Disney sets opening date for Tron ride
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Walt Disney World has announced the opening date of its long-awaited Tron ride. Tron Lightcycle / Run will debut at Magic Kingdom on April 4, the company announced Tuesday.
The attraction has been under construction for years in Tomorrowland, on land adjacent to Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway. That work also disrupted operation of the Walt Disney World Railroad that passes by the Tron site; the train returned to operation last month and now goes through a tunnel as it approached the new ride.
A similar Tron ride debuted at Shanghai Disneyland in 2016. At the D23 Expo in 2017, it was announced the attraction would come to Magic Kingdom in time for Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Other announcements at that Expo included Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and the Disney Skyliner transportation system.
At the D23 Expo in 2022, Disney said this ride would open sometime in the spring of 2023.
The Tron announcement came on the heels of Disney saying “Happily Ever After” and “Epcot Today” nighttime spectaculars would be returning to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, respectively, on April 3. These additions will arrive with the first week of the official end of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Disney described the Tron ride as a “roller-coaster-style” attraction. It is capped with a “curved wave” canopy. The vehicles are motorbike-inspired and resemble vehicles in the “Tron” movies. Riders lean forward and grip handlebars, while a pad secures passengers from behind. The Shanghai ride reaches 59.3 mph, according to Roller Coaster Data Base.
Disney World cast members, annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club members will have preview opportunities before April 4, according to the official Disney Parks Blog. Details were not shared.
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