TRON Lightcycle Run

[Nick]

I went on a relatively dead day and vq still sold out in like 3 seconds. I suspect before 1 the supply is just very low. I did buy a lightning lane for guardians but only because I was doing a single day and would have no way really to make the ride work with park hopping. I wish they would allow earlier park hopping again so I could ride it without paying.

Well, perhaps earlier park hopping will be back over time. After 2pm, APs no longer need to make reservations unless it's MK on a Saturday or something like that. Hopefully they continue to change policies going forward where they just flat out remove the 2pm bar for hopping over to another park if you come at park open no matter what ticket you have.

It's possible they do that for APs, however with other passes, i'm not sure we'll see it removed since I think part of the point is that it forces you to spend a good amount of time in a certain park before going over to the other park, which I think is their way of sort of getting guests to continue to do 4-5 day stays. WDW can comfortably be done (with Genie+ of course at MK at least) in no longer than 4 days. Honestly, it'd probably be possible to do the 4 parks at WDW in 3 days and feel like you did pretty much everything, then spend 3 or so days at UOR.

Once Epic opens, I can easily see UOR becoming the 4 day resort and WDW becoming the 3 day resort and DAK simply getting chopped from a lot of people's vacations in terms of people who do split vacations.

 

[Nick]

Interesting personal observation today. We got to Epcot at 1:30 or so and we’re hoping there would still be a few GOTG reservations left. They were all gone unfortunately, but there was still Tron reservations which I thought was odd.

We got on both monorails just in time and got into MK just after 2 and was able to secure group 197, which will probably be sometime around 9-10 based on current wait time.

Maybe this isn’t normal, but was surprised they were still available at this time of day for the park’s brand new ride on a Saturday.

 

[Nick]

Slight update, it seems to be Epcot day for the Dapper Day crowd so this could be partially effecting things

 

[UNIrd]

Finally rode this after having ridden it a few times in Shanghai. Something felt off and like it was missing something. Couldn't put my finger on it but from its placement, the queue, the music... Still a fun short ride though and launch was more intense than I remembered.

 

[BigHouseFootball]

Finally got to ride this. Slapped down my $20 to do so. It just worked better with our schedule and me not wanting to miss out on an hour of park time with my wife and almost 3 year old.

It was fun. The reveal at the top of the load station was very cool. I asked for the front since I was pretty sure this was going to be my only ride for our trip.

I didn’t find the seat uncomfortable and was surprised by how easily I got in based on internet comments. But I’m 5-10 and 165.

The launch is still undoubtedly the best part of the ride very fun. Then once inside it reminded me a lot of rockin roller coaster with out the inversions. A lot of swoops. Wish there was more to look at ala guardians.

I got a virtual queue 3 other times and never made it over to reride if that tells you anything. Just didn’t want to miss about an hour of park time-basing that off guardians which took me 40 mins from the time I entered the line till I boarded. Then with ride time and reuniting it was about an hour. One return window was during the noon run of Fantasy which I could have done but I didn’t want to miss watching my daughter watch the parade.

So an ok coaster but a great addition to the park. The ride experience is still very unique as many people don’t have this type of coaster close to their homes. Once Tiana opens it should help spread crowds with Tron, Seven Dwarfs, and Space all up and running.

Now guardians I got a virtual queue and paid for a lightning lane. LOVE that thing.

 

[Freak]

Finally going to be able to ride this in a few weeks! Really stoked!

I have a dumb question to ask. I'm gonna park hop between Epcot, MK and hopefully AK to squeeze in FoP and EE. I know both Cosmic Rewind and Tron are both using VQs. If I snag a boarding group for Guardians and buy a LL, I should in theory be able to also buy one LL for Tron right? Bare in mind I have a park hopper reserving Epcot for my first park.

I really want to ride Guardians twice but I'm confident that if I get one ride on Tron, I'll be happy.

 

[Nick]

Finally going to be able to ride this in a few weeks! Really stoked!

I have a dumb question to ask. I'm gonna park hop between Epcot, MK and hopefully AK to squeeze in FoP and EE. I know both Cosmic Rewind and Tron are both using VQs. If I snag a boarding group for Guardians and buy a LL, I should in theory be able to also buy one LL for Tron right? Bare in mind I have a park hopper reserving Epcot for my first park.

I really want to ride Guardians twice but I'm confident that if I get one ride on Tron, I'll be happy.

If you do a multipark Genie+ then yes. If you lock yourself to one park then no.

 

[Freak]

If you do a multipark Genie+ then yes. If you lock yourself to one park then no.

