Credit: Disney
The newest thrill ride at the Walt Disney World Resort is now open with TRON Lightcycle / Run launching Guests “into the Grid,” daily in Magic Kingdom Park. With virtual queues, Lightning Lanes, and few other chances to experience the attraction, what are your best chances for being able to ride TRON? Let’s take a look…
TRON Lightcycle / Run is Disney’s newest roller coaster located in the heart of Tomorrowland, adjacent to Space Mountain. The attraction, which originally debuted during the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016, has been highly anticipated and as such it is extremely popular with Guests visiting the Magic Kingdom.
Moreover, given the lighting effects on the ride’s exterior canopy, Guests may have a preference toward experiencing TRON after dark, a note which has led Disney to make some difficult decisions regarding its virtual queue process. (But more on that later.)
Credit: Disney
RELATED:What You Need to Know Before You Ride TRON Lightcycle / Run
Virtual Queue for TRON Lightcycle / Run
Virtual queues are now the standard process for new attractions at Walt Disney World, ultimately replacing the standby line altogether, typically for several months following a ride’s opening. Across the Resort, virtual queues have been used in the past for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Currently, in addition to TRON, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT also runs on a virtual queue.
The virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle / Run opens at 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. So far, the queue has filled up nearly instantly at both drop times. Access to the virtual queue can be found on the My Disney Experience app for Guests who have valid theme park admission and reservations to the Magic Kingdom on a given day.If you are not successful at securing a spot in the virtual queue in the morning, you can always try again when the next spots open at 1:00 p.m.
If you enter into the virtual queue at 7:00 and you are able to get a boarding group for TRON, we have a word of warning to share. When you are assigned a boarding group, the app will give you an estimated wait time, however, this time is likely not accurate if it is before the Park opens. Disney has noted that late arrivals may not be accommodated, so if you join the virtual queue at 7:00 a.m., we recommend heading right to the Magic Kingdom, just to be safe.
Credit: Disney
RELATED:New ‘TRON’ Ride Vehicles Were “Not the Very Best of Ideas,” Says Former Imagineer
TRON Lightcycle / Run Individual Lightning Lane
Another option to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run is to purchase an individual Lightning Lane for the attraction. TRON is not included on Genie+ in the Magic Kingdom, so the only option to enter through the Lightning Lane entrance is through an individual purchase.After the initial opening of TRON Lightcycle / Run, Lightning Lane was priced at $20 per person, and much like the virtual queue, it sold out almost immediately.
There is one major advantage of booking a Lightning Lane reservation for TRON, though, that is most likely impossible with the virtual queue (at least if you enter the queue in the morning.) With TRON being a popular attraction to ride at night, Lightning Lane gives you a set time that will not change, unlike the virtual queue which gives you a boarding group that could be called earlier in the day. So if you were hoping to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run after dark, purchasing a Lightning Lane might be your best bet.
Credit: Disney
RELATED:Riders Struggle to Fit on TRON Lightcycle / Run Vehicles During Early Previews
TRON Lightcycle / Run During Extended Evening Hours
There is one more way to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run, but it will not come cheap. Guests staying at Deluxe Disney Resorts are able to spend more time in the theme parks on select dates during Extended Evening Hours. And, when this event is running at the Magic Kingdom, these Guests will have an extra opportunity to enter the virtual queue beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Of course, this option is not accessible to all Guests, but if you do happen to have a trip planned at a Deluxe Resort, it is certainly worth visiting the Magic Kingdom during Extended Evening Hours if you can!
Disney has not yet confirmed when a standby line will be available for TRON, but it could be a long time before Guests have other opportunities to ride. In EPCOT, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has been operating with a virtual for almost a year, with no announcement made thus far as to when a standby line will be available.
We will continue to monitor changes to TRON Lightcycle / Run (and other rides with virtual queues) and will report back with more information as we have it here on Disney Tips.
