Tron: Lightcycle Run | What You Need To Know

There’s been a lot of people talking about Walt Disney World’s newest attraction recently and it hasn’t even officially opened to the public yet. To be fair, there quite a bit to say about this new Tomorrowland coaster over at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. Not only has it been a long line coming, with the completion of the attraction delayed [likely due to the pandemic], but the previews have resulted in a few problems. From complaints about size inclusivity to challenges presented by the mandatory locket system, people have had a lot to say about the newest attraction to hit the roster a lot of it not very good.

What Makes This Coaster Different

Unlike other coasters at Walt Disney World, Tron Lightcycle Run features a different type of ride vehicle from what most Disney World guests are familiar with. Rather than a bench seat with a lap bar or a bucket seat with restraints that come down over the guests shoulders, Tron Lightcycle Run has a motorcycle style seat with restraints that use mostly the lower body to secure the guests.

This type of motorcycle style seat is not new here at Walt Disney World. Guests who have visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom and had the opportunity to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage will be familiar with this style of seat and restraint, as they are similar. However, due to the nature of each attraction being different, there are a couple of challenges presented to guests that ride Tron Lightcycle Run that they won’t encounter on Avatar: Flight of Passage.

The Challenges These Seats Present

Currently, there are 2 challenge presented by the nature of the motorcycle style seats on Tron Lightcycle Run. The first is that there’s nowhere to stow bags on the attraction with you while riding. While this isn’t something unheard of while riding thrill attractions at theme parks elsewhere, this is a first for guests visiting Walt Disney World.

The second challenge guests are running into with Tron Lightcycle Run is presented by the restraints themselves. Unlike those lap bars and shoulder harnesses, the lower body restraints on Tron Lightcycle Run are less forgiving and slightly more restrictive than other coasters around Walt Disney World. This means that there are some guests who are unable to be property and safely restrained in the motorcycle style seats. Fortunately, this does’t mean that they’ll be unable to ride as there are alternatives available so that everyone [who meets the minimum height requirement] can enjoy this new attraction.

How Disney Is Aiming To Solve These Problems

Of course, challenges like the ones we outlined aren’t something Disney is unfamiliar with. The nature of new attractions is working through these growing pains and Disney has done just that with Tron Lightcycle Run.

To solve the issue of guests being unable to stow bags on the ride with them, Disney has implemented a locker system for guests to put personal items while riding. This system of lockers is in the attraction queue and allows guests to keep bags and other personal items with them for the bulk of the queue, only placing them in the lockers just before the final [and rather short] indoor stretch before boarding the attraction. It’s also worth mentioning that these lockers are free for guests to use and are easy to access using theme park ticket media [MagicBands or Park Ticket].

While we found the locker system to be fairly straightforward and easy to use, there will likely be a learning curve for some guests who are unfamiliar with this process. That said, our only criticism of the lockers themselves were how small they were. While we were not carrying much with us on this particular day, there was still a little bit of shoving required to get the bag all the way in the locker. For us, this raises the question of what you’re supposed to do with larger items that you carry with you throughout the day such as popcorn buckets or other purchases.

Size inclusivity is another challenge that Disney has had to access with Tron Lightcycle Run. In fact, it was probably one of the most talked about things related to Tron since began. Because of the restraints being less forgiving than some other styles of restraints, there are some guests who are unable to fit safely and properly on the motorcycle style seats. However, there is a solution to this problem that has been presented by Disney; accessible seats.

These seats, located at the rear of some trains, are bench seats with a lap bar that is easier for those who are unable to ride on the motorcycle seat for one reason or another. Not only are they accessible, for guests who will be transferring out of a wheelchair, but they’re also available for any other guests who may need them to use due to the limitations of the restraints on the motorcycle style seats.

While this isn’t the perfect solution for everyone, I do think that it is a good way to ensure that guests who cannot be properly secured in the motorcycle style seats have the opportunity to ride. This is not something that we see on other attractions with limitations [such as height requirements] and so I think it’s fair to say that there is some size inclusivity taken into consideration here.

Entering The Grid

Tron: Lightcycle Run is a somewhat mild coaster. While the seats offer an experience unlike anything else at Walt Disney World, the intensity of the attraction isn’t something that is worth writing home about. That said, it is a great fit for Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park; offering up a family friendly thrill that anyone can enjoy.

This all having been said, what Tron: Lightcycle Run lacks in thrills, it makes up for with some great visuals and effects. We won’t get into the specifics here so that you can enjoy them for yourself if you choose to ride, but they did add quite a bit to the attraction. However, it seems worth noting that this will be an attraction that needs to be kept up well in order to maintain the same amount of charm it has now.

Understanding The Story

Finally, the question that a lot of people have been asking since previews began: do you need to have seen to movies to “get” this attraction’s storyline?

While there’s no denying that having knowledge of Tron will add to the experience, I don’t think that this is the type of attraction that you can’t enjoy if you haven’t seen the movies. The storyline of the attraction is fairly straightforward and well explained as you make your way through the attraction’s queue. In other words, I don’t think that you’ll find yourself unable to grasp what is going on if you don’t have an intimate [or even casual] knowledge of the films.

To that point, I also think that this attraction is more than capable of standing the test of time. Even though there is some iconic imagery from the Tron films, the attraction isn’t carried by that theme as much as it is enhanced by it.

We want to know what you think. Are you excited about Tron: Lightcycle Run? Have you thought about whether or not you’ll be riding on your next trip to Walt Disney World? Let us know your thoughts in a comment!