Ugh. Such a headache. Thank you for the head's up though!

Do I have to wait until the day of my trip to get Genie Plus or can I buy it a day in advance. I've legit never used it before but I guess I have to now. Does it sell out?

To make things more complicated, I have a park hopper, but my sister who's going with me doesn't because she's going to leave early for a concert. She intends to only spend half a day at Epcot then leave. I'm planning on doing Tron solo.

 

[wutisgood]

You need to buy genie plus from midnight through any time in the next day hours, but the selections are going to be starting at 7am for the lowest waits.and reservations.

I think it is stupid, short sighted, and greedy to have any major tourist draw like disney to have day to day in person dynamic pricing. People who go to Disney often buy meal plans that cost them more money just because they are too stupid or lazy to budget their meals. Just put it all in a package that seems "cheap" for people who can't budget.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Finally going to be able to ride this in a few weeks! Really stoked!

I have a dumb question to ask. I'm gonna park hop between Epcot, MK and hopefully AK to squeeze in FoP and EE. I know both Cosmic Rewind and Tron are both using VQs. If I snag a boarding group for Guardians and buy a LL, I should in theory be able to also buy one LL for Tron right? Bare in mind I have a park hopper reserving Epcot for my first park.

I really want to ride Guardians twice but I'm confident that if I get one ride on Tron, I'll be happy.

Hate saying this, but you might have to start your day off at MK. Tron boarding groups go away much faster than GOTG. So if you start your day off at Epcot, you'll have to pray that it'll still be open by the time you are allowed to park hop.

Safe bet is 7AM boarding group for Tron, 1PM group for GOTG and snag a LL for GOTG.

As for DAK, check the weather first, but after 4PM the park starts to die off. Wait-times are exaggerated for FOP, especially near park close.

 

[Freak]

If you do a multipark Genie+ then yes. If you lock yourself to one park then no.

You need to buy genie plus from midnight through any time in the next day hours, but the selections are going to be starting at 7am for the lowest waits.and reservations.

I think it is stupid, short sighted, and greedy to have any major tourist draw like disney to have day to day in person dynamic pricing. People who go to Disney often buy meal plans that cost them more money just because they are too stupid or lazy to budget their meals. Just put it all in a package that seems "cheap" for people who can't budget.

Hate saying this, but you might have to start your day off at MK. Tron boarding groups go away much faster than GOTG. So if you start your day off at Epcot, you'll have to pray that it'll still be open by the time you are allowed to park hop.

Safe bet is 7AM boarding group for Tron, 1PM group for GOTG and snag a LL for GOTG.

As for DAK, check the weather first, but after 4PM the park starts to die off. Wait-times are exaggerated for FOP, especially near park close.

Thank you for all of your responses! I'll spoil the end of my post right away by saying I got to ride Tron! Twice! I'll talk about what I did and then express what I liked about the ride.

So just shortly after I read these posts I was a little discouraged I was going to have to choose between going on Cosmic Rewind again (Which I freaking LOVE) or go on Tron. A choice I would not have to wish upon my worst enemy. Well, I also had realized something.....my flight didn't leave until 7:15 PM the day I leave! (Yesterday as of this post) I would have enough time to risk it and get a few rides in to make it worth my while and money. So I decided to book a ticket to spend a half day at MK.

I get up on Monday just ten minutes before six nervous for the VQ process and exhausted from two days in a row of HHN and Universal. I get on there the second it hits 7:00AM. Lo and behold.....boarding group 48! Just as a failsafe, I managed to snag a Lightning Lane for the 11:25-12:25 slot. Really hate how it takes forever to get into MK, but after I grabbed my coffee and to-go breakfast at Starbucks, my group got called shortly after! Also want to add that the VQ system sucks even from someone who lucked out on it big time. It's literally a lottery system and I think it's kinda bogus.

I'll talk my review of Tron in a second, but I after my two rides in, I got to ride the People Mover again, l wait over an hour for Space Mountain, run to Mickey's PhilharMagic, fight the parade crowds to grab a fajita plate at Pecos Bill's (Mobile order is a blessed time saver!), and then get the heck out of there to grab an Uber to get my bags from Surfside Inn and then ride to MCO. Got to check out the few rides I cared about as everything else at MK I can enjoy back home at Disneyland or don't care enough to ride them. It was a great final day of Orlando and was glad I got two rides on Tron. So it ended up working out! Thank you guys!

Okay, finally my thoughts on the ride: It was a little more thrilling and exhilarating than In expected! I was concerned the lying forward position would be really awkward and uncomfortable, but it was totally fine. I know that they have a normal seat for people to sit on with disabilities so I would like to try the normal seat one of these days just to see how it is. The bike position added a little more thrill to the ride.

