Tron Lightcycle Run: An honest review
The roles switched in an instant.
Ainsley, my 9-year-old daughter, had been nervous before we got on the ride. She’s ridden coasters. She loves coasters. She wants to go on coasters.
But those moments before she rides for the first time can be tough for her. The anticipation combined with the fear of the unknown overwhelms her system.
I don’t push. I don’t prod. I tell her she can do it. She’ll be fine but if she doesn’t want to ride, she doesn’t have to ride.
She wants to ride but it’s hard.
That was made worse when the ride went down with us on the stairs next to the loading bay. Time to think. Time to dread. Time to worry.
It’s natural. She comes from a long line of worrywarts.
Then suddenly the ride was up and going and we climbed on, her fighting through the fear as we waited for the ride to launch.
She gripped my hand and I held on to her, offering reassurance.
Then we were off, from 0 to 60 in less time than it took for me to draw a breath and suddenly the rolls reversed.
She was yelling and laughing and smiling, gleeful as we shot through the dark space and into the light.
Me? I was holding on for dear life, the g-forces pressing me down.
She was joyful. I was enduring.
This was the Tron Lightcycle Run
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is the Tron Lightcycle Run?
It is to my way of thinking, the first premier roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom. That’s not to insult the iconic Space Mountain or the incredibly fun Big Thunder Mountain or even the very popular but less intense Seven Dwarves Mine Train. Tron Lightcycle Run is different kind of roller coaster animal. I’m not saying it’s as good as other massive coasters like VelociCoaster or others of that ilk, but it’s closer to that than anything else in the Magic Kingdom. To me, those other coasters in Magic Kingdom are really just ramped up rides. Tron? It’s a proper coaster.
The ride – which is themed to the Tron movies – starts with the impressive launch, like being shot out of a gun and taken over a sweeping curve at a significant rate of speed. You start indoors, are taking outside under the large white canopy and over the crowd below. Then you go back into the dark into a grid program race like in the movies where the lightcycle is used in a deadly race where one cycle tries to cut the other off,
Of course, Disney’s version isn’t deadly and does not even feature a dueling track. Instead, there’s one track for the actual ride and a mirrored track that makes it seems like you’re in a race.
Do I need to be familiar with the Tron Universe to enjoy the ride?
Not at all. I saw the original Tron in theaters but retain very little beyond Jeff Bridges gets sucked into an early 1980s video game and there is peril. I haven’t seen either of the legacy sequels. I don’t have anything against them, but they don’t hold much interest to me.
In fact, my biggest immersion into the Tron Universe – before this ride – was the excellent 1980s Tron arcade game that allowed you to compete in several of the dangers within the Tron universe, including the Lightcycle races.
The ride queue does a pretty good job of explaining what’s going on as you wait to ride. And, frankly, if the ride breaks down when you’re in the queue, you’d kind of like them to shut up about it for a while.
But you could walk in completely unaware of Tron, Jeff Bridges or the Big Lebowski and still enjoy what’s great about the ride, which is we’re going to go very fast, very quickly.
Is the ride comfortable?
This is an important question. The ride vehicle mimic motorcycles. You mount the vehicle, fold your legs over the pegs and lean forward. For tall people, overweight people or anyone whose knees or ankles aren’t bending like they used to, the ride can be uncomfortable or even unrideable. The good news is Disney included a couple of traditional roller coaster carts in the back that allow riders who are uncomfortable on the cycles to still ride. I love this so much. I wish It would become the industry standard whenever possible to have inclusive ride vehicles.
But the possible discomfort doesn’t end with the ride vehicle. The truth is the launch was too much for me. I survived it but spent the rest of the ride just hanging on. I’ve been riding big coasters at places like King’s Island and Cedar Point for more than 40 years now and I’ve never had one knock me off my game like Tron did.
Now, this is not an indictment of the ride. This is an indictment of me. I simply can’t do like I used to do. Ainsley was having the time of her life and all I wanted was for it to be over.
Mercifully, the ride is short, probably too short. It would be a better ride for more people if it longer than the 60 second run time. But I was really glad it was over.
Does it fit in with the Tomorrowland aesthetic?
I’m not one to get too caught up in original vision for parks or sections or lands. Tomorrowland lost quite a bit of the past’s idealistic version of the future a long time ago. Neither the Speedway, the Laugh Factory nor Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin fit with the original 1950s idea of the future vibe.
Neither did Stitch’s Great Escape nor did the Alien ride before it. So, in theory, Tron shouldn’t bother me. In fact, it probably fits in with the retro vibe past better than some of the others, but it still feels out of place.
An honest review of Tron: Lightcycle Run
It is a great ride. Good design. Nice theming. Legit Thrills. I could be a little longer but it’s pretty cool.
It’s just not for me anymore.
The truth is that it is a premier ride in the Magic Kingdom, and one of only a few thrill rides in the park. If you like coasters, it’s a must do just for the launch alone.
And if you like great rides, it should certainly on your list.
But it’s not for the meek – or in my case – those past their prime.
I would highly recommend the Individual Lightning Lane because the wait times are consistently 60 minutes or more. It is not available for early entry for resort guests, so I don’t consider it a valid option for either rope drop opportunity. Some people line up at Early Resort rope drop and wait 30 minutes because they can shave some time off the normal wait, but for me, it’s not enough of a time savings. I’d rather buy the ILL and hit other stuff at rope drop.
Who should ride? The me from age 12 to age 45 or so would have absolutely loved it. If your kids have proven they can handle some intensity and are at least 48 inches tall, it’s certainly worth riding.
I don’t normally pay much attention to the boilerplate warnings about back pain and such, but I would give them much more serious consideration for Tron. And also, while I’m not a medical professional, I would strongly advise against pregnant women riding.
