-ride photos.

After exiting the queue, you’ll walk through the Enterprise Team Green post-show area.

A display features what Disney calls a “one-of-a-kind, powerful, and state-of-the-art Lightcycle.”

Here are a few more photos.

After you walk through the post-show area, you’re back outside under the canopy. If you look up when you exit, you can see where the track goes back inside. For me, this transition was one of the most incredible features. It looks like you’re racing into a tiny black hole. However, it happens fast.

A set of restrooms are available down on the right.

We walked around the canopy for some time, watching others complete their rides.

I never timed it, but the cycle would change to orange occasionally. When this happens, the background music changes.

It’s a beautiful area.

Once you walk toward the exit, it’s easier to see the elevation. This path below is the walkway that connects Tomorrowland and Storybook Circus.

Exiting, you’ll walk under the canopy again if you head toward Storybook Circus. This time, you’ll notice a few trees above you.

A new Tomorrowland sign sits near the entrance.

Before we wrap things up, I wanted to mention that some rides have an accessible vehicle at the end. This vehicle resembles a regular roller coaster where guests sit, and a lap bar comes over them. Some guests join the accessibility queue solely because they don’t want to ride the cycle-style version.

Someone in line with us said they were bringing a parent back to ride later and would wait to ride an accessible vehicle. He said his mom would feel more comfortable riding it that way.

Since the ride opened, we’ve regularly seen guests board a lightcycle who feel uncomfortable or don’t fit. Often, we see guests who fit fine but do not feel comfortable, so they ask a cast member to release them. These guests usually exit and ride on the next available, accessible vehicle.

So, if you are uncomfortable with the cycle style, you might prefer to wait in the accessibility line. However, every load does not have an accessible vehicle attached, so it might be a longer wait. Below is a photo of a load passing with accessible seats at the back.

Other Versions of Tron

• Tron Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland

Final Thoughts

Overall, Tron is a fun addition to Magic Kingdom. While the attraction is short, it’s thrilling. We recommend experiencing it at least once via the virtual queue. Is it worth the cost of a Lightning Lane? Probably, not unless you cannot secure the virtual queue.

Going into the ride, knowing it was short, it exceeded my expectations. My fellow rider couldn’t say enough good things about the ride. Was it as good as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? No, but we can’t all be Cosmic Rewind, can we?

For more Magic Kingdom attractions, you might want to try the following:

• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• “it’s a small world”
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review

Related: Magic Kingdom Ride List

In the Comments

So what do you think? Are you excited to ride TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom? Tell us what you think!