I was very pleased with how powerful that first launch felt. I think RnRC's launch punches a little more but that thing moved! The outdoor portion was very fast and thrilling! Probably the best part of the ride.

Now the indoor portion is where I expected the the ride to plateau in enjoyment. While the launch and outdoor portion is absolutely the highlight, the indoor portion was, or at least felt, surprisingly zippy and fast! It felt like Cosmic Rewind without any of the spinning. The turns pulled quite a bit of forces as the train whipped around those curves.

Overall, while it's not my favorite at Disney World, it's still really fun and exhilarating! It's a good addition for MK and I'm glad they brought this coaster to the states. I would probably rank this number four as my favorite Disney coaster. Cosmic Rewind would be my number 1, followed by Everest, Rockin', then this. IncrediCoaster would be number 5. Great ride!

 

[JungleSkip]

Rode 2x the past few days through the virtual queue.

First, the far and away most important thing about it: It's an awesome addition to MK, and a kind of ride it desperately needed for a long time. The ride itself is top notch, if a bit short. Out of all the "Disney helix roller coasters in a box", it's far and away the best. The launch is legit forceful, there are some small airtime moments (a minor miracle considering Disney's usually forceless coasters), and the effects are a lot of fun. It also seems like it could be an absolute people eater, so it's a shame it's gated behind the virtual queue system.

The grid reveal is a really cool wow moment, but they were only running it the second time I went through. Otherwise, however, the queue kind of sucks. The door at the beginning of the indoor portion is baffling, as is the black hallway that precedes it (which I understand may be temporary). The switchbacks right before the lockers also feel kind of...Six Flagsish? I dunno.

Was also kind of struck by how utilitarian the area around the ride is. Just really nothing back there, besides the snack bar that almost feels like an afterthought. The area around it, mix with the queue, make it feel like a rush job, not the 300+ million dollar addition it was.

Still, as I said upfront, an absolute home run of a ride, and everything else is just nitpicks. Really great addition to the MK.

 

[saint.piss]

True.

 

[yepthatguy]

I went on this in May.

First attempt I was sat on the railroad chugging along with my phone in my hand and the Disney app open at exactly 12:59 pm waiting for it to hit 1pm to tap.

Hit the button within a millisecond it felt like, and the boarding group I got meant we got called at 8:30pm.

I was actually quite happy with that as we’d just got there and had lots to do. We had a great day, boarding gate gets called so we head over.

It looked amazing at night, I was blown away. We start queuing and it’s moving, but after 20mins I realised we hadn’t moved that much really and the queue was massive still. One of our party not queuing saw us and told us they’d asked roughly how long the wait was as we were still on the sloped platform section nowhere near the entrance and that it was about 100mins.

We just bailed and I vowed we’d get on it before flying home. We were just too tired to queue and the others who weren’t riding it wasn’t fair on.

2nd attempt. Last full day of the holiday, we go back to magic kingdom. Did a few rides got some gifts then went back to the hotel to get some rest before heading back for the fireworks.

Wake up at the hotel and there’s a massive storm, weather warnings on tv etc etc but I feel it’s starting to clear. I look on the app and lo and behold there is lightning lane available to pay for right now. I paid the money, hopped in the car as storm cleared, headed straight to Tron, down the lightning lane and I got In!!

The lightning lane queue still took maybe 20mins but it was immersive with the lights and music playing getting us pumped, the whole thing was awesome!

The launch was insane, and the dark ride section was pretty spectacular in terms of visual effects.

But like others have said… it’s just so short. Another 30-45seconds and wow…!!

But I still loved it.

 

[wutisgood]

Rode 2x the past few days through the virtual queue.

First, the far and away most important thing about it: It's an awesome addition to MK, and a kind of ride it desperately needed for a long time. The ride itself is top notch, if a bit short. Out of all the "Disney helix roller coasters in a box", it's far and away the best. The launch is legit forceful, there are some small airtime moments (a minor miracle considering Disney's usually forceless coasters), and the effects are a lot of fun. It also seems like it could be an absolute people eater, so it's a shame it's gated behind the virtual queue system.

The grid reveal is a really cool wow moment, but they were only running it the second time I went through. Otherwise, however, the queue kind of sucks. The door at the beginning of the indoor portion is baffling, as is the black hallway that precedes it (which I understand may be temporary). The switchbacks right before the lockers also feel kind of...Six Flagsish? I dunno.

Was also kind of struck by how utilitarian the area around the ride is. Just really nothing back there, besides the snack bar that almost feels like an afterthought. The area around it, mix with the queue, make it feel like a rush job, not the 300+ million dollar addition it was.

Still, as I said upfront, an absolute home run of a ride, and everything else is just nitpicks. Really great addition to the MK.

I like the ride even though it is too short. All I can think of though is how much better it would be to have two velocicoasters at MK for that much money. I think every contractor in orlando pretty much knows how to extort disney for maximum profits. That or disney is inflating ride budgets to cover other losses or projects. It just doesn't make any sense.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

That or disney is inflating ride budgets to cover other losses or projects.

yes

 

[HandsomePete]

I like the ride even though it is too short. All I can think of though is how much better it would be to have two velocicoasters at MK for that much money. I think every contractor in orlando pretty much knows how to extort disney for maximum profits. That or disney is inflating ride budgets to cover other losses or projects. It just doesn't make any sense.

Covering losses makes no sense.

The general contractor never knows what the “actual” cost of an attraction is. Disney generally pays well, but that’s true across the spectrum (ie, a director at Disney makes more than a director at Universal who makes more than a director at Sea World).

Then there’s WDI… between seniority, people based in California instead of Florida, and the size of the orgs, there’s a lot more overhead to allocate out.

Then there’s how the org structure impacts allocations… there are some functions that reside in marketing or finance at Universal in overhead cost centers that reside in WDI at Disney and get allocated out to projects.

Then there’s the building codes for whatever Reedy Creek is called these days… more stringent standards are more expensive.

Also, the best way to know if your projects are actually profitable is to allocate the entire investment burden to it. Let’s say you build three hotels and have to expand laundry facility to accommodate that. Kind of makes sense to allocate one-third of that expansion to each of the hotels if you want to know if it was actually a good decision to build those, yeah?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Covering losses makes no sense.

The general contractor never knows what the “actual” cost of an attraction is. Disney generally pays well, but that’s true across the spectrum (ie, a director at Disney makes more than a director at Universal who makes more than a director at Sea World).

Then there’s WDI… between seniority, people based in California instead of Florida, and the size of the orgs, there’s a lot more overhead to allocate out.

Then there’s how the org structure impacts allocations… there are some functions that reside in marketing or finance at Universal in overhead cost centers that reside in WDI at Disney and get allocated out to projects.

Then there’s the building codes for whatever Reedy Creek is called these days… more stringent standards are more expensive.

Also, the best way to know if your projects are actually profitable is to allocate the entire investment burden to it. Let’s say you build three hotels and have to expand laundry facility to accommodate that. Kind of makes sense to allocate one-third of that expansion to each of the hotels if you want to know if it was actually a good decision to build those, yeah?

If there's one rule I stick by when covering theme parks is that whatever number is floating around for construction costs... take it with a grain of salt. They're not "covering losses" but they are combining project costs and they "package it" as part of one budget.

SWGE was an expensive land... but $1B for its entirety? No way. I'd imagine costs for Toy Story Land and all other enhancements/infrastructure projects at DHS were packaged together.

Hagrid was an expensive coaster... but I don't believe the $500M price tag. I'd imagine that includes Endless Summer and other projects throughout the resort around the same timeframe.

 

[wutisgood]

If there's one rule I stick by when covering theme parks is that whatever number is floating around for construction costs... take it with a grain of salt. They're not "covering losses" but they are combining project costs and they "package it" as part of one budget.

SWGE was an expensive land... but $1B for its entirety? No way. I'd imagine costs for Toy Story Land and all other enhancements/infrastructure projects at DHS were packaged together.

Hagrid was an expensive coaster... but I don't believe the $500M price tag. I'd imagine that includes Endless Summer and other projects throughout the resort around the same timeframe.

Everest which was once the most expensive attraction of all time would be a bargain now even adjusted for inflation if Disney were truthful about their budgets

 

[GA-MBIT]

Honestly with all of the talk about how short the ride was, Tron actually surprised me by being a good bit longer than I expected haha! I guess chock it up to lowered expectations but I had no clue about the indoor show scene and that was a great surprise. A well earned one too, with how well they hide not just the show-building but the rest of the track leading into it, incredible Imagineering in that Canopy design to hide the end of the outdoor track to everybody walking into the queue.

I feel like the whole ride lasts just about as long as it should to still be fun while not straining your body with how you're positioned in the coaster seat a la something like Manta at SWO. It does what it needs to do and does it well. I could see faulting it for not being very ambitious, but the novelty of the seats makes up for it a good bit imo.